The Indians Abroad

Overseas Living: NRIs & India abroad

Archive for category Trivial Stuff

The Freedom – Happy Independence Day America

Jul 4

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, History, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

4th of July and famous quotes on Freedom

Freedom is a natural desire. Freedom is an emotion; it is a natural expression of a living being to be unrestrained, to make its own path, to choose at its own destiny. Animals or human – freedom is an expected lifestyle; anything short of freedom is a compromise that no one wants to make.

On 4th of July in 1776, America became a free nation, a free country. On this day today, on 4th of July, America celebrates the Independence Day. The country marks this holiday with parades, picnics, backyard barbecues and fireworks.

The following quotes highlight the emotion of freedom and its importance for any nation and for every living creature.

“Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” ~ Kahlil Gibran

“Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?”
~ Mohandas Gandhi

“Free at last; free at last; thank God Almighty we are free at last.” ~ Martin Luther King

“The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree.” ~Thomas Campbell

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte

“Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people” ~ Abraham Lincoln

“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.” ~Moshe Dayan Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

2010 Taste of Chicago Festival

Jun 25

Posted by admin in Culture & Society, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | No Comments


Today – 25th of June, marks the start of 2010 Taste of Chicago Festival. This is by far Chicago’s biggest and most popular annual event. Starting on the Fourth of July in 1980 for the first time, the Taste of Chicago has become the largest outdoor food fest of the world. The festival is estimated to attract more than 3 million people each year.

With the kids on summer break, families drive to this Midwest attraction from all over the places. Some of the best restaurants and food vendors host their stalls around the Grant Park for 10 days. A large number of stages have artists performing live, all around. The vendors offer a variety of food along with bite size samples – you have 100s of varieties to chose from.

Taste of Chicago 2010 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the festival this year, and ends on July 4th.

For more on this festival including its location, admission, public transportation etc., some of the useful information is linked below:

Taste of Chicago 2010 map -Chicago Tribune

What’s new at Taste of Chicago 2010 – Chicago Tribune Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

Happy Father’s Day

Jun 20

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Trivial Stuff | No Comments

Khalil Gibran (Kahlil Gibran), one of the most brilliant writers/poets of modern era writes in ‘The Madman’:

One day, I woke from a deep sleep and found all my masks were stolen,–the seven masks I have fashioned and worn in seven lives,–I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting, “Thieves, thieves, the cursed thieves.”

Men and women laughed at me and some ran to their houses in fear of me. And when I reached the market place, a youth standing on a house-top cried, “He is a madman.” I looked up to behold him; the sun kissed my own naked face for the first time. For the first time the sun kissed my own naked face and my soul was inflamed with love for the sun, and I wanted my masks no more. And as if in a trance I cried, “Blessed, blessed are the thieves who stole my masks.”

Thus I became a madman.

It’s good to be different; in fact, it is always better to be original. However, we ofen sacrifice the originality and the independent thinking, so that we can conform to the social norms. Many of our actions are based on NOT what we like or what we think is right, but what others approve of, or what others like. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , ,

Popular slogans on Indian vehicles

May 22

Posted by admin in India, Trivial Stuff | 2 Comments

While traveling through North India, I found this quite interesting: Below are some of the slogans I saw at the back-side of many Indian vehicles, especially trucks and buses. Some of them are common slogans or signs that basically alert the approaching vehicle, such as ‘Horn Please’ or ‘Use Dipper at night’.
However, some of these signs are quite creative. Many of these slogans are supposed to be taunting remarks from faster drivers/vehicles as they pass by the slower ones.

Please note that in North India, where I noticed these signs, many are obviously influenced by the Punjabi cultures. :)

Here are the popular ones worth mentioning:

Milega Mukaddar
Chal Rani tera Rabb Raakhaa
Hatt Pichhe, Phir MilaaN ge
Papa Jaldi Ghar aa Jaana
Buri Nazar Valeh Tera Muh Kaalaah
Hun Tu Kaun te Main Kaun
Chalo ek Baar Phir se Ajnabi ban JaayeN
Zarra Hatt ke Laadli Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , ,

Horn Please – the art of honking in India!

