A birthday post!

Hmmm, its been more than six months now since I wrote anything and it just feels awful. But if any day can break that indifference, its my birthday!

Birthdays are always a time for introspection. A look back on the year that has passed. I've had an extremely eventful and probably the most successful year of my life so far. This is my second major transition in the last 3 years. Its funny how stark the difference between work life and student life is. Its been just over 3 months now and the routine has already taken over me. Grad life was anything but routine. You have no clue where when or how you will have your next meal or nap! They both have their own pluses and minuses and I'm not going to compare them any further.

I was talking to a friend of mine about how this is the year of differences. Shapely 24, as my dad calls it, will be different. It is really the first time out on my own. Yes, minneapolis was the first time away from home but there were always people around so it never felt like you were on your own. I miss the stuff that I've come to expect from a birthday..........buying new clothes, a quiet dinner and movie with my family, riding the kinetic and a peaceful night's sleep. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the job staying challenging, lots of travel (i'm not going to miss out on a single long weekend) and a year of active blogging.

Lets see how all that works out in a year from now.

My New Bike - an 80s Motobecane Mirage Sport

My New Bike - an 80s Motobecane Mirage Sport

Ever since last summer, when I had a couple of chances to ride a road bike, I've been wanting one of my own. The timing was finally right - Start of spring, lovely weather, sem is ending soon. Best activity for the summer - biking.

Buying a good road bike is a lot harder than a mountain bike. First of all, its a lot more expensive. A modern day bike with a titanium alloy or carbon fiber would cost atleast a 1000 bucks. So used bikes are the way to go. And if you look around hard enough, you can get hold of a nice vintage 80s european bike like I did.

Tips for buying road bike
1. Search for local bike shops which sell used bikes. Ask the people there as to what would be an appropriate bike for you.
2. Test ride a few bikes to get a feel for what is right for you. You may find out that you are looking for something different. Make sure you know your size.....its probably the most important thing for a road bike.
3. Post an ad on ur local craigslist. There are some great bikes available there. Follow it closely.
4. Always bargain. In most cases, u will get the bike for half the asking price.
5. Try and find local biking clubs and speak to members. They are a valuable resource.
6. Ofcourse, the internet. There are a number of forums where there is a lot of discussion and advice on buying a bike.

From just riding my bike back from the person I bought it, I absolutely love the way it rides. Its so smooth and shifts really well. And most of all, its fast, very fast. I can't wait to take it out on a long 30 mile trail. There are plenty of bike trails to explore around the twin cities. My guess is joining one of the many local group rides is the best way to get to know them.

Minneapolis is white

I went to bed at 1 last night with hardly any snow on the ground. I wake up to a completely white city at 8 in the morning. This is the Minneapolis that I like. Barren trees, houses, roads, cars, sidewalks all covered in inches of snow. It just feels so pure. The snow this winter has been playing hard to get and has been as frequent as posts on this blog. But I think after last night's downpour, there are no doubts.
Its the ideal conditions to go skiing, but first.............snow fight!!!

Whats been keeping me......

Whats been keeping me......

From blogging
1. research- this semester has been terribly loaded with research work. hence i haven't gotten around to this.
2. laziness/inclination - haven't really had the enthu to post anything.
3. lack of events - usually i blog when i find or do something interesting. Nothing of that sort has happened unless you are interested in learning about non-linear optimization techniques.

But I had to break these holds sometime. Spring break is an ideal time. I can't believe its been a year since I was at vatsa's on his birthday. time flies. ofcourse, this spring break's agenda is much more mundane than last year's. nothing exciting except for the mid-week skiing plan. can't wait!
more will follow.

Hail Alma mater dear!!

Hail Alma mater dear!!

Today I paid a visit to my school, Sishya, after more than 2 years. I wasn't expecting much from the visit except meeting my hindi teacher Mrs. Kotiyal. It ended up being a lot more than that.

