
## Invisible Threads

Have you ever noticed how people sometimes look at others differently just because they don't have nice clothes or a fancy job?, It’s like they’re wearing invisible glasses that only see money and status. It hurts my heart every time I see this happen.

Last week, I saw a little girl hugging our building's cleaning lady. The girl didn't care that the lady's clothes had stains from work or that she wasn't rich. She just saw the kindness in the lady's eyes and the warmth in her smile.

You know what’s wild? Every person you walk past has a story that could make you laugh, cry, or just sit in silence for a while. Take the old man who serves tea at the corner shop. He raised three kids all by himself after his wife passed away. He doesn’t have much money, but his eyes light up like Diwali fireworks when he talks about how his daughter just became a teacher. That’s the kind of wealth no bank can measure.

Sometimes I wonder—why do we judge people by what’s in their pocket instead of what’s in their heart? My mother used to say, **“Money can buy you a bed, but it can’t buy you peaceful sleep.”** Back then, I thought she was just being poetic. Now I realize the real meaning.

The whole caste system thing? It's like someone decided to organize humans like a wardrobe - keeping some people in the "special occasion" section and others in "daily wear." But here’s the truth: We all sneeze when we sniff pepper. We all cry when onions chop us. We all dance badly in the shower. We’re the same messy, glorious disaster in this beautiful life :)

Remember that security uncle everyone ignores? Yesterday, I saw him sharing his lunch with a stray dog. He didn't have much food himself, but his heart was rich enough to share. These are the moments that remind me what being human really means.

I've cried thinking about how we sometimes treat people who clean our streets or serve our food. They work so hard, yet some people won't even look them in the eye or say "thank you." Don't they deserve the same respect as anyone else? Don't their dreams matter too?

Every morning, I see people rushing to their offices in fancy cars, while others wait for crowded buses. But here’s the thing: both groups have the same hopes, fears, and dreams. Both laugh when they’re happy and cry when they’re sad. Both have someone waiting for them at home. And both probably complain about the traffic.

So next time you see someone society tells you to ignore, stop for a moment. Look into their eyes. Share a smile. Ask them how their day is going. Because every time we treat someone with kindness, we make this world a little less broken, a little more beautiful.

> If this made you cry (or at least made you feel something more than what you feel when your food delivery gets delayed ;) ), I want you to make a promise to youself. Set aside ₹1000 each month for those who need it more than your next shopping spree. That's just three shots or one movie with popcorn! Think about it - you could be someone's plot twist in their story of struggle.

We're all connected by invisible threads of humanity.Because at the end of the day, we're all just trying our best in this messy, beautiful thing called life. ❤️

forgive me for the long post, This was my heart overflowing with feelings that have been building up for years. Sometimes you just have to let your heart speak :)


Invisible Threads


# A ZFS tale
I recently traded and got in return 1TB HDD from a friend, had another one collecting dust, and an old Core 2 Duo machine doing nothing. Perfect time to build a nas maybe!

## The Hardware
- Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 @ 2.93GHz
- 4GB RAM
- 2x 1TB HDDs (one mine, one traded)

## What I Did
1. Installed Arch Linux (because why make life easy?)
2. Set up ZFS on the traded drive
3. Got Nextcloud running for media storage

Here's my simple `ZFS list` :
```bash
mediapool/photos    # photos
mediapool/videos    # videos
mediapool/documents # Important stuff
```

## iCloud Sync Setup

I (ofc me & LLM) implemented a smart backup strategy between iCloud and my local storage:

```python
# Key features of my sync script:
- Maintains a diffrential index to track what's been downloaded
- Only syncs new/changed files from iCloud
- Preserves directory structure: /mediapool/photos/YEAR/MONTH/
- Handles API rate limits to avoid throttling
- Converts HEIC to JPG during sync (idk who to curse, the browser codecs or apple for coming up with a werid image format)
```

The script runs every month and only downloads what's new, saving both bandwidth and API calls. It's been surprisingly reliable!

## Lessons Learned
- ZFS is amazing
- Old hardware can still be useful

## What's Next
- Adding more drives (looking at you, friends with "obsolete" hardware), it's super easy to add / remove drives into zfs, just need to attach them and add them to the vdev
- read up more about ZFS
- Implementing backup strategies for my backup ;)
- should I write a proper UI for the media management system, hate nextcloud it's super heavy, rn I'm looking at `filebrowser`.

*P.S. If you have any spare drives lying around, no, I don't want them (I totally do).*

## Code & Scripts
All the scripts mentioned (iCloud sync, HEIC conversion) are available on my GitHub. Feel free to adapt them for your own use!


A ZFS tale


## What is Accessibility?

People often get confused about accessibility. Is it just about being able to reach something? Or is it about actually being able to use it? Let's break it down in simple terms.

The real question is, what is the meaning of the word '**accessibility**'?

Let's take a look at the definition of the word 'accessibility' in Wikipedia:

> Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities.

From my perspective as someone who is deaf, accessibility goes far beyond mere access – it's about enabling everyone to participate fully and independently in daily life. It's about creating an inclusive world where disability doesn't mean dependency.

## Real-World Examples

Let me share a common scenario. In banking software, when you log into your account, you often have to enter a CAPTCHA code to verify you're human. If you're visually impaired, you might need to use the audio CAPTCHA option. This works for many people, but what about someone who is both visually impaired and hard of hearing? They can't see the visual CAPTCHA or hear the audio version. In this case, the software isn't truly accessible because they can't use it independently.

As someone who is deaf, I've faced numerous accessibility challenges in my daily life. Here are some real experiences: (these barely scratch the surface)

### 1. Getting Food Delivered
- When I'm hungry late at night, I order food online
- Delivery people try to call me for directions
- They can't reach me by phone
- Sometimes they just cancel my order because we can't communicate

### 2. Getting a Ride
- Booking a cab or auto becomes unnecessarily complicated
- Drivers usually call to confirm my location
- Most don't text back when I request them to
- Rides often get canceled due to communication barriers

### 3. Work Communication
Think about those work calls. Everyone's having this flowing conversation, but for those of us relying on captions, we're always a few seconds behind. This can't be solved easily; it needs significant effort and time from major corporations to make it happen.


You know what's really frustrating? When simple everyday moments become awkward just because we haven't thought about different ways people might need to communicate. It's not that the delivery person or driver doesn't want to help - they absolutely do! But when systems are built with just one type of person in mind, they unintentionally shut others out. It's not just inconvenient - it's isolating.

These aren't huge, unsolvable problems. They're small gaps that, when bridged, could make life smoother for everyone. Because here's the truth: none of us know when we might need a different way to do things. Making services accessible isn't just about helping some of us - it's about making things better for all of us.

## What Can Be Done?

### Use Better Technology
- Create apps that are inclusive by design, considering various user needs, be open to take feedbacks and improve
- Let people choose how they want to communicate
- Use new technology to help people understand each other

### Improve Staff Training
- Teach workers about different needs
- Establish clear SOP's to help everyone
- Make sure everyone knows what to do, even if they don't, making it not awkward for anyone must be the goal

### Expand Communication Options
- Let people choose between calling, texting, or email
- What works for someone might not work for others
- When things work for everyone, they work better for all of us

## Creating Inclusive Spaces

### Understanding Each Other
- Recognize that accessibility needs vary among individuals
- Acknowledge that standard solutions don't work for everyone
- Remember that inclusive design benefits the entire community

### Taking Action
- Advocate for better accessibility features
- Share positive experiences with accessible services
- Provide constructive feedback to improve existing systems

## Looking Forward

Accessibility isn't losing its meaning – it's evolving. As our world becomes increasingly connected, the importance of true accessibility grows. It's not just about making things available; it's about ensuring everyone can participate fully in society, regardless of their abilities.

The goal of this post isn't to highlight problems but to inspire solutions. Every accessibility challenge presents a unique opportunity to innovate and create better experiences for everyone. When we design with accessibility in mind, we create a better world that includes everyone.

Remember: Accessibility isn't a feature – it's a fundamental right. By working together, we can create a more inclusive and accessible world for everyone.


Is 'Accessibility' Losing Its Meaning?


# How Yoga Changed My Thinking

I found my way back to yoga this year. As a kid, I was an ardent lover of it but somehow drifted away. Now I'm back, stronger than ever, with 210+ hours on my mat.

Every morning at 5:50 AM (or sometimes 7 PM), I show up. Each time I roll out my mat, I question myself, but 20-30 minutes in, I feel rejuvenated and proud for showing up.

Yoga has taught me that real change happens slowly. It's in the little things – how I face mornings, handle tough stuff, or just breathe when things get hard.

These days, I meditate too. Five quiet minutes can change my whole day. It's wild how something so simple can do so much. I used to skeptically view meditation, but now I embrace it fully.

I'm stronger now, sure. But the real gift? The peace in my head. Yoga isn't just exercise anymore – it's part of me.

If you're thinking about trying: just start. Do it your way. The magic isn't in perfect poses – it's in showing up for yourself, one breath at a time.

Some Improvements I've Noticed:

- My Heart Rate is Lower while sleeping (avg 55-65 BPM) (measured using Apple Watch, It's pretty accurate)
- I don't care about little things anymore, I've learned to let go
- I'm crazy flexible now, I can touch my toes without bending my knees, lol
- Have a better posture now, I don't slouch anymore :)

> "Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self." – The Bhagavad Gita

– signing off, probably intermediate yogi :) Prajwal P

FYI I can do the pose in the cover image, If you don't belive me, call me anytime, I'll show you 😂


How Yoga Changed My Thinking


# Intermittent Fasting for 2 Months: My Journey (and Struggles!)

Two months down, and feeling energized!   I'm not the fittest, but I wanted to make some healthy changes.  Those love handles?   Yeah, they were definitely a target, but weight loss wasn't my only motivator.  Honestly, I just wanted to see if I could stick with something new and create a healthier lifestyle.

Let me tell you honestly, starting intermittent fasting (IF) was a leap of faith.  Would I be able to keep it up?   Looking back, I'm proud to say I did it, and it feels like something I can actually maintain for the long haul.

## My Simple IF Rules:
<b>
  1. Lights out for food by 9:30 PM. 
  2. Breakfast became a 1:30 PM party. Yep, a slightly delayed start to the eating window.
</b>

I upped my protein intake to 70-90 grams a day and went a little easier on the carbs.

Workout Woes :)

Working out has been a part of my routine for a year now, but timing became the new challenge.  Evening gym sessions were regular for me, I made a switch to mornings (6-7:30 AM to be exact).

The first few weeks were brutal.  Surrounded by tempting snacks at home?  Major test of willpower.  But my folks actually helped me stay on track.  Guess a change of scenery does the body (and the mind) good!

## The Unexpected Payoff

The scale might not have screamed "amazing results," but my body definitely noticed a difference.  My energy levels soared, and I felt more active throughout the day.  Focus?  It became my new superpower, crushing work and studies with laser focus.

## What's Next?

The future of IF is looking bright!  I'm ready to take things to the next level.  16/8 feels easy peasy now, so why not try some 24-hour fasts?  Once a week to start, with room to grow from there.

This journey has just begun, and I'll be back in another 2-3 months to share more insights. Until then, Ciao! 🌟🥂

[Note: Consistency means taking some well-deserved days off. It's about finding the balance!]

Intermittent Fasting for 2 Months: My Journey


You might be familiar with the Windows Task Manager - the go-to tool for monitoring and managing processes. In the Linux world, the equivalent command-line tool is top. While there might not be a fancy GUI, the power of top lies in its simplicity and real-time updates.

In this post we'll dive into `top` command (if you can understand `top` you can easily analyse `htop` )

Most Linux distributions come preinstalled with the `top` command, offering an instant peek into your system's performance. You can install the `htop` utility separately if you like pretty colours in your life.

now run

```bash
top
```

![top](https://i.imgur.com/1DCd3Qo.png)

### Decoding the Dashboard

Now, let's take a closer look at the top-left corner of the `top` interface:

- **top:** This header indicates the overall system up-time, the number of logged-in users, and the system load average. It's your dashboard's welcome mat, offering key insights at a glance.

- **Tasks:** This section is pretty self explainatory, provides an overview of the different states of processes on your system: running, sleeping, stopped, and even the "zombie" processes. (Don't worry, if you don't know what is a zombie process head [here](https://www.geekbits.io/understanding-zombie-processes-in-linux/#:~:text=A%20zombie%20process%20refers%20to,there%20as%20a%20zombie%20process.) and learn more about it)

- **%Cpu(s):** Ah, the heart of the matter. Your CPU's performance breakdown is split into eight key parts:

  1.  us (User): The percentage of CPU time spent executing user-level processes. This consists most of the applications you interact with.
  2.  sy (System): This chunk represents the CPU time dedicated to kernel processes - tasks critical to the system's operation.
  3.  ni: The "nice" value. It reflects the percentage of CPU time given to processes with adjusted priority levels. (You can ignore it like how u ignore your academics)
  4.  wa (Waiting Time): When the CPU waits for input/output operations to complete, this percentage is increased.
  5.  hi: CPU time spent handling hardware interrupts. A crucial role in managing hardware communication (like keyboard, Mouse etc...)
  6.  si: Similar to "hi," but this time handling software interrupts.
      If you don't know what are interrupts, head [here](https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/interrupt#:~:text=An%20interrupt%20is%20a%20signal,service%20or%20a%20current%20process.) to learn more about it
  7.  st: If your machine has shared access or you run a VM inside the os this indicates the time your CPU is being "stolen" by a virtualized guest operating system.

