La vita Italiana

Dont know how living life in Italy is...but seeing sites is indeed beautiful...



Algero Italy sunset

A place of olive oil, pasta, wine, mafia and sunshine, roman ruins and renaissance palaces, Italy has a lot to give its tourists. Undoubtedly Venice and Rome..



Leaning tower of Piza..one of the wonders of the world...

Italy today has been the cradle of European cultures and peoples, such as the Etruscans and the Romans.

Italy's capital, Rome, was for centuries the political centre of Western civilisation, as the capital of the Roman Empire.



Floors



Milan central rlwy station Roman Architecture

The city of Venice in Italy has played an important role in the development of the music of Italy. Venice is like no other city in the world. ..



Foggy morning..

Established more than 1,000 years ago by seafarers and Roman refugees, this magnificent city continues to be the heart of Italian culture as well as a mecca for hopeless romantics.

Venice, named in honour of goddess Venus is a city in northern Italy, Small canals replacing streets and boats replacing "cars" :)


The city stretches across 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy.



San zaccaria venice Italy


There are also Islands like, "Island of the Dead" - the cemetery island in Venice..
Burano island-where the govt. decides what colour each house should be.

You will find here, blue lagoon, cool breeze and warm sunshine which will keep your spirits high :)



Transportation within the city remains, as it was in centuries past, entirely on water or on foot. Wonder that no cycles even :)





One of the many natural springs in Venice (centuries old) which provides safe drinking water free of cost.



The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wood piles. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings.



Europeans all over seem to be obsessed with decorating their windows and growing plants- though it can be done only for 7 months in a year.






The city of Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber river within the Lazio region of Italy.




Two long, curving colonnades adorning the huge square in front of St.Peter's-- a design that symbolizes the arms of the Roman Catholic Church reaching out to embrace all who turn to christianity!!!



At the center of the church a canopy of gilded bronze, resting atop 66-foot-high spiraling columns, shelters the high altar where only the Pope can celebrate mass





With structures like this, it is no wonder that the Vatican is a world heritage site.


"Time Tested" Colosseum that stands tall despite damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers



It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible

The colloseum is still highly regarded for its efficient earthquake engineering.




View of the palentine hill- one of the 7 hills on which rome was founded

Here again- narrow lanes with huge structures-but more regal and well maintained than in venice

Unlike venice- maps are of great help at Rome



Vatican...

Column of Marcus Aurelius - marble column with pictoric inscriptions of story of King Marcus. Was hard to believe this column has a stairway inside..



Temples of Gods of Rome are now churches…




A traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome.An estimated 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day.

The Tiber River on whose banks ancient rome was founded.



With its striking beauty and height which dwarfs all others in Rome, it is considered by the majority to be a misfit in Rome! monument in memorial of the first king of a unified italy.

IPL Saga....

The IT jokers now raid all the corporates. The jokers needed bed-tea, some Tharoor- Modi scandal to wake them up? Where they were for all these years, letting the muck build up! True Payal....

It was an open secret that there was betting, and many things fishy in IPL right from year one, but it was indeed a blockbuster, filled with action, comedy, tragedy, glamour, money, life, health...Bollywood, industrialists, politicians sportsmen and may be underworld dons from not only India but across the world merged here...

It was Modis determination and Vision, that brought brand IPL to such great heights of success, and IPL has indeed turned out to be a successful product loved by millions....modern version of horse races, and auctions...And now here he is being made the Bakra....????? Will the real culprits ever be brought to the forefront?

Well what is IPL?? Indian Peoples League? Indian Paisa League? Indian Political League?

Blessing in Disguise?

Here is something I read and felt interesting, I m surprised they have not been fined by one of our [pcc] councils for burning without prior consent.
What I can see is definitely true is the extraordinary power of a single volcano to change our lives. A century of planes criss-crossing the skies, cars belching out fumes, and power stations burning fossil fuels, haven’t had a fraction of the effect on our atmosphere as a single week’s output from Eyjafjallajokull.


