Trip to Mahabaleshwar - Day 2

Day 2 started off with a lot of enthusiasm. We had planned to cover few of the 50-odd points in Mahabaleshwar, and then head towards Panchgani.

Mahabaleshwar is the largest hill station in Maharashtra. However, there is nothing much to see within Mahabaleshwar. The places around the hill station are more enticing. As is the case with most hill stations, Mahabaleshwar too was discovered by the British in the late 1700's, to escape the heat of Mumbai in summer. Other hill stations discovered and established by the British include Darjeeling, Dalhousie, Munnar, Mussoorie and so on. Though the first Briton to set foot here was Sir Charles Malet, the hill station was built under the supervision of General Peter Lodwick and Sir John Malcolm (Governor of Bombay). Other British officials to visit this place regularly were Elphistone, Carnac and Arthur. Most of the points in Mahabaleswar are named after these British generals. For example, Malcolm point, Arthur's seat, Elphistone point and Kate's point. (Kate was Sir Malcolm's daughter.)

Back to our trip. We started off the day by visiting old Mahabaleshwar. There are two temples that one can visit. The first temple was an old Shiva temple. The second and the more interesting one was the Panchganga temple. It is called so as the temple was built on the congregation of five rivers: Gayatri, Savitri, Krishna, Koyna, Venna and Saraswati. Hey wait, now that's six and not five, right? We too fell into a predicament when we entered the temple. There were six outlets from which the rivers flowed and the names of each were written above the outlet. Then, we observed something unique. There was no water flowing from the Saraswati outlet. My husband explained that it is so because Saraswati is a mythical river and no one knows whether it actually existed. Sheesh! That solved the mystery of the five rivers.

A Nandi bull outside the Shiva temple

Panchganga temple from a distance

Our next stop was to visit the view points. Basically, the view points are given different names. However, all of them offer more or less the same view of the Koyna valley. The moment we got off our cab, we were hounded by "guides". We were told that they were no signposts and that recognizing the points would be impossible for tourists. Nevertheless, we ventured without a guide and we were happy that we did so. There is actually no need for a guide, you see! The 1km stretch consisted of Suicide point, Echo point, Malcolm point and Tiger's spring. Tiger's spring is the place where animals come to quench their thirst at dusk. There is an old man who serves water to the tourists and is happy with whatever "bakshish" the tourists offer him. He said that he been doing this for the past 25 years. He apparently returns home at dusk as leopards are known to visit the spring for a sip of water. The old chap was adorable and very happy at the prospect of having somebody to talk to. He even obliged us by taking a very cute snap of ours. Yippee!!

View from Malcolm Point

We visited a few other points, the most ridiculous one being "Monkey Point". On hearing the name, you would think that it would be a place where you would spot lots and lots of monkeys. A big thenga to those who think so! When we reached the place, there wasn't a single monkey in sight. On the opposite side of the road, I spotted some people standing atop a ledge and looking across at a mountain. Then, our driver cleared the confusion and said that they were looking at the mountain as the shape of a certain rock in between the hills resembles a monkey. Eooowww!! Now, is that what you had call Monkey Point. Hmmphh!

Random view of the Koyna Valley

Another view of the Koyna valley - Now, I did warn you that they all look the same :P

After the disappointing view points in Mahabaleshwar, we proceeded to Panchgani. Panchgani was truly amazing. The plateau is lined with strawberry farms everywhere. We visited Mala's jam factory where we could sample any fruit crush. We tried out the rare variety such as kiwi fruit (according to me, it tasted yuck and looked like pista-flavored falooda), black current, blueberry and raspberry. We bought a bottle of black current crush to take back home. We also bought a kilo of yummy chocolate fudge. Then, we had some fresh strawberry ice-cream.

We then headed to the famous table-land in Panchgani. We hired a buggy (horse-cart) to take us around the table-land. We were also promised that we would be shown some 6-8 points. Now wait till you hear this. The points were places that were some kilometers away where shooting of famous bollywood movies were made. There was the bunglow from Raja Hindustani's Palankhet, where Aamir and Karisma Kapoor stayed. The hill-top where Rishi Kapoor and Jaya Prada danced to the beats of Dafli-wale. The scene from the movie Mela (I do not blame you if you don't remember this movie), where the good triumphs over the evil in the climax scene.

