In retrospect

Cliched it shall be, but its difficult to let this year go by without savouring a chosen few moments gone by. After all, this was the year when more things happened than in any other year of my life; maybe.

There were were some happy moments. Placements had almost got over by January and thankfully most of my wingmates were placed. So the first quarter of the year was spent in treats, more so because it was our final semester at IIT and for many in Chennai too, but most importantly because it was the last few months with friends who were as integral a part of my life as my family before I came to IIT-M. Saarang was also a good time, especially with no classes (not that there were much in the final semester anyway). Then there was Holi and like every year, we tore each other's clothes.

I got an MS admit and an RAship too within a few days and this was one of the biggest events of my life since I got through JEE. Surprisingly, I wasn't that elated even though studying abroad was one of my childhood dreams. My first flight was no letdown nor were the first few days in US. A new country, new culture, new people and a completely independent life were nothing short of a thrill to my dreamy mind.

However, the enormous change that this year has witnessed, it also left behind some ugly scars. Leaving IIT was one of the most difficult events in my life. I was one of the last one's to leave (fact that my girlfriend was interning in Chennai might have had something to do with it) and to see the hostel become empty like a deserted banquet hall after a party did bring a lump to my throat more than once.

My cousin got married and it was a happy occasion for our family but I wasn't there. Ocaasions like these when all family members come together are rare and I hate to miss those.

The aggravating economy had many victims and some of my friends were also among those. Then the numerous bombings and attacks all over India also scared me to my wits. I did not lose any friend or relative, but the banality of such attacks does paint an eerie picture.

With a lot to look forward to in the coming year, I am ready to move on, carrying these memories with me to relish them once in a while.
Photos: Sunrise at Besant Nagar beach, cricket with wingmates and Holi.

cricket

2003 world cup was the last time I enjoyed cricket. Back then I was as devout a fan as any other Indian. My 12th board exams were on, but I wouldn't have missed a match for the world!

But it was back then, long long ago. Somehow all my enthusiasm for the sport has just fizzled out during my college years. Match fixing, the long hours for a single match; I myself don't know what exactly was the catalyst, but the sport doesn't interest me anymore.

This is precisely why I was amused when I had a lump in my throat on hearing about Kumble's retirement. I have my heroes, and they were never dictated by the player's performance, records, style, or any other logical parameter. Dravid, Kumble, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Agarkar and Srinath are the only players I adore and it took just one match in each case to develop a liking for each of them. Jadeja too was once part of this list.

I rejoiced at their successes and my subconcious mind always found a plausible and forgivable reason for their failure. The 300+ partnership between Ganguly and Dravid is still one of my most enjoyable moments related to cricket. I had watched that match with "all" my cousins during my uncle's marriage.

Cricket was the perfect bond for most students back at school and many a lunch break was spent discussing a previous day match. Though soccer was my forte, I preferred playing cricket simply because most of my friends did.

With just two of them remaining it may not be long before I completely forget such a game existed.

Interesting

You know continuum mechanics is getting into your head when names of a couple like Mohan Pandey & Rajni Mohan conjure up visions of tensorial notation Aij Bki!

Life in a new country is like beginning a new one altogether. Almost every experience seems a novelty. So many interesting things to tell but sadly so less time.

Worth mentioning are the thanksgiving celebrations with an American Family. UN International Festival, the trips downtown, first snowfall etc. But more on these later.

I got my first camera yesterday and here are some pictures of my desk, and a view from the window of my lab.

My weekend

was awesome!
Saturday was spent in volunteering for AID at the the Columbus International Festival. It was a fun event with food and dance from various assorted countries. Check out the pics below

After the event, later that night at home we made palak paneer and a carrot cake :) . What more can a grad student as for!

The abundance of foliage in red, yellow and orange simply catches one's breath away. Having enjoyed the fall season for its beauty I am equally eager for the winter if not for anything else then just for the novelty of snow! However with the weather getting colder, its becoming tough to go out. I would have liked to enjoy more of the beauty the fall at Columbus had to offer.

