WHY THIS CODECHEF ?

Why this CODECHEF ?

CodeChef Mumbai Meet up - May 4 , 2013

I was supposed to be @CodeChef -  @DirectiPlex - Andheri ( East ) for the launch of " CodeChef for schools " at 2.30 p.m. ... but . It was 2.30 p.m. and I was stuck up @Home-sweet home.The Computer engineer had come to install the SOFTWARE in my new laptop , which came loaded only with DOS. " DOS " ? what is that ? my 11 year old nephew Aamen asked . How I wished that ...the Desktops , Laptops , iPads etc. come loaded with at least some basic SOFTWARE by default.... as in Instant ready-to-eat. Imagine buying the Desktop / Laptop off the counter , unpacking the Eco-friendly box , switching on and ... voila .. it's ready-to-Eat , I mean Operate . 

In the near future , I am sure when my nephew masters Programming / Coding  , he will be able to do just that " Ready-to-Operate Computers " . How's that possible ? Well that's where the " CodeChef for Schools " comes in the picture .

The ACM- ICPC ( Inter Collegiate Programming Contest ) world finalist from India believe that if there was a culture of Indian school students taking part at the IOI ( International Olympiad in Informatics ) , they would be exposed to programming for a longer duration and eventually their ICPC performance will also improve and bring India to the top. The evident solution to the problem at hand is to make it easier for students to start coding at a young age.

CodeChef for schools , the new initiative , aims to make it easier for students to start coding at school-level .
As a part of " Go for Gold Program ( schools ) "  CodeChef wants Indian students to win Gold Medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics . CodeChef will be providing ongoing scholarships , incentives , promotions , tech. assistance and training for Indian students.

The CodeChef Meetup session started with Q & A session , followed by speeches of Mr. Kunal Shah , Mr. Gaurav Munjal , Prof. Madhavan of the IARCS  , Video-conferencing with Mr. Bavin Turakhia - CEO .
This informative session ended with fantastic Maths-Quiz anchored by Mr. Shilp . Most of the participants / winners were either IIT or VJTI students , who enjoyed this part of the session the  most . 

I left at 6 p.m. . Next day when I checked the FB page of CodeChef , I was surprised to see the video link of Harlem shake. I wish I could have shoot that flash mob , and shared with u all. Better luck next time.

P.S. : The CodeChef do take it's title seriously. There were lots of assorted cold-drink-tins ( Cappuccino for me ) and delicious Samosaz delivered around by the uniformed waiters.

Tech IT Easy : 2012 Tech Seminar : Harris Broadcast

Harris  Corporation , an international Communications & Info. Tech Company , founded in 1895 organized 2012 Technical Seminar on June 6th , 2012 in Mumbai's Four Seasons Hotel .

The Technical Seminar 2012 organized by Harris Broadcast ( Harris Corporation ) , started with Indigenous flavour ... sumptuous lunch from Four  Seasons . The light  , satiated mood of Tech seminar was rightly emphasised  & guided by the Anchor / Director Ms. Dora Zaidan .Instead of starting the Tech Seminar with tough-sounding hardware gizmos , the brain storming session was held by Mr. Anas  Abu Hantash . He explained ' Digital Asset  Management & News force Editing integration ' in a formal interactive style.

AXN's 'The Firm' captures the Eye-balls

Your attention please ! Get your giant tub of pop-corns to remain glued to ‘The Firm ‘ , as it captures your Eye-balls , steadily.

Firstly , John Grisham‘s novel , ‘ The Firm ‘ is popular , Secondly , the Tom Cruise movie adaptation is even more popular due to Tom Cruise’s persona . AXN is premiering a television series, which is bound to be popular i.e. 3rd time lucky. Many of us know the story of ‘The Firm ‘. And the series by AXN has added another dimension.

