Cold Play and Mac ...

It's been again a long pause after the last blog. After Hamy's death it took some time to recover from it, I am again all alone. Loneliness have been haunting me all the time. I wonder what could satisfy me. The answer to that is still not found. When I am with the people I am comfortable to talk to, I am very happy. I am kind of getting addicted to people - some people. On the other hand I am having very repulsive feeling to those of whom I don't like to talk. My likes and dislikes are getting strong; I can feel it. I am not sure whether it's for good or bad. But the character moulding of me is almost complete. So love it, like it or hate it :)

One of the most memorable (I would some times feel the most) event happened in US was the Cold Play concert. I don't have words to describe my favorite band in the world. Perfection at it's best, that's what I would call it. It has raised my heart beat just by being there (before even they started to play). On a Halloween (I am not sure whether this was an evils temptation) I am in Verizon center with 20,000 people all alone. I felt so bad that I couldn't tell how happy I felt, to any one else. May be the first time I felt the sorrow of not having some one to share Happiness. I felt the absence of a partner that time. I am a person who loves the beauty of perfection; when it achieves the level which I couldn't imagine it becomes the COLD PLAY show. I loved the music, I loved the lights, I loved the live mixing of video by ultra talented people and I just loved the harmony of all. The satisfaction from a stage show is much more lasting. I feel very proud for being there and able to appreciate the talent. I just wished I could do something like that; at least to be a part of the team.

Another perfection I happened to have is my new Aluminum Apple Mac Book. I just loved the moment when I took the decision to buy the Mac book. I am spending hours just by looking at my laptop and wondering how beautiful it is. It's again a perfection beyond my imaginations. I have been reading a book called 'Shantaram'; it is a big book with some 900+ pages; if I have not bought the Mac I would have finished it by now. Whenever I turn my face to the laptop I feel like touching her. :) Ok let me read the book.

He was Simple... He was Adorable ... I Loved him

My little hamy passed away this evening... I think he suffered so much in the past 3 days. Today he was suffering so much and I wanted him to die sooner some how. I some how managed him a better death ... And I weeped like a child... I loved him so much. He deserved atleast some rolls of my tears.. I knew him better than how much I know about many people here. He never gave me pain other than for once when he bit me - long back on the very next day I bought him. If animals can be in heaven I wish my hamy in heaven. Making every one smile and adore him there also. May he rest in peace forever. Even when he died he was cute and soft like a fur ball which made me weep more!  

Please refer to my post on Jan 2008 for those who don't know who is Hamy! 

Light and Exposure ...

Ayeeee .... here it comes... at the speed of 3lac km/second - yes ideally in the vaccum ofcourse - LIGHT... what a wonderful thing to have; have you ever imagined a world without ligt, something like living in Mariana Trunch or something. ho i can imagine. So here i am writing about light and the wonderful moments it illuminates. And also the moments which are captured for later time; ofcourse thats what we are talking about Cameras. A moment is captured in a film or a sensor through a process called exposure. An exposure is nothing but the process of exposing the chemicals on a film inside a film camera or the light sensors on a sensor in a digital camera to the light. This light excites the molecules and is stored for ever on the film or stored temoparaly on a buffer in digital camera.

Exposure is measured in lux seconds and it is the amount of light allowed expose the film. Its also mearured in Electron Volts (EV) which is the normal photographer term for telling it. In advanced digital cameras we have option to see the image histogram which shows the tonal distribution of light across the frame. From which a person can understand how good the exposure was. If the histogram is distributed across like a bell shape and is concentrated in the middle that indicates a good expoure.

