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Seasoned life

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

With aging life get’s seasoned. Opinions, vision, thoughts and ambitions ringing high at young age slowly mellow down. Yes, majority of people I know have changed with the change of time.

Life is 20’s is vividly different from life peeked at the 30’s or in 40’s. As life progresses it also accumulates new layers and unwittingly we start living on the new deposit.

While every one changes, it’s interesting to watch how life moves high and down in each of the people around you. Yes, when I look around I see people moving from energetic line to dull and sultry sober lifestyles. Can’t blame, for age brings in security issues from shelter, clothing, expenses ….etc..

Apart from these, we tend to see people falling out of our life.. Death as an eye-opener makes us see life in a different perspective. Big daddy’s and uncles fade away leaving and making you wonder how they leave you in the lurch… Dominant faces in life quietly moves away… cause me to look at the meaning of life & opinion.

One question spark up after all these, ….. “ Can we afford to take seriously”

My answer would weigh more on the “No” side. Why NO?

Do you have an answer? ….

Life’s material plane

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Remember this popular hit from the Album “Like a virgin” by Madonna.
“ We are living in a Material world
and I’m a material girl, ….

When Madonna sang it in 85, it was at a time when digital age was still at it’s infancy . Now two decades has passed and world has become more richer and deeper in materialistic idealism. Thanks to globalization or outsourcing, we too have now become the part of the digital pancake

Most of us wake up each day with one solitary goal- earn more and gain more. Even the present day kids are preached aggressive lifestyles & behavior. Old values has lots it’s sheen in the race to reach first.

So, how can we see the future through the simmering glass of today’s rat race? I feel we ‘ll soon end up as digital ducks waiting for digital solace and digital companionship. Relationships are rooted on shallow grounds, yes, marriage or longer union will be history and society will be a singular world.

Sounds odd to think but that’s what we all are cruising and it’s an endless freeway with no turning back.

Before a rail journey – Trivandrum – Bangalore

~ bjcharles ~ 3 Comments

Great train story

Kanyakumari express departs daily from B’lore by 9:45. Now it’s Onam season and in spite of extra trains, all the trains are overbooked. Not to mention about the private busses out there making quick bucks.

Bangalore is now fast becoming a hot seat for young Mallus looking out to start a career. Apart form the young ones, there are plenty of biz opportunities – target the large pool of boozing and fish, beef & pork eating mallus.

Why Bangalore

Thanks to the snail pace planning and development of Kerala, people go out of town leaving family to earn a professional life. In Trivandrum it’s Technopark that has brought some measure of employment for techies and from outsourcing. If it can work in Techonopark why cant they clone this success to other parts or even more such units?

Train travel

Coming back to Kannyakumari Express, it’s again a perfect example of how long a train can take to reach two destination separated by 700 odd km. The time taken is roughly around 18 hrs… Don’t know what name to call for this long time in the train. One miserable feeling I get when I board the train from Trivandrum is that I have to sacrifice my homely lunch. This train leaves Trivandrum by 12:55 and for that I’ve to leave by 12:00, too early to have a great fishy food.

Compare it with bus service, which leaves by 3:30 or 4:00, which gives ample time to have food and have a sweet talk. Well, I detest bus travel but due to this time difference between these two modes of travel, I’m but forced to sit tight in a bus.

Talkal reservation

This time like every time, I failed to book in time and instead I choose the expensive way to book by talkal. Here I woke up early( painfully) and reached Indira Nagar B.D.A complex for ticket booking. Reached there by 7:00 but already there were smarter people waiting by the shutters.

Railway reservation opens at 8:00 and since I was in the front lines, I got the Talkal ticket. Wow, what a pleasure to hold on a railway ticket ( Rs 480 )

Cambridge Layout to Magestic – Auto fare

This day I had to drop my sibling to the Magestic Railway station. We left the house around 20:40, + 3 bags and one cardboard box of vegetables. We got into an auto who agreed to take us to Magestic with fare + 20 Rs. In spite of fairly thin traffic, the ride took around 40 mts. Cambridge Layout to Magestic 40 mintues by auto. I think, to be on the safe side, it’s better to keep 1 hr window of time to reach Majestic.

Auto meter was showing 59 and I paid 80 bucks to the auto chap. No sooner we kept the 4 bags, one potter came and offered to take to the Kanyakumari Express platform. I didn’t ask the rates and I assumed it to be around 30.

Potter & rates

After he walked few steps, he handed the goodies to another potter and in the exchange I heard him saying Do souv ( 200 bucks in Hindi. ). Damn, I then asked him the rates and he coolly said Rs200. I was adamant and said 50 but he came to Rs 100 and then to 80. I got hold of another bag and I stood to Rs 50.

The train was in the 3rd platform and we took the underpass to reach.

