No geek left behind...

Last week, 4th and 5th of May, 2007, was the IAA (Intel Achievement Award) ceremony held at Arizona Biltmore Resorts and Spa, Phoenix. I was nominated by Tom (thanks) as one of 9 from our team who indeed won the award. My ASU friend Chety (Chetan Prasad) was also one of the 261 awardees. It was an honour to be part of this commemoration -- I knew I would be stading beside some of the top minds in the company.



Bharat and I hopped on a US Airways flight to Phoenix. There were a pack of people from Intel and the rest going back home. The flight was full and I had to sit on my luggage. As we landed, I could spot the yellow "A" far away. Sun Devils Stadium was empty. I had my GPS guide me to the resort, which is only a few miles from the airport. The actual resort is a mile away from the gates. As we drove in our SUV, we spotted an estate on sale for $20,000,000. Unless the house was built with $ bills, I can't imagine a house in AZ at that price. We checked into the resort which is completely built on the Aztec architecture. We were immediately greeted w/ cocktails and guided to the Aztec room for a reception.

In the Aztec room, there was a camera crew and we were loaded with gifts just for showing up -- a digital photo frame. Nice. The camera crew were shooting the "multiply your groove" video (the latest Intel Ad) with you dancing. I had to go and shake it a bit. Bharat and Terry chickened out but they'd do it later. I had no idea they were collaging for a short entertainment during the ceremony. Guess what -- I was on the big-screen that evening and Chety had to come around from his table and giggle next to me. After some groovy dancing, I checked into my room which was splendid. Spent some time in the fantastic lobby sipping Whiskey Sour with Bharat, Terry and family. Later, in the evening, all 9 met at a nice Italian restaurant, Tomaso's -- thanks to Bob for organizing this.

Next day, I drove upto Charlie and Chitra's place and met with their newborn son, Arya. Played with him a little bit, met the other Karthik and drove back for the big event. On the way, I made the obligatory stop at ASU bookstore and picked up some memorabilia. Clad in my suit I went to the join the team for the evening. I registered myself at the Grand Ballroom. I found my team mates, each one toting a camera. It was picture festival. I saw everyone out there from Paul to myself :-). After grabbing gin-n-tonic, it was time to socialize. We took pictures with Tom McDonald and Dyane Bryant, the DEG heads. Our group photo was officially taken. We then spotted Paul Otellini chatting with someone and as soon as we got a break, I introduced myself and shook hands with him. He congratualted and thanked. I also met with atleast one of the CPU architects that I had worked with, who infact was dressed up like a magician -- which he is. Chetan came around with his wife and found me. He looked completely different and it took me a moment to place him.

After reception at the lawn, we headed to the Arizona Biltmore Ballroom. The setting was mind-boggling. 4 bigscreens on all corners, dining tables well arranged, camera crew all over the place.. indeed like an academy award ceremony -- only difference is you get to eat while being entertained. Larry Schoop opened the evening with the video of "Mutliply your possibilities" featuring all the people who thought they could dance well, including me. Later Paul gave his speech. The awards were announced by representing managers, Tom McDonald for us. On the big-screens, the big-guys would describe the reason for the award before it was presented. Dinner was served, followed by dessert. Pat Gelsinger (CTO, Intel) came around to speak to each one of us. We had a short conversation. There was this group called Alley Cats who would come and entertain between awards. They were funny.

At the Gold Room was dancing and desserts. The Grand Ballroom was used to showcase "Gallery of Honor" where they had these pillars for each set of people that won the award. We spent the rest of the evening in the Gold Room and the Aztec room spending time dancing for the "Multiply your groove video". I also ended up getting interviewed by our internal correspondent and all of it actually ended up in our intranet news website two days later.

On May 6th, I headed back home very pleased. Anu missed it all and I missed her.

Spanish Guitar and Long Legs

Amar, Sheshu, Anu and I went to see Roni Benise at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts. I should say this theater looks exactly like the Gary Gammage Hall at ASU. This is a different class of concert compared to the ones I have been to, so far and hence this blog.

Benise is very artistic with his Spanish Guitar, his only instrument. I am sure he has spent numerous hours practising classical music, the likes of Andrés Segovia. However, to augment this simplicity, he ostentates with his appearance (unlike other guitar obsessionists), an elaborate stage, outlandish dancers, a very enthusiastic fiddler and multi-talented percussionists. Another Yanni in the making.

Most of the audience was introduced to this concert by KQED. The show was sold out. Most of the audience was over 40 years of age -- thanks to the hip-hop culture. The group, infact, hails from Southern California.

