No, i'm not talking about the novel or the movie. It's about one of my worst 'turn-offs' - something i have noticed with a few people on the chat forums. These are people who hide behind the smoke curtains (invisible mode) and strike you when you least expect. It just gets on my nerves whenever that happens.
I'm still to find a good reason why people go into invisible mode in messengers. If you are busy at work - go offline and if you don't want to chat with someone - just knock them off the list, right?. I may never know if you are hiding from me, (eventhough there are free applications that let you spot people through their smoke screens) so that's not the bad part. What puts me off completely is when people remain invisible and start a conversation with me.
I feel its just plain rude to be invisible and start a chat. The decent thing to do is to come out of your hiding and then strike a conversation. I dont know what makes people think that they are too busy or too elite that they will decide if and when I can chat with them.
Imagine if everyone did the same thing, the Yahoo!s may have to shut their messengers off!
And don't even get me started on the 'bcc' thing.
Feb 22, 2010
Feb 21, 2010
Wat I did in Bangkok
We just made this quick trip to Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya over the long Chinese new year weekend. I had booked the tickets early January (its considered late booking in this part of the world) and forgot all about it until 2 days before the trip. So after the frantic last minute 'day trip' bookings and googling the places to see, it was time for my refresher trip to Bangkok.
The early morning flight meant that i hardly had any sleep that night but then it gave us the whole day to spend in Bangkok. We reached around 9am and the Visa on arrival was a breeze, however we spent close to an hour standing at the Immigration.. Murphy's law at its best! As mentioned in the travel guides we ignored the taxi guys on the 2nd floor and headed down for the taxi stands there. It was a nice ride from the airport to the city as the expressways were free of traffic.
After a quick check-in at the hotel, we set off for the Bangkok Day trip. We had read a bit about the tuk-tuks (TT) and the con-men out there so we had prepared ourselves to be extra cautious getting around Bangkok. We ignored the waiting TT and called a metered taxi to head to Wat Traimit, the guy said that Chinatown (where the temple is) will be crowded and offerred to drop us off at the nearest MRT. The train coaches were small but still neat. Getting off the trains, we went searching for the temple when a passerby offered to help us. He said he was a teacher and he took our map and said, "Wat Traimit is closed until 2:30pm". He suggested we take a TT to 2 other temples and then come back here around 2:30pm and he even spotted a TT we could take. Scenting something suspicious we told him that we wanted to look around Chinatown. We headed down the lane and we reached Wat Traimit and it was open! Almost got fooled there.
Wat Traimit has a giant solid gold Buddha and it was really a sight to see. It was scorching hot when we stepped out and hired a cab to the Grand Palace. As we got out, there he was another friend who said, "The Palace is closed now".. Heck i can see people getting in from where we are standing! The Grand Palace has specific dress codes and for those who came unprepared, there were free dress rental booths. Now that explains why Dark green and pink shirts suddenly became a fashion statement inside the Grand Palace ;) Grand Palace is Thai architecture at its best and the main attraction there is the Emerald Buddha (I liked the standing guard statues too). The paintings on the wall had bright colours that gave a 3D effect to it). Wat Pho was 15 minutes walk from the Grand Palace and on the way we spotted local markets, fortune telling hens (well if parrots can do it in India, Hens can in Bangkok) a bunch of 'Wat Pho is closed' helpers . I somehow got this feeling looking at these conmen that it was some sort of a game - Us vs Them.
Wat Pho is famous for its huge reclining Buddha. It is another must see place but what it would have been better if huge pillars right next to the Buddha were not obstructing the view. You can hardly take a good look at the entire statue. After this we took a long drive to the Marble temple on the other end of the city. This was a pretty good temple and the Buddha inside was beautifully lit - the chanting of the buddhist monks made it divine. We had a mouth-watering Thai coconut and headed to Wat Arun (near Wat Pho) to see the temple at sunset. Though Wat Arun is called the temple of dawn, it is best viewed at sunset. We didn't want to go to the temple per se but find a good spot on the other side of the river to take a picture of the temple with the setting sun. We could not manage to find a place by the river and we ran through small lanes, stinking fish markets to finally get to a decent enough place (not the best) to take a picture. We ended the day with a trip down one of the shopping mecca's in Bangkok 'MBK center' and a walk down the streets of Sukhumvit. For once, I felt safe walking together with Sush in Sukhumvit as we came across the notoriously famous Bangkok night life.