Under Exposure: As you know if you expose a film for less time than the ideal time requred to record the details of the scene we call it as Under Exposure. In an under exposed photo all the details or most of the details would be dark and not properly illuminated. The histogram of an under exposed image will be drifted towards the left of the graph. Normally a photographer does is when there is so much light in the scene, like when you are shooting in the midday or shooting the sun or sky, or greeneries (this is a particular case i will tell you later)

Over Exposure: This is the term used when we have / or camera in AUTO mode has allowed more light than necessary to the film or the sensor. This is some thing which normal photographer would never like to happen as all the detail would have blown out; the term blown out is used since the pixels would have stored the maximum electron volt it could store. So pixels of the picture would be completely white in color, in a blown out picture most of the picture pixel would have store no color or details. An occasion when a photographer does is when the light is not evenly distributed over the scene and some of the subject is under darkness, if the priority of the subject in dark is more important he would prefer to get the correct exposure on that subject ignoring the over exposure of the other subjects. Same situation applies to Under Exposure also.

In a camera there is a Light Meter which measures the light from a scene where we are pointing the camera. The metering circuit of a camera is one of the most important part of the camera. The camera in auto mode measures the light and calculates how much time the film or the sensor should be exposed to get a perfect exposure. For this what the light meter does is it theoretically dilutes all the light from the scene and you know when you mix all the colors you would get one color. This color is then coverted to greyscale by the metering system and compared with the stored value. This stored value is equivalent to 18% grey card. So what the metering system will do is it will quickly changes the shutter speed and aperture (which i will talk later about) to control the light coming in to get the 18% grey value from the scene. People use a card which is equivalent to 18% grey to get consistant results, they will read the light from the grey card at the scene and this will give the camera and oppurtunity to ignor e the influence of colors in the calculation of exposure.

Check this picture, the bracket shows where the light is read from to get the exposure given; when the light is read from the sun the picture is under exposed since there is so much light coming in. When it is read from the absolut dark areas the picture has been over exposed. And the idea exposure is got from the areas where it is correctly lighted or half of the bracket is dark and half is bright. http://www.easyphotography.info/page3images/histogram.jpg

This is how an automatic metering system find the perfect exposure. The better the calculation and measurement is done by the metering system the better the image would be. In DSLRs we have option to alter the perfect exposure found by the camera using Exposure Compensation. There would be a button which would let you choose an exposure value which is in the range -3 to +3 (varies camera to camera) in steps of 1/2 or 1/3; if we take a negative value the image will be under exposed and if positive it will be over exposed.

So thats all for today, so i think now you wouldnt blink when some one talks about exposures, under exposure, over exposure, image histogram, metering, grey card, exposure compensation etc. You have learned how to read exposure from histogram and even how camera calculates the exposure.

Changing Lives ...

I don't know how to start, but I want to write this blog about this subject "Are we loosing our compassion?"

Today as being a sunday I had gone to the church for mass, going for mass has started being more of a need than a compulsion to me. I am happy for that. There we had a visiting priest from Cincinnatti who came representing an organisation called Food for the Poor. He is 83 years old and very energetic and he has been asking money for food and shelter for thousands in the Caribians and Latin America. He didn't try to question or tried to make a guilty feeling in us, he just said the numbers and needs of those people there. He was proud when he said they could change the lives of the people there. That made me think about the compassion of every human being of this generation - may be in situations where we need it we are showing it but the need for compassion and love is far more.

I have been reading a book of John Grisham - Street Lawyer - its about a lawyer who would have made millions by being in the firm he was working, but an accident in his life made him compassionate about the poor homeless people and he decided to throw the job and his dreams to work for them for their rights and welfare. Hope you have heard of Oskar Schindler who saved hundreds of Jews during the holocaust. He was an industialist and he could have made so much money ignoring those whom he could have saved but he found the lives of people are more valuable than the money. Climax scene of the movie Schindler's list is one of the most touching moments I have seen. In the middle of the people whom he has saved he sobs, thinking he could have saved even more people. That is the compassion he had, may be we dont have any holocaust to deal with to show the compassion. But there are millions of children whose parents can not afford to give them food. And a mere 24$ can give 420 children a meal, yes Four Hundred and Twenty children.

