Sorry folks for not having been able to blog for a while,yet I am back and hopefully this post adds on to any existing information you have on travelling to be in the United States.

These tips are from my own experiences and the information I could gather in through day to day events.

License to Drive (California)

www.dmv.ca.gov is the link that guides you to all activities pertaining to Driving in California(Similar to the Regional Transport Office – RTO – back in India)

First step is to acquire a Temporary License after having successfully completed a written test (the preparation of which can be done either by downloading the California Driver Handbook from the site mentioned above or visiting a DMV office and picking up a printed copy of the same)

The test requires you to answer a percentage of questions correctly and with each unsuccessful attempt the percentage increases so make sure to clear it in the first attempt.The test is objective in nature.Sample tests are available online and at the DMV site listed above.

Once you receive a temporary license make sure to take the necessary training (Training Schools or Certified Private Trainers – you can find some of them listed in www.craigslist.org ).Depending on the time frame you have set for yourself to acquire a permanent  driving license,take an appointment for Behind-the-wheels road test as soon as you enrol for training.Ask questions to the training school staff or the private instructor for to get an insured vehicle to complete the Road Test.Follow every guideline given by the training authority as to the procedure to complete your Road Test successfully.

In case you want to practise along with a partner who has a permanent license,you do get to rent a car on some of the mentioned sites below

www.enterprise.com

www.hertz.com

www.avis.com

You are allowed 3 attempts to successfully complete the Behind-the-Wheels Road Test.

On successful completion you get a permanent  California Driving License with an expiration date as according to the status of your stay in the country.

(The entire information above is for the Class C Driving License)

Note : Do not look for any shortcuts in procedure or fast tracks as you would be risking your life and of others on the road.Better Safe than Sorry.

Finally,best wishes to all who would benefit from this information and also to them who already have the information and are going through the procedures this moment in time.

Dr Bhanumati Ramakrishna

Dr. Paluvayi Bhanumathi Ramakrishna Telugu:భానుమతీ రామకృష్ణ (born on September 7, 1925 – December 24, 2005) was a noted Indian film actress, director, music director, singer, producer, book writer and songs writer.

Bhanumati was also a talented writer with a number of short stories to her credit. Her autobiography Nalo Nenu was published in Telugu and later, released in English as Musings. Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Academy awarded her as the best short story writer for her popular short stories “Attagari Kathalu“.

I present to you the many stories from the collection.Click to Listen and Enjoy

“Attagaru Aavakaya”

“Attagaru Aratikayapodi”

“Attagaru Aacharalu”

“Attagaru Aavu Number 23″

“Attagaru Achuthappulu”

“Attagaru Japan Yatra”

“Attagaru Lankebindelu”

“Attagaru Narsammayanam”

“Attagaru Panivallu”

“Attagaru Todikodalium”

So the Test Match at Napier against New Zealand ended in a draw.

The  saviour’s of the game Gautam Gambhir,Rahul Dravid,Sachin Tendulkar,V V S Laxman and Yuvraj ensured that India still are on the verge of a series win in New Zealand.The talking point though of the match had to be the uncharacteristic outburst of Rahul Dravid against the stand-in skipper Virendra Sehwag and the way he approaches his game.

He said and I quote ” “I don’t know the meaning of playing your natural game all the time,” Dravid said at the press conference after close of play on the fourth day. “You have to play according to the situation of the game. That’s what the great players have done over the years,” he added.

“There cannot be only one way of playing the game. You’ve got to play differently, according to the situation. The good ones adapt,” he said.

Though I agree with Dravid as I am a great admirer of the way he plays the game,I cannot overlook the fact that Sehwag has been prolific in the longer version of the game and his statistics speak for him.

It has been a battle between the purists(classical) ones against the Brutal(aggressive) ones as ever.

Looking at the demography of Indian cricket over the years,I have a different view of the way in which cricket is played in the country.The South and the Western parts have thrown in players mostly in the classical mould i.e a Gavaskar,Viswanath,Dravid,Laxman,Azharuddin,Vengsarkar and so on and so forth.

The North and East though has had the flamboyance of a Kapil Dev,Yuvraj,Dhoni,Sehwag,Ganguly and others.

The notable exceptions being Krish Srikanth and Mohinder Amarnath and a few others.

Wonder whether players from the South/West are coached more in technique and the ones in North/East to indulge in exhibiting savage power.

