Window Seat

Shaadi day today

2010-02-04T00:38:00.003-06:00

This evening Chaitanya gets married to Pooja. Locked, bounded on all sides, stuffed in a trunk, and thrown into deep waters, but no Houdini.

This morning all the pre-eminent ladkewalas are gathered around a pooja fire in their finest Indian wear. I'm in classic light blue shirt, white T inside, algae denims, no belt. Oh yes, and my Cat boots. I'm ashamed I've had apply polish on my work bots though.

Tomorrow, we take off to Ujjain - the city of temples. Back in the evening for dinner with the royals. What a coup!

Shaadi ke side effects

2010-02-04T00:28:00.002-06:00

Ceremony induced ailments abound in a shaadi. Some stress out a lot about what they'll wear to the morning pooja, to evening cocktail, tomorrow, day after, ad nauseum. Some suffer from obsessive planning disorder. You will spot these people in some corner of the house mired in planning some importantly small details of the shaadi.

Then there are others who suddenly acquire excessive flatulence in shaadis more then a couple days long. These are common varieties of chachas, mamis, mausas, bade papas who've done excellently in life, but with their newly acquired infirmity, they're made to look like small criminals.

I say never be caught in confined spaces with the sufferers for long. It's not good for the other guy.

On getting away

2010-02-04T00:22:00.003-06:00

Now, I like this sort of a wedding. You are in a new city with the express purpose of adding to the size of the ladkewale, but you can sneak out every now and then for a spin around the city, soak up the culture, what have you.

Day 1: Indore, first impressions

2010-02-02T05:05:00.003-06:00

Indore is supremely chaotic, but beautifully Indian. I'm not here to have an antiseptic experience of a city that mows its lawns to specification.

We climbed the back of trusty beast Spacio to have a look at the Rajwada, and the old fruit bazaar around it. The Rajwada turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, quite unlike the glorious structure that Wikipedia claims it to be. It's basically a large open quadrangle bounded by reinforced walls that are way past their magnificence. You pay 10 bucks to photo shoot, and then you ask yourself, "Now what?"

So you get out and explore the crumbling phul bazaar, with dedicated lanes for lac choodis. I need to say it again - this place is colourful and chaotic. I have been close to being run over in quick succession by vehicles of all sizes, as I do my openly touristy thing of standing in the middle of the road and clicking away.

The ladies in our gang stick their necks into choodi shops, and my boy wants to buy a toy. Fair. We haven't yet really thought about his source of entertainment.

Later, I engage a mithaiwala in conversation over the most awesome steaming plate of gajar ka halwa. Truly, an Andrew Zimmern 'Oh!' moment.

I break protocol at the mithai shop by not purchasing a token, and then circulating them around counters. I just pay the first guy I meet, and that's OK because I'm from Bombay.

First view of the bride

2010-02-02T04:49:00.003-06:00

I have a quick drink to cure me of my lumps. It works. In about 20 minutes we'll have our first non-Facebook view of the bride at a gathering for - how one elder put it - the "younger generation." Do people still say that?

Pooja, the bride to be, is all grace and looks charming in a rose pink salwar/kameez. We're at Sayaji Hotel that's packed to the rafters on a Monday evening. There's light Hindi pop and ghazal being belted out live from a few rows behind us. I will not comment here on how the music has engrossed me.

We're six stomachs visiting from Bombay, but sometimes we have the occasion to bask in our Mumbai halos. Despite our august company. No one's saying that they like it.

The evening passes eventfully for me - I'm able to say "goodnight" to the royals. There's some talk of raiding Sarafa for jalebas and gulab jamuns, but the wives quickly quash the plan. They're already living this wedding by the events of their choosing.

The regal has landed

2010-02-02T04:21:00.002-06:00

A noisy flight brings us to Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport at about 8 in the evening. Devi Ahilyabai Holkar. The founder queen of Indore. I can't say if I've had more goosebumps anticipating the company of royals for a week at the wedding I'm attending, or landing at an airport with a blue-blooded affiliation such as this.

Anyway, we're whisked away urgently from the airport on a bone clattering ride to our base camp in Vijay Nagar. Tata Spacios can do with better suspension.

The house is draped in lights, and stands out in the darkness with its bigness and beauty. The groom meets us at the door of our Spacio, handshakes and congratulations all around. Almost immediately a couple royals from Jhabua appear. His Highness Rajkunwar Kamlendra Singh is introduced to me and I can't handle the goosebumps anymore. Next up - his wife Rajkumari Brindeshwai, the princess of Orchcha, near Jhansi. Her Highness is dressed in a lovely peach sequined sari, with a final flourish of her pallu over her head. Rajkunwar chooses to dress more like a business executive. I'm dressed like a redneck and smelling of...um...Bombay airport. For a moment, I don't feel a huge disconnect between myself and the Spacio. I make a personal note - must dress a lot better for this wedding.

Meanwhile, in the company of kings and queens of an erstwhile glory, I have too many lumps in my throat to make any suitable conversation.

2009-01-15T17:58:00.002-06:00

Golden Globes 2009 aired for the first time in China

2009-01-12T19:18:00.002-06:00

Overheard in China:

"Hey Wong, find out who makes those trophies."

President Bush Collapses at Pak Press Meet

2008-12-17T19:50:00.016-06:00

ISLAMABAD, Dec 17 -- Barely 24 hours after unveiling a new paradigm in security arrangements for press briefings involving the president, the plan is flying in the face of the US Secret Service.

President George W. Bush collapsed at a press meet in Islamabad, Pakistan, earlier today for "non-health related reasons."

Several hundred Pakistani reporters invited to the briefing chose to sidestep the new "shoe glue" protocol, and checked their footwear at the gate instead. Once the doors were shut, the room was quickly engulfed in a vile concoction of odors wafting from the scribes' clammy feet and socks.

The president could barely get past the first question when he swooned.

Confusion reigned supreme because the Secret Service failed to immediately appear by the side of the president as he lay in a heap by the podium. "It was impossible to stay in the room. (The stench) was overpowering. Some of us in the security detail were taking a smoke break when we got the news that the president had collapsed. That's when we swung into action."

President Bush was rushed to the Al-Zaidi Hospital in the capital where he was given a preliminary medical examination. "Damned if they do, damned if they don't," joked the president from his hospital bed that he occupied for approximately 30 minutes referring to the predicament of meeting reporters with or without shoes.