Even as I stepped into school, a whole bunch of memories came rushing back. Today was election day. Looking at all the banners and kids plastered with badges campaigning for themselves and others, i was taken back a few years. Nothing seemed to have changed. Somehow it appears to me that sishya kids are bigger and healthier than the average school kid. Even as Ramani and I walked around with no teacher in sight and students running haywire everywhere, we realized that they are all probably in a staff meeting. As a joke I told him we should probably walk in and introduce ourselves. Turned out I opened the library door at a wrong moment only to be met by stares from about 50 staff members...........today was going to be a memorable day, one way or the other.

Looking at kids playing football in the ground, made me want to play some myself. I remember how we used to play till sweat poured off our uniforms and then usually sit through a hindi or history lecture. The nursery block made me go back in time instantly. Met a couple of aayas who have been there since i was 4 years old. They've spent their entire lives taking care of kids. Even today, they are so proud of what they do........hats off to them! The same old slides, merry-go-round and see-saws. Berry fights, talent shows, running and catching, craft, it all came rushing back. Almost all buildings are still the same. The examination hall, the library, the games room, the principal block, the basketball court, the canteen..........all except the auditorium. That is going through a major overhaul. Some of the furniture in the newer classrooms can be found only in some choice restaurants these days. Sishya is only getting more sophisticated.

Speaking of which, the kids were as usual at their sophisticated best. The profile of an average sishya kid is that of a well-to-do child who is brought up with a lot of freedom, who doesn't have the pressure of excelling in academics, who is allowed to develop his own personality and so on. I think that is something that will never change. Ever since we were toddlers upto now, the line of cars entering the school has only increased. Most kids have a swagger about themselves and know how to carry off the clothes they are wearing even if its just their uniform. Not to be left behind, the parents are quite fashionable themselves. From filmstars to politicians to industrialists, all of them have their kids in sishya.

Ofcourse, we met most of the teachers that taught us from the senior classes onwards. Some of them have left. But most of them still look at us the same way..........as kids who just look grown-up. For them, we will always be little kids running around in our blue uniforms. Every teacher remembered me. Not just the teachers, even the administative staff, the peons, the aayas, all of them remembered me. That ofcourse, has a bit to do with the fact that my mom teaches in sishya. but i was a part of sishya even before she joined. But that is one of the good things about being in sishya. Every teacher who taught you knew you individually. It may not be the greatest thing always but it makes the kid as well as their parent feel that someone is looking out for them. Also, the teachers give a lot more freedom to the kids to decide what they want. That is in keeping with the motto of the school "Aspire and excel". I think that is where sishya stands out. They dont force you to pursue a particular field of interest. They let you explore your possibilities and help you excel in that. They dont try to stereotype the kid into thinking engineering is the way to go. Making one a boring kid who does homework all the time and is forced to mug for exams. There are so many schools out there in chennai and all over india where they pressurize kids so much into being this model nerdy student who must become a doctor or engineer. Do the kids learn more? Are they more successful? I dont think so. Turns out every kid who leaves sishya does pretty well for themself. Most of them are educated from good colleges (through merit or otherwise) and end up doing pretty well for themselves in life. They have increased the intake of students this year. Hope that doesn't hinder that rare student-teacher interaction that is such an integral part of the school.

Ofcourse, the public impression about sishya is that its full of snobs. That is not true. Barring a few in every class, most kids are just outgoing. That they are well-to-do is not their fault. Ofcourse, one of the teachers told me that its almost a status symbol to have your kid in sishya nowadays. Also, the closeness that kids share with each other in unmatched. We met an old classmate of ours, Fatima, who has now joined sishya as a teacher. It was quite interesting talking to her. We updated each other on the whereabouts of our classmates. Surprisingly we could account for almost all our classmates who were with us till 10th grade. That shows that we still keep in touch and stay updated about most classmates. I'm sure most of my collegemates from other schools wouldn't be able to do the same. You might think the academics is not challenging enough. That isn't true either. And one of the teachers told me that Sishya is producing some of the best results among schools in the city. Ofcourse we follow the ICSE board which is slightly different from the CBSE.

Its almost six years since I left school. It felt so different going back and yet its the same. So do I regret studying in Sishya........not in the least bit. I've spent 14 years there, 14 wonderful years. I owe most of what I am today to my school. And I wouldn't hesitate to put my kid in Sishya when the day comes!!!