When we strive to achieve our dreams for personal gain; I dont know how much we should be thankful to the god for letting us born on the other side of the world where there is no poverty and lack of food or clothes. I believe its our responsibility to help those who can not pay you back. God once said, help those who can not pay you back, by which you create wealth in the heaven. To tell you the truth after the mass I didnt feel the taste of the food I was eating.

How much ever you earn or how much ever you become successful in life, you can never get the same satisfaction you get by feeding a hungry child. We can never take the money we make in this life but we can take those smiles to heaven. Find a reason for our lives, there are people around us who needs compassion and love. I know we ignore and think we can not make a change in the lives but we can, think about it. May we grow to understand how fortunate we are.

Spread the love around.... bring smile to atleast one person a day!

Please visit the site http://www.foodforthepoor.org and do something... :) Love you!!

Blame it on the Moon....

Yes; I think it has been long since I wrote a blog.
I have had this thought some time back also but I couldn't help as I was really out of mood to write something here. I have been feeling so pissed off with the life; these are the times I am struggling to come out of the pessimistic character of a capriconian. Finally I survived this time too; I think a gal called Katie Melua and some other nice singers helped me to change my thoughts.

I have been trying to make every one listen to Katie but I dont think any one did try; ya only a capriconian can listen to her. She is also a Virgo like the once I loved in the past. You can find pain of lost love in her all songs and she has perfectly narrated it in her vocals. May be thats why I liked her songs

Back to sun signs. I have always liked virgos; they understands me very well. I have been closely trying to do a character study with the help of the sun sign characters. What I have observed is as far as I know most of the Capriconians,Aries, Virgos, Pisces, Cancer have unique characters. I dont know how it happened. I always wanted to believe that each person is unique, but I have to believe sun sugns too now. I dont want to believe that it has to do something with the astrology, may be they have tried to do a character study as I did and defined the nature for those people.


Just see the below study and see whether you agree to any of these.

* Aries (March 21 - April 19): Assertive, impulsive, sometimes selfish.
* Taurus (April 20 - May 20): Resourceful thorough, sometimes indulgent.
* GeminI (May 21 - June 20): Logical, inquisitive, sometimes superficial.
* Cancer (June 21 - July 22): Tenacious, sensitive, sometimes clinging.
* Leo (July 23 - August 22): Generous, proud, sometimes arrogant.
* Virgo (August 23 - September 22): Practical, efficient, sometimes over-critical.
* Libra (September 23 - October 22): Co-operative, fair, sometimes lazy.
* Scorpio (October 23 - November 21): Passionate, sensitive, sometimes obsessive.
* Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): intelligent, straightforward, sometimes careless.
* Capricorn (December 22 - January 19): Prudent, ambitious, sometimes suspicious.
* Aquarius (January 20 - February 18): Humanitarian, unconventional, sometimes detached.
* Pisces (February 19 - March 20): Imaginative, sensitive, sometimes impractical.

Courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org

Check this out if you have time : Zodiacs

Some things about be from the above link which you might want to know about me

"With an eye for pedigree and perfection, they'll look around pretty carefully. The goat will pick a girl who will be a good mother. Then she'll have to be a good cook and a house keeper. After that, she'll have to dress well to impress his business associates and friends, and preferably be a cut I above them in background, manners, breeding and intelligence. Last of all, he'll make a quick check to see if she's I beautiful or if she appeals to his physical senses. You can see right away it's no big deal if your hair is droopy, your l perfume bottle is empty or your legs aren't the kind to; make the current Miss Universe hate you. Just dig into the trunk for those D.A.R. papers and show him the family"

I guess Katie Melua is right for me :)

Sweet Gals....

Today my colleague has brought her small gal to office as her day care was not available. She has not started going to school but I found her very smart and naughty. With all the spark which I talked about in the last blog. I tried to be close with her, as I was getting bored with out any work. I am waiting for a fix to come so that I can resume my work. So I started off with my small tricks, winking, staring, commenting. :) Finally she reciprocated; she smiled at me. I have moved to the next step.