Now, that’s not an argument for saying we shouldn’t be careful with our environment. It is one for saying that, however profligate we are, our efforts are nothing compared to Mother Nature in an aggressive mood.
When will the Iceland volcano eruption April 2010 stop – Back in the 1800’s when Eyjafjallajkoll erupted, it erupted for fourteen months. Yes, 14 months. Experts don’t think the volcanic activity will continue that long, although there’s been no announcement over when it will end.

What are the names of some of the other Iceland volcanoes? Katla is a big name. Every time that Eyjafjallajkoll has erupted, it’s set off Katla, which is dubbed “angry sister” by the locals.


In addition, the name of Eyjafjallajkoll has been shortened to “E-15” by some individuals which is a much easier pronounciation.

The going has been tough for thousands of air travellers stranded at Delhi and Mumbai after volcanic ash from Iceland disrupted air traffic for six days with some struggling to report back to work and some postponing their dream holidays to Europe.


Though flights to the US and Canada have resumed, a large number of passengers were waiting eagerly for opening of European airports and resumption of flights. ..And some could afford, the train journey...which could take them through places...

Mathew uncle and Aunty on their way to meet Santhosh in US, was stuck in Mumbai, near John. Our Client in Dubai on her way to Europe..

People travelled even from Dubai to Europe on a train, through various coutries and beautiful sites...Risk is like eating rusk for some, Pressure is pleasure.....


What was in my mind is...Mother Nature....bow to thee....Nothing more powerful...Fire or water???

Fatima Bhutto's book Songs of Blood and Sword

Power games within the Bhutto family are becoming a major story worldwide. And this story is in limelight again, with the book Songs of Blood and Sword by Fatima Bhutto.

I have always admired Benazir Butto, and I see something similar in Fatima Bhutto too…



Fatima, a poet and a writer, came to fame after the appearance of her first book, a collection of poems, titled Whispers of the Desert. She received notable coverage for her second book, 8:50 a.m. about Major Earthquake in Islamabad. It is said that she writes with her tears, but with courage..

Fatima spoke fondly of her aunt Benazir Bhutto during her talk at the Literary Festival, recounting how she had known Benazir through a very difficult time in her life, on 25th Jan 2008 when in India.

This week sees the launch of Fatima Bhutto's book Songs of Blood and Sword, which seems to reveal the inside story of the assassination of Murtaza Bhutto, the deep divisions between the Bhutto family.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party, served as president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and as prime minister from 1973 to 1977. On March 18, 1978, Bhutto was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Bhutto did not seek an appeal. On March 24, 1979 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. Zia upheld the death sentence. Bhutto was hanged at Adiyala Jail,Rawalpindi. On 4 April, 1979 at 2.04am PST; that was this day in History…
He had three children, Benazir, elder daughter and two sons Murtaza and Shahnawaz.

Shahnawaz was murder in 1986. As Fatima Bhuttos, father was arrested and jailed in 1993, she asked her aunt, who at that time had protested her innocence to come and visit him, and she told her that she would arrange something. But then she said: I am sorry, I can't come and visit Mir with you in jail because I haven't been able to get permission from the jail superintendent.


Benazir Butto born on 21 June 1953 was well educated from Pakistan, US, and UK, charismatic, and diplomatic. She was sworn in as Prime Minister for the first time in 1988 at the age of 35, but was removed from office 20 months later. In 1993 she was re-elected but was again removed in 1996. She went into self-imposed exile in Dubai in 1998.


Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October 2007, and was assassinated on 27 December 2007, after departing a PPP rally in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, two weeks before the scheduled Pakistani general election of 2008 Bhutto was well aware of the risk to her own life that might result from her return from exile to campaign for the leadership position. She even said in an interview, that anybody would die when it is time.

The people behind are not identified, but the ultimate beneficiary is Asif Ali Zardari..