- **Mib Mem:** This segment gives you a vivid picture of your system's memory like insights into how memory is allocated and utilized.
  - Total: The total physical memory available to your system. This includes RAM and other memory resources.
  - Used: The amount of memory currently in use by various processes and the operating system.
  - Free: The memory that's currently unallocated and available for use.
  - Shared: Memory shared among multiple processes, providing an efficient way to conserve resources.
  - Buffers: Memory used for storing data in transit between devices or applications.
  - Cached Memory used for caching data from disk storage, enhancing system performance.
- **Mib Swap**: This metric refers to the virtual memory - a extension of your physical RAM.
  Again if you don't know what is swap memory feel free to read more about it [here](This metric delves into the realm of virtual memory - a dynamic extension of your physical RAM.).
- **Total:** The total swap space available, which acts as an extension of your physical memory.
- **Used:** The portion of swap space currently in use by processes and the system.
- **Free:** The unallocated swap space awaiting future usage.

Now Coming to the table, each row offers a snapshot to processes stats

![top-2](https://i.imgur.com/Bg4zMVj.png)

1. **PID (Process ID):** The unique identification number assigned to each process.
2. **USER:** The username of the user who initiated the process.
3. **PR (Priority):** The priority of the process, reflecting its importance in the system's task queue.
4. **NI (Nice Value):** A user-assigned priority adjustment, determining how much CPU time the process receives.
5. **VIRT (Virtual Memory):** The amount of virtual memory used by the process, including shared libraries and code.
6. **RES (Resident Memory):** The non-swapped physical memory used by the process.
7. **SHR (Shared Memory):** Memory shared with other processes, reducing duplication.
8. **S (Status):** The current process status: R (Running), S (Sleeping), Z (Zombie), and more.
9. **%CPU:** The percentage of CPU time consumed by the process since the last update.
10. **%MEM:** The percentage of physical RAM used by the process.
11. **TIME+:** The total CPU time consumed by the process, including both user and system time.
12. **COMMAND:** The name and arguments of the command that spawned the process.

You might ask what is the use of learning all this, when your system lags or is slow you can use this to determine what is the exact problem

How these parameters can be used??

- High I/O Wait Time: If any process is waiting for high I/O bound time then it might indicate that the memory is not able to access faster (eg: postgres on small systems with volumes mounted)
- CPU Intensive Processes: If any process is CPU intensitive then the us number will be very high then proabably need to optimise the program to adapt to the hardware specs or upgrade the hardware.

* Resource Hogs: Keep an eye on processes with high `%CPU` values. These may be consuming excessive CPU power.
* Memory Eaters: Processes with substantial `%MEM` values could be using up your physical memory.
* Virtual vs. Resident Memory: Compare `VIRT` and `RES` to gauge a process's memory usage efficiency.

There are so many insights that can be gained from just analysing the `top` window that can be used to identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions about optimizing your system's hardware, software, and configuration.

Now go and try it, after `top` install `htop` and make your life easier :)


Diving Deep into top & htop


Vagrant is a tool to build up and operate Virtual Machines on the top of innumerable (actually few) virtual platform over an operating system, what do I mean by this?

We all have used oracle virtual box for quickly spinning up a VM and prototyping on it, then deleting the entire instance once we are done.

Let's be honest it is a tedious process which involves you setting up the hypervisor (in case of windows), virtual box (Linux) downloading the ISO files configuring the network and the boot up time.
`
We get oracle virtual box or VM ware workstation (community edition) which includes a Graphical User Interface which in turn adds extra overload to process and memory. Which is never used most of the time. I go crazy each time I have to set up a new OS.

What If I told you there is a saner way of doing all these while you don't go crazy, I Introduce you to Vagrant, a HashiCorp developed tool to solve the exact problems I mentioned.

## Vagrant

> Vagrant enables the creation and configuration of lightweight, reproducible, and portable development environments. - HashiCorp

You can think vagrant similar to docker, it requires a specification file where all the necessary specification is configured, then it will automatically download the required OS image and spin it up and did I say it also provides you **SSH** access to the VM out of the box.

Vagrant seamlessly collaborates with multiple virtualization tools on various operating systems. You'll find options like Hypervisor, VirtualBox, and my personal preference, libvirt. Now, if you're unfamiliar with the term "virtualization tool," you can explore more about it [here](https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-a-hypervisor) and [here](https://www.makeuseof.com/best-virtual-machine-linux-kvm-virtualbox-qemu-hyper-v/).

I personally like `libvirt`due to its efficient resource utilization and minimal overhead. However, there's a downside—there aren't as many official OS images supporting libvirt as a virtualization tool. But fear not, the community has contributed viable customizations and images, making it a robust choice. Anyone can customize the OS to work on the top of it and upload it to the community images of the vagrant.

Enough talking, let's get into it :)

First you need to install vagrant and choice of your virtualization tool, (if you are a beginner I advise you to go ahead with VirtualBox)

## Prerequisites

- You can find the vagrant installation details [here](https://developer.hashicorp.com/vagrant/downloads).

- Install a virtualization product such as; [VirtualBox](https://www.virtualbox.org/), [VMware Fusion](https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/get-download?downloadGroup=FUS-PUBTP-2021H1), or [Hyper-V](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/hyper-v-on-windows/quick-start/enable-hyper-v).

Vagrant requires a configuration file named `VagrantFile` (without any extension) where we'll decide all the configurations for the VM.

```
vagrant init
```

The above command automatically initializes the initial `VagrantFile` which has all the parameter's commented out

_(refresh the page if you don't see the code snippet below)_

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/fa046fe832f947cfa5081eef320119c0.js"></script>

Let's try to understand what is going on

```
Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
```

This is the version of the Vagrant that should be used

```
config.vm.box = "base"
```

This is the specification of the base OS that VM, Think box as an Operating System which is already configured

since I am using `libvirt` as my tool, I need to select the boxes that support `libvirt`, you can do that [here](https://app.vagrantup.com/boxes/search?provider=libvirt), as I told there are not many offical boxes that support `libvirt` as provider, but the community ones are fairly good and are stable.

Port forwarding can be also done

```
config.vm.network "forwarded_port", guest: 80, host: 8080
```

Here whatever service that is exposed in the machine on port number 80 is forwarded to your machines `8080` port.

```
config.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.33.10"
```

This configuration allows you to set up a public network interface for your VM. This means that your VM will have its own IP address on the same network as your host machine. This is useful when you need to expose services running on the VM to the outside world.

```
config.vm.synced_folder "../data", "/vagrant_data"
```

Synced folders allow you to share files between your host machine and the VM. This is incredibly useful for development, as you can edit code on your host machine and have it immediately available within the VM. The first parameter specifies the path on your host machine, and the second parameter specifies the path within the VM, Very Similar to docker volumes or Kubernetes Persistent Volume.

```
config.vm.provider "libvirt" do |vb|
  vb.gui = true  # Display the VirtualBox GUI when booting the machine
  vb.memory = "1024"  # Customize the amount of memory on the VM
end
```

This section allows you to configure provider-specific settings for libvirt. You can customize the amount of memory allocated to the VM.

Now with all the above knowledge lets bring up 2 ubuntu VMs inside our system.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/d200bf2997dc55e856ca116f53ef1f55.js"></script>

To bring the VMS up, we need to tell vagrant to find the file and bring up the containers

```bash
vagarnt up
```

Now Vagrant will download the ubuntu 22.04 generic box from the hashicorp cloud and start to provision the defined resources.

After all you should be seeing a ` Machine booted and ready!` message then you can use the machines, but how to access them?

Vagrant provides a special way of sshing to the VM's created using public and private key that is automatically configured while bring up the Vm's.

Now we have 2 Vm's namely - ubuntu1 - ubuntu2

Let's ssh to the first node,

```
vagrant ssh ubuntu1
```

this will login you to the Vm and you can just use the VM as a normal machine make sure to port-forward if you want to access the services running on Vms from the host system.

When done, either permanently destroy them:

```
vagrant destroy
```

(Note: This will permanantely destroy your Vm and related data unless you have a synced folder)

Or suspend them for later:

```bash
vagrant suspend
```

To resume a suspended VM:

```bash
vagrant reload
```

That's Vagrant in a nutshell, hope you liked it.

cheers :)


Quickly spin up VM's using Vagrant


Hi Everyone,

Today is a special day for me as I turn 21. I wanted to take a moment to share some of the thoughts that have been running through my mind. It's a strange feeling—I'm not quite sure if I'm happy or sad. When I was younger, I often daydreamed about what I would be like when I grew up.

As a child, I always yearned for the biggest birthday bash. Looking back now, I'm grateful that I didn't have one. I don't think I would have truly enjoyed it. My life has taken a different path than what I had imagined, and while I am genuinely happy with where I am, I can't help but wonder what my 6-year-old self would have done differently if he could see who I am today. What would he think?

Over the past 20 years, I have learned so much about life. It's amazing to look back and realize the blessings I've had and truly blessed to have out standing amazing parents like I do, to be lucky to have the friends I have and to be able to do the things I have done.

TBH turning 21 isn't bad overall you get to do a lot more things, but I guess it's just a reminder that I'm getting older and I'm not a kid anymore, I'm an adult and I have to start acting like one.

> never let the kid inside you die

But above quote always hits me and I go back to acting like a child again trying to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

![young-me](https://i.ibb.co/sCsj03h/Whats-App-Image-2023-07-03-at-11-22-10-PM.jpg)

I do of course realise that 21 is very young but I can't help think of that little boy who used to who used to sit and eat chips with curd (I Know it's a weird combination and I still like it to this day lol) and read big books and wonder what he would think of who I have become?

I hope he'd proud :) cheers, happy birthday to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my late-night musings. :)


Turning 21


## Diving deep into my Personal Infrastructure

We are 110 days in to 2023. Have you been able to keep your New Years Resolutions or goals, that you so keenly set back on Jan 1? Yea, its hard eh? We all have the best of intentions but once reality sets in, its hard to get out of our already-established routines.
I shared some of my goals for 2023 [here](https://blog.devcoffee.me/posts/look-ma-its-already-2023-and-i-am-dumb).

One of them was to setup a reliable personal infrastructure, I have been working on this for a while now and I am happy to say that I am almost there. I have been able to setup a reliable infrastructure that is completely customised for me.
I didn't want to compromise on security, privacy, or accessibility.

Before I dive into the details, Let me give you a quick overview of all the services I use in daily life.

- Github
- Github CI/CD
- Vercel (for hosting)
- Google Password Manager
- Google Drive (for backups)
- Calorie Counter App
- Some Platforms for Deploying Backend Services and Databases & so on..

So now, let me tell WHY the hell do I need a personal infrastructure?, I am just a student, not some big startup

I’m a person who’s only satisfied if I feel I’m being productive. I like figuring things out.
I like building things. And I want to do as much of that as I can. And part of being able to do that is to have the best personal infrastructure I can have.

This helps me to figure out how to do things, how to build things, and how to make things better. And that’s what I want to do.

Let's dive into the details.

I have 5 main goals for my personal infrastructure.

1. **Security** - I want to be able to keep my data safe and secure. I don't want to compromise on security.
2. **Privacy** - I want to be able to keep my data private. I don't want to compromise on privacy.
3. **Accessibility** - I want to be able to access my data from anywhere. I don't want to compromise on accessibility.
4. **Reliability** - I want to be able to rely on my infrastructure. I don't want to compromise on reliability.
5. **Customisation** - I want to be able to customise my infrastructure. I don't want to compromise on customisation.

I have 3 VPS hosted on oracle cloud, 1 Raspberry Pi 3b+ and 1 old CPU with `2x Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E7500 @ 2.93GHz` and `8GB RAM` and `1TB` storage.

So all the VPS are running on `Ubuntu 20.04 LTS` and the Raspberry Pi is running on `Raspbian`. and the cpu is running on `Fedora Server Edition 37`.

Now how to interconnect all these devices? You guessed it right, I use `VPN` to interconnect all these devices. In my case, I use tailscale which according to me is the best out there in market.

All the 3 VPS have a public IP address, but not the Raspberry Pi and the CPU. I use `Nginx` as a reverse proxy to route all the traffic to the correct VPS. Basically it pipes the traffic from public IP to the private IP, one of the VPS acts as a gateway to the internet.

