James Ramya Rajan

That minds that decided to add ASMR to the title of this video is what I would call vileness. That it was done through the official account of a government, just makes it uncouth too. But I guess we are past that threshold now.

Oh, I do understand that some find joy in the misery of people who they consider as “others”. But terming is as ASMR, related to something positive and soothing is just sinking to a new low.

In this video, the Trump White House invites us to relax to the clinking of handcuffs, the rattling of chains, and other sounds of immigrants being shackled like criminals and placed on flights out of the country.

kottke.org

Having said that, I feel such things will keep coming, so that we take the eye off something else they are slipping in through the day!

🥾Hiking at Wadi Degla Protected Reserve 📍

Well since the movement from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo, we have been looking for hiking spots here. And except for the Wadi Degla the city has no other place to offer. Wadi Degla is a limestone valley which seems to have formed from water flowing — whether river or sea is unclear, as people have different stories.

As you can see from the photos below the landscape is the exact opposite of what we had in Malaysia. But it has its own charm. You are exposed to the elements — wind and sun. On a winter morning, the cold air is bone chilling. But it also makes the sun bearable. The walk in the valley makes you humble in the vastness of the landscape visible in front of you. It is a form of meditation.

We intend to make the most of this space (also it is the only one 😋) and make it a weekly routine to explore new trails here.

Trail runners starting off the run towards the valley with the sun rising in front of them.
We walked as the others ran!
The northern ridge as seen from the gate!
A limestone valley as seen from the top of the plateau that surrounds it
View of the valley from the south ridge!
Panoramic view the valley from the South Ridge
Panoramic view the valley from the South Ridge
A small hill where people are climbing
The maximum elevation is about 180m
The terrain is very sandy and full of gravel!
The terrain is very sandy and full of gravel!

So well put by Ezra, but I doubt the ones in power will let the tide turn against them so easily. I so want to believe Ezra and hope!

www.youtube.com/watch

In this post of Sam Altman, the cynical me can only see that the 3 key takeaways seem to be a cover to seed FUD for the upcoming unpopular changes that he seems to be hinting at.

While we never want to be reckless and there will likely be some major decisions and limitations related to AGI safety that will be unpopular, directionally, as we get closer to achieving AGI, we believe that trending more towards individual empowerment is important; the other likely path we can see is AI being used by authoritarian governments to control their population through mass surveillance and loss of autonomy.

blog.samaltman.com

While I find the 3 observations he makes very mundane, particularly coming from a person like him, I find this analogy of AI agents to transistors a very nice framework to think about things coming in our future.

In some ways, AI may turn out to be like the transistor economically—a big scientific discovery that scales well and that seeps into almost every corner of the economy. We don’t think much about transistors, or transistor companies, and the gains are very widely distributed. But we do expect our computers, TVs, cars, toys, and more to perform miracles.

blog.samaltman.com

An exciting demo from the Apple Machine Learning team on a companion tabletop lamp robot. As much AI developments has been exciting in the part weeks, this demo brings about a lot of joy to me!

https://machinelearning.apple.com/research/elegnt-expressive-functional-movement

In the commentary of John Gruber on the renaming of Gulf of Mexico for US map users, I really like the below quoted line. What an envious club to be a part of!

There are three countries in the world that don’t use the metric system as their official units of measure: the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar. I expect there will be fewer — namely, one — who go along with calling it the “Gulf of America”.

daringfireball.net

Feels like yesterday when #OhBoy was teething and he would be itching to gnaw at things. And now he had first teeth fall off. They grow up so fast!

Lovely to see cleaning and keeping places clean deeply embedded in the culture of Japan!

PS: I know there is a lot of feel grief about Japanese culture, but that should not stop us from celebrating where they are good at.

📺 The Rookie, Netflix ★★★★

Poster of the TV Series The Rookie showing the lead characters

When we moved to Cairo and were in the processing of settling down and we would want to wind down with some TV series that would take our brain off the crazy days we were having. That is when I came across The Rookie. We love Nathan Fillion from the days of Castle and so we started with the pilot episode.

