A quiet lament on the Death of a Fantastic Machine (aka the camera).
Successfully summited the Kilimanjaro last week!
Today I made a simple mid-morning snack for #OhBoy — toasted bread slathered with honey. He devoured it with such enthusiasm that he looked up at me and said, “Appa, can we start a shop selling these? I think people would love them!”
Ah, this beautiful innocence. I hope it lasts just a little longer.
Do you remember those moments when your kids saw magic in the simplest things? When a piece of honey toast could spark dreams of entrepreneurship?
From the first glimpses of Tanzania, both from the plane and the ride to hotel, is that it is sooooo green! Damn I am so going to miss this when I am back in Cairo next week!
6 years ago when #OhBoy was about to be born I bought a new phone — iPhone XR.
Now I finally got to update it to IPhone 16 Pro. Just in time for the Kilimanjaro trek!
Thank You: The Village That Made Kilimanjaro Possible
As I'm about to embark on my adventure to Kilimanjaro, I wanted to take a moment to thank the incredible people who made this trek possible. You know that saying about it taking a village? Well, this is my village.
Folks at Home
Thanks to The Missus for being such a sport from the moment she heard about this crazy possibility. She joined me on all those practice hikes even knowing she wouldn't be able to do the actual trek herself. That's love, right there. ❤️
Thank you to my mother and #OhBoy, who have graciously kept their apprehensions to themselves and supported this adventure. They've been wonderful about us being away for hours every Saturday, letting me chase this dream.
The Team at The Quad
From the moment I told Coach Chow at The Quad about this trek, she was genuinely excited for me. She made sure I connected with people who had already conquered this mountain and assigned Coach Yogesh to create my training plan.
Coach Yogesh truly understood the limitations of my situation and location, crafting a plan that worked perfectly for where I was. Thank you!
Later, Coach Roshini became my accountability partner, checking in regularly and keeping me motivated when the going got tough.
Thanks to all of them, I feel so much more prepared and confident about taking on this challenge!
The Generous Souls Who Shared Their Time
Through The Quad and other networks, I connected with folks who had successfully summited Kilimanjaro. Each one of them graciously spent time with me on calls, sharing what to expect and how to prepare. Every conversation added a different dimension to my understanding and training.
Thank you Aswani Kumar Yerguntala, Saraswathy Natarajan, Filbert Pradeep and Amany Khalil! I promise to pay forward the kindness you've shared with me.
And a special thanks to Zohra Merabet for connecting me with Amany!
The Gear Angels
Being in Egypt meant I didn't have access to much of the trekking gear I needed. So I asked friends who were traveling to Cairo to help me out. These amazing people made sure I had everything I needed:
Anusha Srinivasan — who ordered exactly what I wanted
from Amazon.ca
Diya — who carried those items all
the way from Canada to Cairo
Sufian — who brought
me the things I needed from India
I'm well-dressed and properly equipped for this climb because of all of you. 🙌
My Team at NFN Labs
Thank you to my colleagues for letting me take a two-week break and being genuinely excited ever since I told them about this possibility. We've talked about it in our weekly calls, and they've stepped up beautifully, picking up the work I'm leaving behind for the next two weeks. Having that support and enthusiasm from your team means everything. 🙏
My Kilimanjaro Crew
And finally, the most important group—the team that made this all happen and with whom I'll be spending every waking moment of the next 10 days:
Rajan Mittal — the man who got me into a regular hiking
routine in KL, took me to Mt. Rinjani, and now to Kilimanjaro.
Rakesh Aravindan — our forex partner and the ultimate
chill pill of the group.
Wong Chin Wai — our super
motivator and the master of fine print details.
Naman
Gupta — the one who gave us serious FOMO in our training plan
and pushed me to train harder than I had initially planned.
All the best to us — The High Five! 🏔️
Packing for Kilimanjaro
Next week, I’m finally heading to Kilimanjaro. We’re taking on the 8-day Lemosho route, and I’m both excited and nervous about what lies ahead.
I’ll do my best to post updates along the way if network coverage allows. If not, I will do a full recap once I’m back home with stories to tell.
For now, I wanted to share my packing list with you. Over the past few months, I’ve poured over countless blogs and YouTube videos from fellow trekkers, gathering insights and learning from their experiences. This post is my way of paying it forward—hoping it might help someone else preparing for their own Kilimanjaro adventure.
