Ajmal Kasab's Case: A worry??

I have been following Mohammad Ajmal Amīr Kasāb's case fairly closely and to say the least it has started to worry me a bit because of the way it is proceeding. At first, there was this gung-ho as to who would represent him as a lawyer? Then, came the ludicrous proposition, Is he a juvenile? Honestly, to me it's hardly makes a difference whether he is fourteen or forty, forget about 20.5 or 21.5. I also tend to think these are more or less time killing tactics and our judiciary needs to be careful not to heed to them.

There are plenty of things to be learned from history and let's accept we have been pathetic. The list of defaulters is endless but I would like to site two prominent high impact examples. Our judiciary took almost a decade and a half to convict the culprits of Bombay Blast in 1992. Is it reasonable? We always blame the government to trade terrorists like Azar Masood to terrorists during the hijack of IC814. But, what we seize to notice is that our judiciary system could not bring him to book during 5 years of his imprisonment during 1994-1999.

There is a danger that the same thing may happen to Kasab. It would be childish to guess that the terrorist groups have forgotten him and will not make an attempt to assassinate or free him from the custody. This obviously adds a lot of pressure on the security forces who are stressed beyond limit anyway. I think the time has come to expedite the proceeding of such sensitive cases or may be we build special courts for them. Otherwise we'll keep on denying justice to ourselves only because we delay it. Always Remember: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied!!!

DATE with French Riviera

"Please organize the conference during June-Sept. every year", recommended Arindam, an IMEC researcher on the DATE-2009 conference feedback form. I was totally in sync with him. The surreptitious reason could decipher the attitude of the research community towards conferences. The Ferry in the Mediterranean operates only during June-Sept. period and we wished the conference to be shifted during the same period as we could enjoy the sea as much as the technical interaction during the conference. There should be a consensus about one thing within the research community. We want good conferences and we want them on the heavens on the earth. Top notch conference in Bhivandi or Govandi or any other shabby areas in Bombay would attract as much attendance as a mediocre conference* in Goa, Hawaii or the heaven I just had just been "French Riviera".

There is something mesmerizing about the mountains that invite you to explore them time and again. Deep sea provides an ideal ambiance to relax and indulge into as deep thinking as much as the sea itself. But, the combination of the two is simply outstanding with limitless opportunities and in my opinion it's peerless. The French Riviera region, located in the the South French is blessed with both. Alps located on the North and Mediterranean in the south, this entire 225km stretch from Marsellie to Monte Carlo is a very hot tourist destination all over the year. Popular International events such as Formula-1 Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival, Monte Carlo ATP tours make the place very much vibrant and add to the grandeur. No wonder then that this place is the favorite destination of the richest of the rich. Right from legendary Elton John, the Posh and the Becks to AJos have their Villas and it's considered a French dream to own a property in French Riviera.

When I embarked upon the Journey to Nice from Brussels, I was hopeful that I would at least get to get the glimpses of the some of these famous personalities. But, I got really disappointed as I did not spot any as I boarded the flight. I decided to try my luck and glanced the business class as well but the business class was almost empty. Then I thought to myself, why in the world the Posh and Becks would fly through Brussels Airlines? They would have their own chartered jets....So, relax. These flights are for mundanes like us and took my well deserved window seat.

The Window Seat
Although candies do not attract me anymore, I am still addicted to the window seats as much as I was as a kid. Be it the bus, the train, the boat or the flight, I make it a point to request for a window seat or to rush for one as soon as I board them. I do get thoroughly disappointed if I do not get one. In this flight, I was happy and disappointed at the same time. I was happy to find that my request for a window seat was useless as I could have as many window seats as possible. But, what's the value of money for a rich kid? A Big Zero. The real fun is in grabbing the window seat by catching a running local train in Bombay or a crowded bus by throwing the kerchief through the window and occupying the seat after quarrel with co-passengers. It's a hard fought victory and you savor it more than anything. The good part though I was ready to capture Alpine heights though the windows of the plane yet again and this time I was not disappointed. The most beautiful sight as you land in Nice is the view of the Mediterranean and Alps from the sky. Here are some of the aerial shots.

Snowy Alpine Peaks: A Treat to Eyes!!!

