iPhone Resurrected - Rising from the water!!

She was not a phoenix because phoenix rises from the ashes. She was a dolphin !!! She rose from the water :). For people who don't get the context, please read http://prakashvis.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html. (two entries below :))

After what happened on Aug 22, Saravanan was nervous but Venu was crest fallen :). So we decided that we need to look for alternatives - to repair the existing one or get a replacement. We found that the only hope for these kind of unlocked and wet (:)) iPhones, is that upon paying an additional $200, one gets a replacement. So my iPhone went back to the US (with efforts from Saravanan et all). Thanks to Venu for his diligence in getting the replacement after a lot of to and fro and going thru some more hiccups in getting the new one unlocked etc. etc. etc. The new "she" came to India on Sep 24, 2008 and this time Dinesh got it from the same office on Sep 25 evening. I got to lay my hand on her on the same night (no pun meant!! :)).

There were definitely few more hiccups. Saturday, was the day when I explored her fully (no pun meant again - after all you can't remove the case :)). Firstly, I had to move all my contacts from Sim to the iPhone. I din't know that there was an application called SIMport in iPhone itself. Like an a** (something bad meant!!), I was trying to type all the contacts.

Later when I discovered the application, I din't realize I had loaded my friend's SIM and imported all his contacts. Here I was again, deleting all his contacts one by one (not an a** this time, coz, there is no way one can delete all contacts in one go in an iPhone!!).

Next, my iPhone was not getting detected in the iTunes but was detected as a digicam device in the PC. The whole day we googled and eventually found the following procedure from this link http://www.howardforums.com/archive/topic/1363091-1.html.

The procedure which worked for me :)
If the iPhone is not detected in iTunes but gets detected as digital camera in Windiws PC (XP).
1. Search for usbaapl in the C:\WINDOWS system folder. Typically it will be in C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRVSTORE\ folder.

2. Search for the "Apple iPod" device in "Device Manager" from "My Computer->Properties". If the devices is recognized as digicam, then you can find it under "Imaging devices"

3. Right click on the device and say "update driver". This will open the New hardware window. - Check the ‘Install from a list or specific location’ then click ‘Next’ - Check ‘Search for the best driver in these locations’. Un-check - ‘Search removable media’ and check ‘Include this location in the search’.In the text box copy the path obtained in step 1.
The iPhone will now be detected in the iTunes. :) A thousand thanks to the person who posted this. 1001 thanks to rajeev, who kept the energy going the whole day and kept on googling, up/down graded iTunes software etc.Now, I have it and am enjoying my experience with her, showing her off (just take it literally again ;)).

I just realized, how connected a world this is!! Between Aug 22 and September 22, there were three trips that my iPhone made between California and Bangalore. My God!!
Cheers!!

My Thiruvannamalai Trip - Girivalam

I realized my long time dream of going for a Thiruvannamalai Girivalam (Circumambulation of the Annamalai mountain) on Sep 20, 2008. I went with Vikram (V) and Chandrakanth (CD). Off we went directly from office on Sep 19, Friday afternoon. It was a 4 hour journey and we reached Thiruvannamalai by 8 in the evening. We had booked a room in Hotel Arunachala (right in front of the Rajagopuram). We enjoyed the tiffin that night and V bought a dhoti but CD was sceptical for obvious reasons :).

On Sep 20 (Saturday), we started Girivalam from the RajaGopuram at 05:30. The total distance to cover was 14 km and there were 8 lingams (one in each direction) to worship. The first one was the Indhra Lingam (East), which is hardly 50 m from the start. Then comes Agni Lingam (SE), roughly 1.5 km from the start. This is the only Lingam that comes on the right side of the Girivalam path. One needs to go in from the main road a bit to worship this. Yama Lingam (S) is the 3rd, aptly situated in front of burial ground and crematorium, 3 km from the start :). Nruthi Lingam (SW) is the 4th followed by Varuna Lingam (W), 8 km from the Raja Gopuram. Vaayu Lingam (NW) is the 6th. Then comes the most improtant at least for professionals - Kubera Lingam (N); Kubera is the lord of wealth, in case someone doesn't know :). The last in the row is Esanya Lingam (NE) roughly 1 km from the Raja Gopuram. The Girivalam ends once we reach the starting point (from the other side of course :)).

In addition to the lingams, there are other special places/temples on the Girivalam path. Firstly, there are Ramanashram and Seshadri Swamigal Ashram after Agni Lingam. Ner Annamalai Darshan after Nruthi Lingam, is the place from where the hill can be viewed straight. After Varuna Lingam, comes the Manickavachagar (one of the Nayanmars) temple and Adi Arunachala temple - This was the temple of Swayambhu (formed by itself) Arunachala Lingam, a must visit temple. Nandhi Mukha Darshan, after Kubera Lingam is the place from where a hillock appears like Nandhi. Then comes Idukku Pillayar temple - a small crevice kind of structure, where one has to pass through and it is believed that this place is a cure for migraine, aches and black magic. Lastly we have the Pancha mukha Darshan, where the 5 faces of Annamalai is visible. Temples of Rajarajeshwari, Subramanya, Soorya Linga, Vasudeva perumal etc. are also worth seeing.

Grandma Gyan: We met an old lady in a tea shop, who literally scolded me for missing the Adi Arunachala temple and guided us to the same. She also conveyed a great philosophy in the simplest possible way - "The Annamalai (hill) will always appear to be coming along with us from anywhere in the Girivalam path (remember we are making a circle). This actually depicts Lord Arunachala coming along with us throughout!!!". Thanks to the patti :)
We also got to see lot of wanderers (Siddhas??!!) throughout. Believe me, they are not some simple beggars or poor people without home. When I offered a biscuit packet to one such person there, he said that he has eaten for the day and asked me to give the biscuit to someone else who is hungry. These people speak English too :).

Some tips and facts:

1. Thiruvannamalai is the Agni (fire) sthalam of lord Shiva - one of the Pancha bhootha sthalas. Thiruvanaikoil (water), Chidambaram (sky), Kalahasthi (air) and Kanchipuram (earth) are the other four.

2. Girivalam should be done bare footed. So better start early in the morning or late evening.

3. The place is divine - please avoid small talk during the Girivalam.

4. Have lots of change and food materials to distribiute to the people around.

5. It is a great experience. Do it when you have a chance or create a chance if you don't :)

After the Girivalam, we went to the temple and had a great darshan of Annamalai and Unnamulai amman and returned to the hotel by noon. We were back in Bangalore by 8 in the evening.
Hope I get many more chances, create many more rather :)
Cheers!!