Below is everything I’ve packed for this 8-day journey. I’ve tried to strike a balance between being prepared and not overpacking (though I suspect I may have erred on the side of caution).
Gear List Kilimanjaro - 8 day trek.pdf
Whether you’re planning your own trek or just curious about what it takes to climb Africa’s highest peak, I hope this list gives you some useful insights. Wish me luck—I have a feeling I’m going to need it!
Last weekend I had to skip my usual practice hike since we were hosting guests. So instead of my weekend routine, I decided to head out for an evening weekday hike — and I'm so glad I did.
I had the entire Wadi Degla completely to myself. Even though I've explored these trails more than a dozen times now, the limestone landscape never fails to take my breath away. There's something magical about having this vast, ancient valley all to yourself.
This time I left my weighted backpack at home, which meant I could move much quicker along the familiar paths. Without that extra load, I managed to push myself up and down the hill seven times without completely exhausting myself — a personal best that left me feeling pretty accomplished.
And then came the reward for all that effort: one of the most stunning sunsets I've seen in weeks.
This was my second-to-last training hike before the big Kilimanjaro adventure. I'm hoping to squeeze in one final hike this weekend before I head out next week.
The quiet evening, the solitude, and that incredible sunset — sometimes the best adventures happen when you least expect them.
This week mom had her birthday and we had planned a dinner with a view of the pyramids. We were then invited to a dinner that the new ambassador was hosting for a colleague who was leaving Cairo. We tried to excuse ourselves, but upon insistence we chose to attend.
To our surprise, they had bought a cake for mom and we had a full celebration around it. We were all touched by the very thoughtful and warm gesture. Mom was also quite moved, because over the years we have toned down our celebrations to quiet little cozy meals, and this was a good surprise for her as well.
#OhBoy had his own set of surprises for his Paati. He had made a birthday card for her and also a simple bead bracelet!
📽 Court: State vs. A Nobody, Netlifx ★★★★★
After a long time we got to catch up on a couple of movies last week. One of them was a Telugu movie called Court.
It is a very well written and acted court room drama. It was very a satisfying watch. The sensitivity and the tenderness of young love, the establishing of the nastiness of the villain character were all so well written, that they make you feel the characters.
The entire drama is very routed in the milieu. It is a wonderful watch and I highly recommend it.
🥾Hiking at St. Katherine Protectorate 📍
It has been two weeks, since I hike Mt. Katherine and Mt. Sinai at the protectorate. This was a preparatory hike for the Kilimanjaro trek that is coming up in June. My team mates were all doing weekly long distance treks in Malaysia and the US. I felt a bit left out and hiking loops at the Wadi Degla, didn't seem like I was doing enough.
Day 1 — Hike to Mt. Katherine
Since I was doing this alone and I had to be back at home for Easter, this was a quick in and out of trip to the Sinai region. We started very early in the morning and saw the beautiful sunrise on the way.
Once we crossed the Ahmed Hamdi tunnel, the landscape was so very different from the other side
After reaching Fox Camp, where a guide was arranged for me to take me up the mountains and bring me back. The hike was supposed to start at 10am, but guide had some transportation issues and we eventually started out at 11.45am. Not the ideal time to start a hike, but if I had to return the next day, this was the only option. Coincidentally my guide was named Musa (Moses) as well.
The terrain was very different and I huffed and puffed for a while until I found my rhythm. I had to remind myself that I need not race or do this fast. The aim was to do it and come back without an injury. And I think this would be the mantra for Kilimanjaro as well — Pole, pole (Swahili for slowly slowly)
Couple of hours later, we reached the valley where would be resting later in the night. The Wadi (valley) was a little green pasture were a few families were doing farming. The fertile piece of land was a welcome sight for the dry features around it.
We unloaded a lot of our stuff, took only water and snacks and started up Mt. Katherine after a very short break. The way up was daunting to say the least, but I had to do this to see how I would be able to hold up in Kilimanjaro.
By this time my shoulders were aching, which I later realized was because of me not swinging my arms. And walking 4h straight was causing cramps all over — quads, adductors, hamstrings. Musa, my guide, was very supportive and kept the spirits up. He even helped me stretch my hamstrings, when it was cramping real bad.