To the author, on Benazir’s death, in her words ‘All of a sudden, she stopped being the political opponent of recent times and went back to being the Wadi Bua of my childhood games, when I was five and she was thirty-five. They tell me she was killed by a bullet in the neck. Just like my father Murtaza, her brother. I've sort of suspended judgment. I've stopped accusing her of complicity in his murder in 1996. That was Benazir when she was alive: the bad aunt, the corrupt, unscrupulous feudal leader who stripped us of everything out of sheer lust for power. Now she is Wadi Bua again: my flesh and blood, another murdered member of the family, all to be mourned together -- without distinction."

It's very complicated. I can't think of her except as the two sides. I can't see her alone as one. While she was out of power, she was a woman who faced great suffering, who was incredibly vulnerable and brave. But, on the other hand, when she was in power, she inflicted much of the suffering that she endured on thousands of people.

I think Benazir was a very complex person to me. There was also a time when she was my favourite aunt. She was a very complex person but I think, in answer to your question, perhaps this is the nature of the beast. I think power is an overwhelming, transformative, and very often, a destructive force. And Benazir was not immune to its power.

This is a story of a famous, royal family, but there are similar stories, in many places many countries, the severity,rumour and outcome varies...

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, Indeed Violence bigots Violence and infliction of death in turn leads to deaths door…
Death is common to all, and nothing lasts for ever…….Just the way differs......Everything is planned??

Top of hill, full of Thrill

Its wild, its wet, it’s the best…Its here, nature, art and technology merge…You can have top thrill on hill top, with a beautiful view around...



Nestling against a verdant hillside just 15 kms from Cochin city center, at Kakkanad Pallikara Road, Pallikara, Kerala‎ - 0484 2684001‎ here one can have a full day of fun and frolic for the family. ...

and friends...



Featuring a variety of entertainment options such as wet rides, dry rides, adventure rides, kids' rides, laser shows, musical fountains, virtual reality theater, food courts and restaurants, Veega Land has something for every one, young or old.




You can find here the Kuttoosan Dagini story from the Balarama in action:



And you will always have people to guide you, and take you through, to make you think...if you want..





Once you have fun and is tired going through all the dry rides, you can take a dip and start enjoying the waterbased rides:





Veegaland is a purely hygienic place, well maintained, but beware of your dresses, some paparazzi might be taking videos/pics, and you will find them in you tube…



You can carry mementos and cherish the day you have spend here..



A decade before, I worked here, at the time of its inauguration, so this year, in fact March it celebrated its 10th Anniversary..I feel really happy and priviliged of having had the opportunity of working here, it was a dream come true...And even after that, had visited Veegaland a number of times, with family, friends, and colleagues of the offices I have worked after that...



The music still lingers...

Thanks to Kochouseph Chittilappillys vision, mission and action, the excellent team, especially Jayaraj Sir, Ravikumar sir, GeorgeKutty,...and ex colleagues like Vijay, Jacob Sir...I miss my colleagues there...Sandhya, Ranjani, Santhi, Rasal, Ratish, Jojo, Manojs were so many, Saneesh, Manjusha, and the list continues.......

ICAI Logo..

Having been together just for two years, soon after our tenth, we My friend Geetha and myself, had made some decisions, which determined our destiny....
Since then, we had always been seeing this logo of the institute:
The logo of an organization packs in both heritage and brand DNA.

Nestle’s ’small nest’ bird family has stood for baby food, milk and milk products for the past nearly 100 years.

Chennai-based chartered accountant CS Shastri, a devotee of Sri Aurobindo and a Council member of the ICAI, sought his advice on a symbol that would capture the spirit and intent of the newly formed organization. According to Prasanta Mukherjee, who wrote about the history of the organisation’s emblem in `The Chartered Accountant’ “Sri Aurobindo gave CS Shastri the emblem with a Garuda in the center and a quotation from the Kathopanishad: Ya esa suptesu jagarti, One who is awake amongst those who are asleep.” This logo was finally selected amongst all the suggestions which were received.

