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When Americans say spicy, they usually mean chili. For some weird reason, other spices that are more aromatic like Turmeric, cloves, cardamom, etc. do not seem to fit the definitely of “spicy”. That’s why in a typical Indian/Thai restaurant in the US when they ask how spicy, they mean “How much chili should I put … The post Spicy vs Chilli first appeared on ashishb.net.

Writing a blog post in plain text isn’t fun. Neither is writing it in a bulky word processor like Microsoft Word. The former is too constrained, the latter too unbridled.  Writing in Markdown is fun. It has sufficient features without creating bloat. Building a backend in lambda functions has a strong lock-in. On the other … The post Sometimes the middle ground is most empowering first appeared on ashishb.net.

Joshua Tree National Park, about a three-hour drive from the city of Los Angeles, is home to Joshua Trees. If you have a day to spend, I would recommend a hike followed by the viewpoints. We started from the south entrance and went northwards, here’s what we did Lost Oasis Trail – An easy ~7.5 … The post A day at Joshua Tree National Park first appeared on ashishb.net.

Guatemala is a hidden gem in Central America. Just like its English-speaking neighbor Belize, it is a picturesque country worth visiting. Day 1 – Ride to Antigua After landing at the Guatemala International Airport, I took a taxi to Antigua. It’s only an hour away and is much safer than the capital city, Guatemala City. … The post Guatemala in 8 days first appeared on ashishb.net.

गाँव में रहने वाला लड़का घर में “नींबू-पानी” पीता है । शहर में जाता है तो उसको “शिकंजी” बोलने लगता है । फिर फ़ाइव-स्टार होटेल में जाता है, और “लेमोनेड” ऑर्डर करता है । विदेश-यात्रा पर जाता है, तो उसी नींबू-पानी को “व़र्जिन-मोहीतो” कहना सीख जाता है । – कुमार विश्वास The post Virgin Mojito (हिंदी) first appeared on ashishb.net.

I stared at the clothing in the souvenir shop. “Cancún” is written on the cap. “Cancún” is written on the chest. Cancún written on the derrière. In myriad fonts and sizes. I wondered who buys all these souvenirs. I have occasionally purchased souvenir clothing in the past. But it is usually lower quality, overpriced, and … The post Souvenir Clothing first appeared on ashishb.net.

An expensive place full of tourists is considered a popular destination. While an inexpensive place full of tourists will be called a crowded one. An expensive place lacking tourists is termed an exclusive destination. While an inexpensive place lacking tourists is considered deserted. It is never about other tourists, it is always about how much … The post Crowded or Popular? Exclusive or deserted? first appeared on ashishb.net.

A few years back, I wasted time on Duolingo trying to learn Spanish. I no longer do that and you shouldn’t. Here’s why it’s not effective and better alternatives. Language is primarily an oral activity. The written language evolved later, primarily, for bureaucracy and tax collection. Any app that emphasizes the written aspect first is … The post Duolingo is a waste of Time first appeared on ashishb.net.

Indian passport remains weak, as per Henley’s 2021 index, India has visa-free access to only 59 countries and that excludes the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Schengen zone. Before ruminating on that, it is worth asking, why China, which is 5 times richer than India in terms of per capita GDP is not … The post Why Indian Passport remains weak first appeared on ashishb.net.

There are several nightmare stories on the Internet regarding Google’s poor handling of payment issues related to Google Fi service. Most problems arise because people buy a phone along with Google Fi SIM. Don’t do it. Google FI SIMs are free. Just buy a good phone without lock-in separately. The offers you see usually show … The post Don’t buy Google FI SIM with a phone first appeared on ashishb.net.

The northern part of Bengal known as Gorkhaland and Sikkim is the Nepali-speaking region of India. This part is known mostly for its mountainous beauty. If you are flying in, Bagdogra is the closest airport. The airside of this airport is congested, so, I would recommend not to check-in too early. Day 1 – Bagdogra … The post 5 days in Gorkhaland (West Bengal) and Sikkim first appeared on ashishb.net.

A new Indian restaurant had opened within walking distance of where we live. We, actually, discovered it on the day of its inauguration (Muhurta). The owner politely told us to come back the next day. We did. We were fifth in the queue on a long line outside the restaurant. A phone call came in … The post The Terrible Economics of running a Restaurant first appeared on ashishb.net.

There are positive jobs and then there are double-negative jobs. Positive jobs when done well increase the revenue of the company. On the other hand, double-negative jobs when done well, prevent the loss of revenue. Consider HR, lawyer, physical/information security personnel, all are double-negative roles. If they do their job well, you won’t notice any … The post Double-negative jobs first appeared on ashishb.net.

Then Seed/Angel Series-A Series-B Series-C IPO Now Pre-seed Seed – If a seed round is too big, it is called a mango seed. Seed extension Angel Series-A Series-B Series-C … Series-Z Venture round Growth round IPO   Also, why isn’t pre-seed called a pollen round? The post Fundraising rounds then and now first appeared on ashishb.net.

If you are planning your first trip to the Caribbean and you want to decide where to go to then this post is right for you. If you are looking for something very touristy, international, and easy to access then pick between English-speaking Belize and the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic. Both of them have all the … The post Where to go on your first Caribbean trip first appeared on ashishb.net.

Every resource that I came across tries to teach Spanish to English speakers. Those who already know Hindi/Devanagari have certain advantages. Both in terms of producing the correct Spanish pronunciation as well as being able to read/speak the Spanish language. Like Hindi, Spanish is much more phonetic and rule-based than English. Alphabet set Many alphabets … The post Spanish Pronunciations for Hindi speakers first appeared on ashishb.net.

The Dominican Republic is probably the most touristy Spanish-speaking Caribbean island. In my experience, it can be aptly called the tout capital of the Caribbean. We went there in the shadows of COVID-19. The island has pretty good intra-city and inter-city public transport. The local currency DOP, Dominican Peso, is about 1/60th of the US … The post Dominican Republic in 5 days first appeared on ashishb.net.

There are several caves at Lava Beds National Monument of varying levels of challenges. I would recommend starting with a few easy ones first before taking it to a higher level. The caves do get really shallow at times, sometimes, less than a foot in height, so, don’t go in if you get claustrophobic. Gears … The post Cave Exploration at Lava Beds National Monument first appeared on ashishb.net.

Does raising the education levels to lead to wealth? Should we bail out banks? Is an irregular diet better than a regular one? How complex systems differ from complicated ones? The post Book summary: Antifragile by Nassim Nicolas Taleb first appeared on ashishb.net.

I love taking public transport while traveling. One, not only, gets a chance to see the lifestyles of the locals but also becomes more familiar with the new area. So, when can one count on public transport while traveling? Peru and Ecuador had great public transport, both short and long-distance. Dominica had mediocre, Aruba had … The post When can you count on public transport while traveling? first appeared on ashishb.net.