Blogs

Completed 30 in SF. Treated myself to nitrogen infused ice cream. Flew to Korea on Christmas Day. Rang in the new year in Hanoi, Vietnam. January: Went to India to share in an old friend getting married. Flew to Doha and missed my connection to JFK thanks to the confusion caused by Donald Trump’s first attempt at the Muslim ban. Eventually landed in JFK to see people passed out in the arrivals section with signs reading “Wake me up, I am an immigration lawyer and can help”. Faith in humanity: restored. ...

The way you respond to a situation is almost as important as the remedy itself. Every now and then, while in our line of duty, we are faced with a crisis. This is the story of Speedbird 38. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. ~ JFKWhen dealing with technology; computers malfunction all the time, code always has bugs and users will always falter. Avoiding all those is nearly impossible, but minimizing the detrimental impact is definitely achievable. Its not about if something goes wrong, its always about when. ...

Anything that goes into my backpack has to earn its place there. This past year, I have lived in 6 continents, 17 countries, 7 time zones and 21 cities. All this while working a full time job, remotely. Work is my primary goal. Work is what enables me to live this life. So obviously, being connected is the center of my focus. Additionally, I am part of the Infrastructure team at BuzzFeed, which means, I have to be oncall for a week every month and be generally available 24/7, at other times. ...

No production operation is too small or too big for a checklist. Similarly, no situation is too strenuous for one. Always write one — it ensures smooth process! At BuzzFeed we love lists. I mean, we helped pioneer the list format! Lists are easily digestible and are clear and concise in their meaning. They are no replacement for a long form read, but hey, nobody’s got time to read a leather bound novel by a fireplace during a production operation. ...

Anyone who even remotely follows any technology oriented blog or website is probably well aware of the plethora of rumors and leaks that happen before any major consumer product announcement. This is more so true for rumors and leaks related to Apple. Partly to blame(credit?) for their secrecy when it comes to un-announced products — Apple somehow evokes consumer emotions — on levels that are unheard of. When was the last time CNN covered a queue of people waiting outside the Samsung store, days before a phone launch? Let’s face it, Apple did play a big part in revolutionizing the smart phone, tablets and debatably the smart watch industries. ...

Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany Gateway of India, Bombay (Mumbai), India Dhobi Ghat, the biggest laundromat in the world, Bombay (Mumbai), India City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America The only double decker tram system in the world, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of China Sunrise at 40,000 feet, on approach into London, United Kingdom Locks of Love, Seoul, Republic of Korea ...

With a combined population of less than 8000 - Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau are off the beaten tourist path. I will admit that not many people would crave to go there. Between getting high in Amsterdam and the beers of Belgium - it is not very uncommon for tourists to completely skip this little gem of International Co-operation. It is a situation that arose out of a land swap deal during the monarch days of Belgium and the Netherlands. Today, it is one of only few places in the world that has a complicated border. We aren’t talking about town lines or city lines or state lines - this is an international boundary. A mutually respected and internationally enforced border. And it looks something like this. ...

The year was 1996. I picked Michael Schumacher as the guy to support - not because I knew a lot about Formula One or the man himself - but because picking him would mean I could pick someone to pit against my brother’s favorite. I was 9 after all. All I wanted to do was annoy my older brother. Man, did I make a great choice or what. Its all about winning Jerez, European GrandPrix, 1997. Final race of the year, Schumacher was walking away with the victory and the world championship. Unexplainably, he starts slowing a few laps from the end. Villeneuve decides to plunge down the inside to overtake Michael - and presumably win the race and the championship. I distinctly remember that moment. Schumacher purposely turns his car into Villeneuve’s - with the express intent of running him off the road. Yeah, didn’t quite work out, Schumacher runs himself off the road instead, Villeneuve goes on to win the race and the championship. Schumacher is stripped off of all his points for the act - gets nothing - not even second place. Yeah, didn’t matter - winning was all. ...

I hold Blackberry close to my heart. I accepted my first real job offer on a Blackberry. I read the words “I love you” for the first time ever, in a Blackberry messenger message. I took to obsessively taking photos of food on a Blackberry. I got addicted to twitter on a Blackberry. The list goes on … I broke up with Blackberrys a while back. But, as with any other past relationship, I never meant ill. ...