Fleeting thoughts............part deux!!

An idyllic world!

2012-01-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

The city of Bhilai, in many ways, reminds you of a time long forgotten. It takes you back to the days of your childhood. Where cities were not as crowded, had more open spaces, and the world was not as connected.

Bhilai, situated near the center of India, is a planned township revolving around the 60 year old Bhilai Steel Plant. Its by no means a small town with a population the size of San Francisco. The Steel Plant itself seems to stretch for miles on. And why not, given that it supplies steel for pretty much the entire railways in the country. A cabbie told me it would take an entire week to see the full extent of it. There are so many advantages of a planned city. Broad roads, wonderfully spaced out houses punctuated by green spaces and parks, provisions to handle changes in traffic loads and a very simple town and road naming scheme to ensure that it is unlikely that you will get lost.

The community there consists almost entirely of employees and families of the steel plant. Most of the younger generation I guess tends to leave for more urban pastures but there is also a steady influx of people from all over the country. As a result of which, the town is a great representative of the cultural diversity of India. Also just driving around for two days, it looks like the place has a great school system in place. Schools like DAV and Delhi Public School are quite rare in small town India. Of course, there is a barrage of coaching classes catered toward IIT and other engineering admissions.

The pace of life also seems a bit more laid back. Traffic conditions are quite manageable. And for an industrial town, the pollution is quite minimal. Quite the refreshing contrast to all the major cities in India today. It occurs to me that this would be a great place to grow up as a kid. Every house has a sizeable backyard and enough space on the streets for playing cricket and other such sports. The houses are also set far enough away from the main roads to afford them peace and quiet. Great schools mean your education isn't compromised and the cultural diversity provides you with an upbringing that no amount of travel in India can provide you. Now if only your parents were employees of the Steel Plant!!!!

Given that steel isn't going away any time soon, its a place that will sustain in its current state for many years to come.

The last of the 20s!

2011-12-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Its that time of the year again. And it almost feels like yesterday when I was typing out the birthday post a year ago. I should simply call this year "Flash". Coz the whole thing seems like a blur.

And yesterday kinda sums it up coz I couldn't find the time to write this post. I suppose time moves faster when life is busy. And this is the good kind of busy. Where you're working on interesting projects, doing interesting things, meeting new people and having fun doing all of it, you cannot complain. The year was chugging along as usual for the most part until June when it really started to pick up steam. After that I suddenly seemed to have embraced the great outdoors. Maybe I should call this the year of the hike! I've hiked more this year than all other years combined. And even though part of it is coz I haven't been running as much as I want to, its something that I have come to enjoy a lot. I'm fairly certain I can run most of the hikes I did this year but I would not have noticed the beautiful scenery, had colorful conversations and laughed as much if I had. That's not to say that I'm moving away from running any time soon :).

Perhaps its also a sign that one always seems to have more on their plate(and mind) with every passing year. And this coming from a single guy still in his 20s. Good luck to the future me :).

Which brings me to the big three-Oh! For most people, the 20s is the decade that shapes them as an adult. Its almost a journey of self-discovery in many ways. And by the end of it, you probably have a quiet sense of self-awareness and self-belief that you can tackle pretty much anything that life throws at you. At least that's how I feel. I think that's also a good measure of whether you are ready to not just live for yourself but share your life with someone else.

So here's a toast to the defining decade!

All Blacks

2011-10-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

I started watching rugby during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. I instantly became a fan of the All Blacks. Their open, fast, free-flowing style of rugby was brilliant to watch and easy to like. And the Haka is one of the great spectacles in all of sport. I grew up watching the likes of Andrew Mehrtens, Zinzan Brooke, Christian Cullen and ofcourse, Jonah Lomu. Year after year you'd see them dominate the tri-nations. Watching them play you'd think there is no way they could lose. And yet when it came to the World cup they would somehow conspire to do just that. They would dominate sides in the round-robin matches before 'choking' in the knockout stages.

Last night's win in the World Cup Final at Eden Park, in many ways, mirrors India's victory at the Cricket world cup this year. New Zealand is a rugby mad nation. They've been waiting for a World Cup win since 1987. Playing at home is always added pressure. And they were playing their old nemesis, France. In past world cups they've always won by huge margins before losing a dog fight to France. But this time they came away with the scrappiest of wins by the narrowest of margins. There was none of the classical rugby on display that the All Blacks are known for. But in the end, all that they'll care about is that they're the ones holding aloft the Web Ellis trophy.