Questions are being raised about why the Secret Service did not enforce its new shoe glue directive, and it appears the Service will swing into crisis management mode once more. "Right from the time the plan was drafted, the choice was available to reporters to check their footwear, and that's what the reporters here in Pakistan chose to do. From that standpoint, the plan was a success," was an agent's response to the question.

"This was a situation you cannot plan for. You've just got to grin and bear it," he explained.

Pakistan's tropical climate often takes its toll on the feet that remain encased in imitation leather for 8 or more hours in a day. Scott Tillman, a retired spy, offered this insight, "We've had similar situations before where this warm odor rises from the gaps between the shoe and the feet in tropical locations." Tillman was referring to press meets in the pre shoe-toss era where leaving shoes on was no guarantee that the air in the confined space would not be compromised.

The Press is Shoe-ing Gum, Secret Service says

2008-12-16T16:30:00.005-06:00

WHITE HOUSE, Dec 16 -- Under pressure to revamp security arrangements at press meets with the president, the Secret Service has cobbled together a plan that it hopes doesn't come unstuck.

A double coat of Elmer's glue will be applied to the insides of all mediapersons' shoes before they are allowed to walk into the press conference. A Secret Service agent was quoted as saying that they would "rest easy" while "America's favorite glue is doing its job inside (their) shoes."

Anyone resisting the application of the resin to their shoes will need to check the potential projectiles at the gate, and walk in barefeet.

This action comes in the wake of the president deftly dodging two of a pair hurled at him at high speed by a reporter at a press meet in Baghdad on Monday.

"Huh...Dad prepared me well for this," said president Bush making light of the incident immediately after.

The plan is currently being tested by the Secret Service at an unknown foreign location.

(From Agencies)

Blockbuster comes to China

2008-08-10T18:45:00.002-05:00

Zhang Yimou and his team of 15,000 performers unleashed the force of several blockbusters to the world Friday night. Call it a visual extravaganza, a period epic, a thriller, call it what you will, the Beijing 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony was in many ways China's way of announcing to the world that it was worlds away from many others.

So everyone has written about how important this event is to China, how a nervous nation of a billion plus people prays for the success of their Olympiad, and the media has collectively gushed about the opening spectacular. That's old news.

What's new to me is NBC's amateur coverage of the opening ceremony. Here we are, jaws hanging mid-air, unbelieving at the sight of what poeple power - not technolgy -can achieve. And there, NBC's busy cutting to fifteen different camera angles without ever allowing your eyes to settle on the work of magicians unfolding on the floor of the Bird's Nest. NBC, maybe you should've unpacked fewer cameras for the ceremony.

The lesson in Chinese history was maybe a couple hours. And then China gave me a lesson in geapgraphy. The Parade of Nations. Did you know that Marshall Islands is a country? or Benin? Palau?

Here's the highlights from the Parade (no alphabetical order here, as the nations walked in to the number of strokes in the Chinese script for their country names) -

Spain - sent a lot of athletes, but all NBC could focus on was Nadal.

Brazil - where was Ronaldinho, man?!

Iraq - walked in to a rousing welcome. And NBC immediately cut to a clapping Bush and the first lady. Now that's a lesson in predictability, NBC.

Iran - No particularly warm welcome here. And, thankfully, no Bush.

India - NBC commentators ribbed India for its non-existent medal tally compared to the other billion plus nation.

Japan - Athletes from every country walked past holding digital cameras and camcorders. I caught a Japanese athlete carrying the smallest video recording gadget I've ever seen. Well, of course Japan.

Mongolia - Spotted a Mongolian athlete carrying a large VHS camcorder! Really?

France - The Chinese didn't protest. A nice welcome and a bright smile on Sarkozy's face.

Russia - The day they rolled into Georgia, their athletes walked on Chinese territory. Putin saluted from inside a tank.

Switzerland - Birthday boy Federer is the flag bearer. And NBC is glued to his face. Take that Nadal!

USA - Didn't see Phelps. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Keri Walsh filled the screen for him.

China - brought the brand new Bird's Nest down as they walked in.

And so, my day in school with a special focus on history, geography, and cinematic kick-ass came to an end.

The Pink Floyd Experience

2007-09-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

Generations of writers have struggled to describe the magic of watching a live Pink Floyd performance. Likewise, generations of bands have struggled even more to reproduce that magic playing Pink Floyd covers. Thursday night at the Peoria Civic Center, another eclectic band of artists went down trying to achieve this heroic feat.

But this isn't a music review. It's a recollection of the 'experience' - of how I spent my college days listening to so much of this band, never thinking I'd even come close to a live performance, and then suddenly it comes upon me. Albeit second hand. Albeit in a sit down theater. Albeit in the midst of Americans come together to watch the works of a British band, raising their Bud Lites every so often to ask for an encore.

A day after the concert, I pardoned myself for going in with visions of 'grand', 'phenomenal', 'cosmic'. The experience wasn't that. The screen responsible for spinning out psychedelia was the size of a quarter. It was almost heartening that it was pushed way back on the stage, so you didn't have to bother with it after some initial enthusiasm. The vocals and stringwork was the work of true disciples, but the sound wasn't up to scratch. And for the priciest ticket, we had to satisfy ourselves with a very crappy angle.

So, I do sound like I hated the experience. No. I just had to get those regulation complaints out of the way. You tend to cut people a lot of slack who say they 'perform' Pink Floyd. And this band on Thursday wasn't a ragtag bunch of mafioso pulled together to rip people off. Maybe the riverfront was a better venue for the event, and you believe this until you visit the Experience website when you realize that a sit-down event was planned for "intimacy".

I'm grateful to the Civic Center that it brought this experience to town while I was still here. I'm grateful to this band because they performed like devotees. They played Brain Damage too. I feel like calling a college buddy and telling him, "Now, listen you f*&%face, I've been to a Pink Floyd show, OK." That'll take care of those bastards. Or, at least, it would have once upon a time.

I can't close this piece without a word of praise for Siddhant. At the start of the show, I was prepared to forfeit it all if he felt uneasy. I was prepared to walk out with him, and let him have his brand of entertainment - running from one end of the corridor to the other, and running back. But this boy stayed. For the full two hours. He clapped too when he felt like it.

Maybe it was the experience.

Zeitgeist America - Fall 07 I

2007-09-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

These days "small planes" can't seem to stay in the air. Last week, three of them fell out of the sky - one into a parking lot, one rammed a restaurant, and another mistook an Interstate for the landing strip.

Since all pilots were male, was it appropriate to sing, "It's raining men"?