Diwali in America

I wouldn't have known it was Diwali but for the few calls from friends and relatives. We woke up as usual, had our diurnal dose of corn flakes and I went to lab. Had a lot of work that day, so came back later than usual. By The time I reached home at about 9 o'clock, Gera, my roommate was already there.
Tired, we had no enthusiasm to cook anything special either. I don't even remember what we had!

Later at night we were reminiscing about last year Diwali at IIT, and the year before when Gera suddenly started, "Abe this doesn't feel like Diwali. Lets do something"!

After half an hour of brainstorming on "how to have fun on Diwali," we finally agreed on making rasmalai. As with all excited-new-grad-students-away-from-home, we had an improvised recipe inspired by half a dozen websites (including a 6 min long video on youtube! ) within ten minutes, and it took another ten to execute the concoction. Gera was universally chosen to be the guinea pig in case it turned out lethal.

It turned out to be awesome! :)

PS: A belated happy Diwali everyone. Hope you had fun.

Grad life ver1.0

I'm broke. Well not exactly as I still have $3.73 in my account and $0.99 in cash, but thats the standard answer I have for anything that requires an investment of more than 25 cents.
And I am particularly not happy about my current state of finances because I can't go to watch this.
I read Great Expectations when I was in 11th std as part of my English course. And it had a great influence on me. The brilliance of the book lies in ease with which teens of that age relate to the book. I must have read it at least ten times, and every time I discovered something new which I had missed earlier!
Coming back to my present state of affairs, graduate life is sad, especially till you get your first paycheck. Though there have been fun moments too! Classes started on 24th, and the whole of the week is celebrated as "Welcome Week."
Now put 52000(approx) students in a university(which is the largest in US currently!) and celebration takes on a whole new meaning. It was one week of free food, free t-shirts, free time, music, DJ, dance. Add a brilliant weather and it feels like paradise.
Well that day I was talking to my mom and my sis and happened to mention oval which is sort of the center of all happenings around here. For some reason they both end up searching flickr for oval and end up with this result! I'm sure that if I didn't have a girlfriend already I'd have had a tough time explaining what I've been enjoying out here :P

Kindergarten

Go on, have your laugh. But lets see how many can recognize me in this kindergarten pic.
I wish I remembered more of my kindergarten days. However there are a few things that do stand out in my memory.

I spent the first three years at "Arya Wonderland". It had one big swing, and I never got a place in it. The bullies used to scare me away.

I had a friend, Sasmita (third from right, bottom row) , in KG-I. We used to share our tiffin boxes. I sincerely wish I could remember more about her and our friendship back then. I completely lost contact with her after joining Std 1 in a boy's school. I met her once on a train journey after 1st sem at IIT, but I couldn't see any trace of my old friend in her.
Somehow, we tend to keep with us the old image of friends we haven't met in a long time. The heart finds it difficult to acknowledge the change a person might have undergone just as we ourselves have changed. Thats why people find it shocking when they hear so and so is smoking now, or so and so has a girlfriend.

I was the shortest in my class (till std 7!) and used to stand at the front of the queue during morning assembly. Few realize that this was one of the primary reasons I couldn't indulge in any mischief in my younger days and not because I was shy!

I was placed 1st in a frog race when I was in KG-I. I don't remember winning a "1st" prize ever again!

Our house had a huge open space adjoining it back then. Half the colony came to play there. My friends ranged from college guys to prep girls. Games we played were just as varied; cricket, footer, lock-and-key, kabbaddi, cooking, making-houses-with-twigs-and-leaves, kite flying and catch-catch. I was horrible at kite flying. That blasted thing never went higher than my head :(

My dad had a Rajdoot (still has! ) back then. I used to envy kids who had scooters. My sole dream for some time back then was to ride a scooter in that space between the driver and the handle where one stands on the footrest. I finally realized my dreams in KG-II :)

I studied three years, nursery, KG-I, KG-II at the same school and it'd be another 3 years before I realize that KG meant kindergarten after I complained to my parents why wasn't I sent to a kindergarten school like everybody else!

