Version Of Truth

Running has many advantages but who cares of advantages when you start enjoying it. Talking about advantages of running long race: good for health and requires attitude not to give up - keep running & running and you will hit finish line.

I ran Dilworth 8Km race on Aug 9th. I have never been a runner; didn’t even qualify for any running competition in school.  I wanted to give it a try; I knew it will not kill me and if I can be consistent and continue running for an hour, I will definately hit the Finish line. I ran non-stop for 53 minutes; considering it was my first race, I am impressed with myself.

In Picture: Running buddies - Alan, Connie, Satish, Damien, Matt, Raj(me). After race we went to pancake house to enjoy our well deserved pancakes.

End result: A winning feeling and little pain in shin - result of using cross training shoes(not running shoes) and lack of practice. I will have to take rest for atleast a week before I start running again - practice for Aug 23rd Greek Festival 5K.

I played a cricket match last week - after a long long time. Match was between bofa crmservices(my team) vs TCS. Most of the player in CRM Services were from Senior Management and guys who have never played cricket. On the other side were TCS guys - a team with all Indian players who grew up playing cricket.

It was a friendly match with surprising result - TCS lost and CRM services won the game. Most of the players in my team were playing for the first time, learning rules while playing but on field showed amazing performance. Few baseball players hit six runs - hitting ball out of the boundary.

My contribution: I did not contribute many runs from bat but did good as a wicket keeper. I have received many recognitions for work but this time it was for playing cricket. Boss of my boss of my boss of my boss  recognized my contribution in monthly newsletter. He was playing his first cricket match. I was surprised that he already knew rules and did great while bowling. Few lines from CRMS newsletter:

“First I would like to highlight and commend our Keeper, Rajesh Kumar. The job of the Keeper is stand behind the stumps, these are three sticks that are pounded into the ground behind the batter whose job is to prevent ball from hitting the stumps, and keep the ball from escaping further into the pitch preventing the batsman from being able to score a run without hitting the ball. Not only did Rajesh perform his duties expertly, he did with such intensity and vigor that he raised the spirits of the entire team.”

Playing cricket is fun, winning is amazing and getting recognition from top boss for raising spirits of team - priceless - or may be price to be received in future!

I enjoy driving fast, I like going fastest. Sometimes, I wonder why people drive in fastest lane if they are driving at only 89 miles/hour(in 65 miles/hour zone). If my car is tailing your car, it means you are supposed to leave the fastest lane. All this is going to change for me now.

Today, cop stopped me for speeding. I was driving in Charlotte on I-85 at 83 miles/hour in 65 miles/hour zone. I was lucky, I was driving only at 83 miles/hour and unlucky that cop saw me. Like a good law abiding resident I stopped my car talked to him confidently and politely;  he asked my license and registration and came back telling me he had given me 3 points and $150 fine.

Cop: You can take a 4 hour safe driving class to avoid points as points can take your insrance up.
Raj: I think I will take a class to avoid any further increase in my insurance( I am already paying about $1000/6 months).
Cop: That will be good option for you, Sir. I have written your speed only 80 miles/hour so you get option of cancelling points by taking class.
Raj: I appreciate it.

Cop’s final words: “I like your car”. I replied “Thank You”.  I hope my BMW will not attract his attention again

High oil prices may not be as bad as it looks for developed countries. Here are few advantages of high oil prices:

1. People will start using less oil, which means oil will last longer and probably to next generation.

2. Invention of cars that will consume less oil and more research on alternative fuel.

3. Oil price is same for all countries not producing oil. It will be easier for US to handle oil price but in countries like China and India, it will become less affordable. Eventually, China and India will loose price advantage - which will bring jobs back to US.

4. This schenario will make dollar weak against Euro and middle east countries but it will get stronger against Indian and Chinese currencies. China is major exporter to US and keeps steady rate of their currency aginst US dollar, this will hurt them more. Weak dollar against Euro can help US can sell products like i-phone, fighter planes and other machineries.

There is a possibility of getting a positive outcome of high oil price issue - may be its good for future generations or may be not.

“In future software programmers will be considered as sexiest men” - Scott Adams

Saving software application could be as adventorous as fighting a war, doing a surgery or saving a life. It depends how much passion you put into it.  When application is down you throw ideas, think what could have brought it down, brain storm and save it. It can be more adventorous than winning a basket ball championship - with a difference in basket ball fans watching understand the game.

I was involved in a release today to upgrade database: Oracle 9i to Oracle 10g. More than 50 applications depend on the database, more than 15 teams and more than 50 programmers/managers were involved in the release. Everyone finished verification except for 2 applications. We had to work till late Saturday night and because of delay we are supposed to meet tomorrow morning. It is a team task - everyone succeeds of fails together. In the programming world a small weak link can cause application downtime and if it happens during work time - loss of hundreds of work hours - depending on impact.