I offered her one of the toys I have at my desk. She refused it and said "I want to scare you". Oh god, what did I do? I am just wondering about my future, if this small gal wants to scare me, will I ever get to find a gal who can make me happy all my life :| I am speechless. I went to her place to see what she is doing after some time. Do you know what she did? she took my hand and pulled me to my place and made me sit at my desk. Isnt she smart? I have to to find better ways to flirt with 'small gals' :)

But I liked this small gal. I always liked to have a small sister, I kept on waiting till I was in +2 I think. But I came out of my mom making her not able to have more kids :| what to do I have born complicated to be complicated. But I have always liked small kids. And kids likes me also - I guess - I am not very sure whom they like and whom they don't. As this gal told her mother that I am trying to be funny :( but she is not liking me. Some times I melt like cheese seeing some kids. It was tough to grow up alone. Teenage is the time you will start missing a sibling. I have seen many good brother and sister relationships. I also have been brother to my cousines, and I am very close to some of them. But even then at the end of the day I am just a cousin. I can not be a brother to any one.

I hate to call a good friendship as brotherly relation that's crap. I like to call a good friendship, good friendship. I have tried to maintain all the very good friends of mine close to me. I like to update them whats happening with me all the time. Brother Sister relation can be a good friend ship but not vice versa, even if you don't like your siblings character you gotta love him/her isn't it. Friendship is also an acceptance but if you try to put the intimacy a brother and sister has; then you might fall into each other.

I have fallen many times, not many as in "many" but it has happened. Its very normal feeling which people who are lovable get to have. I am proud of those relations as it taught me many things in life. I learned many things about myself, and I have learned many things you can not have in life. They made me more mature and stable. Believe me I have some friends who can not think about making a gal, 'a friend'. They sees gals as 'Gals'. I pity for them. I have learned to differentiate the difference properly and correctly.

I have found women as very complicated but delicate human being. I wish I could spend my life with a delicate woman who can understand the complicacy of my self and empathise me with the innocense of the small gal. I am sounding crazy?? I am serious!! If you ask yourself you would find the same answer. If she is beautiful/ugly enough to match with me, I would be happier :)

Sparks of Life ...

I have read a speech of Chetan Bhagat which I got as a forward. If you don't know Chetan Bhagat; he is an ex IITian and a writer. I have read two books of him 'Five point Some one' and 'One night at Call Center'. First one was an incredible book about 3 IITians and their way of life.

Coming back to his speech, this speech he is talking about sparks of life. He meant by spark is the enthusiasm, happiness, carisma, security etc which you can find on a baby. He is just trying to find how that happiness and enthusiasm is lost on the way of life. Each child may be upto certain age are grown without knowing the sorrows, aspirations of his parents, troubles waiting for him when he grows up. During that period they are not scared by anything, they start doing things their own and they involve themselves in each and every mischievious act they find happiness in. You can see the spark which Chetan is talking about in their eyes that time. If you closely watch a kid - I know there are exceptions - but you can feel the joy in his eye for just being himself.

Chetan is telling where and how its is lost during the journey for success in life. As he says even I feel there is a moment in life where you should stop looking for better places and more money. The spark is lost when you make your life imbalanced for success in life. You should be striving for a balanced successfull life, and he stresses on 'balanced' more than success. Your striving is worth only if there is harmony in life. I have seen many families where they are making money, making money all though the life without preparing to take rest to enjoy the money or find happiness inside the family. Chetan finds disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose are the main reasons for loosing the spark in life. I have understood what he is peaking and has written about that in my previous blogs. Seek enjoyment in the process rather than the end result. You can see it as seeking enjoyment by working rather than the salary. Or seeking enjoyment in going to school everyday rather than the poor scores you may get, which will make you disappointed. May be these were the things which my friends who used to fail in subjects but enjoyed college life have understood long back.