The show was visually and aurally appealing. Amar, for one, was probably dancing salsa and tango in his imagination. All the dancers were "Fine Ones", in his very words and ofcourse professional. They ranged from tap-dancers, salsa, tango and afro-cuban. The stage was a look alike of a spanish courtyard with balconies and gates. Lighting was musical. Benise's performance was mostly on the happy "key" to keep the enthusiasm up all the time. I appreciated his respect for all his team mates, in that he let others present their own piece while he watched with us. The fiddler, a class of her own, performed solo here and there to add a chromatic touch. See, you can't quite tap your foot while someone is playing the Violin and I notice every one just becomes awed by listening to it motionless. Cuban dance was a feast to ones eyes. The afro-cuban drums would get one dancing and clapping involutarily. Benise picked a lucky woman from the audience and pleased her by playing beside her. Good sell job, man. The encore performance was a take-away.

He vows to be here next year. Its a good art-performance to goto, if you missed it this time.

Mutual Funds

Recently, I've been dabbling in investments. I realize its better late than never to understand these instruments before its too late. I am kind of putting this together as notes to myself for future use. I figure Mutual funds are a good place to start if you are thinking of putting money in stocks/equities. However, one needs to understand the characteristics and the risks involved before hand.

I came across the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) website where there is a good guide to investing in mutual funds. I consider this the most simple and straigt-forward information site

SEC Website

Key things to consider before investing in Mutual Funds:

FEES and EXPENSES
Make sure you understand the different fees even if the mutual fund is a no-load fund. Look at the expense ratio. Also, an easy tool is available at:
Mutual Fund expense calculator

Look for break-point in the funds prospectus. The breakpoint value may be inline with your investment goals. It could significantly reduce your expenses. Use: breakpoint calculator

For mutual funds, Taxes have to be paid on the dividends, even if you hold the investment. When you sell the fund, you'll owe Personal Capital Gains Tax and also each year on Fund's Capital Gains (if you recieve a capital gains distribution. Also look at the Fund's after tax return in the "Risk/Return" section.

RISK
Look at the Beta, Rsquare and Standard Deviation to understand the sensitivity of the fund to market. Also look at the funds morning star rating.

The Risk/Return table in the prospectus looks like this:

Glossary of Key Mutual Fund Terms

12b-1 Fees — fees paid by the fund out of fund assets to cover the costs of marketing and selling fund shares and sometimes to cover the costs of providing shareholder services. "Distribution fees" include fees to compensate brokers and others who sell fund shares and to pay for advertising, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to new investors, and the printing and mailing of sales literature. "Shareholder Service Fees" are fees paid to persons to respond to investor inquiries and provide investors with information about their investments.

Account Fee — a fee that some funds separately impose on investors for the maintenance of their accounts. For example, accounts below a specified dollar amount may have to pay an account fee.

Back-end Load — a sales charge (also known as a "deferred sales charge") investors pay when they redeem (or sell) mutual fund shares, generally used by the fund to compensate brokers.

Classes — different types of shares issued by a single fund, often referred to as Class A shares, Class B shares, and so on. Each class invests in the same "pool" (or investment portfolio) of securities and has the same investment objectives and policies. But each class has different shareholder services and/or distribution arrangements with different fees and expenses and therefore different performance results.

Closed-End Fund — a type of investment company that does not continuously offer its shares for sale but instead sells a fixed number of shares at one time (in the initial public offering) which then typically trade on a secondary market, such as the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market. Legally known as a "closed-end company."

Contingent Deferred Sales Load — a type of back-end load, the amount of which depends on the length of time the investor held his or her shares. For example, a contingent deferred sales load might be (X)% if an investor holds his or her shares for one year, (X-1)% after two years, and so on until the load reaches zero and goes away completely.

Conversion — a feature some funds offer that allows investors to automatically change from one class to another (typically with lower annual expenses) after a set period of time. The fund's prospectus or profile will state whether a class ever converts to another class.

Deferred Sales Charge — see "back-end load" (above).

Distribution Fees — fees paid out of fund assets to cover expenses for marketing and selling fund shares, including advertising costs, compensation for brokers and others who sell fund shares, and payments for printing and mailing prospectuses to new investors and sales literature prospective investors. Sometimes referred to as "12b-1 fees."

Exchange Fee — a fee that some funds impose on shareholders if they exchange (transfer) to another fund within the same fund group.

Exchange-Traded Funds — a type of an investment company (either an open-end company or UIT) whose objective is to achieve the same return as a particular market index. ETFs differ from traditional open-end companies and UITs, because, pursuant to SEC exemptive orders, shares issued by ETFs trade on a secondary market and are only redeemable from the fund itself in very large blocks (blocks of 50,000 shares for example).