On Day 2, we took a packaged tour to Kanchanaburi starting 7am in the morning.. It was a 2 hour ride to Kanchanaburi, which is close to the Myanmar border. The first visit was to the historic war memorial for the Australian (and other) soldiers who lost their lives during WW2 - We stepped out in 2 minutes. Next was the Bridge on the river Kwai or Death railway as it is known (The museum board read Jeath railway). The bridge was build by the British, Australian and other POWs under harsh conditions and deadlines imposed by Japanese Army. The bridge was rebuilt after it collapsed and is still in active use. Though there were reportedly 3 derailment in recent times, we took the gamble for a train ride here. It was a train ride we are used to back home, probably it was more suited for the western travellers who are not used to travelling in non-a/c coaches.
After a quick lunch, we headed for a elephant ride - a short ride in the dangerously hot sun and I was not very impressed with that. I have done this ride a few years ago in Kanchanaburi and it was quite a fun ride through the jungles and streams, but not this time. It was more than made up this time by what i felt was the highlight of this trip - The Tiger temple. This is a preservation center run by monks and there are all sorts of animals and birds here, but the star attraction are the Tigers - 54 of them here. We were led to a Tiger Canyon were there were 10 - 12 tigers in the open (chained though). It was a remarkable experience to be sitting with these huge tigers and touching them. I agree they were not in their elements, but to have this close encounter with these magnificent beasts was very special. To see the monk walk the tiger and even feed it milk from a feeding bottle was weird but fun! As we were heading back, we spotted a peacock spreading it extravagant tail and even do a little dance for us. It was the first time i was seeing it and it was sight to behold.
After crawling through the evening traffic, the tour guide dropped us back at Khaosan night market where we did some shopping and had Phad thai for about 30THB! We then headed to Suan Lum Night market - a shoppers paradise. It had everything for everyone - Watches, Garments, Artifacts, Massage and beauty parlours, Huge open space with live football, food and drinks. Gucci bags for THB300 and all international brands of watches for a fraction of their retail price. We ended the day with a nice Thai foot massage to recover from the long day trip.
On Day 3, we headed to Ayutthaya (again a 7am start). It is named after Ayodhya and is Thailand's old capital but what's left right now is only ruins from the Burmese invasions. After having been to the superlative Angkhor Wat, i did not find Ayutthaya that impressive. I could have easily given it a miss. The weather was extermely hot and can't recall how many gallons of drinks I gulped these 3 days. We wanted to see the Thai classical dance in the night, but were caught in the infamous Bangkok traffic and had to abort the mission halfway.
We had an afternoon flight the next day. We decided to have another round of Thai food at the airport - Sticky rice with green curry and a spicy all veggie soup which they served in a cocunut and they both were yummy. The Suwarnabhumi airport was huge and impressive, with statues of the Giant guards and those depicting hindu mythology.
I just have a piece of advise for those travelling to Bangkok that i read somewhere on the travel sites:
There is no voluntary help in Bangkok roads, anyone who offers help voluntarily is most probably a con-man planning to take you 'for a ride'. Don't believe when someone tells you 'This place is closed', always look for the information centers which are very helpful. Metered taxi's are the best way to travel, but check before you get in if the guy will switch on the meter. Ofcourse these are cautions we need to take in any city, more so in Bangkok.
Bangkok has a great night life, lots of shopping options for all ranges and exciting places nearby.
Here's some pictures from the trip:
Bangkok Pictures
Sawadee
The early morning flight meant that i hardly had any sleep that night but then it gave us the whole day to spend in Bangkok. We reached around 9am and the Visa on arrival was a breeze, however we spent close to an hour standing at the Immigration.. Murphy's law at its best! As mentioned in the travel guides we ignored the taxi guys on the 2nd floor and headed down for the taxi stands there. It was a nice ride from the airport to the city as the expressways were free of traffic.
