ExpertDabbler

I called this commerical break because i am writing a review for a product i’ve personally used and benefitted as a consumer:)

DUST-AID.

I am sure you would’ve heard about Band-aid. What on earth is Dust-Aid?

Scenario:
Say, you own a DSLR. Lets assume you also own two lenses. Chances are, you are one of those scene parties like me, who would change the lens right in the middle of a shoot. Location can be anything from Yosemite to Koovam.

There is a strong chance that your CCD sensor, (the digital equivalent of film which captures the shot) will accumulate dust. You may not notice this at first. But it will literally mark a mark in each and every photograph you shoot in due course.

We never had this problem with the traditional film cameras because we rewind the film roll for the next shot. Obviously that’s not the case with DSLRs.

Coming to the remedy, don’t for a moment think that wiping off the sensor with a cloth/oil/water would work. It’s called sensor for a reason. By trying these ‘murattu vaithiyam’ tricks, you may actually injure the sensor permanently.

In comes Dust-Aid. I think they called it Dust-Aid because it uses the same adhesive method to ‘heal’ the CCD sensor as BAND-AID. I had this problem during my US trip. NV sir would know that a lot of my photographs were ruined because of this issue. Eventually I found about this product and ordered it via BHphotovideo. It later turned out to be one of the useful purchases I ever made during the trip.

I cleaned my sensor after I reached India and it worked fantastic. My photos of Mani’s engagement came out perfect.

WARNING: There are some Canon users who’ve had problems with DUST_AID. Check out forums like dpreview and use your own discretion. I read that canon uses a coating on the sensor which is markedly different and delicate. DUST AID has a different variant of their product for Canon Users. I however reiterate that readers exercise discretion.

There are also some other competitors who follow a different approach to cleaning the sensor. Please let me know how effective they are if you have used any of the other products:) For now, my vote stays with DUST-AID.

Going by this, people might even call me aadi vaasi.
But hey my phone works just fine. I also realised one important benefit of owing a phone as mine.
Today, some team members decided to play prank on one of our colleagues. They simply stole his cell phone and had him searching all over the place for like 30 mins. He was literally sweating - his was a very expensive phone. I dare anyone to try such pranks with me… hehehe Not to mention, i remember most of my contacts list by heart and i can call even from a public phone booth (another endangered species).

Cell phones are getting more and more important with each passing day in India. The article is right in pointing it out as a symbol of status and expression. Even in our office, atleast half an hour was spent today on the merits and demerits of buying an iPhone from US and having it unlocked here. Cracking iPhones have become something like a cottage industry now. It’s only a matter of time that these guys start demanding tax sops for the kind of service and innovation they offer to the society.

It’s only a matter of time before Nokia becomes our national gadget too…whatever!..

EVen i too sometimes feel i should catch up with times and should go for a trendier phone. But hey, style is not just about owning a phone. What about what we talk?

Then i decide,’ Nama pesura vetti mokkai calls kum.. junk SMS kum idhu podhum’. The Aadhi vaasi in me has been winning so far.. but not sure till how long…

That we have a built-in system in our mind that effectively overlooks good music from passable or horrendous movies is known. But we do not realize the extent until we listen to some unknown masterpieces and this whole feeling hits home powerfully.

I am listening to Kangalaal Kaidhu Sei since yesterday night and I am totally in love with that album. The percussions in ‘Anarkali’, Hariharan’s voice in ‘Azhagiya Cindrella’, and the tune per se in ‘Theekurivi’ are just mindblowing. The tragedy is most of the world might not even know that a movie of such a name had ever been released, leave alone Rahman had composed music. I knew about the movie but did not realize that songs were this good till yesterday.

I immediately searched for blogs discussing about this movie and found that only one hardcore Rahmaniac had ever mentioned about this film among a huge list of unknown masterpieces.

I have always thought it was only Ilayaraja who has wasted amazing songs for listless films during the eighties. Apparently, he is not alone.

Last week I had to make a trip down south yet again. Only this time, being peak summer season, all trains were full more than a month in advance. I have made a habit of booking in A/c three tier sleeper nowadays. Alas, this time that was not vacant either.
I figured that a third a/c tatkal ticket works out to be more expensive than second a/c. So I upgraded myself to second a/c this one time.