Its nice to find that there are some person in this world who almost think like me, I always try to be grateful for what I have and gain strength to accept what I dont have. If you keep on worrying and strive to achive what you dont have and loose the spark and harmony of life - which is the balance of health, relationships, mental peace everything in good order. What I am saying is not to be lazy and be happy with what you have, you should find a balance where you can stay happy at the same time more towards to your goal in the life. The goal of life should involve somthing more than having a better job, better degree or better financial stability. It should eventually bring smile on many faces and make you feel that you have lived a good persons life with lot of experiences. "Don't be serious; be sincere" as Chetan says.

The above photo is taken near my apartment on a day, when I had the mood to come back to check the flower after coming back from office. The crop is not exactly what I wanted it to be. But I liked the photo for the depth and contrast.

Price of Negligence .....

"Its high time to find out the details about the motor vehicle law atleast after one and a half years in US isnt it". Thats was the answer my conscience had, for my question "Why Why Why!!!". More details to follow. As you know (if you had read my previous blogs) me and my friend together bought the car. We decided to register the car in both our name, which was the reason for all these. She has gone back in June; so instead of transfering the owership completely to myself I have continued to have the co ownership and cancelled her insurence. I had never imagined the Motor Vehicle Administration to send me a mail yesterday asking for the proof for insurence on the vehicle by owners. They even mentioned the gravity of the situation; which was 150$ for the first 30days, then 7$ per day till I surrender the plates. Holy Cow!!! Life is fucked by MVA tooo now. So tomo I will end up registering the car in my name paying the 200$ tax and 128$ for new registration and the fine (which I have not yet calculated as 7$ thingI is variable till I return the plates or add my returned friend in the insurance). But in my Orkut today's fortune was so motivating; it said "Serious trouble will bypass you!" But as of now the trouble landed right on my head. I am brainstorming all the ideas, permutations calculations and escape routes.... to find the least expensive and permanant solution to this. While I am typing this one small hope has struck on me which is - if I am surrendering the plates and returning the registration, may be I can ask them to weive off the penalty. But this also sound good only to me, rest all depends on the Orkut bhagvan who said it will by pass me.
There was another trouble bypassed me some time back; which was the emission test - again the MVA; for which I have never received the letter asking me to go for it. But there I have acted proactively to go and enquire. At first they said my car was never tested for emission and including the cumilative fines it is 350$. I was shocked as if I was put in the mens dressing room in miamI beach. But later I spoke to the manager and he found out that I dont awe all that money, he asked me to come only in december. So if Orkut bhagvan is talking about that trouble, it has already bypassed.
I have never thought there is a catch like this from DMV. I am publishing this in my blog so that at least some one reading this will be pro active.
Recent update from http://www.carinsurance.com/kb/content31331.aspx says that it might not affect me. I can still drive the car with out paying the fine as the lapse of insurance is only for my friend. She can not register a car in her name in US if I am not paying this fine now. So I will ask her whether I need to do that. Oh god this is the last chance; will the trouble bypass me ???
Let me see ...

The picture is of the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier in the evening of July 5th. When VA beach was honored by three Rajagirian's visit. I have done little editing to increase shadows in Picasa.

07/16 Latest update: I have registered the car in my name; spoke to the person at DMV he said there might not be any problem for me as there was at least one insurance that point of time on the car. So I am happy at the end as of now.

Small Comment...

There have been times when I used to dream about a good camera. My father was a social worker - he used to have many public meetings and stuff like that. He used to take me with him to click pictures. I had a small camera; it was a point and shoot film camera. I dont even remember the name of the camera. But I remember when I had a Yashica film camera - again not SLR - of my uncle. My father will get hold of my uncles camera at times and will let me take pictures with it. I think that model of Yashika was famous and later I have noticed the same camera in many hands. My old camera is there still at home full of fungus. But this time I had a nikon SLR in my hand, proud me!!

