One fine morning, Kies, Samsung’s tool to manage the phone, told me that an update was available. That’s it. I just yielded. I ignored the usual Windows wisdom that the device (my phone, that is) could perform faster if it was connected to a USB2.0 slot. I have no 2.o slot in my computer, but have successfully connected to Kies in the past, so it would be no different this time. Or, so I thought.

Kies slowly but successfully downloaded the firmware, but when it reached the 85% mark and started decrypting, Windows couldn’t suppress its anger and made it clear that “the USB device has malfunctioned”. A chill went down my spine. Had I just made a brick out of my phone? The phone was showing the message “Downloading…don’t disconnect the device,” but the mighty Windows didn’t recognize the USB port. Kies, for its part, told me that it could not upgrade my phone and I had to initiate an emergency recovery. I followed the instructions to a T, but Windows had already made the decision: I would not be allowed to use the below-par USB port. I shut down my phone and restarted it. It took a few minutes to show any sign of life, but finally displayed the home screen. The download could not start, so my phone came out unharmed.

In the following weeks, I went through all the reviews. A lot of people had experienced the problem, but there were no solutions. Most people yelled at Samsung for making them wait for long but finally providing them with a buggy update. Most of them reverted (or wanted to revert) to 2.1. I thought “OK! I will stick with 2.1 for the rest of my phone’s life or until Samsung provides a propah update, whichever happens early”.

But, destiny made it sure that I had to suffer the update. The day when a friend handed me his laptop to install Windows Security Essentials, I couldn’t resist for the second time. The laptop had a lot of USB ports, all 2.0. So, went I again through the vicious cycle. Installed Kies and followed the instructions. In no time, the firmware update was over. “What? Have I completed the update process? Am I looking at a Froyo phone? Is this real?” I pinched myself hard. A quick check of the settings confirmed that my phone had indeed been updated to 2.2.

So, you have been waiting for the climax, right? Here it goes…

Proximity sensor only works if you trick the phone. I started the phone and made a call to my wife. Once the call was over, the phone didn’t show any display, so I pressed the menu button. The call was still continuing, which meant the proximity sensor didn’t work. I made a few more calls with the same result. In desperation, I switched off the phone, restarted it, and made another call. Now, the proximity sensor worked. “So, it is only an aberration,” I sighed in relief. But after sometime, the sensor stopped working again without any reason. Now I know the trick: If I go through the switch-off-switch-on rut, the sensor will work for sometime till it thinks it has had enough for the day.

Update: The proximity sensor works now. Here’s the new trick: Take out the battery and SIM card (I don’t know why I took out the SIM card ), wait for a few seconds, and insert them again. Now, while making or receiving calls, keep the phone at a good distance away from you (maybe, one foot) . Voila, the sensor works.

Positive: 0 Negative: 1

There are no live wallpapers. One of the reasons for going for this update was to enjoy the live wallpapers (though they would suck the juice out of the battery), but I couldn’t see them listed. I am sure the hardware may not be the reason. If Galaxy 5 can be provided with this feature, why not Galaxy 3?

Positive: 0 Negative: 2

The volume control button doesn’t have the necessary credentials to shut up your phone when needed. You can’t simply press the volume control button repeatedly, as you usually do, to switch from “reducing the volume” to Vibrate mode to Silent mode. The button now only has the power to reduce the volume and, if you insist, put the phone in Vibrate mode.

Positive: 0 Negative: 3

Swype has vanished into thin air. I admit that I am not the type of person who shoots 100 SMS messages in a day. But I love Swype. It makes sending messages a joy. But with this update, Swype is gone.

Positive: 0 Negative: 4

I could connect to the Internet at my own will. Though there are apndroids available in the Market, I couldn’t disconnect successfully from the ‘Net, so I have had the privilege of 24X7 connectivity. I tried all the tricks. I even created an APN without providing any connection information, but still my BSNL SIM card somehow connected me to the 3G network. (3G doesn’t work when I am at home, but that’s another story.) After this update, I can “clear” a checkbox that shuts down the Net connection. Whoa!