The rewards are in the journey!

2011-06-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

Five years ago to the day, I defended my graduate thesis. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I had built it up in my head as the be-all and end-all of all things academic in grad school. For almost a year I had been working toward this day, looking forward to it. Had all this nervous energy flowing through me. When my prof finally signed off on the document, it was bittersweet. The defense in the end turned out to be a mere formality. There was no real sense of achievement. I had a document which now said I was a Master of Science. Friends were calling me up and congratulating me. But I didn't really feel like that. The fuss seemed pointless.

And as I walked around campus shortly after I realized the defense itself really has no meaning. Its a mere full-stop. What will stay with me through life are the long hours spent in the lab, the conversations with my labmates, the frustrations of being stuck, the little victories of progress. Those are the moments that I'll look back on fondly.

Running a marathon is very similar. On race day, for the most part, you're just going through the motions. The real joy lies in the grind of the training. Getting out of bed at 5am when you don't really want to, running with friends, pushing your body despite it telling you that your running on empty, the frustrationo of being injured, carefully treading the line between training and overtraining and passing milestones along the way. That's the heart and soul of it!

Sometimes we get too caught up in the results and the consequences that we fail to appreciate the process itself. I think a lot of times its the journey that matters more than the destination and the sooner we learn to enjoy it the better we are for it.

Fairy tales do exist!

2011-04-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Being a sports fan is one of the most frustrating things. Its an emotional roller coaster peppered with far too many lows that it would seem like it should be strictly for the mentally unstable. And yet for those of us who cannot imagine a life without sport, it's something that seems to make no difference. Because punctuating all the agony and heartbreak are those rare moments when the stars align to make your wildest dreams come true. And the euphoria that follows is matched by few things in life.

Being a true fan is always about taking sides. There is no meaning to a match if you are not rooting for someone to win. We tend to pick sides on instinct. On seeing something beautiful like watching Henin's poetic backhand or Mark Waugh's elegant cover drive or Jordan's hanging fadeaway or a smooth Bekele stride.

But nothing adheres us to someone like defeat. There is something strangely endearing about someone who faces adversity. You see your problems in that person or team. Their battle is your battle. Their tears are your tears. Their victory is your victory. Nothing bonds a fan to a sportsman like the agony of a defeat. Which is why when they do the impossible and win it all, its fiercely personal to us. I can count the number of times I've felt this on one hand in the two decades that I have followed sport. You will always remember where you were when it happened. It is always the same feeling that overcomes you when it happens - pure unconditional happiness!

I was sitting in front of my computer back home in Madras following IBM live updates of the 2001 Wimbledon final on people's Monday. And when Goran finally did the unthinkable, it was the perfect end to a decade filled with frustration and bitter disappointment. The next day I ended up treating every friend of mine at the college canteen. People thought I was loony. And though I started following the Boston Red Sox only in the late 90s, in their quest to break the curse of the Bambino, I could somehow feel their decades of hurt. So when it finally came together in the Fall of 2004, as I watched from the campus gym in Minneapolis, there was a need to let out that joy and share it with others. Given that I couldn't find any fellow baseball fans around, I instead wrote about it here.

But if you are an Indian, nothing has tormented you like the cricket World Cup. For those of us who started watching cricket with the advent of Tendulkar, we have grown up listening to stories thrust upon us by our fathers about the likes of Kapil Dev, Gavaskar and the legendary spin quartet and how they did us proud in '83. And yet we had never gone through a moment like that until today. When Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit that emphatic six over long-on to end it all, the wait for a generation of Indians was over. We had our own '83. No matter what happens from here on, we will always have April 2nd, 2011! Years from now I'll be passing on to the next generation the story of how I spontaneously stood up from my couch as the ball soared over long-on and let out an uncontrollable yell that brought to fruition twenty years of expectations and dreams!

And that is precisely what makes it all worth the while!!

Women's tennis a bore?

2011-01-23T01:21:00.000-08:00

Anybody who thinks women's tennis isn't interesting should've seen today's Aussie Open match between Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova. After 4 hrs and 44 mins, Schiavone finally prevailed 16-14 in the final set. This after two medical time-outs and saving six match points. And she's 30 yrs old!
What stood out, especially towards the end of the set, was the quality of shot making. Rallies were being won almost entirely on winners. The rallies themselves were smart and full of variety unlike a lot of women's matches which are slugfests between eastern europeans.
And in terms of drama, this match was second to none.