May 20

Posted by admin in India, Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff | 4 Comments

If you go back to India after a few years of stay abroad, the first thing that gets your attention is the noise from constant honking of the horn on the road. Now-a-days, they have introduced musical horns with so many different tunes, if that makes you feel any better. But, the annoyance of horn noise is something that bugs anyone who visits India after a while, or for the first time.

At first, one might think that honking of the horn is an indication of impatient driving or being overly aggressive on the road. After all, most of the vehicles have the rear-view mirrors and they should be able to tell that someone is approaching them from behind to pass by, instead of being reminded with a loud horn. But after a few days of stay I realized that most of the drivers use horn for alerting the other drivers as they take-over or pass by in the narrow lanes.

In America, as you konw, honking of a horn on another driver is rare and used only when someone needs to be reminded of his/her mistakes. In India however, the use of Horn is a part of driving etiquettes. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Bollywood Quiz – Kishore Kumar, the legend

May 10

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

The quiz 6 below is based on the trivial questions about the legendary Bollywood playback singer Kishore Kumar. However, if kishore Kumar is not one of your favorites, you may want to try other quizzes linked below.

Good luck! :)

Kishore Kumar's legal name was:





Kishore Kumar was famous for this style of singling that involved making a high-low-high-low sound (an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal or chest register to the falsetto/head register).





Kishore Kumar's son also became a Bollywood singer in 1980s, his name is





This actor was commonly supported by Kishore Kumar's voice as a playback singer in the film songs:





Kishore Kumar's second wife was the famous actress.....





During the Indian Emergency (1975–1977), Sanjay Gandhi asked Kishore Kumar to sing for a Congress rally in Mumbai, but Kishore Kumar refused. As a result, the Government put a ban on playing Kishore Kumar songs on....





Kishore Kumar won 1982 filmfare award for this famous song from Namak Halaal:







Other Quizzes:
Bollywood Quiz 7: Evergreen playback singers of Bollywood!The quiz is on the all-time popular playback singers of Bollywood!
Bollywood Quiz 5: The Idiots and a Dog is a recent quiz from January 2010.
Bollywood Quiz IV: Which Two Starsis based on movies or related Bollywood stories as of late 2009.
Bollywood Quiz III: Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from mid 2009.
Bollywood Quiz I:Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , ,

Me and the Yogi inside – My experiments with Hot Yoga

May 6

Posted by admin in Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

The craze is everywhere.
May be it is a fashion for the modern day fitness fanatics.
Or may be, it is for real; after all, it is not that easy to sell snake oil now-a-days. You cannot fool so many people all over the places.

I did not know much about Hot Yoga till last week. So, I thought I should poke around to see what the whole craze is about. Well, first the boring part. It is also called Bikram Yoga – a type of yoga that Bikram Choudhury introduced many decades ago. The actual yoga techniques are based on traditional yoga that we are all familiar with.

Even though Hot Yoga has been around from the early 1970s, its popularity has grown all around the globe lately. More and more yogis are enjoying Hot Yoga over the traditional yoga. By the way, it feels good to call myself ‘yogi’ after exploring the yoga just for a few days. Perhaps I don’t qualify yet, but it is the state of mind, I am told; and in my mind I am yogi now. :)

One of my problems with Hot Yoga is that each session is supposed to last 90 minutes. Now, that is like sacrificing almost two hours of sleep. I already am starting to dislike the idea. And, on top of that, it should incorporate a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. Oh, and that’s not all, the Yoga session requires a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%.

