jump to navigation

Notifying a change of address September 27, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Gyaan Korner.
Tags: ,
add a comment

Once you get your SIN, its easy to notify any change of address. All you need to do is to call them on their call center number, and then authenticate yourself to the call center agent. And voila, its effected.

Rahul Gandhi – General Secretary. PM? September 27, 2007

Posted by The Saint in India Rising.
Tags: ,
add a comment

We knew the moment would come, and even though we were always wrong about the timing, when it came, it wasn’t a surprise. Finally it happened. Rahul Gandhi, son of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi, was appointed the general secretary of the Indira National Congress, more commonly known as Congress Party. Ever since, Sonia Gandhi came into prominence, Rahul was pushed into the spotlight, and he was a reluctant politician. Whatever reasons he had, he had to push them to the background and take center stage, for the sake of the country. Whenever he spoke of something, even though it was not radical or refreshing, one gets the feeling that he speaks from his heart and out of genuine care.

From the current crop of politicians, I really am unable to gauge any positives from any of them. Achu mama in Kerala has my respect, Budha in WB seems to be doing well. Other than that, mmmmm…. pity. Out of a billion people, and I am sure a lakh of politicians – 2 people. Thats pathetic.

So coming to Rahul. Reluctant to join initially, he is doing a lot of stuff which seems to improve his credibility in my eyes. He is not a power monger, and he seems to understand the enormity of the problem. Sample his tours to UP and his campaigns there. I just hope that he doesn’t feel the pressure too much. A lot of indians look up to him. He is the new generation. Our Rajiv Gandhi. Let’s start fresh. He doesn’t look like having parochial thoughts and seems to think about India first, and then its states. We need a national leader, who unites us based on our lineage, and not on caste, money or language.

I am not saying that he is our savior or that he will succeed. But let us give him a chance, and wish him the very best. May India grow, may indians prosper. Dude, Jai Hind.

Chak Dia – India September 26, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Cricket, India Rising.
Tags: ,
add a comment

What a final!!! India vs Pakistan final is something my generation has been waiting for. The last time they met in a final of a world championship was in 1985, it was a beauty. This is the first time that they are competing in a World Cup Final. The expectations were sky high, and both the sides delivered.

It was 3.5 hrs of pulsating cricket, and the finish was nail biting. When you think that India had all but won the match, by taking 7 wickets and with the asking rate at about 2 runs per ball, it proves you wrong. Misbah hits 3 sixes in an over, and then Sohail hits another 2. Err… match in the bag? You wish!

And so it went down to the wire, 13 from 6, 9 wickets down. So you think, yea India is really close to winning it, and what do you get. A wide. Hmm.. thts ok.. its just a run, still 2 runs per ball, 12 in 6 balls. Next ball, SIX!!! YIKES!!! 6 in 4 balls. Thats gettable… Looking at the shot he played, you get a feeling thathe is capable of hitting everything for 6, and all he needs is one ball, and he has got 4. I shudder…. Next ball, a cute paddle shot by Misbah. You panic, with all kinds of thoughts going in your mind. YIKES!!! Fine leg is up, and at such times it goes to four. So that means it is 2 from 3 balls. :( . NO WAIT!!! INDIA WON!!! Cute little paddle becomes too-cute a shot, and the ball goes to Sreesanth. INDIA WON. INDIA WON. INDIA WON.

It was so surreal… as the indian players raced towards each other, and threw themselves on each other, one man slouched on the pitch – Misbah. One shot away from glory, but he will be remembered for the shot he played, rather than the breath taking and counter attacking innings he played. Well played, Pakistan. We love your spirit, but we want victory nonetheless.

I still don’t know what Chak De means, and now Chak Dia, but as always I know the experience of Chak Dia, India. India, you beauty!!!

Spring: factory-bean or what September 26, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Gyaan Korner, Technology.
Tags: ,
add a comment

There are two ways to defined factory beans in Spring.

1. Where you have a factory class or manager, which has static methods to return instances of various classes. For eg:
public class MyFactory {
public static ClassA getClassAInstance(){
….
return new ClassB();
}

public static ClassB getClassBInstance(){
….
return new ClassB();
}

}

the xml configuration would be:

2. The second approach is when you have a class which has non-static methods to return instances.
public class MyFactory {
public ClassA getClassAInstance(){
….
return new ClassB();
}

public ClassB getClassBInstance(){
….
return new ClassB();
}

}

In this case the xml configuration would slightly change to have another bean, which is then accessed in the other bean definitions.

