Roshin Roy

I am trying hard to finish this post on #twitter that has been in the drafts for over a week now. If you are a twitter addict, the ‘#’ tag would say it all. But you’d be wondering if @roshinroy has gone insane cuzz this is just a blog post and not a 140 char tweet ! where you’d have to #hashtag key words for references:) #Fail  

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates known as tweets. Typically, these updates are answers to one simple question – “What are you doing?”  Twitter is a multi-modal messaging platform that lets you send and receive messages of 140 characters via the web, SMS, Instant Message clients, and by third party applications. Since you carry your phone with you all the time you have quick access to all your ‘followers’. A 140 character long micro-blog wont take much time out of your life. 

People who have never used the service often think that twitter is for people who are incredibly boring and wish to tell others about their incredibly boring lives. Today, three years after it was conceived, twitter is less bout status updates and more about conversations.

Twitter as a social network is just like your orkut, facebook, myspace etc. But its a lot different from them all. While all other online social networks expect you to make friends with someone and then communicate with them, you can follow as many people as you want in twitter. You don’t need them to accept you as a follower, just like in real life. Your followers can watch you over weeks, months or years before they reach out and extend their interest in you, your work, your thoughts or even a common cause that you work for. All that while, you’d be tweeting about when you went to bed, what you had for breakfast, the movie that you watched, the book that you read, your neighbor, her furry cat, your friends, your city, your family, your work, your boss, you dog, anything .. Over a period of time, you would have painted a self portrait of yourself though your tweets that will be available for anybody who would want to know you better. If this sounds scary to you, keep yourself away from Twitter.

Twitter is not just growing, it is evolving. I should come back and write about some cool applications that can work around twitter…

I have always liked him ever since I knew him from comic books, folklore, epics, animated movies etc. I have always felt a kind of admiration and respect for his character, power and personality. Today, I have read a lot about him and I think I know quiet a lot about him. I would want to note down some cool stuff about this guy, a man of principles, a pundit, poet, great ruler, an art lover, a musician, a husband, a lover, a devotee, a warrior at his best, a king and a warlord. Ladies and gentlemen, gods, demons, immortals and mortals, I would like to introduce you to vishrava puthra (alias) dasakantha (alias) pankthigriva (alias) rakshasaraja (alias) lankeshwar RAVANA – king of demons, lord of the underworld, the mighty king of Lanka who feared none and earned respect of the three worlds.

Ravan, though accepted as a man of principles, a great ruler, a true brahmin and the greatest devotee of lord Shiva, is portraid as the lead antagonist in the great epic of Ramayana. This dude was so powerful, even the Gods feared him.

Now how does the story go? They say he kidnapped Sita, Ram’s wife and took her home with him to Lanka. Yeah right ! If he wanted her, he would have had her when her dad, King Janaka had arranged for her swayamvara. Ram just went up there and broke the bow that none of his competitors could do. Big deal! But did you know that Ravana was one of those elite people who had come for the swayamvara? Yes. He was there and his strength was beyond the strength of any mortal of that time. And why didn’t he break the weapon himself but instead bow in front of it with respect ? The iron bow was not just another weapon. Ravan had understood that it was the ‘shiv dhanas‘ which belonged to Lord Shiva and being a true Shiva devote, he refused to make a mockery of the weapon and disrespect his lord.

Besides Ravana was in a curse to be  “Eka-Patni-Vrathastha” by lord Bhrahma when he had abducted Sita, which means, no fooling around when he was married to Mandodhari his beloved wife.

Then why did he do it? It was revenge that made King Ravana do it. He was no God or saint. He was the leader of the Rakshasas. He could never forgive Rama and Lakshmana who had attacked his sister Shoorpanaka. And what was her crime? She had only expressed her love for him. He had vowed to bring Rama and Lakshmana to his court and punish them for their disrespect to his sister and the rakshasas.