Expense Ratio — the fund's total annual operating expenses (including management fees, distribution (12b-1) fees, and other expenses) expressed as a percentage of average net assets.

Front-end Load — an upfront sales charge investors pay when they purchase fund shares, generally used by the fund to compensate brokers. A front-end load reduces the amount available to purchase fund shares.

Index Fund — describes a type of mutual fund or Unit Investment Trust (UIT) whose investment objective typically is to achieve the same return as a particular market index, such as the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index, the Russell 2000 Index, or the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index.

Investment Adviser — generally, a person or entity who receives compensation for giving individually tailored advice to a specific person on investing in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Some investment advisers also manage portfolios of securities, including mutual funds.

Investment Company — a company (corporation, business trust, partnership, or limited liability company) that issues securities and is primarily engaged in the business of investing in securities. The three basic types of investment companies are mutual funds, closed-end funds, and unit investment trusts.

Load — see "Sales Charge."

Management Fee — fee paid out of fund assets to the fund's investment adviser or its affiliates for managing the fund's portfolio, any other management fee payable to the fund's investment adviser or its affiliates, and any administrative fee payable to the investment adviser that are not included in the "Other Expenses" category. A fund's management fee appears as a category under "Annual Fund Operating Expenses" in the Fee Table.

Market Index — a measurement of the performance of a specific "basket" of stocks considered to represent a particular market or sector of the U.S. stock market or the economy. For example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is an index of 30 "blue chip" U.S. stocks of industrial companies (excluding transportation and utility companies).

Mutual Fund — the common name for an open-end investment company. Like other types of investment companies, mutual funds pool money from many investors and invest the money in stocks, bonds, short-term money-market instruments, or other securities. Mutual funds issue redeemable shares that investors purchase directly from the fund (or through a broker for the fund) instead of purchasing from investors on a secondary market.

NAV (Net Asset Value) — the value of the fund's assets minus its liabilities. SEC rules require funds to calculate the NAV at least once daily. To calculate the NAV per share, simply subtract the fund's liabilities from its assets and then divide the result by the number of shares outstanding.

No-load Fund — a fund that does not charge any type of sales load. But not every type of shareholder fee is a "sales load," and a no-load fund may charge fees that are not sales loads. No-load funds also charge operating expenses.

Open-End Company — the legal name for a mutual fund. An open-end company is a type of investment company

Operating Expenses — the costs a fund incurs in connection with running the fund, including management fees, distribution (12b-1) fees, and other expenses.

Portfolio — an individual's or entity's combined holdings of stocks, bonds, or other securities and assets.

Profile — summarizes key information about a mutual fund's costs, investment objectives, risks, and performance. Although every mutual fund has a prospectus, not every mutual fund has a profile.

Prospectus — describes the mutual fund to prospective investors. Every mutual fund has a prospectus. The prospectus contains information about the mutual fund's costs, investment objectives, risks, and performance. You can get a prospectus from the mutual fund company (through its website or by phone or mail). Your financial professional or broker can also provide you with a copy.

Purchase Fee — a shareholder fee that some funds charge when investors purchase mutual fund shares. Not the same as (and may be in addition to) a front-end load.

Redemption Fee — a shareholder fee that some funds charge when investors redeem (or sell) mutual fund shares. Redemption fees (which must be paid to the fund) are not the same as (and may be in addition to) a back-end load (which is typically paid to a broker). The SEC generally limits redemption fees to 2%.

Sales Charge (or "Load") — the amount that investors pay when they purchase (front-end load) or redeem (back-end load) shares in a mutual fund, similar to a commission. The SEC's rules do not limit the size of sales load a fund may charge, but NASD rules state that mutual fund sales loads cannot exceed 8.5% and must be even lower depending on other fees and charges assessed.

Shareholder Service Fees — fees paid to persons to respond to investor inquiries and provide investors with information about their investments. See also "12b-1 fees."

Statement of Additional Information (SAI) — conveys information about an open- or closed-end fund that is not necessarily needed by investors to make an informed investment decision, but that some investors find useful. Although funds are not required to provide investors with the SAI, they must give investors the SAI upon request and without charge. Also known as "Part B" of the fund's registration statement.

Total Annual Fund Operating Expense — the total of a fund's annual fund operating expenses, expressed as a percentage of the fund's average net assets. You'll find the total in the fund's fee table in the prospectus.

Unit Investment Trust (UIT) — a type of investment company that typically makes a one-time "public offering" of only a specific, fixed number of units. A UIT will terminate and dissolve on a date established when the UIT is created (although some may terminate more than fifty years after they are created). UITs do not actively trade their investment portfolios.

