Swanthana - Home for mentally challenged

Last Sunday went on to visit Swanthana along with friends. I don’t know anything about it before I reached there and was expecting to be one more NGO. After a long ride and missing the route as it was guided by one of my friend known for that, Prince are you reading this?, we reached Swantana. It was on the out skirts and has a good looking building well constructed. All the kids were outside lined up in different types of wheel chairs and few sisters carrying babies and everyone was busy in their work, no one to wish or greet.

We all went together and introduced ourselves to the sisters and started conversation and knowing about what they do. They were very friendly and started talking to us and explain about the center. The kids we saw all of them mentally challenged children of various ages.  All have different disabilities and not even any two matches. I was awe-struck by the care the sisters are providing.

This is the only female care center for mentally challenged in the entire Karnataka.  Sis. Rigina was heading the center and along with her 6 more sisters that work there. She went on to tell the daily routine, these kids has to be given bath 3-4 times daily just to keep them away from the bad smell they develop and had to feed them 6 times a day with proper diet.  They have 4 attendants, girls who work there. And with staff of mere 10 the kids they have to manage is 29 who needs attention 24/7 yes it is 24/7.

Few of these kids don’t sleep in the night and keep crying and the sisters have to be awake all the night taking care of them. Sleepless nights are part of their routine.  The care they take cannot be described, the patience they have.. it’s  just  amazing.

The sad part of this is they don’t have support. They don’t have any continuous financial assistance. The government promised and is supposed to give Rs.450 per kid towards the monthly expenses which they never got. It purely runs on donations from the public. Sister told how some times when they don’t have the next meal they call people and few help.

Even when we were there, there was a TV crew of some local channel. Sister told that there is a baby of 3 months old who needs a heart surgery that cost 4 lakh rupees and when they approached the government for the money they sent the TV crew to help them by casting it in the news. But will the money come and is the baby going to survive is still a ?

The regular medical care also costs them a lot as these kids have lot of problems. They have a physiotherapy room where the kids are regularly treated. Few can walk on their own, one with support and rest needs to be carried for everything.One can respond to senses and needs education, the nearest school charges Rs.28,000 per year. The center also needs lot of maintenance as the wear and tear for the cots and beds is high. Few of them are already in broken state and they don't have enough money to replace them.

These people need a lot of support. Go through their website http://swanthana.com for more details and if you are willing to support.  Even if not financially you can give them moral support by visiting them.

My reflection on this follows…..

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Another Journey

This journey doesn’t start with suddenly as this was a well planned one. Booked a bus ticket to go home well ahead. The Telengana issue started and they stopped the buses. So booked a train ticket as a backup which was on waiting list 93.

On 23rd after PC gave a different version of the statement on Andhra things became better and busses were released. As per 23rd status buses were going and there was no problem. I called up the reservation counter again on 24th to confirm if buses were going and then tried to cancel the train ticket. It didn’t work for several times, so tried it one last time and switched of the PC with out seeing the status.

On the way to bus depot I was thinking how good it was to have a backup ticket, even if the refund may not happen, the peace it gave was worth. Waited at the pickup point for more than an hour and then called up to the reservation counter to find that the bus has been cancelled. The refund of the ticket can only happen if I give them my ticket that day. Hmmmm now the other option left is the train. I don’t even have the ticket printed. And only 30 mins left in which I have to now print the ticket and reach station. I tried taking my chance at train at the loss of bus ticket now.

Asked my cousin who is travelling by the same train and had already reached station to print my ticket. Out of the blue got a call from my colleague Shamil, asking me to join for lunch. While speaking to him I realised that I have a printed ticket at my office desk which I did on the day I booked the ticket. I requested him if he can drop me the ticket in time. He started immediately with the ticket. Mean while the net connection was slow where my cousin was trying to print and I asked him to check the PNR and…… the ticket status is cancelled :D.

Now my friend is still on the way getting the ticket. I have decided that any cost I am going to go by this train as the buses are not guaranteed and not sure if I will get a ticket for night. Went and bought a general ticket. Shamil came, and I was feeling bad that I have to make him come for a ticket that is of no use. One more idea stuck and asked him to cancel my bus ticket and felt happy that his efforts didn’t go waste as it still helped me.