Well, I’ve flooded this blog with so many details( The talkal price, auto fare from Cambridge layout, Railway potters rates at Magestic). I hope some one will get some benefit with details.

So much detail for the Train trip. After seeing her off, I walked to the bus stand and took a bus to HAL. Driver stopped the vehicle near Command hospital and off I went to my home alone and tired.

Hilarious coment by Dr Marc Faber’s – u’ll enjoy

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Dr. Marc Faber concluded his monthly bulletin (June 2008) with the Following:

”The federal government is sending each of us a $600 rebate. If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, the money goes to China. If we spend it on gasoline it goes to the Arabs. If we buy a computer /software it will go to India. If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. If we purchase a good car it will go to Germany. If we purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. The only way to keep that money here at home is to spend it on prostitutes and beer, since these are the only products still produced in US. I’ve been doing my part.’

It’s hilarious to read this.. One of my colleague forwarded this to me and I forwarded it around. So, why are we so happy joke so much about Uncle Sam. Probably we humans have a tendency to ridicule the top dogs.

I write web copy

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

I write web copy for living. Often when I say about my profession it invites cold blank stares. Can’t blame the folks. Not too far ago I too was in that ignorant lot. Time has rolled and now I happen to drone the cloak of web copywriter. Now as a half baked online writer, I’m just climbing the stairway to the online word of words that sell.

What’s a web copy…

“Web copy simply means the words that make visitors to your website pull out their credit cards and buy your product or service”.

Now, it’s clearer. Words propel action/ customer acquisition. Yes, it’s interesting domain, which involves have repository of skills like writing skills, language, marketing, human psychology and all aspects in bits and pieces.

Having said all these, I’ve miles to go before I can scale the pinnacle of this profession, which I really love to reach…

Yes, it involves plenty of reading, writing and learning from the masters. It’s art, so be it; I’m willing to learn… Any web copy writers from Bangalore willing to trade content writing skills ?

Pls do call up @ 9900114982 & ask 4 charles


Auto – Hire fly traps

~ bjcharles ~ 2 Comments

Auta Saar, Auto Bosss

No welcome words greet me or a pleasant hug from loved ones , just me and the heavy bags. As I walk past the tarmarc of Railway station or bus stand one crowd greets me in unison. It’s khaki clad auto fellas who greet in chorus …. Auta Saar, Auto Bosss.

Auto’s are the popular option available to take us home, unless you fall in the lucky lot who has a loved one waiting to pick you from the tired journey.

For the less miserables ones like me auto walls are the only known acquiantances willing to take me home for a price. But hiring one of these freaks are ” blessed “with all sorts of bargains and fare arguments. Yes, they are very good in their trade and I for one is very clumsy in handling such fare bargains.

Due to this handicap in closing fare deals, I use other modes to closer to home or a point away from these landing places. Another reason which I start detesting is to avoid saving my precisius dough and not willing to give it out to these auto sirs.

Every visitor coming to B’lore would have some tale to trade about being taken for a ride by these auto dirvers. I’ve plenty and so I do my best to avoid any deals with them.

When I come by bus I get down at Madivala and by train I alight at K.R Puram. My destination is Cambridge Layout not a far corner from these points.

K.R puram railway station to Cambridge layout

From K.R puram, Cambridge Layout can be Rs 50 ride but these guys ask fancy price starting well beyond Rs 100. I remember once when my friends landed in this station, the auto driver took them around Indira Nagar in circles and finally reaching Cambridge Layout with a tired meter @ Rs 150/-. These experiences has taught me to avoid these Khaki clad demi gods .

Madivala 2 Cambridge Layout

When I land in Madivala, I often board public transport bus or the frequently plying call center cabs. The pain is the lug my baggage which usually goes beyond 3 bags and covers. In spite of this I manage to carry it across the road and wait for the bus.

I often tell my wife to do the same, she hasn’t for once gone with my word. For her stepping into an auto with a fair bargain sounds better than taking all the pains..

When I board a bus from Madivala Mosque bus stand I usally get down after the Indira Nagar fly over bridge and from there an auto with a minimum fare to home.. Amount saved may not be so big but the satisfaction I get go beyond the money saved.

Similarly when I aligt at K.R puram railway station, I cut across the swap of auto fellas and corss the road. From here I take a bus to drop me near Ulsoor stand and from there another auto.

Sounds painful but I do this most of the time.. Often I wonder why I should this much trouble to save around 30 bucks. I don’t have the answer, maybe because I do for my own pleasure of doing things differently ….

So, next time you land in B’lore I would suggest you to either cut down on the asking price by a half or take up transport bus to reach your destination. Small actions but it can help in some way to cull down the excesses of the auto drivers in Bangalore .

Heavenly stars

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment


Life’s stories as told by me wouldn’t amuse my blog vistors, but pics like this sure would find larger audience. Yes, pics and cartoons touching the fringes of sensuality is definitely get lot’s of eye balls. Well, that’s exactly I’m trying to do.