View from Table-land

Then, we were taken right to the center of the table-land, where there was a lake. It made a pretty picture! But according to the ghoda-wala, what made it interesting was not the mirage-like effect but the fact that it was the very same water from which Aamir Khan came out in the song Mangala Mangala from the movie Mangal Pandey. Just when thought our ordeal was over, there came a surprise. We were shown one more point. There was a small circle of pebbles and stones inside which there were what looked like stone imprints. We were told that it was the foot imprint of the five pandavas. Gosh!

These are the foot imprints of the five pandavas - koi shaq? ...

On second thoughts, I am wondering what happened to the foot imprints of Kunti and Draupadi? :|

Trip to Mahabaleshwar - Day 1

Yeay!! So finally we were off. A break from the daily routine was very much needed. After much deliberation, we zeroed down on Mahabaleshwar to spend a long weekend. It was one of my best trips so far.

Our tour package consisted of three parts: Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani and Pratapgrah. However, what made the holiday enjoyable and interesting was the beautiful weather and the trip to Pratapgrah.

On the first day, we left Mumbai early morning and reached Mahabaleshwar at lunch time. After a yummy lunch and some rest, we proceeded to Venna lake for boating and some fun. Venna lake is situated 1.5 kms away from the market area. Private tours as well as tours conducted by MTDC do not cover Venna lake. You need to visit this place separately. A cab ride from the market to Venna lake costs Rs. 40.

View of Venna lake from a distance

The main attraction at this place is boating. However, it comes at a heavy price. You can choose between a row boat and 'paddle' boat. Yes, you heard it right. That's what pedal boating is called at Venna lake. For row boat, you have the choice of rowing on your own or hiring a rower do the job.

You can hire a row boat for half an hour or an hour. Pedal boats, however, can be hired for an hour only. The cost of hiring a row boat for an hour is 300 bucks and a pedal boat would cost you 400 bucks.

To hire a row boat for half an hour, you would need to shell out 150 bucks. In addition, the rower needs to be paid 30 bucks for a half an hour ride and 60 bucks for the one hour ride. If you choose to row the boat yourself, you have to pay 300 bucks an hour. Row boats without the rower are not available for half an hour rides. Ridiculous :|

Beautiful view from the row boat

All prices are fixed by the government. So no negotiating or bargaining. One good thing is that the price is fixed for up to six people. So if you are visiting the place with a group of friends or family, it would turn out to be advantageous.

Boating

Apart from boating, you can try out horse-riding.

Horse-riding at Venna lake

There is a small amusement park opposite the lake. The free-fall ride is the biggest attraction here. You can also try munching some yummy sweet corn, with masala or butter. Boiled corn is also available and tastes much better than the baked corn. Beware of cows running amok trying a take a bite from your corn. We had one of the cows chasing us around the lake.

All said and done, the trip to Venna lake was eventful....

However, a trip to Mahabaleshwar is incomplete....

Without juicy strawberries...

And ...

Delicious mulberries

Applying for a technical writer's job

There was an urgent requirement for a senior technical writer's position in my company a few months back. The first criteria when selecting a suitable candidate for this post was to check out the look-and-feel of the resume. It gives the interviewer a fair idea of how well-versed is the writer with styles, formatting etc.

When we started receiving the resumes, we were in for a rude shock. The resumes were ridiculous to say the least. It was terrifying to see that most 'experienced' technical writers did not even use auto-numbering. :O

It was then that I came up with post on how to create a resume / CV when applying for the post of a technical writer.

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1. Remember that the purpose of your resume is to guarantee you an interview and not the job. Keep the resume short, up to 2-pages maximum.
   
   
2. Check the page settings and page layouts. It is recommended that you do not have an even / odd page layout. Specify the margins as required.
   
