Kaffeeklatsch

Coffee, Gossip and some code.

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Eat Travel Expl0re turned 2 today!

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Bhutan travel - Part Two

What do you want to see in Bhutan?

The whole country of Bhutan is beautiful so it depends on what a person wants to visit and how much time he wants to spend there.

There are plenty of things to do in the Himalayan country:

Mountains - Every place is surrounded by mountains and there's definitely some charm in just sipping chai and watching the Himalayas.

Treks - Where there are mountains, there are treks. I've done the Tiger's Nest trail and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting Paro.

Dzongs - The administrative blocks there are called Dzongs and a must visit.

Monasteries

Festivals - The main religion there is Buddhism and you will see it everywhere

Wildlife and natural animal habitats. Bhutan's national animal is called Takin.

Art and culture - The government promotes the learning the art and crafts of Bhutan so that is prominent by visiting places like National Institute for Zorig Chusum.

Offbeat places like the Library and Clocktower in Thimphu.

And, many more things.

At Thimphu, you ought to visit this cafe called the Ambient cafe: Photo series on Ambient Cafe

Tips:

During times when there aren't festivals, tourists are allowed to visit the courtyards of dzongs and, where feasible, the tshokhang (assembly hall) and one designated lhakhang in each dzong, but only when accompanied by a licensed Bhutanese guide. This provision is subject to certain restrictions, including visiting hours, dress standards and other rules that vary by district.

Most of the tourist places in Bhutan close by 5pm so better to be an early riser when you're travelling here. But, a simple stroll down the streets of Bhutan are pleasant too after 6pm.

IMHO Bhutan is a safe country. I never felt unsafe or threatened.

People are always ready to help or even have a chat. :)

Want to read the part one of this series?

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Bhutan trip - Part One

General links to read up:

https://www.bhutan.travel/page/visaentry-permit

https://www.bhutan.travel/

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/bhutan

Listed below are just some pointers & tips I wish someone told me when I was planning my trip to Bhutan. I have many more in mind and I'll keep adding them here as and when I remember

Ways you can get to Bhutan

By flight:

There's one international airport in Bhutan which is in Paro. One can directly fly there and get into Bhutan. Link here.

More pictures of Paro here

By flight-cab:

The other way is through the border town of Bhutan called Phuntsholing

There are flights from all places in India to Bagdogra in West Bengal.

After which from Bagdogra, you can take a cab from Bagdogra to Phuntsholing which is a 5-6 hours drive depending on the traffic enroute.

By train:

The nearest train station to the Bhutan border is at Hasimara in West Bengal (this is 20 kms from the border town Phuntsholing)

Ways to travel within Bhutan

Intercity travels are best done in a good condition cab.

I say this because while traveling from one city to the other, we observed that our guide was driving at a slow pace. It was raining that day the entire way and we saw three accidents on the road. We were also a few seconds late after a car hit the side of the mountain. It definitely opened our eyes on how careful a driver needs to be on these roads. The driver was then telling us how drivers tend to speed thinking they know the roads but it's very important to go slow in such weather. We were very sure of our choice of local guide after that. It's important to find a good local guide who can take you carefully from one city to the other.

Intracity travels are best done on foot :) Bhutan is a small city with well planned roads, pathways and very strict with their rules. Pedestrians follow the rules (as the fines are very high) and cross the roads only on the zebra crossing.

The guide we went with does complete plans or partial too. Like he'd handle some things like travel and permit related help after which one can go ahead and make their own accommodation bookings. He's quite flexible that way. He arranged for our Paro trek and gave us tips too on when to go and when to get the most of it. I would recommend booking accommodation on your own though as you can verify the ratings/reviews online and then book.

Visa for Bhutan

Indians don't require a visa to enter Bhutan, and are given a seven-day entry-cum-stay permit at the immigration offices upon presentation of a passport or a government-issued ID such as a voter's registration card.

We learnt the hard way what it takes to get a visa in person in Phuntsholing.

Backstory : We arrived on the night before the national holiday in Bhutan so all the shops/offices were closed. We reached on Thursday night and the holiday was on a Friday. And, all administration offices are closed on the weekend. We had to wait for 3 days in the border town of Phuntsholing to get the visa. Just like us many Indians/tourists were stranded in Phuntsholing on those three days.

Coming back to the process, there's an immigration office in Phuntsholing where Indians are allowed without a Bhutan visa. Jaigaon is the neighboring Indian town to Phuntsholing.

There is a form to be filled and along with that two passport photos need to be attached. One will need to clearly specify how long is his visit in Bhutan and attach the hotel booking confirmation slips. If the iternary is provided, it's better.