Beta kuchh khate kyun nahin?

Discovery is the channel to look out for. If nothing else it'll save me the sighs every time I hear "beta kuchh khate kyun nahin?"
Some scientists have concluded that people can be fat without eating too much or thin in spite of eating normally. Its got something to do with metabolism rate, fat storage, etc etc.... you get the picture. Anyway, no point explaining all this to you now. I am a changed person now. Even I have started eating, hogging on every specimen that mankind is known to digest. As someone rightly said, "If you believe in something with all your heart, the whole world conspires to prove you wrong."

Don't believe it? Well, then read on.

I hear it from my mom almost on an hourly basis. Protest, mild consternation followed by flattery does the trick of calming her vehement protests about my eating habits.

Old aunts invariably start their conversations wondering aloud whether food was a scarcity in Madras, and how on earth am I supposed to find a girl and marry with a figure like that (most of them don't yet know that half the job is already done :P ). In such cases, I just let out a sigh, raise my hands upwards transferring all the blame to the almighty above. Never argue with old aunts, experience speaking.

Then there is dad who starts the topic by saying how he used to be when he was my age. Now I can't remember the last time when dad saw eye to eye with me or vice versa. Now, I have observed that there is a certain age beyond which it feels as if dads say the opposite thing just to contradict you and the feeling is mutual. The chance of winning an argument against your dad is always very alluring, so I try to expalain my views on the subject. Ultimately mom becomes the peacemaker and the debate whether I eat enough comes to an end without any conclusion.

At least one gets to open his mouth and argue with dad. Not so with girlfriend. She goes on and on about what i should eat, how I should eat, when I should eat ad infinitum. By the time I try to get a word or two edgeways she has moved on to another topic (Why doesn't a beautician open her parlour on weekdays in the campus?).

However the most embarrasing one has to be the chat wala incident last night. I had had a big, really big lunch and so was not in a mood to eat any more after having two sweets. But this friend of mine gets two plates of alu tikki chat and I had a tough time finishing it. You'll sympathize with me if I tell you that a dinner awaited me at home five minutes later, and try telling mom that you can't finish your dinner because you have had aloo tikki chat from a thela.

Eventually I had to call the friend for help. The glutton that he is, he had finished his plate by the time I was taking my second spoon! Now the chat wala saw this. "Can't finish it son?" he asked. "Well no wonder, you look like that. Beta kuchh khate kyun nahi?"

Of boys and boys who became girls

In std 3 the teachers had this weird idea of a couple dance for our annual day. You can't call it Salsa, or Tango or anything for that matter. It was like one of those Bollywood numbers, the sort of dance where a girl holds a bloke's hand, and they jump together, sway, spin.... I hope you get the picture. Now, our school being a boys school, you can imagine how inappropriate a boy-boy couple would have looked dancing.

Relationship with Carmel school, the girls school with whom we shared a boundary wall was not friendly. Maybe the kindergarten-kids-of-Saint-Paul's-throw-stones-at-Carmel-injure-girl incident may have something to do with it. Maybe they were plain jealous of our new auditorium. There is also the offhand chance that it might have been triggered by the way we guys from Saint Paul's gape at them during parade, as if the girls materialized from thin air and we aren't quite sure what to do with that. I must mention here that students of std 6 gape with the widest open eyes followed by the 7, 8, 9 and 10.
The gist of all these babble here is that girls from Carmel could not be bribed into partnering us in the dance.

Ingenuity coupled with need led to an interesting solution. Dress up half the boys in frocks. At that tender age there are hardly any visible physical differences between the two sexes, I mean nothing that a touch of rougue and a bar of lipstick can't fix :P

There were some ready volunteers who probably thought they would get chocolates if they became "girls." Then there were some who were enticed into it by a few flattering words of the teachers. Then there were some like me who were just told to become a girl. I am still cloudy as to why I thought protest was not an option! Looking back at it now from so far away in time makes it an amusing incident but I remember how terrified I was initially.