[![network-diagram](https://mermaid.ink/img/pako:eNqFUstuwjAQ_BVrT60UEI4hITn00l6QWmSB2kOViyFbsErsyHEoKfDvdR7i0UrFkWzvzmR2PfYeljpFiGFlRL4mz7NEETcmyqJRaEmv93Dg5WIjl2TCD-SNz-ldAm4hNIH7llwnG2KqMyEVUSLDA5mupNo5brOSGW7RFEi40bvq9GeLNTWM3AqLTZFH_vofPBNFvkBjKi6d_CkiXN7QdX36XfP-bSrrqKyh1l9NL8pF61RnyhTtlzafLXjp3DlT29NGqNJ281urq_xH7OREPS7OfSXuX0XsohR4kKFxd5K6C97XQAJ2jRkmELvtRq7WNoFEHR1RlFbPK7WE2JoSPSjz1LX0JIVrMYP4Q2wKl82Fetf6KoZ4DzuI6WDUH4eMhW6ijPoB9aCC2A9G_SAMI0qZA6KABUcPvhsJ2h-xAQ2jQeQPx8EwGPseYCqtNi_tk2xe5vEHZE3JvA?type=png)](https://mermaid.live/edit#pako:eNqFUstuwjAQ_BVrT60UEI4hITn00l6QWmSB2kOViyFbsErsyHEoKfDvdR7i0UrFkWzvzmR2PfYeljpFiGFlRL4mz7NEETcmyqJRaEmv93Dg5WIjl2TCD-SNz-ldAm4hNIH7llwnG2KqMyEVUSLDA5mupNo5brOSGW7RFEi40bvq9GeLNTWM3AqLTZFH_vofPBNFvkBjKi6d_CkiXN7QdX36XfP-bSrrqKyh1l9NL8pF61RnyhTtlzafLXjp3DlT29NGqNJ281urq_xH7OREPS7OfSXuX0XsohR4kKFxd5K6C97XQAJ2jRkmELvtRq7WNoFEHR1RlFbPK7WE2JoSPSjz1LX0JIVrMYP4Q2wKl82Fetf6KoZ4DzuI6WDUH4eMhW6ijPoB9aCC2A9G_SAMI0qZA6KABUcPvhsJ2h-xAQ2jQeQPx8EwGPseYCqtNi_tk2xe5vEHZE3JvA)

I use cloudflare as my DNS provider, its free and secure and it has a lot of features. I use it to manage my domains. (Just the one lol :P) [devcoffee.me](https://devcoffee.me)

`Docker` and `docker-compose` have been instrumental in helping me manage all of my services in one place. Recently, I decided to switch to Kubernetes and installed k3s to make my life even easier.

I use `Gitea` as my self-hosted git repository because it gives me complete control over my code and allows me to manage my projects more effectively.

As a replacement for `Google Drive`, I switched to `Nextcloud` for hosting my files. This has been a great alternative for me since it offers a similar user experience while keeping my data private.

To download and manage torrent files, I use `Sonarr` and `Radarr`. These tools help me stay organized and keep track of all my downloads.

For monitoring all my services, I use `Uptime Kuma`. This tool helps me stay informed about the health of my infrastructure and quickly address any issues that arise.

On my Raspberry Pi, I have installed `Pi-Hole` to block ads and malware, making my browsing experience much safer.

As a media server, I use `Jellyfin`, which has been great for organizing my media collection and streaming it to various devices.

To browse files, I use `h5ai`, a simple file browser that allows me to easily view and access all of my files.

I use `Homer` as a dashboard to view all my services in one place. It has been a great tool for me to keep track of all my services and quickly access them.

`Ansible` helps me to automate the deployment of my infrastructure and scheduling tasks. Ex: regularly updating my os and installing security updates.

My CPU is connected to Printer, I use `CUPS` to manage my printer. I can print from any device connected to my network. (maybe using ngnix reverse proxy for this and expose to internet; is it worth it? lol)

I also plan to install `Jenkins` on my k3s cluster to automate my deployments or maybe use `argocd`, `Bitwarden` for password management, and a few other tools.

This was just a introduction to my personal infrastructure. Maybe I will be writing a series of blog posts about my personal infrastructure and how I built it.

I had a lot fun and learnt a lot while building my personal infrastructure, The best part is, there are always new tools and technologies to explore and integrate into my infrastructure. As I continue to evolve my personal infrastructure, I look forward to sharing my experiences and insights with others through my blog. Stay tuned for more!


Diving deep into my Personal Infrastructure


## Living in the present

Recently I came across a video, where the creator tried to live his last 7 days with no regrets, If there is one topic I like that is **Life**, **Living** & **Death**. I really enjoyed that video and It also made me think about my life, it also made me realize that indeed every day can be our last. So why start tomorrow if tomorrow is not guaranteed and "we should take more risks from our dreams, instead of dying with regret" really touched me

Most people think Living in the present is a trendy modern thing, but it is not. It is a profound philosophy of life that can transform the way we experience our existence. It is a way of life, it is a way of thinking, it is a way of being. It is a way of living. It is a way of being happy. It is a way of being free. It is a way of being yourself. It is a way of being alive.

In our fast-paced and constantly connected world, it is very easy to get lost in the rush of daily life and forget the present moment. However, when we take a step back and consider whether we are actually living the life we want, or if we are just following the expectations of the world.

As I sit here typing this blog post, I am constantly reminded of how important it is to live in the present moment. It is so easy to get caught up in our worries, and fears about the future or dwells on the past. But what about the now? What about this very moment that we are in right now?

For me, Living in the present means being fully engaged at the moment, not worrying about the past or future. It means taking time to appreciate the little things in life and taking time to reflect on my thoughts and feelings, rather than just rushing through life which helps me to break free from the **RAT RACE**.

Let's be real, it's not always practical to completely stop worrying about the future. The key is to find a balance between planning for the future and enjoying the present moment.

Believe me, Living in the present is super hard, especially when we have a never-ending to-do list and a constant barrage of notifications from our smartphones. But let's be real, we've all had those moments where we're scrolling through Instagram, and suddenly realize an hour has passed and then we feel guilty for wasting time.

_But hey, maybe that hour of mindless scrolling was just what we needed to recharge our batteries and live in the present… Okay, maybe not, but let's pretend it was._

It's also important to have goals and aspirations. But we should also remember to enjoy the journey and appreciate the present moment. Life is too short to constantly be worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.

"Maybe we should focus more on being instead of becoming", we should listen to more of what our heart wants, rather than what the world wants and maybe we should make more chances of our dream instead of dying with regrets

So, take a deep breath, let go of worries and fears, and embrace the present moment. You might just find that life becomes a lot more joyful and meaningful when you do.

ps: all these are just emotional rants :)

> Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy.
> – Sarah Ban Breathnach

If you liked this, maybe you'll also like this post: [**How Lucky Are We……?**](https://blog.devcoffee.me/posts/how-lucky-are-we)

until next time ✌️


Living in the present


## Exchanging data between microservices

It's already 2023 and the software development is evolving lot faster than ever.

There are several software architecture patterns that are used to build a application, it depends on the use case and the requirements [majorly non functional] of the application.

The most popular architecture pattern is client-server architecture. It's a great way to build a scalable and maintainable application.
But the client-server architecture has its own challenges. One of the biggest challenges is running multiple services on a single server.
Most of the time, the server might not be powerful enough to run multiple services parellely, that's where microservices architecture comes into picture.

The microservices architecture is an subset of client-server architecture. It's a great way to build a scalable and maintainable application. But the microservices architecture has its own challenges. One of the biggest challenges is exchanging data between microservices. In this article, I will knot down some of the points which I learnt.

A common set of similar **methods** are grouped together to form a **microservice**. For example, [Ecommerce Application] a microservice can be a

- user service
- product service
- payment service
- shipping service, etc.

Each microservice can have its own database and it's own business logic. The microservices are independent of each other. They can be developed and deployed independently.
But the all the services need to communicate with each other at one point to be able to perform a task.
For example, when a user places an order, the user service needs to communicate with the product service to check the availability of the product and the payment service to process the payment.

user service --> product service --> payment service --> shipping service

This is where the challenge arises, **how can we exchange data between services internally?**

There are several ways to exchange data, it all boils down to the size, format and the frequency of data exchange and security requirements. [Better Applications can be developed from Good User requirements]

> Walking on water and developing software from a specification are easy if both are frozen.
> --Edward V. Berard

We'll take a look at 4 exchanging protocols [methods]:

- Synchronous Messaging<br/>
  REST APIs: A simple and common method to exchange data between microservices using HTTP requests and responses.

- Asynchronous Messaging: Using a message broker, such as Apache Kafka or RabbitMQ, to exchange messages between microservices asynchronously.

- gRPC: A high-performance, open-source framework for building remote procedure call (RPC) APIs.
- Event-Driven Architecture: Using events to trigger actions and exchange data between microservices.

Let's Try and take a look at each protocols Pro's and Con's

## 1. REST API's

This is a pretty common method to exchange data between frontend and backend services


Exchanging data between microservices


This Post is different from other posts on this blog, Remember I had made a goal, **Go on 12 Treks in 2023**.
Well, this is the first of many, introducing **Kudremukh**: A Novice Trekker's Journey to the Summit, this contains many beautiful experiences, pictures, ramblings, and how I prepared for it.

It was the 13th of January, I was a little bit sad because I couldn't go to Kerala with my cousin due to some personal reasons, I was looking around some sites to take a break and enjoy nature, was browsing **Plan the Unplanned** and they had a great collection of treks over there, I thought to go to **Netravati Trek** once the Internals ends [solo trip tho].

A couple of days later my friend asked me If I was interested in the Kuduremukh trek on the same day as the netravati trek which I had planned solo, Now I knew that Kuduremukh is not easy to do and it is challenging as well, took a couple of days to research more about it, I finally decided that going with friends is better than a solo trip and thought to go to Kuduremukh Trek.

I had little experience in trekking thus I knew I needed some sort of preparation before climbing the peak, the whole week I was hitting the gym for leg workouts, and I even went running the 5KM REPUBLIC DAY marathon getting my glute muscles stronger before the trek, I would advise gaining some form before going to the trek as it prepares the body for trek condition.

It was Friday finally, F\*cked my FAFL Intenals and headed straight to home, packed my bag, [here](https://nativetrekking.in/tour/new-year-kudremukha-trek/) you can find what you should take to trek, packed some ORS, dry fruits, and coconut water.

The bus picked me up at 10:15 from Yeshwantpur [in front of my home lol], got into the bus it was filled up, found an empty seat near the first row, went there and sat.

After 20 minutes the bus driver stopped for a chai-sutta break [I don't do sutta lol, but I do chai :)], put my bags in the dickey picked up a water bottle, phone charger [charging spot was just in front of me] and eye cover band.

We left Bengaluru around 11, and as the bus swerved through the narrow roads of the ghats, I was a little awake. Despite the bumpy ride, I couldn't help but appreciate the mutual trust between the passengers and the bus driver. The unspoken agreement that the driver would get us safely to our destination was a beautiful display of mutual respect and understanding. I tried to close my eyes and tried to settle back into sleep, The bright headlights of the vehicles on the opposite side of the road brightly lit up the interior of the bus.

It was already 5 AM, and we reached mulodi, a taluka in Chikkamagaluru, this is where Kuduremukha is situated, The organisers had arranged for a tata tempo. As the Tata Tempo picked us up from Mulodi, I couldn't help but shiver in the cold. My breath was visible in the air, and I hugged myself for warmth. Despite the early hour and the chilly temperature, I was filled with excitement for the day ahead. The steep and curvy roads were a test for the vehicle, but the ride was made fascinating by the stunning views of the night sky above us. With the stars shining bright and the moon casting a warm glow, The bumpy ride was a small price to pay for the privilege of witnessing such natural beauty.

We reached the homestay after a bumpy ride of 15 minutes out in the cold, The homestay was a house, and we went to the atta [top floor] of the house. The atta was filled with beds, and my team quickly claimed our spot. The trek guide advised us to get some rest if we needed it and also told us not to pack any single plastic bag, but I was far too wired from the night's journey. I washed up, feeling the cold water jolt me awake and chase away any sleepiness. By 6:30, I was fully dressed and ready for breakfast. I had packed 3 litres of water bottles one filled with ORS, one filled with glucose and the last one was pure water. The chill of the early morning was still in the air, but I was excited and eager for the adventures to come. The breakfast, the beautiful views, and the excitement of the trek ahead all added to the thrill of the moment, and I couldn't wait to take on the day.

The breakfast was served at 7, It was idli and potato sambar in their style. Although the idli and sambar didn't quite meet my expectations I still managed to eat a considerable amount to fuel me for the day ahead. I added a couple of bread slices and a banana for extra energy and was ready to start the trek. The trek guide gathered us near the veranda and introduced everyone, offering advice and instructions for the trek. As the youngest member of the group, I was a little nervous.
We finally set off, first climbing to the Kuduremukha base camp for bag checks and fee payments, which were handled by the trek guides. It was finally time to officially start the kuduremukha trek.

Starting the trek with a high josh, I was eager to see what was ahead. The first hour of the trek was a forest trail, with flatter terrain. **The changing weather - sunny, rainy, breezy, and chilly** all at once - was a new experience for me and added to the excitement of the journey. The stunning scenery was a constant source of awe, and I couldn't help but snap some pictures to capture the moment. The first hour of the trek was a fantastic introduction to the trail, setting up the stage for the adventures to come.

