Panorama Photography

After a long time....more than a year, got something interesting to write here - "Panorama". Yesterday when browsing through the new applications in iphone, Saw an application named 360 panorama and checked the functionality of the app and found interesting. Immediately bought it ($1.99) and tried few photographs in iphone and wow.. it was amazing.!!! I have seen some pictures which were extremely wide angle and mind blowing, (and also tried few by photo-stitching) but was not aware that the technology used on those photographs is panorama. Out of curiosity googled out and found many interesting factors about this. Here is a short description on Panorama Photography from wiki.

"Panoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that captures images with elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as wide format photography. The term has also been applied to a photograph that is cropped to a relatively wide aspect ratio. While there is no formal division between "wide-angle" and "panoramic" photography, "wide angle" normally refers to a type of lens, but using this lens type does not necessarily make an image a panorama. An image made with an ultra wide angle fisheye lens covering the normal film frame of 1:1.33 is not automatically considered to be a panorama. An image showing a field of view approximating, or greater than, that of the human eye – about 160° by 75° – may be termed panoramic. This generally means it has an aspect ratio of 2:1 or larger, the image being at least twice as wide as it is high. The resulting images take the form of a wide strip. Some panoramic images have aspect ratios of 4:1 and sometimes 10:1, covering fields of view of up to 360 degrees. Both the aspect ratio and coverage of field are important factors in defining a true panoramic image."

This one is the first trial captured through iphone app of my apartment (Hall). Will post more pictures here in the coming days.

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009

The Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 held on December 6th.

This year - we participated with no practice (laziness, no seriousness etc..) so many reasons. however I reached the Start spot at 7.25 am Near Fullerton Hotel. The race started sharp at 7:30 am. Immediate after the Gun shot we started the slow pace. It is again a very nice experience running with a huge crowd.

This year, I took 2-3 spoonful honey (Inspired by sadhguru's speach on honey - a very good energy booster). I think it worked.

This time I completed the 10 Km race in 01:24:56 (hh:mm:ss) , the minimum of all the 3 marathons (Standard Chartered Singapore marathon - 2007, 2008, 2009).

Inner Engineering:

No Meaning explaining the experience in words. It cant be written in words.......... everyone should experience this..... such a lovely experience. Thanks to ISHA.

J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge - 2009

I would like to share you all my experience running the JP morgan corporate challenge - 2009 on 16th April 2009, thursday evening 6:00 pm. The J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge (Marathon) is all about creating an environment where companies can come together, engage in healthy competition, and feel pride in their place of work and their community. The theme is "Teaming up for a Greener tomorrow" - This is to ensure that every human on this planet is responsible for the environment to ensure a Green earth for tomorrow - knowing how to keep our environment clean and green, so that our planet's atmosphere is healthy and we present the greener and non-polluted earth to our next generation.

Event : J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge - 2009

Date : 16-April-2009

Time : 6:00 pm

Venue : Start point : Esplanade Drive; Finish point : F1 pit, singapore

We assembled near Esplanade drive, singapore around 5.45 pm. Priya also accompanied me till the start point as a spectator, She was accompanied throughout the evening by Renuka, My friend - tukaram's wife. They both joined the cheering spectators for this great event along with thousands of other family members.

Sharp 6:00 pm , we started our run. With no practise for this run, I could able to run only for the first 2 km non-stop. then walked for the next 1 km and again ran till completing the 5.6 km. I reached the finish point at 6:48 pm with the great joy.

To add fun to this event, there was a T-shirt design contest. wherein many corporate companies who participated in this great event designed their own T-shirts with the Greener concept. Each one of them have their own colors, designs, wordings and logos. My company - Perot systems also participated and was shortlisted in the t-shirt design competition and won a prize. Our logo in t-shirts is - Front side with wording - "Preventing and sustaining the environment" and backside with wording - "Running towards a greener tomorrow" (the one which I am wearing).

Its a great feel being part of a huge crowd - all with positive energy and joy together at one place. Seeing them all itself a great enrichment to mind and soul. I was not a sportsman until few years back, however, this is the third marathon, which i participated in the last 2 years. Feeling proud of myself :)

Eager to participate more events like this in future !

Woodball

Hello friends,

Those who doesnt know - about - Jolly Walkers / our Saturday meeting, let me give them a quick intro. Few of my colleagues meet every Saturday morning, just to walk together and talk something apart from official stuff (a day to think - we are not just colleagues , but friends), A good experience to inhale fresh and chilled oxygen, a day to think we are not lazy but health consious........you may feel these are symptoms of getting old, but not - its a transformation of our inner soul expanding its experience in life.

This week when we meet at Pasir Ris Beach for a cycle ride, I noticed few senior citizens happily shouting and playing some game on a lawn. Their enthusiasm at this age made me to stop and watch what they are busy with. They were getting ready for a second game, slowly I started talking to one of the gentlemen to know - what the game is. He said , "This is 'WoodBall' - like your Indian Cricket and a substitute for Golf", he added - this is poor man's Golf and started laughing... (ha ha ha !!!! ). he continued.. we old people come here and pool in 2 dollars each, play this game, then have breakfast or tea and then leave... its good time pass". Hmm this is a nice inspiration - i thought to myself. that what we do now at 30's should continue even at and after 60's. You all might have noticed that whatever, if we do in a group with complete involvement will always multiple the joy within us.