Met my cousin who have a confirmed ticket on the platform and made up my mind to get reservation even if he charges me high once I get into the train. Got into the train and into my cousin’s reserved compartment it is worse than a general compartment. No place even to stand. Went in search of the TTE to get a reserved seat but it didn’t help, met 3 of them but all of them no vacancy. But he allowed me to stay in the compartment and all other unreserved he asked to get out.

The TTEs changed at Tirupati but they too didn’t ask any thing. So after a long wait I got down at Nellore. Then took a bus home and reached by 12 am.

This is the cheapest journey home I ever did 101 + 27

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A memorable journey

All of a sudden I found that I have nothing much to do at office. Hmm again... All my trip blog entries starts with the same line.. Nothing comes to my mind coz they do happen like that only. Ok coming back to this. I made plan to go on the 15th  night and got the ticket reserved too. But now seriously thought if I have to take that risk of traveling unreserved and a break journey with no clarity of number of breaks in it. It all looked like one big uncertainty with nothing certain but the destination my home ?

Decided to go on this adventure. So packed the stuff by afternoon and went to catch any bus that comes and waited midway. Came to know have direct Volvo to Nellore during the same time. So set the max limit of 45minutes for the bus to come and waited. Luckily the bus came and driver gave the ticket too. Was quite happy and it was the last seat.

So now at least something became certain that I have only a single break. As soon as I got in the there was dispute between the bus attender and a elder man regarding some seat problem and the attender was not responding properly and so I supported him and got it resolved and that’s just the beginning ?

From there it started to have multiple arguments with the driver, the hotel where he stopped for dinner at 3:30pm, and almost in each and every bus stop it stopped ? Driver had a very terrible day that day and the attender too. And most of them were not his mistakes. After half the journey we felt pity for the driver and started supporting him when he was correct which I lead the arguments again form the front even being in the last seat.

Cos of all this arguments the fellow passengers became very friendly discussing out this stuff and it was very funny making jokes of the situations. At the same time we got delayed too

At last reached home around 11pm by which every just got into beds as they don’t know I was coming. Yeah it was a surprise and I didn’t inform them that I started afternoon instead of evening.

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A day well spent

A day well spent to visit ‘A talent well spent’. That’s what had happened on this unplanned trip which came into the schedule. SMART Hospital, Periyamali, Kamagiri was the destination. Prince, Michael and I started at 5:30am searching for petrol on Hosur Road. Got it when the fuel was about to end. Took a good amount of time to reach the place. The early morning drive was very pleasant passing through the jungle enjoying the beauties of the nature. The road became bad when we are almost near the place; it is so bad you think twice before you drive.

We entered the campus where the hospital is located and the area is big and they have few constructions there. All of them built with the local material available. Was surprised to see the infrastructure they have built at such a remote place where there is no proper road. And this is the effort Dr. Jeyachandran uncle which he started in 1983 and did each and everything of it on his own.

We met Dr. Jeyachandran uncle and Rohan just coming out after their morning chores. Came to know they had a long night trying to save one critical patient battling with life. They were very happy when they came to know that the patient has progressed remarkably well. Then uncle said how the patient had got rejected in the so called sophisticated hospitals of Bangalore and was vexed with life. She was ready to die rather than to live like that. I can read from uncle’s face how critical it was and the relief he have for the success of it and how big and achievement it is. This is just one of the many that happened there.

'A talent well spent' – this is what I mentioned in the beginning, and hope you have got whom I am referring to. In case you are not clear about it, it is about Dr. Jeyachandran. Just a down to earth person. There are many good things which I noticed in him, but one thing worth mentioning is about the use of his talent for the community.

We use our talents for our professions, to live our lives. Earn, do well and get settled using them. But how many of us and how many times think of giving back to the community using the very same talents with the same zeal and commitment and make a difference in the lives of the less privileged?

Also I noticed few young people travelled from the neighboring villages who volunteered to help during their camp.

Had nice food and roamed around for some time in the evening. Had snacks and started on ourjourney back.