Sardine – A fishy lifestyle

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Odd it might appear , my eating habits are just as queer as it seems.

With a long coastline and with bountiful resources from sea and from lakes, Kearlites have come accustomed to Fish in their diet. Yes, I too stand to benefit from this trait, but my liking go a bit more with my penchant for fish for breakfast. But it’s a hard proposition for a person who has now relocated to B’lore.

Sardine story in Bangalore

Bangalore get it’s fish supply from Mangalore, Madras or from other fishing zones. The time difference between the fishing zones and the consumption is a time to . Fortunately the good refrigeration, transport and quick disposal enables Bangalore fish eaters something to look forward to. Though not as fresh as in Trivandrum or any other costal town in Kerala, Bangalore can still boast of good variety of fish supplies at sensible cost and with reasonable freshness.

Fish stalls near Cambridge Layout

Being a resident of Cambridge layout, I’m lucky to have few fish vendors near by. There are two shops near to Domlur. One Shop is N.L.P fish stall and the other one is Fish zone. Mr Ramesh is the owner of NLP and the other one is having a Mallu lineage.

Sardine Price in Bangalore

I used to visit Ramesh’s shop but moved out as they don’t clean Sardines. These days it’s the Sardine (Mathi /Chala or Ney Mathi ) season. These tiny, sleek and silvery vibrant fish is one the cheapest and the best fish you can get in Banglaore. The sardines are selling at around Rs 35/ a kg and I go mostly for a Kilo.

Most often I get sardines arter cleaning the scales and the inside stuff, a job I consider messy. In spite of their cleaning job, I do the second cleaning and I do water cleaning from an outside tap. Mind you, cleaning can stink you and your kitchen.

This is reason why people avoid sardines, and thankfully many consider it too scaly, pungent, and overwhelmingly fishy flavored. Well, I’m not going be turned by any such trivial issues..

Health benefits

Sardines are know for it’s health benefits. I have read about the aphrodisiac quality an also it seems good for heart. It contain Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a nutrient found the body’s cells.

Why Sardines:

Research suggests that consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids may help to:

• Prevent heart attacks and strokes
• Build healthy cell walls
• Improve cholesterol levels and help to lower triglycerides
• Lower blood pressure
• Protect brain development and improve cognition and mood

And more…

In a nutshell, it’s believed to have antioxidant properties and is said to enhance physical energy

Yes, sometime I feel fishy after having a healthy meal topped with few sardines ..

Though it is cheap in terms of price, I feel it’s one of the tastiest fish out there. Most often when I buy fish in the morning, I make it a point to fry or make curry of it and take it along my breakfast. At first my lady was averse in having fish in the morning, but with time and regular morning fish diet, she too fell for my fishy side. : )

Breakfast with sardine and puttu

Yes, it’s a heavy breakfast and I really enjoy that heaviness. I’m in no hurry to reach for my work as it starts pretty late. As long as I have such privileges, I’ll ensure my breakfast is packed with fresh sardines on my plate. After the breakfast, I mostly idle myself with a large cup of tea and venture to my terrace relishing the fullness of the fish gone in.

Next time you venture to the fish stall, pack yourself with Sardines and enjoy and pamper yourself with a wholesome Sardine diet pack.

Enjoy yourself today

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

Enjoy yourself today. You have a great deal to be grateful for, so give thanks. Take pride in all that you have accomplished so far and share your joy with others. Feel free to let go of the reins and sit back for a while and get comfortable. You have worked hard for a reason: to enjoy life. If you don`t do it now, when are you going to do it? Take a time out and be with loved ones tonight.

Such well-sprung word requires regular repetition. Blogs are the right place to post and visit back such departing truths in this modern life.

Kallar views

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment

These ageless twin peak seen from Kallar always revokes the moments spend on top of it. Yes, I’ve climbed the smaller peak, known as “Sarkar Mutta”. It’s not a tough climb on that hillock but a gradual assent through tall grass and tropical trees.

It was a rain sprinkled day, the day I climbed this hill along with my friends. We took sufficient rest and walked in our own pace. With the help and guidance of a local guide, “Ashokan”, we reached the top by 3 noon. As we reached the pinnacle of this bald mountain top, it all started to rain with thunder. It was scary to be on top of a hill with no cover and with blitzkrieg lightning and thunder.

I loved the beautiful expanse as seen from this magnificent top. The cityscape was lightly visible over the silhouetted haze of clouds and fog. We all savored these pleasant view from Sarkar Mutta and ran amok on this open space.

Tale never ends; we have our eye on the next peak, “Varayat mutta”. It requires overnight stay and more preparedness , planning & time. Yes, got to plan out and conquer that tall peak seen from the valley down at Kallar.