Demolition Squad at Work right Across my Apt ...

Over the last few days the building across mine on Mott Street has been slowly demolished. Rumour is that a hotel is coming up. its been interesting to see how a building is brought down. Albeit this is a one storey warehouse in question.
















Will add more

Learning devotion from a NYC taxi cab driver

Walking to the 23rd street/6th av subway station after my wed night yoga class, i waw this taxi cab driver offering his daily Namaz (Muslim prayer which is to be performed 5 times a day) right on the street of New York. It must have been like 9.30pm. Every period of Namaz in the day as a specific time (and the last prayer of the day is to be read around that time) and since this cab driver probably was on the road, his only option was to park his cab and attend to his call of duty and prayer.

Immensely admirable devotion. I have seen Friday Namaz prayers being offered in mosques with flowing number of attendees having to make space on the sidewalks. But never something like that. Hats of to you my man! And again, the city never ceases to amaze. From wasted after-party revelers to cab drivers observing their faith and prayers in the busiest of streets of the city

My bed and Room ... So much more space..

There you go. Even the mattress is now gone. Only the yoga mat serves as the bed. And a few chairs to sit and peer outside the large windows and a table to work on. so much space, so much more room for light to glow.....

FlyKly, the Sexiest Electric Bicycle is Everywhere in Soho/Nolita

The FlyKly Electric Bicycle is popping up everywhere!

For an entrepreneur, it is incredibly exciting to see one's product being used by people in their daily lives. I am sure you have met, say a web entrepreneur, glow when you tell them that you have used or heard of their baby web site

Well, in this case its not a website i am talking about. And its not mine, but a fellow entrepreneur (whose office is literally next to ours in NYC) who recently launched perhaps the sexiest electric bicycle, FlyKly that i have seen anywhere. I have seen him talk about it for a few months and when they launched with a pop-up shop this month, they were sold out in less than 3 weeks!!! Now that is awesome! The bicycle is being sold in two models - modern and vintage! Check out some pics below. Aint she gorgeous!

But what is more awesome is to see the product being used around you. In just the last 2-3 days, i have seen the FlyKly electric bicycle parked at three different spots around my apt in Soho/Nolita. One night, i noticed is parked right below my apartment, next to the epistrophy restaurant. Then the other day i saw it parked on crosby street! Wow!.

I have done a test ride of the bicycle and i really enjoyed it. It is stylish and sexy to look at. It runs on a battery but you can pedal anytime you like. It goes upto 25mph. The best part is that you dont even need a Motorcycle license!

Wishing the FlyKly team lots of success in the coming month. Good job folks!! Proud to know entrepreneurs like you. I am inspired.

Watch Live ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Matches for Free

Found this page that is showing all ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup matches Live for Free -
Crickethighlights.com -

Looks like she swallowed a carton of bubble gum .....

Looks like she swallowed a carton of bubble gum but her system showed it the back door!

Read the full article on Myths about Chewing Gum

A Free Egypt!! And Free Falafel and Gyro from my Local Falafel Guy

The local Falafel and Gyro guy next to my workplace is from Egypt. For last 7-8 years i have seen them work diligently at their food cart and i have had the awesome Falafel and lamb gyro a countless times.


But today, with the biggest day in Egyptian History, unfolding, he was simply happy! And to show for it, all i had to do was show up at the cart! He gave a full plate of Lamb Gyro and Falafel celebrating Freedom in Egypt.


Now if all the Falafel and gyro guys could do the same .... Its normal folks like these that bring out the best in us.

A simple gesture but a selfless one.

India Travel Guide including Tips, Traveler Tales and More

A friend of mine is visiting India in a few weeks. Of course, she is very excited and so am I for her. I always tell people i meet that they should visit India (where i was born and spent the first 25 yrs of my life) once in their lifetime. It really is a sensory, overwhelming, mystical, chaotic, eye-opening, spiritual , perhaps life-changing experience.