I wonder this being a socio-political mindset of the region.Compared to the Lalu Prasad Yadav’s and Mayawati’s of the North,the Chidambaram’s and the Kalam Azad’s of the South (who by no means are ineffective ) have a distinct classical style of their own.A Bahubali is associated more in the Northern region though there may be many of those in the southern strip.

So as history proves,the combination of the players from all these walks of socio-political spheres have had their moments of glory.I conclude that we always will remain the underdogs of the game for amidst all of it,we still can produce individual players of extraordinary brilliance.

Wanting to buy a camera for long? Bamboozled by the cameras around you? However, not sure how to go about hunting, what to look for? What features and how many megapixel counts? You need some help in choosing your perfect one.

Tiny digital cameras may look handy but can’t physically house all the features. Your need for a 10x optical zoom or external flash calls for an average to larger-size camera.

Millions of dollars spent by companies on advertising the ‘megapixel myth’ have brainwashed many. The fact is megapixels have nothing to do with image quality. Cramming more megapixels into a smaller image sensor can even lead to reduced picture quality.

With cams available in 1.3 to 12 megapixel resolution, what do you pick? For high-quality prints sized 8”x 10” or more, you need a camera with at least 3 megapixel resolution.

Getting close to your subject is a secret of great photos. But what’s this optical/digital zoom stuff? Optical zoom is the magnification within the lens itself when you zoom in/out. Make sure the camera has powerful optical zoom capability.

Digital zoom doesn’t change focal length. Instead, as you zoom in, a smaller and smaller portion of the digital sensor is used to record the subject. This lowers the number of pixels.

Digital cameras eat up batteries. Make sure the camera you select accepts rechargeable batteries. Battery life is usually covered in camera reviews, so note it. A good camera takes about 100 photos with a single charge.

Rechargeable batteries are convenient, but offer no means of recharging while on the move. If you’re worried about running out of power while travelling, you can go for a camera that uses standard AA size batteries.

All digital cameras have a built-in LCD screen. Some offer crisp renditions of photos, others accept hoods to boost visibility, yet others tilt, twist, flip… All fun features but consider how you use a camera before deciding. If you need to shoot around corners or edges, a movable LCD is a good idea.

Compact Flash memory cards are very popular due to their durability and wide storage range (16 MB to even 32 GB, for pro cams).

In-built scene settings help you take better pix. When you choose a scene, like landscape or portrait, the camera adjusts itself automatically to the settings best suited for it. Consider a camera with an array of scene modes!

Redeye reduction is a standard feature on most cams. But it’s just a reduction, not a removal. If you hate red-eye or shoot a lot of portraits, consider a camera with a hot-shoe or connection for an external flash. Keeping the flash away from the lens reduces red-eye. Want max flash control? Look for a camera that allows manual adjustments!

The best camera for you doesn’t have to be the most expensive or most popular. It is the camera that does what you want it to do.

Last weekend the happy news in circulation was of my Wife’s cousin brother getting engaged and soon to be married.

Although the news trickled in from a different source,we had been awaiting it for some time as to being aware of the many thwarted attempts he was going through previously.Finally,we managed to corner him on the instant messenger one evening and he no longer was the Man who belonged to the Family.

There was an apparent energy in his words and it was almost every alternate message he typed in that we felt him getting dreamy.Phrases like “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”,”we did not seem like strangers” sprouted from nowhere and I am certain all of us who have experienced it will  relate to instantly.

His description of the all so sudden happenings of the engagement and the day after it couldn’t hide the fact that he was waiting for the moment for his life and then the sharing of pictures of the “would-be” was sheer energy at display.

The reason for me to pen down the above scenario follows hereafter,but firstly an important disclaimer

All characters are fictional. Any use of real names is coincidental and purely unintentional. Any similarities to actual persons is also pure coincidence, and not the intent. If one of the stories happens to become fact, it should be considered a lucky guess, and not as a result of any inside information.There are seven billion of us on the planet.

All of us who have been married know the euphoria of these initial days.I know my elder brother’s agree with me on this wholeheartedly.The question is “How do we bless this Man,our very own gender,who is closely related to our better halves and what are the words that would encourage him as well as ground him to the realities of the battle ahead?”

I found no other way to explain him how to be Happily Married Everafter but this short story that says it all(hope he gets it before it is too late )..    :-)

Once upon a time a married couple celebrated their 25^th marriage anniversary. They had become famous in the city for not having a single conflict in their period of 25 years. Local newspaper editors had gathered at the occasion to find out the secret of their well known "happy going marriage".

