The swanky hotel in Manali

Its the "catch your eye" generation. Agreed. But why feature the Burj Al Arab next to an advertising piece on Manali holiday packages? Plain stupid. Seen in in the Times of India online edition today.

Road to indebtedness

In India, the banking system is still traditional. Yes there is the occasional Lakshmi chit fund and Vini Vic scheme. We all take housing loans, student loans etc. After getting to the US however, I see some of the “advance” (pun intended ) ways in which people can get hold on money. Its about the “right here right now” out here. Its mainstream. Plus, its not even the banks that do this.

1) Title loans – There are tons of ads. Smiley couple needs cash. Sad. Walk into a “title loan” shop and walk out with money, beaming. Anyone can get cash. Instantly. What they omit to tell: They just kept your car as security for a 500 buck loan.
2) Cash into gold – Got broken chains and unwanted gold jewellery at home? (Yeah really they believe jewellery is unwanted). Just send it in an envelope to the automated processing center and they will send cash. Instantly. Almost like its free.
3) Turn a structured settlement or annuity into cash now – Its just simple cash flow discounting to present value with obviously a tidy profit involved. The ads encourage people to get their cash flows (usually from lawsuit settlements) discounted so they can buy their dream home!
4) Cheque discounting – Even Walmart does it. Take a check and get cash immediately for a small fee. Encourages people to not even wait for 2 days that it takes for a cheque to clear.
5) Most shops offer EMI schemes and many many people buy expensive stuff only because of those schemes. Cars, houses? Fine. What about TV, furniture, holidays. Yup all of this.

Financial advancement is great. Deception is not cool. Some of this is taking place in India. Its just not mainstream yet. I really hope it remains that way.

I like, I dont like.

I have been tagged by Maanasi to do this. She wonders if I’m alive and breathing these days, seeing that this blog has no updates. So, this is to show her up.

1) I like driving – Even in Bangalore. Especially in Bangalore maybe. I know the traffic sucks yada yada, but secretly, I liked all that alone time I used to get.
2) I like things natural - It may make me look like I just got out of bed, but I’m not cheating anyone. Plus, I’ll never figure what to do with make-up. Its effort I don’t know how to make. Anyway, I NEVER look like I just got out of bed unless I just did or I’m lazy. That happens sometimes.
3) I hate exercising in the gym - I still do it but I hate it. Its boring.
4) I love traveling – That’s all I ever want to do. Go to as many different places as possible. I never get a travelogue done though. Much as I try. It’s the laziness again. I won’t even include that as a separate point.
5) I like to read in the loo. Some may find it disgusting. I like it. In Bangalore it was the daily newspaper. Here, it is Time magazine.

Hmm so far, 4 “I like” and 1 “I hate”. I have to change the equation

6) I hate “girl talk” other than with girls I share a wave length with. Its sooo boring to hear women talk about their daily lives. Unless they want to use humour or say something interesting, I don’t care for it.
7) I like studying. I complain and complain about it when I have to study for exams, but the nerd deep inside loves it best when studying.
8) My latest passion is America bashing and also some “Indians in Amrica” bashing. Got nothing against the country. Noticing a few things and making fun of it makes me feel good. It also makes me mean. But I don’t say anything to anyone’s face. So I’m good right?
9) I love watching programs like CSI and also Medical Detectives and such like. In fact, in my CA exam studying days, I used to allow myself 1 hour everyday to enjoy watching grisly murder stories re-enacted while having lunch. But horror movies? No siree bob. No can do. Hate them and don’t feel silly to say - I get really scared.
10) I love clothes but hate shopping. I will never buy stuff at some discount stores, not because I’m a snob but because I hate sifting through stuff that’s in a heap. If its all nicely put up on a rail, I’m all for looking. I cannot tolerate shopping trips that last more than say 3 hours. Not even at these fancy American outlet malls.

Lets see, now I’ve reached the same number of points as on Maanasi’s list. Just need one more to top her effort. If not content, sheer numbers talk baby!

11) I’m really bad at keeping awake for late nights. I used to be called "8 ‘o clock news" in my childhood for my penchant to quickly drift off to sleep soon as the anchor came on. No much has changed today. Ok, its not 8 pm anymore. But its certainly not all night or even close.

Guilt and the environment

Leave the World a Better Place™ - Carbon Offsetting Option

EcoSkies - Carbon Offsetting OptionContinental has partnered with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a non-profit organization that supports global climate protection and environmental conservation. STI offers customers the option to make a contribution to offset their carbon footprints for travel on Continental. All contributions are paid directly to STI. Continental does not receive any portion of any contribution.

Sustainable Travel International calculates that to offset your amount of CO2 from this itinerary, you may contribute $0.21 or another amount.