Beautiful View of Mediterranean Coastline. Nice Airport stripes are located in the upper part of the picture

This would have been a spectacular picture if I had a better lens. The view of snow clad Alps mountains and the Mediterranean in the same sight in the sky was magical.

Nice airport is located next to the sea shore and both the landing and take off are enjoyable experiences.It's a pity that my 18-55mm lens is not adequate enough to capture an apt picture of any of these events. I really need to look for some sponsorships to advance my photography to the next level.

"Nice" is Nice

Nice has two prominent places to watch. One is the castle view from the curvy beach and the beach view from the castle. Nice beach view resembles the neckless view of Bombay. What's different though are some of the cruise ships on the shore demonstrating aristocracy and the spicially provided sun bathing places depicting French connosseureness when it comes to rejoicement. It's fantastic, simply outstanding. Here are some shots and their description.

Aristocratic Cruises on Nice Shore

Nice Beach-A view vis-a-vis Bombay

A Night shot of the Nice Castle

Dusk in the Morning

To grab this dusk, I had to wake up 5.30 AM in the morning and walk to the beach to catch the Sunrise. As I was walking towards the beach, I was remined of my friend Rajat from National Semiconductor. We Natsemites used to play cricket over the weekend and I used to take Rajat to the venue on my bike. While deciding on time, when I used to tell him "Rajat, be at this spot tomorrow @ 7:30AM, ok?" This cricket buff used to reply,"Guru, Don't worry. I will be here from 7:15AM itself. No problem." "Why 7:15AM?, you come at 7:30AM", understanding the value of 15 mins more sleep in the morning hrs. Rajat used to reply,"Are Guru, ye Math Tution thodi hein. yeh to cricket hein.(Guru, this is not a math class but an enjoyment) I will be here by 7:15AM. No problem." and He was never late and so was I, ON time, spot ON this time to witness the sunrise. While Arindam preferred to watch the sunrise in his dreams Narasinga accompanied me at the beach. I admire some people's commitment to cause. Narasinga is one of them. Unfortunately, it would have been better if we had gone up the castle than the beach in the morning hrs.

Cannes and the celebrities
Cannes must be special during the film festival but otherwise it is as good as any French town, nothing special or extravagent. Again, the filthy richness is on display though the private yachts and all but The Sea does provide solace to everyone who views it with an open heart. If you are traveling to Cannes, I would recommend traveling to nearby islands. They are beautiful. It also provides an opportunity for a small cruise from Cannes to the island and back specially when the longer crews are off. We went to Ile Saint Honorat because it was little farther than the other as we could enjoy more cruise time. It was a perfect trip. The other island called St Marguerite should be nice too. Clear sea water near the islands should give you some idea:

Sea waters near Cannes Islands. This picture is taken from around 50mts in altitude.

Narasinga had to leave early for his flight and unfortunately he missed an important Palais des Festivals tour. If you are filmy buff, you will love being on the red carpet and take your photos in astonishing poses. We saw the audience going berserk giving poses and taking shots. It's certainly true that everybody is a born actor. We were not far behind as well.

Palais des Festivals, Cannes

Aristocratic Yachts next to Palais des Festivals

There are hand prints, autographs of many famous cine personalities on display here. Although not a huge cine buff (I prefer theater more than films but I do make it a point not to miss good ones) I would always cherish this photo:

Ben Kingsley - Autograph and hand print in Cannes

Palm Beach @ Cannes is not only a place to own a property but a great place for plenty of water sports as well. Here are some action shots:

Water sports near Palm Beach-Cannes.

Water sports near Palm Beach-Cannes.

Not to mention that I very much missed the NBH Hike-4 becase of the date clash with this conference trip (Work comes first, isn't it?) and tried to make the most of my time in Riviera. To make up for loss in the NBH Hike, I ended up traveling (and even hiking from Monte Carlo to Eze, a rocky stretch of 10kms) French Riviera more than anybody (I know) in the conference even though I joined them later than all of them at the venue.

Also, not to mention that I really enjoyed the techie interaction to find that I am able to follow and contribute in my research area, 3D ICs. There is certainly a lot to do!!!

