Mensa India (Bangalore)

MHK September 2009

2009-09-20T21:23:00.009+05:30

Introduction:

I had organized a MHK on the eve of moving out of my current residence. Home, as near as it is to me, is quite far for most people who confirmed their participation - yet, they turned up in good numbers*. The event itself was a fantastic time spend for all those who chose to come.

Agenda:

The main objective of this MHK was to arrange for a place where people would not be constrained by time or resources while trying to get together and spend time at leisure. I had arranged for lunch, snacks and beverages. There was also a provision to watch a "cult" movie if everyone attending were inclined to.

MHK:

The MHK was to start by 11:00 AM, but, keeping with the tradition** we started around 12:15 PM. However, once the MHK started, the tempo of the meeting picked up beyond expectations. There were more people and a whole lot more fun than an average MHK***. People played board games and group games both pre and post lunch. There was also a captivating session on Biking through the Himalayas by one of the members. It was about 8:00 PM when the meeting ended.

Details:

Time lines:

19th September 2009, Saturday

12:00 PM to 2:00PM - Introductions followed by "Scotland yard" and "Cluedo"
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Lunch and chatter
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM - Some chatter but mostly "Mafia"
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM - A bike journey through Leh/Ladakh/Jammu - by Gururaj Krishnamurthy
7:30 PM to 8:00 PM - A short round of Pictionary with some hot payasam followed by goodbyes

Attendees:

Mensans: 9 (in order of appearance to MHK)

Gururaj, Divakaran, Sugandhi, Tharunya, Sanat, Ananth,Kiran, Rathi, Ujwal

Guests: 4 (in order of appearance to MHK)

Rana, Giridhar, Roopa, Manasvi

Hosts: 2

Ravi & his mom (Savitha Manjunath)

Miscellany:

Sanat travelled from Kerala straight to the MHK and kept all of us engaged by masterfully moderating "Mafia"
Rathi travelled from Hyderabad straight to the MHK; she had some special sweet from Hyderabad for all who took trouble to attend the MHK
My mom Savitha, worked tirelessly to arrange for Lunch and Snacks - all by herself. Roopa helped her with serving
Around 6:30 PM, the skies opened up and there was a very heavy , incessant downpour. This caused some inconveniences to attendees as they were getting ready to head back home

Photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ravim7/MensaMHKSept2009#

Gracias`:

A big thank you to all of you who attended this MHK. It was a terrific change for us at home. The atmosphere and fun we had during the MHK will be truly memorable.

_________________________________________

* a total of 13 guests made it to the event

** people rarely turn up on time for MHKs, but then, you are not expected to...

*** an average MHK starts around 5:00 in the evening and lasts for only a couple of hours with anywhere between 3 to 8 people in attendance

A picture is worth a 1000 words

2008-08-24T13:56:00.001+05:30

Views from the Hancock

2008-06-16T09:56:00.004+05:30

Photos from the Observatory in the John Hancock Building, Chicago

Mensa May MHK: Kudremukh

2008-05-27T10:21:00.001+05:30

Mensa May MHK trip to Kudremukh. Trip report by Rathi, photographs by Roshin. Cross-posting from A World in a Grain of Sand.

Route

Bangalore - Tumkur Road - Nelamangala - Kunigal - Channaraipatna - Hassan - Belur - Chikmaglur - Balehunnur - Kalasa - Kudremukh

Kudremukh - Kalasa - Kottigehara - Mudigere - Belur - Hassan - Channaraipatna - Kunigal - Nelamangala - Bangalore

Except for the stretch from Kalasa to Kottigehara, roads quality varied from moderately good to excellent. The road from Belur to Hassan requires special mention, one can easily drive at 100+ kmph on this road.

Trip Report

Kudremukh is a quintessential picturesque valley lying in the bough of the Western Ghats. Surrounded by peaks and dense jungle is this quaint little town with a population, numbering a few thousands. Previously an iron ore mining reserve, it is now purely a naturist's delight! The mining operations came to a halt after the Supreme court passed a judgment to shut down the factory in 2005. The town was inhabited only by the employees of Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited, now with the closure it is close to becoming a ghost town.

It was midnight on the 23rd of May, 2008 when we 7 Mensans and 3 guests started off from Cunningham Road, in two cars, with Kudremukh as the destination in mind but no route chalked out. We thought we will take it as the road curves. After brief stops at Nelamangala, Kunigal and Chanraipatna, we were thrilled to get on to the Hassan - Belur road. At Belur, we mulled over the map to take a decision on our next move. Well, it was Chikmaglur that finally won and we headed off in that direction. Fortunately for us the roads till that point were excellent. At Chikmaglur, around 5 AM, we were happy to find quite a few people strolling around. With some assistance we got on to the road that headed to Balehunnur.

Dawn breaking over the mountains

From Balehunnur to Kalasa, we drove through the ghats, with the sun rising just behind the mountains. The sky with a hue of indigo was simply breathtaking. Irresistible as the scenery got, we stopped randomly to capture nature in its naked form either through the eye or through the camera. Almost close to Kalasa, we crossed this bridge with huge bamboo trees on either side of the river, Tunga, caressing the water. It was a mini Amazon of sorts! At this point a few of them had rumbling tummies and munched on idlis while the rest headed off to "Sahyadri Bhavan", our hotel in Kudremukh.

Misty river

It was 8:30 when we finally reached the hotel. A quick breakfast and a long freshening up later we were all set to explore some of the unknown terrain. Our local guide, Srikanth, took us to Samse, the closest village to Kudremukh (his hometown). After offering us some delicious home grown bananas and a refreshing drink, the 11 of us, yes the whole lot of us got into one jeep with the driver! Totally unprepared were we, to experience the rickety ride that took us through tea estates, up a hill through the jungle to finally stop a few hundred meters from the summit of a hillock. We got off and started to trek to reach a height from where we could see the valley extend till the eye could see.

View of the valley

Exhilarated and famished, we gobbled our packed lunches in the shade of a tree, surrounded by a herd of cows that had come to graze. The cowherd suggested we try and climb another peak, apparently from where the view was even more stunning. Getting adventurous, we started the climb and about 25 minutes later reached the point from where it felt, we will never get enough of this! Srikanth constantly reminded us that we have been really fortunate to view this as the skies were unimaginably clear that day after a thunderous downpour the previous day.

Content and rejuvenated, we headed down, and traced our path back to Samse, just in time to be saved from the rains which could have severely curtailed the movement of the jeep in the slushy muddy trail. It was at Samse that quite a few discovered they had brought along leeches on their legs! With a dash of salt the leeches were gotten rid off and a hot cup of coffee was welcomed by all. Heading back to the hotel, we thought of spending the rest of the day, generally doing nothing much.

The tree lined avenue of Kudremukh campus

Sunday was a late morning for most of us. Few of us went about discovering the town on our own and then finally packed to leave by around 12. A second round of breakfast was devoured at a nondescript restaurant with the TV playing out the Karnataka election results in the background. Thereafter, it took us almost 30 minutes pouring over a detailed map of Karnataka to decide that we should go back the way we came! So that meant the two cars would sync up at Chikamglur.

The three "guests" on the trip

But as luck would have it, both the cars lost the track and ended up heading in two different directions. We reached Kottigehara from Kalasa (bad roads) while the other car somehow managed to land in Balehunnur. It was then decided to meet in Hassan at the Kamath. Then again, we were one and a half hours apart, and so after having a bite at Kamath, we moved on to Bangalore. Reached Bangalore at 9:30 PM, ate dinner at Casa del Sol and reached home by 11:30 PM. The second group reached Bangalore at 1 AM after spending some quality "pool-side" time at the Taj, Chikmaglur.

We couldn't have asked for a more favorable weather, what with a few showers and the whole place being green and teeming with life.

Photography

All photographs shot with Canon EOS 400D with one of the following lenses:

Canon EF 50mm F1.8
Canon EF-S 17-85 mm F4 - 5.6 IS USM
Tamron 28 - 200 mm F3.8 - 5.6 XR

Raksha. Canon 50mm, ISO 1600, no flash

Moon was visible even close to sunrise

Sunrise

Early morning mist adding a surreal feel to the trees

Clouds proved favorable enough to get this shot

Had to wait quite a while to get a person at the right point in the picture

The tea bushes clothed the mountain side like a lush green carpet

Rathi. Fill in flash alleviating the harsh shadows of the midday sun to an extent.

Sugandhi

Rana

View from the small peak that we climbed first

Captured Tharunya against the blown-out sky while she was admiring some distant mountains

We found this nice rock where you could dangle your feet hundreds of meters above the valley below

Manz

The tree under which we had lunch

Su decided to take a quick post lunch siesta

The summit outcrop which we reached after a short trek

Inside Kudremukh campus

This bee was having a feast with all the flowers around

Gender & Leadership

2008-05-26T15:47:00.007+05:30

Browsing through my laptop, I found this essay I'd written as the final report for the Gender & Leadership elective during my Post Graduate Program in Management. The course instructors were Profs. Lynda Moore and Stacy Blake-Beard from Simmons Graduate School of Management.