The whole thing is too complicated for me. I was hoping that going out in the hot summer sun and sitting on my butt in the humid weather for a while would be enough.  However, that’s not what it is.
Why do everything that I want to try looks so simple, but turns out so complicated in the end?? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

A Summary of Bollywood Quizzes

Apr 28

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | No Comments

You think you know your Bollywood? :)

This is a summary of all the Bollywood Quizzes published on this site – The Indians Abroad. Click on the link to any of the quiz below to try your Bollywood knowledge! :)

Bollywood Quiz 7: Evergreen playback singers of Bollywood! The quiz is on the all-time popular playback singers of Bollywood!
Bollywood Quiz 5: The Idiots and a Dog is a recent quiz from January 2010.
Bollywood Quiz IV: Which Two Stars is based on movies or related Bollywood stories as of late 2009.
Bollywood Quiz III: Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from mid 2009.
Bollywood Quiz I:Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Through the maze of overseas airfare shopping

Apr 24

Posted by admin in Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff, india abroad | No Comments

Overseas Travels: Commonsense tips on shopping for airline tickets abroad

Overseas traveling can be fun or headache depending on how you approach it, how well you plan ahead and above all, how much you enjoy the journey itself. Before you can actually begin your travels abroad however, you need to book the airline tickets to meet your needs. Searching for bargains in airfares is no shoe-shopping by any means. The airfare is one of the biggest expenses of the overseas travels.

Based on my first hand experiences of booking an airline ticket from America to India (different airports at different times), here are some key tips. Many of these tips are just commonsense and should come as no surprise to anyone:

Start bright and early: Trying to book an overseas plane ticket at the last minute is no fun. In the crunch time, you end up paying a lot more than you normally would. Whenever possible, plan ahead and start your airfare search at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Yes, there are last minute deals that you might find during slow seasons; however, waiting for the last minute hoping for a good deal is often a big mistake.

Do your own research:The internet makes it so easy now-a-days to try different websites and different airlines for airfare comparison. Try them out, spend some time looking around and see what is available. If your travel allows you to be flexible, you can certainly get some decent deals. And after you get a feel for the online price range, you may also call some local travel agents for comparison shopping. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

National DO NOT CALL Registry

Apr 18

Posted by admin in News, Trivial Stuff | No Comments

Fend off the telemarketers: NATIONAL DO NOT CALL option for USA households

Tired of telemarketing phone calls in the middle of the family time, trying to sell you services or product that you don’t even care about? Even if you ask them nicely, or rudely for that matter, most of the telemarketers don’t stop calling again and again.

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Starting in 2003, the Federal government created the national registry to make it easier and more efficient for you to stop getting telemarketing calls you don’t want. You can register your phone number online or by calling a toll-free number. The registration is free.

Register your phone number:
The registration is quick and easy from the official Do NOT CALL web-site listed below under ‘source’. Open the link ‘Register your phone number’ and follow the steps:

1. Enter up to three phone numbers that you want to register, and your email address. Click Submit.
2. Check for errors. Click Register.
3. Check your email for a message from Register@donotcall.gov. Open the email and click on the link to complete your registration. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

The way I used to be

Apr 16

Posted by admin in India, Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff, india abroad | No Comments

I miss aimless walking through the streets, the summer roam;
Venturing out in the winter chill, and wandering astray.
Not knowing the destination, but always feeling at home;
I miss howling at the rickshaws, telling them, “Just take me that way.”

I miss the dusty paths, the unpaved roads with no sign to ‘stop’;
Or treading through the morning fog, where one could barely see.
Or waiting for hours at the corner, for a glimpse of her from the roof-top;
And then wondering all day, ‘what her name might be’! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Spring Time

Apr 11

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | No Comments

The seasonal birds are back again. Red Robins are flying around with tiny branches in their beaks, looking for safe places to build their nests. The geese are migrating back from the south; flocks of ducks are re-acquainting with the freshly unfrozen water in the ponds. The tulips, the daffodils, the lilacs, the gladiolas….the roots of bulbs are bursting out in the garden soil. New sprouts are shooting out to enjoy the new season. Everyone – a plant or an animal – knows: it is spring again.

Put away your winter jackets; put away the snow shoes. It is time to come out of the hibernation; the spring is here.

It is time to admire the nature again. The trees are shaking off the freezing stiffness of winter. The new buds are opening up; the ground is unthawed; the grass is changing color from dry brown to lively green again.