I hear the visa process can be done online too. So, it's better to get it done and then arrive in Bhutan. I think for doing an online booking, one will need to do it through an agent. I have a contact for a good travel guy who could take care of everything there. Do post your email id in the comment section below, and I'll send you his details.

There were a lot of people who wanted the visa on our day so we were in the office from 630am to 2pm. Go prepared with some water and snacks.

The visa is given for a maximum of 7 days. One can get a visa in Phuntsholing only for Paro and Thimphu. For visiting Punakha or other places further North, one'll need to apply for a different visa and take it at Thimphu. There are plenty of check points which check for your visa. Better to carry it with you all the time. Also, one will need to return the visa before leaving Bhutan. I've been told only if you return the visa print, you'd be eligible to enter Bhutan again. This way they make sure the people entering are leaving else they might take refuge inside Bhutan.

Tips while in Phuntsholing

Indian currency is accepted everywhere in Bhutan.

You can find ATMs in Phuntsholing and other places but you can also go over to India (Jaigoan) and withdraw what money you need to carry.

Tour operators obtain a 'road permit' for the places on your itinerary, and this permit is checked and endorsed by the police at immigration checkpoints strategically located at important road junctions. The tour operator must return the permit to the government at the completion of the tour, and it is scrutinised for major deviations from the authorised program. In general you won't be aware that any of this is going on in the background.

There are immigration checkpoints in Hongtsho (east of Thimphu), Chhukha (between Thimphu and Phuentsholing), Rinchending (above Phuentsholing), Wangdue Phodrang, Chazam (near Trashigang), Wamrong (between Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar) and in Samdrup Jongkhar. All are open from 5am to 9pm daily.

There is a hotel right next to the Immigration office called Hotel Druk in case you need a place to stay in Phuntsholing while applying for the visa.

For those who are wondering what Druk means, it means Thunder Dragon

Cross the roads on the zebra crossing only.

There's a good cafe called Kizom cafe in Phuntsholing which served the best food and I visited it atleast 4 times in the 3 days I was there. Want to see more about Kizom?

Another important tip, if you've agreed to travel with one guide/taxi-guy/organizer, don't change or get swayed by another one because something like this gave us a sore experience.

We got to Phuntsholing the previous night so the next day we could to the immigration office to apply for the visa at 630am and first it all in the first slot.

Other posts:

Ya, I have another in this series too. Never seems like enough place to write about Bhutan :)

Want to see my explorations in Phuntsholing

Places to visit in Phuntsholing

Enchanting Paro

Thimphu - Part One of the photo series

Thimphu - Part Two of the photo series

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Best git command to check the commits made upstream from HEAD

git cherry -v

Link to documentation: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-cherry

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Kaffeeklatsch turned 4 today!

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How to Install Node.js® and NPM on Windows - Treehouse Blog

JavaScript is quickly becoming the go-to language for web developers. Front-end web developers use JavaScript to add user interface enhancements, add interactivity, and talk to back-end web services using AJAX. Web developers who work on the server-side are also flocking...

This should help you install Node.Js on your Windows machines.

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The Ring

Friends, Humans and Countrymen (Earthlings)! Lend me your ears! You're invited to be part of the betrothal ceremony of two. The effulgent, the humorous, and mystique He. The vivacious, the outgoing, and polite She. Meet us in the early hours of the Sunday; The 8th of March; At the palace of name Nandhana. Where our families greet you and adorn you with culture. The clock strikes 10. A lady asks: Is all our company here? Give me thy hand; I give thou mine. We say, Come in thy ethnic best. And, be prepared to make some merry much. Take comfort. Thou shalt not starve beyond noon.

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Free Online QA Automation Tools Tutorial. Framework Development tutorials in Java and C-Sharp language. Online and Corporate Trainings

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Define Carpet Area; Built-Up Area; Super built-up Area

Carpet Area:

Carpet area is the actual usable area of an apartment, office unit, showroom, etc minus wall thickness. Carpet area is the area enclosed within the walls, actual area to lay the carpet. This area does not include the thickness of the inner walls.

Built-up Area:

Built-up area is the carpet area plus the thickness of outer walls and the balcony.

Super built-up area:

Super built-up area is the built up area plus proportionate area of common areas such as the lobby, lifts shaft, stairs, etc. The plinth area along with a share of all common areas proportionately divided amongst all unit owners makes up the super built-up area.

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To-visit list

http://burningman.org/

Leh

Sarotini

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Things to remember while purchasing an apartment.