Thought it might be an interesting read for some out here.

The most memorable learning came right in the first class. Through the readings and the experiences share by classmates, I realized that although the modern workplace has come a long way in trying to ensure equality of opportunity for men and women, there is still a long way to go to obtain genuine equality. Women continue to face covert discrimination in terms of appraisal parameters and pay as well. A woman’s simultaneous role as a wife/mother is seen as being competitive to her career interest whereas the same is not the case with a man’s role as a husband/father. Although the attitude is slowly changing, many companies still believe that women are less committed to their careers and will sooner or later sacrifice their career for the sake of a family.

The class discussions revealed that many successful career women have had to make a forced “choice” in choosing their careers over families and inwardly miss the comfort of a family. In the Indian context again, many successful career women are either single or have very strong family support systems. (As per the reading Top 25 most powerful business women in India). Even so, having such supportive husbands who are willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the wife’s career is a very rare occurrence.
The readings also emphasised the benefits of having a mentor at the workplace and the implications of mentorship for a successful career. Not so obvious was the research that revealed that women do better if they have men for mentors, because having a man mentor helps them “break into” the “old boy’s network” and gain acceptance for their competence as it is vouched for by the man who takes her under his guidance. However, the implications of such a strategy are quite profound. First, not all women may find it comfortable to request for a male mentor. Second, even if they do request, they risk alienating other women who may have agreed/wanted to mentor them. Thirdly, there is a fine balance that must be maintained in a man-woman mentor-mentee relationship. There is the risk of office gossip, and any contact outside of office may be misconstrued to have sexual overtones. One possible way of averting this is to have a small group of 2-3 senior colleagues take responsibility for a group of junior colleagues. That way all activity, designed to promote mentor-mentee relationship, outside of work will have to be as a group and the chances for malicious gossip is minimised. Another memorable framework for analyzing networks was the matrix based on agreement and trust to classify contacts, and using this to understand when and how to leverage each type of contact. For example, when the need is to get a contrary but honest opinion, it is best to go to an opponent.
Despite being capable and having adequate qualifications, on the ground realities also sometimes affect women adversely, such as the restriction placed on women’s work roles in conservative cultures, not being taken as a serious professional, or that traditionally, women are expected to make career moves keeping in mind their partner’s career choices, whereas reciprocity remains rare. In this matter, I see that the policy followed by some of the Indian IT firms, which firstly encourage people to refer and have their significant other join the same company, and secondly, help such couples to be geographically close (catering to the familial need) while working on separate projects (to prevent overt in-office competition), as a good policy.
Highlighting the simultaneity that women face, Dr. Uma spoke of her career journey and how she has achieved significant success as a businessperson, mother, and wife. The most striking insight I obtained from her talk was the fact that successful women have to typically endure office gossip as they climb the ladder of success. While she advised budding women managers to take such things in their stride, I’ve determined that as a male manager, in the future, I will not only refrain from indulging in some gossip but also actively try to reduce such gossip if I see it occurring within my team/organization. Publicly congratulating women for their professional accomplishments – as and when they are achieved – will reduce such gossip during promotion times. Also, a possible best practice that can be initiated would recommend that if a male and female colleague have to meet outside of office, it would help to meet in a public place (such as a coffee-shop) as against either one going to the residence of the other, which could lead to unnecessary gossip.
Modern women are every bit as focussed on and committed to their careers as men are and expect to get the same opportunities for career advancement. This can present some practical challenges as was illustrated by Ellen Moore’s case where she desired to take up an opportunity available in Saudi Arabia, but her male manager expressed reservations because of the country’s male dominated culture that would not make enable her to be taken seriously. It is easy to understand the woman’s disappointment and feeling of being marginalized in the corporate world in such a situation, but the lesson for managers is to handle such situations with tact. Managers can research and present precedents where the company genuinely tried to experiment by sending a woman into such situations but failed due to extraneous circumstances. Further, the managers must explain the nuances of the situation and then leave the final choice to the woman. If she wants to go ahead, the manager must let her. If she succeeds, it is good for the company and if she doesn’t (due to external circumstances beyond her control), she would admit it and then can be recalled into the previous assignment. It is important to note that during such recall, a manager must not consider the woman to have “failed” and it must not negatively affect her appraisal or career path. After all, the company was well aware that the chance of success was very slim, anyhow.
While the case of Ellen Moore may appear to be demonstrating the boundaries presented to geographical cross-boundary movement for women, it also has a subtle theme that becoming culturally sensitive and learning to working within the boundaries of the host country is paramount, irrespective of gender. A male manager may not face constraints in entering the country, but once there it is his cultural intelligence that will help him motivate local employees and achieve the organizational objectives.
As organizations become aware of the importance of giving women equal opportunity and to retain talent, there is a concerted effort on the part of companies to recruit, train, promote, and retain women employees. An example of this was in the Montreal Bank case. Such initiatives must be encouraged and driven by the CEO office, but the caveat is that programs designed for this purpose must be careful not to reverse discriminate against men or to be construed as promoting women based on gender rather than for capabilities. If such perceptions pervade the organization, there is likely to be intense discontentment among the men who will only resent the success of their women colleagues even more. Carried to an extreme, the remedy may actually turn out to be worse than the disease.
Stereotypes continue to pervade the workplace. Men leaders are expected to be aggressive, independent, competent, and dominant whereas women are expected to be emotional, submissive, gentle, and tactful. If a woman’s behaviour exhibits traits associated with male leaders, she isn’t perceived to be a leader, but as someone who someone who is “pushy”. Similarly, if men exhibit traits associated with women, they are perceived to be “soft” and not leadership material. Such stereotyping may force people to try and fit into the expected mould and thereby diminish their effectiveness as leaders because they are trying to be someone different from their natural selves. Possibly, such stereotyping is the result of childhood experiences where children are taught to behave in ways expected of their gender. Research has proven that children who play with toys marketed for their gender are joined by their peers, whereas children who play with toys meant for the opposite gender are left alone (Maccoby, 1998). As parents, it is important to be aware of the long term implications of such behaviour on the psyche of the child.
These stereotypes also affect work-life balance. While many (typically male) managers expect and understand women’s dual commitment to work and home, the same benefit is not accorded to male employees. Implicitly, the assumption made is that all men are driven, aggressive, and career-oriented and will happily put their personal family life on the backburner for corporate advancement. (An example of this can be seen in the company policies many companies in India follow. While women are given the legally stipulated paid maternity leave of 3 months, men get at the most 5 days of paternity leave, but in many cases even this is not given. In other cases, the policy exists purely on paper as men are reluctant to avail of leave for fear of being perceived as not committed to work.) This is a gross generalization, because many men want to accord a high priority to the family as well. If men are seen to be openly giving their personal life a high priority, they run the risk of being typecast as not being committed to work and it could have implications for career promotions. It is important to understand that both men and women need to have a healthy work life balance and that this is in the company’s best interest. Recent media reports are rife with stories of rising lifestyle diseases in urban India due to long excessive work hours and excessive stress. Losing valuable talented employees due to lifestyle diseases is far worse for a company than to retain the employees but keeping them happy by giving sufficient avenues to achieve a work-life balance.
For me, as an aspiring manager and corporate leader, another significant revelation lay in the experiences shared by my classmates. A vast majority of them who had had male managers typically attributed transactional leadership qualities to them but those who had had female managers attributed transformational leadership to the women. And these opinions are not without basis. My first manager when I was a fresh engineering graduate was a woman who I would describe as calm, understanding, and supportive. A few years later, I was working under a man who was aggressive, blunt, and task oriented. Both of them demanded performance but it was how they demanded it that differed. As a rookie in the industry, I found it comforting to have a manager who was relationship oriented, but prompting me to raise the bar higher and propelling me beyond it required someone who was more demanding. In addition, in a previous elective course (Managing Teams), we learnt that neither transactional nor transformational management techniques are always appropriate. Hence, men and women managers have a lot to learn from each other. This was proven by the research of Cann and Siegfred (1990) who say that “effective leaders, those who can respond successfully to the variety of demands and situations encountered by leaders, must be behaviourally androgynous.”
The underlying current to all the classes was that while the realization for the need for change was growing, there was little consensus on how such change must be effected. Making radical, full blown changes (such as replacing half of top management with women) are fraught with the dangers of being viewed as unmeritocratic and rousing resentment against the women so chosen. Besides, corporations being risk averse will simply not make radical changes, no matter how desirable. Simple verbal/written commitment to empowerment of women at the workplace can appear to be paying lip sympathy. A fine balance must be achieved, and the idea of tempered radicalism that was introduced seems perfect to achieve change while ensuring that everybody understands the reasons behind the policies, gets buy-in so that future efforts are not sabotaged, and then implements it effectively.
I took this course in order to sensitise myself to gender related issues at the workplace. In the class where we discussed voice, I noticed that many of the women students came up with personal anecdotes where they had to stand up for themselves – often against convention and family – to do what they believed was in their best interest. That really hit home, because I’ve rarely felt the conventional pressures to conform and I realized that we men get away relatively easy with being rebels. That class has been imprinted in my mind and it has implications on my decision making skills at the workplace.
Prior to ISB and this course, I would rarely have considered approaching work-situation related problems using the lens of Gender. But now, I realize that there is a practical reason to look at situations and decisions from the perspective of how both genders would perceive it. I’m now able to appreciate that rationalizing a business situation or decision from a Gender perspective is not an exercise in bashing either men or women, but simply being cognizant of the role interplay each gender is expected to play at work and in the society and to harmonize those expectations for mutual benefit of the company as well as the employee.