   
3. Insert a header and footer.
   
   
4. Your resume needs to impress the interviewer quickly to land you an interview call. Hence, it is important that you create a resume that is tailor-made for the job you are applying. Your career objective must relate to the job you are applying for.
   
   
5. Structure your resume effectively. Make a list of headings to be included. Then, organize the content according to priority. You need not include myriad details of all the extra-curricular activities in which you participated at school.
   
   
6. Format the resume properly. Create a template in Word and use the styles appropriately. Apply these styles to the headings that you have already structured.
   
   
7. Check the line spacing for all the styles throughout the document. The text in the resume must look uniform throughout. Remove extra white spaces from the document.
   
   A handy tip: When you format any document or work with styles, select the Show / Hide toggle button option. You will be able to view spaces, tab spaces and line breaks in your document.
   
   
8. Highlight your core skills upfront such as expertise in using technical writing tools like FrameMaker, RoboHelp and MS-Office.
   
   
9. Use bullet points when explaining your previous work experience. You may leave out details of jobs that are not relevant to the current job you are applying.
   
   
10. List your academic qualifications in tabular format. Ensure that you include details such as the university you graduated from, year of passing and the pass percentage.
    
    
11. Add basic personal information such as DOB, passport details and marital status.
    
    
12. Finally, proof-read your resume to ensure that there are no typos.

Once you are done with your resume, draft a cover letter for the job. In the cover letter, you need to mention the reason for applying the job and your interest in the organization.

If possible, attach a writing sample with your resume and cover letter.

You can refer these sites for more information:

• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/631/01/
  
  
• http://www.dailywritingtips.com/resume-writing-tips/

And about how we found a technical writer is a completely different story. It would probably take another post or two to describe the harrowing experience. :|

Memoirs of a Geisha - Excellent!

A friend recommended the book Memoirs of a Geisha, which according to her was the most fascinating Japanese tale she had ever read. The thought of reading a Japanese tale fascinated me and I went ahead and read the book, twice! Here's the review...

Memoirs of a Geisha is a part-fiction, part-real novel written by American author Arthur Golden. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story is about a Geisha called Chiyo chan, born to an old fisherman in Japan who also had an elder daughter, Satsu. Poverty, old age and illness forces the fisherman to sell off both his daughters to a certain Mr. Tanaka, who brings the girls to the Gion district of Kyoto city. In Gion, the girls are separated from each other. Satsu is sold off to a brothel for not being attractive enough whereas Chiyo is sold to an okiya. An okiya is a lodging house for geisha, which is run by a mistress known as okiya-san.

Life in the okiya is difficult for Chiyo in the initial years. She is made to work as a maid and help out in the household chores. The okiya also houses another inmate, Hatsumomo, a famous Geisha in Gion who views Chiyo as a rival and is forever seeking to settle scores with her. Chiyo falls prey to Hatsumomo's wicked ways and her debts to the okiya increase many-fold, thanks to Hatsumomo. After a couple of months of surviving in the okiya, Chiyo is sent to a training school where scores of young girls like her are taught various arts such as dancing, playing the shamisen (an instrument resembling a guitar), singing and so on.

The story takes a turn when Chiyo discovers her sister and they both decide to run away from Kyoto. Chiyo, however, is unfortunate at her attempt and is caught by the mistress of another okiya. Chiyo is stopped from attending classes any further and is confined to the okiya, much to Hatsumomo's delight. Chiyo returns to tending the household chores and is determined to find her sister one day. Her dreams are shattered when she learns that her parents have left for their heavenly abode and her sister has run away with a boy.

Chiyo realizes that life has nothing in store for her. Just when she immerses herself in pain and cries on the bank of a river, a Chairman of an electric company, happens to pass by and consoles little Chiyo. Chiyo is motivated by the Chairman's words and decides to take on life as it comes. Back in the okiya, help arrives from an unexpected corner.

Mameha, a successful Geisha in Gion proposes to take on Chiyo as her younger sister and train her as a Geisha. Under Mameha's watchful eyes, Chiyo transforms in to a beautiful and enterprising Geisha and takes on the name Sayuri. Sayuri starts entertaining her patrons in teahouses.