Look outside, look around – a natural and beautiful canvas of prominent green and new spring colors is painted once more. Once again, the blue ponds and the new shrubbery are the living proof that there is no better artist that Mother Nature. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Outsource your homework – the paper mills

Mar 21

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Culture & Society, Trivial Stuff | 4 Comments

A lesson in dishonesty and immorality at an early age!

Having difficulty with you mid-term paper? Need to have an essay done for your English class? Have a term-paper due but you cannot come up with the material or the sources?

Well tough luck! You are stuck with the research, finding the sources, and actually writing the paper. Unless, of course, you have a smarter younger sister who would help you with the paper as long as you bribe her with chocolate and do her share of the chores – washing the dishes, folding the laundry…

Or, if nothing works, there is one more tempting option – you can outsource your homework. Just like big corporations are outsourcing their work to the cheap labor in other countries, the same is possible for homework too. Yes, you can pay someone to write your essay or paper. The outfits are called the ‘paper mills’, and there is no shortage of them either. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , ,

The Bloom Box –An energy magic box or just a hype?

Mar 8

Posted by admin in News, Trivial Stuff, environment | 2 Comments

Every now and then, there comes something that makes you turn you head, that demands your attention regardless if you are ready or not.

Is the world ready for green energy to take over the day-to-day life?

The chatter is getting louder, about the possible next BIG thing. California Silicone Valley is buzzing with the new venture. Backed by the same powerful venture capitalist who once supported the start-ups like Netscape, Amazon and Google, the discussions about alternate power source are everywhere.

If successful, the new energy source can replace the big power plants and eventually transmission line grid over time. Moreover, it is ‘green energy’, completely environment friendly, as there is no burning or combustion.

K.R. Sridhar, the CEO of Bloom Box, is the man behind the concept. The ambitious undertaking is already being trialed by EBay headquarters and many other corporations, as an alternate to the conventional energy.

Basically, in simplistic terms, the Bloom box invention is a fuel cell, a very skinny battery that always runs; that is always on. The slim wafer takes oxygen from one side, and fuel on the other. The two combine within the cell to create a chemical reaction to produces electricity. These tiny wafers or skinny slates are stacked up to compound the energy production.

According to Sridhar’s interview on CBS’s ‘60 Minute’, 2 boxes of these batteries – each box slightly bigger than Rubik’s Cube – can power up one US house, or 2 European house, or 4-6 houses in India around the clock.

If the promise holds true, this invention in the field of green energy could be one of the biggest breakthroughs of modern days. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Love defined

Feb 14

Posted by admin in Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

Love is the glow in a mother’s eyes, as she admires a little soul in her arms.
Love is the father’s pat on son’s back as he catches his first fish
Love is what makes you day-dream the possibilities, and impossible
Love is what brings out your best, and the worst alike
Love is the pinch in the heart at the time of the departure
Love is the song of joy from the depths of the heart Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , ,

Snow sledding misadventure

Feb 14

Posted by admin in Trivial Stuff, india abroad | 2 Comments

Today, my neighbors taught me how to sled down the snowy hill like a pro. They told me last night about their plan and I could barely sleep – with all the excitement.

This morning, me and my three neighbors headed over to the snowy hill across the park. Covered with glistening white snow, it is majestic view of a snowy hill in the morning sun. More than a 100 yards of slope, waiting to be exploited. Below freezing temperature did not affect our enthusiasm, or the plan.

Many little kids were already sledding down the hill, in all kinds of creative ways. I saw a young boy standing on a fast paced sled, hands free and looking backward, go down the hill. Another little girl using a small round plate that looks like a flying saucer, was flying down the slope in style, her feet firmly planted inside the fast moving fancy looking alien object.

“You cannot back down now!” Ravi said to everybody.
“This is gonna be so much fun!” Mel, his girl friend giggled
“Lets go!!” Shouted Steve. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , ,

The Snowy Mess

Feb 12

Posted by admin in Non-Resident Indian, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

It is 6 in the morning; I am standing inside my nice and warm house, looking at my front yard. The front porch, the drive way to the garage – the whole thing is covered with snow again.