Ofcourse all programmers are not equally good; like few surgeons are better than others; like few players are stars and only few soldiers win awards. And, thats what makes it exiting. 

Today I found a new running trail. It starts at a Park at Mallard Church Creek. It is a beautiful trail surrounded by trees - goes below Mallard Church Creek Road, North Tryon and I-85. I don’t know how long is the trail and where it ends.

It was a surprise as I never knew running trails like that exist. I searched google and found there are few running routes in charlotte with hills. I was not much into running but I am sure going to enjoy running around curly paths and green trees.

***************
Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.

***************

See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!

***************

Come, gentle night, come, loving, black-brow’d night,
Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night

***************

For never was a story of more woe,
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Ideas do not have copy right but their implementation may have copy right. My friend Ashutosh launched finerIndia.com - a website to help poor victims who are not influential enough to get their complaints filed to police. Yes, sometimes police will not register complains to show good numbers in their report. Less crime reports registered, less crime - in theory. Moved by few such incidents my friend launched website to help people and may be to make some money through ads. 2 weeks later India’s first woman police commisonor and social worker Kiran Bedi also launched similar website saferIndia.com.

http://www.india-server.com/news/iit-techie-levels-charge-against-kiran-1062.html

It looks just a coincidence and copy right law does not apply as implementations differ. The only thing, my friend Ashutosh could do is to send legal notice asking her to remove certain text that indicate her team was first to launch website with that idea. He also invited a press conference after sending legal notice - may be he will get some hits and publicity. In long run best implementation will win.

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

An arranged marriage is a marriage arranged by someone other than the persons getting married, thus skipping the process of dating. Traditionally couple will not even see each other before marriage. However, more common form of arrange marriage is meeting person once or twice in presence of family members before deciding to marry.

Usually parents, family friends or marriage bureau will arrange for girl and boy to meet. They meet, they talk and if they like each other; parents will finalize the marriage. Both boy and girl have say if they want to marry the other person. Your parents helped you to walk, helped you to talk, they taught you to live in this world. Here, they also have help you finding a best friend - a friend for life. One of my best friends met this girl - as soon as he saw her he knew that she is the one. They talked for an hour, next day met again for 2 hours, agreed to the marriage and got married after six months. One of my other friends had few doubts, he was thinking he can get a better girl; he discussed with friends and parents and said yes for the marriage. But as soon as he got engaged - he knew its forever and was in love. More than three years of marriage and he is still in love!

The boy and girl know they are going to spend their life with each other, they know that their better half will have have good and bad side, they accept the person for what he or she is. It is meant to last for life; she is going to be the best friend; she will bind families together. she will love me always; I will trust her more than myself and I will take care of her all my life. Here, first love is last love and last love is first love. It is an ocean - ocean of love & friendship for life. You are two bodies and one soul. And thats the definition of marriage.
she is the sun thats shines in my heart,
she is the moon of my eyes,
she is air that I breathe,
she is blood that runs in my veins,
she is my life, she is my soul.

Arrange marriage are known to be more successful and long lasting than the marriages through long term relationship & dating. As in arrange marriage people easily accept flaws of other person; no one changes as you didn’t knew them before marriage; all the people around you support it - including your parents.

Love is un-separable bond : a bond thats above religion, above nationality and above death. And for this reason marriages were used to make allies - to make that bond un-separable. One king will marry girl from the other kingdom so that they are allies and help each other common enemies. Mugals in India used Hindu-Muslim marriages to strengthen ties with the Hindu Kings. Alexander the great encouraged Indian-Greek marriages to support his army fusion strategy - once he wins any province - he will make them friends and will include their army into his army.

Marriage is an emotional, sexual and spiritual bond. Natural tendency towards worldly benefits and fear of it not working stops people`to develop that deep spiritual and emotional bond. Love and doubt do not exist together.
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
Trust is the base of any relationship which works good in arranged marriage society. Irrespective of the process of marriage; if couple can forget the fear of it not working and develop an unconditional love - it will be forever. It is not easy to commit your life to someone you barely know. I met few girls but I couldn’t do it. I don’t know if I will go with arrange marriage or not; but that doesn’t stop me appreciating its beauty.

Arrange marriage may always not work good. William Shakespear is said to be forced into marriage with a girl 8 years older than him. It is believed that couple were not happy in the marriage. He believed in love and love was marriage for him. Shakespeare writes in “As Your Like It”:
No sooner met but they looked;
No sooner looked but they loved;
No sooner loved but they sighed;
No sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason;
No sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy;
And in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage…

It is interesting to see how people find versionoftruth.com. Recently, few guys hit versionoftruth.com searching for something romantic - search phrases include:

1. sweet smile compliment
2. sweet word compliment quote
3. describing moon’s beauty
4. shayaris on beauty of a girl
5. shayaries describing her beauty
6. translations+compliments to girls
7. “you have a beautiful smile”