Bangkok Massage Parlour

2008-05-16T05:36:00.000+05:30

Titillating as the title may appear, this post is about a genuine Thai massage parlour in Bangkok. On my first visit to Bangkok, I was a bit hesitant about entering massage parlours considering that some (most?) of them are fronts for more carnal activities. Then I found Center Point Massage and have been a fan since - havent made a single visit to the Land of Smiles without a pit stop at Center Point Massage.

This place is located on Sukhumvit Road (Nearest station: Asok on BTS or Sukhumvit on MRT). Though I dont remember the exact address, it is located between Sukhumvit Soi 24 and 33, and if you get to the road from either of the above mentioned stations and then walk towards Soi 33, it is on the left side.

The rates (as of April 2008) are a very reasonable THB 300 for a 1 hr Thai massage or THB250 for a 1 hr foot massage. The ambience is soft and soothing and the massueses are well trained, courteous, and do a great job! If you like the service, dont forget to tip!

2008-05-09T15:13:00.003+05:30

My Days in Corbett

During the last week of April, I managed to fulfill one of my lifelong ambitions - to stay inside Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal, India.

An Idea is hatched

They say that life is what you make of it. Sometime ago, I took an online personality test , the feedback was that I typify a conventional, insipid, risk averse individual and that my life is as normal as it could get. My recent past has been anything but that - It made me realize how unpredictable life is. I learnt that, from being easy and happy go lucky, life could get pretty complicated pretty quickly.

I was vexed, rueful and rationalizing. A combination that made me want to just get away to serenity.

Himalayas is usually my default choice when I think tranquility. But I was obsessed with the Tiger ever since my first wild encounter. So, I sacrificed a trip to the Himalayan region and was destined elsewhere.

Jim Corbett National Park

Jim was a hunter from England who lived in India during British rule; in the early 1930s he realised he had erred and turned to conservation. He fought for the cause of saving the Tiger and was instrumental in setting up protected areas. He avowed to hunt only man-eaters then on and became a legend.

In memoriam, the Indian government named the park after him. In 1973, the project tiger campaign began there as well, leading to what is now called as the 'Corbett Tiger Reserve' (CTR) - which at 1300 Sq KM is the largest & possibly the wildest reserve forest in India.

For me, it was not only the call of the wild but also the call of Corbett.

Gearing up for a Sojourn

After several inquires and information gathering. I wrote to the Project Tiger Office at Ramnagar and also booked train tickets to and from Delhi. Once the approvals and arrangements were done, I negotiated for my transport and accommodation within the Reserve.

Unpredictability - present continuous

On arrival at Delhi, I asked to go to the Delhi Railway station as per my ticket. The taxi driver assumed New Delhi station, dropped me off and left in a hurry. A few moments later, amidst people who swarm like bees in the busy, humid station, I realized that I was at the wrong station and that someone had slipped his hands into my pocket to rid me of my spanking new cell phone.

There was no time to do anything but hitch a ride to the old Delhi railway station where the train to Ramnagar was to leave within the hour. As luck would have it, I reached in time. Once at the platform,I noticed that my train ticket was also stolen. Several deliberations and explanations to the TC resulted in me shelling out a hundred to get on the train instead of the stipulated Rs. 50 if one does not carry a reserved ticket.

Fortunately, everything else I had carried was intact.

A Bright Monday - Day 1 at CTR

Tahil, my driver cum caretaker for the coming days was enthused on arrival of the train from Delhi and had gone looking for me. In the meanwhile, I was enthused about finding him and located the 4WD jeep which I would use. We finally met a few minutes later and proceeded towards Corbett. After completing formalities at the forest office, I started what is easily the best wildlife outing to date.

We took 5 hours to cover the 30 km stretch to Dhikala camp stopping en route on every sighting. Tahil narrated several incidents of tiger spotting and also the information he had on the local tiger population and habitat. The highlight of the first safari in Corbett was the sighting of the Crested Serpent Eagle in close quarters.

On reaching Dhikala and settling down, I was ready for my first trip into the core areas of the jungle. Not too long into the safari, all vehicles roaming the forest converged and stopped in anticipation of a tiger coming out of the bushes for water. Nothing happened for 45 minutes and we decided to move on. I heard on my return to the camp that the tiger had indeed come out in the open. I was just philosophical about not seeing it and wondered whether I would see another during my stay at all.

However, the evening trip was extremely fruitful, I got a chance to observe elephants in the grasslands and spotted many other mammals and rare birds.

A Sultry Tuesday - Day 2 at CTR

Tuesday was extremely hot. I got a chance to explore deeper areas of the fantastic natural forest. All through the morning and evening rides, all I saw was pug marks and all I heard on my return to the camp was stories of a glimpse of a tiger here and a spotting there.

There was no shortage of other wildlife though, the opportunities I got to observe various animals and birds in their natural habitat was exhilarating. The elephants were godsend at the grasslands, I could spot about a hundred! I kept telling myself and also mentioned to Tahil - "I'm here to see Corbett and not the tiger". Although, this was true to an extent, it was always in the back of my mind that I had kept my fingers crossed about the tiger ever since I dreamt of going to Corbett.

Later, I chanced to walk around the camp after sunset and noticed that the horizon beyond the Dhikala grasslands had lit up. The forest was on fire! At that time, it looked more like an aura. Forest fires during summers are common - I stopped worrying and retired for the day as the extreme heat had completely drained me.

That sinking feeling - Day 3 at CTR

I woke up with thoughts of my missed opportunity on Monday and was starting to get worried about my chances. I guess Tahil was worried as well, the first thing he mentioned to me that morning was, "Sir, aaj sirf tiger specific safari karange" ( let us look only for tigers today).

We roamed the forests for about 3 hours that morning before entering the paar region of the forest, even there, it was only a case of fresh pug marks but no tiger. But there was something else to greet us, the fires were raging beyond the mountains which resulted in thick smog cover in the area. We had no choice but to turn back. On our way out of the paar region, which involves crossing the ramganga river a couple of times - trouble was waiting.

Corbett is unique in some respects, for instance, it has patches of elephant grass between wooded forests. As we were making our way back through the track between these grasslands, I noticed the grass moving and immediately signalled Tahil to stop.

Just a few meters ahead a giant tusker popped out of the grass!! we expected him to crossover and disappear in to the grass on the other side. But that was wishful thinking - He looked at us for a few seconds and started walking towards us. He looked agitated by our intrusion into his home.

In a track that is as wide as the jeep we were travelling in, going in reverse gear is a difficult proposition. It gets tougher if the road is curvy. But, when the road is surrounded by grass that can hide elephants - It was a case of nowhere to run.

Nevertheless, we braved our way backwards in the hope that the tusker would feel less agitated and let go if we maintain a respectable distance. With great difficulty, Tahil started to work his way backwards, I was in part guiding him and mostly keeping an eye on the now charging Tusker.

After about 50-60 meters of going backwards during this rather uncomfortable time. We decided to stop and see what happens; apparently, the Tusker had made up his mind and was unrelenting. He started to close in and we negotiated another 50 meters doing two things at a time. Fear gripped us, I wondered why I ever ventured into his territory. I suspect Tahil must have had similar thoughts.

After several such stop and tread back jeep tricks, our hopes of the tusker letting go faded. To add to our vows, we were soon faced with the prospect of crossing a timber bridge that was as wide as the jeep and had no railings on either side. It was one of those moments when you get that sinking feeling. But adrenaline also makes one brave I suppose - after all, it is all about fight or flee when adrenaline flows. At this time, the chances of fleeing were rather grim, we decided to fight.

It was the final go backwards, stop & watch if the tusker recedes step before we had to hit the river. We decided to stop and wait. And thankfully, the giant finally decided that he had done enough and started walking into the grass. I guess watching him go away itself was cause for another adrenaline rush. We thanked our stars and moved on.