HTH

VHP & Fatwas September 23, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Is India Rising.
add a comment

VHP is one organization that I could never appreciate. They are a curse to society and should be wiped off the consciousness of Indian society. Their role in most of the riots in India is reason for the above statements. All they think about is themselves, and how to divide people in the name of religion. The way they attack muslims by raising false issues, and their false propaganda is nauseous. My disdain for them is not because I am a muslim, but because I love truth. The VHP destroy truth. Period.

The reason why these scumbags got a mention in my blog is because of their recent antics to capitalize on the Ram Setu issue. As always they are trying to gain mileage from the issue, and trying to whip up passions of the Hindus. I sincerely hope that my Hindu brothers do not fall for it, and stay away from their mad rabble-rousing. Just as I believe that Al-Qaeda are the worst ambassadors of Islam, I truly believe that the VHP and RSS are the worst ambassadors of Hinduism.

Now to the main point – Fatwas. Fatwa means edict. Its like IPC or one of the laws defined in any constitution. But for the VHP, they just turned it upside down and as usual, they selectively took Fatwa’s which asked for infidels to be killed, and made Islam to be some kind of blood thirsty religion. Now, of all people, the VHP through one of their saints has issued a fatwa to kill a Chief Minister, and the killer would be rewarded with gold equivalent to his weight. So now it is ok for them to kill someone if their faith is targeted, but muslims shouldn’t? Hmmm….

Finally, the crux of the whole matter. Karunanidhi’s questioning of Ram’s position as god. My thoughts on it: Karunanidhi’s statement is not surprising considering his athiest credentials, but I am sure he will not mention the same about Allah, because of vote bank politics. My only issue with him is that. If you are an Athiest, then be consistent. Votebank politics are the reason scumbags and rodents like VHP and RSS exists.

Chak De India – The experience September 23, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Cricket, India Rising.
Tags: ,
add a comment

Chak de India… I don’t know what it means, but I sure know how it feels. India beat Australia in the T20 world cup semi final, and what a game it was. After the world cup disappointment, I swore ofo cricket, especially India, but today put me back into the orbit of a normal indian cricket fan. I am deliriously happy and excited.

The attitude that the Indians showed on the field was amazing and inspiring. Here was a bunch of boys playing shoulder-to-shoulder with the mighty Aussies, and they stood up and made themselves count, and the best part was they played a game the Aussies would have been proud of. Though the Aussies showed why they were world champions by not buckling under the enormous pressure, and giving themselves a chance till the 14th over, the last 6 overs showed, that they can be mowed down as well. They can cave in as well. Even though, it was for a brief period, welcome to “victimland” guys.

4 guys stood out for me today… Yuvi, Sreesanth, Joginder and Dhoni. Dhoni showed superb leadership skills, and for a guy so young, it is refreshing. His changes, backing his team mate’s intuition and finally his reasoning for giving Joginder the last over. Hats off dude. I am really looking forward to your captaincy.

Now to the final – India Vs Pakistan in a world cup final. This is something my generation has been wishing, dreaming and looking forward to. Let’s hope it is another cracker of a match.

Sehwag, Gambir, Uthappa, Yuvi, Dhoni, Sharma, Pathan, Bajji, Joginder, Sreesanth & RP Singh… You guys were great today. Even if you had lost today, nobody dare raise a finger or voice. We are proud of the cricket you put up on display, and our pride swells when we think of the way you won against the mighty aussies.

Chak de India. One win at a time, one battle at a time, one street at a time…

Making a SIN August 29, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Gyaan Korner.
Tags: , ,
add a comment

Social Insurance Number, or popularly known as SIN, is important for every resident(temporary or permanent) in canada. This number is a unique number given to every resident, who is allowed to work or study, or has been granted citizenship. This ID allows the government to have a single reference for tax, benefits, or for that matter anything. To know more about SIN, check this out.

For a SIN, you would need two pieces of ID. One is your passport and the other is your immigration paper – work permit or student permit. Visitors cannot get a SIN. For temporary residents, the SIN is temporary and temporary SIN starts with 9. By the way, creating a SIN is free. I think you need to pay for it only if you lost it.