While coming back have heard some elephant sounds, but the locals asked us not to stop as they are in good number and it will be a danger if they come. So continued the journey and wanted to make use of the time and hence started to write this blog entry.

"If I can ease one life in aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain."

So let us make some difference in whatever capacity we can, with which ever talent that God has given and make our lives - A life well spent.

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Activa & Shell

I wasn’t keeping track of my scooter’s mileage as I know that Activa is known to give less mileage, but I remember it was some where around 40 to 43kmpl when I checked few months ago. I recently started using the Shell petrol as I have a Shell pump on my way back home from office. I was quite surprised when I calculated my mileage last time which came to 46.7kmpl. I just couldn’t believe my self that it made such a big difference. As I wasn’t convinced that it is true and I might have calculated it wrongly so wanted to check noting down the readings CORRECTLY this time. So today when I checked it again one more wonder, not sure if I need to believe this also. It was 51.25kmpl. Now wait for one more reading?? :) this time I remember the readings correctly and there is no chance that it can go wrong. 

Activa giving 51 is something great which I never heard about. And it is not because of economy driving in fact I drive it worse than any other. Trying to beat every one at every signal and drag racing with my competitors like Innova, Scorpio, Safari and the Red Bus :) and indulging in drag races and driving it at high speed of 75kmph(High speed for a scooter at least). Even today as I was returning joined a race with two Bullets who are racing against each other. And guess who won? Me and my Active. Exaggerating? No. The signals came to my rescue and I won it :P. Also being a small scooter helped. 

So Shell and Activa… not all Activas only mine ROCKs.

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Busy??!!!!!

It’s long that I had written a blog entry, was busy as usual. Back to the parent company because of recession and now traveling in the city for 2hrs daily. But it was better than expected cos of the airport. At last decided to write an entry before I forget that I have a  blog. 

Bangalore became cool for the past 2 days and I am quite happy about it after experiencing the hot sun. 

Many things to be written. Will try to do it some time later when I find time. 

And now when I tried to post my blog entry Google said that they have determined my password to be simple and forced me to change it. What all on earth are these guys getting into. Any way the whole earth is public now, nothing is private including the passwords. Some one knows them all :) Total depedence on Google :( no way out as of now.

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Trip to Hogenekal

Hi,

High lights of the Trip to Hogenekal. 

Date: 7th September 2005

Team: Jordan, Goldie, Raja, Habib, Somu, Satya, Rajesh, Anand, Krishna, Leela and Sarma.

Route: Bangalore->Hosur->Krishnagiri->Dharmapuri->Hogenakkal

0335: Missed the alarm in Habib's phone which he switched off and slept and luckily woke up by the backup alarm. Packed the food and bags.

0405: The cab came. It was showering form the time we got up.

0430: At the Anand's room to check the status. Satya helped in waking up people. Krishna busy in packing food. Some of them waiting for their turn to take bath.

0450: All set to go, boarded the Van and started the journey. Few of the guys slept and others with their own enjoyment, chatting, playing cards.

0530: At Hosur paying up the tax in the Check Post.

0720: At Dharmapuri. Had a nice break fast.  Sheik (along with his camel) was sleeping in the cab while every one had their breakfast as Mr. Sun didn't come upto the Tamarind Tree.

0830: Almost near the Hogenakal. Everyone is up in their spirits after having the breakfast and recharging themselves at Dharmapuri, doing all the nonsense possible and also enjoying the Ghat road which was beginning for the exciting landscapes by the nature.

0840: Stepped down at Hogenekal. Its been showering all the way. With those showers looking perfect for the outing. We hoped that it won't increase. Mr. Sun didn't turned up yet. While every one was busy in deciding what needs to be taken out, a large crowd gathered outside. As we stepped outside the all started asking to take the boat and oil message. Though we said no to them they didn't leave us. They followed us all the way to the boating point asking for the same in spite of all our 'No's. We came to know that a few paths one of which is towards the hanging bridge where you get a perfect straight view of the falls are blocked and no one is allowed as the water levels was raised due to the recent rains and also the because of the water from the dam.

