Life with out google maps...

I was thinking today 'how life would have been with out google maps?'

Google maps was one of the coolest things this decade has presented us, you can't imagine how it made the life easier for people who are abroad - India is getting there - This weekend I am planning a trip to wales, Which is on the east coast of UK. I was asked to make a plan for 3 days, with 3 people coming from 3 different places at 3 different times. It would be an easy task if the rendezvous was a place where at least one of them have ever been to. Unfortunately all 3 of us have been to UK first time and going to wales first time and I am the only person who can drive. How would it have gone with out google maps. I have no clue, I am not even bothered to think how it would have been, because google maps is something I take for granted. Even with a GPS - which existed before google maps - people can only navigate to a place, you can never plan a trip with it. Again with regular maps, you can only speculate the distance - unless you have a ruler, which at least gives you a point to point distance.

In my case I needed 4 points to consider a meeting point accessible for 3 groups, with the cheapest train ticket possible, with a car rental rates moderate and nearer to the place of stay. This was only one of the things which needed attention. For this I had to find the driving distance, train travel time and the rates to consider. Which wouldn't have been possible if google maps was not there.

Second thing was to identify an region in which we have to stay which is nearer to the rendezvous point - which is as well as the point from where we are going to depart at the end of trip - again as the wales is a hilly terrain, distance will not give us how much time it would take to reach there. Again google maps. So after making 5 calls to different bed and break fast stays - which is similar to home stay in Kerala - I found a place to stay.

Third which I had to do it in parallel with all the above things was to identify the hour by hour plans on when to get up, where to go, how much time we have there, when to get back to bed. Even before I narrowed down the place of stay I have found out 3 places which is around 3 hours travel time from anywhere in the area I was looking accommodation for.

Fourth is again narrowing down on the places which we should not miss, how can I be sure about that, only with the google earth and google street view. With which I could find severel palaces where we could have breathtaking view of wales (touch wood) How much a website or travel information can provide to a person who is driving up to all places first time. Its not like going to see Taj Mahal, which is up there and you can go there and see it. As far as a trip to wales and Snowdonia national park is considered there is no well defined point a person can go and see. This is where you need to see photos posted by other travellers and find out where exactly it is and finding out how I can reach there.

Now we have a plan well laid, unless the speculated rain spoils our whole trip its going to be beautiful. Thanks to Google Maps. Also thanks to my friends who didn't interfere much with my plan so far. :) Imagine I had to handle 5 people who has different opinions on everything. Opinions never hurt but that doesn't help much as well. At least once in life you make a plan for your friends and find out how it goes. I am not talking about a movie plan here. Some thing more than that. Only then you understand how difficult it is as well as how easy it is to stay back and enjoy the trip when some one has made the plan for you. Isn't the life is about finding out that plan which god hasn't revealed to you yet?

You know that I could use somebody....

I have been in a weird mood for all these days... I have realized that I am getting into my own nerves... Then I heard this song which really reflected on me... I could use somebody... Check the song from one of my recent favorites Kings of Leon.

I've been roaming around, I was looking down at all I see
Painted faces fill the places I can't reach
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody

Someone like you and all you know and how you speak
Countless lovers under cover of the street
You know that I could use somebody
You know that I could use somebody
Someone like you

Off in the night while you live it up I'm off to sleep
Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat
I hope it's gonna make you notice
I hope it's gonna make you notice

Someone like me, someone like me
Someone like me, somebody

I'm ready now, I'm ready now
I'm ready now, I'm ready now
I'm ready now, I'm ready now
I'm ready now

Someone like you, somebody
Someone like you, somebody
Someone like you, somebody
I've been roaming around, I was looking down at all I see

---- Some body by Kings of Leon

Video for the same is here

Palm Sunday ...

Wish you all a happy palm Sunday.

After coming to London I didn't try to find a church where I can go for mass. Today being palm Sunday I have taken some effort to go to church. So got ready and packed my camera and set for st.pauls cathedral, didn't want to go anything smaller than the cathedral itself as it's my first visit to a church in london. I reached there as per plan twelve o'clock noon. There was supposed to be one service that time. But I saw the ending of the previous mass only. The cathedral was humongous, and that's where all the royal ceremonies including prince Charles's both wedding and everything happened. The church had huge wind pipes for the piano that too sterio both sides of the church had different set of vents and all. I don't know how it works but it was really amazing to hear to the music it produced.

After collecting palm I stepped out thinking about taking some pics. But unfortunately I realized that I have left the memory card at home. I was really pissed not only because of not able to take pics but also for the weight of unusable equipment I need to carry all the way.