And soon we got hooked on to it and soon we became fans of the show. The writing was sharp, the woman characters has a strong personality, the show had a good moral compass and the jokes were 🤌🏽.

Soon Netflix let us know that they have the show only till Dec 31st. We didn’t want to let go of what we had and binge on all the episodes we could lay our hands on. After years, we were back to binge watching 2-3 episodes a day! The cold winters in Cairo helped too in us cozing up in the TV room!

And do we finished 5 seasons in a record time. The last we watched a TV series in such a record speed was for Spooks.

📚 Project Hail Mary ★★★★

Auto-generated description: A book titled Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is displayed, featuring a stylized space-themed cover with a recommendation from The Martian.

Finished reading: Project Hail Mary: A Novel by Weir, Andy 📚

It has been a while since I last read a full book. I have been dropping books mid-way mostly or have kept them pending for years now. 🙈

In that sense, this happened pretty quickly. Apart from the wonderful storyline it was mostly because it was loaned from a library. The added pressure definitely helped. Hope this turns out to a reading streak. 🤞🏼

An very level headed take on the WPEngine and Matt Mullenweg controversy. I am also a little disappointed with Matt and where this is headed, but this post is a good reminder that we are all human and mistakes are a part of us. Mistakes alone should not define us. I too hope Matt does better on this issue and in the future!

I support the mad king manton.org

The beautiful sunset we got to experience from Al Azhar park in #Cairo, #Egypt

A city skyline at dusk is silhouetted against a vibrant orange and blue sky.

We had our first feel of the rain showers in #Cairo yesterday and there was a rainbow too!

Of the local Egyptian dishes we have tried so far, we love their flat bread Aish Baladi, stewed fava beans Ful Medames and Hawashi.

Hawashi is pita bread stuffed with minced meat and grilled or pan fried. The meat was juicy and tasted just yum. The Tahini they served was the perfect dipping sauce!

Auto-generated description: Grilled flatbread sandwiches are served on a plate with a side of dipping sauce and a garnish of fresh greens.

Finally after being here in Egypt for 3 weeks, we got some breathing time this weekend to go around sightseeing in Cairo. And what better way to start than a boat ride on the Nile.

We went to the eastern bank of the Nile and entered the promenade called Mamsha Ahl Misr 📍. There was an entry fee of EGP 20. The walkway was very well maintained and it was a pleasure to be walking along the river that was majestically flowing through the city.

Auto-generated description: A sunset view over a river with silhouetted city buildings in the background.

The promenade is fully of cafes and restaurants, all of them having a stunning view of the river. We had our evening coffee before heading for the boats.

The boat rides cost differently not just based on the type, but from which place you take it from. We took a sharing boat ride, which was fun except for the loud music. The locals on the boat where enjoying it, so we guess it is a thing here.

Auto-generated description: A boat travels along a river with a decorative metal structure at its bow and city buildings in the background. Auto-generated description: A large bridge spans over a wide river under a clear blue sky. Auto-generated description: A woman and a child sit on a couch next to an older woman, with two people interacting in the background on a terrace.

And thus starts our exploration of Egypt!

It is almost a week since we landed in Cairo. The journey here was made memorable thanks to Emirates. They totally pampered #OhBoy with toys, activity books, Polaroid shots and special meals etc. Also this was his first flight with in-flight entertainment. He was beyond thrilled.

Aerial view of a sprawling cityscape of Cairo with densely packed buildings and winding roads under a clear blue sky.

This was our first view of Cairo. A total contrast to what we have been used to in KL. This is not a complaint by any means, just an observation. #OhBoy was quick to provide his approval!

A view of a sandy cityscape of Cairo from an airplane window with a boy's hand showing a thumbs-up gesture.

