Gifted

The pre-monsoon relief brings the woollens out.

"Where'd you get the sweater from?", Lucky Cash asks. "Gift", D replies and immediately boards a train of thought. He hears her say "Ah, gift items" in an affected local accent which may as well have been an anouncer at the railway station.

He thinks of the time he received the sweater at the Lakeside Cafe. Inanities for conversation, steering away from anything of consequence. And how they haven't called or emailed each other since.

D thinks of her from halfway across the world whenever he digs it out of his closet. It's his favourite sweater.

Fat Duck

Lunch at the world's best restaurant

via Rediff and The Fat Duck

Xboxing

So Aleph, Abu, Dilettante and I were invited to a market research party, of sorts, where we had to play the Xbox 360 and provide meaningful feedback. Much fun was had but the general opinion was that the hardware is too expensive (Rs. 20,000 odd for the base version), there are too few games (which are also expensive at Rs. 1500 a pop), the controllers are way complicated and, as would be par for course for a Microsoft product, it hangs. That said, the game play does look good, the wireless controllers are a neat touch and Xbox Live can be a killer differentiator. Hopefully better sense will prevail and they won't use the brand ambassador they've chosen.

Oh, and they had a wicked good mango cheesecake for tea.

Bonus Video:

Update:

So you can now pre-order an Xbox. Woot! Woot!

Go here, so to do.

Xbox India Home.

Auto Fare

And you thought getting an auto was the difficult part!


As seen at the MG Road Prepaid Auto Stand, opposite Cauvery.

2nd Attempt

Money back too!

Gulp!

I thought I’d seen it all. Then I saw this:

...while killing time looking at my Google Search History. Please don't even begin to asl why or how the 8th query is related to my searches. I'm far more worried it's gaining on me. And of course, I had to click on it...

Which took me to this blogpost. And my jaw dropped when I saw the number of comments (1181 at last count.) And then hit the floor when I read the 1181 comments.

The post referenced this article.

fiorano ristorante

After a series of comments exchanged on this post, BB and I met Cheesemaker at fiorano for coffee. Then we saw the new menu and improved prices.

Decided to eat dinner there.

The food was excellent. The service was pleasant, notwithstanding the fact we were with the restaurant's cheesemaker and one of it's (the restaurant, not the cheesemaker) partners. And the dessert was outbloodystanding!

Former Chef Max Orlati managed to build a bit of a brand for himself but sadly also some "house rules" which annoyed many people; I'm still working on Mr. D to go back there.

The new chef is Bijendra Rawat, formerly of The Park.hotel's itALIA and Delhi's The Imperial Hotel's San Gimignano; so the pedigree is all in place.

Cheesemaker had a Penne something, BB a Carbonara (spellcheck done) and I a Pizza. I was extremely happy with my pizza and BB was too with his carbonara. The tiramisu was great and the mango cheescake, I repeat myself, outstanding.

Pictures and real review when we go there the next time.

Oh, dinner for 3 people without wine was Rs. 1100. Good, yes?

Is That Premji?

For all the geeks who read this blog (Yes, the both of you!), does that look like Azim Premji in the picture? Damn, on the masthead of scripting.com too! Indian IT has made it, I tell you!

If you've ever used an RSS feed, Dave Winer, who run scripting.com, is to thank.

Update: Dave says, "Yes, a little story. He was one of the speakers at the Future In Review conference that I also spoke at, earlier this week." And a bigger picture is available here.

Welcome Paz! (and Madjos too..)

Paz is blogging too! And regularly at that. Drop by and say hello. It's a far more intimate and personal blog, meandmyquirks, than ours ever will be. And has comments too!


Hat tip to Chamique for the picture taken at Stones.

P.S. You might want to visit madjosland, even if there is only a solitary post.

Chemical Warfare

As seen at the Bangalore Airport. They successfully managed to drive most of the bipeds out of the area. Pity the same couldn't be said of the Arthropods. They should hand-out gas masks along with boarding passes.

Make money at home! (Credit card number required for verification)

So I'm at home, unemployed, wondering what to do with my time (watching cloud patterns does occupy most of the day, I admit) but one needs money to feed one's soul, no?

Will keep you posted as to how this works out.

India's Robotic Army

Funny to see how the thread degenerates. Fast. Pakistan, China, SC/ST, OBC, Call Centres and more...!

"India Announces Plans To Develop Robot Army" @ Engadget

and

"India Announces Plans To Develop Robot Army" @ Digg

Where Is This?

This picture was taken in Bangalore. First one to identify the location can claim a free cup of coffee. Chamique is excused from the game.

Opal, Hutch, Ice & Gated Colonies

The cost of plagiarism is that bootleg copies look worse!


Seen at the Hutch Shop. Very well done!



Summer too hot? Tandoor has the cure. Iced urinals!


'Nuff said.

More Jobless Pictures

So, I was waiting at the Citibank ATM on Brigade Road when I felt something wet and cuddly at my foot. Lo and behold...!


What a novel way to promote Firefox. They really ought to submit this to the Spread Firefox campaign.


Seen in the 'Gents Toilet' at Rex theatre. No stock. Popular, yes?