Is that all? He respected Sita so much that he gave her a private space, a palace with all the guards, servants etc where she had her will. And how was King Ravana defeated? I would say he was cheated.. even by the Gods who were supposed to stand for truth and honor. You would be surprised to know what Ravan took to the battle ground in his arsenal. This dude had all the powers that was needed to end the battle. And why didn’t the great king of Lanka not defend himself against the Brahmastra that Rama had attacked him with? Its cuz he knew that he could defend the brahmastra only with a bramastra that he had in his arsenal. He also knew that the impact of such an action would be .. hmm .. err .. apocalypse .. Yes, it was like nuke missiles colliding and Lankeshwar Ravana took a call which can be compared to putting and end to .. err ..  a nuclear standoff. Thus, the lord of the underworld fell, inspite of his knowledge death defying ‘maha mriuthunjaya manthra‘ and his ultimate power of ‘kundali jagran’ – his command over his own fate.

Next time you hear about the deamon lord, king Ravana, you should know that he was one powerful being who worked hard and struggled to earn all the ultimate powers that the Gods could offer. Unlike, his assasin, Rama who was born privilleged and was bestowed on with all the powers that he had. And what did he do with it ? yeah .. well i hope to come back and write about Rama someday .. soon ..

I was talking to Sruthy yesterday on Syrian Chirstian cuisine when I realized that there would be loads of keralites like her out there who would have no clue on what they are missing in life when they are totally unaware and deprived of this exquisite plethora of gourmet food that can entice their taste buds and leave them with a lasting impression. I tried to list out a few of the most popular preparations for her when I realised that I could collect volumes of information on the subject and still have more to know. Luckly, she dint want to know much as I had already bombarded her with a lot of info on food, recipes and more ..  I thought I would write about it in here ..

Did you know that christianity was well established in Kerala, at least three centuries before it estblished itself as a religion in Europe? . The Syrian Malabar “Nasraniz” people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition. The cuisine of the state of Kerala, is influenced by its large Christian minority who brought their rich cultural identity into the food they prepared. I can go on and on on the rich tradition and the history behind every dish there is, but I would rather list a few that tops the chart and you can fetch their recipes from some ammachi you know in kerala.

A favourite dish of Kerala Syrian Christians is the stew. Chicken and potatoes are simmered gently in a creamy white sauce flavoured with black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, green chillies, lime juice, shallots and coconut milk. They prepare stews with chicken, lamb, duck. The other dishes are piralen (chicken stir-fries), meat thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), Fried fish ( usually perlspot ) with onion salad, fiery vindaloos, sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish). This is eaten with Appam. Appams, Kallappams or Vellayappams are rice flour pancakes which have soft, thick white spongy centres and thin golden crip lace like edge. Meen vevichathu or fish in fiery red chilly sauce is also another favourite item. Besides the chicken and fish there is also red meat, erachi orlarthiathu. Beef (or lamb) is boiled with roasted cirruabder seeds, red chilles, cloves, onions, cummins garlic, ginger, fried coconut chips and a little vinegar. Then with the water reduced, the, meat is almost fried dry in a little oil that has been flavoured with sliced shallots and highly aromatic curry leaves. Wine is an integral part of their cuisine.

If you are in for a full fledged sadhya, you might start with the fried fish with onion salad, followed by kallappam (rice pancakes) and mutton stew, duck roast .. … the spread would have meen vevichathu (red fish curry) and erachi ularthiyathu (fried meat) accompanied by rice, dal curry, sambar, rasam and buttermilk.. you will have the sweet and sour Kalan, the ingi curry ( ginger ), aviyal, and a lot more .. You’d be finishing if off with the pazham + paani which is more like a fruit salad ( but you’d only have ripe banana and sweet syrup made of palm toddy as its dressing ) …

The Syrian Christian contribution to the Kerala cuisine has been is tremendous. If you haven’t tried any of these stuff, I would say you really dont know what you are missing. In fact I have read elsewhere that marrying into a Syrian Christian home can be the best thing that can happen to a food lover! If you think thats not gonna work out, will post some recipes of all those stuff that I talk about in here ha .. enjoy !

If you know me well, you’d know that I am crazy about cocktails .. No, not ordering the usual ones at a classy pub or a lounge bar. .. but making those exotic ones at a cocktail party .. the whole process of shopping for the right ingredients.. the grinding, the crushing, the fizz, the flavors, and of course .. the oooh and aaaah that you get from those who enjoy watching the show

I have started reading about cocktails and I thought I would list a few things that I found interesting and informative. Every cocktail would have a few basic ingredients that go into it – the base of the drink is the main flavoring. There there would be your special flavor that adds to the detail of the drink. Care should go into getting the right concentration, color, texture and even the temperature of the drink. Its almost like making perfumes, you have a few notes that you play with.. and you strike a match at the right proportions to have the perfect product. Finally, you have your presentation and decoration thats as important as what really goes into it.