We have a temporary accommodation in one of the downtown areas and the chaos on the streets is both beautiful and overwhelming. I guess the city will slowly grow on us. As of now, we are mostly silently observing it and hopefully soon we will contribute to some of this chaos :)

There is a thin (sometimes thick) layer of dust on every building, tree or anything outside. Beneath it everyday life moves on with so much gusto! A great metaphor for life. It will take a while for me to get used to the dust, coming from Malaysia. But I cannot wait to become a part of Cairo and Cairo to become a part of us!

As we get ready to leave Hyderabad, it’s time to reminisce the good food we had here.

Hyderabad is usually known for its Biryani. However over the last few years the craze for Mandi has surpassed it. I had earlier tried out Mandi with a friend at Mandi@36 📍. This time we all went together as a family. Everyone from kids to adults enjoyed it.

A large platter of Mandi is topped with a piece of cooked lamb leg, garnished with fried onions and nuts, and accompanied by small bowls of sauces and vegetables. A large platter of Mandi and meat is surrounded by small bowls of sauces and a mix of vegetables.

We also went to the very old school Minerva coffee shop 📍 for both breakfast and evening snacks, and enjoyed both the outings.

A large, crispy dosa is served on a banana leaf with two types of chutney and a spoon. Two vadas are served on a banana leaf along with three types of chutneys and a glass of water in the background. Four Mysore bondas are placed on a banana leaf with two types of chutney, accompanied by a fork and spoon. Deep-fried chili bajji stuffed with a spicy filling and topped with diced onions and seasoning are served on a banana leaf.

All these were of course punctuated with the street side Punnugulu, Mirchi bajji and Sweet Lime juice.

After about two decades I put on some மருதாணி / Henna / Mehndi on my hands to motivate #OhBoy who was trying it for the first time. Here is what our palms look like now!

Two hands, one larger than the other, have circular henna designs on their palms.

Every time I have visited Chennai, since moving out in 2021, my first breakfast of the visits has been in Sri Krishna Bhavan. The default order being Pongal, with their chutney and sambar🤌

Today was no exception. I love their consistency in delivering tasty quality food at reasonable prices.

A serving of ghee pongal, sambar in a small bowl, and coconut chutney is presented on a banana leaf.

The little man who was like this just a few years ago, is already out for a sleepover. The anxious me has been calling to check if he has had a bath, ate, slept etc

I certainly am not ready for such independent behaviour. I guess I never will be, having seen him as a little hapless being!

#Parenting

We wrapped up our stay in Malaysia yesterday after 3 years of stay here.

Towards the end things became crazy busy with some unplanned hospital visits, sales of cars, farewell visits from friends etc. We were wrapped up in a warm feeling of care and affection from friends who made sure we were fed after our kitchen was packed, made the effort to travel from afar to meet us one last time and stood with us till we left in the van to the airport. We felt blessed to have them all in our lives.

So long Malaysia! I am really hoping of coming back here and checking off the list of pending things to do.

Before hopping on to the flight, we had our one last fix of Kopi along with a butter toast and egg custard tart at the Oriental Kopi at KLIA2. You can see #OhBoy give his sign of approval. We left KL with a smile on our lips! Two cups of coffee, a slice of sugar sprinkled butter toast, and two egg custard tarts are on a table with a boy giving a thumbs-up in the background.

#MalaysianDiary

The last couple of weeks have been hectic on the #parenting front. One day #OhBoy retuned back unwell from school. We initially thought it was just a simple stomach bug, as he had a temperature along with it. Soon the temperature came down and all the tests came out negative as well. He slowly recovered and we never knew what was the cause.

So after a week, we went to a friend’s place for dinner. He was his normal self, but then eventually he refused to have dinner and said his tummy is aching. I got him back home and put him to sleep. By this time he was crying and it was a long night. He would wake up every hour and complain about the aching tummy and then go back to sleep. The whole night was this in repeat mode. At times he would be sobbing without actually calling and waking us up. It was sad to see him like that and tough when as a parent you can’t do anything to provide relief. In the morning he eventually pooped and was a different person after that. That is when it hit us that he could be constipated.