0900: After long negotiations regarding the boats  with some of the men (later came to  know that they are  middle men)  in all the languages we could, made the deal for the boats. Took 3 boats for all of us. Splited into the follwing teams:

Jordan, Raja, Anand, Krishna.

Somu, Rajesh, Leela Sarma.

Goldie, Habib, Satya (The Heavy Weight Champions).

Lucky enough to get some nice experienced boat riders. These people also carry an identity card given by the Govt. of TN. They said all differently from what we head regarding the place which was termed as a dangerous place. After a ride for some time we reached a place where we need to walk. 

1030: After walking around 250 meters, again the water way appeared. The boat men carried their boats all the way. Ordered for some fish there and continued towards the water fall. All the boats stopped at a few meters to the falls and from there we have to walk on the rocks in water. The boat men showed us the exact steps to be taken and asked not to take any other path as that is very dangerous. They even helped us in crossing the rocks where it was difficult. None other than me fell :(. Got a side view of the falls. That's an amazing view. A few feet from the edge hardly 3 feet.  Every one enjoyed a lot. We spent some time there watching it. Couldn't take much photos there as the water after hitting the rocks went up in the air and the wind brought the mist all on us.  Everybody's clothes got wet.1115: One of the important things forgot to mention up to now is the new pair of eyes which Somu got ( The Binoculars of course mine). He never left them. Not sure what all he watched with his new pair of eyes. Sometimes he used to watch it even without removing caps of the lenses ;). Got the fish ordered fried and its time for the Oil massage which the boatwala did. A very nice massage. Few of us took it and the others got afraid after seeing that and didn't take even after the guys who took it said it was good. The so called Kumar Raja (Anand) didn't even step into water for his own reasons. He too didn't remove his new skin which he brought recently (as usual someone paid) his new jerkin.

1330: Time went so fast no one noticed. All felt hungry. So finished playing in water and came out. Again after a short walk on land the final boat ride started. 

1345: End of our Boat ride. Worth going the ride. Paid an excess amount for the boat men for the delay (Less than what they asked for before beginning if a delay occurs). The boat men gave their visiting card with a photo and also a mobile no. Only BSNL mobile works there. 

1400: Reached the Cab and started the journey to Krishnagiri Dam.

1420: Stopped the vehicle for the lunch at "The Road (Under a tree)".  Finished the lunch and continued. For a change Leela, Dabba, KuReddy and I got on top of the vehicle after getting permission from the driver. Enjoyed on the top of the cloudy day with the tamarind trees and wires coming on the way. Leela lost his glasses (Which was caught by me when they are flying off and hidden), so almost went off his moods.

1515: Went into the vehicle as we are approaching the Highway.

1540: Stopped the vehicle for a tea break after which I slept in the last seat and not sure what happened in between until we reached Krishnagiri Dam. Of course no one told me also. Hope they also don't know :)

1630: Reached Krishnagiri Dam. Its full with its water level reaching a few inches below to the gates. Right time for a visit.  Went on top of the Dam and spent some time in a park adjacent to it. Took a shortcut (for a difference also) while returning in a way that was across the knee deep flowing waters from the dam.  

1800: Back in cab for returning to Bangalore. On the way back Krishna entertained the people by his actions which he called as dance :)

2000: By God's grace reached Bangalore safe and almost exhausted. Had some rotis and took rest for the day.

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The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

I know many of you have read this poem many times. Time for me now to tell you something about this.

Well today we missed few roads even after following proper signs. That’s the irony of Indian Roads. Only after you reach the end you will know that it closed or a wrong way and you still have directions pointing it :) and you end up in a road that is never taken. Trust me this is what happens on Bangalore – Mysore (Kanakapura Road) highway if you follow proper directions that you will come across. Spoiled my evening :( which I was expecting to be one of the best. That is when I thought of writing some comments about this poem which was on my mind for quite some time. I remember this from the books I have read in my childhood. Of course I don’t read any now. The Road Never Taken made this all :)

This poem didn’t make any sense when I first read it, as a kid. In fact I felt the author might be mad to write such a poem and of course the publisher too to publish it. It was like, what his problem; he can take the 2 different roads on 2 different days and still try both of them. For this he has to write a poem and people read it. And that was the understanding when I was a kid. Don’t laugh; I am sure yours will also be the same.

