Cloud

Sometimes life can be a mess. I have a lot of things which are to be done. I am stuck in a cloud.

Figure Caption: How we would like to do science (left) and how it actually works (right). Here, A represents what we currently know and B represents what we would like to know. Our desire is to move from A to B in as direct a line as possible. However, we usually get stuck as we are approaching B, things don't work out, and we keep taking detours and going in circles. Uri Alon calls this state "the cloud." Eventually, we give up on reaching B and instead head for C, a new insight that we found while wandering in the cloud. Usually, C represents the solution to a problem we weren't even aware of when we started. After U. Alon [1].

[1] U. Alon (2009) How To Choose a Good Scientific Problem. Mol. Cell 35:726-728.

Personal life is not going great too. But all that will be thing of past soon I will start over. I hope. I will.

There is so much left unfound!

Here is a beautiful song I recently discovered. I have been playing it on repeat since past few days

Somewhere in this lonely world

There is a place where I belong

And I have seen its fields and streams

They've been revealed in my dreams

But you see I cannot settle down

There's just too much left unfound

And I keep drifting like a cloud

On the wind, on the wind

Relationships (un)explored

Each day in our lives we come across a lot of people. We like them or we don't but we form connections with each and every one of them. (Let me take small pit-break here and announce that instead of forcing my experiences/opinions on 'we' I will start addressing to us as I. I still believe that it is applicable to many, if not most, of us). Moving on, the feeling of likeness is based on  how much I can associate or identify myself with others. The basic instinct of humans is to like over dislike and love over hate. If you don't know someone it is easier to love them than hate them. To hate someone it is essential to know them. But to love it is not. Hence, I argue, love is more pervasive than hate. Someone long ago said to me: 'familiarity breeds contempt'. I was a bit pissed off after hearing this because this someone was someone with potential of being someone more familiar and special. Now, older and wiser, I cannot help but wonder how true this is.

Out of all those connections I wonder whether some could have been (or could be) more meaningful than others. But more often these connections are left unexplored (for good reasons, I suppose)
Sometimes it is simply plain old fear of rejection. Sometimes I just wonder if I am being 'greedy' in wanting more out of relationship and then go on to impose selflessness in my ways. Sometimes, in cases where applicable, it is the fear of falling into the abyss. Other times I happily embrace the nomad inside me and let it guide me through unattached living. Or I just get too lazy to make iota of effort. Whatever the reason, there are a many connections in the world that are being explored and many others being unexplored.

I think it would be apt to end this post with following lines from a famous ghazals. Ghazals are so beautiful, they just get me every time. This is so true in the modern ultra-fast paced society.

"Har taraf har jagah beshumaar aadmi,
fir bhi tanhaiyon ka shikar aadmi"

Food for thought

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and  things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”  – Mark Twain

"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It's deadly" -- Someone

When I cannot travel (more often than not) I host travelers at my place as vicarious way of traveling. Most of them are strangers whom I meet for the first time. I know it feels strange. But you will be surprised how many times you can connect with these people and wonder how similar we are. I was hosting yesterday someone with two cute cats. Ozwin and Shalimar. Cats are SOME animal. Each of them have character very unique to them. I don't know what I like about cats but I like their company. Perhaps there sneaky-ness. Or that they are cuddly. Or because they are diminutive of the big cats. Anyway, apart form cats they are all fun people I have met.

How dogs from California are saving the world

Here is a story that will restore your faith (in case you lost it owing to the sad news all over the media) in humanity and goodness of people. This is for the people who have started believing that Kalyug is upon us and we are destined to Apocalypse.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33463191

Grand canyon

This past weekend I discovered the beauty of Grand Canyon. I thin kit is one of the most beautiful places in the world. As cliche as it may sound, it is true. It is beyond description and with vocabulary like mine it is even more difficult. So i will not try. You have to see for yourself. I left a piece of myself there. I think I will return there to get it back. :)
I was travelling in a big group of 11. Big group I know. But it worked out fine in the end. We flew to Vegas airport and drove to what is called South Rim of the canyon. After a two day camping and hiking drove to North Rim. One day stay here and then left back to Vegas to Minneapolis. And back to work