I really think this is the most competitive era of women's tennis and this really was a banner match for the WTA.

Christmas Lights!

2010-12-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

I usually don't run in the dark as I don't really have reflective clothing. But today I decided to venture out exploring the neighborhood. I've been living here for almost a year now and didn't realize till today that there is a neighborhood full of houses right behind my apartment community. Was such a wonderful sight to see all the lights lining up all the houses. From Santas and snowmen to reindeer and moose. To children on seasaws to wreaths that say "This home believes" they had it all. People here really seam to be in the spirit.

Incidentally, Coldplay's just released single is called Christmas Lights.

One of the sad things about the Bay area is that you are unlikely to find people walking around town. I don't know if its coz walking isn't really an option here when trying to get somewhere or if its more than that. I'm sure the lack of a usable public transport system plays a role in it. I used to walk around Santa Barbara quite a bit but its something I just haven't done in a year of living here. I envy those who get to walk around every day in places like Manhattan.

Birthday blogday!

2010-12-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

I think I have truly outdone myself this year. Not a single post since I left Santa Barbara. So indifferent have I been to this blog that I haven't even updated my location on the right side of this page. If nothing else, at least I have been faithful to it on this day.

Lots of new things this year. New job, new city, new running group. The Bay area in many ways is the antithesis of Santa Barbara. People, events, tech companies, traffic, noise and of course all things INDIAN everywhere. There are plenty of people I know who live around here and yet almost a year since I moved I find myself settled into a routine not too dissimilar to the one I had in Santa Barbara. Besides my job, honestly not much has changed. I always thought your surroundings governed your lifestyle. But I now believe that regardless of where I live I'd probably be doing the same set of things on a daily basis. Especially being the creature of habit that I am. I suppose the only thing that dictates your day to day life is what stage of life you are in. studying or working, single or married, kids or no kids etc.

Anyway, a year older, and definitely a year wiser, both professionally and personally! The lack of travel apart, I have no complaints.India trip was quite a different experience this time. Due to my unplanned prolonged stay I got to do things at a much more chilled out pace. Visited Ajanta-Ellora. Its one of those places which has a lot of potential for being a great tourist attraction. If only the government authorities took some effort in maintaining it. Bangalore was quite a lot of fun. Just for a brief time of the day enjoyed exploring new parts of the city. I've been bashing the city for the last few years and infact finding excuses to not visit it. But I can actually see myself living there for some reason.

A few people asked me today about birthday resolutions. I've had a few unexpected (and unpleasant) surprises thrown my way this year. In hindsight, I'd say I've handled them ok but I suppose there were things I could have done to be better prepared for them. So perhaps covering all my bases is something I should start doing more thoroughly from now on. Not the most interesting resolution, I know. oh and I promise to blog more often regardless of the number of eyeballs that glance at this site.

Its not everyday that Lance Armstrong comes to your doorstep!

2009-12-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

I was walking back home in the evening when I noticed a huge crowd queued outside my apartment. Turns out Lance was coming to the cycle shop below my apartment in an hour for a book signing. And in order to meet him, you needed to buy his book. Nice marketing strategy eh!

My neighbor and I decided to join the line coz lets face it, people had driven from out of town to come and meet him right outside my place!! After an hour's wait, we finally got to meet him. Not much of a meeting considering he wasn't really talking to people. Just signing the book. This was the only pic I could take of him. There were atleast a 1000 people in line so nobody was allowed to pose with him or even get chatty.

In control!

2009-12-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

You know you've had a good marathon when

- you feel like you just started half way through the race
- you are talking to people known and unknown at different sections
- the whole thing seems like a blur as it went by so quickly
- you are elated as you cross the finish line but you don't want to stop running
- your last mile is your fastest (ofcourse, the downhill finish helped)
- you run the entire race at an almost even pace(maybe I should have been a pacegroup leader)
- people on the sidelines are yelling "You look smooth" and "you've got this" at you
- it almost feels like a sunday morning run
- the person giving you a massage after the race says your legs don't seem that tight at all

Such a contrast to my first one back in February. The way my body fell apart during that race, I just did not want to go through that again. Which is why I ran this race a little slower than I probably could've. But its well worth running within yourself and enjoying the experience. I'll have other chances to go all out. Ofcourse, the group of people that I run and train with had a large part in the whole experience being so memorable. It also helped that I've run different sections of the course so many times and knew exactly what to expect. I did have a time goal in mind. And even though you can never be sure how your body will respond toward the latter stages of a marathon, I never had any doubt that I'd achieve the time.

