Photos, Philosophy and Creativity http://electronicholas.com/Madurai, Bangalore, Hampi...http://electronicholas.com/photos/parents_india_08/Sun, 09 Nov 2008 23:13:28 GMTSun, 09 Nov 2008 23:16:20 GMTen-usDon't fall in love too easily, always keep looking, but remember not to loose contact with those who touch you, even if timing was not on your side, because as your experience of life grows richer, the number of people with whom you can relate decreases, and you may regret letting someone go... ...http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#dontletgoThu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMTThu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usYou know your drunk when you go into the toilet, lock the door, and then look around check whether there's anyone else in there with you. ...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part4#drunkSat, 05 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMTSat, 05 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-us...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part4#entrip_videoFri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMTFri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usLife is good when... You wake up with that same happy thought you went to bed with, and can hold it until the following evening....http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#good_lifeMon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMTMon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-us His imagination was the first to blame untamed thoughts of a far off dream when they first met. Her cold messages and warm eyes sent mixed signals, His mind only vaguely engaged, initial dreams dwindled, And they do not meet for near another month... Then, as fate or chance or God would have it, his friend moves out, And she moves in next door, and he helps out, And she has pizza, and is naturally curious, But shy. And the week begins. He goes to bed, but waits awake. She as...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part4#just_good_friendsMon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMTMon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usHaving a heart is no new thing. Everyone has the same heart, and somewhere deep down, the same feelings. It's how much attention one pays them, how one nurtures and displays them, how they become actions, and how, when all is done and dusted, those actions affect others that really matters. Don't let your heart be drowned out by a noisy life, take time to draw a breath and listen, and let the song shine loudly through......http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#heartMon, 26 May 2008 00:00:00 GMTMon, 26 May 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usNow, I think I know, that the numbness retracts momentarily when all that sits in front of you is a deeply pure and raw expression of life that you relate to, in whatever form: love, art, music, the countryside, or just words. Perhaps as we grow quickly into the people we will be for the rest of our lives, it becomes harder to for us to see them. Still, don't give up searching for those raw expressions, cherish and appreciate them when they come, and take care. ...http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#pure_lifeThu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMTThu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usIf you've headed out to create your own generator and become a little confused by how to use the Rails::Generator::NamedBase then your not the only one. I created a simple generator to demonstrate the available attributes and actions. test_attributes/test_attributes_generator.rb: class TestAttributesGenerator < Rails::Generator::NamedBase def manifest record do |m| view_path = File.join('app/views', 'test_attributes') m.directory view_path path = File.jo...http://electronicholas.com/tech/ror#namedbase_attributesFri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 GMTFri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-us"Words become actions, actions become habits, habits become character." Simple, but true. Courtesy of Sonali, teaching the girls at Akanksha the meaning of English words the other day....http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#words_to_characterWed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTWed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usI think.... If Life is about increasing the chances of something unexpectedly nice happening, then Love is by far the best way to do so....http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#life_and_loveFri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTFri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usSo Google had a bit of a joke on their site today, adding a sneaky option to the 'File' menu in Google Docs :) ...http://electronicholas.com/tech/funny#google_docs_april_foolsTue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTTue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usSo today was my first day helping at Akanksha. Briony, a girl I met super briefly through friends of Anthony's about a month ago, introduced me to the charity. They work with kids from slum areas, seeking only to improve English, Maths and values for 2 1/2 hours a day. On Saturday I went to their induction centre to fill in a form and watch their promotional video. I left a little late but amazing ricksha efficiency got me to the area in time, even though I wasn't really sure where I as going! M...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part3#akankshaTue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTTue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usI'm on the roof again. We are very lucky to live on the 4th of 5 floors in a nice block of new apartments. The building has a terrace which only a few weeks ago we obtained a key to, allowing us to come up at will. The terrace is about 100 square metres, and because we are the tallest building around the view is fantastic. But the terrace has a secret. If you climb the iron stairs to the lift machine room door, you can skirt around the side of lift house and using a hidden window as footing clim...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part3#the_roofThu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTThu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usWeek 3 began with the happy prospect of being able to move into a new house after the weekend. Thursday morning started late again for me after a late night working. Anthony went to meet Sudhir in the morning to arrange a paint job for the new house. The only problem with the house was the walls, which at one point had mean to be nasty pink were now an even nastier combination of hand oil, shoe marks, dust, and nasty pink. India is lots of weird and wonderful things, but it is not clean. Having ...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part2#week3Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTSat, 15 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usUntil there is commitment, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues forth from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetin...http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#boldnessTue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTTue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usI got quite drunk last night. Anthony and I went out to an eatery called 'Asia' near MG road after having eaten barely anything all day, as we worked to get out an interim build of EnTrip. I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to order a second pitcher of beer for us to share, but I think it had something to do with a residual thought in my head that drinking would be a good idea because it would help me be more creative in the writing I intended to do later that night. The food was...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part3#firstdateMon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTMon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usI have been using my own subclassed version of the Google Maps GMap2 class for some time now. Here is how I do it: function extend(subclass, superclass) { function Dummy() {} Dummy.prototype = superclass.prototype; subclass.prototype = new Dummy(); subclass.prototype.constructor = subclass; subclass.superclass = superclass; subclass.superproto = superclass.prototype; } function MyMapClass(DomElement) { MyMapClass.superclass.call(this, DomElement); this.enableScrollWh...http://electronicholas.com/tech/javascript#subclass_google_mapsFri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMTFri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usI have made available a fully functioning Demo of Calendar Date Select, the Javascript based visual date selector plugin for rails: Calendar Date Select Rails Plugin Source: http://code.google.com/p/calendardateselect/...http://electronicholas.com/tech/ror#calendarTue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMTTue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usOk, here goes. I've been meaning to write for weeks but have been very busy with EnTrip. Once again I am sitting in a crowded cafe, as I love to do back home, but it's a little less peaceful here than it is in Edinburgh. The cafe is much more busy than the Princes Street Starbucks I am used to, but more than that, the music is very loud, the sound system pumping our volumes more suited to a club. I am the only 'westerner' here as well, making it yet more different. But although I am out of place...