Manimaran M

Wanted one and Purchased one! A DigiCam (DG Cam as Rick likes it!)

Year 2004 has started in a perfect manner as I wanted. I've been doing regular visits outside Bangalore since January with a frequency of One Trip every 30 Days.

January - Trek to Bisle,Karnataka (5 Days in forest)

February - Trip to Srirangam, Tamil Nadu (2 Days)

March - Trip to Coorg, Karnataka (2 Days)

The trend doesn't seem to stop. I've already got plans to visit Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu for 3 Days in first week of April.

Also, expecting to visit Horanadu (Western Ghats), Karnataka in May.

Mostly another trek in June.

What's a bit disappointing for me is that I've been going around such amazing places without owning a still camera. Though the void was filled by other's cameras, It is nothing like owning a camera and taking lots of pictures of my choice.

Now that I've expected nearly 3 trips in next 3 months, I thought of purchasing a camera. First choice was to own a Digital Camera (In fact, I've been postponing the purchase just to buy a DigiCam). Purchasing a normal camera was not even in my thoughts. I just want to keep taking photographs with much concentration rather than worrying about the later expense part of it.

The first thing I wanted to do after my coorg trip was to own a DigiCam. After lots of thought, decided to take advise from my friend Rick. In fact, the DigiCam was almost bought by him. He did all the research on my behalf. More over he has got a DigiCam and knows the basics of a DigiCam.

At some point of time, there was a thinking to go ahead and buy a Sony Handicam. Later dropped the plan. Also, an option to buy a normal camera with some exclusive features was there.

Finally landed upon buying a Kodak DigiCam (cx6200) which I think is the least priced digital camera model in India.

It is a 2.0 MPixel, 3X Digital Zoom with 8 MB internal memory. Has a slot for MMC. See http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=9/19/32/1055&pq-locale=en_US

It took me just 24 hours to decide upon the model but took 4 days to show it to my parents. Was a bit held back by the timing of the purchase. But, then everything went ok. It was recieved very well.

The most funniest part is that I have a pretty old PC which currently has no USB port. So have to spend about Rs 200 for either a USB-Serial connecter or a USB PCI card.

Also pending is the purchase of 64MB MMC costing nearly Rs.2100. Got to buy one before my Kanchipuram trip.

Bangalore has finally got rain. There we loud thunders and some lightning Unfortunately It did not rain that much. But, anything is a bliss to beat the summer heat. Time to leave and aim to reach home before another pour.

Hoooodi Babaaaa.......

Working with ASP.NET UI Designer!

I had a requirement to develop a quick partially functional demo application. I chose to do the application using ASP.NET. Oh! It was a nightmare to create a web page with nearly 30 controls. The culprit was the requirement to place the controls aligned within tables. I thought it would be easy to do that once I had the controls on the page. It turned out to be a mess later when tables came into existence.

First, the controls could not be compacted within each cell of the table.

Second, confused whether to use the HTML view of Design view to create the pages.

Finally, I gave up and took the help of an expert (who had expertise in such table-driven web pages design using ASP). Even she had some surprises in store working with the Design view. It eventually turned out to be a remake of the entire web page loosing the existing controls.

In parallel, one of my team members discovered some way to create the aspx pages using the latest Dreamweaver MX. I looked far decent than the page we had done using VS.NET

Now that I need to work on some more ASP.NET applications, I am at the cross roads having many choices but just dont know which direction to take.

I don't get the process followed in creating ASPX pages. Is it that the web pages should be created by one person with all the necessary controls and then the functionality be added by another person or both the aspx and code-behind be done by a single person.

Just waiting to see a lighthouse........

Visit to SriRangam,Tamil Nadu, India

Although I am an South Indian, It was amazing to visit the Ranganathan (Lord Vishnu) Temple at Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

I remember being to this temple 5 years ago and that time I had been as a normal devotee. Now, though, I was accompanied by a friend of mine (Prakash) who has lived in the temple surroundings (called Agraharam) for nearly 5 years.

First, Srirangam is an island formed by Cauvery River (diverges into two and merges again at some point). The Residential area surrounding the temple is called the Agraharam.

The temple has 4 major walls with a big entrance (Gopuram) in each of the wall. The gopurams face exactly in East, West, North and South directions. The main gopuram is an amazing piece of architecture. Stands very tall.

Immediately outside these walls start the Agraharam (residence of Pundits/Poojaris). Each residence normally has a small door and width of the door facing wall is not much. But the length of the house is nearly 10 to 15 times longer than the breadth. A common water well is shared between adjacent houses (some where near the middle of the length of the house).

After the first ring of residences, start another wall parallel to the ones surrounding the temple. Each of these walls also have a small gopuram(entrance). This alternating wall and agraharam continues for 5 more rounds (total 6 squares). I heard that Madurai Meenakshi temple has a similar design with 8 such squares.

The temple as such is so spaced out that if not for my friend I would have definately got lost. I guess a walk to the temple everyday morning and evening would be a substitute for all the kinds of exercises here in Bangalore.

There were so many details provided by my friend that I felt bad about my poor knowledge on Indian Mythology and Hindu Religion.

This was the first time I've been amazed by the Temples in India.

Feeling great to continue blogging after a long break.