Long back when I was dreaming about onsite, being an engineer, holding a camera; I never thought I will be able to achieve any of these what I have now. I remind all the readers to take a moment to think about what you have more than what you dont have. I have a colleague in my office and her career aspirations are so strong and sometimes I feel it plays a demotivating role in her current role. I have learned (may be forcibly) to be happy with what I have. I have limited my dreams about career. What I am currently thinking is, doing the best in what you are doing will always fetch you what is best for you. I have always thought testing is the last place where I should be landing. But see I have ended up here, but then, now I think I am no more cribbing about it. But I am afraid of others prejudicing about it. So I am little embaressed to say I am a tester. But I feel it is rather a very responsible job, I know there are managers trusting on me. Do they have to trust the person who developed it? The winner gets the trust.

Do what you do with full heart - ya, that full heart always plays a big role - because only when you put full heart you can get motivated your self. I have lost trust in the people who should have motivated me, so I have evolved my self to get self motivated. The best lesson I have learned is Attitude is the only way for success and for failure. With a bad attitude no one can succeed. If you think all except you are bad, I don't think that will lead you to success. If you think doing the work good and whole heartedly will not bring you anything then, how can you be happy at work. You will always in your entire life will have the same attitude towards work, I don't think getting placed in Google even can resolve the problem.

I have learned to have attitude and flexibility towards work and I trust those who assign work to me. There is no way you can do better or feel better. I stopped complaining, I have learned that either those who hear them or the person who is telling should have self respect and stop complaining and try to find solutions of your own to be in a better world; after all my dream is a better thinking world :)

For My Friends..

I am in the mood of writing anything, feeling so heavy. I think i am full of so much thoughts now. I am thinking of all the people who has influenced me in the past. I started to get influenced after 10th I think. Thats when i had many friends and have gone into deep relations; which made me to learn life to a small extent. I keep thinking about all these, nowadays. I try to reason myself for being myself. ha ha... Its not crazy as some one said its called Quarter Life Crisis. This is when you feel, your self more; this is when you have more time to think about yourself. This is when you understand that your character has been moulded so stongly that, whether you like it or not, you have to live with it. You will feel you have not treated some people fairly in life. You will have self pity, you will feel angry for being you. If you dont feel all these; don't laugh at me. There are people to share the same feelings (those who came up with Quarter Life Crisis - being in twenties) with me.Today i was explaining to my new friend how emotional i become when i think about my couple of friends. I was thinking about those couple of friends after that.Ii liked the small pain in my heart and the smile on my face. Its so special to have people like that in your life. If you do not have some one whom you feel this way; i think you have been wasting your life. Some people in life make you mature enough that you will be able to empathise anyone. Those are the people who shapes the conscience in you. I am so thankful to god for them, and this blog is dedicated to my lovely caring friends; and I am missing them so badly. :(

Picture on this blog is one of my first pictures from my new 105mm Micro Nikkor lens; after a small rain out side my apartment. I have been searching for objects for my Macro lens. This week I should find some nice flowers. (Shall I go to Botanical Museum?)

That could be a Bomb!!

Yes here I am back to the writing...

Past weekend was fantastic; in all senses. (At least good comparing the other weekend I had) Where would I start, all the incidents are start able incidents. I can't say INCIDENT because they were all funny moments; which might get forgotten after some time. Incidents are those which remain long like some of my previous posts.

This weekend I was expecting to go out with one of my colleague and her friend; we have decided on the drink for the night too. That time Sandeep called me up and said he and Shanu are coming to DC. At first I thought, why didn't that happen the week before when I didn't have any plans. But then as my friends are more important to me (of course me for them) I have decided to go pick them up from the Union station. Oh god since I have started 1 hour early I was managed to reach union on time. This time my GPS suggested a crappy road, very shady one; though the sides of Potomac river. "Kuttakuriruttu" sigle lane traffic with no median. "Enikku pedi aayi" :P Thinking of that I was speeding little bit suddenly 2 flashes came out of no where. Those were from the DMV's radar triggered cameras; the front and back plates of the car in front were captured with good precision, automatically. The other dude will be expecting a notice with his car's photos. How else can you get a photo of you inside your car driving at 40m/h. It really does worth it. But since I was not interested in photos I have slowed my car down.

