My laptop has an internal mic. I never knew this. Maybe all laptops have them.... Wow!! This is how I happened to discover it.
My guitar has been out of tuning for months. A long time I downloaded this software, AP Guitar Tuner. Well, I thought I couldn't use it unless I get a mic or a pick-up socket (whatever-that-is-called).
Last night while playing some music on my laptop, I just happened to start up the software and I saw that the meter display fluctuated in tune with the music. Next, I turned off winamp and tapped around, whistled in a high-pitch and generally shouted and the tuner picked up these sounds as well. Wow!!! Then, I fired up the measly Sound Recorder that ships with Win2K and recorded my voice... Cool stuff.

By the way, the tuner is a great way to tune your guitar. Atleast it is for less endowed people like me. I could never for my life tune my guitar.. Damn! Got to learn that someday...

And this is my guitar...



My guitar

It was the first ever time I entered an airplane. I was 24 years, 12 days old when I did that. The evening was on the 22nd of November, 2004. An interview for an Italian visa awaited me in Mumbai the next day. I was flying from Bangalore, with a colleague. I didn't know how the whole thing would turn out, but I had heard enough stories of people scared to fly. I was prepared for the worst. Our hostesses were always smiling and each one of them made it a point to wish every passenger. Must be such a taxing job to keep that smile on.

At 08:45 in the night, the plane began to taxi down to the runaway. I was at the window and a little behind the wing. It was an awesome sight to see such a huge contraption moving. The plane aligned to the runway and then the engines began to cycle up. Suddenly the plane was hurtling down the runway, the marker lights flashing by. In a few seconds, the plane lifted up gently and the land was falling away. Very soon, all I could see where groups of lights, creating a humungous geometrical pattern. If only photography had been allowed. It is such a shame to not let people capture such a glorious view.

Finally the plane levelled out. By then, the land beneath looked a glittering jewel with narrow designs cut into it. The navigator anounced that we were 36000 feet(I think) above sea level. Wow! Sadly, the cabin lights were switched on and I had to cup my hands over the window to see the sight below. Around 10:15, we were nearing Mumbai. The plane made a wide arc to prepare for landing. It was such a graceful move. The wing gradually lifts up and then the plane turns away. To imagine such a mammoth doing this would have been incredible, to see it being so delicate like a ballerina, was unimaginable.

Mumbai was an astonishing sight from the plane. I cannot find the words to describe what I saw. Shimmering lights arranged in some unnaturally beautiful pattern. The water bodies creating lovely patterns among the lights. Gosh, it was out of the world. Again, i cursed the government for not allowing photography. And then we were rushing down towards the earth. The buildings became distinctly visible and highlighting the speed we were travelling at. Landing was not as discreet as the take-off. I could feel the tires banging down on the ground beneath. So that was my first plane ride and I felt wonderful.

I thought,then,that a day flight would not be as interesting as a night one. But the next day, I was proved wrong. When we left Mumbai, the next afternoon at 4:00 PM, I could see a translucent, dark layer covering the whole city as if to hide the hidden treasures beneath us. We were up and flying away from the ground. I saw a gorgeous plateau (the deccan plateau, I guess) stretched out below. I had seen such photographs on National Geographic. To see them live was too good to be true. I never thought India had so much of uninhabited (well almost) terrain.

Looking down it appeared as if the plane weren't moving at all, inspite of the ground speed of 830-odd kmph (800 kmph, can you believe that) the pilot announced. I felt like we were hanging there mid-air tied to some supernatural rope. And the sky looked so pretty. Yes, pretty is the best word I can find to describe it. Directly below, there was a layer of glass-like cover with fluffy clouds floating around like icecream on a transparent plate. This layer met the sky at a point that was blindingly bright white. And from there the sky's colour was a gradient. First, the lightest green-blue I have ever seen. Next, true sky blue and later a deep bright blue. Like a fading bindi on a woman's foreahead, a half moon hung a little way up in the sky. Pretty. The clouds below us then were the fluffiest you could ever imagine. From up there, they looked like snow capped mountains. We were near Bangalore and the plane gradually started to lower. We cut through the clouds slowly, very slowly. I kept thinking that we were going to slice the cloud mountains into a million pieces. For a few moments we were completely wrapped by the clouds. I could see nothing out the window, and wondered how the pilot knew where he was going. And then I was back on earth.

Only one thought lingered. If a mere plane ride were so very beautiful, how would it feel to be out there in outer space peeping out of a port-hole at the blue earth suspended to nothing?

...in this world. Life has been good. No actual complaints, though I keep grumbling about things. There have been troubles and worries, but an equal measure of good things to balance the bad out. I am contended, though I might speak otherwise.

Where am I going? I don't know. Nobody knows for sure. The future is what will happen and it will be what will happen. Is there a schedule for things to happen? Is whatever happens and whatever is to happen, already put down on paper like in a movie script? I do not know. I do not know if anybody else knows.

Long days and lovely nights, Sais.

Had some time to utilise and here's what I produced. Dunno if this is relevant everywhere though...

1) Every announced increase in compensation has an opposite, negating correction in the form of restructuring, realigning and other miscellaneous tools of deception. The correction will either nullify the increase or induce a decrease as dictated by the whims of higher management.

2) As a direct consequence of the first law, the salary drawn remains a constant throughout, even with varying factors of inflation, job levels and years in work.

3) Change is the only constant. And change always aims to demoralise and underpay the consultants.

Yeah, yeah. I can hear you say - "What crap!"