My Gran Turismo from Bam to Hyd

This was early morning on at around 6 am. Sun had not risen and we started for Hyderabad.

Sun was about to rise. My car gave the first problem. The Starting Coil was burning red hot. This was the beginning of troubles with the car over the next two weeks.

The Sun rises.

Suresh was my trusted driver on the way. Thanks to him I could reach Hyderabad in a 22hr journey.

The Indian Autobahn. After the Golden Quadrangle project, the highway has become much safer and faster as well. However the route is full of toll gates. My journey till Vijaywada had at least 10 toll gates and had to spend around Rs. 350 at the toll gates.

This is how the old highway used to look, now bears a deserted look. It would have been a terrible ordeal for us to come if it were the old two lane highway.

At around 6 pm we reached Vijaywada. Much time was wasted due to the breakdown. The battery boiled with heat. Thank god we came in the winter, otherwise we would not have had come even half way. This is the Prakasam Barrage.

This is Kanaka Durgama Temple in Vijaywada. I had come here sometime back in 2001-02.

After leaving Vijayawada the road condition deteriorated, with potholes all over the road. Then the high beam light gave away. Thanks again to Suresh who took the pains to drive all the time.

Monica’s Pups 21 to 23

This winter Monica gave birth to 3 pups all female. They are the 21st through 23rd of her children. Dad says all but 2 of them are still surviving. Since they are only three they were strong and energetic however being females they were not naughty. Mom named them Sonia, Meneka & Priyanka.

After Longs day’s work (play) it was time to sleep. They were very fond of each other and would not be separated.

Observing what I was doing with that brick which looks very tasty to chew. My mobile phone was attacked soon after.







This is Chotu, always naughty and always hiding behind mom for safety



Testing my suitcase chain for durability.

Pressure Test.

Then the lineing was tested.

Now my suitecase is certified puppy safe.

Now it was turn of my jeans

And it was tested throughly.

Harvest Season in India

This is the Kharif crop (also known as summer crop). Sown in the months of July with the beginning of monsoon, are harvested around November. These pictures were taken in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, which is one of the poorest of the districts of AP.

Glass of Wine

I was experimenting with the depth of field. But my own vision was slightly impaired by the object I was trying to take a picture of. The result is here for you to see...

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Just Pictures, no commentary.

SOFTEX Form Format

The whole idea of the post is to share the MS Excel format of SOFTEX Form. I use this format to efficiently create a large number of forms in less time compared to conventional word file that is available for download. Let us begin with some background on the SOFTEX Form:

STP Scheme is a 100% Export Oriented Scheme for undertaking Software Development/IT enabled services for Export using Data Communication links or in the form of physical exports including export of professional services for rendering consultancy services and development of software.

Software developed can be exported through Data communication Link / physical Media or software can be developed at customer site abroad by deputing software professionals of the unit.

As soon as the software is exported using Satellite Data Communication link, a software declaration in the prescribed form called SOFTEX form has to be submitted duly filled in, in TRIPLICATE to the STPI for clearance within 30 days from the date of Invoice along with the following documents.

1. Invoice (3 copies)
2. Customer agreement /W.O / P.O
3. Project Details in the from prescribed by STPI, Hyderabad
4. Data transmission details in support of the export of software (in the prescribed form)
5. In cases where data communication link is obtained from a service provider other than STPI, appropriate documents in support of such connectivity.

Source: STPI Hyderabad

Download Format of SOFTEX:

• Excel: Prepared by Me
  



• Word: Source STPI Hyderabad
  

You can refer to the Guide to setup Export Unit under STP Scheme on the STPI Hyderabad Site for more details.

Gopalpur on Sea

I Was at the Gopalpur on Sea today and this is the beach, well most of it; rest being consumed by the sea.

Killing Fields to Karma Theory

These are some pictures of the Daya River on the banks of which the famous battle of Kalinga was fought by Asoka the Great, after which he quit violence for good and embraced the Buddhism.

Wings in the Sky

I took these pictures over the journey from Hyderabad to Bhubaneshwar, the last one being over Bhubaneswhwar.

The National Past Time of Jumping into Borewells

I don't know why, but it seems every month one child at least seems to be jumping into a bore well or other. I wonder why this happens in India, is it because that some time back when a child called "Prince" was trapped in a bore well he had got extensive TV coverage with a News channel beaming live coverage of him inside the bore well. Further New Channles also staged people making prayers at the nearest available Church, Mosque and Temple. Today's incident of a child named "Raj" I believe is a fallout of that TV coverage of News Channels.

India's First Female President

Finally after 60 years of India's Independence India is - most probably going to get it's first Female President. But the fact that she is a run of the mill politician who has a long history of being corrupt - or so does the RBI and others think makes me feel sad. I appreciate the fact that we are finally having a Female as the First Man (opps! should I say the first woman?!); but I would not surely like to see some one with a tainted background to sit on the President's Chair. It is absolutely not acceptable by the common Indian Citizen that a person who has been implicated (even if the allegations are false) in corruption. There is a saying in Hindi "Aag ke bina Dhuna Nahi Hota" (or something like it) ie. there is no smoke without fire; I really believe in it, and think that Pratibha Patil should not be the President of India.

There is another aspect to the whole issue that being the fact that she is a dummy and a doll chosen by Madam Sonia. I am not really bothered about this but what bothers me is that we are going to have a tainted person - again I must say - even if falsely - is not acceptable. No run of the mill politician please.

A View From My Office Lift

This is the view from my office lift.
In my office the floors are funnily numbered. The ground floor starts at -2, and goes upto 9th floor. There are 2 basement floors going down to -4.
For some strange reason they have not allowed lifts to be called from -1 ( the area where bikes are parked). If you want to go to upper floors from -1 you have to get down to -2 and then go up.
There is a nice landscaping (or should I say Interior Decoration) done here.

Country Road in the Town

This is a large area of land that is under litigation in the court cases. Should it have been free of it and were to be developed the real estate prices would have been much less then the current market prices. I suspect the property developers are also inflate the prices artificially by creating scarcity of houses and taking advantage of the same.

But I must say a ride on this road on my bike is a pleasant motocross for me.

A View From My Office

I never even noticed that there is a temple down there, till I saw it from the rooftop.

These pix are from the roof of my office building which is just outside the IT district of Hyderabad.

The real estate is the most expensive in the town.

The residential quarters, this place is called White Fields, in Kondapur Road, Madhapur.

Clouds on the horizon, Monsoon is here finally

All the above pictures are bad examples how to take a photograph. There is a rule of 1:3 whereby it is advised that a place of 1:3 space is apportioned between Sky and Earth in either favor. Now what I have done is a 50:50 apportionment which is wrong. Let it be a lesson for you.