Bad design can make you go without a shower for 2 days

2007-09-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

I have been reading Don Norman's The Design of Everyday Things on my morning and evening commutes for a few days now. And reading it I realized quite suddenly that I have been a victim of bad tap (faucet) design recently.

I moved to an apartment here a few days before my wife and son, thinking I'd set it up as much as I could. Arrived late morning on a sunny, sweaty Saturday, having checked out of the hotel without a shower.

Back at the apartment, the shower tap was the regular one you see in hotel bathrooms. Turn left and you get hot water, turn right and you get cold. Point it dead center, and you've turned it off. Tried, tested. I turned a little to the left, and nothing. Turned all the way left, still nothing.

Maybe its disuse all these months (we were renters in 3 months) was causing start-up trouble. I turned the tap all the way to the right. No response.

I decided to come back in about a half hour and try again. Half an hour later, the tap and I played out the same scene again. Boy, I was sweating and here was a tap that just refused to talk. I was pretty frustrated with myself at not having checked this nuance during the walkthrough before moving in.

There was no other way the tap would go, I concluded after some more examination - only left and right. Maybe the property managers hadn't started the water supply to our apartment yet. And the earliest now I could get to them was Monday. Crap!

The rest of the weekend, I slipped into 'bachelor living' mode - no shower, no problem.

On Monday morning when the maintenance guy showed, I must confess I was pretty miserable. I explained to him my story of the waterless shower, making sure I didn't leave out any detail. "Did you pull it?" he asked.

"Pull?"

"Yeah, pull and turn. There you go!" Water was now coming out in torrents from the previously barren tap.

"Oh, well...I...just..."

"That's awright. You have a good one, bud."

Don Norman now tells me it wasn't me, after all. The affordance, the system image of the tap, and the natural mapping were all screwed up. Take that.

Zeitgeist America - End of Summer 07

2007-09-18T19:02:00.000-05:00

Unsurprisingly, Osama bin Laden released a video message a few days before the 9/11 anniversary this year. Apparently, it was his first video appearance here in 4 years, and many people mistook him to be a returning CNN correspondent.

Iraq, where's my beer?

2007-09-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

This is a very exciting time to be in America. As the chill begins to take hold, and opportunities for after-hours recreation dwindle, I like to kick back with a beer or two and watch real reality TV - the president, the media, the 2008 presidential hopefuls, and, of course, the Iraq war.

Prez Bush gets skewered by the media everyday, CNN usually the destroyer-in-chief. Last night, he addressed the nation on topics of war and got skewered a little more by the Democratic candidates. It's an extravaganza of opinion, opposition, and often a public admonishment of this very tired president. But then his long stay in office has given him enough experience to handle it. No big bother in his last days.

Of course, there was absolutely nothing new in last night's address to the nation. The supreme commander spoke of Iraq's leaders' desire to "enter into a long-term partnership with the United States", and that it will extend "well beyond" his presidency. Zealous CNN reporters had already leaked it as predictions, as they stood by for well over an hour before the national broadcast. Ho hum.

Some 2008 presidential candidates then appeared on Larry King Live and did what they had to, depending on whether they were Ds or Rs.

As I watch CNN's "best team of political analysts" bloody the president's face, get war veterans to square off against each other, and have the 2008 clowns do a little jig here or a little hop there, my beer finishes up pretty quick. And ever since Gen. Petraeus appeared on television, man! I've been downing them real fast.

This is reality TV. It's fun. It's free. It's almost gladiatorial. And for someone watching from the gallery, it's time to fill up.

Zeitgeist America - Summer 07 1

2007-09-02T22:23:00.000-05:00

Right now in America, it can creep the hell out of your dog if he heard you saying, "Hey Mike, do you mind walking my dog tonight?"

It's going to bother the cops a bit if you walked into an airport restroom and shook hands with a senator.

And don't get me started on how fateful it sounds if you were in a bar deep south waiting for friends Dean and Felix.

Flour power-less

2006-12-17T17:37:00.000-06:00

Much like in Bombay, the mills of mill city Minneapolis could soon be a thing of the past. Apparently, proposals to transform this mill corridor between the 38th and 46th Street stations into swanky business and residential plazas are being seriously considered by the city's administration.

So while the Bombay mills are already being torn down, the late 19th century mills of Minneapolis still stand mulling their fate. I got these videos on a train ride past these relics.

Running time - 01:08

Running time - 00:40

Neon

2006-11-29T18:47:00.000-06:00

Maybe it needs a lesson in basic advertising techniques. Maybe it doesn't need any advertising at all, its rooms brimming with guests. Maybe it wants people to work their own imaginations on its blank canvas. Maybe the owners are modest folk. Maybe they have nothing to hide. Maybe they just don't care. Maybe someday someone will redesign this board. Maybe they'll do better business. Maybe they'll be worse off.

Hotel Amsterdam is a gay-run establishment in the heart of Minneapolis's Theatre District, Hennepin Avenue.

Logo War

2006-11-20T20:40:00.000-06:00

I've received feedback on the size of the smashing new WS logo - mostly negative. I'm convinced, however, that it's quite the right size. Maybe because I'm too close to it. So here's a quick poll on whether it needs resizing. Go ahead - vote!

"Get some grain, will ya?"

2006-11-19T19:55:00.000-06:00

We'll drink and then eat some.

The Song of Hiawatha

2006-11-17T19:05:00.000-06:00

This last summer, I paid a visit to the lakes Nokomis and Hiawatha in Minnehaha. Here you can catch a glimpse of the latter as I belt out a few lines from Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha. Pardon the attempt...

Watch on Google Video

Gawk like a local

2006-11-12T20:46:00.000-06:00

For some time now, I have toyed with the idea of having a logo for Window Seat - a simple graphic that captures the essence of this blog.

I spoke to Meghna about it, and she designed this logo which I like to call 'antenna head'. I think it couldn't have been simpler or stronger. Together, we also hit upon the cutline - Gawk like a local - that has now appeared a few times in recent posts. Just that I can't seem to have this graphic up as a logo on the blog. Any ideas?

Gangsters welcome

2006-11-11T22:57:00.000-06:00

Charge them any more and you'd be toast! This is a plaque from inside the Wabasha Caves in St. Paul from a time when the caves were a speakeasy for the gangsters. Of course, there were a few rules that you had to abide by. But for this money, who wouldn't?

Mobsters from outside Minnesota, who found a safe haven in St. Paul thanks to the police chief in the late 30s, have used the caves as a hideout and then as a watering hole as America came out of prohibition.