Verify Builder's Credentials, Periodically Inspect Construction & Ensure Papers Are In Order The Bengaluru real estate market is vibrant, with builders cater ing to all sections of the society with apartments and villas of varying categories -built up area ranging from 650 sqft to 10,000 sqft and price Rs 30 lakh to Rs 10 crore plus. There are nearly 500 residential projects underway in and around Bengaluru adding around 60,000 new units. Once the buyer has decided on the location and budget ­ either through own funds or housing loan -care and caution have to be exercised. For, buying apartments involves many intricate and complex issues.

SELECT THE PROJECT

Verify the credentials and credibility of the builder, the quality of construction, facil ities offered and prices of similar apartments in the area. Keep in mind the zoning clearances, water supply, parking space and litigations display boards, if any .

TITLE CLEARANCE

Once the builder and the project are identified, ensure title clearance of the land -most litigations are on account of title issues resulting in incomplete projects. Pay a token advance to the builder and get the master file consisting of copies of the entire land documents and then independently get the `Title Search Report' (TSR) done. You can also get a detailed encumbrance certificate (EC) from the sub registrar office (SRO).

BUILDING PLAN APPROVAL

The layout plan in general and the building plan of all apartment projects has to be approved by the BDA and not by any pan chayat or CMC even though the project may be coming up on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The ap provals will have A khata only (en tire land and individual flats).

Check if the construction is as per the approved plan as builders tend to violate Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and build extra flats without ap provals. It's prudent to check the copy of the approved plan, A kha ta at the BDA office, as many fab ricated plans are in the market.

LICENCE TO CONSTRUCT

Check whether the builder has obtained proper licence from the BBMPBDA to construct the property . FLOOR PLAN Check the original plan approval with the floor plan approval of the apartment to ensure there are no deviationsviolations.There have been instances where the approved plan shows the apartment on the first floor, whereas it is actually constructed on the second floor as an extra floor -named “mezzanine“ -which is unauthorized.

COMMENCEMENT CERTIFICATE (CC)

Verify if the builder has obtained proper CC from the BBMP .

GOVT CLEARANCES

Obtain copies of clearances from Bescom, BWSSB, the pollution board, and fire service besides approvals for digging bore wells from competent authorities.

LOANS TAKEN BY BUILDER

Find out whether the builder has got any loan.The original documents of the land would be mortgaged to the banks who will have to issue a “letter NOC“ for release of the undivided share of interest (UDS) of the landconstructed area.

Also ensure that such mortgage transactions are registered and reflected in the encumbrance certificate (Form 15). Otherwise, there is a possibility of the builder getting multiple funding from banks which can take possession of the flats.

DON'T MISS!

Periodic visits: Purchaser should visit the project site periodically to ensure that the construction is as per plan, time schedule based on the agreement, and quality fittings & fixtures are used.Completion Certificate: The purchaser should insist and ensure that the builder provides a copy of the CC issued by the BBMP.Occupancy Certificate (OC): The builder has to obtain OC from the BBMP within three months of completion of the project obtainment of completion certificate. Buildings without OC are not entitled to power and water connections.

INDEMNITY OF THE BUILDER

Since the project takes 24 months to 48 months for completion, an “indemnity bond“ and “letter of undertaking and affidavit“ should be taken from the builder confirming that construction will be as per the approved plan and the completion certificate will be obtained within 3 months of the completion of the project.

LAND OWNER TO EXECUTE MOE

If the project is under joint development and the builder has taken a loan, it is desirable that the landlords are made part of the Memorandum of entry , so that they cannot say later that they were not aware of the loan.

LEGAL DOCUMENTATION

Be cautious while executing the agreement with the builder.Read and understand the implications of conditions in the agreements since they are normally in favour of the builder with very little scope for legal recourse. It is prudent to have a legal consultant to vet the documents.

The buyer cannot go wrong if heshe follows the above safeguards, and thus prove the proverb “fools build houses and wise men live in them“, wrong.

DON'T PAY MORE FOR LESS

Flat area: Get the apartment measured to verify the carpet area.Builders sell on the basis of super built up area, which includes balconies, common utilities such as swimming pool, gym and staircases, due to which the carpet area gets reduced drastically.Normally, the difference is around 15-20 %: an apartment with a super built up area of 2,000 sqft generally has a carpet area (actual usable area) of only 1600sqft.

KEEP A RECORD

Master File: Maintain a “master file“ consisting of all documents such as copies of receipts of installments paid, title search report of the projectflat, plan approval copy, agreement of sale and construction, commencement certificate, and the “Occupancy Certificate“.