Now after passing considerable time in my life, I know what it means. You can never take two ways. Always a choice when you have to decide having multiple options. And life has too many choices for everything. Once you chose something, there is no coming back. That’s what ruined my evening too a wrong choice of road. The end of 3rd stanza and the 4th stanza says it all.

What is that one is going to do when it is realized that the way taken was wrong. There is no going back. Stick with it for the life time? Feel bad for opting a wrong choice which took where you are now? Feel good for what you have now? Regret for doing that? Accept that a mistake that cannot be corrected is done? Justify your choice, expecting the other road might have been worse? Ignore the choice taken, the past and focus on the remaining part?

After all this now you have two roads again. Which one to take? :).

So you end up with more confusion considering the past choices and their effects and trying to decide now on what we think the learning from the personal experience.

Ok now can you be sure it is the right choice and “I doubted if I should ever come back”.

The more you live the more you get experience the choices get more and more complicated.

This is what Life is all about. Making your choices right where you don’t have a second chance.

The paths are totally different and so are the things that come along, the people, the places, the joys, the sorrows.

“I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Frost never expressed that the road he took is a better one or worse. All it says is a sigh :), which can be expressed both when one is happy and sad too and also he just says that it is a difference made not making it clear it is a positive or negative.

So there is something tricky about this poem which Frost left it for breaking your heads now :). Now find the sigh and the difference. I am still doing. Join me…? LOL

Need to catch up some sleep before I go to work tomorrow...

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Convenience

There are two super markets in the area I live. Now both of them have got almost the same stuff and I always go to only one of them even the other is equally good. I have also purchased in the other one when I am passing by that way (both of them are pretty close by) but these days I end up going to always one which is a more distant of these 2 may be by some 50 meters. 

So it happened today that I went to the same place and while returning I was just wondering what is that it makes me always come here and not the other one.

The answer is Convenience :). I mostly go there for getting some food stuff, daily needs and it is always like a quick buy I want to do having a list of things I need always on my mind. It doesn’t need a leisure shopping of groceries for a single guy. So these things are located close by to the billing counters here. And the other products that are daily essential are just on the way to the billing counter. So this makes my job easier not to walk around a lot. It is like I enter the shop and walk to wards the billing counter may be 30 feet or so and by the time I reach there I have everything I need. In the other one the billing counter is the other end and has a separate entry and exit. I have to walk back the entire length again after the purchase to reach my scooter.Also the daily needs stuff is at one corner of the shop which you need to go pick up and come back to the billing. It is just a matter of hardly few steps but it has got a huge effect psychologically:)

Well the conclusion is Convenience matters!!!

Felt like wasted time reading this.. Any way you would have wasted it but at least you read something now. 

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YO! Home Connected Now

Yo Yo Yo!!!! At last the BSNL had decided not to frustrate me any more and became kind enough to provide me a net connection and I got it after a wait of 5 months almost. And this is the way that government services work in India. Nothing new, but then the waiting kills. They will not have any contact numbers and no one picks up the calls when you call on office numbers. It really surprises that people living in IT city doesn’t have a contact number :). Well is IT city so bad or the people. I was lucky enough not to roam around their office. In fact even now I don’t know where the office is:). Now the home too is connected to the internet. Another time waste utility has come at home now. Need to see how best to use it. Now expecting more blog entries? Hmm I don’t think so there are many better things to do… After all life always looks at making things better…

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War Zone

We at office went to team outing and played Paintball. It was amazing fun. Reached there around 3pm and then the organizer divided us into 4 teams. And I came into team 1 and we named our team "Fearless Warriors" with a War Cry "meow". We were the first to start the game. The fighting gear that we put on was good and the mask was horrible blocking the breath. But unless you put them on you are not allowed to play so will have to. As the bigger war field is busy we ended up using a smaller one. We had referees to confirm if you are dead :). And every one was like more than real warriors in the battle fields. Once they got in its like going to shoot the real enemies. No one wanted to guard but every one wanted to fight. That’s a league we played. So we got to play 3 games. It is real fun. Even watching how people go and fight.