A stereo view of the world - Part II

2006-11-07T19:45:00.000-06:00

In the concluding part of the interview, Tom shows us some 3-D prints, talks a little bit about the history of stereo photography and how it became a passion with him, and offers a few tips to budding stereo photographers.

Tom, thanks for your time. It was a pleasure talking to you.

A stereo view of the world - Part I

2006-11-05T15:14:00.000-06:00

Tom Martin speaks to me on his hobby - stereo photography. In this part of the interview, Tom displays and talks about the analog and digital equipment required to keep his hobby going. When he isn't actively pursuing his hobby, Tom is a Curriculum and Business Development Specialist at Northwest Airlines.

Running time: 07:08

Bring me back!

2006-10-29T15:22:00.000-06:00

Hillside Trail II
Originally uploaded by Rohan Kohli.

I purchased a handheld GPS device a couple weeks ago, and today I made the dinky device go the distance. I walked a mile and a half of an unmarked trail in Bloomington, marking waypoints along the way on the handheld. At the end of my journey, I had no clue where I was - having suspended my own sense of navigation so I could really test the gadget. This is approximately where I was

And, boy, did it bring me back to my starting point! It's a Garmin eTrex (the yellow cell phone-like device you see on the ledge in the first photo), and it locks to 4 satellites before a trek. Then an animated character walks along with you leaving a trail behind. When I wanted to navigate back to where I started, I simply had to walk along with the on-screen character and bingo! I was there. About 40 ft from the point of origin, the GPS flashed 'Destination arriving' which impressed me no end.

Carving it as much an art as hunting it

2006-10-28T08:20:00.000-05:00

CAUTION: If you're queasy about looking at animals being cut up, quit reading now.

We cut up the deer at Jim's garage Tuesday evening. It was a great big stag party with Keith, Jim, Matt, Mike, and I hacking away with pop and beer for company. Oh, and there was Chuck the Unlucky Buck.

Here's Keith with his 7-point prize, his biggest and first with bow and arrow

We started with something like this

and ended up with something like this

Under the careful guidance of expert carver Jim, newbies like me learned the delicate art of slicing, sawing, cleaving, chopping, and packing the meat. The deer yielded about 40 pounds of meat, portions of which will be used to make jerky, bacon, hamburgers, and steaks. Here's Jim and Keith totally engrossed in extracting another pound of flesh

Mike drove from out of town to help with the butchering. And Matt's always a fun guy to have around. He's a smart aleck who pulled quite a few legs, except the deer's. Here's Mike at work with Matt for company

Chuck, RIP.

2006-10-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

Yeah, right.

Chicago - The Whirlwindy City

2006-10-23T18:25:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted. In that time, I've been around the Twin Cities a little more and spent one 'Walking Weekend' in Chicago. And it had to be this big city where I would meet an acquaintance from 26 years ago. Crazy thing - and it seems crazier the more I think of it - but I recognized him within seconds of seeing him after a score and six years!

Anyway, so we started our city tour on foot a good 45 minutes after the appointed time, thanks to my colleagues full of excuses. I, therefore, had lots of time to click pictures of the Birmingham Fountain in all manners. Here's a group of Segway tourists getting a lowdown on the fountain's architecture.

At $75 an hour we weren't doing the Segway the whole day. So we straightaway hit the Mag Mile walking, and among the towering big brands, I saw some genuine local innovation. Watch this:

Just a few empty paint cans, a couple sticks, some skill, and lots of dollars. But after a while, it was just noise. Downtown Chicago was crawling with these guys on the weekend.

Later, we did lunch, the Art Institute, many invigorating cups of coffee, and the mandatory climb up the Sears.

There was also a public wedding underway. The bride and groom walked hand in hand

looking longingly into each others' eyes

and finally sealing it with a kiss

Ah! a Kodak moment.

We rounded off our day with dinner at the Navy Pier. It was too late for Ben & Jerry's to keep up with us, so we went home without ice cream.

Interview: Pilot who intercepted AMS-BOM NW42

2006-10-04T20:22:00.000-05:00

On August 22 2006, a dozen men on board flight NW42 were responsible for what is known as 'turnback' in aviation terms. Their suspicious behaviour caused the crew to call for fighter jet escorts.

One of the pilots of a jet that intercepted the Northwest flight spoke to me about what happened that morning. For reasons of confidentiality, his identity cannot be revealed.

Listen to the interview.

Theme - "Three Away From Zero"Written & Performed by:Derek R. Audette - (C) MMV(Creative Commons)

Thanks to Sanjay Gulati (Tony) for arranging and hosting the interview.

The Laughing Princess

2006-10-03T17:20:00.000-05:00

The Minnehaha Depot was dubbed 'the Princess' when it was part of a busy railway line in the late 19th century. Standing in one corner of the Minnehaha Park, the Princess' laughter may be muffled in the early 21st century, but her charm remains intact. You ask for evidence? Watch the jolly old station master still hanging on to her.

Lost in navigation

2006-09-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

The navigational assistance that America provides for its citiens on the road sometimes becomes self-defeating. Looks like this soul's cognitive server finally crashed, and she proceeded to give some vent to her emotions - "I'm on horseback! Where do I go?!"

Laugh while the sun shines

2006-09-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

For its 50-feet drop, the Minnehaha Falls (Laughing Water) is quite the talk of the town. But hush! no more. The big freeze is coming, and I want to come back to the Minnehaha Park in a couple months to see the falls turned into a hulking column of ice. And maybe snap a still.

2006-09-27T21:20:00.000-05:00

Surely, you mean a car wash.

The Handwriting Project

2006-09-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

Technology sometimes (often!?) kills good, old habits. My handwriting for example. Over time, it has gone from very good (like my father's) to bad, to 'I can't write' and 'I can't read', depending which side of the writing you and I are. I know many bloggers would be proud of their writing, but of their handwriting? I think it is connected to Geetha's offline post today in a strange way. 'Handwriting' almost suddenly sounds like a retronym.

Last week at work, we began this project of interviewing some aviation domain experts, and, as interviewers, one expectation from us is to write fast and fully using good ol' pencil and paper. The loud key taps prevent us from using the computer.

Anyway, so I realized in the middle of the interview that my knuckles were jamming fast with all the writing, and the writing itself quickly becoming illegible.

And so, I'm now working on a personal handwriting project. I've given it a tagline too - writing for better handwriting. On my after hours tours in and around the cities, I write for about 15 minutes with pencil on paper. It's sort of a 'moment capture' using handwritten words.