Courtesy: http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31806&articlexml=BUYERS-BEWARE-Eliminate-risk-while-buying-a-home-24022015004005

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To downgrade your firefox browser.

We need to have the firefox tar ball in the Downloads folder.

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Top 10 Cleanest Cities In India

With all the buzz surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationwide ‘Clean India campaign’, might we suggest travelling to India's cleanest cities? HolidayIQ Travellers share travel tips and things you must do at these spotless destinations. 

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How to take a home loan?

Do you go to a bank or someone else? There are many kinds of loans that banks give which suit various needs of people; namely a home loan, car loan, education loan, or a personal loan.

Let's take the example of a home-loan as that's what most people take at least once in their life.

Which bank?

Find out the leading banks with their rate of interests.

Find out which of these have approved your project.

Read about the history of these banks you think suit your need (this is w.r.t the rate of interest, how to pay back, various schemes they have to offer).

If you are a woman who wants to take up a loan, thing to note is that many banks offer a lesser rate of interest (a difference of maybe .05% which might not be a lot; but nonetheless an option to sometimes consider).

Then, find out if the bank can be approached directly or through an agent. Some banks like SBI is easier when done via an agent.

Documents to keep ready

Pan card (Photocopy; Proof of ID/Picture)

Passport (Photocopy; Proof of Address/DOB)

Tenth/Twelve'th marks card (Photocopy; Proof of DOB)

Company ID card (Photocopy; Proof that you have a job)

Bank statements (At least last 6 months; Shows your spending habits)

Salary statements (At least 6 months if you're a salaried person; Make sure there aren't too many fluctuations in the take-home amounts.) Note: Make sure you move all the money to your take-home cause most banks do not understand the concept of Kitty and Flat allowances.

Passport size photos (At least 3)

Letter of appointment

Hike/Promotion letters (in the past year or more)

Kitty Statement

IT returns/Form 16 (of previous 2 years)

Letter of construction (Original copy; of the project)

Agreement (Original copy; of the project)

If you've already paid some amount to the builder, hand over the original receipts to the bank.

Pay the TDS for all these amounts and hand over those Form 16B's to the bank.

Some banks ask all these or some; so it's better to be prepared with all these. The bank will hold on to your originals till you pay off the entire loan.

Approach the bank

Things you need to ask about:

Rate of interest [p.a]

They have a fixed rate of interest or can it change over time?

Eligibility (50% of the basic pay etc; Different banks have different formulas to calculate your eligibility) : This means how much loan are you eligible to get.

Do they have a MaxGain option with your loan scheme? (Mostly applies to SBI loans).

How is the loan disbursed? The whole amount in one shot or when ever you need the amounts.

How can one repay the Loan? Can you start paying for the whole loan amount or on the amount that's disbursed?

Tenure of the loan. Generally, it's spread over 20 or 30 years when calculated by the bank.

How long will the approval process take?

How long after the approval will the loan dispersal take?

This tool will help to get an idea on how much loan results in how much interest and how much total money is spent by you at the end of the tenure of the loan

EMI calculator

Loan approved. What next?

How much loan amount is the bank giving?

Do they have an online portal for all this information once it's approved where you can check all the amounts and make sure you are paying correctly?

When do you need to formally go and see/sign all the documentation?

Can you pay back the EMIs by cheque/NEFT or how? There are many options? EMI for the whole loan amount or Trenching EMI?

Will you be given a physical cheque the first time?

Do you need to give a UDC (UnDated cheque) for the loan amount as security?

Make sure the first time you go to the bank to sign off and accept the first cheque, take along with you a cheque book, an address proof and ID proof.

You'd may need to write a cheque for the initial interest.

The fun begins now!

Keep a note/watch of how much money has gone to the builder from your side. Take photocopies of everything and keep it organized in folders.

Keep a note/watch of how much money had gone to the bank from your side. Take photocopies of everything and keep it organized in folders.

Make sure everytime an amount gets disbursed from the bank to the builder. Pay the TDS and send the Form 16B to both the bank and the builder.

Make sure everytime an amount is paid to the builder from your side. Pay the TDS and send the Form 16B to both the bank and the builder.

Check the online portal every month. Check for the amounts that needs to be paid to the bank as principal and interest.

Do a NEFT/cheque drop for the same to the bank.

So far.. that's all. Will add more if I remember. Cheers!

[madhurima2627]

Easy step-by-step instructions on installing and configuring Tomcat 7 and using Eclipse to start/stop it and deploy apps to it