The evening safari provided great sightings and photography opportunities. On our return to the camp, I noticed that the fire had crossed several mountains over the course of a day and was now clearly visible. Each and everyone of the forest department staff was fighting it, to no anvil. All said, everything is so well balanced in nature that, there was a natural boundary beyond which the fire could not rage, the ramganga river.

At the end of the day, I had the stark realization that I would be on the train to Delhi the next evening - that sinking feeling got to me again, but, I did not let myself down - "Tomorrow is another day".

Corbett's Personality Test - Day 4 at Corbett

Talim was grim-faced when we started the final safari to the core areas of Dhikala. Both of us kept our fingers crossed and hopes alive - we also did our part to give ourselves the best chance to spot the elusive tiger by leaving the gates at 5:45 AM sharp. As usual, we went through sambhar road and climbed back to the main road without much luck.

Talim then drove in to a cul-de-sac known as Ram Singh road that ends near a river bed . This jungle path is infamously named after Ram singh, a forest guard who was killed by a tiger in the region. As we approached the river bed, we saw two sets of pug marks. One was of a huge tiger and another was of a relatively younger, smaller one. As was the case with hundreds of other pugmark sightings, we were speculating the directions in which the two tigers could have gone when Talim pointed me towards yellow streaked bushes about 100 meters ahead of where we stood and asked me to look through my camera lens.

Human emotion is a strange phenomenon. What makes one happy makes the other sad; what one likes the other dislikes, what one loves the other may hate. The state of being emotional too is similar.

To me however, what I saw through the looking glass churned out feelings like butter is extracted from milk. I whispered to talim, "Haan, yea tiger hain" (yes, that is a tiger) with tear filled eyes. He looked up to the skies and thanked god for what we had just set our eyes on.

After more than thirty hours of searching with a unrelenting resolve and after every effort I had put to make this trip possible, I was finally face to face with one of 1300 or so tigers left in the wild today. It was one of those moments when emotional spikes cannot be contained.

I quickly wiped my eyes, and got to work, through the lens I studied this magnificent specimen for about 15 minutes before the jungle king decided to cross the river and head into the grass on the other side. His walk was phenomenal, every living thing in the vicinity screamed their lungs out to warn others that the king was on the move. It was amazing to experience what was going on.

As the prowler disappeared into the grass, we heard an alarm call from a deer behind us, we rushed to where the calls were coming from and within minutes of my first tiger sighting in Corbett, I was just a few meters away from a crouching tiger who waited no more than a minute before stealthily disappearing in to the bushes.

No more than 15 minutes later, there were more calls further down, a huge sambhar deer sprung out of the bushes and ran for its life. The calls were deafening for there was a third huge tiger in the vicinity which calmly walked around in the grasslands and lay down in the grass.

Thus, within the span of an hour on this eventful day, I had spotted and studied three wild tigers. Others who were on safari picked up the cues very quickly and started rushing to the spot - which forced me to recluse into a quieter part of the jungle as I continued my day long study of the Corbett forest.

It was exactly 6:30 PM, the park's closing time when we reached the main gate of the park after having spent hours in water holes and observing various wild phenomena. I found the first telephone booth and thus was back to civilization.

Talim then drove me to the local barber who ecstatically worked and dressed me up for urban society so to speak. very soon, it was dinner time and sooner still, it was time for the train to leave. I bade farewell to the humble nature lover and boarded the train back to seeming normalcy.

Epilogue

Although it was my personal ambition to spot wild tigers in corbett, it was by no means the only reason for my visit there. I was there appreciating the ecology and spotted tigers by pure chance. Every wildlife enthusiast must visit corbett for its ecology of which tigers are a part.

In retrospect, my days in Corbett was fascinating and unforgettable, every corner I turned had something to offer and the action was non-stop. I'm sure I will remember May 1st, Ram singh road for years to come.

And finally the Photos. Your feedback is much appreciated.

The great escapees

2008-05-06T12:37:00.005+05:30

Hi folk,
This is the final list of folk coming to the Kudremukh MHK :

Rathi + Manasvi
Roshin
Annette (+Arved at least, hopefully)
Tharunya
Kiran
Ujjwal
Sugandhi + Rana
Ananth

[Please DO NOT scrap me on Orkut or reply to the blog post. Send me a mail to the address I mail the Mensa Yahoo group from.]

Angkor Wat and Memories from Khmer Rouge

2008-05-03T11:05:00.011+05:30

A few photographs from my recent backpacking trip to Cambodia.

Siem Reap - The Ruins of Angkor Wat

S-21 (Security Prison 21 of Khmer Rouge) - today called Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocidal Crimes

The Killing Fields of Choeung-Ek

Basic Facts for travel to Cambodia (as of April 2008)

Visa on Arrival (for Indians): Yes, $20 for a single entry 1 month tourist visa, 1 photo required.

Cost of entry to Angkor Wat: $40 for a 3 day pass

Cost of entry to Tuol Sleng: $2 per adult

Cost of entry to Choeung Ek: $3 per adult

Approximate budget per day (incl. food, accomodation, and transport on at least 2 person sharing basis): $ 25 per day per person

Getting there: No direct flights from India. Transit via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok enroute to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. Air Asia is a LCC operating in S E Asia and tickets are very reasonably priced.

Travel between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh: Riverboats on the Tonle Sap cost about $25 per person and take about 4 hours. A cheaper option is to take a bus. AC buses cost $8 per head and take about 6 hours. The road conditions are good and although not upto EU or US highway standards, the ride is not bumpy. Intercity buses operate in the morning, noon, and early evening.

Travel Tip: US dollars are valid currency in Cambodia. Do not exchange your USD for Cambodian Riels at the airport. You will lose in transaction fee and in that locals give a different rate as well. (In April 2008, official exchange rate was $1=3750 riels, whereas locals would trade at $1=4000 riels.)

Also, bargain like crazy while buying souvenirs, paintings, clothes, guide services - almost everything - except hotel menus, accomodation prices, museum entry charges and the like.

Backpacking 101 - Things to Carry

2008-05-01T21:27:00.001+05:30

Based on my backpacking experience, I've created this checklist. It would possibly be of use to others who are interested in backpacking and budget short trips. Note that this is primarily for backpacking and not trekking/hiking. Trekking/Hiking would require additional items such as tent, sleeping bag etc. which are not mentioned in this list.

LIST OF ITEMS FOR A BACKPACKING TRIP

Clothes
- Long Pants / Jeans / Cargos
- Shirts
- Underclothes
- Handkeys
- Scarf / Cap
- Towel
- Hand Towel
- Shorts
- Socks
- Rainwear / Woolens
- Belt

Medical Kit
- Bandage / Band-Aid / Pain Reliever cream
- Dettol / Antiseptic cream
- Cotton
- Tablets for: cold, fever, loose motion, constipation, motion sickness, allergies, pain killer

Toiletries
- Toothbrush & paste
- Shaving Razor, Brush, Gel
- Sunscreen
- Moisturizer
- Body wash & shampoo
- Lip Gel
- Deodorant cum talcum powder
- Hand Sanitizer
- Mosquito repellent

Miscellaneous
- Laundry Bags
- Mobile Phone / Alarm Clock
- Water Sack / Water Bottle
- Floaters / Slippers
- Shoes & Shoe Dirt Remover
- Nail cutter
- Swiss knife
- Torch
- Clothes line and clips
- Sewing Kit
- Toilet Paper
- Paper soap
- Camera, batteries, memory cards, charger
- Money belt
- Tweezers
- Glasses’ case / Spare set of glasses
- Daily use bag
- Paper Napkins / Old Newspaper
- Combination Lock / Safety chain
- Comfort Kit : Air pillow, eye-shades, ear plugs, and blanket

Documents
- Passport / Driver’s License / Student or Company ID Card
- Tickets / Accommodation reservations
- Money in domestic and international currency / Traveller’s Cheques
- Guidebook / Pen

And all to be packed in a sturdy backpack!!

ps: please feel free to add to the list via comments if I've missed something of importance.

May MHK: The great escape

2008-04-29T13:42:00.006+05:30

The misty mountains beckon... Come the 24th of May, we are planning to head far with the madding crowd. Would you like to be lost in sylvan idylls, nestled deep in the emerald boughs of Karnataka's ghats? Then this MHK is just for you!! How often will you get a chance to immerse yourselves in the sights, sounds and smells at "The Expatriates"?

Ah, well, I guess I'll stop sounding like a bloody travel brochure...

Listen, Bangalore is hotter than it's ever been. Just want to escape that for a weekend, and hence...

We're planning to head to Kudremukh for the weekend in the general region of May 24th and 25th. The place we'll be staying in is rather intriguingly called "The Expatriates". It's also got the more imaginative name of "Kudremukh guest house" or something similiar. We shall be driving down... either on 23rd evening/night or early 24th morning on arriving at a consensus.