Secretly, she starts loving the Chairman and wishes to become his mistress one day. However, Nobu, the Chairman's friend and business partner takes a liking for Sayuri and proposes to become her danna or patron. As a danna, Nobu would take care of all of Sayuri's expenses. The story then concludes with how Sayuri resolves her dilemma over whether to accept Nobu's proposal or nourish her feelings for the Chairman, who is not even aware about how she feels for him.

The novel is beautifully written and the essence of Japanese culture is well-described. Geisha were often confused with prostitutes. However, they are neither prostitutes nor courtesans. They are artists. In fact, the meaning of the word Geisha is an artist. It is a world in which beauty rules. Geisha dress up elaborately with heavy make up, expensive kimonos and intricate hairstyles. Their lifestyle is also very expensive. Hence, all the money spent on them when they are trained is added to their debts at the okiya. Once a Geisha starts earning, most of her earnings go to the okiya. In most cases, the debts are so huge that the Geisha is bound to the okiya forever. However, if the Geisha manages to find a patron who is willing to become her danna then she is freed from her debts. Her danna not only takes care of her expenditure but also settles her debts to the okiya.

Golden's attempt was a runaway success. The book was also adapted into a movie and was produced by Steven Spielberg. Zhang Zyi (who is from Chinese origin) played Sayuri. However, the movie is not as entertaining as the book.

The book was marred by controversy as a case was filed against against Arthur Golden Mineko Iwasaki. Mineko alleged that Arthur betrayed her by specifying her name in the book as an acknowledgment. Mineko was one of the many Geisha interviewed by Arthur and according to her, it was decided that she would reveal everything about her life provided he does not mention her name anywhere in the book. Mineko sued Arthur for breach of contract and defamation of character in 2001. However, they reached an out of court settlement in 2003. Later, Mineko came out with her own version of Geisha life in a book called Life of a Geisha. She allegedly felt that she could do a better job than Arthur as she herself was a Geisha. However, the book was not acclaimed as much as Memoirs.

I would recommend the book to those who have a penchant for reading and a desire to know something about the amazing Japanese culture.

Monkey Business

26th December 2007: First Test Match Melbourne, Australia
Match is over in four days. Australia beat India by 337 runs. The media leaves no stone unturned to prove that India played poorly. Debates continue over team selection and speculation is rife about the final eleven who will play the second test.

The Indian team is disappointed and charts out a strategy to take on the mighty Aussies. The Aussies on the other hand are determined to win the next match. It's the most crucial match for them as winning the match means they will equal their own record of 16 consecutive Test wins.

2nd January 2008: Second Test Match Melbourne, Sydney
The match starts off with Australia gaining the momentum. India, not willing to be left behind, bat superbly to take a lead with Sachin and Laxman hitting centuries and Dravid and Ganguly backing up with well made half-centuries. Hey mate!! Wait wait...there's something wrong going on. How can these bl**** players snatch away victory from right under our nose. A draw wont help us either as we wont be able to equal the record. Let's try sledging first. Obviously, the aussies are perturbed. They are scared, petrified and afraid of losing. So they resort to tactics they are well known for. This time they pick up Bhajji. He is accused of allegedly passing a racial remark against Andrew Symonds. According to media reports, Bhajji allegedly called Symonds a 'monkey'. Does this qualify as a 'racial' comment in the first place. Racism means "The belief that one racial group is inferiro to another and the practices of the dominant group to maintain the inferior position of the dominated group." Bhajji faces a ban for probably the rest of the series and the kangaroos jump and down on winning another match.

The Indians still put up a fight to salvage the situation. They bat well enough to hope for a draw in the second innings. Oi there mate, we need to think of something else. The Indians have become immune to sledging, I believe...bellows Punter!!

Help comes in from an unexpected quarter this time. The team of B & B comes to the rescue. Instead of wasting their time in deciding whether the player from India is out, the decision is referred to a FOURTH UMPIRE. Mr. Fourth Umpire nods his head and puts up his finger. Ahhh!! The message has been received from the Lord himself. Now, I need not consult anyone and up goes Mr. Benson's finger and Ganguly is out.