I just make an airline booking and noticed the above paragraph just after the booking details. Very interesting concept I must say - to make the guilt disappear.

But, another though that comes to mind is that the carbon impact of a 4 hour flight seems to be worth only $0.21, a miniscule atom amount. So, will this achieve the proper purpose of assuaging guilt? What if someone thinks “I’ll have a heck of a number of really long flights to do and even then my impact cannot exceed $10”.Therefore, I do not care.

Did I contribute the amount? No. I’ll turn off the light bulbs when I leave a room.

Windy Austin

Austin can be windy. Very windy. The reason, I feel, is because there are so few tress here. I mean the REAL ones. The only kind you see here are the dwarf boutique variety. You know they’re small and look pretty. So, anyway, there is nothing to stop the damn wind from flying right through and helping you and your shopping cart get ahead of yourself. I give below a very real example to substantiate this.

I go to the grocery store today. I know it’s a windy day because I fight my way to the car. All is well. Groceries are done.

Now, I go back to the car where I balance the cart, the car keys and myself. Have to open the door to put the stuff in. In the melee, the shopping cart runs away on the gentle gradient (helped by the wind of course). I somehow put everything in and then after the mandatory which side of the car to go towards confusion (this whole right side driving thing drives me crazy), I get to the driver’s seat. I open it with zero visibility. My hair is flying all about. Then I notice some important papers inside the car are swirling like crazy and one is already on the driver’s seat ready to sneak out. I quickly stop that by jumping towards the driver’s seat with my ahem!, posterior. Now I’m deeply satisfied. I saved the paper but wait a minute! I can’t turn!. The wind had made my hair go vertical and then some of it was still stuck between the door (on the top) when I dived in! I must have been a sight. That was confirmed when I came home looking something like this.

Kooky series

I think this is fun. I will start a number and “side-series” and see where they head.

Today’s series is: “Things to avoid/not do in America especially if you are from India and your taste matches mine and you are 5 feet tall or above”. Since this is my series, I have the right to name them what I want.

1) Do not walk. Drive! – Please, even if it sounds like the sanest thing to do, do not walk in this country (disclaimer: This is for the average American location. Not New York City). You do so at your own risk, as I discovered yesterday.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon who wants to cook? So the Mr and I decided to go get some grub from a place that was apparently 200 yards away (thank you google maps!). And so we walked. The footpath (the sidewalk as it is called in these parts) narrowed and finally becoming non-existant. Soon we had to walk on a dirt path ok. (gulp), ditch. Yes, ditch with some serious clay that stuck to my brand new shoes. We had a tough time steadying ourselves from the wind that almost blew us away everytime a vehicle passed, not to mention the quizzical looks on the face of the drivers. Are those people walking on their OWN TWO FEET or is that a mirage from all the Texas heat? Anyway you get the picture. We walked and never got anywhere and of course we were murderously hungry. Had to go back home, take the car out and get a meal eventually.

So, no walking please.

2) Avoid root beer – As exotic as it sounds all it is, is Iodex stirred into carbonated water with very little sugar. I discovered this yesterday, after the grand walk. Worse still, none of my aches and pains went away.
3) Avoid grapefruit juice – If like me you thought it was grape juice, you are forgiven. If I had paid any attention to the colour of the drink, I would have been forgiven too. But alas! It’s the bitterest most horrible drink on earth (along with root beer of course!). It does’nt DESERVE to be pink in colour

This list is bound to expand and I will delight you with all the information.

As always>> You’re welcome.

Statutory warning

The herein mentioned blog is titled Filter Cafe that bears close resemblance to Filter Coffee - the wonder drink from South India, a liquid which the writer loves (ok, is addicted to!). It thereby follows that good content can only stem from lavish gulping of the beverage mentioned. Now, the writer has been denied this simple pleasure owing to the move from Bangalore to Austin. Thus, future posts may be "Nescafe instant" like until a certain shipment arrives from Bangalore, India. Till then as they say :

Coffee is not my cup of tea.

Chew on this.

From "simply adjust maadi" to "howdy partner!"

For all of you who thought this blog is dead dead dead! …too bad. I’m back!

A new series shall start on this blog to high light the recent events in my rather eventful life. The move from Bangalore, Karnataka, India to Austin, Texas, USA. Yes, just recently moved countries from the land of Yedyurappa (what’s with the moralistic BJP these days?) to Mc Cain country (although Austin is supposed to be the haven of wierdness in the midst of the conservativeness that defines the rest of Texas). Yay!. So, after having stayed in Bangalore all my life, here I am in Texas.

So, lots of observances shall be showcased to you – reader and will shift depending on mood of self. So don’t berate me.

My current mood is as follows: The US is a developed country? Really?.

Chew on this. For more, patiently await my posts.