Positive: 1 Negative: 4

In the end, the update proved to be a bane for the people living in the 3rd planet of the Samsung Galaxy. Now, it’s up to Samsung to save its netizens.

P.S. In hindsight, I think I should have told my friend to download Microsoft Security Essentials from Microsoft’s website himself.

Of late, Sunday evenings have been mostly spent in temples. For a theme, my wife and I have selected the navagraha temples in and around Chennai.  A couple of weeks ago, we went to Gerugampakkam (or Geruhampakkam), the Kethu sthalam. This Sunday (5 March), we wanted to go to Thiruverkadu and Mangadu, but ended up at Kovoor and Kundrathoor.

Kovoor, the Budhan Sthalam

Google maps told me Kovoor was 14km from Chitpakkam, via Pammal, but it was actually 16km away from home. We wade through the narrow, dusty Pammal Main Road and reached Kovoor at 5.15pm.

Kovoor is a medium-sized temple; it is famously mentioned as a place visited by Saint Thyagaraja and immortalized by his Kovoor pancharathnam. The rajagopuram is gigantic and majestic. The sannathi street is broad with trees on both sides, and the temple car stationed at the farthest end of the street, though in a dilapidated condition, adds to the ethereal ambience.

The majestic rajagopuram

In the prakaram, we saw Ganapathi at the center as well as on the left corner. After offering our prayers, we circumvented the prakaram and entered the sanctum. Swamy is called Thirumeniyudayar (or Sundareswarar). Lingam is fairly big. In the inner prakaram, you can see Suryan, samayakkuravar nalvar, Veerabadrar and his consort, Ganapathy, Somaskandar, Kaarmeghavanna Perumal, Shanmukhar, Dakshinamoorthy, Brahma, and Durgai. The vimanam is gajaprishtam, as usual. On the outer wall of the sanctum (at the back side of swamy), you find Lingothbavar, instead of Vishnu. Ambal, Thiruvudai Nayaki or Soundarya Nayakai, is graceful, as in any Shiva temple.

The rajagopuram and the vimanas

Though Kovoor is a Budhan parihara sthalam, there is no separate shrine for him; instead, there is a shrine for Saneeswarar. The Ganapathy I mentioned in the outer prakaram is facing Saneeswarar. The priest informed me that this was one of the specialties of the temple.

Kovoor offers rustic charm in spite of its proximity to Chennai. If you want to spend an evening by immersing yourself in spirituality, head toward Kovoor.

Kunrathoor, the Raghu Sthalam

Kunrathoor is famous for the Murugan temple, for sure, but there is a Shiva temple which is equally famous. It is a navagraha sthalam in Chennai. Vada Thirunageswaram, as it was called until a few hundred years ago, is a bustling town today. If Swamy is handsome, ambal, Thaiyal Nayaki, is graceful. Sekkhizhar, a citizen of this town adds charm to the town. There is a Sekkhizhar mani mandapam next to the temple, which is worth a visit.

Directions

If you come from Pallavaram and Pammal, you will find a T intersection as you enter Kundrathoor. Right at the intersection, you will find a temple car. It belongs to the Thirunageswaran temple, not the Murugan temple. Go through the street and you will find the temple.

To go to the Kovoor temple, take a right turn at the T intersection and after you cover 3 or 4km on the main road, you will find a Pillayar temple on the left side of the road. Go further down the road, take a left turn, go further, and take a right turn. You can see the dilapidated temple car at the beginning of the sannadhi street.

I spent the morning cleaning the bike: made it feel better by swiping dust, gunk, and other unwanted substances off; dabbed the chain with sufficient amount of Zorrik; and inflated the tires to 60psi (I used to inflate them to 75psi—the maximum pressure permissible, but after the recent back to back punctures, I have become a bit cautious.) Now, the Cheetah was raring to go.

