இழப்பு

நா ன் வளர்ந்த நாட்களில் எனது பாட்டன் பாட்டியோடு பழகிய காலம் மிக குறைவு என்று வருந்தியதுன்டு. என் தந்தையின் தகப்பனாரை நான் புகைப்படத்தில் மட்டுமே கண்டுள்ளேன். என் பாட்டி ஞானபூமி வார இதழ் மூலம் எனக்குள் ஆன்மீகத்தை விதைத்தார்,
இதை உணர்ந்திட எனக்கு இத்தனை வருடங்கள் ஆயிற்று.

இன்று வளரும் சிறுவர் சிறுமியர் தாய் தந்தையோடு பழகும் குறுகிய நேரம்  குறித்து பின்னாளில் நிச்சயம் வருந்துவர். பாட்டன் பாட்டி பற்றி சொல்ல அவசியமே இல்லை

இது வெறும் வருத்தம் மட்டுமல்ல, மாபெரும் தலைமுறை இழப்பு

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உளறல்

Offline Google Maps

Offline Google Maps:

Have you used it already? I did not until last week. I had heard about it somewhere, but when I was disconnected from internet for multiple days, i realized how difficult it was. As soon as I got internet i found how to use it offline on mobile.

Just in case you need it as well:
1. Open maps app and click on the side bar(3 horizontal lines at the left top)
2. Select 'Offline Areas' option,
3. Select the '+' at the bottom right
4. choose an area. you can choose a very big area and download,

Note:
1. But it has a limitation, For eg. it cant get the whole of TN in one offline area, so i did choose multiple offline areas that collectively covered the entire TN.
2. The download size would be easily more than 100/200 mb, it will infact show the estimated data size when you select the area. So do this when you are on good internet speed and be aware of how much it will cost you, home wifi might be a good option
3. Please remember that GPS will work without internet, so now anywhere you roam around TN with maps navigation offline, ofcourse no live traffic data.
4. Offline areas have an expiry timeline of 30 days. You have to update them.

Until now I used to frequent switching on and off internet on my phone whenever i traveled by car to make sure i dont lose much battery and it costed me unnecessary data cost as well. What a shame!!! Better late than never.

Edit:
It seems this feature was released only last month,  rolled out 10th of Nov, 2015  https://googleblog.blogspot.in/2015/11/navigate-and-search-real-world-online.html

Why would anyone want to leave comforts of US and return to India?

My Quora answer:

I started working for an Indian IT service company 11 years back. Had no idea about importance of on-site travel until one HR tried to downplay it and say life is not all about money...bla bla . I was not getting it, why would anyone want to leave their place to work ? so my friend then explained the $ numbers.

After 4 yrs, finally I got the opportunity. What a time, I had 3 personal loans on me by then and supporting my family that is not the usual nuclear type, have 4 siblings. Had my crush engaged with someone else recently then. 

I loved America, all the infrastructure, order, public services, most importantly the vacation options to travel around the many states. I made it to most of them except Florida in my 2 years. Especially when you start driving yourself, America is a triple awesome place. I saved just enough unlike many other colleagues who saved every penny possible. Like I never cooked on work days, spent at food court, took 2 coffees at office daily, weekends at an Indian restaurant or cooking with friends for fun. But I had no booze or smoking habit. 

Every 9 months l took 3 weeks (total 2) vacation to India, am very sure I was probably one of the 100s to travel home like that who worked for an Indian IT at onsite. 9 months gap so that I get good 3 weeks, I didn't even bother when some colleagues warned me about possible end of my onsite trip if I took vacation. Most of the stay, I shared my apartment with only one other person so that I got enough privacy.

All was well, even work wise though I had my rough times like spending 15 hrs, I got comfortable later. And then the emptiness slowly started swallowing me. Your friends keep changing, though I never worried, I could not understand what am doing for my life at US and why am doing it. Because once the original debts were done I had no idea why I was there. Most others planned about saving for buying a house. Fortunately or unfortunately I never thought about that till then. And there were problems at home as well, so I had to plan my home trip. But the dryness was so high, I decided I will not come back again. I didn't tell you, had felt so bad to stand in line at the US embassy for my VISA, had not realized it until I went and stood there in line and all the stories you hear about the VISA allocations and approvals go around your brain bothering you. Never once I felt it as home. Its only a place for vacation. 
I planned to come home and take a better paying job so that I could earn enough to pay the seed money for the home loan. 

After I returned, with no money at hand except a cheap plot for less than 3 lakhs at home town as the only saving, it took more than 3 yrs for me to buy a home on loan, while my other friends had got second by then. I have no regrets anyways, life is all about living not about accumulating wealth. A friend after spending years at US says, he couldn't imagine living in India, the garbage, public apathy, infrastructure deficiencies ...I can understand him, I don't have a problem with his choice. To me, life is not about living the most comfortable way, its about how you survive/live every moment . There is no way I could take my parents and live in America, I have to face the challenges living with them in India. That's what is worth living to me. Life is not just about me. While I had watched how my parents burnt themselves every minute to grow the 5 of us, it is naturally the choice for me.

Every moment I missed sitting at US was indeed a loss , but for a reason. And that reason doesn't exist for now. Its not just the family, its the soil, the sun light, the air everything I missed, I realized my yearning for the land whenever I landed at chennai from US be it vacation or for good. 

I do miss America, for a vacation