My first best was to load up the iPod* with a bunch of tracks that I thought are good for running. Some Pop, some Rock, some Jazz, some Dance and some I have not heard in a long while.

Michael Jackson: This was a surprise. The songs are either too fast or too slow for me. I guess they are designed for MJ to dance or as ballads. I cannot keep up either way. However, I realized there is a lovely funk riff in Scream, which incidentally will go into my running playlist.

Thelonious Monk: A definite No. I guess most jazz is going to be difficult to run to. There is a strict emphasis on rhythm but Monk’s music is very fragmented. It is great to listen to but running to fragmented rhythm is not something I want to do. Needs lot of experimenting to find the right songs, but I guess it is all part of training.

Mahavishnu Orchestra: This is a surprise, I thought it too fast, but I can actually run at half the pace . I will experiment a bit to find the right songs…

Weather Report: Same as Mahavishnu Orchestra. Too fast but just nice at half pace. And the music is crazy wonderful.

Placebo: I never thought I would listen to placebo for more than a few minutes. But they seem to compose music at the right pace for me. Many many songs work well for the run.

U2: Ugh. I love the band, but their pacing is so inconsistent song after song, I find it very distracting to run with.

Simon & Garfunkel: Good pacing, especially when I want to take it slow, but the motivation drains. I will have to intersperse placebo with S&G and get some interval runs (though it seems yucky to play them one after another).

Wir Sind Helden: Another shocker. I got their albums from a friend and they found their way into my playlist by chance. But it is another band that plays just for me to run. Good pacing. It also helps that I don’t understand German

There is a lot more music I can think that will be good to run to. Soul, funk are areas I have not experimented yet. REM seems like a running kind of band. Have not tapped into electronic music yet. Not that I have particular interest, I may end up discovering new music through this process too. I am kind of liking the idea of music motivating the running and run motivating new discovery. It can only be good I think.

* Note: iPod is synonymous with “a music player”.

Related posts:

1. Running and boredom
2. And so may the running begin *
3. the gym sessions

The trouble in getting too involved with anything is that at some point, it will turn around and kick you in the goolies. I don’t mind it but thinking about this prospect is a downer and I call the condition creatively as the “Analytic Depression”. It does not help when your stats look like this.

The Left side is mid March and the right side is mid-end April.

March was a great month, I had recently taken the Trans-Siberian trip and I have been brimming with enthusiasm to share my stories. I wrote a lot and I guess it is a popular topic that people are seeking information about. After a few weeks, I have been at work and generally uninspired to write. And as a consequence, the audience started dimming and the traffic is scraping the bottom of the barrel in April.

In march, the worm has been steady and I was pretty happy about it. To the extent that when things started to go down, I felt bad. It is funny how I can get carried away by something so senseless and write an article about it. No wonder people feel attached to their spouses, family, children, friends etc., and regret when things don’t go the way they want it to.

The trick to deal with this is probably to not worry about the outcome but enjoy the process. I like to write not because someone wants to read (though the recognition adds to the enthusiasm). Does that mean that I will stop watching analytics? Of course not. Like Travis Bickle on Taxi Driver, I will be stalking and watching but unlike Bickle, I will keep the distance and appreciate the difference between process and the outcome.

Note: The self referential nature of the article is totally Fellini’s fault. I had a over dose over the weekend.

No related posts.

Jokes aside, I am all for people working toward making the world a better place to live, make it more hospitable and probably, leave it cleaner for the future generations. What I am not for is the unusually huge amounts of resources spent to “Educate” people to switch off the lights for 60 minutes.

The movement of awareness should be ground up, children should be taught to stop wasting food and water, do their own chores, figure out a way to do things with less resources. The idea of commercializing earth day as a seasonal produce and spending shit loads of resources promoting the event seems like a lot of bullshit. It is like christmas, once a somber religious festival, now a money spinner. Earth day has gone that way, it seems to be a Date night, not a time for people to contemplate the damage done to the earth. I am sure the are success measures for the marketing campaign and someone will show stats on the achievements of the event. But to me it is all humbug, unless I see children pushing the agenda, I dont believe the movement to save the ‘planet’ will garner any momentum.

No related posts.

Brown Stones to Red Dirt is a documentary about the pen pal program and seems to have inspired many people to contribute to the cause and better still, inspired the wonderful artists to paint for charity.

When I was a little kid, my dad used to get me a Russian magazine called Misha. It is not easy to hunt down as it is with most things published in erstwhile USSR. But I managed to find out some links and online scans here.

What with reading Russian children’s magazine, Staring at a poster of Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral and reading technical books published by MIR, it seems like my association with Russia goes a lot deeper then I thought. But that’s besides the point.