This may not be the write time to share the stuff that I write (recall - I can't read), but I do take a picture of my journal and pencil at the moment and place of writing. That's what you see here - my trusty backpack, my journal and pencil and the camera cover, framed in Rice Park, St. Paul.

Maybe when I see signs of improvement in my handwriting, I will post scans of the pages that I wrote. I'm quite excited about this new personal project, and desperately hope I can bring my handwriting up to my father's high standards.

Amen.

2006-09-25T21:39:00.000-05:00

The fencing's around another freak - Mr. Smith.

Watch this with your children

2006-09-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

Here's help from AMC theaters on the cryptic parental guidance codes that appear at the start of a Hollywood movie. This one's coded 'G' so you can safely leave the baby sitter home.

Running time: 00:45

Back to school

2006-09-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

Back to school
Originally uploaded by Rohan Kohli.

It's been three weeks now that children have gone 'back to school'. Schools started a day after labor day here, and the 'yellows' have since been busy as bees hauling the kids and their new sharpeners, pencil boxes, notepads, mabe even laptops to and from school.

Kids aged 16 and above who think jumping on the yellow is uncool, just drive their trucks to school.

Music on the go

2006-09-20T21:26:00.000-05:00

Thinking iPod? Get real. Enjoy the good old sax and clip clop.

Running time: 00:14

Running time: 00:08

You may have watched this St. Paul drummer earlier too, cashing in on the honk and blare on the road. And the manic African drums at the Midtown Global Market.

Roadside Museum

2006-09-19T19:40:00.000-05:00

Richfield, MN, boasts of this collector's item languishing by a roadside paintshop. Question: Can you identify the car?

Bright spot on a Fall morning

2006-09-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

Fall is here. Icy cold winds are here. Bone chilling work breaks are here. Frozen fingertips are here. Single digit temps are here. I can't imagine how the winter could get worse.

Art Weekend August

2006-09-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

Three art fairs came to town one weekend early August. I did all three on board the Art Hop bus. Here's an account:

Running time: 04:41

Oops, no Pic 5

2006-09-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

This morning I deleted all my files. Simple. Shift+Del. I've been in varying degrees of misery since then. Meghna gave me a pep talk on the phone, which made me feel a lot better. Thankfully, all my videos are posted online.Regular posting at Window Seat will likely start tomorrow.

Once again, thanks to all who read. And if you wondered why I called the 4-pic series Squinted View, here's why. I clicked all four photos this summer, and had to squint everytime I looked up to read the signposts and banners. Minneapolis winters are harsh, but I realized the sun in the summers here can be quite unforgiving too.

A Squinted View: Pic 4

2006-09-15T17:58:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you that this banner is a little dated; you don't see it anymore around town. Minneapolis Mosaic was a big spring/summer event that brought with it a bunch of artists, art fairs, and special museum showings, and high visibility for this banner too.

My Pic 4 of the most definitive TC images in the summer.

Part of a 5-pic series of images that I think are a great reflection of the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

A Squinted View: Pic 3

2006-09-14T20:17:00.000-05:00

After 26 blocks of shopping in St. Paul's Grand Avenue, does 17 blocks of eating at Minneapolis's Eat Street sound like a good idea? It sure does to me. Whatever your taste - Greek, Lebanese, Continental, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian...Eat Street panders very well to your basest desire - hunger.

And it's not all hurried snack and go, most restaurants here have a crisp tablecloth and jolly waiter to serve you.

This 17-block gastronomic delight is number three on the Twin Cities' most definitive images list for me.

A Squinted View: Pic 2

2006-09-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

Grand Avenue. A meandering St. Paul street where the 'local flavor' rises to the top. Small curios, arts, and crafts shops; restaurants for thick or thin wallets; dessert outlets; coffee shops; hoary pubs...they all line up alongside old, stately homes. But we're more concerned with our 'Welcome to Grand' street sign, which is all over the place too.

My choice for the second spot of the most definitive Twin Cities image list.

A Squinted View: Pic 1

2006-09-12T18:05:00.000-05:00

Today, I start a series of about five or six banner and sign pics that are as symbolic of the Twin Cities as, say, the Mall of America or the Metrodome. So here's the first one, and it couldn't have been a more fitting start.

The Grand Rounds is a 50-mile long scenic byway around Minneapolis's bountiful lakes and parks, a haven for walkers/joggers and bikers. Hugging the Mississippi riverfront for miles, coiling around the four major lakes uptown, and lazily grazing the Minnehaha Park, the Grand Rounds is my Pic One of Minneapolis's most definitive images.

Check out Grand Rounds on Wikipedia.

Hi 5

2006-09-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

Route 5 becomes part of the Metro Transit's hi-frequency network, and that means more bussing around the city - more frequently - for me.

2006-09-09T18:20:00.000-05:00

For now that's one bike less on the Grand Rounds.

Picnic on the spot

2006-09-07T17:31:00.000-05:00

On a lovely summer afternoon, it's hard to find an open space that hasn't been converted into an impromptu picnic spot. City parks, lakefronts, camp sites, historical sites... they're all full of picnickers.

Maybe the big freeze of the later months spur the Minnesotans to drop their anchors, weekday or weekend, by the closest lake, patch of green, or a public grill. Throw in an open air concert, and you've got a bunch of folks that might never want to return.

Amsterdam, we have a problem!

2006-09-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

This is Schiphol. Check out everyone cooling off after a long, hard flight with a well-deserved smoke. Also check out the 'No Smoking' sign feeling totally ignored. Niet roken. What's that?

Also, during my layover a few times at this airport to and from Bombay, the PA crackled to life a number of times to warn errant passengers to board their flights immediately or risk offload. I don't have the exact count, but I heard close to a dozen such announcements in a half-hour period. I was obviously struck by the peculiarity and regularity of this phenomenon at Schiphol.

You can listen to one such announcement too, and pardon me for the audio quality.

Bombay!

2006-08-26T07:56:00.000-05:00

I'm off to Bombay for a week this afternoon, so perhaps no Twin Cities posts for the next week (unless I decide to use some of my reserve content). It's been fun writing about life in the Cinnamon Metro from my basement hotel room, riding on the back of a strong wireless signal - really I would have collapsed without one.

Join you soon at the window seat.

Gateway and the Taj - Photo by Andy Hay.

The Great Get Together on a Stick

2006-08-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

A wet start to the Minnesota State Fair didn't dampen too many spirits. The cows were mooing, and mama pigs busy feeding a new litter.

The rains let up in about a half hour after pouring buckets. A rainbow was out instantly.

I came to the Fair on a bus, and who knew I'd leave in style. Hummer? Chevy? Maybe both.