Getting a SIN is very easy. You can mail it or you can get it directly. I got the SIN directly, and I would recommend the same for the following reasons – 1. It is easy 2. It is fast and 3. That’s what I know of. :D

So for the SIN, find a Service Center, take your two pieces of ID and get your SIN.

Best of luck.

PS: In case you find anything different from above, please drop me a line.

Settling in August 26, 2007

Posted by The Saint in Gyaan Korner.
Tags: ,
add a comment

The past 2-3 weeks have been hectic but fun. We are trying to settle down, find a place, get the whole thing started, and we are discovering a lot of stuff on the way. I tried to find information from the internet, and though I found some nice sites, it was tough to get them and then to do what was said on it. Since all the information was in different sites, I hope to accumulate them into this blog, and be of help to others.

Before I start listing the process, please be aware that this is based on my experiences, and needn’t be entirely practical for you. I landed here on a worker visa and I have noticed that the majority of the people who come here are landed immigrants, those who have a PR(Permanent Resident) card or refugees. I still think some of the processes are the same, but just in case, please verify.

OK, so for all those confused humans who land here on a work permit, read on…

* Social Insurance Number, commonly known as SIN
* Bank Accounts / Credit Card
* Getting a phone connection (wireless)
* Finding a house
* Health Insurance
* Drivers License
* Renting a car

I am sure there would be more to add to this, but for now, I am listing out what I know, and each point would have a detailed post. Just click on the link to find out more. If there is no link to click, well, in that case, just drop in a comment with your email and I will gladly reply to you.

Sample Resignation Letter August 20, 2007

Posted by The Saint in while @ work.
Tags:
add a comment

I have recieved some resignation letters and I am sure it was one of the top ten results of a “Resignation Letter” search. So here it is, I am attaching a sample one, let’s see who has the guts to send this.

The letter below came through an email and I also noticed it at a friend’s blog.

Dear Co-Workers and Managers,
As many of you probably know, today is my last day. But before I leave, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know what a great and distinct pleasure it has been to type “Today is my last day.”

For nearly as long as I’ve worked here, I’ve hoped that I might one day leave this company. And now that this dream has become a reality, please know that I could not have reached this goal without your unending lack of support. Words cannot express my gratitude for the words of gratitude you did not express.

I would especially like to thank all of my managers both past and present but with the exception of the wonderful Saroj Hariprashad: in an age where miscommunication is all too common, you consistently impressed and inspired me with the sheer magnitude of your misinformation, ignorance and intolerance for true talent. It takes a strong man to admit his mistake – it takes a stronger man to attribute his mistake to me.

Over the past seven years, you have taught me more than I could ever ask for and, in most cases, ever did ask for. I have been fortunate enough to work with some absolutely interchangeable supervisors on a wide variety of seemingly identical projects – an invaluable lesson in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium in overcoming daily tedium.

Your demands were high and your patience short, but I take great solace knowing that my work was, as stated on my annual review, “meets expectation.” That is the type of praise that sends a man home happy after a 10 hour day, smiling his way through half a bottle of meets expectation scotch with a meets expectation cigar. Thanks Trish!

And to most of my peers: even though we barely acknowledged each other within these office walls, I hope that in the future, should we pass on the street, you will regard me the same way as I regard you: sans eye contact.

But to those few souls with whom I’ve actually interacted, here are my personalized notes of farewell:

To Philip Cress, I will not miss hearing you cry over absolutely nothing while laying blame on me and my coworkers. Your racial comments about Joe Cobbinah were truly offensive and I hope that one day you might gain the strength to apologize to him.

To Brenda Ashby whom is long gone, I hope you find a manager that treats you as poorly as you have treated us. I worked harder for you then any manager in my career and I regret every ounce of it. Watching you take credit for my work was truly demoralizing.

To Sylvia Keenan, you should learn how to keep your mouth shut sweet heart. Bad mouthing the innocent is a negative thing, especially when your talking about someone who knows your disgusting secrets. ;)

To Bob Malvin (Mr. Cronyism Jr), well, I wish you had more of a back bone. You threw me to the wolves with that witch Brenda and I learned all too much from it. I still can’t believe that after following your instructions, I ended up getting written up, wow. Thanks for the experience buddy, lesson learned.