Later I thought I would catch a movie at leciester square odeon. But both the movies I wanted to see were not running anywhere near. I wanted to see shutter island or up in the air. But I managed to see paparazzi waiting at the theatre for some celebs. It was an interesting scene. Around ten photographers with one or more high end cameras and power pack and flashes etc. They took snaps of some people I didn't recognise. First time seeing flood of flash lights like that :)

After that I walked towards Soho thinking to see some babes from any of the clubs there. Unfortunately that also siding materialize, either I didn't know where to go or I was just unlucky again. So I ended up again in oxford street. Till now have been looking for a shoe and didn't get lucky. I have a weird shaped feet which doesn't fit into any of the plimsole shoes I want to buy. I am so damn tired and sipping a coffee inside debenhams now. Will leave soon to home but only after a margarita!

Cheers

Sent from my iPhone

Blogging from phone experience...

Ok so you might have understood that I have got a high end phone which makes me blog on the go. :) yes it's pretty cool.

Life in London seems to be boring so far. My idea was to have fun as far as I can. Now my stay here became uncertain. Thanks to the clients idea of opening their office in India and send me there. I am actually not mad about that if I get atleast three months here. I just want to see some places here. My agenda of being here ends by that.

I will keep you posted

Sent from my iPhone

Impressing ourself...

Have you realized most of the time you are trying hard to impress no one but yourself. That is this part which takes the most effort. Because the mind of our own, set a difficult benchmark for yourself most of the time. This may sound as crazy as it sounds. But let me tell you one thing, haven't you heard an inner voice which keep saying (in my case) I should have behaved better, I was wrong, I need to improve etc etc. You may try to reflect this voice and fail that's when (in Green day's opinion) your mind breaks the spirit of our soul. Yes this is a very voluntary activity. But i happen to participate this breaking part most of the time.

This is a nice song; thought i would share it... it reflects my mind right now (please don't mistake it with love, but yes its about expectations in my case)

21 Guns by Green Day

Do you know what's worth fighting for?
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?

Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I

When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul

Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I

Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I

Ring out the old, Ring in the new - Happy New Year 2010

"Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth. "
-Martin Luther

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.

A part of history ...

Its been a while long I wrote something here. I have been listening to some old rock songs and reading some history. I got interested in Deep Purple, Def Leppard and AC/DC songs these days. I have been reading and watching movies about world war two also.

The things which were happening there in Europe were of humongous magnitude, of extreme power. I know the things happened were sickening too (about 6 million Jews were killed in holocaust - apart from the war causalities). But I was thrilled by the display of power. One mad man decided to take control of the whole world with his political propaganda and he almost achieved it. But his plans were failed when the USA (the world's largest financial and industrial power), the Great Britain (the largest colonial power) and Russia (the largest army in the world) joined against Germany. Were you aware that Subhash Chandra Bose tried to ally with Japan against Britain. I saw this picture Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise, its about a German army officer Stauffenberg who wanted to kill Hitler to stop the war. Inglorious Bastards starring Brad Pitt was kind off funny, in the movie they show Hitler to be murdered. When you read about more characters other than Hitler who were behind the holocaust it becomes more interesting and at the same time sickening. Like Heinrich Himmler the second in command and the head of SS and the architect of the Holocaust. Himmler coordinated the killing of some six million Jews, between 200,000 and 500,000 Roma, many prisoners of war, and possibly another three to four million Poles, communists, or other groups whom the Nazis deemed unworthy to live or simply "in the way", including homosexuals, people with physical and mental disabilities, and members of the Confessing Church.Another one is Joseph Mengele the angel of death who conducted research on the victims in concentration camps. He is famous for his researches on identical twins. He died in Brazil and was never captured. He used to do surgeries without anesthetic and even tried to stitch two twins together. According to a website, "Once Mengele's assistant rounded up 14 pairs of Roma twins during the night. Mengele placed them on his polished marble dissection table and put them to sleep. He then injected chloroform into their hearts, killing them instantly. Mengele then began dissecting and meticulously noting each and every piece of the twins' bodies." I have visited the National Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, and its again sickening. They have collection of the slippers, personal items from the concentration camps. They have videos from concentration camps. The museum itself is done in a dark theme and by the end of it you will really feel happy for not being a part of the dark chapter of history.

Adolf Hitler was treated like a God in Gemany and by Germans - He was indeed godlike, all the power was concentrated on one man and his associates. If some one could kill him, him alone the WW2 could have been stopped. Just what Stauffenberg tried and failed.