At 1, had carb-rich lunch of rice, sambar, potato, and curd. Rested for an hour and started at 2. Put on a full sleeve T-shirt and three quarter pants. I know that a cyclist should be proud of their suntan, but it was one of those days when I didn’t want to expose my hands and legs to the heat.

The original plan was to go for a metric century. Headed toward GST. The afternoon heat was tolerable (the Titan sunglasses seemed to have reduced the heat ), but I could not put up with the maddening traffie. Trucks and city buses tried to occupy every inch of the road, including the shoulder. So, instead of riding up to Mamandur (beyond Chengalpet), as planned, I turned right just after reaching Singaperumalkoil and entered the countryside.

I had been contemplating a countryside ride, and now was the time. I would ride up to Oragadam via Thirukkachur, turn right and go up to Karisangal, turn left and enter Manimangalam, exit at the Mudichur-Tambaram road, and reach home. It would not be a century ride for sure, but wonderful nevertheless, given the fact that Thirukachur is green and still has a lot of paddy fields.

The Singaperumalkoil-Orgadam road is being converted into a multi-lane highway. I haven’t gone through this route, ever. During one of those moments when I tried to schedule the next weekend ride through this route, Google Maps warned me that the road was not better for cycling. But I had always thought of giving it a try just for the countryside.

Now the road stared at me and proved to be a paradox: one stretch would be superb, with two lanes on either side of the divider, but the next stretch would be full of loose gravel. And the smoke and dust bellowing out of the tippers and trucks would make your ride even tougher. At one point, there was no road, just a big heap of gravel. I had to walk those stretches. Despite this, I enjoyed my ride and the environment. My only concern was the tubes. I was reluctant to let the Cheetah sprint through the bad stretches. But sometimes, I had to ride, as there was no place to yield to an oncoming truck.

The place is semi-arid. After you cross Thirukkachur, paddy fields vanish like a mirage and industries crop up like mushrooms on a rainy day. As you near Oragadam, you can see the industrial revolution in full grandeur. Nissan-Renault has set up a factory; Daimler has just started constructing a site. Hiranandani and another big name have started big residential projects next to the industrial zone. The industrial canopy seems to have covered Sriperumbudur, Maraimalainagar, and every acre of land in between.

When I reached Oragadam, I had finished 400ml of Glucovita Isotonic and 500ml of water. Cateye informed me that I had just completed 40km and the average had now come down to 18 or 19kmph because of the bad stretches. The Oragadam junction wore a rustic look despite the industrial development. I bought a 1ltr water bottle and turned right to join the Kanchipuram-Vandalur road. This road was wonderful. I could pick up some speed here. When I reached Karisangal, I developed cramps in my right thigh, so decided to ride slowly. Manimangalam has become my favorite spot, of late. Manimangalam lake was brimming over its girth. I rested there for awhile, ate the apple I had packed, drank some water, and continued. By now, the afternoon heat and the cramps had taken their toll. I could pedal with some difficulty, but home was a good 13km away. After MEPZ, I found it difficult even to pedal an inch further. I thought of calling my wife to come and pick me up. But my conscience insisted the Cheetah didn’t deserve this on its first birthday, and so gritting my teeth, I lumbered my way home.

I know it was not the best way to celebrate the first birthday of your beloved bike. I could attribute my fatigue to the lack of minerals and the ropes of my backpack that put a lot of pressure on my shoulders. But the Chettah was brilliant all the way. There was no squeaking sound. Even in the worst stretches of the Singaperumalkoil-Oragadam road, it was solid like a rock yet swift as a cheetah . Maybe, the 700X35 tires were the reason.

Review of the bike: I have only had two punctures this past year. As I have mentioned, the Cheetah doesn’t make any noise. The derailleurs and the shifters work without any major problems. My only grouse is that the frame is a bit rigid. Maybe, a steel frame would absorb shocks better than the aluminium frame, but aluminium is definitely lighter. If you can get a pair of padded gloves, you can tackle the minor blemishes of the tarmac.