Don Merritt (Mr. Cronyism Sr), I’m happy that you were let go in the same manner that you have handed down to my dedicated coworkers. Hearing you on the phone last year brag about how great bonuses were going to be for you fellas in upper management because all of the lay offs made me nearly vomit. I never expected to see management benefit financially from the suffering of scores of people but then again, with this company’s rooted history in the slave trade it only makes sense.

To all of the executives of this company, Jamie Dimon and such. Despite working through countless managers that practiced unethical behavior, racism, sexism, jealousy and cronyism, I have benefited tremendously by working here and I truly thank you for that.

There was once a time where hard work was rewarded and acknowledged, it’s a pity that all of our positive output now falls on deaf ears and passes blind eyes. My advice for you is to place yourself closer to the pulse of this company and enjoy the effort and dedication of us “faceless little people” more.

There are many great people that are being over worked and mistreated but yet are still loyal not to those who abuse them but to the greater mission of providing excellent customer support. Find them and embrace them as they will help battle the cancerous plague that is ravishing the moral of this company.

So, in parting, if I could pass on any word of advice to the lower salary recipient (”because it’s good for the company”) in India or Tampa who will soon be filling my position, it would be to cherish this experience because a job opportunity like this comes along only once in a lifetime.

Meaning: if I had to work here again in this lifetime, I would sooner kill myself.

To those who I have held a great relationship with, I will miss being your co-worker and will cherish our history together. Please don’t bother responding as at this very moment I am most likely in my car doing 85 with the windows down listening to Biggie.

One!

I have always felt that resignations should convey the reasons for leaving, rather than being a venue for sugar-coating. I salute the brave soul who sent the above letter.

Flight to Ottawa August 18, 2007

Posted by The Saint in it is all about me.
Tags: ,
add a comment

When the flight took off from Dubai, the palm Jumerirah was visible in all its glory, and what a sight to behold. A man made island, like a palm tree, bathed in all the light. Dubai had given a lot of such moments, artificial islands, world’s tallest towers, a ski slope in a desert. Now we are going to go to Ottawa, a place that has most of the above mentioned either naturally or due to its position of being in a first world country.

As Dubai became a tiny speck below us, I wanted to remember all those magic moments, I spent in Dubai, but soon exhaustion took over, and all I could do was sleep. The long journey intimidated me and it was the first time I was taking such a long journey, spanning across multiple timezones and hopping 2 continents, and the vast Atlantic sea. The long day ensured that I slept peacefully rather than reminiscing about Dubai.

When I woke up, Jinu was very excited. She was sitting in the window seat, and I could see her excitement in her beautiful eyes. They were dancing for sure. When I looked below, I saw the reason. It was Zurich. Oh my god, the greenery was awesome, and spell binding. Swathes of green, intercepted by homes and roads. It sure looked like something that we want to call heaven. I used to wonder why do the swiss have a lot of farmers and diary owners. Now I know. From 10000 feet above, all I could think of doing in Zurich was to be part of that nature. No computers, no technology. Just green and serene surroundings, with clean and damp air. Mmmmmm… Life would be great there.

In Zurich, the stop over was not very long, just about an hour or so, but got delayed due to the arrival of our connecting flight. The airport was scenic as expected, and we could see the snow capped mountains in the distance. The long distance calls to India were very expensive. All I could talk for $10 was 2 mins. :( I also came to know that one of my favorite perfumes, Swiss Army, is not produced in the Swiss. In fact, no one knows about it there. I also got my first culture shock. No water in the toilets. I leave it to the reader’s imagination as to what I did.

Next stop toronto. Man, the flight just took ages and ages to reach, and to cap it, there was no personal entertainment systems. Zzzzzzzzzzz. Nope, I could not. No amount of exhaustion would make me sleep. I should say that it was the worst flights I ever took. Little did I know that worse was coming at the Toronto airport.

The Pearson airport is huge. Hundred odd terminals. Phew… One of the baggages was lost, and by the time, we filed a report, the connecting flight to Ottawa had left. We reached Ottawa, 2 hours later, and unsurprisingly the guy who was supposed to pick us up had left. My phone was dead, and I couldn’t get the local contact number. So there we were – In a new country, not knowing what to do. Where to go? Who to call…

Welcome to Ottawa!!!