The Window Seat

2006-08-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

The Humphrey Terminal LRT station will close for a year starting Sept 9. It's getting in the way of a parking ramp construction at the airport, and therefore closing doors on its faithful riders for a while.

I get off at Humphrey to get to work on days when Lynn can't pick me up. After its closure, I'll have to travel on to the Lindbergh Terminal and take a free, 24-hour shuttle back to the domestic.

Here, I give you the window seat view of the train plunging underground as it leaves Humphrey. And what might be on top of that tunnel? You guessed it - the runways.

Twists, camera...Yoga

2006-08-23T21:39:00.000-05:00

Ever imagined doing Yoga in a studio? This one struck me as amusing as I walked the deserted streets of St. Paul one Sunday afternoon. As Indians breathe more and more polluted air, Americans eat, breathe, and sleep more Yoga. And they're in need of more. This post proves it.

Do Not Eat

2006-08-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

The cafe at Minneapolis Institute of Arts is fringed by a neat brush. Of course, it isn't served off the veggie menu.

London on a Shoestring

2006-08-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

As I go out on my walking expeditions in Minneapolis armed with my digicam, I'm reminded more and more of one weekend in London a couple years ago when I walked my feet blue. I'd say I covered more than half the city and beyond in two days on my legs, the red bus, and not to forget the tube.

So let me make this departure from Minneapolis for a bit, and show you the sights of London from my eyes.

I've done this walkathon in Calcutta too for a couple hours one Sunday, covering the Park Street and Sudder Street area, and loved just every bit of it. I think there's no better way to discover a city than by walking+bussing it.

The Como-Harriet Streetcar: History on Rails

2006-08-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

Chug along down history lane and tap your feet a bit. I will let the film tell the rest of the story.

Anachronism

2006-08-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Preparing for the annual Irish festival in Shakopee, and campaigning hard at the Mall.

Prairies on Notice

2006-08-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

In Minnesota, you wouldn't expect to be too far away from the prairies wherever you are in the state. My tours, however, in the Metro area and outside it have revealed very little of America's grasslands so far. Instead, I'm seeing a lot of these boards that have to 'announce' the presence of native prairie planting.

Lynn spoke about homesteading and how it has ensured a rapid and steady decline of the once expansive grasslands. I guess it's time to update geography texts in Indian high schools. Or, maybe, they already have. It's been a long time since I was in high school.

DFC Demolition Derby - My hood's come off!

2006-08-12T01:05:00.000-05:00

I had a mad, mad, mad Friday night. Perhaps the maddest in my Minneapolis stint so far. The Demolition Derby at the Dakota County Fair in Farmington had people cheering as one 'car' crashed into another, producing more junk.

I visited the fair with Jim and his son, Keith. We paid $12 each to watch this insane mashup of hunks of metal salvaged from some incredible junkyard. No windshield or windows, just a tough metal box on four wheels out to eliminate you. Drivers wore helmets and five-point harnesses. Five heats in all (every heat had 3 winners) and the Title for the last man driving.

As we arrived, the mud pit was being prepared for the five battles. Take a look:

Of course, nothing could prepare me for what was to come after the cars had lined up:

The Grandstand was packed with people gathered to watch modern-day gladiators at work:

Expectedly, the aftermath was bloody:

It was difficult to digest this amazingly gruesome experience without a trip to the beer garden at the fair. There was no recourse. So Jim and I nicely topped the evening off with a MGD each.

Death lurks - plane or train

2006-08-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

Maybe not the most pleasing headline, but please read this.

A digital info board at a Light Rail crossing near the Humphrey Terminal in Minneapolis flashes 'Security threat level Orange' on the morning of the foiled terror plot in London. Normally, this board displays the day's high and low temperatures, seat belt reminders, and the names of new airlines landing at and taking off from Humphrey.

Perhaps this board is doing two jobs at once - reminding citizens of the security threat associated with plane or train.

Zero Threat - Bringing Aviation Back to Life

2006-08-10T17:55:00.000-05:00

AN AMERICAN AIRPORT - Airports across America have hit upon an ingenious way to keep passengers "high and dry" in the wake of new TSA directives following arrests in London early this morning, and a botched plan to blow up 10 trans-Atlantic flights. Airport security officials are now working overtime to draw all body fluids from passengers' bodies before boarding, in addition to holding back perfumes, shampoo, and hair gel bottles carried in cabin baggage. The passengers' lifeless, rubber-like bodies are then consigned to a conveyor belt that places them on to their designated airline seats.

Blood, serum, semen, and breast milk are filling up containers at a dizzying rate across all airports here, and these are transported in cargo planes to their respective recipients' destinations, where through a "precise regeneration procedure", passengers' bodies are brought back to their original state of being.

"This represents an important breakthrough in the area of transportation security, one that rules out all threat to life because the passengers really are 'lifeless' at the start of their journey through to the end," the chief security officer at a large American airport was quoted as saying.

Asked if pilots were being given the same "pre-emptive preservative" treatment before climbing on to the cockpits, the officer said it was being considered and would be rapidly implemented when airlines confirm that on-board auto pilots could do the job.

"It was freaky," said a passenger witness to the arrival of the first "dry" flight at a major American city. "One minute they're unloading these limp human bodies like it was a plane from Iraq, and the next minute these 'bodies' are amazingly walking out like laughing-talking zombies," she said. This passenger wasn't witness to the regeneration process but noticed a 5-minute belt stop in a room labeled 'Cargo'.

Airlines are pleased with the "new way to fly" as it allows them to continue charging full fare without having to serve wine or caviar on board. "Pre-emptive preservation helps airlines realize huge cost savings and buffers the effects of rising fuel prices to a great degree," an airline representative said.

Meanwhile, in Britain, the doctor who masterminded this entire medical procedure to make air travel safer, is on a bicycle tour of the world and wasn't available for comment.

"Are you being preserved?" - Photo by Chris Conway

Think global, watch local

2006-08-09T22:11:00.000-05:00

This just in from a local television news channel:

An Egyptian student in an American university was arrested today after he failed to show up at the college, having landed in New York a few days ago. Some seven or eight of his other mates from Egypt are reported missing too. According to the TV report, the police found the students' disappearance suspicious because they're from the Middle East.

Middle East? No, Egypt. No...whatever. Hope the police weren't watching the news. In the end, it will hopefully turn out that the students were experiencing immigration issues, and they are all allowed to go back home to Indonesia.