Cocktails are far from being boring; on the contrary, they are considered by most people hip and in style. Mixing a cocktail is not something that is done by strict rules; quite the opposite, the drink must be made after the personal taste. Special ingredients can be added while shaking or stirring, leading to some of the world’s most spectacular mixed drinks. What you have to remember about cocktails is that they require dedication. You have to put your heart into the making of a mixed drink and read all about different recipes.

Along with preparation, decorating a cocktail has also become an important part. All kinds of fruits are used and there are many cocktails and especially long-drinks that are served with straws or wooden sticks. Straws are known to fit very well with a certain type of cocktail, served in a highball glass. Another common method for decoration is frosting and this is used on a large scale today for a multitude of cocktails.

A cocktail shaker is used to mix drinks, usually alcoholic beverages. A shaker is usually two containers placed together; the lip of one container a bit larger than the other. This makes it watertight when you have the drink in it. It also ensures that you have over 50% of the space in the container filled with air, giving you the right space for the perfect mix. Not only is a cocktail shaker used for mixing, but when ice is added to the shaker, it speeds up the cooling time for the drinks and dilutes the drink to the perfection that you will not achieve otherwise. Drinks that are supposed to be clear, might get over mixed – or “shaken”. Ya, well if James Bond asked you to fix him a martini, you would want to get it “stirred but not shaken”. Clear drinks should not be put into a cocktail shaker for mixing, because the drink will end up overly mixed, destroying the clear appearance and turning it a cloudy white color instead. Knowing what drinks to shake and which drinks to stir is something that you will learn in the process.

Mixing a cocktail is not rocket science; but it definitely is precision work and you got to give attention to detail. It is essential to have premium ingredients, especially the liquor. Every ingredient is important; even the ice that you use. If you are going to mix a drink that requires a blender, start with crushed ice. For drinks that call for ice cubes, make sure they are small and firm. Ice cubes must melt slowly or they will spoil the flavor of the drink by diluting it too quickly. Most of your fruity, tropical drinks taste much better with crushed ice. Should your drink call for a carbonated mixer, such as Champagne or club soda, it is essential to add them last. Whatever you do, don’t shake a carbonated drink. A light stirring to mix the ingredients is your best bet.

Cocktails are great for parties, some being exotic and extremely flavored. The Internet has been able to provide varied information about cocktails including the history of mixed drinks. Most of the info presented in this post is collected from sites that talk about the subject. I am not expert, but I guess I have the urge to learn this art. I will come back with some cocktail recipes soon .. drink responsibly … .. Cheers !

Beautiful words, wonderful music .. truly touching ..

“It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don’t say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all”

–Allison Krauss ( sound track : ” the other sister” )

What a joke ..  Azharuddin Mohd’ Ismail, was slapped by his father. And Ms. Renuka Chowdhry is infuriated about it. And thats not it, she has the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights ( NCPCR ) to probe into the ‘slapping issue’. Now if you are wondering who these people are …. Azhar is the child artist of Slumdog Millionair who just got back home form the Oscar event and Renuka is the Minister for women and child development, India. I wonder if the ministry is really serious about probing into the ‘slapping issue’. I wonder if Azharuddin’s father would have to give an explanation for his act.

Finally I got to redesign my website and have a content management application to do the job. Now that I have wordpress installed and configured; content management is gonna be a piece of cake ( i hope ). Its been over 6 years since I made any change to roshin.com, my website that changed homes thrice over the last few years.

I am happy and feel a lill contented about having wordpress to do all that I had to do to design and launch roshin.com V.1 Now I need to add some applications and get all this to work together – Flickr, Facebook, Twitter. . .

If you have used hotmail, gmail or yahoo mail through the web interface, you have experienced cloud computing already. Your email data and the software that facilitates the fetching and displaying of your email is on the service’s computer cloud. Yes, software-as-a-service has been there in the internet. But now it is taking the center stage.