Hard way

Some times I like to do it the hard way. There is no reason for it. Is it okay to do it sometimes? I dont know. It really pushes you to the brink sometimes to the limits of frustrations. But somehow it seems ok when you wind up everything and what they call connect-the-dots.

Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali to all of you. Hope you guys are celebrating this day live-on not video-conf.
Ate a lot of cookies in the department seminar today in the name of Diwali sweets. But to my good I have befriended a very nice guy who knows to cook all kinds of sweets on his own. So I got one full sweet box tonight. I am obliged to him for innumerable times he has offered pineapple halwa, sweets, cakes.

You can get ankle sprain while jogging, running, playing and so on. Did someone ever get ankle sprain while studying? I did yesterday when I was studying for exam and having an apple for breakfast. The trash can was some stairs up and with the book in one hand and apple core in another fell down the stairs somewhat. Slight ankle sprain. Not much

exam

How does it feel when you fall behind in schedule. It feels like not to make scheduled task ever. Whatever. I need heads out of computer and heads-in on books. So much to plan. So little to turn out. How could I change!

I had exam after almost 2 years. Two months shy of two years. But it was good. The exam. Not me in the exam. 2 out of three questions.

Finally after much hunting and speculating I have my advisor and research topic in place. I will be working on thermochemical reactors to produce fuels from Solar energy. I hope we make this technology work some day and make it cheap. I am fed up with oil debate of all kinds.

Bar

Bar in America = Railway platform in India.
Except with a lot of sleaze. Or with a lot of 'freedom' in an another perspective which lot of us would like to have. Interestingly they call them The Library. Best trick for teetotallers that I learnt online and which matches my taste was to ask the bartender for 'non-alcoholic non-carbonated drink'. And the closest I got was lemonade which happened to be carbonated. And it did not match my taste for sure. No mock-tails, no soft-drink in the menu. Heck! Wrong bar for starters!
I liked it for the same reason as I like train journey. It is so rare to see crowded places in USA. When I recall my initial days, it would look like Section 144 in our place. This is the second time I saw this large crowd in this country. (First was in the state fair). After an initial interval T it became more monotonous than lively. So I was kind of bored and enjoying both. And sleepy too. So teetotallers should not go to bars or should not stay after time T.

On an unrelated note Rahul Dravid said in an HT interview: "I try not doing things that I’m not comfortable with."

Very well said

“If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances”


"If you have embarrassed yourself and are going to laugh about it someday, you might as well start today.”

Busy living

Four weeks pass by quietly since the semester started. Did nothing much really. Attended all the lectures.
I will tell you what. I wrote that previous line last few weeks and then stopped writing. Now again only changed two to three, then four. I didn't mean to change it to four.

Two bike trips, as many movies in theater (at University), a lot many assignments. Suddenly lots of things are happening. It is good to get busy living. Better than having nothing to do. I've also bought a new squash racquet and pair of shoes. Saturday is squash day. Meanwhile studying a lot too. And watched a movie named Dasvidaniya, which reminded me of my own list at 43things.com.

Eleventh one

I had half a score of them already. And it's yet another academic semester of life. This one is towards the so called highest level of education. At the time of writing I feel that I am among the very few opportune people who have a chance to reach this level. What percentage of people back in our country get to go to high school? and then undergrad school? and then grad school? And then another grad school?

Anyways, the point is I am studying it bit too far :D. The semester has only started and I feel like its going to be hectic workload. Professors here have the habit of giving non-copy-able assignments every week. And coming with master's degree I am supposed to take oral pre-Ph.D. exams right in first semester which means November end! So its 3 more subjects for orals.

So far the start seems good. Haven't started studying much :) Place is very campus like. Like the one I had been previously. But unlike in many aspects. Lots of bars and drunkards around. A walk to campus from my home on friday or saturday night tells the tale. A particular Saturday night while returning from university, two un-shyly dressed, drunk girls proceeded towards us and mumbled something. We were waiting for walk signal at lights. Luckily we got the pass just then and started walking hurriedly. Recollecting, they were asking 'Is chilly billy open tonight'? Chilly billy is half blocks from university main entrance. Anyways the point is there are many drunkards around. And they love to throw bear bottles from the cars. So we have punctured tyres following week. So you see being rich doesn't solve the problems. It only changes your problems.