The cost: The rooms should cost us some Rs 800 on double occupancy (400 per head). So, with travel and food thrown in, we're expecting the cost to be about 1500 per head. All interested folk can contact me by replying to my e-mail on the yahoo group. We will be collecting the money in advance as a registration since the accommodation needs to be arranged. It would be preferable if we receive a response by this weekend. Thankee... Contact details will be in the mail.

Posting Guidelines

2008-04-28T13:27:00.002+05:30

Any dues paid member of Mensa India (Bangalore) can be a contributor to Mensa India (Bangalore) Blog
Contributors are free to post on any topic, however, keep in mind that this is a public blog of Mensa India (Bangalore)
Objectionable content will be removed by moderator(s) without warning
Kindly avoid cross-linking posts from your blogs, if you want to share the content, please duplicate the content in Mensa India (Bangalore) Blog (just copy and paste HTML if blogger)
Kindly avoid links to private/shared photo albums, if you want to share the photos, please upload the images to Mensa India (Bangalore) Blog
The previous two guidelines are to ensure content is preserved and will not be invalidated when individual blog/photo album is made private
Contributors can link to external sites whose content is not created by them and hence cannot be duplicated, please include a brief write up on why you found the link interesting enough to post
Avoid revealing email address and/or other personal data of Ms as this is a public blog

April MHK - a post-event report

2008-04-18T23:11:00.009+05:30

Since I was the one hosting the event, I will confine myself to the facts and leave all criticisms/ compliments to those less intimately concerned with the event.
To wit, that the following events did occur on Saturday, the 12th of April 2008:

Tharunya arrived at Brewhaha forty minutes ahead of schedule. She had meant to arrive only ten minutes ahead of time, but did not take into account the sparse traffic that might be expected at two in the afternoon on a weekend.
She called various people (Okay, she called four.) and discovered that some of them would arrive only at four, some thought the MHK was at four and some people's phones weren't even working. Hoorah!
She waited until five minutes to three, when she left the premises because she was politely reminded there was a limit to the amount of time one could spend in the establishment without ordering food.
Ujjwal arrived promptly at three and called Tharunya to find out where she was. Tharunya was properly impressed, but that did not prevent her from making a few unwanted remarks about his short story (i.e. gave away the plot, for e.g. to Sharmila).
The three members moved in and occupied a table right in view of the entrance. They were soon joined by (in approximate order of appearance) Annette, Ali, Poorna, Guru and Varun.
Orders were placed. In spite of advice to the contrary, Sharmila insisted on ordering the Inter-Galactic Gargle Blaster. Some amusement was derived from her facial expressions on tasting her drink. Some more amusement was derived from the facial expressions of those who were reading Ujjwal's story.
A slight diversion was caused when Ujjwal made disparaging remarks about women's ability to enter into feelings of love for inanimate objects, but he soon realized that he was both wrong and outnumbered.
The gang of eight moved to a corner of the café facing a large picture window. They were later glad to be there due to the excitement and screaming caused by unexplained acts of videotaping in the inner parts of BrewHaHa.
They were soon joined by Ananth, and once Kiran and Ravi arrived (at around 4.30 p.m.), the entire cast for the day's activities was present.
Games were played.
Some people left.
More games were played.
Everyone else left.

The Games:

We began with a mini-round of DC. The cards had names of South Indian movies (Languages covered - Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam) on them. Every movie name contained only four syllables, and the trick was to act out through phonetics only.

Once everyone had arrived, we moved into the Quiz. This consisted of four rounds of word games. The first two were crossword-clue rounds, and the others were anagrams and kangaroo words. We had five teams of two members each. Most teams managed to solve a number of puzzles, and a couple of teams got them all. :)
No wonder we're in Mensa, what?

We moved on next to the Pictionary. We split into two teams for this, and alternated the drawing of chits and the drawing of pictures. (notice: a pune, or a play on words.)
There were four ideas/ items on each card; all of them had one defining theme or connect. Here, the rules were to draw ONLY whatever was written on the card picked. Some amusement was caused when teams guessed the connect before all the items were drawn, and then spent time yelling random things at the person drawing. Poor Ali; poor beaver.
(Note--> Kiran was the one who said "beaver". The answer was "badger".)

After the Pictionary, we played Band Bluff, a game I invented purely for the purpose of the MHK. This was played as an individual game, with everyone just siting around and volunteering to pick a chit. The chits had names of bands (well known and otherwise) and the object of the game was to create a band-name-origin story for that band so that others could figure out who it was. My personal favourite (though nobody guessed the band) was the story for Chumbawumba that Ujjwal proposed. Honourable mentions for memorableness: Blind Faith, ABBA, Foreigner, Counting Crows, Talking Heads, AC/DC.
Near the end of this game, four Mensans decided they had to tear themselves away and move on either to work (Ujjwal and Sharmila) or to other venues (Varun and Guru).

We moved on then to the final prepared game for the evening, the Quotable Quotes. Here, the object of the game was to perform the quote from the famous movie that was given to you, and then have someone answer by quoting another line from the same movie. Since most people appeared to have missed seeing the movies, we modified the game to merely guessing which movie the quote was from. Slight diversion was caused when the movie was the Godfather, because, naturally, everyone wanted to show off a Brando imitation.

When we came to the end of the games, it was only around six, so we spent forty minutes or so playing pictionary with English movies. In that short span of time, Annette wowed us with tigers, dragons, and assorted weapons; Poorna stunned us all by revealing that she could draw a lifelike bust of Shakespeare and that she was related to him; Ananth proudly claimed his utter ignorance of all but the titles of the movies "because he learnt them for DC"; and Ali persisted in seeing scenes from Brokeback mountain in anything that anyone drew.
Notable mention: Ravi, with Flubber. :)

Eventually, we decided to all head home. We wished Ali luck for his year-odd stint in Phillipines, Kiran generously footed the MHK tab, and two jigsaw puzzles were handed over.

In all, a memorable day. Thanks to all who attended for being such great sports. I had a wonderful time.
:)

Ooh. Forgot to mention that I also received, on that day, my prize for winning the Photography Contest yay.

MHK Report: April 2008, BrewHaHa

2008-04-18T00:05:00.006+05:30

It has been almost a week since the most recent MHK and its high time we gave a description of it to those who missed it and remind those who attended it of the fun-filled hours spent.

The last MHK was on April 12th and it was good fun! Tharunya deserves a lot of praise for having conducted things well.

It was probably 3.15 p.m. when I reached BrewHaHa. Tharunya, Annette, Ujjwal, Sharmila and Ali were already there. I was introduced to those I had not met before. Ujjwal then showed all of us his prize-winning story :) which was subjected to some amount of discussion and debate. After sometime, Gururaj and Varun joined us (I don't remember who came first). I was slightly disappointed (again) at Sugandhi's absence. Its just that I write to her quite often and I still haven't met her.

Meanwhile, Tharunya had arranged for a nice place in one corner of the shop for us to carry out the activities planned for the day. After sometime Ananth joined us. After some more time Kiran and Ravi joined us. Nobody came after that and in my opinion, nobody would have welcomed anybody who came after that considering the fact that Tharunya (and to an extent even we) were annoyed at the late comers!

We played a number of games and I can't name them since each game was new and different from the games we have already played or heard of. Hats off to Tharunya - it isn't simple to plan such events with so much care and great attention to every detail.

After sometime, a few members (Ujjwal, Sharmila, Varun, Gururaj) left the place. To be honest, we had even more fun after they left! It has got nothing to do with their absence though.

We continued playing Tharunya's games for sometime and then we played random pictionary (english movies) until all of us left the place (it was probably 7 p.m. when we left). I still remember the 'Daisy Duck' Ravi drew :).

This report would be incomplete if I didn't write about Annette. I met her for the first time that day. She is a wonderful person. She's a great listener and above all, she's a genius. You should have seen the things she drew! She can replace Neil Buchanan in Art Attack!

I have now come to the end of the report and I hope to see all of you in the next MHK!

Poorna.T.S.

April MHK

2008-04-05T10:39:00.003+05:30

Hello Ms

I am (and have been :P ) ready with an entire slew of activities for the April MHK. Prepared are the following:

A round of Pictionary
A round of Dumb Charades
Three rounds of a Literary-type quiz
Two other games I invented purely for this purpose. :)

Neither the pictionary nor the DC is exactly of the traditional variety, so look out for some surprises.

Date: Saturday April 12th, 2008
Time: 3:00 PM
Venue: BrewHaHa
#88 Industrial Layout, JNC Road, Koramangala, 5th Block, Bangalore
ph: 41218997

Don't miss it!

