Amidst the tangle called ‘my life’ comes some good news. CHI is launching the Mumbai chapter of SIGCHI. For the uninitiated, ACM SIGCHI is the ACM’s Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction, which brings together people working on the design, evaluation, implementation, and study of interactive computing systems for human use. ACM SIGCHI provides an international, interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas about the field of human-computer interaction (HCI). Amongst some notable chapters are BayCHI (San Fransisco), and BostonCHI (Boston City).
mumbai
Rakes without Racks
Regular passengers on the Western Suburban Railway route will realize the pressures of the daily commute – the crowds, the sweat and those battles to secure every inch of space for standing ‘comfortably’. The lucky ones are those who commute to and fro from one point to the other (say Borivli to Churchgate); no botheration of alighting or getting into the train midway which could mean enrolling oneself for another battle for barging into the crowded compartments. As if these daily crusades weren’t enough, the railways have now introduced some rakes which are devoid of the luggage racks. These racks were a boon for keeping luggage while you travel and also holding onto it as you stand closer to the window. This decision was apparently taken (in a haste?) after the July 11 train bombings to deter any terrorist from planting a bag loaded with explosives and risking the lives of many.
The Pride of Maharashtra: 'Marathi Baana'
Frankly, I had not heard about this marathi musical until mom excitedly got the tickets for us. It’s called ‘Marathi Baana’ (Marathi Pride) and is playing to full houses all across the state (yesterday night was no exception). The 3 hour song and dance is a demo of the rich cultural heritage of Maharashtra featuring a live orchestra, singers and about 40-50 dancers from both sexes, all dressed up in the native colorful attire, dancing to the live music. The entire team comprises of 125 members. Ashok Hande, whose a veteran of Marathi stage has produced, written, directed and presented the show and also figures in the 4 male singing choir. The musical focuses on the long rich marathi traditions of festivals, folk songs and dances and discusses its plight under the current generation of the marathi population.
Firstly, the show is colourful and thats the only word that comes to my mind. The dancers are ‘fantabulous’ and the singers are mellifluous in their renditions as well. Its proof enough that they have worked pretty hard to get this show running on its feet what with the singers memorizing entire paras of songs and the dancers remembering their steps on every word of it. That said subtle references to the ‘paraprantiya’ (migrant population) during such shows involving the ‘marathi manoos’ (native maharastrian), is always on the cards and is a big turn off personally. This refers to the apparent displacement of the original marathi populace from their native land in mumbai to far-flung places in the northern suburbs and beyond, which is being attributed to the high influx of migrants from outside the state, their illegal settlement & economic progression in this city. One thought that the wonderful cultural platform that the musical ‘Marathi Baana’ offered should in no way be misused to fan the emotions of the patrons who come to enjoy the show. Art has to be set free of all biases against creed or race. But go and watch it for art’s sake and revel in the cultural celebration.
IndiMix 06: The Microsoft India Event
The web has become increasingly powerful and dynamic and we need to adapt to the newer technologies. That was the broad message given at the IndiMix 06 – The Next Web Now event which was organized by Microsoft in Mumbai. The highlight of the show was the introduction by none other than Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft Corporation. He set the tone for the day by introducing the audience to WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) and the next version of .NET Framework including an enthusiastic “hallelujah” on announcing the release of Windows Vista.
A Momentous Day
Birthdays are a special reason to celebrate and most of the time I would prefer to do it alone within the confines of my humble abode. I would watch movies, eat junk, surf the net for all kinds of foolish things, shop for myself, receive birthday wishes on phone, mails wherever; yes that’s special for me.This time I ventured away from my 5 year tradition of not working on my birthday and considered celebrating it with my colleagues and friends. 2006 in many ways has been a “year of big changes” for me.
The day always starts with a visit to the Ganpati temple to offer my prayers and seek blessings for the next year. Then the heavy lunch at the India Tea Center, here in downtown Mumbai (with 16 of us) was amazing. If you decide to visit Mumbai, do plan a visit at this place in Churchgate for its traditional Indian interiors and good food but be aware of the slow service that they offer. Nevertheless, the highlight of the day was a book on the dutch graphic artist M C Escher gifted to me by the team, which contains some of his rare works and his “puzzled” artworks. The cake cutting ceremony in the office was made momentous by the laughter and the chatter over some silly innuendos. Someone was generous to shoot a video and I would see if I can share it here. Lastly it was my meeting with an old friend Randhir in the evening which bought some old memories back. At the end of this as I had anticipated, the celebrations and the joy had bought me crashing down on my bed too fast.
Check out the events that took place on 7th November, back in time.