A week at Queenstown

This will easily rank as one of the best holidays we have ever had.

A week at the beautiful Queenstown.

The view from our cottage of the mountains called 'Remarkables' (very aptly named...we thought) every morning took our breath away...and so did many other places in and around QT.

We had taken our little Indian coffee-filter, so made our own little cuppa. Sipping the Mysore Indian brew while watching the remarkables waking up to its snow-capped glory as the sun rose has left an indescribable and indelible impression in us.

This thought of ours found endorsement by an umpire who stood in the one-dayer on the 31st between NZ and Bangaladesh. He preferred to stand with his back to the mountains lest he get distracted by the captivating beauty of the remarkables and err in his decisions.

A great morning walk around the lake Wakatipu refreshed the soul and the place was so quiet and tranquil that sometimes I thought even speaking at a slightly higher volume would be considered rude by God.

Be Happy and Get Rich

The search for the holy grail of investment that can make hopeless investors to financial whiz kids led Arun Abey, an Aussie investment Guru to come up with these nuggets of wisdom:

THE WISDOM OF ABEY

1. Money alone will not make you happy. Living an "authentic life" will. People have more money today than 50 years ago, yet are no more happy.

2. Have a financial plan for you, not your money. Those with a financial plan report greater satisfaction with life than those who do not.

3. Your plan should be based on your goals, not goals someone else says you should have. Those selling dreams are probably trying to sell you something else.

4. Understand "The Prize". Over the long term, cash makes a real return of 0%-1%, bonds 1%-3%, property (without leverage) 3%-5% and shares 5%-8%.

5. Understand the "enemy within". You are wired to make bad investment decisions, and your financial plan needs to defeat that.

6. Beware false accounting. An investment you bought for $100 five years ago, and sold for $150 yesterday, but cost you $4 to buy, $10 in finance interest costs, and $11 to maintain and insure, made a 25%, not a 50% return.

7. Drip-feed money into the markets so you do not worry about short-term ups and downs. You'll be buying in both.

8. Do not attempt to chase fads, or time the market. You will fail, unless you are lucky. Very few people are consistently lucky.

9. Do not watch your investments constantly. Review annually.

10. Have a financial planner. Make sure he or she is not a commission salesman.

Diwali 2007

Colourful, great crowd, food and shows!

Olive Riley Returns to Broken Hill

Watch the amazing 108 year old blogger

Navaratri Kolu 2007

Happy Navaratri

May Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi's blessings be on all of us.

Gandhi comes to Wellington

October 2nd saw the first Gandhi statue being installed in New Zealand, thanks to the Governor General Anand Satyanand's efforts.

The location was carefully considered and decided to be the front of Wellington Railway station (you can see the station at the background, covered for some renovation work). The choice was made based on the fact that the Mahatma was a great user of the train.

Needless to say many Indian office-goers' hearts will feel a moment of pride and honour when we pass the landmark every working day.

I took this photo yesterday.

Perfect Friday

Beat this!

It was a perfect Friday.

Waking up at 4.30 and watching Indians run over the choking South Africa in the 20-20 super 8.

Sweeter was Indians' success in that they let the nervously waiting New
Zealand into semi-finals by restricting SA to under 125.

Freshly brewed filter coffee providing the gentle kickstart; a little
bit of Yoga (though distracted by the marauding Indians on the telly) to
nourish the tired muscles and bones.

MS' Suprabatham and Sahasranamam on the ipod on the way to work, shorter than usual weekly meeting, sunny afternoon without the absence of the notorious Wellington wind.

Expectations for a relaxing weekend - today being the last day of the
school term before holidays - meaning no sport during the weekend for
kids - meaning no driving around to deadlines.

Someone informs next week is bad weather. Next week may be different.
India could win; New Zealand could win. One or both might disappoint.
Next week is next week.

Let me make the most of this perfect Friday. Hard to beat one like this!

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi (click on picture to enlarge)

Happy Krishna Jayanthi

Krishna attracts. AkarshaNAt Krishna.

Krishna ploughs our hearts and removes weeds, like a farmer, Krushi.

Ghatam (musical pot), Vikadam (mimicry) and Vadam (as in Sanskrit)

Great fun this one.