The other players follow suit though Anil Kumble puts up a brave fight.

Why India lost the match?
- We did not cry mama when someone called us names
- We did not cheat
- We did not pay the umpires

IN MY OPINION, INDIA LOST THE WAR BUT WON THE BATTLE...kyunki haarkar jeetne wale ko hi Baazigar kehte hain

P.S: I really don't know when the Indian media will mature. Yesterday, amidst reports of bad umpiring decisions a SPECIAL NEWS REPORT promised to show the viewers something INTERESTING!! What you may ask, is more interesting and important than to know what's going on in Australia? Well, the media had kept a close on a certain Ms. Padukone who had traveled all the way to Sydney to watch the match. The Special Report was all about her reaction and expression on her face when Yuvi fell for a duck. The song "Aankon main teri ajab si ajab si.." was playing in the background. Pink graphic hearts were falling as snow on the screen. hmmm..need I say more??????

Sivaji - Review

Despite being a South-Indian, I was never in awe of the super star who reigned in the hearts of thousands of devoted fans. In fact, I used to find his gimmicks so sick that I never watched any of Rajni's super hit films. However, after watching Sivaji, my view about Rajni has changed a lot. I went to watch the movie out of curiosity rather than anything else...and came out of the theatre with my heart filled with content for a watching a good movie after a long time.

The Plot
Kudos to director Shankar for coming up with a fantastic story-line, fabulous action sequences, and hilarious punch dialogues. The reason for the film's stupendous success cannot be attributed to Rajni alone. It is the team work and a well-planned, cleverly crafted story that has done the trick.

Sivaji is a film that takes a dig at the black money market prevailing in India. The story revolves around an NRI, Sivaji, who returns to India from the US with a mission to educate the masses and provide free treatment to the poor and the needy. His sole aim in life is to run hospitals and provide education, to the poor and the needy. However, he runs into trouble as the existing corrupt system of bureaucrats and hand-in glove politicians turn his dreams to dust. His efforts are thwarted by the shrewd dhoti-clad business man, Adisheshan who feels insecure on hearing Sivaji's plans to provide free education and medical facilities. However, the must talked about project starts off after Sivaji bribes the authorities. Soon, he loses all the hard-earned money and the properties that he had amassed so far. The story is all about how Sivaji starts from the scratch and fights all the obstacles on his way to get his project back on track.

The Cast
There's hardly any scene in the movie sans Rajni. I don't think I need to write about his screen presence or acting prowess. The surprise package of the movie is Vivek, Sivaji's side-kick. The female lead, Shreya, has nothing to do except gyrate to the music. The charater Adi, played by actor Suman is fantastic. The character is cunning, shrewd, and lethal. Suman has done complete justice to the role.

The Music
A R Rahman fails to come up with a good music score this time. The music is disappointing though the picturisation is heart-warming and refreshing. The choreography is good and the costumes are unique and different.

Why should you watch Sivaji?
The star cast is terrific, the story line is awesome and the action scenes are well planned and executed. The first half of the movie is replete with humor and hilarious moments (the best being the one where Rajni tries to become fair and win over Shreya).

The Flipside
The movie is more or less in the genre of Shankar's earlier films like Nayak (Mudhalvan in tamil) and bears an uncanny resemblance in terms of treatment. However, the songs in Nayak were much better than in Sivaji.

To conclude, Sivaji is much better than the run-of-the mill films being churned out by Bollywood. It was a refreshing change to watch a good movie after a very long time.....

My First....finally

Finally it's here...my first blog. After months of deliberating whether or not to start blogging, here I am to put forth my views and opinions on anything and everything. For me blogging is a means to debate and a medium to express. All in all, blogging is a fun-filled experience to interact with everyone.

Welcome to Deepa's Corner!

Enjoy a five course meal with views, opnions, debates, and discussions on varied topics....

Appetizers: Bollywood gup-shup and Film reviews

Starters: Personal Experiences

Main Course: Technical Writing, Writing Techniques, and Current Affairs

Drinks: Travelogues

Desert: Sports and Wildlife