Final stats: 68km at 21kmph.

I have shared a few pictures of the ride here.

At 9, the family finished its morning cuppa, and each of the family members started wondering how to spend the rainy day. By that time the rain had stopped. Ammu reminded us that a second visit to the zoo was long pending. “Insane” I mumbled. But Sri (my wife) also liked the idea. A quick plan was drawn, and we synchronized our respective watches and started performing the tasks per the schedule: I took care of washing, Sri occupied the kitchen, and Ammu ran from pillar to post doing some chores.

At 11, when we were about to move, a drizzle started. We were all dressed up for the animals, sorry, the event, so we contemplated Plan B—hiring a call taxi. We would wait for another 15 minutes; else we would call the taxi. Luckily, the rain receded, and we started immediately.

Riding a bike when the weather is cool is something one has to experience. The greenery and the clean highway invited us. We would reach Vandalur Zoo in about half-hour, we estimated. There were no traffic snarls at Tambaram. That’s fantastic. Once we reach the toll road, we would simply glide. Now wait, “What’s cooking at Perungalathur?” I asked my wife, who obviously had no clue. When we reached Akaash Bhavan, the reason became evident: Because of a new traffic arrangement, the bottleneck at Tambaram has moved forward to Perungalathur, as all the south-bound busses are now plying through the Chennai bypass, leaving Trambaram traffic free. Traffic bottlenecks on weekdays are acceptable, but they are too much for a Sunday. We had to crawl at 20kmph up to Vandalur. There was some over bridge work going on, which also caused the traffic to move at a snail’s pace.

Sweaty we were when we reached the zoo’s parking lot. I searched for a vacant slot under the shelter, which was already brimming over its girth, moved a few vehicles (parked them properly), and made a little bit of land for my machine. Got the tickets and entered the zoo. Just near the entrance, I found a lot of cycles parked. Needless to say, I got excited. There were two tandems in the lot. Wow! What a day it was going to be! The person who was mending a bike told me that those cycles had come for regular maintenance, but assured me that a lot of new bikes were available for rent inside the zoo.

Once in, I searched in vain for the counter that sold bike tickets though a few persons were merrily pedaling through the zoo’s roads. I could not wait more. I should get a tandem. Sri and I would ride a tandem; Ammu would ride a smaller single speed. It would be a fantastic ride in this forest.

Now, wait… Where did this little drop of water in my forearm come from? Oh! How come this drop, another one, and another one… Oh! No! It’s gonna rain again.

It didn’t rain actually; it poured. Little drops did make an ocean. It was raining so much that there was no place to hide the three of us. We thought it would be more enjoyable to ride in the rain. I stopped a few bikers, but they pointed us out to the direction where only more trees were seen. We were drenched to our skins by now, so we decided to visit a few enclosures and the aquarium before calling it a day. An hour and three icecream cups later we left the zoo, the rain chasing us right up to our doorstep. It was one of the rarest days when we enjoyed the rain thoroughly (Sri hates rain, actually). The rain brought us happiness the crouching tiger in the zoo would not have. We will visit the zoo again during winter just for riding those bikes.

Biking in the Zoo:

• TI Cycles has set up shop at the zoo.
• All types of bikes (mostly Hercules) are available: single speed, geared, and tandem. There are no kid bikes, though.
• The bikes that I saw were all shiny and in good condition.
• You have to shell out Rs.200 as deposit per bike.
• The rent is Rs.15/hr  for single speed; Rs.30/hr for geared bike; and Rs40/her for tandem.

“I didn’t pant…I didn’t huff and puff…I cruised blissfully. In the end, I averaged 23.5kmph over 45km (quickest in the recent months)”

Of late, I have been spending my Sunday evenings biking around NH4. Mornings are dedicated to my daughter, as she trains for her first Wimbledon. (She is 7, mind you .)