Even as other teams are playing we were confident that we are going to win and Yo! We won all the 3 games, with a a very high margin. The organizer announced the scores and the whole team cheered. He also added that it is the highest score that some one ever made there. And again the cheers went high. And it was real fun.

Went to resort and had swum there which was so relaxing after the tiring war. Had dinner and returned.

Next day at office.. Every ones walking style changed coz of the pains. And people have stories of the pains and started telling how bravely they fought. So most of the day went discussing the heroism of each warrior. And I have my story too... :D

Waiting to go there again.....

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So Today.....

Reached home on time today and it started raining after I reached it started raining badly and as usual the power went off and so in dark :) This is what happens to the IT City. Had a busy day at office, and was not feeling well so reached home early. It rained quite long almost for 2 hours continiously.

Took a bit of rest and started to write this entry. Today have seen the Microsoft Ad of the Shoe Circus and was surprised to see how stupid ads can be. So they have started the ad campaign now. But why? Insecure about the open source or the free soft wares available today? Or Vista not working as expected? Might be few of the reasons. So the war of Open Source Vs Microsoft had already begun. Which side are you on? I support open source. At least if not war I like the competition with MS.  Most of the things I use daily keeping the OS aside are open sources and are free wares. And I am sure most of you out there will be using the free services of some one, yet we fail to recognize and acknowledge the importance and usage. Take it from the Instant Messengers, Mail accounts, forums, blogs, downloads and lot of utilities that are installed all comes free, there are few widely used of the many present out there.  Well these might be free but some did the effort to get all those applications. 

Coming to Open Source, I use most of them in my day to day life. If they are not going to give me those facilities and sources for free today I will have to close down all and will be struggling to get my own things up. To accept the fact there are out standing applications available as open sources, it is just that people are not aware. A friend of mine who is a software engineer for the past 3 years was setting up a site and he is going to take a paid service when I actually told him he can go for one of the open sources already available. He was like they are not ‘Ad Free’. I was shocked and told him that is a misconception and told him some facts. If a Software guy doesn’t know open sources how will a common man know.

So decided today to start an awareness program on open source. Do some ads or write some analytical statistics of the programs that are available and tell the people out there how good the things are. If you are interested in joining me please get in touch I will be happy to work with you and make a better software world.

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Bomb Blasts in Bangalore

8 Bomb blasts are reported till now. Thank God only one causality and few injured. Was a shocking news in the afternoon after I just came from lunch.

I didn't have a proper sleep last night with some bad dreams and also today morning Mom called and said she got some bad dream about me not being well and wanted to be careful today. So was a kind of not feeling well. So tried to cheer up myself and started to office late. Came out and saw it was drizzling. Weather was awesome and not it a mood to work but then have to go to office. So decided to make the best of that. Took my ipod and made sure that I left my jacket so that I can enjoy the weather. Even if I get wet I am fine with that but not carrying a jacket.

Reached office. Attended a meeting and came out. No mood to work so tried to do some time pass. And one of my friends got the idea of going to Nandi Hills in that weather. So tried to see if it can work. But as usual coz of work pressures of some of them have to drop out the plan. Lunch time :) Went out and had a nice lunch at Paramount. Came back to office to find there were bomb blasts and rushed to TV room to get confirmation and yes it was true. The number started increasing from 1 to 7 in 30 mins. Was quite a bit disturbed and wanted to leave home.

Left office and saw it was every thing normal in the area. Reached my cousins place and spent some time with the kids.

But not in a very good mood even as I write this. Not sure why. It doesn't affect me directly but then 'Do people have to be so cruel?'...

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Awesome work- Mesage From Fire Fox

You think I did it? Yes!!!!! I have done my part :) Want Proof here is it ....





So let us wait.......

Awesome work - we’re almost there!

Thanks to the support of the always amazing Mozilla community, we got more than 8 million Firefox 3 downloads in 24 hours. That’s more Firefox downloads than we’ve ever had in a single day -- an impressive feat indeed!

Please be patient while the good people of Guinness review our World Record attempt. This might take a few days so please check back here. And, a huge thanks for all of your support!

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