What was cool about Misha was that they used to publish address of children from USSR and Europe who are interested in making pen friends. I remember writing letters to some of the kids and my dad used to post it for me. I cannot remember whether I got a response or nor do I know if I kept in touch with any of the children from the other end of the globe. But I remember that the idea of penning some thoughts about myself and asking questions about the other person was a mind opening experience. I don’t know how many letters I wrote (may be 1 or may be a few) but I never kept up with it and when I think back, it is a pity I did not continue writing to unknown people around the world. It might have something to do with the fact that Misha stopped circulating (after the collapse of the Soviet) and I could not get more contacts. Such was the times before the internet.

My point is that the idea of writing to another kid half way around the world makes one aware of ones own existence. There is a lot of urge to communicate your story to them and that opens up ones mind. I guess it is best done when you are a kid (no harm pursuing your hobby into adulthood either). So, you see I can understand the enthusiasm shown by the various artists for the Brown Stones to Red Dirt initiative.

The theme of the artwork was pretty original, where every artist was given a veneer of birch-wood the size of a postcard to paint on. You can see some of the impressive work here.

I enjoy beautiful artwork and I also have a reason to support an initiative that helps communities (especially children) to come together and that is a good cause. Further, some of my favorite artists have showcased their work and I guess I cannot help myself from, ahem, participating in the auction. The long and short of the story is that I have a few really cool artwork heading my way as I write this.

The gear wheels actually work. And I love the cyclist in the sky idea. Like ET.

I missed my Cory Godbey artwork in the Terrible Yellow Eyes project. I love the way he draws dino-monsters with a very gentle side.

The colors and the Jewelery. Pretty impressive.

Simple yet sweet. Looks like the robot is not a good artist (the pencil is enormous) but the smile says he seems to enjoy sketching.

The trouble is that I don’t think I have enough wall space in my house. But I guess if it is for a good cause, I don’t mind lending a helping hand especially when I am treated to such amazing work in the bargain.

No related posts.

I have been a silent lurker, couch surfing his adventure stories and enjoying his witty observations.

I heard he was hit by a drunk driver in the wee hours and has passed away. This is hitting very close to home and I am very saddened.

RIP Ben.

And the rest of you, ride safe. And to all the drivers, please be considerate.

More links:

http://hg-rider.blogspot.com/2010/03/two-cyclists-hit-driver-held-st-news.html

http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2010/03/farewell-ben.html

Related posts:

1. Accidents ain’t pretty

The movie and the conversation that followed was interesting for me. The movie was “Up in the Air” a witty / satirical episode on the state of the US employment scene. I thought it was a good movie but a bit too long drawn, but thats besides the point. George Clooney is this feller who is hired to fire people. It is kind of obvious that they are eventually going to pull the run from under his feet, the fun was trying to figure when is that going to happen.

In a sense, the feller is the change agent whose job is to pull people out of their comfort zone and let them loose in shark infested waters. He explains his job as someone who walks the fired staff to the edge of the waters, gives them hope and direction and then drops them in for them to figure their way out.

Change agents can be a powerful influence. Taking people out of their comfort zone is a pretty cruel thing to do because it makes them clueless on how to react anymore. Some may move on to better things, and some others may get deeper into their shells and ruin what is left of their lives. So our guy here thinks that his job of firing people it is an important role and does it with empathy. However, I guess the way you can do a job like that is to distance oneself from the ‘realities’ of life. By not getting involved.

He was good until 2 women walk into his life. One is a mirror image of him and the other his complete opposite. The trouble is he lets them get to him. And that is the rug under his feet. And when it eventually gets pulled, I think he realizes what he has really been doing all his life. Coping with rapid changes is not an easy task and I think the bright part of the story is that he moves on (or so I think).

The post movie conversation we had was very interesting, I suppose the 4 of us usually have pretty decent opinions on issues and very varied belief structures too. I think I was going on and on on how the notion of freedom is important and responsibility is overrated. I guess people understand this perspective, but generally look at some one who believes in this philosophy as a lazy bum or a bit cuckoo. Even worse when I am just talking about it and not living it. Doh, I find myself cuckoo sometimes. What made me ponder was that all the talk is kind of rubbish unless one lives the idea, and it will be sad if we catch up in a few years and I am still going on and on about this idea and have done nothing about it.

I suppose being trained in scientific methodology and all, I should experiment by pulling the rug from under my feet and see how it works.

View Travel plans in a larger map

So I do something very rash. I drew up a map of where I am going to be a nomad in. That is kind of an oxymoron but I think a bit of structure helps even if you are going to live off the road (that’s how I hang). I am missing the crucial element of when and how. But I am working on it (I guess / I hope). But I am publishing the where so that I have an idea of what I should be doing and It is kind of an open commitment. The map is coarsely drawn but details is not what I focus on. I am clearing out my backpack, but not setting it on fire yet (watch the movie to figure out this corny remark). May be soon…

No related posts.