We finally reached the summit just after sunset. But the twilight was such a wonderful sight.
After a short 20 minute rest, we started walking back down again. Not sure whether it was the adrenaline from summiting or just gravity, the walk down felt refreshing and easy on effort. The knees and the ankles begged to differ though!
They had provided me a room with just a mattress on the floor and some blankets. I was more than happy to have it in this wilderness. I just crashed after a few quick stretches.
Day 2 — Hike to Mt. Sinai
The next morning, I was well rested and felt that I have a new pair of legs.
We started the hike at 5.20am and reached the summit in about 2h without a stop. I think the body was getting used to the rhythm by now and I realized that walking slow in Zone 2 heart rate, helped me walked longer without gassing myself at the end of the hike.
By the time I summited, the tourists who had done the night trek to view the sunrise had left and I had the summit all to myself. We had some nice breakfast at the top. I was able to do a video call with the folks back home.
After resting for about an hour, we started walking back down to Fox Camp.
My guide said he had a different path planned for me, instead of the usual ones that tourists took. We stopped by Elijah’s garden and crossed a mountain from there to join the path we took the previous night.
Finally after 3.5h, we reached Fox garden at about the same time we started from there the previous day. Mission accomplished!
After a quick shower and a quick lunch, I started back to Cairo.
Got myself a new pair of Hiking boots for the upcoming Kilimanjaro trek! This one is Altra Lone Peak 9 Waterproof Mid. And along with it is a new pair of Darn Tough 1466 socks.
It is a school holiday here today, due to a dust storm prediction. #OhBoy is having a good time lazing around reading books, eating ice cream and playing with this toys. The latest book that has caught his fascination is Gaving Aung Than’s Zen Pencils: Cartoon Quotes from Inspirational Folks
I loved this post from Ashley Willis-McNamara, on writing about on the internet. As she rightly guessed, I was nodding along as I read it. There are so many parts that resonated with me. I have changed too. I used to be prolific on Facebook, then Instagram and then Twitter. But along the way, life happened, things changed. I switched to Fediverse and finally decided to setup a home at jrr.digial, running on Micro.Blog.
For a while, I was active, then I have just been reading but not writing. But Ashley has convinced me to write again. Glad to have reminders like this once in a while. Thank you Ashley!
I don’t know exactly when that changed. There wasn’t one big moment, just a slow fade. Something dimmed. I started second-guessing myself more. Started holding back more.
And if you’re reading this and nodding along, just know: you’re not alone. You don’t have to write every day. You don’t have to have the hottest take. You don’t have to prove anything. You just have to be real. That’s enough.I’m starting here. And if you’re trying to find your way back to something too, I hope you’ll start with me. 🩷
What a way to put things in perspective. Funny and damn incisive!
The Atlantic has shared the details of the signal chat messages. While the leak is highly sloppy and silly, I think it could happen to anyone. The conversation though is a faux pas diplomatically, to me it sounds like a good discussion on the reasons and expected outcomes. That is much of a surprise to me, than anything else!
While the actions themselves may be shocking, it is this pattern that The Guardian points out that is worrying. It is not new. Elon has been doing this Twitter for a while, but the scale at which he operates now is what is concerning.
He could have done what he wanted, without this engagement on Twitter, but he chose to do it!
The 18F episode fits a common pattern of how Musk appears to ingest and amplify misinformation online. It is also a window into the influence of rightwing media and activists on Musk as he attacks and disbands parts of the government he believes don’t fit with his ideological worldview.
Last weekend, a bunch of women officers from the Embassy of India in Cairo joined us in our weekly hike of Wadi Degla. Lots of fun conversations and chats along the way. Here is all of them after the hike.
Hardly a month passed by, #OhBoy came back from school a week ago with another tooth that fell off during lunch.
After my Merrel Glove gave in, I have been on the lookout for another barefoot walking/running shoe. Finally narrowed in on Xero HFS II and got it last month. I am absolutely enjoying them.
Last week got to do a 10k run at Wadi Degla that was organised by Ultra Ibex.
I stopped running more than a decade ago due to lower back pain. And then the disc tear in 2022 happened. With a lot of rehab and support from the coaches at The Quad, I have been slowly building up strength. I am really pleased at this milestone. As the famous poem goes, miles to go before I sleep…
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.