Location map courtesy BrewHaHa

- Tharunya

March MHK: Photography Contest Results

2008-03-24T22:05:00.003+05:30

Thanks to everyone for actively participating in the photography competition. The entries posed a tough challenge for the 3 judges (Rathi, Ravi & Roshin) who evaluated the pictures based on technique, originality & aesthetics and assigned points as per the following:

Technique: 4
Originality: 3
Aesthetics: 3

After consolidating the evaluations from the 3 judges, we have selected Tharunya's "Who's coming to tea?" as the winner for receiving the best photograph title. Tharunya will receive a copy of John Hedgecoe's "How to Take Great Vacation Photographs".

Selected comments from Judges

"Inverse Silhouette"

One has seen countless photographs of the photographer's shadow - on sand, water, lawn and other surfaces. However, this creative photograph by Ananth gives the whole concept a unique new treatment. By exposing for the shadow detail in the grass, he forms an inverse/negative image with details in the shadows and blown out highlights defining a silhouette.

"Game On!"

Color is a very strong, defining element in any picture and this picture from Varun utilizes it to full effect. The composition is also very dynamic, yet very balanced. The triangular/pyramidal leading lines lead to the main center of interest - a colorful ball.

The fact that this was taken using a mobile give credence to the photographer's ability to "see an image" and capture it without relying on the help of technology.

"Gururaj - I"

This picture from Guru explains the power of composition in making a picture better than any other. Here is the picture before Guru cropped it:

In the original photograph, the main subject was lost amongst all the elements in the picture. By cropping it tighter and framing the photograph around the insect, Guru has created a very pleasing photograph with rich saturated colors and sharp focus on the subject.

"Who's coming to tea?"

This photograph by Tharunya exemplifies what photography is all about - capturing a fleeting moment in time and preserving for all eternity, using light, shadow, color, symmetry and framing to reveal a subject and a story. The parallel lines of the pillars at the side draw our eye to the second frame formed by the door and into yet another frame formed with light on to the subject - an empty chair besides a table with two cups on a tray. The composition also exploits the vertical frame within frame concept, and uses color and the additional element of the window to break the monotony of the frames and avoid the banality of symmetry. The window mirrors the chair and balances the overall picture.

The empty chair in front of the two cups raises tantalizing questions - from whom is the table set? have they already finished or are they yet to arrive? what/who else is there in the room besides the lone chair visible through the door?

As in any good photograph, light and shadow play a defining role. The warm evening light throws long shadows framing the main subject which is well lit. The unique closed shape of the inner courtyard lends to the symmetrical shadow forming the frame at the bottom of the picture. The parallel lines of the chair mirror the parallel lines of the door and the pillars. Overall, a very pleasing composition to the eye.

The only complaint I have about this photograph, and a minor one at that, is that the photograph is not exactly level. However, this is something that can be corrected during post-processing in an image-editor.

March MHK: Photography Contest

2008-03-17T09:45:00.004+05:30

The following are the entries received for the photography contest held during the March MHK. The rules for the contest are listed below:

Send your two best photographs taken during the course of the workshop at Panchavati
Photos must be resized so that the longer side is no more than 900 pixels
No digital manipulations must be done except contrast/brightness/levels/crop
Only JPEG format
For each photograph, include an explanation as to the "science" and "art" behind the photograph

The result will be announced once the judges (Rathi, Ravi, Roshin) have had a chance to review all the photographs as per the following criteria: Grading out of 10 points with 4 for Technique, 3 for Originality and 3 for Aesthetics. The higher weightage for Technique as it is the easiest to improve immediately after a workshop.

All viewers are encouraged to express their opinions/criticisms of the photographs in the comments section of this page.

As announced, the winner gets to take home a copy of the book "How to take Great Vacation Photographs" by John Hedgecoe.

Ananth - I

Inverse Silhouette

Camera: Panasonic
Model: DMC-FZ8
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/50 sec
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 6mm
Flash Used: No

Art, Sciene etc... : Hmmmm, firstly, I guess I've been lousy with the rules in this pic. No thirds, leading lines... afternoon sun. I wantedly over-exposed the pic etc. I initially wanted to take a pic of my shadow on the lawn. Then I thought it would be cool if I can manage to get the grass filling the silhouette and no details outside the shadow area. So I decided to overexpose the picture, by using spot metering and focussing on the shadow region. I added a spot of brightness and contrast in post processing, but that's more for the outer fringes to appear whiter.

Ananth - II

Heron

Camera: Panasonic
Model: DMC-FZ8
ISO: 125
Exposure: 1/25 sec
Aperture: f/3.3
Focal Length: 72mm
Flash Used: No

Art and science:

While driving up to Panchavati, I'd noticed some birds flitting about in the adjacent field. So after the workshop, when I was goofing off on the roof trying futile attempts at Nat-Geo-ish pics, I saw the field again. So I hopped off the roof (in safe stages) and walked across. I had hell taking this pic, since there was only one spot from where this pic could be taken, and that was a slope beyond the bamboo fringe. So I was rather precariously perched to take this one. It also made it hell to keep my hand from shaking, I used 12x zoom for this pic. I like the fact that the foliage forms a natural frame from my location of view in this pic. The plants forming the lower half of the frame are much closer to me, and hence they are out of focus. In hindsight, it has a nice effect of focussing on the heron. I also loved the way the grass in the field looked. So I aimed at the ledge on which the Heron stood, using the depth of field available to get a focus on the heron and the grass/paddy/whatever too. I used a slower exposure (which on hindsight was crazy because I was on 12 x zoom and my hands have a St. Vitus dance temperament) because it was already getting a little dark by then. The ledges on the fields also add lines, some leading,some misleading, to this picture. I just liked the overall effect. I took a few pics until I was satisfied with this one. Ravi identified the bird for me the next morning.

Varun - I

Caption: FIFA World Cup Final, 1998

The photograph depics a football in the colours of Brazil. The focus is on the ground, and the football is blurred. Symbolically there are 3 things here,
1) the ground (depicting Down to Earth)
2) The Brazilian National Flag coloured football
3) This football not in focus

This, for me, depicts the loss of a highly anticipated-to-win team in the world cup final.

Varun - II

Caption: Game On!

The photograph has leading lines which leads to the epicenter of the pic, the football. The ground adds the effect of a good contrast and makes the pic more natural.

Diwakaran - I

Shoes

This photo symbolizes that just the way we leave footsteps where ever we go, we also leave our shoes for everyone to fit in in that path... It may be easy to follow someone on his footsteps but very difficult to actually fill in their shoes..

Diwakaran - II

How High

This photo creates a pseudo sense of height. This is to symbolize that some obstacles even though actually small may look really huge..

Tharunya - I

"Who's coming to tea?"

The photograph was meant to be of a place set for tea (specifically in lieu of a living subject). The empty chair suggests limbo; one feels as though someone has just left, or will soon arrive... I liked the play of light and shadow through the photograph (especially the difference in the sharpness of shadows of objects close to and far from the wall - a nice study in perspective!) and the bold colours around the doorway. (The pillars in yellow and green, and the jalli-work at the corner). I felt the elements were well-balanced both by position and orientation.

To me the most interesting aspect of the photograph is the fact that although it is a still-life, this particular view of it, with the sunlight at this angle, lasted for only a few seconds. Static and dynamic simultaneously.

Tharunya - II

"Look up, baby!"

One of the reasons I liked taking this photograph is purely because of the fact that I followed little Jördis around for quite a while before I abandoned the attempt, and the moment I did that she sat down most obligingly in mamma's lap. I love the way she really is the focus of the photograph, both by the way it's composed, and because of the way her mother's head is bent towards her. I liked, also, the fabric of the skirt an the way it gives shape to the legs around the baby.

Technically, I tried to capture the diagonal line of the mother's arm and the baby's leg contrasting with the vertical of the wall on the side.

P.S. That wall is constructed quite shoddily.

Manasvi - I

Manasvi - II

Gururaj - I

Gururaj - II

Sugandhi - I

Ants:

Science : F5.5, Shutter speed : 1/1000. Wider aperture to capture only the foreground (subject) in focus. Shutter speed was taken to be that value , while I set the camera mode to 'fast' or 'sports', to freeze the ants which were moving

Art : The wider aperture has blurred the background, bringing the focus only on the ants. The ants are moving into the picture. The rope is adding the diagonal factor into the picture.

Sugandhi - II

Kid:
Science : F3.5, Shutter speed : 1/30. Fstop and shutter speed were set such that the girl and the background are captured clearly (higher dof)

Art: The picture follows the rule of thirds, with the girl in the left 1/3 of the pic. She also acts as the frame.

Asif Raj - I

The road less travelled

This is actually the photo of a ditch where dead trees etc. is burnt. A tough road to walk on.

Asif Raj - II

Face__Off

I just found this broken card board sheet, and incidentally it looked like a human face. One can easily make out the eyes, the nose and the beard. The background makes it look like the only survivor of a catastrophe.