Hurray! Not really. Seriously, this is thirds day in a row that I am dealing with snow removing and shoveling. It is 3, well, at least 2, more days  than I wanted to snow-shovel.

The first day was fun. The nice fluffy snowflakes everywhere, glistening with the sunlight from the far horizon. I even thought of making a snow-man after the shoveling was done, but gave up on the idea thinking I am not a kid and it is too cold to deal with snow any longer. Instead, I came inside and had a warm cup of steaming tea, while looking outside and admiring my own work.

The second morning – yesterday, I woke up to another 3-4inches of new snow coating. I ventured outside and did my thing again – shoveled the driveway and the porch; cleared the side street where neighborhood kids walk to (and from) the school-bus that makes a stop in front of our house every morning and every afternoon.

I was all done, and was about to come inside, that is when a big snow plow, that was clearing the streets in our area, dumped a big wall of snow in front of my drive way. That is the most annoying thing about this big snow plows, they push the snow off the street to the sides, but in the process, end up creating more headache for every household. I hate snow plows – just for the record. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , ,

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA…

Jan 26

Posted by admin in India, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA Preamble:

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HERE BY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

Slow down genius, it’s just a journey!

Jan 21

Posted by admin in Consciousness & Awareness, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | 3 Comments

Dedicated to all the workaholics, high-achievers and fast paced life style of today

Yes, you have done a lot; accomplished so many goals, conquered many peaks. With you, it is all about achievements, it is all about the end-results, it is all about keep marching. The success is ‘a must’ to stroke your ego; basking in the glory of victories has become a habit of yours.

Yes, you are scared of failures, just like a fox scared of its own shadow. You may have seen some major ups and scary downs, but up is all you desire. Everything has to be your way. You are scared of uncertainties – the unwanted side-effected of your grand endeavors.

You have survived a lot around you, you probably have seen more than you can process. The fear of failures and the greed of success keep you going nonstop – day and night.

Yes, you have accomplished a lot; but, what for?

Have you taken a break lately and looked back? All those successes and all those milestones constantly keep moving to the next big thing. Where does it end? When do you call it the final destination and say, “That’s it, I am done!”

Regardless of your past with all your achievements, you always have something to do, something more to conquer – the next goal.

No matter how much you do, how big your goal is, how fast you go – there will always be something waiting. Yes, go save the planet, there will be something waiting after that – to be saved, to be rescued.

It is about time you rescue yourself, it is about time you slow down and admire the journey; let go of the destination for once. Take a break, smell a flower along the way, or even better – exhale! It is good for you; really, try it!!

There will always be something to do, something to prove. It is a monster you have created for yourself.

Don’t consume yourself in the journey of life; enjoy it rather.

At this pace, at this restless speed, the illusion of success or the next big thing will perish you one day; one day much sooner that your family and friends would like you to go.

So, slow down genius, take a break. The life is a journey, not a destination. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,

Bollywood Quiz 5 – The Idiots and a Dog

Jan 7

Posted by admin in Bollywood, Entertainment, Trivial Stuff | 1 Comment

The Bollywood Quiz 5 is based on the recent Bollywood news and movies, as of January 10, 2010.
The previous 4 Bollywood quizzes, if you want to try, can be found as linked below:
3-idiots252x218
Bollywood Quiz I: Know your Bollywood?:A Bollywood quiz about old movies of yesteryears!
Bollywood Quiz 7 – Evergreen Playback singers of Bollywood movies :A quiz on popular playback singers.
Bollywood Quiz III-Related to Bollywood movies or stories from August 2009
The Bollywood Quiz IVis based on the movies or related Bollywood stories as of November 2009.

Here is the latest – Bollywood Quiz 5; Good luck: :)

Please go to Bollywood Quiz 5 – The Idiots and a Dog to view the quiz

Related Posts:


Custom Search


Tags: , , , , ,