The first thing that struck me was the attitude of the people. They were too stiff lipped for my taste. I boarded the Sampar Kranti at 7.30 in tambaram. As usual, I took out the book I had for times like these. The lady seated next to me, wanted to sleep by 8.30. Nor did she tell me. She was just fidgeting around and giving ample signals about her intentions though. Mine was upper berth so I was the one expected to move. The one seated opposite was already snoring. By the time I went to the loo and returned, the lady had already made her bed, lied down and switched off the lights.

Not the one to go to bed early and 8.30 is hardly bed time by any standards, I started my reading session by moving towards the area near the coach door which had lights. I was totally engrossed in the book standing there till Vilupuram which the train reached around 10 PM. It’s one thing that I did not mind standing there. But I felt she could’ve just told me that she wanted to sleep. And she should’ve refrained from switching off the lights without informing, especially given that my book was wide open.

On the other hand, the crowd in three tier a/c has always been very cordial and polite without being indecent or nosy in my experience. My sleeper class experience has also been pretty good for the most part though there are some forgettable ones.

I think the very fact that less people sit together coupled with the screen provided in the second a/c coaches makes people snobbish. For that matter, I feel even I would’ve struck a conversation with that lady had it been third a/c or sleeper coaches IMHO. Just goes to show how humans respond to the spaces around them :). The train reached Madurai around 5 AM. I had to board another train for the next one hour for Virudhunagar. This time I took an open ticket and boarded the general coach.

In line with their tickets, the people were at their unreserved best :). The reserved guy that I am with strangers, I found myself talking to four or five of the folks about the train being late, at what time it will reach tirunelveli etc. in no time.
This too is a classic case of people responding to their environment without even being consciously aware of it.

I thought how that lady would’ve reacted if she was to travel in a general compartment? I had a feeling she too would, in due course, adapt to the situations in the general coach, learn to live with someone sleeping on the space allocated for luggage, ignore some one’s taunts, make friends with the ones seated opposite and continue her journey.

I am not sure I would ever travel in general compartment for a 500 km journey. But I would heartily recommend it to anyone once in a while for a short distance. This also gives us a glimpse of the real, less shining India. An India where water does not automatically mean the ten rupee packaged bottle but the one available in pipes in railway stations for free. An India where ten people sit in a space for 4 and still manage to sleep without reservations.

I was in a very serious conversation with my friend Gopi y’day night and I get a call in my mobile. A person in distress. She is going through some relationship issues.

When you get an unusual call in your mobile after 12 AM, its not going to make you happy.

Agony calls can be gratifying or can be total crap - depending on the time of the call, the mood i am in, the way he or she responds to me.

For e.g Say, X is complaining about her lover. What am i supposed to do? I cannot say bad things about the guy because he is her lover. I cannot say good things as well because she is already angry with him. I cannot advice X because she would never listen in that situation anyway. I cannot talk to X’s lover because its their personal problem. It almost always boomerangs on the madhyastham party.

Here are some fundamental truths about agony aunt calls - what you say doesn’t matter. The person would’ve invested so much emotional energy into his situation that no matter what you say, he’s gonna look through his tainted glasses ever more closely.

I’ve had instances when people had called me at 3 AM in the morning just to vent their frustrations and emotional turmoil.
Now that very person did not have the time to call me when he was leaving the country for good. Nor is he in touch

Nowadays I follow a strategy with these calls. I can size up if this conversation will be of any good to the person in quick time.

If he or she can respond to me and I could really relate to his or her plight, i carry on.
Otherwise, i start arguing with them. They quickly realize there are worse people in this world than their lovers [”Indha saniyanukku namba saniyane thevalai”] and perhaps this very thought comforts them in way which cannot be expressed. I save a lot of time for better things as well

All said and done, truly listening to someone is a tough job. It just doesn’t get any easier at 3 AM. And you really have to stop short of going to a therapist yourself when you get treated like shit by that very same person

Its a good experience anyways. From a purely selfish standpoint, I know that I am not alone with problems.