After an hour the trial started to change dramatically, inclines oh god, I still remember those steep inclines looking over and wondering how to climb, I honestly don't know how I climbed the steep incline. It was exhausting and body-breaking [at least for me]. I was gasping for air in the middle of the climb, I think the past one hour of the trek was a preparation for this steeeeeep.

## Streams in between the trail

This trek has several water streams which one should cross carefully, when you pass through the stream the cold air hits you from the water it is an amazing feeling.

![water](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216246913-6f7bcb33-c469-4494-b577-71517359f65b.jpg)

<center> one of the water stream</center>
## Ontimara View Point

After a rough climb of 2,2-1/2 hours, I reached the vontimara viewpoint which is marked as a halfway [a local guide told me], I slept on the bench as I struggled to gasp for the air and tried to enjoy the beautiful scenic view. It was vast meadows in front of me which had brownish shade as well, This view was so rewarding, I spent around 10-15 minutes in this spot and also ate some energy bar and continued with the trail.

This is only the trek where the peak is visible from the trial [found on google], which was worrying me 'will I be able to reach the top' I kept wondering all along the trek.

As I continued on the trek, I came across a clear stream of water coming directly from the mountains. This water energised me more than anything I had that day, I filled my bottles and washed my face as well, it felt like ice.

When there were 3Kms left to the summit,

![3kms](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216239876-5931355a-0e80-4160-b01b-ed36018335d3.jpg)

I encountered a steep incline that seemed to go on forever, was looking over the head and sun and wondering how to climb this man, thinking "I'll be really lucky If I reach the summit" all these thoughts started to come across my mind. I sat near the incline drank 100ml of ORS, and 100ml of water then ate a half protein bar and also ate some sprouts [thanking dad for this]. Somehow I was able to regather all of my lost energy and started to climb, in no time I had already climbed up to the top of the incline. [Key is to rehydrate and re-energise yourself perodically].

Now it was all about walking some flat terrain and some incline to the summit, I started to go slowly as I wanted to savour the natural beauty out there, here are some snaps.

![IMG_1462](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216240195-e3038354-e76d-48ab-8919-bd0666169eaa.png)

Finally, I encountered another water stream just down the last steep from the summit, I eagerly went there and splashed the cold water on my face and also filled up the bottles. [I drank around 5lts of water]. Now It was all about climbing the last steep, believe me, it's the hardest steep in the trial overall [maybe because of body fatigue or exhaustness], I took around 15 minutes to climb it. Finally, I saw a peek of the Indian Flag that was hosted on the peak, my mind was telling me "You did it!", and yes I had conquered the second highest and hardest trek in Karnataka just like that.

I reached the summit at 12:15 PM.

![20230128_121628](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216240947-28109b4a-9e14-4905-b01f-85510dfa288f.jpg)

<center>
  This was what I was looking like when I reached the summit :) [Thanks Vishal
  for the pic]
</center>

It was an amazing feeling to finally reach the summit after all the hard work and perseverance. The breathtaking views from the top were the reward for all the effort put in. The heat was scorching but nothing could dampen my spirits. The taste of the puliyogere packed by the homestay was heavenly, or maybe it was just my exhaustion and hunger talking, but it truly was a moment to savour. The countless snaps we took will serve as a reminder of this incredible journey for years to come.

Puliyogere, Clouds and what better view you can have to eat your lunch :)

![20230128_113435](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216241421-ec741647-acae-41e7-a4cc-9246aeac91f4.jpg)

![IMG_1483](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216241739-faa7a9ec-42ad-4d31-8a3b-fd8bf5d67b45.png)

![IMG_1501](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216244213-e257122f-2639-4dad-b1e4-6bc452ba0852.png)

<center>The team at Summit :)</center>

Despite the sense of accomplishment, I felt, I knew I still had to be careful while I was getting down. I couldn't let my guard down just yet, but I was grateful for having made it this far. This trek was truly a test of my limits and I was proud to have conquered it. The memories of this trek will stay with me forever, and I can't wait to embark on more such adventures in the future.

All of us started to descent from the summit around 1 PM [we should hike the same way back], and it was naturally harder than I thought because we were trekking on a muddy trail and I did not have hiking shoes yet [got to know why hiking shoes are important], The mud was loose and it was cracking the moment we stepped on it. [The trick is to step on the rocks, ofc it'll hurt but this is only the tradeoff you can get instead of sliding down the hills]. All of my friends formed a chain and were trying to get down the trial.

I met some amazing peeps, experienced trekkers, and local guides too, I chatted them up to distract from my body ache, and surprisingly they also chatted with me giving me some motivation to reach the base camp. I was far too exhausted while I still had around 3kms to reach the base camp, I came across a water stream and I dipped my feet in it, let me tell you it was a natural ice bath and fish spa [if you ever had it]. My legs were feeling jolly after this. I refreshed myself and continued descending. Finally saw the base camp roof, I was overjoyed with myself and my mind was screaming "YOU DID IT MF". I rushed to the base camp and took a look at the time, It was only 4:15, and I was honestly surprised with myself.

![IMG_1506](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216244239-aa96e69f-c830-4a37-a60b-30844d92a8c8.png)

<center>You can sense a proud feeling in me :)</center>

I slept on the bare floor in the base camp, it was the best short nap I ever had, took some snaps and finally headed to the homestay. Took bath in hot water to reduce muscle soreness, and drank a Red Bull.

The trek guides had organised a Firecamp and it was a perfect excuse to heat your legs [it reduces chances of getting muscle soreness, the next day]. I heated my legs to 11 PM and hit the bed.

![IMG_1512](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/71436720/216245273-a15a7ffa-3946-4f98-adf1-d6414b33c43a.png)

The next day we were on a bus back to Bengaluru, While cruising along the highway The past two days flashed in front of me, the ghat section, the sweetest water out from the mountains itself, and who can forget the lush green meadows with a splash of brown, and their kissing with the clouds, these were more than rewarding that what I had originally asked for :)

It was an amazing experience, a journey full of challenges and discoveries, a true test of my physical and mental strength. As I looked back, I was filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment, for having pushed my limits and for making it to the summit of Kuduremukha

Thanks to everyone who was there with me to motivate me along the Journey.

> The Best View Comes After the Hardest Climb


Conquering Kudremukh: 'A Novice Trekkers Journey to the top'

Look ma it's already 2023 and I am still dumb


Not a lot of people might have heard of NTP,NTP is likely an essential part of many of the devices and services that you use on a daily basis. It helps to ensure that these systems have accurate and synchronized clocks, which is important for their proper functioning, Let's dive deep into this.

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a networking protocol that is used to synchronize the clocks of computer systems across a network.NTP is built on top of the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which is a connectionless protocol that is used for transmitting data across a network.

This is important because many applications and services rely on accurate time to function properly.
For example, when you access a website, your computer needs to know the correct time to ensure that the secure connection is properly established.

NTP works by using a hierarchical structure of time servers to provide a reliable and accurate time source.

![image](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bogdan-Jeliskoski/publication/336902538/figure/fig2/AS:819773176832002@1572460564851/Detailed-hierarchy-of-the-Stratum-servers.ppm)

At the top of this hierarchy are the primary servers, which are connected to an accurate time source such as a GPS receiver or atomic clock. These primary servers then provide time information to secondary servers, which in turn provide time information to other computers on the network.

To use NTP, a computer will send a request to one of the time servers in the hierarchy. The server will then respond with the current time, along with information about the accuracy of its time source and any potential delays in the network. The computer will then use this information to adjust its own clock to match the correct time.

Main advantage of NTP is that it is a **decentralized protocol**, which means that it does not rely on a single time source. This makes it more resilient to network disruptions and outages, as the time information can be obtained from multiple servers.

Another advantage of NTP is that it can handle network delays and other types of interference. This is done through a process called **clock synchronization**, which uses algorithms to compensate for the effects of network delays and other factors that can affect the accuracy of the time signal.

### NTP Packet

When a computer wants to synchronize its clock with an NTP server, it sends a request packet to the server. This packet contains information such as the version of the NTP protocol being used, and the type of request being made.

When the server receives the request, it responds with a response packet. This packet contains the current time, along with information about the accuracy of the server's time source and any potential delays in the network.

The response packet also contains a number of fields that are used by the client to calculate the correct time. This includes the originate timestamp, which is the time at which the request was sent, and the receive timestamp, which is the time at which the request was received by the server.

Using these timestamps, along with the transmit timestamp, which is the time at which the response was sent, the client can calculate the round-trip delay, which is the amount of time it took for the request to be sent and the response to be received. The client can then use this information, along with the server's time, to adjust its own clock to match the correct time.

### Why UDP and not TCP

NTP uses UDP as its transport layer because it needs to send time information quickly and efficiently. NTP packets are typically very small, so the overhead of using a more complex protocol like TCP would be unnecessary.

Overall, the NTP packet is an essential part of the protocol, and is used to exchange time information between systems in order to synchronize their clocks. This helps to ensure that systems have accurate and synchronized time, which is important for many applications and services.

[Inspiration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAo5C2qbLq8&t=436s&ab_channel=Computerphile),
[Read More](https://blog.cloudflare.com/secure-time/),
[Read More](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/network-time-protocol)


NTP- Network Time Protocol


Ever heard of AbortController, if not allow me to introduce you to the AbortController,

I came across AbortController in my company code base, at first I didn't understand why it was used or how it helps the application,
When I digged into it i was able to understand why it was used.

First of all let's see the MDN definition of Abort Controller:

The **`AbortController`** interface represents a controller object that allows you to abort one or more Web requests as and when desired.

In simple words,

It allows us to abort a network request that is currently in progress, and provides us with a few methods and properties to do so.

**AbortController** allows us to cancel a network request before it completes, which can help improve the performance of our application. This is especially useful in scenarios where we are making multiple network requests at once, and we want to cancel any that are no longer needed.

### Usage

To use the AbortController, we first need to create an instance of it. This is done using the `new` keyword, like so:

`const controller = new AbortController();`

Once we have an instance of the **AbortController**, we can use it's `signal` attribute to access the `abort` method. This method allows us to cancel the network request that is associated with the AbortController instance.

For Example if we are making `axios` request to the server we can simply pass the signal property of the **AbortController** like:

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/db45e29a0008cc9557ab0949a2a7ebee.js"></script>

In the code above, we are making a `axios` request to the `https://api.example.com/endpoint` URL, and passing the `signal` property of the `controller` instance as the `signal` option.

Now if we want to cancel the network request we can simple call the `abort` method on the `controller` instance.

`controller.abort()`

This will cause the request to be cancelled, and any pending promised chained up with the request will be rejected with **AbortError** so that we can catch the error and handle it appropriately.

### Diving deep into some additional Properties

The AbortController also has a `onabort` property, which is an event that is triggered whenever the `abort` method is called on the controller.

This allows to attach event listeners to the controller and perform certain actions when the network request is cancelled.

For example, if we want to display a message to the user whenever a network request is cancelled, we can attach an event listener to the `onabort` property of the controller, like so:

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/42d127fd5d10680b0703e123709b9f9f.js"></script>

### Practical Scenario:

Let's consider a application which fetched the number of friends and display them on the interface, let's assume **Rahul** has more number of friends and hence his network call will take more time, the user might not have patience to wait for the network call to be complete and presses **Rajus** name, **Raju** has few friends so his network call will be complete before **Rahul**'s network call.

After a while the network call made for **Rahul** friends resolves and the displaying UI will be replaced by **Rahuls** friends even the user purposefully clicked **Rajus** name.

Here **AbortController** will be helpful, when the user clicks the other name, we can just call the abort on the signal and cancel the request, hence increase the performance of the application as well.

### conclusion

The AbortController is a useful tool that allows us to cancel network requests in JavaScript. It provides us with the `abort` method, the `signal` property, and the `onabort` event, which give us **fine-grained control** over the network requests that are being made in the application.


new AbortController()


## Automating Your Postman Tests - 1

Postman is a collaboration platform for API development.
Postman's features simplify each step of building an API and streamline collaboration so you can create better APIs—faster.

This Post will be a Two part series, where we will be automating our Postman tests using the Postman API.
In this first part, we'll see about writing some **manual tests** in Postman, inspect responses, create workflows, create **collection** and a test suite
In the Second part we'll see how **CI/CD** pipeline can be setup for running the tests automatically.

This article requires you to have a prequestiste basic understanding of how HTTP/HTTPS works, Methods of HTTP, and how to perform simple GET and POST requests.

![Postman UI](public/assets/blog/automating-postman-tests-1/ui.png)

Postman needs a live HTTP server to process its requests. For this , we'll use one of my starter express backend setup with database, which is available [here](https://github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/express-ts-backend).

lets clone the starter application, install the necessary dependencies & start the server.

```bash

curl -4 localhost:5000

```

We should see a response like this

```json
{
  "ok": true,
  "message": "Hello from the Server"
}
```

Let's start using postman now :)

The backend starter template has a few routes setup, which we can use to test our postman tests.