Editor: "Sir. It's amazingly unbelievable. How did you make this possible? "

Husband recalling his old honeymoon days said: " We had been to Shimla for honeymoon after marriage. Having selected the horse riding finally, we both started the ride on different horses.

My horse was pretty okay but the horse on which my wife was riding seemed to be a crazy one. On the way ahead, that horse jumped suddenly, making my wife topple over.

Recovering her position from the ground, she patted the horse's back and said "This is your first time".

She again climbed the horse and continued with the ride. After a while, it happened again. This time she again kept calm and said "This is your second time" and continued.

When the horse dropped her third time, she silently took out the revolver from the purse and shot the horse dead!!

I shouted at my wife: "What did you do you psycho. You killed the poor animal.

Are you crazy?"

She gave a silent look and said: "This is your first time!!!"."

Husband: "That's it. We are happy ever after."

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After spending much time in movie theaters, cafes and restaurants I have gathered many insights into the endless monotony that is the love life of a South Indian Man.What I have unearthed is most disheartening. Disheartening because comprehension of these truths will not change our status any time soon.

However there is also cause for joy. We never stood a chance anyway. What loads the dice against virile, gallant, well educated, good looking, sincere diggas, mallus and tams or telugites?

Our futures are shot to hell as soon as our parents bestow upon us names that are anything but alluring. I cannot imagine a more foolproof way of making sure the child remains single till classified advertisements or that maternal uncle in San Francisco thinks otherwise.

Name him “Parthasarathy Venkatachalapthy” and his inherent capability to combat celibacy is obliterated before he could even talk. He will grow to be known as Partha. Before he knows, his smart, seductively named northy classmates start calling him Paratha. No woman in their right minds will go anyway near poor Parthasarathy.

His investment banking job doesn’t help either. His employer loves him though. He has no personal life you see. By this time the Sanjay Singh’s and Bobby Khan’s from his class have small businesses of their own and spend 60% of their lives in discos and pubs. The remaining 40% is spent coochicooing with leather and denim clad muses in their penthouse flats on Napean Sea Road.Business is safely in the hands of the Mallu manager.

After all with a name like Blossom Babykutty he can’t use his 30000 salary anywhere. Blossom gave up on society when in school they automatically enrolled him for Cookery Classes. Along with all the girls.

Yes my dear reader, nomenclature is the first nail in a coffin of neglect and hormonal pandemonium. In a kinder world they would just name the poor southern male child and throw him off the balcony. “Yes appa we have named him Goundamani…” THUD. Life would have been less kind to him anyway.

Picture this: “Welcome and this is my family. This is my daughter Poorni (what a sweet name!!) and my son Ponnalagusamy (er.. hello..)..” Cyanide would not be fast enough for poor Samy. Nothing Samy does will help him. He can pump iron, drive fast cars and wear snazzy clothes, but against a brain-dead dude called Arjun Singhania he has as much chance of getting any as a Benedictine Monk in a Saharan Seminary.

Couple this with the other failures that have plagued our existence. Any attempt at spiking hair with gel fails miserably. In an hour I have a crown of greasy, smelly fibrous mush. My night ends there. However the northy just has to scream “Wakaw!!!” and you have to peel the women off him to let him breathe. In a disco while we can manage the medium hip shake with neck curls, once the Bhangra starts pumping we are as fluid as cement and gravel in a mixer. Karan Kapoor or Jatin Thapar in the low cut jeans with chaddi strap showing and see through shirt throws his elbows perfectly, the cynosure of all attention. The women love a man who digs pasta and fondue.

If all the women the Upadhyays, Kumar’s, Pinto’s and, god forbid, the Sen’s and Roy’s in the world have met were distributed amongst the Arunkumar’s, Vadukut’s and Chandramogan’s we would all be merry Casanova’s with 3 to 4 pretty things at each arm. But alas it is not to be. Of course the south Indian women have no such issues. They have names which are like sweet poetry to the ravenous northie hormone tanks.

But why do they not see the simple pleasures of curd rice and coconut chutney? When poor Senthilnathan opens his tiffin box in the office lunch room his female co-workers just disappear when they see the tamarind rice and poppadums. The have all re materialised around Bobby Singh who has ordered in Pizza and Garlic bread. (And they have the gall to talk of foreign origin.)

How can a man like me brought up in roomy lungis and oversized polyester shirts ever walk the walk in painted on jeans (that makes a big impression) and neon yellow rib hugging T shirts? All I can do is don my worn “comfort fit” jeans and floral shirt. Which is pretty low on the “Look at me lady” scale, just above fig leaf skirt and feather headgear a la caveman, and a mite below Khakhi Shirt over a red T shirt and baggy khakhi pants and white trainers a la Rajni in “Badsha”.