Bangkok - SuvarnaBhumi

Lonely Planet (LP) posts a very different picture of Bangkok. Atleast, in my mind. Its not exactly a place with orange clad monks walking around, espousing Buddhism. Its a little ahead in time comparing Bangalore. Practically speaking, it gives a head start before one delves into populous Bangalore's exponential growth.

For a nation that has moved back and forth from military rule to democracy, it has made good strides in planning and infrastructure. Roadways are well planned if not immaculate. I read its the most visited place in southeast asia. And, that directly translates to a lot of revenue through tourism -- I did spot a very posh building labeled "Ministry of Tourism". The King (Bhumibol a.k.a Rama ix) is worshiped everywhere -- one can spot huge cutouts of his and the Queen all over (Remember "King and I"?). Buddishts are about 95% of the population. Wats (temples) are everywhere, like you'd find temples all around Des. And, so are traditional thai massage shops. You'll realize Bang-aluru is becoming quite like Bang-kok.

Our experiences were a commonplace, but worth remembering. As I mentioned earlier, its no Shangri La. When we stepped out of the airplane, we were almost lost. I stopped by to ask a lady, "Do you work here? Where's the left baggage counter?". She said something to the other lady standing by us and they both started crackling and giggling. OK, I expected folded hands and some "Swasadee"s. Quite rudely, I was first asked to go and get a visa. We got our visas quickly and left our heavy baggages. Our first 'topi' was planted by a 'Meter Taxi' guy. No meter and 300B (which was, strangely, the price that all the officials inside the airport mentioned to me). Only while returing back to the airport, I realized its 150 with the meter on. On our way to the 4 star hotel (Amari Atrium), all the exoticness from my mind was slowly getting replaced by a concrete jungle, heavy traffic, and not to mention-pollution.

You'll get respect for the BB (or, rather, $$) you pay. We were showered with welcomes at our exotic hotel. Ofcourse, you pay in $$ for everything including water. On the left is what you see from the 20th floor.

Everyone, from Meter-taxi drivers to the Concierge, talks only about 'Shopping' -- as if thats the only word they know in English -- infact, thats true. Bangkok is _the_ shopping stop in SE asia. So, we first embarked on it. We went to Siam Square to a mall called MBK shopping center. It should remind you of Garuda mall in Bangalore. Seven stories tall and you can atleast squeeze about 50 thousand people from it [below, right]. While bargaining is considered a low-class attitude towards spending, in Bangalore's prime commercial malls, its a fundamental right in Bangkok. Generally, prices quoted are double the actual. In our jetlagged daze, we bought a lot of stuff. How does this sound: People from India travel to Bangkok for Rs.8000/- (versus Rs.12000 to Delhi on a local flight from Bangalore) to do shopping. Copernicus and Thomas Freidman were/are right: the World is flat!

I love Thai food. Thai Thai food is differnt than American Thai food. The latter is better in my opinion. The smell (stench, for me and the kin) of sea food in every single restaurant overrides the taste of any other type of food. We took LP's advice on a vegetarian thai restaurant and regretted it: First it was not easily locatable, secondly, it was a rustic uncomfortable place. Even Burgers tasted quite awkward.

We then wanted to do some sightseeing. We did Meter-taxi hopping which works out to be a great deal. Grand palace has some beatiful architecture and it radiates royalty. They also have an ancient model (very detailed) of Angkor Wat (original in Cambodia). Suvarna - is abundant. It took about 2 full hours to tour the palace. Emerald Buddha, actually made of Jade, is one of the attactions. By the palace is Thailand's biggest temple, called Wat Pho. The temple houses several Buddha idols, huge ones, and it houses the school of traditional thai massage which opens at 8am and runs till 4:30. Of all the Buddhas, the reclining Buddha is the most magnificient one [bottom, right]. We wanted to goto another temple called "Wat Arun". But, we soon got habituated to seeing temples and it was almost "shopping time", again. So, we header back to Siam square and did the remainder of our shopping list -- as if the we hadn't finished it already.

On our last day, before the flight, I wanted to get a traditional thai massage. So, we took the help of our Concierge and found a spa like parlour close by. I've only heard about it but to get a one is peine forte et dure. . The masseuse literally walked over me. She first found some muscles on my shoulder that I never knew. Then she twisted my leg so hard, I forgot which was right versus left. The she beat on my head so hard that I could have become a tad shorter. To top it, she was laughing over my plight. "You're big and strong, why painful face?", she said. My body was a bit sore after I left. Anu safely resisted this dismantling process and settled for a foot-massage. I think your mind feels very good after subjecting your body to such hardships -- I felt extremely relaxed. Don't mistake it for a happy ending ;-)


I say, it was a good two day vacation in Bangkok. This is as much Suvarna as you can see in Bangkok [bottom]