Automating Your Postman Tests


## What I learnt from writing low level code for a semester

first of all let's try to understand what is `low level code`?,

From `Wikipedia`:

Low-level programming is a style of computer programming in which little or no abstraction is used between the instructions in the programming language and the architecture's machine code instructions.
Low-level programming is the opposite of high-level programming, which uses a large amount of abstraction to make the process of developing a program easier.

If thats a lot to consume let me simplify that for you:

- Low level code doesnt not use any abstraction; Meaning its the most basic form of code.
- Low level refers to code written directly for the computer.

I was one of those people who thought that low level language is the most difficult to learn and understand.
But after taking a course of `Micro Controllers and Embeded Systems` I can say that it is not that difficult to learn and understand.

Low level langauge requires you to think in a different way, it requires you to think in a way that you have to think about the hardware and the software at the same time.

It requires you to manage menory allocation and deallocation, you can also say thay in `c` you have to manage memory allocation and deallocation yourself.

But truth to be spoken `Assembly` & `Machine Code` are true low level languages.

High-level languages like `JavaScript` and `Python` may be the most popular programming languages today,
but there’s no argument that these languages are doing a lot of work for the developer,

Let's see some code comparisions between `ASM` and `c`:

## Fibbonaci Series in ASM

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/15a14dc3aa379b276a29f0d3f98e59ab.js"></script>

## Fibbonaci Series in C

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/9f49eb73185b66900a26b5cc4a983e53.js"></script>

of course the no of lines of code is more in `asm`, code is not that readable and it is not that easy to understand.

why? because we are writing code directly for the computer, we are not using any abstraction, libraries.
no of keywords reserved in `asm` is less than `c` and `c++`. This again makes it difficult to understand.

I found it extremely unproductive and it requires you to do a lot of work for very little results.
It does however have a good side. It is very fast and it is very efficient, memory safe.

I also used c to write Embeded code for a semester, I used `LPC1248` microcontroller and `C` to write code for it.
here `arm` was also very much useful as we knew which memory location was used for which purpose, we knew which registers were used for which purpose.

Couple things I observed was that `c` is very much similar to `ARM` in terms of syntax, it is just that `c` has a lot of abstraction and `c` is a lot more readable than `ARM` and the `ARM` code ran insanely fast compared to `c` code.

## My Final Thoughts

I think that low level languages are not that difficult to learn and understand, it just requires you to think in a different way.
concept of Registers, memmory addresses and memory allocation and deallocation is very important to understand.
You gain a pratical expirence of how the computer works.

I think every software developer has to learn if not how to write but atleast to read and understand low level code.
It explains how a processor works from the inside.


What I learnt from writing low level code for a semester


## Heroku Alternatives

Heroku was one one of the earliest cloud platforms to offer a PaaS (Platform as a Service) model.

It was founded in 2007 and has been a leader in the PaaS space ever since.
Heroku is a great platform for developers to deploy their applications and scale them as needed.

However, Heroku is not the only PaaS platform out there. In this article, we will look at some of the best Heroku alternatives
as it has announced to stop supporting the free tier (hobby) plan from November 28th 2022.You can read more about this [here](https://blog.heroku.com/next-chapter/).

I still remember the first time I deployed an application on Heroku, It was so easy to deploy.

It was a simple Flask application that I had cloned from [hastebin](https://hastebin.com/), I still think its deployed somewhere on Heroku. [hastebin-clone](https://haste-bin-clone.herokuapp.com/)

It literally deployed any code I threw at it that too for free. I was amazed at how easy it was to deploy an application on Heroku.It was essiential to any developer starting out.

Earlier in the days it was not easy to run code on server, it required a special set of knowledge and skills to run code on a server.

for ex;

- Have a VM hosted somewhere with a public Ip address alloted to it.
- SSH into it
- Install the necessary software/dependeices
- Ingress & Egress rules
- Firewall rules
- Reverse proxy if the server was mapped to any domain
  and the list goes on.

## What was hobby tier?

Hobby tier was a free tier that Heroku offered to developers to deploy their applications for free.
It offered 512 MB of RAM and 1 dyno. It was a great way to get started with Heroku.
we could attach any VCS (Version Control System) to our application and deploy it with a single click.
we could also get a smol database for free.

Well from that day most of my personal projects have been deployed on Heroku on hobby tier.

Now considering that they'll be stopping the free tier from November 28th 2022, I thought it would be a good idea to look at some of the best Free Heroku alternatives.

as Heroku killed the free tier they literally digged out a hole for themselves; I doubt Heroku will be able to compete with the other PaaS platforms out there.

## host a website (Frontend)

If you are looking to host a website for free free,

- Github Pages
- Netlify
- Vercel
- Render
- Surge
- Cloudflare Pages
- Firebase hosting

## Host a website (Backend)

If you are looking to host a backend for free,

- Railway.app
- Repl.it
- Render
- Cloudflare Workers

## Host a docker Image

Nowdays most of the applications are containerized and deployed as docker images across the network to facilitate for easy deployment and scaling.

- Railway.app
- Render
- Fly.in
- Digital Ocean App Platform

## Host a database

- Railway.app
- PlanetScale
- Supabase
- MongoDB Atlas
- Firebase Realtime Database
- Firebase Firestore

Any way there are endless opportunities out there, I tried to complie the most frequent services I use and the ones which offer easy deployment and scaling, you can host your application on any of the above platforms for free.

Ofc there is the 2 gaints in the market, AWS and GCP, they offer a lot of services (all of the above) for free, but they are not as easy to use as the above platforms. '
That's why I didn't include them in the list.

## Conclusion

There are **so many good** alternatives out there to deploy a full stack application.
If you are looking to deploy a full stack application for free, I would recommend you to try out [Railway.app](https://railway.app/).
It's one of the best Heroku alternatives out there.

If I missed out on any good Heroku alternatives, please let me know, [Mail Here](mailto:prajwalprakash3722@gmail.com)


Heroku Alternatives


## learning_rust[0]

After a heated up discussion with myself & my brain about which static typed langauge to learn,
I was thinking about learning `Go` & `Rust` for a long time but I was not sure which one to learn first,
I finally decided to learn Rust first because I think it is more suitable for my current skill level.

What do I mean by that? I mean that I am not a beginner in programming but I am not an expert either,

But I have a fair understanding of programming concepts & I have a good understanding of functional programming.
I like tinkering with operating systems, processes, threads, etc..
Curious about how memory management work under the hood.

![Ferris](https://miro.medium.com/max/450/1*LBHHLYrwLCSD0CYu-rfWMA.png)

So I thought `Rust` is a good fit for me, I am not sure if I am right or not but I will find out soon.

Let's start with the basics,
I am going to learn Rust by following the official manual [The Rust Programming Language](https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/title-page.html).

Imma try to write a post for 3 chapter each time, so I can keep track of my progress and can share my experience.

PS: This is what motivated more to learn Rust xD; <br/>
`In most situations, we’ll lead you to the correct version of any code that doesn’t compile.`

![The Rust Programming Language](https://i.ibb.co/yVSS22N/Screenshot-from-2022-09-16-22-33-54.png)

## Some Intresting things about Rust I found when I was pouring through the web

- Rust’s unofficial Mascot is an orange crab named Ferris
- Karen Rustad Tölva drew the mascot, and Rust is part of her name.(Credit: Reddit)
- Rustacean is a term for Rust programmers.


learning_rust[0]


## Don't get confused between map() and forEach()

JavaScript is the one of the easiest langauge to learn and as well as the most confusing langauge ever.

I have been using JavaScript for more than 2 years and I have missed out of a fair share of features, misunderstood a lot of things.

One of the most common mistakes I have seen is people (including me) using map() and forEach() wrong.

Now JavaScript offers us two methods to iterate over an array, `map()` and `forEach()`.

## Let's see what MDN documentation says about them.

_The `Array.prototype.forEach()` method executes a provided function once for each array element._

What this means ?

The function that is passed as a parameter to the forEach() method will be executed for each element in the array.

_The `Array.prototype.map()` method creates a new array populated with the results of calling a provided function on every element in the calling array._

What this means ?

The function that is passed as a parameter to the map() method will be executed for each element in the array and the return value of the function will be added to the new array which will be returned by the map().

## whoa thats a lot to consume, let's break it down.

## forEach()

forEach() is a method that is used to iterate over an array and execute a function for each element in the array.

Let's see an example.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/bccc97b75210f74a6af42090d84bf1e3.js"></script>

In the above code, we can see that a anoymous function (arrow functions) is passed as a parameter to the forEach() method.
However, instead of returning a new array like map, it returns `undefined`.

## map()

map() is a method that is used to iterate over an array and execute a function for each element in the array and return a `new array`.

Let's see one more example.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/4d0ab52d25743ef1a7e4200530130b98.js"></script>

In the above code, we can see that a anoymous function is passed as a parameter to the map() method.
This method will return a new array which we are using to print the values back to the console.

## Any other differences ?

If you have heard the concept of chaining in JavaScript, then you might have heard of the term `method chaining`.

bascially in a nutshell `method chaining` is a way to call multiple methods on the same object.

You cannot attach multiple methods with forEach() as it returns undefined.

But you can chain many methods such as filter(), map(), reduce() etc with map() as it returns array.

Smol example code to see method chaining.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/c180fc95434ecbda33ec18059587d0ed.js"></script>

## Which of em is speed ???

Both of em are equally speed, but I have seen people saying map() is more performant than forEach().

But ultimatetly it depends on the situation,

If you plan to use the returned array then use map() or else; just use forEach().

## Smol Table for better Conclusion

<table className="">
  <thead className="">
    <tr>
      <th>forEach()</th>
      <th>map()</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody id="tbody">
    <tr>
      <td>Iterates over an array</td>
      <td>Iterates over an array</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Does not return anything</td>
      <td>Returns a new array</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Cannot chain methods</td>
      <td>Can chain methods</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>


Don't get confused between map() and forEach()

Generics in TypeScript


# How Email Works ?

Recently I was building a Hobby Project which was entirely based on emailing services, I decided to host my own Email server to avoid extra costs and But a little I did know was Emailing is a RatHole.

When I dived into it more, I realised that my understanding of the **entire emailing conccept** wrong; over the time I tried to understand what email is excatly and how it works.

let me share with y'all :)

Ever wondered How Emails Work, Who are delivering the electronic letters or more known as "Emails"

When You send a email there is a lot that happens in the background to send to recipitant,

Email is a system for sending and receiving messages over the internet. It works by using a protocol called Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to send messages between servers.

When a user wants to send an email, they can use a client program, such as Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail, to compose and send the message. The client program connects to the user's email server, which is a computer that stores the user's email messages and handles sending and receiving messages.

The email server uses SMTP to send the message to the recipient's email server. The recipient's email server then delivers the message to the recipient's email client, which is the program they use to access their email.

In addition to SMTP, other protocols are also involved in the email process. For example, the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) and the Post Office Protocol (POP) are used to retrieve messages from the email server and download them to the user's email client.

To simplify, we can say that the email client is the program that users use to access and manage their email, and the email server is the computer that stores and handles the sending and receiving of messages. The protocols, such as SMTP, IMAP, and POP, are the technical rules and instructions that enable the email client and server to communicate and exchange messages.



## Namespaces in Typescript

In this article we will try to grasp the concept of namespaces and how they are helpful and
finally we will learn how to use them in Typescript.

[directly jump to coding->](#code)

PS: Typescript is my go to language all time [here](https://blog.devcoffee.me/posts/typescript-javascript) is why.

First of all what are namespaces ?

As per wikipedia definition

_In computing, a namespace is a set of signs (names) that are used to identify and refer to objects of various kinds. A namespace ensures that all of a given set of objects have unique names so that they can be easily identified._

Namespaces are used to group related

- functions
- interfaces
- classes

Namespaces are used to avoid naming conflicts, organize code into logical groups and to provide privacy for variables and functions.

Concept of namespace is not new, we have been using them in some databases such as cassandra,

Linux Kernel also uses namespaces to isolate the processes from each other;
thus allowing high level fine-grain partitioning of resources.

It uses namespaces to isolate the network, mount, user, pid, uts, ipc, cgroup etc.. (Maybe we can cover this in another episode)

Now you might ask Why Namespaces at all ?

Lets imagine namespaces as a _Box_, where we can put all the related stuff in it.
Now we can use this box to share it with other people.
But we can also keep it private and use it for our own purpose.
You can add some crazy stuffs to the box but the thing is it will not affect content of other boxes.

This helps making the code more orginised & clean.

Smol excerpt on adavantages of namespaces:

- Code Reusability
- Distributed Development

### <a id="code">How to use namespaces in Typescript ?</a>

```typescript
namespace RandomNameSpaceName {}
```

Smol Code Example to show how we can use same variable name, same funcion name in different namespaces.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/9a211072354cf6548776e54be38bc233.js"></script>

The above code allows us to use the same variable and function name without collision.