Although AXN’s new John Grisham series is a bit slow, it gathers momentum.
As the series unfolds …. 10 years after McDeere has been in witness protection for taking down the Memphis firm of the original. The opening scene captures viewers instantly. Mitch is running for his life, chased by three nefarious suits through D.C. until Mitch tells Abby the code-red news: It’s happening again. All of this is set against the McDeeres’ determination to live outside of the witness protection program. But it soon becomes clear that the criminals Mitch crossed a decade ago have very sharp memories, and that is going to force changes in the McDeeres’ lives. In the end, Mitch has to make a significant decision about his career.

Mitch is an old-school, self-made hero, worked hard to graduate near the top of his class at Harvard. The Firm‘s straightforward, one-man-against-the-system story feels quite optimistic and cathartic. Common man lawyer fighting against Corrupt-system. Though not as handsome-hunk as Tom Cruise, Actor Josh Lucas’s intelligence shines through his cold-stares and inimitable body-language.

AXN’s legal thriller ”The Firm” is such a mind-blowing series , that even two hours seem like only one hour , in relativity . The viewers are spoiled for wanting still more.

All of us, Indians love the Amitabh Bachchan style black horse, fighting for truth and justice.

Tune in to the show on SUNDAY, FEB 19, 9 P.M., Action on AXN!!!

Confession of a Tapori

Tomorrow's breaking news will feature our friends' spicy bytes , family members' teary mugs and our dead bodies. I will be looking uber cool in BeBe sweatshirt , Calvin Klein jeans and Nike sneakers. But what about you a fashion street junkie ? I hope they won't focus too much on your zits ( what's that ? I asked . "pimples" she answered.) And what if they get hold of your antique wallet ? Will your wallet be an Exhibit A ? No credit card , not even ATM card. What a shame it will be to be written off as your girlfriend on the front page of tomorrow's newspapers !

I had to hear all this and much more bakwaas when I asked my hep girlfriend " Tuze Aksa beach ghooma doo ... aa chalti kya ?OK , fine ! So I am this lower middle class boy from Khar ( Did you say 'where's that ? well Khar is between Bandra and Santacruz ) My girlfriend stays in Bandra. Big Deal ! She says that she is not my girlfriend , but just friend. I am 100% sure she is my girlfriend because she is the only girl. , I'm friends with . Let her argue , whatever she wants to. Anyways she is good ... better.... best ...at that , arguing nonstop on any given topic, just to contradict me. She always takes potshot at my status or rather lack of it.

In "Jane tu ya jane na" , Jay is a middle class boy , compared to richi rich Aditi , still there's no strain in their friendship. So what's wrong with my girlfriend ? She liked the movie. She liked Imran Khan even more. It prompted me to ridicule Imran's bushy eyebrows. This must be the first time , I bitched about anyone or paid any attention to a guy's face . I mean there are so many girls around , why waste your eye sight on boys ?On the platform , in the buses , at the malls , I offer my close-up smile to the girls. But these girls are so stingy , they never return anything , not even the smile. They either turn away their faces or stare at me as if I am an Anaconda dressed up as a boy.Forget the girls , just for a while of course. Why does my girlfriend give so much attention to my outward appearance ? why does not she look inwards. I don't mean "kya kool hai hum " sort of double meaning here.It's cool for Salman Khan to woo Priyanka with "Tuze Aksa beach ghooma doo , aa chalti kya " .

It's super-duper hit for Imran Khan to dance "pappu can not dance " with Genelia . Then why should I be denied the basic human ( boyfriend ) right to take my girlfriend at Aksa beach ? My girlfriend insists on Juhu beach. Now which half-wit goes to Juhu with girlfriend ? I mean everybody with his family and dog swarm Juhu. Where's the privacy ?On my birthday she gifted me a pink shirt . I tried to reason with her. Who wears peee.....nk shirt ? She blurted "Ranbir , Sainf , Shahid ..... " . Not in my league , I warn you. First she teases me about my Ajay Devganish complexion and now this peeee...nk shirt . What the hell ? Can not she gift me the cash instead ? I could have bought 3 Louis Phillips ( white , white and off white ) from Churchgate subway.On her birthday , I gifted her Lakme's 9 to 5 lipstick. She snubbed " Have you ever heard about Channel , Max Factor , Neena Ricci ..... blah blah blah. Agreed , she has this Angelina Jolie lips , which she pouts twenty five hours a day , meaning pretty much all the time.