Rural delights at the Midtown Farmers' Market

2006-08-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

My love for the city's noisy markets continues. On my way to the Art Fairs last weekend, I walked off the curb (spelling! spelling! spelling!) and into the farmers' market off Lake Street. Farmers from Minnesota and neighboring (!!!) states get together to sell fresh fruit and vegetables, pop and chops, tamale (a rural corn delissimo), honey, pickles, local junk jewelry, and stuff.

Meanwhile, a band entertains the customers and hangers on like me.

Underarm business

2006-08-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago, I bought this deo at Walmart:

Today, I bought this one at Walmart:

Spot the difference? You're right if you're thinking Right Guard and Equate. Now, here are a few other differences:
1. They both are a golden-brown color (you can see that; didn't mean to insult your intelligence). 2. They're both 'Original'.
3. They both serve the needs of 'active' folks...OK, sorry about that one - Right Guard is for the 'active man', while Equate is for 'active people'.
4. Both provide all-day protection against odor. Right Guard wins on this one by including the word 'perspiration' before odor.
5. They both need to be shaken well before use, held 6" from underarm, theyy're flammable and CFC-free.
6. And, finally, did you think one of them wouldn't dry on contact? Hard luck! They both do.

What did catch my eye in the maze of such amazing differences is some verbiage on the Equate can. It urges you to "Compare to the Original Right Guard Sport" (all trademarked). Take a look:

And on the back of the can is a dead straight disclaimer that Equate isn't "manufactured or distributed by Gillette..., the distributor of Original Right Guard Sport."

I don't have the time nor the inclination to compare deos, and I don't f***ing care if it is or isn't distributed by Gillette. Maybe Walmart decided to nail one final difference into its product to avoid any confusion. And priced it a dollar fifty lower than Right Guard.

I looked up the term 'guerilla marketing' on wikipedia, but this isn't quite it. This is far worse, but has a simpler name. Deception.

2006-08-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

Images of a lazy Sunday afternoon in downtown St. Paul

Value Hop - 80% FREE

2006-08-05T21:56:00.000-05:00

This is art weekend in Minneapolis. A 3-fair bonanza is currently underway at two parks and one street in the city's uptown neighborhoods. Getting to these fairs is easy even if you don't drive, or at least that's what the city's rapid transit system claims. Getting on one of the Art Hop buses revealed a story quite different from the "air conditioned comfort" advertised on the Metro Transit's website. It was more like being hauled from one fair to another. Any guesses why? The ride was FREE.

The rush is unbelievable. A fraction of the people ride the buses on other days. In this pic, we've been packed quite uncomfortably to each other and dangerously close to the back door. And did I hear this lady in front say, "...just like in India!"

Videos from the art fair in another post...soon.

An American impression

2006-08-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Mr. Heavy rolls into the train and plonks himself on to the first available seat. He probably will never make it to the list of America's Most Obese, but padding around male and female human bodies starts early in this country, and places a lot of stress on the city infrastructure I'd imagine.

Hey, I'm now on Metroblogging Minneapolis

2006-07-28T19:21:00.000-05:00

I'm now posting what I find interesting about this city to the Minneapolis Metroblog. Don't miss that nifty badge on the sidebar! --->

BTW, Bombay has a blog too on the metblog network - Metroblogging Mumbai

TBIF!

2006-07-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Thank the Brit's, it's Friday again! My favourite downtown haunt with my favourite companion in the pic. It's a noisy joint on Fridays and the weekend, but does it matter after you're a couple down? I had always known of the Americans' love for the brit accent; their love for brit-style pubbing is a delight for me.

And here I am tottering out of the blasted pub:

Minneapolis...

2006-07-26T21:50:00.000-05:00

...a city in the making

and waiting...

My horse-drawn carriage

2006-07-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

How should it make one feel to be the only one on the platform waiting for the train, and then to be the only one riding the train? Makes me feel like a king.

Go ahead, get a royal experience.

And then,

2006-07-24T22:26:00.000-05:00

OK.

MGM: The Phoenix of Midtown Minneapolis

2006-07-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

Someplace Africa, the resident village community gathers around a melting pot with a healthy fire underneath. On weekends and on days of celebration, nearby villages are sent out invitations to break bread together. An important aspect of this custom is to revere the melting pot before any cooking begins, as the pot more than the food is seen to be the lifesource of this North African tribe.

So how is this all connected to Mpls? Well, no connections really, except I'm trying to draw a far out parallel with the Midtown Global Market, which is reviving a once notorious Minneapolis neighborhood - the Midtown and some parts of Chicago Ave and Lake St. in particular.

The MGM brings the kitchens of the world under one airconditioned roof. Greek, Carib, Tibetan, Chinese, Mexican (of course), and even Nepalese, which generally doesn't make an appearance as frequently as some others (and is there any such thing as authentic Nepalese?).

Arts, crafts, jewelry are the main pieces of attraction here, hemmed in by good world cuisine, all under the watchful eyes of Shiva-Parvati.

Located centrally in a complex that houses the Metro Transit Center, a major hotel, and a big hospital, the MGM makes it easy for lots of Minneapolitans to include it on their weekend to-dos. And they're doing it!

For its food or for music, the MGM is providing nourishment to an area that had long been written off. If in Mpls, this is a highly recommended visit.

This is boat country

2006-07-23T01:10:00.000-05:00

The boats are out in the Midwest. Weekends see hordes pulling out of cities with boat trailers hitched to their SUVs. The North Shore is a popular destination, but with 11,842 (!) lakes in Minnesota and the scenic byway, there is never any dearth of good boating sites.

Sometime soon, I should be able to post a video of an SUV speeding with a boat trailer.

Pic of boats parked at Lake Harriet, Mpls.

Watch baseball, eat dog

2006-07-21T23:26:00.000-05:00

If you've gotta do the baseball routine, do it the American way. Eat chilli dogs.

Here I am chomping away on my dog, barely finding my way through the press of 40,000 people - some surreptitiously rooting for the Cubs, most others rooting for the home team, Twins. The local folks did get their money's worth watching the home team win that's in the middle of a purple patch this season. The win almost brought the Metrodome roof down at the end of the game.

Oh, BTW, I also did "The Wave".

Taste...The Trash

2006-07-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

The proof of the pudding is in its eating. Except, all eating activities have come to a close here. But it's proof enough that Taste of Minnesota 2006 - an annual food and music event that lasts five days and concludes on the evening of Fourth of July - was a sellout.

This was one of the very few times I wished I had a better camera. I work with an inexpensive Taiwan make (where else?!), and in the last two years it has helped me capture some wonderful sights and oddities in India and some around the world. But late evenings without flash are a no no with my baby.