So this time around, i thought instead of providing tips here and there and talking about India and its stories, to actually put down a travel sheet/guide. A different type of guide that would

1. Have a suggested itinerary - in different parts - like a week in Rajasthan, a week around Delhi, etc.
2. Some tips - like must have street food, (for example Pav Bhaji in Bombay, the litti in Bihar).
3. And excerpts from traveler tales written by authors visiting from outside India. I just ran into this great collection of Travelers Tales from India edited by James O'Reilly. I would highly recommend it.

So to begin, here is an extract about the pleasures and joys of street food in India (as published in the Traveler's Tales, India - page 160).

Dining at Indian restaurants outside the country does NOT prepare you for the experience of eating in India. No cuisine could be more exotic or particular to place, intricately reflecting a multi-layered culture defined in religion, history and ritual.

Standing in the middle of an Indian marketplace, surrounded by swirling crowds of people, animals, bicycles, fume-belching motorized rickshaws and cown0drawn carts, all impossibly squeezing in and out of the narrowest alleyways, you marvel at how life can be lived at this density.

Absolutely every human activity goes on in the streets, and that is where the best food in India is to be found, cooked on carts or in cubby holes in buildings and alleyways.

- Patricia Unterman, "Culinary Nirvana in the Streets of India,
San Francisco Chronicle.

I cant help but agree with Patricia here. It is the Indian bazaar that bring life out in the midst of the din around and give an extra dimension to the experience of eating out. So for instance, if you are in Bombay, then dont miss the Pav Bhaji at Juhu Beach, or the Kebabs at the Jama Masjid in Delhi and the countless more.

And yes i really do hope to complete the guide and dedicate it to the good friend and Yoga Instructor, whose trip initiated this all!!

Yoga Log: 90 Min Class with Hugh Millard at The Iynegar NYC

Yoga Log - Focus on The shoulders, and the Warrior Pose with Hugh Millard

Jan 21, 2011
Time - 5.30-7 pm
Instructor - Hugh Millard
Location - Iynegar NYC

Just got out of my yoga class. Always look forward to Hugh Millard's classes (too bad that i cant get out from work early enough to make it to the 5.30 pm class on friday evening). But today was one such lucky day

As always, hugh's classes challenge you a bit more physically and mentally. you hold the poses longer and you try to go the extra bit to correct and enhance your pose

Today we focused a lot on the use of block to open up the shoulders and the collar bone and the sternum

1. the arm extensions using the block
2. rotation of the shoulders to open up the chest
3. Downward dog go with the blocks - you put the blocks at a 45 degree angel against a wall and then put your hands on the blocks. the whole point was to stretch the arms longer from the arm pits and then then through the sides of the chest to lengthen the body and the spine
downward dog is hard - and even after 2-3 yrs. of practice the mind is overwhelmed by th amount of things to focus on
4. and then came the kicker- the warrior pose- regular standing pose but emphasis on using a block to correct the alignment - to work on aligning the two hips in a straight line (not one pushed too back and the other too much in the front )
5. and then the hand stands, head stands

It was a demanding but awesome class as always.

Running log: Williamsburg Bridge. Jan 15, 2011

Entry: #2
Date: Jan 15, 2011
Start Time: 10.40am
End Time: 11.18am
Total Time: 38 mins
Total Distance: 3miles
Outside Temperate: 25degrees, Cloudy
Route: Straight from Kenmare to Williamsburg Bridge

- Started on Kenmare street, onto Delancey Street
- Past Bowery, Chrystie st, Forsyth street, Allen street Starbucks, Orchard street, to Attorney street
- Up the ramp on Williamsburg bridge. The running lane was all salted, with snow on the side. The ramp has a decent incline which can slow one down.
- Took 22 mins, easy jog to get to the end of the bridge on the brooklyn side.
- Stopped for a 5min stretching gig
- And then return on the same route - 15 min pace. Always fun to run the decline on the Manhattan side. Can get the pace up quite fast.

Highlight of the run was spotting the "Domino Sugar Factory" on the Brooklyn side, a large transport ship docked along the east river park right under the bridge and overlooking the snow covered rooftops and parks.
And yes, stopping right at the start of the ramp to pick up a blown away orange traffic diverting cone and placing it on the side (some good citizen brownie points)

Good to get out and get some cold freshness.