Ghazal

I like urdu poetry. They become your friend at times and support your existence.

मैं अकेला ही चला था जानिब-ए- मंजिल मगर
लोग साथ आते गए और कारवां बनता गया |

(I set off alone towards the destination but,
People joined by and by and lo! a soon it was a caravan!)

I am either moving too fast or too slow. My caravan is not catching up.

Happiness

Sometime I am saboteur of my own happiness. Whenever I have got something to be happy about I feel like I have something to lose. It is a mixed feeling. I am happy to be happy, just like everyone everywhere is. But I don't like that feeling of having something to lose. So I become tiny bit anxious when I have that. Well, I guess I am not alone. Quote:

"Niki Lauda: Happiness is the enemy. It weakens you. Puts doubts in your mind. Suddenly you have something to lose."

"Niki's wife: When you call happiness an enemy then it's too late. Then you've already lost."

Here is a youtube grab from the movie.

It has been raining Monsoon in Minneapolis since past few days! And rest of this week is going to be the same. I've already got two set of wet cloths. I love to watch the rain. Makes me feel nostalgic. Lovely weather (barring the fact biking becomes difficult.) Come June I will see the Monsoons in the Gangatic plains. :)

Holi

So we had yet another Holi in Minneapolis. Thanks to the three friends who played hosts (although I invited one guest of my own too). They've been doing this since last three years. It has grown into tradition of some sort now. I like that!

We had to wait more than a month from actual Holi date in want of good weather. TBN - It was 12 C outside on a Saturday but good enough for Minnesotans to call it summer time :) And I was thrown in the river in this temperature; all wet chest down. Kinda caught cold but got well quickly.
It was crazy crazy weekend. Here's a memoir of Holi 2014.

There truely are no rules of attraction. Freakin thing!

http://neophytespeaks.blogspot.com/2009/08/rules-of-attraction.html

I am not 31 yet

Freaking funny article about single guys of marriage-able age with poking Moms! (like mine) :)
I can partly relate to it.



Although I am not 31, or have a pseudo-liberal Mom (she is non-conservative liberal), or have a girlfriend but it is still hilarious read. :)

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/31-male-and-not-yet-there/article5929265.ece

Run

I ran in a timed run yesterday after long long time. Minneapolis Hot Chocolate run. At the finish line we were treated with hot chocolate fondue, chocolate drink and sweat treats. Enough motivation to run 5 kilometres!

I couldn't have prepared worse for the race. I didn't run in the week leading to it. Didn't properly do exercises either. The previous night we had a heavy dinner at Egyptian place. I ate all I could. Then bonfire outside by Mississippi until 2. Which meant only 4 hours of sleep before run with stomach full of Egyptian food.When arrived at the race venue I realized I forgot to bring my race bib number. So my run world not be timed. By my watch I think I finished 30-31 minutes.

Anyway the weather in next two weeks looks much better. Hopefully no more snow. I'm planning for a half marathon at the end of summer. August sometime.

:((

Lately I'm being lazy for no reason. I am a lazy person in general. Not to say that I lack motive. Laziness is not same as lack of motive in life. I have a motivation. I want to graduate with PhD :)
"See, laziness as you know is like gravity. All it takes is a little push. Ahhahahah". Dark Knight anyone?

But this week hasn't been so good. I had a not-so-good meeting with advisor where I realized that there is a lot more left to be done. This means at least another 2+ years left. Don't want to put blame on anyone. My adviser is usually more elusive than ninja. I wanted to have this meeting much earlier. But this guy is always travelling. On an earlier occasion when we met my 'objectives' were different than what I have now and I squandered some time figuring that out. All in all it is not that much okay to have a PhD advisor who doesn't see you much one-on-one. I used to think otherwise earlier. Ahh, sigh. But that's life, growing up. Evolution of your thoughts. I am still thankful that I have an advisor like him. (He pays me after all).

I've also been wasting too much time over other things which I thought I will never do. Ahh, sigh. That's the irony of life. We are all still humans and we cannot be programmed (as of yet).

At some point I have to start painting the blank canvas. I cannot just go on ignoring it forever for the fear of spoiling it. I chose a very difficult painting with lot of perfectly worked out details. May be I should just start doing it without much in mind and see where it goes. Like abstract art!

I feel much better after writing all this. Good enough to make me get out of bed and start the day. Have a good day folks.

Being myself

I am stressed out today but swamped with too much work at once to feel anything. Not very often but there actually are moments when I get fed up of being the strong-independent-all-by-myself self. But then I can't afford to do that for long in the fear of falling behind. I have to get back to being that same self. May be I can take one day break from it. Or rather not. What about the deadline tomorrow then? I can't decide what to do today. But I will survive it too to see another fine day tomorrow.

That's called Piled higher and Deeper.