Abdu starts bloggin from New Delhi.

In the words of 'Can't-stand-chya' from Seinfeld -- "I'm Back Baby!!"

Oh boy, it's been such a long time. How long has it been you ask? Well, let me see here. My last post before leaving was on the 15th of January. So that makes about four whole months. Wow! It has been long.

But it's not like I didn't want to start blogging earlier. It's just that out of the four months of no blogging, two months were due to no internet connection. Believe it or not, it took me two whole months to get a connection at home. People tell us, typically, it doesn't take this long. Apparently, I was a special case. They wanted to see me beg for it. :)

What else? Lets see...., Hmmmm

Damn! I always have this problem. Whenever I have a lot of material to talk about, I have a hard time knowing where to start, and I usually end up saying very little or nothing.

I guess, I'll try to think of some questions you folks would have and then try to answer them.

Q. How is it in India for you?

Well, right now it's alright. I mean, in the first couple of months I went through this adjusting period in which I was sick most of the time. You know, the usual, fever and an upset stomach. A few dozen visit to the doctor has almost fixed that problem.

Then there is my lack of transportation problem. Well, to be accurate, it's not really a lack of transportation, but my inability to drive in this crazy city, where traffic rules are as alien to people as ah..., people to aliens. (Yeah, as you can see, I'm not too great with analogies. Haha!)

Well, anyways, the point here is that it's hard for someone like me to drive on the street. But worry not, I'm working on it. Soon I'll be riding the streets of Delhi like I've never driven anywhere else before. You wait and see.

Question. What are you doing these days?

Answer. Not much to tell you the truth. I've just started to look for a job here. My biggest achievement right now is that I've finished making my resume. For those who have already gone through this phase, you know how difficult that can be.

Speaking of Jobs. If there's anybody out there who could help me find a job here in Delhi, please do. My field of study is International Relations and International Business. And unfortunately, I've got no job experience associated with it.

Okay, now that I've got that out of the way. Let see, what else?

On the topic of Indian economy, I have to admit, you can see and feel the change here. And by here I'm talking about Delhi. I don't know much about other places. Infrastructure in Delhi has changed dramatically from what I remember. You've got new highways (Tollways to be more accurate), new Buses, which look very much like the "Wave Trasit Buses" you see in Alabama. And last, but surely not the least, is the Delhi Metro System; Or as I call it, the Delhi Subway. It's hard to believe India could have a public transport system that could be so efficient and above all , look so clean. You've gotta see it to believe it.

Also, Delhi has these highly developed extended parts to it, which are not actually within the borders of Delhi, but considered to be a part of Delhi. I'm not sure of their political status. They're known as NCR regions of Delhi. And if you know what I'm talking about, then you know I speak of Gurgaon and Noida. I've got some picture of the place. I'll put them up later. It'll give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

I feel I've said enough for my first post, so I'm going to end it here.

There'll probably be few more posts on India before I start talking about other things.

[Note: You can click on the pictures to see an enlarged version.]

Abdu is making a comback very soon!

And as you can see, coming back with new look. LOL.

Abdu bids farewell to Umreeka

This is it my loyal blog readers, I'm off to India in a few hours. I've got no plans to come back in the near future, so this is goodbye and not see you later. Well technically speaking, you will see me later-- on this blog that is. But next post will be from Delhi, India. Then I'll really be al-Hindi. Haha.

To all those who read this blog and I also know personally here in the US-- I'm going to miss you all a lot. You made my blog experience interesting and fun. This is not to say others who I don't know personally didn't. You guys are important too.

Anyways, Take care everybody and keep checking my blog for updates. I'll try my best to run this blog from there.

[Watch out India, here comes Abdu.]

After thoughts on TDS and TCR

Just as I predicted, Jon's show was only half good without the writers. There were some awkward, boring moments. However, Colbert's show was almost as good as his regular show. And how come the show went on longer than usual. Almost 15 minutes longer.

Anyways, I'm just glad the shows are back. Regardless of how unprepared and unfunny they might be.

Afghanistan: A safe haven for Pakistanis

The following news item is too funny to pass over with out pointing it out. And it should be obvious, when I say, funny, I don't mean the on going violence in Pakistan, but the fact things have gotten so bad in Pakistan that people are fleeing into Afghanistan for safety. A place still riddled with violence of its own.