But then he was regular with his bowel movements and after an earlier warning from the paediatrician we always keep an eye on his toilet habits and spoke to him about it as well. So we were not sure what exactly it was this time.

We eventually got an appointment with the doctor and did a few tests to reveal that it was a case of paediatric constipation. The doctor said that it was pretty common among children. He is now on a bunch of medication to ease things out for him. Finally the pains have gone away and we are back to a regular schedule.

Below are my notes on things we need to do as parents to reduce such incidents. #OhBoy was doing most of this already. The only area he was slipping was withholding during playtime at school. And that eventually triggered all of this.

Notes on paediatric constipation

  1. Constipation is when either child does not pass stools or the stool is very hard and large
  2. The symptoms for this are
    • less than 3 bowel movements a week
    • dry and hard stools that are painful to pass
    • bloated with abdominal pains
    • stomach pains that improve after they poop
    • traces of liquid or pasty stool in the underwear
    • blood on stool
    • poops like pellets
  3. The cause for this could be any of the following
    • Diet — lack of fiber, not having enough fluids, more junk food, lots of daily products (Cheese, milk)
    • Lack of physical activity
    • Withholding (due to involvement in play or hesitation to use the toilets)
    • Emotional — Stress in family/life
    • Busy children — Who ignore body signals for want to play, too packed schedule
    • Underlying physical condition
  4. Changes to reduce such occurrences
    • Change in diet to include more fiber (Fruits, vegetables)
    • Intake lot of fluids
    • Get more exercise or physical activity
    • Good toilet habits — twice a day sitting on the toilet for 10 minutes, approximately 30 mins after a meal

You can read more about this at the following links

  1. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/constipation-in-children
  2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation-in-children/
  3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/constipation-in-children/

After 10 years, upgrading my personal computer setup. My last laptop was a MacBook Pro on Intel chip. Now migrating to iMac on M3 chip.

Looking forward to a long acquaintance my new friend!

A desktop setup with a new blue iMac with a keyboard, mouse and trackpad in front of it.

Ever since we got to know we will be heading to Cairo, I started learning Arabic on Duolingo. Today finished Unit 1!

With our stay in KL is getting to an end soon, we are starting to have goodbye meals with friends. A few weeks ago, we hosted our Chinese neighbour for a lunch at an Indian restaurant here. During that lunch, their son was reminiscing about the Vadai he had in our place, so we followed it up by a breakfast of Vadai, Idly and Dosai another day.

As conversations flowed in different directions that morning, we talked about Mala cuisine and about a lovely chilli chicken we had in one of the places here in KL. They quickly said that we have to try this place in Pudu, where the lady who cooks is from China and makes some fantastic food. So we went there this weekend. What a wonderful meal it turned out to be.

The highlight was the sour and spicy fish. The fish was fried and later a flavourful broth was added. That broth was just divine. We drank bowls of it.

A chinese dish of whole fried fish in a broth

The Pork was also good — so soft, garlicky and spicy as well

A Pork dish cooked in Chinese Sichuan Style

There were other dishes like Prawns, Cabbage Sautee, Potato fry, spiced cucumber and the Chilli Chicken we came for. But the chicken was fried too dry and tough for our taste. The sichuan peppers though on it, were fun to eat ;)

Cucumber smashed and spiced with some chilli oil Fried chicken tossed with some dry red chillies and sichuan pepper A plate with rice in the middle, surrounded by chilli cucumber, chinese style potato fry, chilli chicken and pork

We followed it up with some desserts. There were all made from paste of different nuts or seeds. We had one cup each of Black Sesame, Peanut, Almond and Walnut. I loved the Peanut and Black Sesame one.

A neon lit, old school dessert shop with seating on the pavement A man tending to the warm pots of desserts Cups of the desserts made out of pastes of Black Sesame, Walnut, Peanut and Almond

#OhBoy was playing well with them all through and was a jester making up jokes and silly games. As our time here in KL is coming to end, I am slowly realising the so many things and people I will miss about this place. But I am glad to be leaving with so many wonderful memories!

#MalaysianDiary