Anyway, this post isn't about my hardy camera. I think this image has the power to unite the world. Serious. One, because this was shot in America - and so the rest follow - and two, where in the world would people overlook an event being sponsored by a major brewer?

At the Taste, I expected to see and taste food from the real 'heartland', but events such as these are usually overrun by everyday fast food and pubs.

Found this to-the-brim trashcan at the St. Paul riverfront, the venue for 'Taste...'

Advertising - the Midwestern way

2006-07-19T20:52:00.000-05:00

The 'Cream of Wheat' brand of grain products developed paintings as their signature advertising style in their heyday. Here's a couple on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Thirsty pet? Go to the Ole Creamery

2006-07-18T20:21:00.000-05:00

A dash of good ole philanthropy on Grand Avenue, St. Paul.

They forgot to pick up the trash

2006-07-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

One heck of an officer, this. Actually it all comes together...he drank from a big bottle of rum, a few gulps of water in the middle, and one large whole chicken meal. When he was done, he dumped the whole motherload under his house. And look, they found it. Now on display at Fort Snelling.

The Cinnamon Metro Show - Ep 2

2006-07-16T19:51:00.000-05:00

Interview with an American Have-not

Meet Carrie. Having survived family abuse, a violent separation, and racial taunts for having married a "black man", she nonchalantly asks passersby for food, money, clothing, smokes - whatever - to get over her homelessness sometime soon.

Rude awakening to the Great American Dream?
Listen to Carrie - homeless but hopeful

Theme - "Three Away From Zero"Written & Performed by:Derek R. Audette - (C) MMV(Creative Commons)

Murderapolis

2006-07-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

America may be the free world, but the things that mean the most to common citizens come at a hefty price. Wonder if this is why Minneapolis came to be called Murderapolis a few years ago!

Read about Mpls of the infamous 90s here.

It's the Free World

2006-07-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

I'd be joking if I said that America was a cheap place to live in. But look - here's evidence - there are times when 'free' loves company.

Shot of the hundreds of home sale, rent, and job ad boxes that line the streets of all major cities in America. This one was taken downtown Minneapolis.

Mpls doesn't need any more heat

2006-07-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

We're still a good 4-5 months away from scenes of people pressing that button frantically. Right now, the Twin Cities are sizzling, the grass is dying, the skin is burning, and sunblock is flowing.

It's becoming difficult to walk around during the day (and sometimes even evenings) looking for the bizarre and the ordinary on the streets of the Cities. Here's hoping their parched throats get their moisture back quickly.

Let their be cool.

Play on, sidewalk

2006-07-14T23:33:00.000-05:00

Our man here has been playing for the love of music, the need for money, and the taste of good food for ten years on the streets of downtown St. Paul. Watch and hear him drum as we speak.

A bad jam on the roads is perhaps good news for our streetside entertainer. Yes, traffic does come to a standstill on big, broad roads here. And of course, people do honk their horns in America!

An exploding smorgasbord of history

2006-07-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

Yearly, America goes spasming into its glorious past on the Fourth of July. Fort Snelling in St. Paul, MN, is as good a place as any to catch vignettes of military life in the early 19th century on this very day. Here's a glimpse:

Costumed soldiers reconstruct life at the barracks at Fort Snelling, unmindful of strange looking aliens who randomly pop flashbulbs:

The soldiers work their guns in answer to the aliens popping flashbulbs:

Come evening on the Fourth, and my appetite for history gives way to the more mundane, more here-and-now desires...food. A short walk down Wabasha St. over the Mississippi leads to the Taste of Minnesota, a food and music fest, that lasts five days to conclude on July 4 every year.

And of course, no July 4 video is complete without footage of the pyrotechnics. So here I am at the St. Paul riverfront aiming skyward - the last few moments of my day out on the Fourth:

Cart shopping

2006-07-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

This Walmart shopping cart, when photographed, lay abandoned by the side of an interstate. The closest Walmart was easily a couple of miles off. So it got me thinking...

1. Walmart has this super customer convenience program that allows them to haul their purchases anywhere within a five-mile radius. This one was well within.

2. Perhaps these carts come fitted with RFID tags that helps the smart retailer herd them back at the end of yet another big discount day.

3. Maybe, Walmart just got shoplifted...one more time.

Plane Deal

2006-07-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

Another board that hangs near the cafeteria and water cooler at work? No way. Look close - amid the clutter of boats, motorbikes, townhomes, and furniture ads, there's a 1955, $35K Cessna on sale here!

The owner claims to have gotten tired of jetting around, and prefers to "puddle-jump". Wow! I prefer to puddle-jump too, terrestrially speaking, but for entirely different reason$$$$. Same view, different angles.

So that's what you do for a living now

2006-07-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

Remember him? Caught Mr. Gorbachev endorsing the walleye at The Tavern on Grand, St. Paul. Back in 1990 when the Soviet leader visited the MN capital, The Tavern... served him their best walleyes, the state fish (!). And more than a decade later, they put him up on their wall.

Mikhail, I'm a more recent customer and let me tell you The Tavern... still does a good job with their walleyes.

The Cinnamon Metro Show - Ep 1

2006-07-09T20:57:00.000-05:00

France have the heart, Italy had the luck

Glockenspiel, a German-American pub on the way to St. Paul, was packed to the rafters with a Sunday crowd gathered to watch Italy play France in the 2006 Soccer World Cup final.

David Davis, who loves his soccer and his beer, talks about France's chances in a pre-match interview here. Dave seems quite a regular at Glockenspiel, waving and nodding to everyone around and correctly identifying my entree off the menu with one glance!

Listen to Dave talk about his French hope

Theme - "Three Away From Zero"Written & Performed by:Derek R. Audette - (C) MMV(Creative Commons)

Wall Mart

2006-05-01T13:17:00.000-05:00

This is a shop in Ooty (Tamil Nadu, India) that sells everything. Grocery, confectionery, blades, razor, bucket, broom...everything. It's really a hole-in-the-wall, perhaps run by the whole family taking turns at managing it different times of the day. Ever since I found this photo, it has taken a strong hold of my imagination, and encouraged me to start this blog.

Imagine, taking the window seat - like maybe the owners of this shop - and watching different things happen to different people.

No, this blog is not about to become an insipid, 'watch the world go past you' sort of mish-mash, but this 'wall mart' is emblematic of the perspectives that I will offer on people, places, happenings, non-happenings, ordinary, and extraordinary.

So please keep browsing by.