Pakistanis flee into Afghanistan

Thousands of Pakistanis have fled into Afghanistan with the security situation deteriorating in Pakistan's tribal regions over the past week. [Source: BBC. Tip sent by: Jewboy]

Jon Stewart and Colbert Return this Monday

‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ and ‘The Colbert Report’ will resume production on January 7 with both shows returning to air that night without their respective writing staffs. The January 7 return follows a scheduled two-week, end-of-year hiatus that was previously built into the shows’ production calendars. We continue to hold out hope for a swift resolution to the current stalemate that will enable the shows to be complete again.” — Comedy Central

“We would like to return to work with our writers. If we cannot, we would like to express our ambivalence, but without our writers we are unable to express something as nuanced as ambivalence.” — Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. [Source: No Fact Zone]

I can't wait for them to come back. These two shows have been off the air for so long that I can't even recall what the last episode was about. It feels like the news has been on hold since they went off air.

I hate to admit this, but I get my news from the Jon Stewart and the Colbert show. I mean, I read the news everyday but I don't really know what that news means until those two break it down to me on their show. I know it's sad, but that's how important these two shows have become to me.

Now they're saying they will be coming back without their writers. I don't understand how that will work. Now don't get me wrong, they are both good comedians in their own right, but the shows are all about the brilliant writing. And I doubt even half of what they say on their show is their own. I wonder how they're going to pull it off.

I guess we'll find out Monday.

Electric Sparks Produce Music

Following video is truly amazing. The sound in the video is being produced by the sparks itself, allegedly. There are no speakers involved. Wow!

Ford gets ready to say TATA to Jaguar.

Tata closes in on Jaguar takeover

Ford has confirmed that India's Tata Motors will be the likely buyer of its UK-based Jaguar and Land Rover brands.The US giant said it is now committed to negotiations "at a more detailed level" with Tata over the sale. [Source:BBC]
---------------------------------------------

This is incredible news for me. Who would have thought Tata an Indian company would ever own a car company like Jaguar. I think it''s time for me to watch or read up on the company. I virtually know nothing about the company except a few tidbits about the man who started it all.

One of those tidbits which I've always found interesting is the fact, (As far as I've been told,) Tata started the first passenger airline in pre-independent India, which later the government took over and named it Indian Airlines.

Now you can blog in हिन्दी.

I've just discovered a really cool new feature on blogger, which deserves its own separate post.

Now on blogger you can write in Hindi using the English alphabet, like so many of us already do, and blogger would convert it into Hindi script just as we type. Wow! How futuristic is that?! Now no more trying to make sense of Hindi words written using English letters.

Here's an example:

"Hindii men likhanaa aasaan nahii hogaa. meraa matalab, mujhe hindii men pade yaa likhe hove bohot vaqt ho gayaa hai. agar mainne glatii bhii karii mujhe pataa nahii lagegaa. lekin chaahe koch bhii ho, ye pahale se to bohot behatar he."

हिन्दी में लिखना आसान नही होगा। मेरा मतलब, मुझे हिन्दी

में पड़े या लिखे होवे बोहोत वक़्त हो गया है। अगर मैंने गलती

भी करी मुझे पता नही लगेगा। लेकिन चाहे कोच भी हो, ये

पहले से तो बोहोत बेहतर हे.

Now if only they can do this with Urdu, I'll be really impressed.

Happy 2008!!

So here I am, back after almost a year. A lot happened in '07-- personally speaking and in world affairs. Events like ah..., hmm. I can't decide what I should start with. Well tell you what, instead of reminiscing about last year, I'll just make this post into an announcement. And an important one at that.

Some might already know this, but for those who don't, you might find it surprising to learn that I am leaving the USA for good and heading, "back", to India in the next couple of weeks. Where I go from there or what I'll do once I get there is yet to be determined. But one thing is for sure, I'll be staying there for quite sometime. Who knows, if I'm lucky and things work out for the better, I'll simply settle down in India for good.

Anyways, that's all the update I have for now. I'll start blogging about issues you're used to reading on this blog from next time.

[This post just proves it's not easy getting your groove back. All that build-up and then nothing significant. Oh well. It's not like I'm getting paid for this.]

Abdusalaam is Making a Comeback!! (Hopefully.)

Yes you read it right my loyal readers, I'm thinking of making a comeback next year. I've been thinking about it for quite sometime now, and I feel there is no time better to make a fresh start than the beginning of a new year.