Things that I really liked about the race

- the fluid stations were placed perfectly at even intervals and with gu brew!
- there were people on the sidelines cheering the runners throughout the course.
- so many familiar faces running alongside
- perfect weather
- volunteers who actually knew what they were doing. often times in marathons, people giving out fluids dont do it right, nor do they call out what fluid they are holding out.

After the race, I was walking around the finisher's area, when someone called out to me. I turned and looked at him. He had his feet up on a desk under the comfort of a tent wearing shades. I'll call him ABCD boy:
ABCD: Hey, u there, are you from India?
me: yeah
ABCD: so did you watch the race or did you actually run it?
me: i ran it
ABCD: and u finished it? how did u do?
me: yeah i finished. it went pretty well
ABCD: so is that what that necklace is for?

Now before I could respond to him, another guy who had just finished the race interjected
"That's not a necklace, its a finisher's medal. Learn the lingo before you show up at a running race!!"

Runners are a tight lot. Gotta love 'em!

So that was the inaugural Santa Barbara marathon from my perspective. Now I'm off to gorge on all the ice-cream I've stayed away from these past two months!!!

That belated birthday post!

2009-12-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

I've been a tad pre-occupied with the events of today morning which explains the delay in this post. More on that in a following post. But in many ways 2009 was very similar to 2008. Did many of the same things (visited a new continent, india trip, lots of running). Kept up all the resolutions I had made a year ago.

And yet 2010 promises to be full of changes. Its both exciting and unnerving. But I can't help but feel optimistic.

26.2 at 26.2!

2009-08-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Its interesting(atleast the geek in me thinks so) that I ran my first marathon, this past February, aged 26 years and 72 days or 26.2 yrs. That was a remarkable coincidence given that it matched the distance in miles that I would have to cover to finish the race.

I had decided on running the Austin Marathon more out of a desire to get the first marathon out of the way than being competitive. I had tried the latter last year and failed to even show up at the starting line at San Diego because of a broken tibia. So this time I took the conservative route. Don't train too hard, just make sure you give yourself a chance to run the race without any injury. This strategy isn't all that hard to follow especially with my frequent vacations that happen over the winter months, including my two week India trip(during which I ran all of 20 easy miles) which ended two weeks before the race. In any case, I was glad I happened to make it to mid February completely injury free. Seemed like the hard part was over.

The race began in great conditions, overcast and cool. I decided I'd aim for a finish time around 3:40-3:45 (hrs:mins) which is around 7mph. Seemed like a reasonable goal given that its just slower than what I run all my easy runs on most weekends. I thought I'd start with the 3:30 pace group, just to make sure I start well and have breathing room toward the end. Things were going better than I expected during the first half. So much so that I was running ahead of the 3:30 group till about mile 12. I passed the half-way point in 1:45 feeling great. I ran through mile 16 still on pace.

And then I fell off a cliff. At the start of mile 17 I suddenly couldn't lift my left leg. I'd never felt like this before in a run. My lungs were feeling fine but my legs weren't cooperating. I could barely walk. It was so sudden and so dramatic that it was hard to react to. There was no prior warning. I should have predicted this given that I had never run more than 18 miles at a stretch before. The pain was steady and piercing and it was around my left thigh and hamstring. The whole leg felt like a huge log. I figured it was a cramp or something and thought it would go away in a bit. I stopped and tried shaking it off with a couple of stretches which only seemed to aggravate the pain.

Up until now, I had paused only at two water stations and that too for a couple of sips of water. Suddenly I was in search of the next aid station ready to down a whole bottle of fluids. I walked the entire mile until I got to the next water station. Gatorade had never tasted so good before! I decided to walk the next .2 miles and then try running again. I was barely managing to lift my legs off the ground now and I had been reduced to a slow jog. People were now passing me by the dozens but that didn't worry me too much. Survival was my only concern. I made it to the next aid station at the end of the mile to claim my prize, two full glasses of Gatorade. I would repeat this 0.2 mile walk/0.8 mile slow jog for the next 6 miles.