Because of my height, I was the first in line, and the teachers who used to train us would say how cute I was and that embarrassed me to no end. Anyway, there I was leading the group wearing my sister's frock on the annual day. I don't remember who my partner was, but I recall that it was hugely popular among the crowds. The people loved the show happily clicking away the beautiful "girls" with lipstick, rouge, hairbands, colourful frocks, the works!

The makeup was so good that even I couldn't recognize one of my classmates for quite some time.

Beauty in Rourkela

Having spent the first 17 years of my life at this small town followed by 4 years in Chennai interspersed with a few months of Bangalore in between, I can now say with conviction that I love to be in Rourkela more than anywhere else. What appeals most to me is its simplicity.

There are few people, just one main road encircling the town, two prominent markets, good schools, one NIT, and one big hospital. Ideal for an idyllic life.

You never worry which road to take to avoid traffic.

Don't have to worry about where the season sales offers include 2 free with every 3 purchases, and whether 33.33% discount is better than that. Just two markets, so you go to whichever is closer to you.

You don't have to spend an entire day to keep up with your 9 to 5 job! My school used to start at 10. Starting from home at 9:50 used to give me two minutes leeway which i spent fruitfully playing hand-cricket before the assembly began.



Apart from its simplicity, I adore the beauty of this small town. The ring road especially looks charming with its tree lined wide roads.

Lack of good quality restaurants are made up the myriad fast food joints. My favourites are the tangy papri-chat at NAC market and the ghoogni-chat at Gundicha Mandir. Also worth mentioning are the dosas here which are way better than anywhere else, and that includes Bangalore and Chennai.

of boys and girls

One thing I haven't been able to decide conclusively is whether it would have been better studying at a co-educational school. Having studied at a boys school for the first twelve years of my life, and then IIT, my judgment is bound to be biased.

My opinion is that in a boys school one grows up with a very inaccurate and narrow perception of the other sex. Girls were considered a curiosity and to be able to talk to them a big achievement. Till Std 10 i don't remember any girl or anything related to them ever mentioned among us, and by "us" I mean my group of friends including me.

Friends who have studied at co-educational schools narrate how they had fights among the two sexes. I recall a particularly funny incident narrated by my mom who is a teacher. The story concerns students of Std 9.

Scene: The Classroom
There is some minor disagreement between Boy1 and Girl1

Girl1: Tujhe AIDS ho jaye!

Boy1(flummoxed): Kya boli? (To his friends)Suna tum logon ne isne muhje kya bola!

Many dissenting voices heard in the background as boys protest.

Girl2(coming to the rescue of her friend): Tum saare ladkon ko AIDS ho jaye!

Uproar.
The boys go to the teacher's common room en block and complain against the girls. I don't know how the issue was resolved and in in whose favour the decision was awarded, but my mom said that all the teachers had a good laugh about it.

Now I have no idea whether all co-ed schools have such colourful existence, but if they do I certainly would have preferred that to a boys school. The only incident in my school that bears any semblance to the above is when I was in Std 11 and Std 3 students started throwing water at us through the window. We were defeated, but in my defense I have to say that we were severely handicapped by the fact that they had water bottles and as a mark of "adulthood" hardly anyone in our class used to carry those.

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle

People have many a times expressed surprise over my certainty of marrying the girl I am in love with currently. "How can you be so sure that you'll still be in love with her five years down the line?"
Well, after some frantic flow of ions through the grey matter I have concluded that it all boils down to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle!
The confusion and indecision that pervade all other decisions of my life amply make up for the certainty of this one thing. At least, I hope so.

Splashing Waves

Today’s evening at Elliot’s beach was about:
Sweet corn,
Rustling wind,
Gurgling waters,
Punjabi kulfi,
Punjabi kudi,
Wet trousers,
Starry night,
Slippery slippers,
McD Burger,
Coke

and now back to BTP!

Happiness lies in the journey and not the destination.

Why do we bother so much about results then?

Maybe thats the question that decides our state of "happiness."