Posted by SUJATA TAWDE

MUMBAI MOMENTS .....


Mumbai city has a concrete jungle,
Mumbai suburbs have green jungle.

Mumbai city has Fort & CST ,
Mumbai suburbs have FilmCity.

Mumbai city is jaded with Ministers,
Mumbai suburbs are studded with Moviestars.

Mumbai city has Hanging Garden,
Mumbai suburbs have Hiranandani Garden.

Mumbai city has SoBo Complex ,
Mumbai suburbs have Lokhandwala Complex.

Mumbai city is cool and comforting,
Mumbai suburbs are hot and happening.

The secret of their ….

My uncle told me this amazing story when I was a little girl.

Long, long ago there was a jungle, full of birds and animals.

Once a hungry fox started chasing a snow-white rabbit.

The rabbit ran fast as his life was at stakes while the fox chased with equal ardour as he was mad with hunger.

Wide eyes, flared nose and out of breath, I screamed, “No…… the cruel fox caught the furry rabbit?”

Uncle comforted me, “The fox has not yet caught the rabbit. The rabbit is heading and the fox is tailing.”

I blurted “Then…?”

Uncle replied with a sigh “Then what? The rabbit is still running. He drinks MILK , you know? Even the fox is still chasing as he also drinks milk. So the chase continues….”

Moral of the story: I never said “NO” to milk since that day.

MUMBAI'S YOUTHFULL LANGUAGE

Your attention please ! ' Bindhas Tapori ' speaking . Majority of Mumbai's population is in the teenage bracket. It's natural to communicate with you in your ' boli ' , and your ' boli ' is ' tapori '

Once upon a time . Queen's English was considered as classic . Time flies fast ; accordingly the language went through roller - coaster ride. The newspapers so far considered the guardians of ' Lingua Pura ' , don't shy away from publishing articles chock- a - block with kewl , wassup , yo , ya , whatever , hey , chill pill , uber cool , snobs , chicks , dude , fultoo , item , hifi , cutting etc.

Aamir Khan's ' Ghulam - song ' Ae kya bolti tu ' initiated the trend of ' tapori ' in Hindi films and Munnabhai's ' bole to ' added momentum to the bandwagon.

Mumbai , the city of dreams and dreamers , welcomed ' dhaansu ' tapori with open mouths ( the pun intended ) . Till yesterday you were angry , now you give ' khunnas ' . The fave funda of ' avli ' youngsters is ' tension lene ka nahi , dene ka ' . Your problems , difficulties have become ' locha ' , ' jhol ' . If someone dupes you , you are ' popat ' without wings.

The new improved version of your ' Lingua Franca ' is remixed with ' vaat lag gayee ' , ' zakaas ' , ' aapun tapka ' , ' hawa aane de ' , ' kalti maar ' , ' bheja fry ' , ' lukkha ' , ' khajoor ' , ' dhakkan ' , ' raawas ' , ' zinga ' , ' takatak ' , ' khopchi ' , ' raada ' , ' bhidoo ' , ' dhinchaak ' and ' raapchik ' .

The simple compliments such as fine , nice and good have been replaced with uber cool , ' sahee ' and wow. Beautiful girl is no more ' belle' but ' chhawi ' and handsome hunk is naturally ' chhawa ' .

You got bored with the word ' bore ' so ' pakaw ' is in. The old world romanticism of courting , wooing , flirting is flop and sporting encounters such as setting , fielding , batting are super-hit.

The golden days of ' nukkad ' are over . Cyber cafes are the places to chilax . Irani / Udipi hotels are boycotted in favour of 2K Baristas and McDonalds , where you indulge in CA = ' Complete Aaram or MBA = ' Mast Baithake Aaram '.

Not a very long ago the ' tapori ' was strictly spoken by ' bhailog ' . Now in the times of PDA ( Public Display of Affection ) , ' tapori ' has become a fashion statement in our Mumb(h)ai . Let the whole world have prudish English , we the Mumbaikars love our street - smart ' tapori '.