Let me fast forward the incidents
- Me - Car - Union station - Shanu - Sandeep - Drive - 2.30 hours - Charlottesville - Nishant - Sofa - oh forgot 'Beer' - Sofa - leep

Next day we were supposed to go to Nishant's department and then Monticello which is the house of Thomas Jefferson the 3rd precident of US and founder of UVA. We managed to see them and have a lunch at chinese. Later we took a nap to get ready for the Bowling and the dinner. We have invited more people for the bowling. Though it was my second time I managed to score 1st in the first game and 3rd in the second. May be that made me so happy to get drunk at Apple Bees. I hope atleast for some people (hope all of them) had a nice time hearing to me after 2 rounds of margarita.

When I have got the check which was reasonably small for 8 people at Apple Bees (124$) I got reminded of Golden Eye movie and James bond. The waitress gave me one pen and I was playing BOMB with that one, later she brought the other pen which me so suspicious with the influence of Margarita; I said "That could be a real bomb"

Time for another Piece of Glass

I am thinking of buying another lens to my camera kit. Right now i have 50mm f/1.8 and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR; i am planning to add 105mm f/2.8 micro VR. If i do that it will have a very hard impact to my purse also to my creative photography. All my lenses are state of the art optics from Nikkor, 50mm used to be a favourite portrait lens which is sharp and cheap same time. 18-200mm VR is one of the critically acclaimed wide-telephoto zoom lens; and 105mm is the best macro lens nikon has. So my kit will be complete with that - may be with one teleconverter too - any ways, i have almost decided to go for it. its gonna cost me 750$; ya thats the other hard part i was talking about. But hope i will be able to justify it with the photos i am going to take with it. My long term plans include a nikon D300 too. May be on my way back to india. :P.
But i am not so happy about the time i am spending with my camera, i should be able to spend more time with it. But i am happier than ever with the results. The percentage of good photos coming out is getting better. Ya Bryan Peterson book has helped in taking meter readings off the sky and about green color.
I have to plan a trip with my new lens next month for long weekend thats my plan. My strength of photography is the angle which i choose to click i guess. My angles and creativity comes out good - at times, which i believe is from the artist inside me. I feel so sad for loosing my painting skills long time back. Now i dont think i can take up the brush again; may be i can try buying a coloring book instead :p
For some sample picture from Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Click here

License and Registration Please...

It was so unexpected to be pulled over by a cop. Finally it happened; first experience in my life to be stopped by police. Even in India I always wanted to get caught by police in usual checking or something like that. I have been telling my roommate about this fantasy of mine. This time i was on a trip to Charlottesville which is some 150mile far from Germantown to drop my friend. Out of the jet lag he had from the previous day's flight trip (Thanks to Qatar Airways' late flights) he was sleeping in the car while i was driving. When this happened i was under the speed limit and as far as i know i was not driving offensively. But to my surprise suddenly one cop came into the picture with flashing lights. Mind you there was no one in the road other than me and the cop. (Scary isn't it? - Especially for those who have watched some English movies with similar scene)

Ok; I pulled over and tried to wake my friend up. He has been driving here for almost 2 years and he also never had this experience. I was kind of excited and had the curiousity to know what made him stop me. He had this flash light fitted in his car which lit our car. After a long waiting time of 2 min; he came. He told my license plate is having some problem and is not so visible; okie (As far as i know there is no problem with that - later also i have checked it) now what? Then the request " License and Registration please...." i gave him what he asked for; he goes back to his car - again a long waiting period. Nishant was telling i am supposed to tell him that "my license is in my wallet i am going to get it" and "my registration is in the dash" so that he wont be so alert when i reach for it. (all these information is for the next time) then he comes back and gives me the stuff back. He asked me to fix the tag. If not caught by the same cop no one else is going to feel the problem with the tag. Then he asked us to go....

