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.

Bangalore - hot and happenin!

We all know that Bangalore is changing and there is a steady influx of people from every place around. But really, has it changed this much!?

Check the screen shot below of the piratebay website (Click for enlarged image). Yes, yes guilty as charged! I download torrents all the time! But, for the first time, I noticed the young ladies on the left column. See for yourselves. I’ve lived all my life in Bangalore but I never knew Dasarahalli was this cool!

MTR for the uninitiated

Tell me about one travel article to Bangalore that does not mention MTR (Mavalli Tiffin room) as THE place to go for authentic South Indian meal in Bangalore. The ambiance is ahem! unique and believe me, all of Bangalore wants to eat here on any given day.

Everyone tells you to go there but no one tells you what to do once you reach. Therefore, in this post, I help by letting you know how to have a satisfactory breakfast experience at MTR. Here follows some tips from me. If you continue to the end of the post, there’s also a surprise waiting!

1) If you’re not a morning person like me, the best time to visit MTR is around 10.15 am – Breakfast closes at 11 am and the doors shut after around 10.45 am. No one’s allowed in after that. Why 10.15 then you ask? Well, many people just like you wanted to have breakfast at MTR and many people just like you, are not morning people.

2) Put your name down with the chap who calls out for tables as they become free. Well, this part is not difficult. But be sure to hang around him. I suggest a you maintain not more than 2 feet distance between the chap and you at any moment. Why? Sometimes the guy’s prone to calling out names in such a soft voice that you may not hear. He does not believe in second chances and right in front of your eyes, you may see the family with the kid carrying balloons bought from Lalbagh trooping in instead of you.

Now we come to the most delicate part of the operation:

3) When your names are called out, spring up from your seat and follow instructions to you table but AT THE SAME TIME, make a sweep of the entire room and check what’s on everyone’s table. If you’re Sherlock Holmes that no problem. Else, like me, you’ll need to practice about 2-3 times. Why you ask? Well, there are no menu’s in MTR. When the waiter blesses you with his presence, don’t annoy him by asking what’s there. Else, he’ll annoy you back by giving rattling out the entire menu in 5 seconds flat. Ever seen someone do speed reading aloud? That’s a necessary qualification to be an MTR waiter

4) So now that you’ve observed what’s on everyone’s tables, you can get ordering. But wait! There’s still the dosa aspect to mention. Of course you’ve gone all the way to MTR and the reward is perhaps a nice Ghee Masala Dosa. The waiter will tell you there’s no dosa, ALWAYS. Then, he’ll let tell you “maybe I can manage the last few dosas for you”. Then he’ll scold you and let you know these are the last possible dosas and he’ll send you to eternal hell if you ask for one more later on. You’ll meekly agree. Here in MTR, he tell YOU what to do. Its his way or the highway. Oh yes, you can note this charade going on in the tables round you as well. Once the artificial scarcity is created, I see that everyone orders dosas.

5) Refer to point four. The dosas have been ordered. Now, look desperately around for the waiter again to place the rest of your order. Or yes, if you are less than 4 people, expect to share your table with the boy carrying balloons from Lalbagh.

6) Once the food arrives, save for some minor irritants (you have to BEG for a second serving of chutney etc) the experience is excellent. I refer here only to the food.

All right so here’s the bonus I promised for reading the entire post. Below is MTR’s breakfast menu from my Sherlock Holmes’ing’.

Masala Dosa – Order first. It comes from the black market.

Rava Idly

Khara Bath – Not always available

Bisi Bele Bath – Yummy

Badam Halwa

Gulab Jamoon – so so

Badam milk

And the piece de resistance:

The Fruit Custard – From the second you put your eyes to it, you WANT it.

All breakfast items come with a generous helping of ghee.

You’re welcome!