The choice of Garuda as a mascot was an interesting one. The Garuda packs in strong symbolism as the Vahana of Lord Vishnu. He flies faster than thought and destroys the Nagas and Serpents. Sri Krishna, in the Gita, in the verse 10.30 says:
“Vainateyashcha Pakshinam” (I am Garuda, the son of Vinata, among the birds.)
The connection between Garuda and the Nagas is crucial to the philosophy of the logo for the newly founded organization. As Sri Aurobindo once described the connection between Garuda and Nagas thus, “….the winged Garuda revered to be the upbearer of divinity, who opens his vans to the sunlight and soars to the highest seat of Vishnu,” is also the eternal destroyer of the Nagas and “the Naga is the symbol of the mysterious earth-bound force in man.” The emblem was placed and adopted at the first meeting of the Council of the Institute in New Delhi on August 15, 1949


From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and the Brahminy kite is considered to be the contemporary representation of Garuda.
Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun.

Other nations adopt a more stylistic approach to the Garuda's depiction, where it depicts an eagle (being much larger than a kite)
The eagle is the symbol for quiet power and scope. We must open our lenses, like the eagle, to see the forest and the trees, and to spot opportunities to create synergy by joining individual parts of our lives to make a greater, more dynamic whole person-a person who understands the meaning of team and time.
Team work, is like running a relay race. What is needed is supporting each other achieve our collective deadlines. Work together under difficult circumstances to ensure we have collective success.

Whatever we do, we must remember our aim at every moment. If you dream to fly with eagles, don't waste time in swimming with the ducks...

Ah….Finally An Idiot Box…..

True, as said, I too agree, but also disagree, that TV is an Idiot box.. If the TV is used right, it can be a great source of relaxation and better yet, education. But with anything, moderation is the key.

One could just plop down in front of it and there is no interaction--anyone, could watch it.

I was sad, that the person who promised to give me TV just disappeared into thin air, not because, I did not get the TV, but because of the loss of trust, and here was another friend of mine, my Saroo...who gifted me this...Because of my sorrow??

Doordarshan, though the national channel, is the nick name for television in India…

Here goes the history by which it was introduced world wide...



1930 to 1939 : Red
1940 to 1949 : Light Red
1950 to 1959 : Orange
1960 to 1969 : Yellow
1970 to 1979 : Light Green
1980 to 1989 : Green
1990 to 1999 : Dark Green
No data



The first time images were transmitted electrically via early mechanical fax machines, including the pantelegraph, developed in the late 1800s. The concept of electrically-powered transmission of television images in motion, was first sketched in 1878 as the telephonoscope, shortly after the invention of the telephone. At the time, it was imagined by early science fiction authors, that someday that light could be transmitted over wires, as sounds were.

The idea of using scanning to transmit images was put to actual practical use in 1881 in the pantelegraph, through the use of a pendulum-based scanning mechanism. From this period forward, scanning in one form or another, has been used in nearly every image transmission technology to date, including television. This is the concept of "rasterization", the process of converting a visual image into a stream of electrical pulses.

In 1884 Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, a 23-year old university student in Germany, patented the first electromechanical television system which employed a scanning disk, a spinning disk with a series of holes spiraling toward the center, for rasterization. The holes were spaced at equal angular intervals such that in a single rotation the disk would allow light to pass through each hole and onto a light-sensitive selenium sensor which produced the electrical pulses. As an image was focused on the rotating disk, each hole captured a horizontal "slice" of the whole image.

And here goes the latest ones:



Lovely



Enchanting



Gorgeous

So which one is your favourate?


A teacher from Primary School asks her students to write an essay about
what they would like God to do for them...

At the end of the day, while marking the essays, she read one that made her very emotional.

Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her:- 'What happened?' *
*She answered- 'Read this. It is one of my students' essay.'

**'Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a television. I want to take its place and live like the TV in my house. Have my own special place, And have my family around ME. To be taken seriously when I talk.... I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives even when it is not working.
Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me...
And... I want my brothers to fight to be with me... I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me.
And last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain> them...
Lord I don't ask you for much... I just want to live like a TV.' **

At that moment the husband said: - 'My God, poor kid. What horrible parents!'

The wife looked up at him and said:- 'That essay is our son's !!!*