And something more important to mention is that the momentous Monaco-Monte Carlo was the best place I visited during this trip. I would certainly call it the Crown of French Riviera. I could see the town gearing up for the F1 GP scheduled in a months time. But that's for another blog. To be continued...
______________________________________________________________
* Someone (like me) might be prefer to go to Hawaii/Goa as at least an excellent stay is guaranteed.

NBH Hike III: The Cuisine, The Planes and Johny's Garden

"That's not a plane, that's a school bus", quipped Johny as we were witnessing the landing of a plane on Brussels runway from a plataeu. "Don't worry...in a while we'll go further close to get a better view of them and the lens need not be zoomed", and boy!!! He was dead right. "I don't like these small ones. I am a big fan of those big booming machines!" Johny was unstoppable during the NBH Hike-III as he was directing the group as if airport was his garden in the backyard of his home. "Is he a pilot flying in and out of Brussels every day and night?" I wondered. But we all know big Johny as a big aircrafts lover and when I was talking to him about F16s and F18s he summarized, "They are very interesting birds you know. They makes some mysterious acts." and then followed name of some of his favorite aircrafts whose names sounded like alien birds to me.

Amidst uncertainty because of the weather forecast, Tomas decided to go on with the "Full Moon Hike" as we would have missed the full "Full Moon View" if the hike would have been postponed by a week or so. Luck favors the brave and the weather was at its best, quite warm and sunny as we boarded the bus next to IMEC. After hiking till the runway, I was interested in food as much as in planes. After all, this hike was the hike with the difference and we could feast on the international cuisine at our disposal.

The Cuisine and Daniele's Kitchen
The menu was obviously very rich. Actually it's difficult to remember all the items but let me try my best. We had Japanese: sushi; Chinese: spring roles, Manchu Belgian: meat balls*, cookies, tart, Waffles, chocolates; Indian: coconut rice, and kande pohe; Swiss: sparking milk called Rivolli,Ricolla or something. Italian: Salami* (from Italy and hence Italian).

Daniele sitting with the folded legs cutting salami on the plate placed in front of him reminded me of a plenty of people concentrating on their food during Indian ceremonies. Here though he was serving salami to all including himself with a similar concentration.

Nandan and me attempted "kande pohe" at my place. At times you want to give all your best and somehow things get screwed up in the process. The same thing happened to us. Kande pohe became very spicy even for an Indian's taste. All those who tasted had the same response.: "It's spicy.....pause....pause....pause....blink....blink.....blink.....but it's nice." The impact was so huge that even during the next week Tomas said to me,"Guru, the yellow rice was tooo spicy man..." Watch out next time guys. 'll make up for this mishap.

On crossroads

As we finished food and embarked upon the return journey after the sunset, weather did what it usually does the best in Belgium. The warmth and sunshine had turned into lightening and thunder. The Sun had eloped with no sign of moon. The clouds were turning dark and were fast approaching us. We started setting up the pace but were intercepted by rain and all of us were a bit wet. Without bothering about the weather we kept on walking and came to railway station on the way. Familiar tunnel provided an amiable shelter. We were on the crossroads as there was the BIG question. Should we call the hike off and take the train back to Leuven? Should we wait a while and then start walking? or Should we just continue walking? I must state here I would have been terribly disappointed if we had taken the train back to Leuven. It would have been like going to a big match as a team, taking the allowance (read food) and come back without fight. The pause at the station might have lured some of us to get into the cozy train as soon as it arrives in the station. The best decision was to keep walking and in retrospect I am glad that we did just that and it proved to be the best decision, isn't it? The raindrops turned thinner and thinner and vanished after a while. It was not that cold either and we could enjoy the deja vu feeling as we witnessed some of the familiar spots and memorable incidences during earlier hikes.

There is the Moon :)))

It's a very good test as an individual, as a group to be on the crossroads. It shows up your character a bit. Those who take brave decisions in such circumstances often come out thriving. In the event of loss there is nothing to repent as we all are aware that it was a risky decision as we take the ownership of it. After taking a gutsy decision at the station, it must have been our destiny to witness a full "Full moon" as we approached the tunnel in the IMEC woods. It was indeed satisfying to catch the glimpses of the moon as we were set out for a "Full Moon NBH Hike-III" and although for a brief period towards the end the Moon did show up to make a happy ending...