Markus Ehrnsperger - I

Science:

TV: 1/100
AV: 1.4
ISO: 800
Focal Length: 50.0 mm

In spite of some missing light (especially in her face) no flash was used. This ensures saturated, clear colors. The AE was taken at her neighbor to ensure proper exposure in spite of the window behind her. Full apperture (1.4) and somewhat higher ISO (800) was used to achieve sufficient exposure. The shutter speed (1/100) is sufficient to avoid blurring. The background is very close to the foreground, so it is blurred only somewhat (on the left side) in spite of the very large apperture (1.4). Nevertheless, the women is very well emphasized in front of the rather uniform curtain.

Art:

The picture concentrates on one face. The expression is kind of mysterious, maybe musing about something. The very shiny background provided by the sunlit window gives a stark contrast to the person's features, emphasizing especially the contours of her eyes and the dark irises.

Markus Ehrnsperger - II

Science:

TV: 1/500
AV: 5.0
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 50.0 mm

The aperture ensures good DOF for the persons in the foreground and a blurred background to emphasize the persons. The exposure in the foreground is good in spite of the sun in the background.

Art:

The central subject of this picture is the very intense one-on-one talk between adult and child. Both have not been "set up" for this photograph, but it is rather a "catch of the day" kind of photo. There is a whole story within the way both are focused on the display of the laptop held by the woman; both are intently looking at its content (she showed photographs on it - so there is actually photos within a photo); the woman leans towards the the child holding him in a tender embrace. The child draws himself closer to her - on the outside to get a closer look, but on the inside maybe to better enjoy the intimacy of the moment. It is all about that "strong shoulder" that he can lean to.

Both persons are looked at from behind, but you can only do so much as guess what their faces would be like in that particular moment. You are also tempted to start wondering what might be so fascinating on that computer screen...

The outer settings of the picture provide for a kind of frame for the pair, the tree to the right, the car (blurred because it's background) and the bamboo stems. The heads of the two people are not in the center but rather in the upper third, and so your gaze is almost directed to their backs and particularly the strong shoulder that the child is leaning to.

The background provides for a lovely play of light an shade on the gravel, provided by the leafy tree shadows.

Photographic memory...

2008-03-16T13:31:00.003+05:30

Some vignettes from the Panchavati (March 2008) MHK...

Mensa trip to Panchavati

Above's a link to my picasa album. If required, I'll post the individual pics seperately here... but for the paradoxical now.. laziness drives me.

Photos from Photo SIG MHK - March 8th & 9th 2008

2008-03-15T10:02:00.001+05:30

http://picasaweb.google.com/ravim7/MensaMeetMar2008?authkey=yMYt0Yc3F_o

Photos from MHK March08, 09

2008-03-15T05:10:00.014+05:30

Photos taken by Tharunya on her five-year-old digital Olympus P-H-D.

different directions

primary

I call this one "Conversations with bucket".

Anybody home?

MHK Report: Mar 2008 Panchavati

2008-03-14T14:28:00.010+05:30

Imagine the innumerable tangents along which thoughts will fly when four hundred odd, high IQ individuals congregate. Just the mere thought of it fills me with a positive feeling. We strive to experience a fraction of that at our MHKs and we just get better each time.

The March MHK in that sense was quite a blast with a turnout of 15 full Ms and 6 guests. Now if one were to come up with reasons, apart from planetary alignments, this MHK was unique in the sense that it combined elements of, an insight into a serious hobby with fun and rejuvenation. And of course, how can I forget the meticulous planning by Roshin, who conducted the photography workshop. Before I move on, let me just encapsulate the story behind this MHK. It was a lot of insistence and zeal from Ananth that made me pester Roshin. And a final appeal from the secretary, Guru himself that made Roshin lunge forward.

It all began on the morning of 8th March, ’08 on the outskirts of Bangalore. Tucked away somewhere out there is a farmhouse, Panchavati. The five owner friends rent it out only to friends and relatives, so there are no formalities and it is a family atmosphere. Well, there we were, going to be amidst nature, all simply set right for a photography workshop. The planned time to begin was 10am, but as it turned out we were at the Banshankari bus stand buying watermelons and chatting. Asif and his wife had arrived well ahead of time and were sweltering in the sun when Roshin, me, Tharunya and Shaheen joined them. Anette with her family joined us and we headed to our destination. Finally around 11am, the theory session began, in all earnestness. Our ears and eyes glued to Roshin and mouths busy munching goodies. At certain points, the session got so interactive that a particular slide refused to move and make way for the next. However, somehow managing to wade through it all, we emerged an enlightened crowd, or so we think. If I forgot to mention, we did have a lunch break and were served with some sumptuous vegetarian delicacies.

The twilight hour was welcomed by amateur photographers setting foot to capture anything and everything that sparked the creative hormones hidden in them. At the back of their minds was the prize for the best photograph and the desire to win it. That resulted in some amazing photos and acrobatics by the photographers. But alas, we didn’t have the time to choose the winner and so it was decided to have the contest online. I am sure Kiran will be glad about that as he had to leave early and now that means he isn’t missing the fun part. In the meantime, some hot, boiled sweet potatoes and spicy savories added a new dimension to the energy and passion of all present there. This write up will be incomplete without the mention of three adorable stars, aged 3.5, 1.5 and 1.5, children of a German couple, who had us in splits with their cute antics and indeed, were every photographers’ delight.

Evening turned into night and we bade good bye to quite a few, but also welcomed one, Ali, who chose kick boxing over photography. We tried hard to tempt Sugandhi, Sharmila and a few others to stay back, nothing worked. So we reconciled to that fact and entertained ourselves with some Monty Python to begin with and a lot of carom thereafter. Around midnight, Varun and his friends had to take leave for mysterious reasons. So we just let them be. And it was almost 5:30am when the last few dozed off.

The sun brought with it a new day which was mostly spent lazing around, tossing a few balls and humming to guitars. Ravi joined us a second time after having gone back the previous night to give company to his dog. There were a passionate few, Tharunya in particular, who spent hours solving two jigsaw puzzles of five hundred pieces in the morning and the grand finish was celebrated with tea and more photographs. To add to the celebration, we were told that this event would be partly sponsored by Mensa. And then, when we were just about to wind up, someone come up with a great idea for the next MHK. Well, that will be revealed in due course.

[2008-03 MHK] - Photography workshop at Panchavati

2008-03-14T03:05:00.026+05:30

Body Art on Self

Body Art on mom

Body Art on Rathi

Yummy

Vrooom

Hey look .. Spaceman Spiff

Still-Meta

Live-Meta

And my life, as it had been, was over ..

Photos from MHK - March 2008

2008-03-13T21:08:00.006+05:30

[Photos] March 08 MHK - Photography workshop at Panchavati

2008-03-12T19:43:00.003+05:30

Photographs by Roshin Lal R, Mensa Bangalore. Equipment: Canon EOS 400D with Tamron 28-200mm XR lens.

MHK: [March 2008] Photography Workshop at Panchavati on 8th & 9th

2008-03-04T23:40:00.001+05:30

Dear Ms,

Find below the details of the March MHK.

The event is open to all valid members of Mensa Bangalore, and you are welcome to bring a guest (non-Mensan) along. The event cost will be Rs 500 per head which will have to be paid at the venue (this is to cover venue, food and other expenses).

Please confirm you attendance by sending an email with the following details:
Name of Mensan:
Guest: (Yes, No)
Name of Guest:
Attending: (Saturday, Sunday, Both Days)
Mode of Transportation: (Car, Bike, Need a Ride)
Mobile Number:

The confirmation email must reach me before Thursday 6th of March failing which your registration may not be accepted. This is because we have to make arrangements for food and other items which require at least 24 hours notice.

Please bring along any indoor/outdoor games that you have. Also request those who have sleeping bags/carry mats to kindly bring them in case we run short of beds.

For further clarifications, please write to me or call me on 98451-09012. Will send directions to Panchavati on Friday along with transport options for those requiring a ride.

Program Details

Day 1: 8th March
10 AM - 1 PM: Photography Session I (Theory)
1 PM - 2 PM: Lunch
2 PM - 4 PM: Games
4 PM - 5:30 PM: Photography Session II (Field Trip)
5:30 PM - 7 PM: Photography Session III (Review) & Snacks
7 PM - 9 PM: Chit Chat
9 PM - 10 PM: Dinner
10 PM - 12 AM: Music/Songs/Star Gazing
12 AM - 3 AM: Movie

Day 2: 9th March
9 AM - 10 AM: Breakfast
10 AM - 12 PM: Outdoor Games
12 PM - 1 PM: Chit Chat
1 PM - 2 PM: Lunch
2 PM - 4 PM: Indoor Games
4 PM - 5 PM: Tea

Best regards,
Roshin

MHK Report: Feb 2008 BrewHaHa

2008-02-11T10:10:00.001+05:30

A bunch of us met for MHK, Feb at BrewHaHa, Koramangala on February 10th, 2008. Ananth, Tharunya, Arjun (a guest with Tharunya), Rathi and Roshin were there at 4 PM, and Guru and myself were there by 4.20 PM.