What a wonderful experience!!
There have been experiences where cops have posed for my camera and this was a different experience...

Hamy my Hamy...

Am I aging backward - at least mentally - don't know; ya thats what i feel. You can find me playing with my Hamy - my pet hamster - and Spot - my doggy doll. I don't know man, you will be like this once you are some where alone and feel insecure. Have you seen Cast Away movie, some times i feel i am like tom hanks in that, and my pets are like Wilson. I know money is not everything, its nothing for me (its not because i am wealthy- i am not); but don't know some thing is holding me here. May be the opportunity to get recognition is more here, or I am just sharpening my bargaining capabilities. I wanna change my platform from testing to something else, I wanna learn more things - please i don't want to learn QTP. I could have been a good lead and a mentor in what i am doing now, but my experience is not enough for that title. Ok so what! I am still here, until i find an opening in my career. Don't tell any one i don't wanna quit my company with the tester badge.

Have you seen my Hamy; this is my Hamy. He is a pavam hamster whom every one calls as eli, panniely etc. But he is very cute with his big bum. He is not able to get inside his small house since his bum has grown fatter :)
I have to get a new bigger house for him. And some new treats for him to eat. Every one likes him though they are not calling him with proper names. I have got more visitors coming home to see him than me :( As long as he is alive i am happy; but i am scared. Hamsters are supposed to have a life of only 1-1.5 years. He was born in May 2007. So i have to take care of him better to make him stay longer with me.
He is a good friend of mine. He meets my expectations all the time. With humans my expectations are always more. Even from myself. May be thats why I am always having a looser feeling inside. Thats bad; ain't it? Can't help

Happy New Year 2008

Hi all...

Does this logical division of time into years really does matter in some ones life? I am not very sure. There are many days which are important in the lives of each of. For example before and after... Birth day, Financial end of the year, Gal friends birthday, etc etc... every thing can be crucial. Any ways for those who believes Jan 1 is D day. I am wishing you a very prosperous and better time after D day. :)

Even i have celebrated new year, i mean just made it to be a part of others' celebrations if you put it more correctly. I had gone to Annapolis which is a historical place and Maryland's capital; we reached there and we found nothing interesting. It was so damn cold and i didn't get my glove also. And i felt hungry too. After rounding the city - if you can call it so - around 3 times. I decided to try one restaurant. But the gal who fetches free tables had something ringing in her brain i think. So when we entered the restaurant; instead of showing us the table she showed the menu. She told these are the only items they serve and these can not be split between people. Then i had a good look at the menu there was no item less than 50$. Though i was deeply embarrassed and insulted by a waitress, i didn't have any choice to make there. I said thanks and came out.

If i were in India i wouldn't have let myself embarrassed like that. This time my friend gave a weird expression after seeing the menu. Also her confidence in judging us to be so cheap was very high too. May be next time i will not be in such a situation. I don't like any one to have prejudgment over me. This time it was correct; ya i wouldn't have spent that much money that time.

For your information the restaurant's name was Philip's - at least you will not end up there to be embarrassed given you don't have couple of grands to spend away every months. After that we went to sub way where i am so damn sure about how much the menu could be :P

Irritated by the new year and the god damn insult to my self respect we decided to go to Baltimore. I took the wheel and straight to Baltimore with out map, but we made it before the mid night. They had a splendid fire works. Took some snaps. Thats it my new year celebration is over.

On Jan 1st we had gone to Hershy in PA; to see the Hershy's chocolate factory. We had lot of expectations and finally it ended up with a chocolate outlet mall and some 3D show for kids. :( thats what we got after 2 hour journey.

Happy New Year :)