Next day was set up as a Kayak trip in Dinant for me. Another painful decision but as Tomas says "No Pain, No Gain". But that's another story...
_________________________________________________________________

* I must admit these are the times when it's difficult to stay veggie.

An appeal to VOTE...

I came across is beautiful poem* during some random reading. I thought it's apt and would inspire some (if not at least one) of you to go and vote in the coming Indian elections:

It has happened
and it goes on happening
and will happen again
if nothing happens to stop it.

The innocent know nothing
because they are too innocent.

The poor do not notice
because they are too poor.
And the rich do not notice
because they are too rich.

The stupid shrug their shoulders
because they are too stupid.
And the clever shrug their shoulder
because they are too clever.

The young do not care
because they are too young.
And the old do not care
because they are too old.

That's why nothing happens
to stop it.
And that is why it has happened
and goes on happening
And will happen again.

____________________________________________
*This is an English translation of a poem written by German poet Erich Fried.

NBH Hike-II: Dinant

Some places are worth visiting once while some beacon you to come over time and again. Dinant, a birthplace of Saxophone, in the south Belgium is one such place that would attract you again and again. The view of Meuse, atop Citadel is mesmerizing, not to mention the breathtaking view of the Citadel itself hanging on the cliff from below. The place is also a known attraction for adventurous sports like kayak, rock climbing etc. and there are more than one spots to hang out. In short, for more reasons than one, I could not resist to join the 2nd NBH hike to Dinant in spite of visiting it once during the last year.

Dinant Citadel from below

River Musse and Dinant City from atop Citadel

River Meuse and Dinant View from atop Citadel

Unguided Citadel Tour in the Dark

The day started with the tour of the famous Dinant Citadel. No two trips can be identical and that makes every trip exciting. While I had toured Citadel under the tutelage of a guide (read poking into history and similar (boring to many)stuff) last year. This time around, NBH decided to embark upon an unguided tour to save crucial time. The most exciting part obviously was an unbalanced ground created because of the WW-II shelling. Walking on disoriented/inclined surface gave nauseatic feeling (similar to some Disney world rides) to most of us....an experience to remember indeed!!!

NBH Hikers conquering Disoriented Floor

While the Citadel caretaker generously allowed us to visit the Citadel on our own, he (probably) forgot to switch on the lights inside. This gave us an opportunity to taste life in Citadel in pre-electricity era and the visit can as well be termed as "The Dark Unguided tour of Citadel". Candles would have certainly added to the flavor... What u guys say? Good to use them during the next visit??

Marleen and her book

At the end of the Citadel tour, I could spot Marlene* reading a novel on Egypt. When I queried, she had a logical reply, "We plan to do 26kms in 6hrs, you imagine 6 hrs for 26 kms? I guess that would give me a lot of time to walk through the book while you guys walk the distance." Point taken...

This NBH hike could actually called a hike as it involved some inclined distance patches in patches. This is not that typical for Belgium as most of the region is as flat as a Billiard table. Most memorable part in the hike would have been the tranquil patch near the ruins. The sound of flowing water was reminiscent of a flutist playing a mystique tune.

Picturescue Ruins

Lake Amidst Tranquility

Most tough part for most of us must have been walking up 400steps towards the end of the hike. They appeared to be mountain to surpass. Had trolleys been functional, many of us would have opted for them to go up.

Canons Versus Nikons

I am waiting for an NBH hike when the number of cameras increase the number of hikers. Fortress of Canons usually, this NBH hike saw as many Nikons as Canons. The photos were extremely competitive too. I wish it's a new beginning...

Tomas - A lone Belgian :(

Tomas himself had a good observation at the end of the hike. He was the only Belgian in the group for the hikers. He wanted NBH to go international last year and is implementing his plans to take the group in that direction. Not this way tough...Steven, Xavier, Jeroon, Koen: See you next time.

Finally, A group picture...

NBH Group of Hikers

________________________________________

* Most of the readers should know Marleen to understand/imagine/appreciate her predicament. Extremely fit athlete and known to set up pace in the group, she is a very regular runner covering 70kms every week.....yeah, you read it right....70kms every week. I for one will take a life time to run 70km :)