After a quick check-in at the hotel, we set off for the Bangkok Day trip. We had read a bit about the tuk-tuks (TT) and the con-men out there so we had prepared ourselves to be extra cautious getting around Bangkok. We ignored the waiting TT and called a metered taxi to head to Wat Traimit, the guy said that Chinatown (where the temple is) will be crowded and offerred to drop us off at the nearest MRT. The train coaches were small but still neat. Getting off the trains, we went searching for the temple when a passerby offered to help us. He said he was a teacher and he took our map and said, "Wat Traimit is closed until 2:30pm". He suggested we take a TT to 2 other temples and then come back here around 2:30pm and he even spotted a TT we could take. Scenting something suspicious we told him that we wanted to look around Chinatown. We headed down the lane and we reached Wat Traimit and it was open! Almost got fooled there.
Wat Traimit has a giant solid gold Buddha and it was really a sight to see. It was scorching hot when we stepped out and hired a cab to the Grand Palace. As we got out, there he was another friend who said, "The Palace is closed now".. Heck i can see people getting in from where we are standing! The Grand Palace has specific dress codes and for those who came unprepared, there were free dress rental booths. Now that explains why Dark green and pink shirts suddenly became a fashion statement inside the Grand Palace ;) Grand Palace is Thai architecture at its best and the main attraction there is the Emerald Buddha (I liked the standing guard statues too). The paintings on the wall had bright colours that gave a 3D effect to it). Wat Pho was 15 minutes walk from the Grand Palace and on the way we spotted local markets, fortune telling hens (well if parrots can do it in India, Hens can in Bangkok) a bunch of 'Wat Pho is closed' helpers . I somehow got this feeling looking at these conmen that it was some sort of a game - Us vs Them.
Wat Pho is famous for its huge reclining Buddha. It is another must see place but what it would have been better if huge pillars right next to the Buddha were not obstructing the view. You can hardly take a good look at the entire statue. After this we took a long drive to the Marble temple on the other end of the city. This was a pretty good temple and the Buddha inside was beautifully lit - the chanting of the buddhist monks made it divine. We had a mouth-watering Thai coconut and headed to Wat Arun (near Wat Pho) to see the temple at sunset. Though Wat Arun is called the temple of dawn, it is best viewed at sunset. We didn't want to go to the temple per se but find a good spot on the other side of the river to take a picture of the temple with the setting sun. We could not manage to find a place by the river and we ran through small lanes, stinking fish markets to finally get to a decent enough place (not the best) to take a picture. We ended the day with a trip down one of the shopping mecca's in Bangkok 'MBK center' and a walk down the streets of Sukhumvit. For once, I felt safe walking together with Sush in Sukhumvit as we came across the notoriously famous Bangkok night life.
On Day 2, we took a packaged tour to Kanchanaburi starting 7am in the morning.. It was a 2 hour ride to Kanchanaburi, which is close to the Myanmar border. The first visit was to the historic war memorial for the Australian (and other) soldiers who lost their lives during WW2 - We stepped out in 2 minutes. Next was the Bridge on the river Kwai or Death railway as it is known (The museum board read Jeath railway). The bridge was build by the British, Australian and other POWs under harsh conditions and deadlines imposed by Japanese Army. The bridge was rebuilt after it collapsed and is still in active use. Though there were reportedly 3 derailment in recent times, we took the gamble for a train ride here. It was a train ride we are used to back home, probably it was more suited for the western travellers who are not used to travelling in non-a/c coaches.