I have met as many people in last 12 days that I haven't met in 12 months! Heard my name pronounced in scores of different accent and ways.

Hanging around the world

Life seems pretty easy and relax at the moment. But I know this is gonna change suddenly when semester begins. In an honest way I dont very much like it this way. And I am eager for it to start all. In spite of the warnings that it gets very hectic and all Im in a way waiting for it to come. Eagerness mixed with a pinch of something cloven fear.

The most active part is the international get togethers. Firstly it was International student orientation. And today again it was a kind of outing organized by M.I.S.A. It is a nice feeling to know people from different nationalities. Like all the world coming to one floor. All of us together represent 35 countries! On Friday I met a Greek dude, a Vietnamese girl couple, of Chinese guys(actually a lot of em later), an Indonesian, Korean, two little Japanese undergrads.Today also met a Sri-Lankan guy - he was a funny man, a Shanghai girl in utter sobriety, two Dutch blondes, a Danish from Copenhagen, a Malaysian, a nice guy from Uganda, a church official from America, many other guys from China.
One thing I got to know out of it. The Chinese people have very high regards for IITs of India. Contrary to all the conspiracy theories running in the market I have found that Chinese are nice people.

ज़िन्दगी

ज़िन्दगी गुज़र गई बस इसी कशमकश में,
प्यार मुमकिन नहीं, ना है मेरे वश में|
मैं नादां चला जाम चाहत का पिने,
था मीठा ज़हर उस रश में!
ना खबर कुछ मुझे, न पता कुछ मुझे,
घिर गया इस तरह यादों की बहस में|

--Unknown

Minneapolis

The first guy I met at airport (after all security checks) here was very helpful. I asked him the way to super shuttle parking and he walked me all the way down to parking and introduced me to shuttle staff for further help. After waiting for about an hour the university van picked me up and dropped to my friend's place. I was surprised to see this undergraduate girl from university driving a big van, quite as big as mini-bus. Is driving that easy. On the way it seemed that city of full of lakes and some waterfall. Aptly it is called city of lakes.

Amsterdam

Last two days were pretty much memorable. a huge family outing dinner. we stayed late night and loads of photos and all. memories-from-childhood thingy. We clicked photos in the same pose as in a long back dated photo.

The day also happened to be my birthday. And I didn't post on my birthday! Okay it was a busy one. It kind of added to the showdown. Then on the next day it was my flight. I was seen off by many of my family members and a friend. I don't know why but the whole time till I got into plane I was sweating like a real pig! So much so that during immigration check at IGI the guy at the desk was inquisitive about the reasons Im sweating. Then he checked my university I20 form and all and asked some lame questions about whens and whys and wheres. I gave him lamest of all lame excuses to him that I used to live in Hyderabad and it was not so hot over there and I could not handle the heat here. I laughed at myself. (Anyways, I do sweat like hell at times.) Like a pig. Like I had never been in this kind of weather. For the record many times my hometown Allahabad is much damp and horrid and hot than Delhi. Talking of weather, weather at Amsterdam is quite nice this day. Lots of clouds, of all types, to be seen in the sky. Temperature is within 20 I guess (since it was still 6 am when I landed). In only a full sleeve I could just feel the little chill but not so chill to need a sweater. Like October morning in Kanpur. Only with lots of clouds in the sky. I really feel like home in this weather. Only with lots of around-the-world people.

Back on the Delhi airport mini incident happened. One of my elephant baggage was over weight by few kilos. I picked 2 high density books and 2 eateries packet out of it and there was nowhere it could be done away with. I asked the airline girl to tell me better ways than dump these in dustbin. I thought I dint want to start my graduate studies by throwing away books :). Although I dont believe a lot in symbolism. Anyways I dint want to throw away anything. So I just stood by the counter with the books like adamant fool. :D. Then the girl said that I could keep the books in my carry-on luggage, in which I still hand some half a kilo limit left, and eventually I did carry those in my cabin luggage. So at the end or it I was carrying the max limit that can be carried. Gave the eateries to an airport worker. Talking of eateries Im starting to feel my stomach. And thirsty too. But I really dont feel like start walking. Not that Im tired or something. I just dont want it. Because I like the view from the place I am sitting and the crowd is coming in. :)

I just now went back in time! By three hours. By my watch. I think I will sacrifice the view and take a stroll.