Sociologically too the tam or mallu or telugite man is severely sidelined. An average tam stud stays in a house with, on average, three grandparents, three sets of uncles and aunts, and over 10 children. Not the ideal atmosphere for some intimacy and some full throated “WHOSE YOUR DADDY!!!” at the 3 in the morning. The mallu guy of course is almost always in the gulf working alone on some onshore oil rig in the desert. Rheumatic elbows me thinks.Alas dear friends we are not just meant to set the nights on fire. We are just not built to be “The Ladies Man”. The black man has hip hop, the white man has rock, the southie guy only has idlis and tomato rasam or an NRI account in South Indian Bank Ernakulam Branch. Alas as our destiny was determined in one fell swoop by our nomenclature, so will our future be.

A nice arranged little love story. But the agony of course does not end there. On the first night, as the stud sits on his bed finally within touching distance and whispers his sweet desires into her delectable ear, she blushes, turns around and whispers back “But amma has said only on second saturdays...”

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A preparation for to put in place a formidable team for World Cup 2011 is what the future ODI scene looks like.Youngster’s being groomed,World Favorite’s Australia being challenged in their home turf,a mixture of seniors and fast legs is what the motto seems to be.I wonder where that leaves the classical cricketer,the one with technique,temperament and the talent to be able to win matches single handedly.

What if the youngster’s deliver in the years to come and fail at the Global event?What if we get knocked out in Round 1 as history shows it to be?

Cricket India seems to be living the moment and making the most of it and I guess it reflects our approach as a society.Classical player’s like exponents of Classical music will be few and far and would be able to display their genius in every winter season and left alone from the remainder of the year.

I wonder whether I will ever hear of the news of a new kid on the block on the likes of Tendulkar who seems as of now to be the Last of the Mohican’s.

Just for this day.

Just for this morning, I am going to smile whenever I see your face.
and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let you wake up softly, all rumpled in your
flannel and I will hold you until you are ready.

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and
smile and say you’re beautiful.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you
up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I am going to eat a huge breakfast , with bacon
eggs, toast and waffles, and you don’t have to eat any.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you
teach me how to put that 100 piece puzzle together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the
computer off, and sit with you in the garden blowing bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble
when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won’t worry about what you are going to be
when you grow up or who you might have been before your diagnosis.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won’t
stand over you trying to ‘fix’ things.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you put all kinds of barettes in my
hair, and put lipstick on my face, and I will tell you how pretty you have made me look.

Just for this afternoon I will take you to McDonalds and buy us both a
Happy meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story
about how you were born, and how much we love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the bathtub and not get
angry when you throw water over your sister’s head.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the
porch swing and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will bring you glasses of water, and snuggle
beside you for three hours and miss my favorite show on t.v.

Just for this evening, When I kneel down to pray, I will simply be
grateful for all that I have and not ask for anything, except

just one more day.

copyright 1999 Sally Meyer
No portion of this poem may be reproduced in any form or forwarded, without permission from the author.

“Do compete but in a healthy way”

A king had two sons.The younger one was jealous of his elder brother.He was upset whenever the king gave his elder son something.The king was a little worried about his son’s attitude.One day,he summoned his younger son and told him that he was willing to give him anything that he asked: money,gold,riches,kingdom, whatever.The younger son could ask anything within reason and the wish would be fulfilled.The young prince was pleased,but then his father set a condition.He told the younger prince that the elder would be given double of whatever the younger one received.The younger prince told his father that he needed a day to think and make up his mind.He came back the next day and told his father: “Please take this big needle and poke it in my right eye.”.The young prince did not mind losing one eye for the pleasure of seeing his brother go blind.

The competitiveness in our present context is such that the real goal gets lost in the maze of competition.Eventually,an attitude develops where the person is happier to see his colleague failing than he himself succeeding.Instead of improving one’s own performance,a person spends all his time pulling down others.

It is correctly said that a basket of crabs needs no lid.Just as one crab climbs up to the edge,the other will pull it down.”So what if I cannot escape?So long as I ensure that he too does not,I am happy.” 

Create a shortcut on your desktop to disable your screen saver or eject your cd-rom,turn off your monitor? Here is a light weight program that needs no installation:It’s only 50kb and has blanking the monitor, disabling the keyboard, setting the volume…

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