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part2#houseTue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTTue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usAfter rising, again AM, we went in a different direction in search of food. The restaurant right opposite the station was not bad, well certainly the mango juice and the price wasn't, which is always a good sign. We enjoyed some 'easier' food, before heading back to the hotel for a while. Again, Anthony went to meet property agents while I stayed back working on the migration. I took my camera out in the afternoon for a bit, but still don't feel confident using it in public. Later on I went b...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part2#day9Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTThu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usTwo things I've learned about restaurants here. First, don't expect amazing service. The waiters are very polite, perhaps more than anywhere else, but that doesn't mean they are good at making sure you have your order. Today I spent 20 minutes waiting to be served after I had initially asked, only to be told that food starts after 7pm. Eventually I asked again and was served. In India, ask if you want to receive. Second, the first thing you are given when you sit down is a plate containing 3 foo...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part2#day8Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTWed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usThis morning we got up relatively early because Raj needed to get to college. We have become lazy, or at least I feel I have. One of the most important things I wanted to do while im out here is find a healthy and sustainable routine. I guess that will be easier once we have a flat. After a quick juice (pomegranate for me), we headed back to the hotel. We stopped short for a light snack at the local eating parlour. We'd walked past it many times on our way into the hotel but never ate. They c...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day7Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTTue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usMonday began hideously late for me after a late and largely unproductive night in the Internet cafe trying to get trac to work. I got back at 5:30 am and slept until the afternoon. Anthony got up much earlier to meet a guy about property. By the time I had dragged myself out of bed, showered, collected our beautifully clean and pressed clothes, and sorted out my stuff in the hotel room, it was 5pm. I got to work again, for a few hours, again not really getting anywhere, and was about to pay f...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day6Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTMon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usAfter our first long overnight sleep in Pune and what seemed like days after left Mumbai, we rose. We didn't do much, because of how late in the day it was when we left the hotel. We went for a bit of a wander, and found a street market nearby. After food we went in search of some residential areas to give us an idea of where we might stay here. Unfortunately the ricksha we picked had a driver who understood little english. Fortunately, the first man the driver picked and grabbed to help transla...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day5Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTSun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usOf course, Saturday, as it was, arrived without a natural break, because we took a cab to the train station at 5:30 in the morning after swiftly packing up. At the station, after Anthony had scouted to check we could travel from there, we bought what we thought were1st class tickets and sat to wait. Hundreds of people slept and lay on the station floor with their belongings. I assume they wait for their connecting train overnight. Since our arrival in India we have seen a great number of people ...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day4Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTSat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usToday began, like yesterday, around 2 pm, when we left the hotel in search of food. In a local cafe we picked up some traditional food for both of us for less than £1.5, but not before having a woman and her child sit next to us to beg. The waiter moved her on, eventually, though she tried to explain her story. There are not as many beggars on the streets as I had expected, but the overall level of development is still lower than I had envisioned. Yet the poverty has not had a marked effect on ...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day3Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTFri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usOur day began well into the afternoon, when I emailed Vaibhav to ask if he might be interested in meeting. I phoned him, and agreed to meet at 4, so we set off almost immediately, it being almost 2pm. I had spent the time since waking up writing and sorting photos. The first thing we did after leaving the hotel was to change some currency on the street. I got a better rate than at the airport, as expected. Next stop was Victoria Terminus - the central station in Mumbai. The outside of the sta...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day2Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTThu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usWhen you don't sleep much on a flight, even if it's overnight, it's hard to see the separation of days. This has happened a number of times to me in the past few years, and not only from flights. Staying up all night gives the same feeling. It is an odd one, of time rolling together, and gives mixed emotions, always, probably partly because of the inherent lack of sleep! Our first day was memorable though, even if it was hampered by both this lack of sleep and, in my case, a bit of anxiety and t...http://electronicholas.com/life/india_blog_part1#day1Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTWed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usDon't ever let somebody tell you, 'You can't do something', not even me. Alright? You got a dream? You've got to protect it. If people can't do something themselves, they want to tell you, 'You can't do it'. You want something? Go get it. Period. I watched The Pursuit of Happyness (Will Smith) last night, and a favourite scene of mine, Chris (Smith), says this to his son....http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#dreamsMon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTMon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-us'What characterises the human race more', Karla once asked me, 'cruelty, or the capacity to feel shame for it?' I thought the question acutely clever then, when I first heard it, but I'm lonelier and wiser now, and I know it isn't cruelty or shame that characterises the human race. It's forgiveness that makes us what we are. Without forgiveness, our species would've annihilated itself in endless retributions. Without forgiveness, there would be no history. Without that hope, there would be no ar...http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#forgivenessWed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTWed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMTen-usFate's way of beating us in a fair fight is to give us warnings we hear, but never heed. I love this, it's from Shantaram, a wonderful and highly recommended novel about Life, the Universe, and India by Gregory David Roberts....http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#fateMon, 31 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMTMon, 31 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMTen-usThe things you fear loosing most, are really just images of things you never actually had. I thought of this during Startup Weekend in London a few weeks ago, and it refers to an idea that the things we fear loosing the most are actually intangible or not yet even in our possession, because the best things, the things we actually have, we quickly take for granted....http://electronicholas.com/life/notes#riskSat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMTSat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMTen-us