Mac shortcut for typing Avagraha symbol

While writing text in Hindi/Sanskrit (Devanagari script), I need a quick way to insert the Avagraha symbol(ऽ). It turns out there is an undocumented shortcut on the Mac Hindi QWERTY keyboard for that and that is _shift + _

On a bus with an asylum seeker

My flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco was overbooked. There was a generous voucher to take for a volunteer who was willing to take the next flight. The next flight was scheduled for the next day in the morning! I wondered why not take a bus through the California hinterlands instead. So, I volunteered. At the bus station’s waiting area, an Indian-looking man walked towards me. Before I could say something, he asked me in Hindi where I was from....

Volcan de concepciĂłn - Ometepe island

Nicaragua in 5 days

Granada Granada is one of the oldest European settlements in the Americas. While it has nice Spanish-era architecture, there isn’t a lot to do in Granada. I would recommend starting your day with a walking tour.

When to commit Generated code to version control

Generated code, ideally, should not be committed to version control. Committing generated code can sometimes speed up testing and code generation but it is a design smell. It is better to cache generated code via CI caching. Committing generated code to version control is the worst as it is hard to even detect the difference. However, there are a few specific circumstances where committing generated code/config/data to version control is worth it....

Aswan Egypt

Why I always buy a local SIM in a foreign country

I reached Aswan, Egypt after an overnight train journey. The city is not exactly tourist-friendly, and I wouldn’t get any signal on my Google FI connection. This has happened before but this was the breaking point. I quickly ran to a nearby store and got a local SIM. The plan was cheaper than my Google FI plan (10 US$/GB).

May 18, 2024 Â· 1 min      Travel

Use Makefile for Android

I use Makefile for Android just like I use Makefile for my non-Android side-projects.

Tlaquepaque

Guadalajara (Mexico) in 4 days

Day 1 - Guadalajara city Start with a walking tour to see the center of the city. Compared to Mexico City, Guadalajara appears safer, cleaner, and more well-maintained. Do check out the largest gold market and the largest covered market in Latin America (“Mercado San Juan de Dios”). Try Tejuino, a drink local to the Mexican states of Jalisco and Chihuahua. And since it is Mexico, do eat corn (elotes) as well....

Android Navigation: Up vs Back

Android has two distinct navigation guidelines as opposed to iOS. Getting them right is nuanced.

Hotels vs Airbnb vs Hostels

One core aspect of traveling is figuring out where to sleep. Barring more exotic options like sleeping in a tent or an RV, most people end up choosing either a hotel, an Airbnb (or VRBO), or a hostel for a stay. Read on to see what I like/dislike about each of these and what’s my favorite.

Currency issues in Argentina

I have traveled to many countries around the world. Some accept credit cards. Some only deal in cash. Some accept US Dollars. Some only accept local currency. Nowhere, however, I have dealt with a system as weird as Argentina. There are myriad exchange rates.