It’s Sunday afternoon again. The clouds and the breeze try to block the late-afternoon sun, but in vain. The Reebok jersey I bought the other day comes to the rescue. I don’t sweat as I normally do. I am in a dilemma, though. Where to go? City will be crowded. OMR and ECR are too far for a two-hour ride. Where to go?

I debate with myself.

“No. Don’t think of NH4 again. You have been doing it since you ditched ECR and OMR a couple of months ago.”

“But it’s the only wonderful stretch of tarmac around here with less traffic.”

“OK. Do it then one last time.”

Once I cross MEPZ, I find my rhythm. This is going to be my day (or evening). My legs are in prime condition and they want more. They can conquer any gradient (that is exaggeration, I know). Tambaram flies and in no time I am at the start of NH4.

The long, rolling tarmac is a joy to behold. The time you spend on the saddle is completely yours; while you gallop at 30kmph, you can search for your true self. God, this is heavenly.

Soon I reach the toll plaza near Porur Junction and join the crowd that goes to the city. Average drops as I wade through the traffic. I pick up speed again after Nandambakkam and conquer the Kathipara grade separator at 42-16. I sustain the momentum till I stop for a break near Alandur. After Meenambakkam, I slow down again as I squeeze through one bottleneck after another. MIT Bridge still remains victorious as I crawl at 42-18 and reach home.

I knew that these reasons were mere excuses, and I missed my rides. Thanks to Hurricane Laila, the weather gods had mellowed down. Wife was more than willing to take the daughter to the Tennis class, so it was a perfect setup for a Sunday ride.

The destination, of late, has been NH4. Super tarmac, straight road, and sparse traffic all make NH4 a wonderful place for a peaceful ride. It is also a toll-road with fenders in most places, so stray cattle and stray humans don’t surprise you. The only downside is there are no shops near the road. If you get a flat tyre, you have to carry your bike down the slope to find human habitation and if fortunate a puncture-mending shop. (Mine is a petite alloy beauty, so I can carry her all day long .)

The ride was perfect. As I had cleaned and oiled the bike the previous day, it rolled beautifully. I could maintain the usual 42:18 ratio. Except for the slow-moving 40+ tonne monster trucks and speeding Xylos and Innovas, there was no traffic. I was riding merrily at 24kmph. A few bikers flew past on the other side of the road. On the way, I was joined by Giri, another biker from South Chennai. (Hi Giri.) He rode a Schwinn. He was on his way to Villiwakkam to meet his parents. We chatted all the way up to Madhuravayal. I returned home on the same route. The initial plan was to get out of NH4 at Porur, but I was so engrossed in the conversation I went up to Madhuravayal.

When I reached home, Cateye showed 51km at ~20kmph. So, it was a nice stroll down the road.

Then, one day I rode with a fellow biker, and I found the ride interesting too. When I ride alone, I become a bit slow, but the last group ride was relatively quick. We chatted while drafting one another at a lively speed (~24kmph). We didn’t stop frequently (as I normally do if ride alone), but we didn’t find ourselves tired. Maybe, the route was a reason too. We rode up to the Porur junction, joined NH4, and came back to Tambaram. The weather was beautiful, the tarmac was wonderful, and the only sound came from the wheels as the air blew through the spokes. All in all, it was a very good ride. I may go for solo rides, too, when I feel I want to be alone, but group rides are what my rides are going to be (at least for the time being).

Setting Up and Warming Up

On Christmas morning, I packed the necessary things—helmet, riding glass, bread with peanut butter, a bottle of Gatorade, two half-litre bottles of water, toolkit, mobile-cum-MP3 player, and a few bucks. (Some of you might only require these for a full-blown trip ) I started late at 5:40. It was still dark and the headlight was put to good use up to Medawakkam. The Medawakkam-Shonilganallur Junction-ECR outpost stretch had a bit of tarmac left amid debris. To add salt to this injury, insects of all types tried to get into my mouth, and I had to slow down to avoid swallowing the unnecessary protein.