Amsterdam airport is huge! And lots to spend time with. Only if they had more than one hour of free internet.

Countdown

Counting down from today there are exactly 10 days left in my home country and 8 days at my home. :(

Home

The time to stay-at-home is almost over and there is nothing much to write about it. Only that it was one of the longest nothing-to-do time. There is nothing to glorify because as a friend said vellapa(nothingness) can never be glorified.

But still I loved it because its HOME.

a month

One month into my vacation and it dint feel like a month! Only that I visited 3 cities in between.
I saw Kolkata - city of joy for the first time and wondering what it would have been n century before. (n=1,2,3,4). I think in one day I got the vibe :D. The history of Calcutta gallery in Victoria Memorial was the high point. It is much like a city which is depleting than a developing one. Much like kanpur where I stayed for 5 years.
Then visited Bhopal to see some folks. And then to Delhi to some more folks. And the big fort built be Emperor Mogul Shah Jahan in 17th century. And the famous Delhi market Chandni Chowk. And some eateries. It made me believe people in Delhi have very strong immune system.
Since vellapa cannot be glorified I am also learning something during this time. To swim. I started on to pick up things nicely only to reinstate in initial learning stage by a 2 day break :( Looks like swimming is not an easy exercise. More so at the noon-past timings. When it is laziest time of the day. On a second thought other times of day are lazier too.
Recently enough my eyes started to hurt badly. Not in the way as if something hurts you but like itching and uneasiness. Then for the second time within a year eyesight further depleted. Cylindrical correction in both eyes now. It is very bad to have cylindrical glasses. Spherical ones you can do without glasses on many times but cylindrical is worse. Even bare 0.5 will screw badly.

Home

Reached home easily last week and since then pretty much doing nothing here.

Hyderabad, thou shalt be missed

Last day was also amazing. Got a farewell which I never expected again. In the end it looked as if everything was happening so fast. As if I wished I had more time. But then it has to come one day. Whenever you leave a place you get this kind of feeling. At your last day you will feel like you had one more day. Given that extra day you will again wish same. And by mathematical induction you will stay forever. So it gotta be one day or other.

Right now have to do packing and then sleep for a little while. Following was the Oscar Speech which I sent to my colleagues:

Hi all,
Today on the last day of office at oracle I recollect all the good times that I have spend and all the people I have befriended in past 1 year. This being my first job I learned here what it is to work in a professional environment. I was extremely happy with the team I worked. Honestly speaking if I were to work in corporate-IT job this team would be it. I am thankful to my teammates and managers who were always available for help....
...

Nice day

Today, second last day in Oracle, more or less turned out to be somewhat similar to last day. It started with as usual me hurrying up for getting ready and struggling to find something which can consist of breakfast. Finally a glass of the Real Mango juice made it.
When I reached office as usual there was little which I could call office work. But then there was closing procedure and due to some confusion in submitting exit requests I had to submit the laptop/desktop a day early.

All this done I was invited out for lunch by some office friends. Thereafter in the noon what I experienced was historic. So much so that at one point of time I started doubting if I deserved so much respect or not. But then it is what we call affection. I felt obliged to everyone. Honestly speaking I never expected such farewell. I am not someone used to being cynosure. It felt great to have such good friends, so many of them, in such a short duration. I had a great time in Hyderabad living, making friends, eating, earning, spending. Traveling, fooling around, not working in office and a lot more.

But there are times in life when you feel that you should move on. This was the time. And with this far it is no looking back. Although the places get left behind memories don't. People are left behind but friendship doesn't. As Mr.Harrison says and as Mr.me keeps recalling,

All things must pass,
All things mus pass away.

Now I will sing a song, which I didn't do yesterday, and sign off for last day at office. But it will be in text format. :)

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

Last weekend

The weekend went nice. Mostly ate out on this one. Friday was amazing. On Sunday when I was paying at a coffee bar a little child came to me. She was just above knee level. She came and dint look up and clung around me. Now she gazed up and very next moment was in screams. I took her in arms to allay her but for no use (until her father came to her).
Later in the day I realized it was father's day on that day. :P