The world around us

I love taking photographs of the simple things in life, the little things that I notice here and there and things that are often under rated. With all the lovely sunlight we get in our house, it has been possible to get some really interesting shots that would otherwise not have been possible. In a lot of my photos, it is the sunlight that is the star of the shot, and not anything that I have done. I have just been in the right place at the right time to notice it. That really is the key, I have begun to “notice” things, to appreciate them and to enjoy their beauty.

Hope you do so too!

I recently booked our flights for our trip next month after a good search on the internet and the newspapers for the best flight deals. Airlines are always having some promotion or the other and if one can book a flight on one of these promotions, it usually saves a good amount of money and can even offer special perks like the use of the airport lounge, extra frequent flier miles or some other special deal. Since I wanted flexible travel dates, I was not able to take advantage of the special and ended up paying a bit more, since I’m quite sure that our return dates are likely to change. So, I bought a 4 month return ticket where I can make changes without having to pay for anything at all. I’d hate having to deal with problems when I’m away, so it’s best to anticipate them beforehand and make provisions for their solution.

It’s been ages since I checked out bLaugh.com…but sadly, there were no new cartoons on the site. I decided to look up some of the archives and found this comic, which I thought was really funny. It really is so true, we all try to do so many things at a time that we end up doing none of them well enough and everything ends up piling up. Time management is not what we are good at anymore. I have to constantly remind myself to slow down and enjoy what I’m doing, rather than trying to think of what else I also could be doing a the same time.

What is it about designer clothing that gets people so excited? For some it has to be Oscar de la Renta, while for others a different designer, but what really sets them apart is that these clothes are made individually and not for the mainstream. So besides being very unique, they are also extremely well fitted, which is what makes them look so good. The materials used will be the finest and no expense will be spared on the workmanship, so what you get is a world class piece of clothing, which could also be a work of art.

I never thought I would like to drink tea, but I do. It all started when we lived in Providence and the winters were so cold. I used to drink tons of coffee, but didn’t like the effect it had on me, so switched to tea or rather had a cup of coffee a day and usually 2 cups of tea too. In the beginning, I didn’t even know how to make tea. It had been made at home of course, but who paid attention. My initial choices of tea were pretty pathetic too, but bit by bit I’ve started selecting nice teas that are wonderful to have and make one feel refreshed.

Enjoy!

I’ve worn contacts since I was 16 or 17, I think. I spend so much time working on the computer, and my other favorite pastime is reading so needless to say, I put a lot of strain on my eyes. What I really hate is that the dust and wind really bothers my eyes and I’d really love to have them fixed by getting Lasik surgery. Several of my friends have had it done already, and I need to get my guts up about it and go meet a doctor and find out if it is viable option for me. It would be so amazing not to have to worry about taking off my lenses every night, since I wear gas permeable or GP lenses and they cannot be worn overnight or for long periods of time as the eye does not get enough oxygen and becomes dry and irritable. I think I’d better just go ahead and find out what it takes to do the surgery since it would be a great improvement to my life.

I set myself a goal of reading at least 2 books a month. In July I managed to read 4 books, even though I had a ton of work going on. The difference was that I took my book along when I was traveling and did a lot of reading in the car (and no I wasn’t driving!). My last book was Celia Brayfield’s Deep France which is about her experience of moving to the Bearn region of France for one year. I’d never heard of this book or the author, but I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely be looking up some of her other books. I go to Borders all the time, but never find interesting reading material there. I bought this at BooksPlus a small chain of bookstores, where I find something new and interesting without fail each time I visit. There is a certain charm in going to a small bookstore and as much as I enjoy Borders and Barnes & Noble, I love going to smaller bookstores to buy even more.

Ever since a family friend came back from a cruise vacation, we’re really keen on going for one too. I’ve never been to interested in them, for some reason that I cannot understand, but now that I have heard first hand experiences of the variety of cruises that are available, I’d really like to try one out too. Since this summer is pretty much not possible, it has to be next year, but in the cruise industry, time lines like this are completely acceptable. The entire touring plan for a variety of cruises is listed on their sites and you can book a cruise for anytime next year. That is if it is still available, since they seem to sell out rather quickly, especially the short weekend ones. That is a good way to start off on cruising I think, as one can always take a longer one when one has an idea of what it is all about.

Been a while since I posted here. It’s been a super hectic time with way too many assignments, much more than normal, and I’m working overtime to keep up with the work. Still, I am managing some time for flickring…..what can I say, I’m totally addicted. It’s been such a great experience to share my photos and get feedback on them, that I can’t imagine why I didn’t start earlier. Anyway, now that I have, I’m thrilled to have found a great group of flickr friends.

Here’s a shot I posted yesterday.

How Can IT Certification From Cisco Change Your Life?

The best thing about learning is that there is always room for it, no matter where you are, what your career is and how much money you have. Take the IT field for example, where there are new developments not just every year, but every month and week as well. So if you want to stay competitive and in the professional race, then you have to make the commitment to constantly updating your skills and learning. Luckily it’s a lot easier than it sounds, as companies such as Cisco have made it quite streamlined to get into certification programs where you can acquire all the skills you need to race up the promotion ladder.

The IT field has historically (although there’s not really a very long history) been very conscious of continuous learning programs and whether you are in the IT field already or are thinking of making a switch to this growing field, getting into a training program might be the first step. Although I have some basic IT training, I have not done a Cisco training course, but it seems like a good step to take, even in my field. With this training, I could be opening a lot more doors in my career and taking it to another level.

What Cisco certification does is that it offers an entirely new set of jobs once you have complete the training, regardless of if you select the entry level training option, associate level option, professional or expert level certification options. With such a certicifaction program, one is liable to get significantly higher salaries, more career options, competitive advantage, and one of the most important things for most people, recognition in the field. With so many plus points, to it there doesn’t seem to be any other option right!