Baikal, sharp, crisp, bi-syllable, banana shaped fresh water lake seems to be taking over my thoughts. There is something magical and alluring about this lake. When I was on Train-007, something strange happened while passing through Baikal. I guess it was a combination of train fatigue, heat and the extremely annoying change to the direction of sunlight. I was looking froward to the views of the frozen lake and once the lake came into view, the sunlight started playing tricks. The train passed along the coast and was constantly changing directions from NW to SW and back to NW. The cabin was a toasty 30C and the blindingly bright sunlight reflecting off the frozen lake was increasing the temperature and made me squint. When I peeked out of the train, all I could see was the sky and the frozen lake reaching out at the horizon. The urge to get out of the train was at its peak (like I said, It could be the heat and fatigue, but I prefer to consider it the Baikal Allure).

However, a few hours of torture later, the mysterious Baikal disappeared from view and all was normal again.

Now that I am back, I get flashes of light and shadows and constantly see the vast landscape of Ice, sky and Sun. It is as if Baikal has a spell over me. I am forced to check out maps and stare at the lake. I am strangely starting to read Cyrillic. I religiously research about the lake, the people settled around, the weather conditions, climate patterns etc… I dream about biking along rough roads and camping among conifers. I feel the warm sun on my face and I realize I am at home and over slept.

It is difficult to look forward to the daily chore when you know there is a different life out there. It seems like I am getting flashes from a parallel Universe or may be from the future.

I wish to think it is from the future, and if that is the future, I need to prepare for it. I have strategize my life towards being a nomad. Need to find a source of $ to sustain my life. I do not need much money, just enough to survive and a few additional bucks for the rainy day. Generating savings for survival is trivial. I don’t think  that is a concern. What is a concern is that I am afraid the dream may disappear. I want this dream, I have always spoken about being a bike nomad but now I have a strong urge to be one.

I think Baikal is the key. I have a feeling that it is going to open the door to my future.

Related posts:

1. Ulan ude and Lake Baikal
2. Vici on my mind

Latest estimates put the population to 17 million. I have been to Beijing and I should say it is a pretty congested town. It seems like they go through extreme measures to keep the vehicle count on the road down (similar to our weekend COE idea).

China is probably the largest car market right now and there is obvoiusly lot of money to be made in selling cars (They can have a COE system and an ERP system and I suppose the demand for car would not go down. It will be a good revenue stream for the Beijing Municipality. They can build better roads and better Public transportation with that money.

But it seems like they are doing neither. Instead, they plan to inconvenience car drivers by bringing back bike lanes.

Makes me wonder. If China (who are fighting for their right to develop at a rapid pace) can think of solving their traffic and pollution woes by introducing bike lanes, why does Singapore think the other way around?

I am not saying bring us bike lanes. I am just saying divert your attention from cyclists (and educating them) to Drivers (and how they can be made responsible for their actions on the road).

Related posts:

1. why do we need bicycle lanes
2. We already have bike lanes
3. Inherent slowness of platforms

I do not expect this to happen all over the world. However, it is a measure of how much the notion of cycling as a means of transport has seeped into the public conscience.

The problem as I see it in Singapore is that the authorities and public view cycling as either a sport or recreational activity or at the very most, a mode of transport for the extremely poor and dare I say it, foreign workers. The second part of the equation is the notion that the people who ride are unwilling to learn the local traffic rules and will flout the rules even if taught.

Now seen from such clouded perspective it is easy to understand why the authorities are trying to ‘fix’ the cyclist instead of the drivers and more importantly the infrastructure. The typical cyclist is viewed as one with low economical value and hence there is very little need to provide for them. This idea also spreads in other areas. A colleague commented on how someone from LTA was quoted as saying that providing amenities for handicapped people was cost prohibitive (I quote without basis here). The notion of economic value add is at play here again.

The same is true in the rest of the world too. I suppose Copenhagen city council is willing to invest in infrastructure since the ones cycling are teachers, lawyers, doctors and tradesmen, all contributing to the economy and it is ‘worth it’ to keep these lives safe.

I sound morose but I guess that is how things are.

Getting back, I am not expecting very fancy railings or segregated lanes (it will be great to have them and will encourage more cyclists). But I can live without some middle manager quoting to the media and media misquoting to rest of the world that cyclists are endangering their lives and others.

No related posts.

I quote from the Channel News Asia Article:

More often than not, cyclists are at fault when it comes to fatal or serious road traffic accidents involving them.

This has been the case in more than 50 per cent of such accidents between January and September of the last two years, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary of Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Tuesday.

Common causes for the accidents include changing lanes without due care, failing to keep a lookout, and failing to give way to traffic with right of way.

The rationale is akin to saying (for lack of a better comparison) that women with short skirts are at fault for being molested.

Oh Please this is an amateurish argument. If you cannot provide proper infrastructure, you might be better off keeping the mouth shut.

It is totally possible that this is simply bad journalism (from what I see being published on local news papers, I will not be surprised). It is also possible that the parliamentary Secretary is quoted verbatim. Either way, it is a step in the wrong direction.

I am not absolving cyclists of faults but any argument that blames the victims is a weak mechanism to shrug off ones responsibility and avoid a sensible debate.

Related posts:

1. Risk
2. Riding in traffic
3. I got Fu&#ing Door’d