## But How to access the whatever we have defined in the namespaces ?

To access the functions, variables, classes, interfaces, etc. we have to use the `export` keyword before the function or classname.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/94f56b8a7b54cd5eb21779ada675d644.js"></script>

Let's see a simple & pratical real world application implementation of namespaces in Typescript.

Assume that we have a To-Do application.

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/a96c578ffdb1932d93d6c1f35263247a.js"></script>

In the above code we have declared all the possible interfaces that we might use in the application.

Note that We have 3 levels of namespaces

- TodoApi
- Controllers
- Add/Get

Now let's use the decalared namespaces in the application. (ofc application doesn't work; the code is just for demonstration)

<script src="https://gist.github.com/Prajwalprakash3722/016b07c3a756cb6d382934e9ac99521e.js"></script>

You can understand the code whole lot better, its cleaner, more orginised and easy to maintain.

## At last namespaces are just set of names that are used to identify and refer to objects of various kinds.


Namespaces in Typescript


Idempotent you must have heard of this word somewhere in your software journey, what is it? how does it affect us, how one can build Idempotent Systems?

But instead of giving the definition of `Idempotent` I want you to imagine a situation.

Now, let's imagine a situation where you're broke and hungry, and you decide to order food from Swiggy. You have a bank balance of only 400/-, and you select paneer butter masala and roti,
which costs 350/-. After filling in all the necessary information, you go ahead with the order. However, for some mysterious reason, the order fails.

There could be a few reasons why the order failed:

1. The order request didn't even reach the server due to network interruptions. In this case, the client might be aware of the error and can attempt to retry the order.

2. There was an internal server error (5xx) that prevented the order from being processed. Unfortunately, the client has no way of knowing this error and might mistakenly assume that the order failed.

3. The order was successfully processed, but the response packet got lost in a network interruption. Again, the client has no way of knowing this and may attempt to place the order again.

In this situation, if the error was due to the first reason, refreshing the page can save you from spending another 350/-. However, if it was due to the second or third reason, refreshing the page would lead to duplicate orders and potentially additional charges.

Modern systems often employ automatic retries to improve user experience and increase the chances of successful communication. By designing systems with idempotence in mind, we can remove the impact of failures and provide a more reliable and consistent UX for users.

Systems built with idempotence in mind can recover from failures, retry requests, and maintain data integrity without any inconsistencies.

Now the formal definition Idempotent is a term used in software development to describe an operation or function that can be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application. In other words, performing the operation multiple times should have the same effect as performing it once. (I didn't write the definition lol)

In the domain of HTTP methods, which are widely used in web development, we commonly encounter four main methods: `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, and `DELETE`. These methods can be categorized into idempotent and non-idempotent based on their behavior.
Idempotent methods, such as `GET` and `PUT`, have the property that making multiple identical requests will not lead to different outcomes or modify the server's state. On the other hand, non-idempotent methods, like `POST`, are designed to create new resources making them non-idempotent by nature.

Now let's see a small example of how to build a idempotent API in Spring Boot :)


Building Resillent & Idempotent System using Spring Boot


Ever wondered how does JavaScript sorts the array when you call `Array.sort()` ?

Well It all depends on the runtime engine of the browser.

for example,

- Chrome uses V8 engine, which is a JavaScript engine written in c++. As per their documentation
  [V8](https://v8.dev) is Google’s open source high-performance JavaScript and WebAssembly engine, written in C++. It is used in Chrome and in Node.js, among others. It implements ECMAScript and WebAssembly, and runs on Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12+, and Linux systems that use x64, IA-32, ARM, or MIPS processors. V8 can run standalone, or can be embedded into any C++ application.

- Firefox uses SpiderMonkey engine, which is a JavaScript engine written in C++. As per their documentation
  [SpiderMonkey](https://spidermonkey.dev) is Mozilla’s JavaScript and WebAssembly Engine, used in Firefox, Servo and various other projects. It is written in C++, Rust and JavaScript. You can embed it into C++ and Rust projects, and it can be run as a stand-alone shell.

- Safari uses JSC engine, which is a JavaScript engine written in C++. As per their documentation
  [JSC](https://webkit.org/) WebKit is the web browser engine used by Safari, Mail, App Store, and many other apps on macOS, iOS, and Linux.

- Microsoft Edge uses Chakra engine, which is a JavaScript engine written in C. As per their documentation
  [ChakraCore](https://github.com/chakra-core/ChakraCore) is a JavaScript engine with a C API you can use to add support for JavaScript to any C or C compatible project. It can be compiled for x64 processors on Linux macOS and Windows. And x86 and ARM for Windows only. It is a future goal to support x86 and ARM processors on Linux and ARM on macOS.

We will take the 2 most popular browsers as reference, and compare the performance of `Array.sort()` in each of them.

- ## Google Chrome

  Since v8 engine Chrome has been using TimSort algorithm for sorting the array.

  ![avatar](https://www.openbookproject.net/books/bpp4awd/_static/ch10/timpeters.jpg)

  TimSort developed by <u>Tim Peters</u> in 2002 for [python](https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/main/Objects/listsort.txt).
  While Mergesort usually works in recursive fashion, Timsort works iteratively.

  The Array is divided into Run blocks.
  These runs are sorted using insertion sort one at a time, and they are then combined using the combine function from merge sort.
  The Array is sorted solely using Insertion Sort if its size is smaller than run block.
  Depending on the size of the array, the run's size can range from 32 to 64.

## Algorithm:

1. Divide the array into the number of blocks known as run.
2. Consider the size of run, either 32 or 64 (32 is the default).<br/>
3. Sort the individual elements of every run one by one using insertion sort.
4. Merge the sorted runs one by one using the merge function of merge sort.
5. Double the size of merged sub-arrays after every iteration.

WKT the basic operation of insertion sort is Comparing.

When we merge the sorted lists, we come up with a total n-1
comparison because the last element which is left will need to be copied down in the combined list,
and there will be no comparison.


Analyzing Array.sort() & measuring the performance in JavaScript


So a Little intro to Typescript, It was developed by Microsoft as a opensource project and its now also maintained by Microsoft.

So Basically in a nutshell Typescript is the super set of JavaScript meaning any valid JavaScript code is a valid Type-Script Code.

If you have experience with JS you know that the data type is completely dynamic, to give you a example, I declare `arr` as a const , and try to apply `arr.map()` function, This is a error because `arr` is not a array to map through and we’ll get to know this error during run (JS doesn’t need any compiling we can directly run / interpret it in Browser) time which is more frustrating for a developer

Now, lets come to typescript you have to mention the datatype of `arr` which is a string and if you try to apply `arr.map()` the text editor will scream at you saying that you cannot loop though a string….

TypeScript is strictly better than JavaScript. Some of the advantages are below,

- Static types prevent an entire category of errors. And they prevent the errors before you even save the code to disk. The sooner you detect an error, the cheaper it is to fix in developers point of view.

- It forces you to write clean code, so if you forget your code after a couple months you can just see what you have written and what does this do in just couple minutes..

- If you are building a large Systems, Its Oriented and complex systems is no longer a nightmare.

## Compilation

A main dIffrence between JavaScript and TypeScript is compilation. There is no need to build JS code. In the browser, it is interpreted and executed. TypeScript code, on the other hand, must be converted into standard JS and then compiled. It may seems that you might be wasting time, but you are actually saving time. Compiling the code takes a few extra seconds, but it saves time when you are testing your application.

After everything is said and done, both Typescript and JavaScript have their own set of limitations and features. JS is a dynamic and lightweight coding language designed to improve HTML web pages. It is not, however, a full-fledged scripting language. JS is an interpreted programming language that runs in the context of a web browser.

Typescript is compiled to JS, which can be used in any JS code; as a result, Typescript has more advantages, making it more significant and popular.

## Final Notes:

The community for Typescript is not big as JS

Use TS always whenever you are making a big application with complicated Data and interacting with various Databases

You can get more accurate Auto completions in your text editor as the transpiler knows what data type it is

Start Migrating your codebases to TS, its easy just renaming the file extensions to .ts` Of course, JavaScript code won’t become a strict TypeScript automatically. It still takes some time and effort to convert.But its so much worth it to make it.

Just use Ts, You’ll thank me later xD.


Why I Prefer Type-Script more than JavaScript …?


On March 23rd they declared it as a national Lock-down in India, many people freaked out some of them even left the city which had fed them their entire life, some of them pulled their wrists and helped society.

![LockDown Image](https://miro.medium.com/max/700/0*jBgDKoR0AKa5R-_u)

The academic institutions started to teach in online platforms, Now here lies the problem: how can you expect every student to have a stable internet connection and an electronic device to attend moreover the institutions made online classes mandatory to attend them. (This is a talk for another time)

Now I want to talk about the problems faced by Deaf people

How can a deaf student listen to the online classes where they themselves can’t understand the lectures in offline classes?

Deaf students face many problems in listening in the class because they should pay attention to the lip of the professor to read lip

After all you might think several students wear glasses and need no further assistance same happens with deaf students, But hearing loss is more complicated than that.

### I want to clear up some common misconceptions about the Hearing-Aid

This is really a common mis-understanding that hearing aids are just like Glassses, that they enable the person to attain 100% clear vision.

**NO a Big No!!!**

Hearing aids just amplify the the sound received, doesn’t improve the clarity of the sound.

A person might still struggle to understand others even when wearing the Hearing aids, They struggle more now with the masks on (Covid-19) because the person sees the lip movement and try to hear at the same time.

I will explain why a Deaf Person trys to read the Lip:

Imagine that You are Deaf now, You don’t know how a couple words are pronounced, ex: mississippi (classic permutation problem xD)

I will try to speak mississippi to you with the mask on , The Persons hearing aid catch it as misipi, this seems like a new word to you, You Fail to understand what is this word, But when you try to read the lip and listen to the word you might understand it clearly.

We can understand some of the common words like, appa, uta, college, computer, why ?

Because these are the words which we speak Daily, Basically mind is just like Machine Learning, It constantly learns itself by how this word is pronounced, etc…

Listening is a tough task. Hearing loss makes it extremely difficult to hear some speech sounds. Speech sounds are lost in greater numbers as hearing loss is more. Your brain has to constantly understand what someone is saying when you can’t hear particular words/sounds. To interpret what originally sounds like gibberish into recognizable speech, your brain must mentally fill in the blanks, adding missing speech sounds and guessing at unheard words. This requires a high level of focus on the part of the listener. This level of focus exhausts mental resources quickly, leaving the listener exhausted. When all of their mental energy is focused toward grasping what is being said, there are few resources left to truly retain what is being said. As a result, the person may/may not understand what he or she had been telling.

Also we cannot neglet background noises; Hell , A normal person can’t even hear properly in noisy background.Background noise can amplify the struggle to hear.

Lipreading requires a significant amount of mental effort and concentration. People who are deaf or hard of hearing do not instinctively know how to lipread, which is actually a popular belief. It’s an acquired skill that takes years to perfect. Lipreading may be more challenging for people who lost their hearing later in life compared to those who have been deaf or hard of hearing since childhood. Because of the speaker, lipreading can be difficult or impossible. Lips can be difficult to read if you have facial hair. When a speaker makes exaggerated lip movements or doesn’t move their mouth much when speaking, it can be difficult to read their lips. Many sounds are also made in the back of the throat and are not visible on the lips. Lipreading is only possible for 30–45 percent of voice sounds. via (<https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lip-reading-is-no-simple-task_b_9526300>)

Combine all of the above problems with writing notes, it seems like it is a impossible job.

In India the Sign Language is considered as a Taboo, what the people don’t understand is it is a way of expressing the feelings by a person, The people talk like it is a disgrace to the humanity, which hurts the Feelings.

When I planned to write this, I decided do some research, I was shocked to learn that only around two percent of deaf children in India attend school, further perpetuating a culture of illiteracy and low economic opportunity.

Despite a massive audience in India, closed-captioning on television has lagged. Adult lack of education has delayed efforts to extend these services to the wider population, in addition to the lack of investment in technology.

**I tried to give a small insight to the Problems faced by the Deaf Person**, there are so many other un-parallel problems which cannot by penned down. Now enough about problems, Lets look at some of the People who have tried to overcome the challenges,

- Shruthi

  Shruthi is originally from Shivamogga, Karnataka. She had severe to profound hearing loss in both ears and was fitted with hearing aids. She shifted to Mysore and joined the school run by the Parent’s Association of Deaf children (PADC) after hearing news about the school from her grandfather when she was aged about 2.5 years. Initially, she was trained in her mother tongue Kannada for 3 years in the school. Thereafter she got admitted to 1st standard in a regular mainstream school and studied in Kannada medium till 7th standard and later changed the medium of instruction to English. She excelled in her studies and was able to secure a good rank in CET and got admitted to engineering in SJCE Mysore in Electronics and Communication. She eventually graduated from SJCE (8.98 credit points) and got selected to Wipro in a campus interview. Currently, she is working in Wipro Technologies, Bengaluru as a Senior Software Engineer

- Kavitha

  Kavitha has severe loss in the right ear and profound loss in the left ear. She was fitted with bilateral hearing aids. Kavitha joined a preschool run by the Parent’s Association of Deaf Children, Mysore at the age of three and a half years. She underwent intensive training in the Preschool for 3 years. Subsequently she joined regular school in Mysore. She studied in Kannada medium till 4th Standard and later changed her medium of instruction to English. She completed her SSLC with distinction by scoring 80% marks. Later she joined a Polytechnic and completed her Diploma in Computer Science with distinction. Also she did her BCA through Distance education from Karnataka State Open University, Mysore. During her school and college days she had participated in various competitions and had bagged many prizes. At present she is working in WIPRO, Bangalore as a Software Engineer. She is married and has a one year old daughter. Even with many obstacles Kavitha was able to overcome them and came out with flying colors.