Then I stood there for a while and watched their game and took few pics in my friend's mobile camera. After returning home, the curiosity towards the game made me to search Google for this woodball and found few things about this. It's interesting.

These items are the gadgets/materials for this game.

MALLET: This is something like a Bat, they do the same stroke like GOLF.

GATE: This is something like a Golf pit. It comprises of Two bottle shaped tower - to be anchored on ground and one inverted wooden cup hanging in-between in a metal rod, which swings 360 degrees when hit by the ball.
BALL: Here comes the main man of the game. A wooden ball similar to the cricket ball.

Rules of the game can be viewed here - http://www.woodball.net/

Guys - If anyone interested we can play this a day :)

Standard Chartered Marathon - 2008

On december 07th 2008 , Standard chartered Singapore Marathon held in singapore.

Malaysia Trip

Last weekend , we were on malaysia (Dad, mom, wife and brother) - a nice trip of 3 days. This was a package tour 3 days / 2 nights booked from Serangoon Travels. Friday 31st Oct '08 we started our tour from Singpaore - malaysia Bus Terminal, Queens Street, Rocher Road. We were picked at 6.45 am (friday) by 707 C0achline travels in a 26 seater bus to Genting Highlands. The bus dropped us at Genting Highlands at around 2 pm and we chcked in at Hotel First World.

First World Hotel - Genting.

First World Hotel is the second largest hotel in the world by rooms. It comprises Tower 1 and Tower 2, each with 23 floors, and has a total of 6,118 rooms. First World Hotel is a standard 3-star hotel at most of its rooms. Below the hotel is a 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) plaza called First World Plaza, housing shopping malls, arcades, food outlets, Starworld casino, The Pavilion and the Genting indoor theme park. It has a stage for weekly performances (such as magic and music shows) at the area called Time Square, surrounded by a replica of the Statue of Liberty and an Oscar statue. Other facilities including Watersplash Pool (an indoor water theme park for children), Genting Sky Venture (Asia's first free fall simulator) and a cineplex.
First World Hotel main entrance forms the lush and grand tropical rainforest and a spacious Spanish courtyard at its lobby.

The Legend Hotel, Kaula Lumpur

The next day , we were picked from the hotel by the same tour bus to Kuala Lumpur and dropped us at The Legend Hotel, KL. This is a 5 star property in Peninsular Malaysia and is beautifully designed with a breathtaking view of the magnificent Kuala Lumpur’s city skyline. Famous landmarks surrounding the Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur in Peninsular Malaysia include the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), The Mall shopping centre, historic commercial and government buildings and many other that is just close proximity with the Legend Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ABOUT KUALA LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. From its centralised position which spans 243.6 sq. kilometres, this ultra-modern nerve centre of Malaysia expands outwards to embrace the world.
Discovering KL (as locals affectionately call it) is like travelling through a time tunnel. Here, vivid traces of history continue to influence and inspire a country set on becoming a fully industrialised nation by the year 2020. You will see ultra-modern skysrapers standing magnificently next to rows and rows of quaint old shophouses. Haute cuisine beside hawker stalls.
To the avid shopper KL, is paradise. From world-renowned designer labels and brands to exquisite made-in-Malaysia items, the highly competitive environment that exists among traders is a blessing in disguise to shoppers. While department retail establishments or at any one of KL's famous night markets. KL will enthrall you. It will capture your heart and mind in a way no other city will.
Kuala Lumpur had its origin as a shanty mining outpost for the tin trade in the 1800s at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang River. Today, KL as it is popularly known, is a bustling metropolis, the federal capital of Malaysia and the principal centre of commerce, politic, entertainment and international activities.
The city skyline is rapidly changing and presently boast the world's tallest building, the magnificient Petronas Twin Tower at 452 meters. Another architectural wonder is the world's forth tallest communication tower, the Menara Kuala Lumpur. Despite all the urbanization process actively dominating the city, Kuala Lumpur has managed to still retain its old world charm depicted in the majestic buildings of the colonial era and the quaint pre-war shophouses.

Places of Interest:

1 ASEAN Sculpture Garden
2 Bird Park
3 Bukit Nanas
4 Butterfly Park
5 Chinatown
6 Dayabumi Complex
7 Deer Park
8 Experimental Theatre
9 Hibiscus Garden
10 Istana Negara
11 Jade Museum
12 Masjid Jamek
13 Menara Kuala Lumpur
14 Merdeka Square
15 National Library
16 National Monument
17 National Mosque
18 National Theater (Istana Budaya)
19 Orchid Garden
20 Panggung Anniversari
21 Petronas Twin Towers
22 Planetarium Negara
23 Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman
24 Selangor Club
25 Stadium Merdeka
26 Stadium Negara
27 Sultan Abdul Samad Building