Tharunya had some events prepared, but because of the low attendance of the event, we decided to hold on to the events for a later date, when we have more members in attendance. Meanwhile, we decided to take advantage of the games at BrewHaHa and start some games. We were also joined by a newcomer to the meetings, Poorna. We had a fun-filled session of Trivial Pursuit (a game of quiz and luck, mostly luck), which was a closely matched game, finally won by Roshin and Arjun. We were also joined by Amar in the midst of the game.

While the ambience at BrewHaHa was great, Ms did not find the food and drinks to be as inspiring. However, we do plan to keep our minds open towards BrewHaHa as a future meeting location.

The only disappointment of the evening was the low attendance, due to which we were not able to hold the events that Tharunya had so meticulously prepared.

Hope to see lots more people at next month's event, details of which will be sent out shortly.

Thanks,
Ujjwal

MHK: [Feb 2008] BrewHaHa

2008-02-09T10:10:00.001+05:30

Date: Sunday February 10, 2008
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: BrewHaHa, Koramangala
Notes: Map: http://www.brewhaha.in/img/location.jpg

http://www.mensabangalore.org/mhk.html

Tharunya has a couple of events planned for the day, and guests are welcome. The events may be team or individual depending on attendance.

Regular Lives of the Smart Set: ToI

2007-11-11T23:30:00.001+05:30

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArchiveView.asp?skin=TOI&AppName=1&GZ=T&CurrentPage=15&BaseHref=TOIBG%2F2007%2F11%2F11&PageSize=3&Daily=TOIBG&Page=12

National AGM 2007

2007-07-22T23:00:00.000+05:30

Dear Ms,

We had a fantastic time on Sunday :) All of you who didn't make it to the meet - we missed you, and you missed a really good event :( The 'official' session lasted all of a maximum of 8 minutes, with the National Chairman Dr. Girish Bapat and the National Secretary Mr. Nirav Sanghavi addressing all of us. We had chapter representatives from different chapters of the country visiting us : Mr. Kishore Asthana (Delhi), Mr. GowriShanker (Chennai) and Rishi Lal a.k.a Strider (Mumbai).

Roshin and Rathi had organised everything - right from the posters and invitations to the events of the entire day, from planning the 'probabilities' of the set of winners to buying and packing the gifts ! Ali and Ananth were the co-event-organisers, conducting Dumb Charades, Quiz and

other games :) Kiran added the surprise element of the day, when he released the first MBlr Newsletter at the AGM. (That will be uploaded to the groups shortly). He was handling the registration desk, along with Aravind. Not to forget Guru, who did all the running around ! A big thank you to all the volunteers. Kudos !

The event spelt 'fun' from the start :) Here are some highlights - We had Dr. Girish Bapat moving around the hall blindfolded (never expected that he would volunteer for that ! ), Savitr's dumb charade (:D), Aravind & Divakaran's quest for victory in a game of musical bean bags, the jigsaw puzzle solution by the team of Sheep (or was it Dogs ? ), Nirav's good-luck-charm and strategies, etcetera etcetera etcetera ... and there was Tharunya, the 'player of the day' ! (Tharunya, note that I am omitting the special title that you got towards the end of the day .. ;)

Participants, including everyone from outside Bangalore, have expressed immense appreciation to the way things were organised. I know Nirav will be reading this mail - so here is a special thank you to you too, for your support and guidance :) We thank Dr. Bapat for encouraging us - in fact, we got the process rolling because of him. We had met him in Pune, when he asked us why we haven't hosted one yet !

We also thank Pradyot, for he was the one who was instrumental in getting MBlr to the shape that is in today:) It was our misfortune that he wasn't with us yesterday. We missed him :(

Our 'thanksgiving speech' isn't over yet. Thanks to all of you who made it there. Felt good to see many Ms in one place, didn't it ? :)

Thank you!
Regards
Guru & Sugandhi

What is MHK?

2006-05-13T10:10:00.004+05:30

The monthly meeting/event for Mensa India (Bangalore). Specific details of the month's event will be announced beforehand via an email to the Mensa India (Bangalore) Y! Groups and a post on the Mensa India (Bangalore) Blog.

Common events include (but not limited to):

Playing games over tea/coffee
Organized events like workshops, quizzes etc
Outings/Treks/Weekend getaways
Anything else you care to plan and organize

Typically these events are self-sponsored and cost involved depends on venue and events. On an average, plan on spending between Rs 100 to Rs 250.

Q. What does Maasika Harate Katte mean?
A. Literally translated it means "Monthly Chat Platform" in Kannada. The name was selected just to give it a local flavour. (suggested by Ananth)

Take a brain check: ToI

2006-01-22T12:08:00.001+05:30

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1380844,flstry-1.cms

A group of nerds and geeks who speak gobbledy-gook? We beg to differ, say members of IQ-based group, Mensa.

All you brilliant Bangaloreans, sharpen your pencils. Your chance to become a part of a hallowed group of big-brainers is here. Mensa's Bangalore chapter is conducting it first test for membership in the city next month.

Mensa is an international society of 'super-bright' people whose IQs are in the top two percent of the population. Today, there are 100,000 Mensans in 100 countries of the world.

It's represented in every continent except Antarctica, and has over a 1,000-plus members in India, and over 50 in Bangalore, where they are contactable at www.mensabangalore.org.

Members come from various professions and have diverse interests. Sugandhi G, president of the Bangalore chapter, says, "We try and meet once a month, and while we do debate or have quiz and puzzle-solving sessions, we've also done fun stuff like rock climbing, trekking and movies."

Dr Savitr Shastri, a member doing his masters in surgery, did the test because of a friend. "It's not an insanely high IQ test," he says, "It's just a common ground for people of high IQ to meet up. In fact, it's a rather diverse bunch of people worldwide, though in Bangalore it's mostly techies."

He's one of two doctors who are members, and he pooh-poohs the idea that it's a snobbish lot of intellectuals meeting to indulge in nerdy talk. "In fact, we've tried starting a band. Some are into quizzes and puzzles, but music's my idea of a good time."

Would it give him a kick to put it in his bio-data? No, he says. "But I might look for other Mensans if I moved location. Mensa's far from mystical we're just normal people."

Says member and corporate lawyer Lahar Appaiah, "I've always enjoyed crosswords and puzzles, so I figured I could give it a decent shot." While not allowed to discuss the test contents, he just says, "They judge you on your intellectual abilities."

Appaiah himself writes on heavy metal, the cricket team and has debated on top action movies.

While Mensa Bangalore hasn't organised visits to a submarine or origami workshops like the Mumbai chapter, it's planning to do more soon. Appaiah says they want to dispel the myth that the brainy are eccentric or arrogant.

"In debates, they just stand behind their opinions. They're convinced their opinion is right, and they have the substance to back it up."

FAMOUS MENSA MEMBERS

Geena Davis, actor

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert

Joyce Carol Oates, author

Norman Schwarzkopf, general of Desert Storm

Isaac Asimov, sci-fi author

Jean Auel, author RUMA SINGH

MENSA FACTOIDS

Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill and Lance Ware. They decided to form a society for bright people with the objective of enjoying each others' company.

Mensa means 'table' in Latin. The name stands for a round table-style society, where race, colour, nationality, age, political and educational background are irrelevant.

Contrary to belief, not all Mensa members are from professions traditionally considered high-intelligence. They might be students, lawyers, farmers, truck drivers, actors.

Most Mensans are between 20-60 years. In Bangalore, the average Mensan is 20-35.

Candidates for membership in Mensa must achieve a score at or above the 98 percentile on a standard IQ test.

The test's a two-hour, culture neutral test it doesn't test maths or English skills, and requires no preparation.

Trip Report: Shivgange

2005-09-27T21:48:00.002+05:30

Went for a trek to Shivgange on Saturday, courtesy Mensa India (Bangalore). Supposed to be a picnic, more like a walk in the park, but turned out to be quite an adventure with fighting off ravaging monkeys, climbing impossible inclines, hanging on to handrails and what not. However, considering that it was a Mensa crowd, we had no dearth of interesting topics to fight on ... and that made the journey extremely fun.

Blues, browns & greens!

A green carpet

Stairway to heaven

To steal a phrase - a lot of bull ;-)

Spotlight from above

There are lots of monkeys on Shivgange. Pic of some intrepid Mensans.

Monkey see, monkey do.

On top of the world... er ... Bangalore, at least

If the Titanic could have flown, a picture would have looked like this!

Rock 'n roll