After a quick lunch, we headed for a elephant ride - a short ride in the dangerously hot sun and I was not very impressed with that. I have done this ride a few years ago in Kanchanaburi and it was quite a fun ride through the jungles and streams, but not this time. It was more than made up this time by what i felt was the highlight of this trip - The Tiger temple. This is a preservation center run by monks and there are all sorts of animals and birds here, but the star attraction are the Tigers - 54 of them here. We were led to a Tiger Canyon were there were 10 - 12 tigers in the open (chained though). It was a remarkable experience to be sitting with these huge tigers and touching them. I agree they were not in their elements, but to have this close encounter with these magnificent beasts was very special. To see the monk walk the tiger and even feed it milk from a feeding bottle was weird but fun! As we were heading back, we spotted a peacock spreading it extravagant tail and even do a little dance for us. It was the first time i was seeing it and it was sight to behold.
After crawling through the evening traffic, the tour guide dropped us back at Khaosan night market where we did some shopping and had Phad thai for about 30THB! We then headed to Suan Lum Night market - a shoppers paradise. It had everything for everyone - Watches, Garments, Artifacts, Massage and beauty parlours, Huge open space with live football, food and drinks. Gucci bags for THB300 and all international brands of watches for a fraction of their retail price. We ended the day with a nice Thai foot massage to recover from the long day trip.
On Day 3, we headed to Ayutthaya (again a 7am start). It is named after Ayodhya and is Thailand's old capital but what's left right now is only ruins from the Burmese invasions. After having been to the superlative Angkhor Wat, i did not find Ayutthaya that impressive. I could have easily given it a miss. The weather was extermely hot and can't recall how many gallons of drinks I gulped these 3 days. We wanted to see the Thai classical dance in the night, but were caught in the infamous Bangkok traffic and had to abort the mission halfway.
We had an afternoon flight the next day. We decided to have another round of Thai food at the airport - Sticky rice with green curry and a spicy all veggie soup which they served in a cocunut and they both were yummy. The Suwarnabhumi airport was huge and impressive, with statues of the Giant guards and those depicting hindu mythology.
I just have a piece of advise for those travelling to Bangkok that i read somewhere on the travel sites:
There is no voluntary help in Bangkok roads, anyone who offers help voluntarily is most probably a con-man planning to take you 'for a ride'. Don't believe when someone tells you 'This place is closed', always look for the information centers which are very helpful. Metered taxi's are the best way to travel, but check before you get in if the guy will switch on the meter. Ofcourse these are cautions we need to take in any city, more so in Bangkok.
Bangkok has a great night life, lots of shopping options for all ranges and exciting places nearby.
Here's some pictures from the trip:
Bangkok Pictures
Sawadee
Feb 7, 2010
A Glorious Sunset
Let me start off with a topic that is close to my heart. Something that brings 2 of my likes together - Photography and Sunsets.
I just love sunsets. I have taken quite a few shots of sunsets in various locations, but this by far has been my favourite. It was one of those evenings when the sun was in its full glory. The thin lines of clouds made the shot a bit more artistic. What do you think?
God is the greatest artist, nature his greatest work and sky is the best canvas.
I just love sunsets. I have taken quite a few shots of sunsets in various locations, but this by far has been my favourite. It was one of those evenings when the sun was in its full glory. The thin lines of clouds made the shot a bit more artistic. What do you think?
God is the greatest artist, nature his greatest work and sky is the best canvas.
Feb 6, 2010
On an impulse...
I have resisted starting this blog thingy for a while now . No.. not because i don't have any time for these things. It's simply that i got no 5 thoughts per minute, or have piles of literature that desperately needs to be digitised, nor do i have a huge fan following of a bollywood star waiting to know how busy my day was.
So why this blog suddenly?
Well, the last few days I was thinking that i should break the routine and do something 'new' in life. So, On an impulse I decided to join this blogging race (damn.. everything else costs money) and byte about the things that happen around me, even if it means talking to the vacant stands.
So here i am, sending out signals like those NASA guys to see if there is someone out there who will ping me back.
So why this blog suddenly?
Well, the last few days I was thinking that i should break the routine and do something 'new' in life. So, On an impulse I decided to join this blogging race (damn.. everything else costs money) and byte about the things that happen around me, even if it means talking to the vacant stands.
So here i am, sending out signals like those NASA guys to see if there is someone out there who will ping me back.
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