Sivaram's Blogs

1987: When I was in my 7th Grade, every day commute to school was in a cycle rickshaw, modified to carry 6 kids and our bags to school. We would compete to sit towards the rear of the rickshaw with a metal rod keeping us from falling down; we could just jump out at a gradient and push the rickshaw. It was fun, but a public transport. I could not get down where I wanted, I could not go the speed I wanted and some one else was actually sweating for me. I dreamt of a personal vehicle at that time - a cycle, only for me! I thought if I could buy a bicycle, all this could be solved. My elder sister had a ladies' bicycle by then and I always envied her. She never depended on any one to take her places (school, home). I promised to be a good boy and my parents bought me one - an Atlas bicycle. I also had my first mods installed - a softer, spongy seat with extra-suspension, an additional carrier in the front to hold some books. I was delighted. I felt like a free bird. I al...

Let me give a brief background of my expectations when I bought BRV in July 2017. The requirement was: a safe, strong car with a (preferably) petrol engine and an automatic transmission. The budget was a little flexible, around 10-15 Lakh. I was not interested in a sedan, and keen on looking at 7 seater options so that the kids (two of them, boys) can relax in their own territories during a long drive. The cars considered: (1) Ertiga VX AT (interior quality was a let down, beige interiors were not preferred, 4 gear AT sounded insufficient. (2) XUV 500 AT models (expensive, third row seats up means no space at all for any luggage, not very interested in diesel) (3)Creta AT (for all what we know about Hyundai, surprisingly this car did not offer any thing extra from BRV, more expensive and only 5 seater) When I first test-drove the BRV VCVT, the ease of handling a big car, the smooth iVTEC engine, the confidence given by the sales executive were all positive. Especially coming from...

Some background: I purchased a Honda BR-V VCVT a year back. The car came with a factory-fitted 2-din audio system. More about the car in a separate post, but I will dedicate this write-up to review my impressions on the head-unit (HU). Multi-media centre usage: I drive around 65 km a day through the heart of Hyderabad and depend extensively on google navigation. On a day-to day basis, I depend on this for best route. On weekends, I use maps to take me to newer places. Because my evening commute is around 90 minutes, I also use this time to talk to friends and relatives. If I am not talking, I like listening to music (my taste varies greatly depending on my mood).  Requirements:  1. A HU that I can use google maps in or connect my phone with ease for mirroring (I use iphone).  2. Bluetooth capability for clear hands-free calls. 3. A good, easy to use music system that I can shuffle and play from. 4. A screen to show reverse camera feed.  5. Of course...

CHAPTER - 1: INTRODUCTION: (updated Dec 13/ 2017) This is a travelogue, a narrative, a true-story and an adventure. My cousin Ravindra will join in this journey with me. Other than anything, it is the expression of our passion for train travel. We are hoping to get a good experience of the unity in diversity that India is so well-known for. Trains and train travel has inspired me since I was a child. I dreamt of travelling in a train when I was not travelling in one. Our home in Tenali (Andhra Pradesh) was a couple of hundred meters from the town railway station and I spent most evenings on the railway platform watching the trains go by, and a rare train coupling or changing the engine. My grandfather, who just retired from National Physical Laboratory, ignited this interest by giving me a set of questions on trains and stations that I should get answers to. These ranged from the voltage of the overhead traction, to the type of current in the train coaches, to the meaning of num...

If you do not like reading on web, please download the pdf in the "links" section on the right side. Thank you.  Foreword   This wonderful piece of writing is the end product of imagination of a young boy in his teens and his fascination for Trains and Indian Railways. He might have written it just for his love of traveling in trains and then of course he involved his own created fictional detective “George Wilson” and his assistant “Raghuvir” The story was written in August 1993 and was lost in the attic of his house. After much persuasion and difficulty it was brought out and here we have it. The Names of Cities, Trains, their timings and some other facts mentioned in this story belong to as they were in the year 1993. -Ravindra Khandrika 16 September 2014  Snails on Wheels   1. Introduction    “Raghu, I’ve got a brilliant idea today. Guess it!” Wilson was in his usual mood during the supper. “Well, maybe you are planning to buy a vi...