However, I'm not entirely sure if I can make a sustained effort at posting regularly. I've been out of the blog scene for so long that I'm not sure I can hit the ground running. My number one concern is writing. Some might find this hard to believe but I've virtually done no writing since I stopped posting on this blog since, ah... I don't know, May or April I think. I'm having trouble writing this post as we speak. One would think writing is something you don't forget to do once you've learned how to, however, one would be mistaken.

Anyways, I'm going to take another whack at this blog thing once again starting 1st of January 2008 and see how far I can take it this time. By the way, I'm not one who likes to toot his own horn, but I was really impressed by my last attempt at blogging. I stuck to something for more than a year. Now that is impressive in my book.

So my fellow blog readers, look forward this coming new year to a fresh, revamped and yet the same old Abdusalaam AlHindi you have come to love.

One very vital bit of info. to always keep in mind when it comes to my blog. Your comments is the key source of motivation that keeps the engine going. So any words of encouragement will have a considerable impact on my decision to restart and sustain this venture. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Take care and wish you all a Happy Eid , Merry Christmas and a Joyous Kwanzaa!!

Al Jazeera sets English launch date to 15 Nov.

Al Jazeera sets English launch date

Wednesday 01 November 2006
Aljazeera.net

The Al Jazeera Network announced on Tuesday that the channel, part of the network and the sister channel to Al Jazeera, will begin broadcasting from its Doha headquarters at 1200 GMT on 15th November.

The Al Jazeera English-language website is being relaunched at the same time.

The announcement of the channel's forthcoming launch coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Al Jazeera, the network's Arabic-language channel.

Documentary: "My Country, My Country"

One of THE BEST documentary I've seen in the past few years.

It is bound to touch you emotionally in a profound way. Simply heart wrenching.

Find out more about the documentary on the PBS website -- HERE

Also, If you do happen to watch the documentary and love the title song as much as I do. You'll be glad to know it is available in mp3 on its website.

I'm going to end this post with something I was thinking of at the end of the documentary.

My country, My country; Who are you and Where are you?

First Bangladeshi, Third Bengali to win Nobel Prize

Microloan Pioneer and His Bank Win Nobel Peace Prize
By ANAND GIRIDHARADAS and KEITH BRADSHER

The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded today to the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh and its founder, Muhammad Yunus, for pioneering microcredit — using loans of tiny amounts to transform destitute women into entrepreneurs.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Dr. Yunus and Grameen for their “efforts to create economic and social development from below.”

Though it is not the first time the committee has chosen to honor economic development as a contribution to world peace, rather than the more usual diplomacy, rights advocacy or philanthropy, it is the first time the prize has been awarded to a profit-making business.

The selection seemed to embody two connected ideas that are gaining ground among development experts: that attacking poverty is essential to peace, and that private enterprise is essential to attacking poverty.

Dr. Yunus founded the bank in his native Bangladesh to lend small amounts of cash — often as little as $20 — to local people, almost always women, who could use it to found or sustain a small business by, say, buying a cow to sell milk or a simple sewing machine to make clothing.

Read this and weep

With YouTube, Student Hits Jackpot Again

NYTimes.com

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 11 — For Jawed Karim, the $100,000 or so he would have to spend on a master’s degree at Stanford was never daunting. He hit an Internet jackpot in 2002 when PayPal, the online payment company he had joined early on, was bought by eBay.

On Monday, still early in his studies for the fall term, he got lucky again. This time he may have hit the Internet equivalent of the multistate PowerBall.

Mr. Karim is the third of the three founders of the video site YouTube, which Google has agreed to buy for $1.65 billion. He was present at YouTube’s creation, contributing some crucial ideas about a Web site where users could share video. But academia had more allure than the details of turning that idea into a business.

So while his partners Chad Hurley and Steven Chen built the company and went on to become Internet and media celebrities, he quietly went back to class, working toward a degree in computer science.

Mr. Karim, who is 27, became visibly uncomfortable when the subject turned to money, and he would not say what he stands to make when Google’s purchase of YouTube is completed. He said only that he is one of the company’s largest individual shareholders, though he owns less of the company than his two partners, whose stakes in the company are likely to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to some estimates. The deal was so enormous, he says, that his share was still plenty big.[Read On]