ECR

ECR was a relief, or so I thought. ECR is actually wonderful (it is a cliché), but beware of the menacing dogs. Dawn and cool December weather is a deadly combination for a human who shares ECR with the canines. Breeding season it is, so you can always expect a pack of dogs at the isolated stretches of ECR. Individual dogs are scary, too. It may be your speed (slow compared to the two and four wheelers that fly at breakneck speed), your cycling attire, or just plain curiosity of the dog. I avoided them by either snubbing them or joining fellow cyclists. It worked and once past Tiger Cave, I didn’t have any issues. Cruising at near 30kmph, I reached Mamallapuram. The official festival season was about to start the next day, so the entire town wore a festive look and was crowded, too. Took the Mamallapuram bypass and reached a junction when my Cateye (cyclocomputer) read 50. I had covered the distance in 02:12:36. From that junction, you can take the left and continue on ECR to go to Pondicherry, go straight if you want to go to Thirukkazhukundram or Chengalpattu, or take the right to enter OMR and go to Thirupporur. Remember that the signboard on the junction doesn’t talk about Thirupporur, so there is a fair chance that you will miss it unless you enquire at the nearby teashop.

OMR

With a couple of bread slices, 100ml of Gatorade, and half litre of water I covered the first leg of the journey. It was wonderful as the tarmac was superb. OMR is good too, but the stretch up to Kelambakkam beyond Thirupporur is bad. You have a feeling that the tyres sink in the tarmac and reduce your speed. There were not many potholes, but the overall quality of this stretch is a bit of a let down. My average now hovered around 19kmph. Poor.

OMR is scenic too. A surreal sample: a fairly large paddy field (fenced), four or five buffalos gracing nearby, and a couple of bullocks resting under a tree.

Had a dosa at a hotel opposite the Thirupporur temple tank (beautiful and brimming–a sight to behold). Kelambakkam was chaotic. Bought a bottle of Kinley and turned left on the Kelambakkam-Vandalur road. Here the tarmac is good. Switched on the MP3 player as there was no traffic and enjoyed the songs with nobody except the occasional headwind for company. Stopped in a couple of places for rest and reached Vandalur, joined the flow of traffic on GST toward Chennai, climbed Tambaram Sanatorium Bridge, and reached home at 11:40am.

While coming down Tambaram Sanatorium Bridge, Cateye showed 100.00, and I was on cloud nine. It was exhilarating. It may be a weekly chore for seasoned riders, but for me it was a milestone. I may do a lot of 100km rides in future (mulling over a multi-day tour currently), but this one will remain special till I call it a day.

Vital Stats:

Total time: ~6 hours

Total time on the saddle: 4 hours 55 minutes

Total distance covered: 102.5 kilometres

Average speed: 20.5kmph (have to improve it definitely)

Just by looking at its editor, I feel it is neat and simple. I will explore its user interface and post a review later. You create an account by providing details of your blog, and within minutes everything is set up.

Ubuntu is gaining momentum in the Linux desktop market, and this latest edition will definitely strengthen its position. I have had 8.04 and 8.10 on my desktop. For some odd reasons, I could not install 9.04. The C drive was depleted during installation (Wubi for 9.04 was the culprit), and I had to abandon the installation process midway. So, I was eagerly awaiting 9.10. Could not wait until the official release date, so installed the release candidate (RC).

Installation was cakewalk. To pep up the installation scene, they have this presentation on the various features of Ubuntu. In about 15 minutes (I think) I was able to launch Ubuntu.

Some plus points:

• It boots and shuts down quickly.
• User interface is similar to the earlier versions, but better.
• There are new interesting applications, such as Ubuntu Software Center to help you install and manage your applications and Ubuntu One to help you levitate in the Cloud.

If you haven’t tasted Ubuntu, this is the right time to embrace it.