- Mahanth Bagi

  Mahanth hails from Belagavi, Karnataka. He was diagnosed with Severe to Profound hearing loss in both the ears and was fitted with hearing aids when he was 3 years of age. Initially he received pre-school training in his mother tongue Kannada for 3 years. Later he was trained in English. After successfully completing his preschool training he studied in a regular school in Belagavi. He cleared his SSLC and PUC examinations with distinction from a regular school and college. He took up the CET entrance examination conducted by the CET Board of Karnataka and came out successful. At present he is studying in 2nd Year MBBS in Mysore Medical College, Mysore

_there are so many people, I will try to post a collection of 3–5 people in comming articles._

Also a important point that I want to point out is each persons learning experience is different

> “Just because you’ve met one deaf person , doesn’t mean you’ve met any deaf person. You cannot generalize anyone and their experiences.”

Also if you are free read [this](https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/virtual-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-education-f78e31c98f00).

So long….


The Problem which no one Overlooks


Today I went to eat Davanagere Benne Dose, As it had been a long time, I ate Benne. Dose and the weather was appetizing to eat a hot burnt crispy Dose.

I took my Activa and went to my regular Dvg-Benne- Dose, I know the taste of Original Davanagere Benne. Dose is irreplaceable in Bengaluru. But this. Dose’s taste was the closest to the Original Davangere Benne. Dose.

But now, I am not talking about the taste Comparison, It is a Talk for another time.

To give you a small description about the hotel, It is almost 5 ft Wide and is around 25ft long, Basically a small Hotel. It is being run by a couple from North Karnataka. They have 2 children as well.

When I was devouring the scrumptious Benne Dose, I observed that slippers of the owners were placed outside, I asked them why ? This is what they told me,

```
Sir, Naavu ond hattu (10) varsha aytu Bengaluruige bandu,naanu matte nam maneyavaru bandvi,Bandaga naan hattira bari 1000 maatra ittu, naanu yeneno kelsa maadi swlpa duddu save maadi ee hotel na sumaru 5–6 years back open madideve, Ivattu nan makkalu Olle Schoolge hogta idare,nan hatira ond hosa gaadi ide, Idella ide hotelinda agiddu sir, Naavu dina ee hotel ge pooje madtivi, Devasthanakke Chappali hakond ollege hogbardu anta heltare alva, namge ide devasthana,Uta mane, batte yella kottide
```

### Translation

```
Sir, It has been around 10 years, Since we came to Bengaluru.When me and my wife came here I had only 1000 rupees in my hand, I worked some odd jobs and saved enough money to open this hotel back in 5–6 years, Since then my life has been going good, My children are studying in a Good School, I was able to purchase a new vehicle.
It is a proverb saying that We musn’t wear Footwears inside the temple, For us this hotel is the temple, It has given us Food, Home to live, Clothes to wear. We respect the hotel as much as we can..
```

I was awestruck listening, WOW they have somuch respect to a building.

We Indians worship even small thing if we belive enough in them.

It’s so beautiful to observe such small things in our lives.

> God’s supreme word to us is life; our highest worship of Him is love for the living.
> -Anonymous


The Respect !!!


**About the author**

Monika Halan is Consulting Editor with Mint, India's second-largest business daily and a well-known media personality. Monika is the author of the best-selling book Let's Talk Money published by Harper Collins in 2018. She has worked across several media organizations in India and has run many successful TV series around personal finance advice in NDTV, Zee, and Bloomberg.

She is a regular speaker on financial literacy, regulation, inclusion and consumer issues in retail finance.

**My Opinion**:

Do you know why most sports athletes go broke just after few years of retiring ? They almost retire with 250% more than the net worth of a common man. still go broke. The main reason Is Poor Finance Planning!!

They wish to Royally like they used to leave when they were playing, what they forget is they don't have a passive income now!

If you are Someone who almost spends all of the money you have then this book is for you.This book shows how to manage finance, and make money work for you, ie; Passive income..

A famous quote :

> "Don’t let money run your life. Let money help you run your life better."- John Rampton

Our choice of college, company and career are often determined by the amount of money at stake. Throughout our life, whether it's to celebrate our big moments or deal with emergencies, money is a big consideration in the decision-making process.

Yet, we are hardly ever taught about making money work for us. Let's Talk Money is the book that demystifies the world of personal finance and investing for the beginner. This helps us to start viewing the money in those accounts differently.

Now in many homes, they think that investing in Stock MArket is like gambling, but if you have invested analytically and carefully that money can double too, if not that money can be lost too…

Later, the author introduces the concept of the ‘money box’ as the cornerstone for our financial life. These include parking all the money in low interest-earning products such as Fixed deposits, not doing enough due diligence while buying health or life insurance, considering real estate as the best return on investment, seeing equities investment as a short-term quick rich scheme etc...

The things that made this book stand out for me are

Easy narration style helps demystify the different financial products. This can act as a useful guide when you are buying any financial product such as medical cover, life insurance or mutual fund. Provides a structured way to invest according to our goals and ultimately move towards financial independence. This book is a must-read for someone looking to get started on their financial journey.

I recommend reading this book for almost every college student before graduation so that you can get an idea How to manage your finance.

_Kindle Edition: 184 pages_


Let's Talk Money: You've Worked Hard for It, Now Make It Work for You


## Bengaluru Daires 1

Bengaluru Daires is a collection of my beautiful memories, experiences and stories from the city of Bengaluru

ಜೂನ್ 26 ಕ್ಕೆ ಅಂದರೆ ನಾಳೆ , ನಾನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಆರು ತಿಂಗಳು ತುಂಬುತ್ತದೆ , ಮೊದಲನೇ ದಿನ ಕಾಲೇಜುಗೆ ಹೋದ ಪ್ರಸಂಗ ಇನ್ನು ನೆನಪಿದೆ,

ನಾನು Yeshwanthapuraದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆ, ನನ್ನ ಕಾಲೇಜು kengeriಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇತ್ತು.

ಮೊದಲನೇ ದಿನ ಕ್ಯಾಬ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗೋಣವೆಂದು ಮತ್ತೆ ಎರಡನೇ ದಿನದಿಂದ ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗೋಣ ಎಂದು ಸ್ಕೆಚ್ ಹಾಕಿದೆ.
ಮಾರನೇ ದಿನ ಬೆಳೆಗ್ಗೆ 7 ಕ್ಕೆ ಮನೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟು, ಮೆಟ್ರೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆಜೆಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಗೆ ಹೋದೆ, ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಪರ್ಪಲ್ ಲೈನ್ ಚೇಂಜ್ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಮೈಸೂರು ರೋಡ್ ಸ್ಟೇಷನ್ ಗೆ ಹೋದೆ,
ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ನಾನು ಒಂದು ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಬೇಕಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಬಸ್ ಗೆ ಕಾದೆ , ಸುಮಾರು ಒಂದು-ಮೂರೂ ನಿಮಿಷಗಳ ನಂತರ ಬಸ್ ಬಂತು,
ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ ಗೆ "R V ಕಾಲೇಜು ಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ " ಎಂದು ಕೇಳಿದೆ, "ಹೂ " ಅಂದ್ರು . ಸರಿ ಎಂದು ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಿದೆ ಆಕಡೆ ಈಕಡೆ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋದೆ ಅಂದು ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ,
ಬಸ್ ನನ್ನನ್ನು R R ನಗರಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟ ಮೇಲೇನೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಿದ್ದು ನಾನು ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಅಂದು ?.
ನಾನು ಆಯೋ ಎಂದು ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಒಂದು ಆಟೋ ತಗೊಂಡು ಕಾಲೇಜು ಗೆ ಬಂದಾಗ 9:45 ಆಗಿತ್ತು.

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಬಹಳ ವಿಶಾಲ ಊರು, ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವೇ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡ್ರು ಸಾಕು ಎಲ್ಲೊ ಹೋಗಬೇಕಾಗಿದ್ದು ಇನ್ನೆಲ್ಲಿಗೋ ಹೋಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಉದಾಹರಣೆ

ಆಂದು ಬೆಳೆಗ್ಗೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಸಮಯ ಮೀರಿತ್ತು ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಸಹಜವಾಗಿ ಆತುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆ , ಇದೆ ಆತುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆಟ್ರೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆಜೆಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಗೆ ಹೋದೆ
ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನಾನು ಮೈಸೂರು ರೋಡ್ ಗೆ ಹೋಗುವ ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ಹತ್ತು ಹೋಗಿ ಬೈಯಪ್ಪನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ಹತ್ತಿಬಿಟ್ಟಿದೆ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಬೈಯಪ್ಪನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗಲೇ ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಾಗಿದ್ದು ಎಲ್ಲೊ ಬಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಎಂದು. 😂

ಈಗ ನಾನು ಸುಮಾರು ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಶೇಖಡಾ 25% ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಓಡಾಡಿದ್ದನೆ,ಲೆಕ್ಖಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲದಷ್ಟು ಕಡೆ ತಿಂದಿದ್ದೇನೆ , ಆದರು ನನಗೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಗೊತ್ತು ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಬೋದು ಅಷ್ಟೇ.


Bengaluru Daires 1


You must have heard about Image Processing. Well, what is it?

Image-Processing is processing each pixel of data present in the image, Now don’t tell me you haven’t learned the term PIXEl, if you haven’t here it is, then pixel represents the smallest possible element in an image. Several pixels contribute to a complete image.

open-cv (Open Source Computer Library) an open source pre-trained module which was started in 1999 and written in c++, but the recent Algorithms are being written in Python and Java.

Now we are going to learn about the most basic operation in open-cv, which is reading the image.

### Steps:

open a new folder in terminal and initialize virtual environment:

`virtualenv env`

then activate the virtual environment by:

`source env/bin/activate`

install numpy and matplotlib

`pip install numpy`

`pip install matplotlib`

Install OpenCV via pip

`pip install opencv-python`

or install by conda env

`conda install opencv-python`

or if you are a Linux user like me,

`sudo apt install opencv-python`

- Reading an image is basically feeding the image data to the computer, after installing all of the above modules then save a random image in your file.

Then copy the image file path

#### Code Snippet

```python

import cv2 # we are importing the cv2 module from opencv


image_path = '/home/prajwal/OpenCv/image_1.jpeg' #change this path by your image path

image = cv2.imread(image_path) # Reading of image

cv2.imshow('Image-Reading', image) # Image output in new Window

cv2.waitKey(0)

cv2.destroyAllWindows()
```

A window with the image and Title "Image-Reading" will pop out
How easy was that, You can do so much more with the opencv? Follow this space regularly to know them.

Learn more about [Open-Cv](https://opencv.org/)

##### Thank you.


Introduction to Open-Cv


Increase the charge by 150J Dr Mathur Said to the nurse, The heartbeat was still nil.
Finally, it was increased to 250J the heart responded, CPR was done, they gave finally continuous blood support after trying for 16 minutes Geetha’s heart started to beat normally but she went to coma.

Dr Mathur informed Gabriel, He broke down, His world was down, He remembered when he first met her. It was at the Drama Club of the University of Melbourne. She was the only Indian student; It was love at first sight. She was a very shy and quiet person. One day he randomly asked her what she does for fun, after months of working together, trying to get a feel for her. She said she didn’t do anything and mostly hung out in her room. He said I don’t really do anything either, and we should do nothing together.

He wiped off his teary eyes and chuckled “That was a really pure innocent moment”.


The Only Friend……. (Series) Ep-04


Dr Mathur was surprised to find Geetha, He thought, what happened to her since she was very healthy?
The nurse told him she suddenly went to cardiac arrest as her body was too weak to supply blood to all parts.

She was thinking about her baby boy _“On the night of your birth, you summoned a storm. Reclining in a 2 a.m. hospital bed, I cradled you in my arms, feeling the flutter of your heart near mine. Outside, slow, raindrops descended on the small rock garden. The rain fell and fell. Your eyes closed, and you slept. You were my first child; I knew the moment I held your small, tenderfoot somehow you would be my world. But it’s time for me to…"_

Increase the voltage by 150v said Dr Mathur to the nurse….


The Only Friend……. (Series) Ep-03


This baby was the result of their fourth IVF try,
which was their last attempt.
Three unsuccessful rounds of IVF had exhausted the mother-to-be Geetha.
Her husband, Gabriel, was incredibly supportive of her.
The mother dozed off as she was tired as she just gave birth.
They shifted the baby boy to the Care ward.
The father was too excited and started to inform everybody that he had been blessed by a baby boy.
A couple of hours later in the VA SYSTEM _“Dr Mathur calling you to the OT (Operation Theater)”_ was announced.
Dr Mathur rushed to the OT and was surprised to find…


The Only Friend……. (Series) Ep-02


You could hear the baby’s cries all over the hospital as soon as the doctor slapped the baby’s butt,
I saw A man running towards the babies ward smiling;
He was a father now. He was eagerly waiting to hear _“Your baby was delivered successfully”_.
As he thought the doctor told him he had conceived a healthy, beautiful boy.
He kissed his wife and son. His family was now complete.
It was the happiest moment of their life in 10 years of marriage.


The Only Friend……. (Series) Ep-01


**F\*\*\*** this Covid, I thought to myself, having cursed the pandemic countless times. This time wasn’t that much different. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I would have had a blissful college life. After finishing my CIE-3, I was thinking of writing the improvement CIE, I sat in my room looking over my “to-do list” which comprised Experiential Learning-Phase 2, English Essay, and lastly CAED submission. I glanced over the deadlines, the English one was due tomorrow so I started to write it. The deeper I went to writing, the more lost I was.

I kept thinking about this cursed pandemic. Well, I’m not the only person who is facing difficulties. Many people are facing problems, and if we look from the perspective of those people, we would feel lucky for not having those problems.

Have you ever seen a child staring at an empty glass cup imagining that his dad would pick him now and play with him? But unfortunately, as he was a COVID-19 ambulance driver he had worked intensely during the lockdown, but The Covid-19 didn’t leave him too, he was affected by the virus and he died.

![covid_croud](https://miro.medium.com/max/700/0*yLsSgVnuYumLZcrV)

Can you imagine that child’s pain, sorrow, the devastating look in his eyes, the cold hand waiting to be warmed by hugging someone close to him but there is no one, not even his mother, he had lost his mother because of premature birth now the only thing he used to hug was also disappeared.

As cold as this sounds, he might be one of the luckiest ones to be born during this era where people have a shot of living even if they get sick. We have been through a countless number of wars because of some trivial misunderstanding and someone’s ego not being able to take that. As clumsy as this sounds, we are still here at this moment. That’s why my favourite quote is “Yesterday was the past, Tomorrow is the future, But today, My friend is the present! That’s why today is called a gift”

You are still here, you shouldn’t exist. Yet you are, so let me say it clearly without a doubt, you are a miracle.

A wise man once said,

> “Our daily lives we spend like this, might just be a series of miracles.” Our existence is so obvious that we take them for granted. That doesn’t change the fact that we shouldn’t be existing right now… it’d take the faintest miracle to be here.”

While imagining these I was suddenly questioning myself, _Why do I exist?_

Well, I’m still looking for an answer.

Shit! My English essay submission is tomorrow I gotta go bye 👋

Hope Y’all had a pleasant read.


How Lucky Are We……?


_Accepting it and Moving on!!!!_

Whenever I meet a new person, the first thing I used to do was to stare at their lips so that, I could understand what they were saying. Even with the hearing aids even now I look into their lips to understand what they are saying. Many people ask me “you have a costly hearing aid, why you cannot hear everything clearly?” That is like asking a man who has no leg and he has a Golden Walker why is he not walking properly?

Hearing aids are just a medium that connects us to the outer world. They are an integral part of my life; I do not go anywhere without them. I got introduced to this world on July 3rd 2002 and was declared deaf within 5 months.

## How was it discovered that I was deaf?

After I was born, I used to stay with my mother and grandparents. In the room where I used to sleep there used to be a huge Almirah, which made a huge sound every time it was opened. A normal child would cry or get startled right? But, I was sleeping like a sound baby. This was noticed by my mother and she took me to the doctor. The doctor broke the news that I was permanently deaf and I might not be able to speak properly.

My mother was completely shattered, but my father was practical, He took us to Mysuru and showed me in AIISH. Somebody in AIISH informed us that there was a school for us known as PADC. We went there and Smt. Ratna Shetty aunty met us and admitted us to PADC.

Had it not been for the concerns raised by my mother. Not only would hearing loss have possibly gone on longer without being detected, but I would most likely not have had a hearing screening at birth.

Now all of you may have visited traditional schools. Well, _PADC_ (Parents Association of Deaf Child) is not a traditional school, here there were very few teachers, Mothers would become the teachers for the child. This was a school for the deaf child and the parent too… this is a PADC (Parents Association of Deaf Child) speciality. Normally, children start to go to school from the age of 6 but the specially-abled children start to go at the age of 2. The special abled children do not learn only academically in that pre-main-stream school training; they learn about life passively. I learned about life — why and what, after four years of training in this unique school. After the age of 5, I started to go to a mainstream school. I passed SSLC and PUC with fairly good marks owing to the good foundation laid by my parents and the school. Currently, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science Engineering at R V College of Engineering.

## What I would like to say to the other parents

Your child doesn’t need your sympathies, it needs your support and encouragement. Maybe they’ll excel in some other area, Marks is not everything in life. Rather than pressurizing and teaching them about marks. Teach them about values, life and allow them to be more independent one by one. That would be more useful than marks. We crave acceptance from society. Teach them how to approach the challenges of life posed by society due to lack of awareness.

## What I would Like to say to other Students

_“Don’t worry about the negativity in the world. Shut it down or ignore it. Instead, cultivate a better social circle; interact with everyone, don’t fear yourself, be ambitious in life. Ask questions. Don’t be dependent on too many people.”_

I know that maybe I am not qualified to say these things to you. But, If I don’t then who will?

I believe that the world is not only made up of atoms, but it is also made up of stories, each and everyone has a unique and different story, the silent struggle behind the story is what brings us together.


The Silent Struggle


**About the authors**

Author: Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

- Héctor García
  Héctor García is a citizen of Japan, where he has lived for over a decade, and of Spain, where he was born. He is the author of several books about Japanese culture, including two worldwide bestsellers, A Geek in Japan and Ikigai. A former software engineer, he worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan.

- Francesc Miralles
  Francesc Miralles is the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of books about how to live well, together with the novels Love in Small Letters and Wabi-Sabi.

Alongside Héctor García, he was welcomed to Okinawa in Japan, where the inhabitants live for longer than in any other place in the world. There they had the chance to interview more than a hundred villagers about their philosophy for a long and happy life

**My Opinion**:

![circle of life](https://qphs.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-0ca71ee424adc10d38e49ee7bc25aab7-lq)
This is the Basic IKIGAi motive,

The people of Japan believe that everyone has an ikigai – a reason to jump out of bed each morning. And according to the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa – the world’s longest-living people – finding it is the key to a longer and more fulfilled life. Inspiring and comforting, this book will give you the life-changing tools to uncover your personal ikigai. It will show you how to leave urgency behind, find your purpose, nurture friendships and throw yourself into your passions.

They wish to Royally like they used to leave when they were playing, what they forget is they don't have a passive income now!

If ever there was a book to help you step back, slow down and contemplate on the meaning of life, this would be it. The pace is unhurried and that is exactly how you should read the book. Not in a single sitting but over a week or ten days. Savour each chapter, make notes, write things down when they touch a chord. Ikigai helps you understand so many beautiful things in the sheer simplicity in which it's conveyed. In an increasingly cynical world, we all need ikigai.

Please do read the book for INNER-PEACE.

_Kindle Edition: 208 pages_


Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.


**About the authors**

Robert Kiyosaki

Kiyosaki is best known for his book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the #1 New York Times bestseller. Kiyosaki followed with Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant and Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing. He has now had at least a dozen books published. A partial list of his books is included below.

**My Opinion**:

When I started to read this book, I thought The cover page has authors photo, I was judgemental about this book. I think I was right in some way because he makes real estate sound so easy where it is not so easy. So, while this book gives you such excellent advice as “learn from failure”, “make profitable deals”, and “work hard for yourself”, it doesn’t actually give you a system or method to make money.

He started to make counterfeit money with a goal to become rich at the age of 9 indeed we can say that he had a great mindset. But this book tells you that you have to learn financial management. where ASSETS are required and LIABILITIES must be avoided. (repeatedly)

This book is clearly directed towards the people who are not smart enough to realize that they should ‘work hard and not give up’ if they want to succeed, but who are smart enough to be able to figure all the rest of the logistics out by themselves.

It encourages you to invest in real estate, and there if you make a loss it teaches how to be not sad about losing the money instead of taking it as a lesson for future investments. It gives you simple explanations of how money works. It will not give you any trading tips, but it helps you understand the things no one teaches us in the school or at home. The financial insights aid you to take action, and be your boss.

> “The love of money is the root of all evil.” &” The lack of money is the root of all evil”
> -Robert Kiyosaki’s dad

_Kindle Edition: 178 pages_


Rich Dad Poor Dad: Assets and Liability management


**About the authors**

Sudha Murty

Smt.Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggon north Karnataka, she did her B.tech in BVB college of engineering specialized in Electronics and electricals. She got her masters in IISC Bengaluru. now she is the chairperson of the INFOSYS Foundation. She is a prolific, excellent writer. Some of her books consist of, Dollar bahu, Mahashweta, The old man and his god. etc…
Smt. Sudha Murty was the recipient of the R.K.Narayan award for literature and the Padma Shri in 2006 and the attimabbe award by the Government of Karnataka.

**My Opinion**:

Three Thousand Stitches a heartwarming, soothing collection of 11 short inspiring stories of Sudha Murty’s life. time flies when you are reading this book.

Two decades ago when she tried to make changes in the DEVDASIS’S life they threw chappals at her, when she went for the second time they threw tomatoes at her instead of taking this as a strict no she took this incident as an improvement from chappal to tomatoes. then she changes her approach, perseveres, and earns the trust of the Devadasis. Slowly, and surely the changes occur at the grassroots. The women march towards a sense of financial independence by starting a bank and send the children to be educated. That was the mindset Sudha Murty had. Like this, she has shown her various courageous, powerful, inspiring short stories in her book called Three Thousand Stitches.

The highlight of this inspiring story is the straight-from-the-heart storytelling style of Sudha Murty. No attempt at weaving together complex and pretentious sentences. Just simple and effective storytelling! I love this! Must read her other books!

_Kindle Edition: 256 pages_


Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives.


## Why India is obsessed with engineering?

In the world japan is famous producing for its electronics, France is famous for producing baking eatables, Italy is famous for producing wine and cheese, America is famous for producing automobiles, aerospace, etc..

But do you know what INDIA is famous for producing (you guessed right !!) ENGINEERS.

India is a diverse country there are many religions, races, food, languages, dressing styles, BUT there is no diversity in graduates, Every year almost 2.9 million (29 lakhs) engineers are set into the competitive world, in that almost 1.4 million (14 lakhs) peoples remain unemployed. Why?

Yes, India has the highest rate of engineering graduates in the world, In India, almost every house has an average number of 2 engineers per family. Imagine the number of engineers in the whole country !!

when shown globally around 85% of students showed the desire to take up engineering, in that 79% of students were from India.

The reason is the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION when Britishers came to our country they needed some workers to work in their factories in England, the minimum qualification was set to an English speaking person (approx). Therefore so many peoples tried to meet the minimum qualification.

Then in America, the IT revolution happened there American companies started to hire engineers. Indian had only 2 options they can go to Russia or America (IT revolution happened in both countries at the same time) many Indians choose America due to language problems.

The tech giants started to hire Indians because of their talent and also it was cheap and productive for them. Due to the currency variation, many Indians think that they may get a handsome salary if they work in foreign countries. A greater percentage of engineers actually live below-average life in abroad.

IIT’s played a prominent role, they started to educate the students with premium quality education, the students were getting handsome salary after completing the courses in IIT’s now whose parents will not send his/her son to IIT’s, due to this reason AIEEE started which selected the exceptional students to study in IIT’s. What about the remaining students?

India’s problem with substandard engineering education is now widely known. Except for IITs and other prestigious technology institutes, most engineering colleges are unable to provide education to engineering student that would get them suitable jobs. At the root of the problem is mushrooming of low-quality engineering colleges over the years. As students from such colleges fail to get suitable jobs, they face a decline in enrolment. Now a large number of these colleges are being closed down.

![some-statistics](https://qphs.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-bc347f14d2c44a650755be6641a2df44-lq)

Here the financial pressure, social pressure affect the person too much, therefore just to please the society many peoples opt for engineering as their primary educational goal.

Here people don’t appreciate the WHITE COLLOR JOBS who earns much less than others. (sophisticated jobs)

The mad race of JEE has destroyed many peoples lives, Most of the peoples don’t recognize that there is PLAN B PLAN C if PLAN A fails.

In fact, there is a huge community in south India where parents force their children to do engineering and sent abroad, so they could brag about them with others !!


100011

Latest Posts

Invisible Threads

A ZFS tale

Is 'Accessibility' Losing Its Meaning?

How Yoga Changed My Thinking

All Posts

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

In case you care for updates by email.

Catagories