The miles now seemed increasingly longer. This was exaggerated by the fact that I wasn't wearing a watch. So I had no way of telling how slowly I was covering these miles with a walk/jog or how long it would take me to finish. The occasional cheer of encouragement from the spectators wasn't doing me much good. The pain was barely manageable during the walk and more than masochistic during the jog. On mile 20, I was contemplating quitting but I was somewhere in a residential neighborhood in a city that was completely unknown to me with no money. I had no means of communicating to my friend and sole contact in the city, who was waiting at the finishing line, to "rescue" me. The only way to meet him again was to get to the finishing line. That was enough motivation for me to finish this thing.

Around mile 23, I had now been on the road for over 3 1/2 hrs, I felt hungry. This was really unexpected. I had a couple of GU gels and a few slices of oranges that were being handed out by some thoughtful local residents. This seemed like a good time for a lunch break with all the free fruits on offer. But I had a bum tooth at the time and I had already had my fair share of pain. So I sauntered along.

By the time I finished, more than 4 hours after I started, I didn't feel anything. Even the pain I was experiencing during the race was gone now. The muscles were just sore. Usually most people who cross the finishing line at the end of their first marathon go through a gamut of emotions - relief, elation, pride, maybe even disappointment.I had nothing. Emotional numbness is a surefire sign of a Pyrrhic victory.

On paper it sounds impressive. I had run 26.2 miles at a stretch. But I hadn't really, atleast not the second half of it. This is a footrace, so its best to run it that way. Atleast I know I can only improve from here on!

The king awaits his coronation!

2009-07-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Roger Federer - the GOAT!

2009-06-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

When it finally came, the win against Robin Soderling was straightforward, clinical and dominant. Much like most of his previous 13 grand slam victories. By his own standards these last couple took a while coming but it was only fitting that he pulled level with Sampras' record at Roland Garros. That once and for all puts him above Sampras in the all-time pecking order.

My argument for Fed as the greatest ever is simply based on the way he plays the game. He is the single most gifted tennis player I have ever seen. And in the early years of his dominance, 03-06, the way the game was played allowed him to fully display his all-court game. There is no shot in the game that he can't play with elan. He is the only player who would have probably dominated any era the way he has this one. And if Wimbledon hadn't slowed down drastically over the years, we'd still be seeing him serve-and-volley his way to a title. In this French Open, his touch with the drop shot, from both flanks, was a sight to behold. Quite the contrast to a certain Mallorcan's heavy topspins. Just watching him wield a racquet is one of the great joys of watching the sport.

But like in any other sport, players are not measured merely by skill and talent but purely by success. And today that validation came for most of the doubters. He has now won everything there is to win and he's only 27. For me the one statistic that stands out the most, that is even greater than his 14 slam titles, is his streak of reaching 20 straight grand slam semi-finals. And 15 of the last 16 finals. Something like that is unheard of in the open era. Speaks volumes for his consistency, his ability to stay injury free and his desire. And the only person he has lost to in his slam finals is Rafael Nadal. He has never had a Soderling day. Given how competitive the men's game is, that is the most remarkable of statistics. Ofcourse, I'm sure all of us would like to see Rafa back across the net on the second Sunday at Roland Garros, but its upto Nadal to hold up his end of the bargain.

Anyway, I hope this doesn't take away from Fed's hunger and motivation for playing the game coz I think he has a good 3 years left in him and London 2012 at Wimbledon would be a great place to end his career with a singles gold.

But until then, lets enjoy the privilege of watching the greatest player of all time!

Cooking therapy, dining out and the yin and yang of it!

2009-03-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

I think most people in my generation tend to cook not from a great desire for cooking or experimenting with food (although i do on the rare occasion like to make new dishes). We do it simply coz home-cooked meals are easy on the tummy as well as the wallet. I'm sure there are a few who do it coz they run out of restaurants to eat at and even more who do it coz they cant be seen alone in a restaurant, neither of which is a problem for me. I feel eating an equal number of meals at home and out (like me) is a good balance to have. Atleast helps keep boredom away while maintaining a sense of discipline. And it also helps you appreciate the other more from time to time. I suppose you can be adventurous with food regardless of whether its made at a new eat-out or home-cooked.

I dont know how many people have felt this way but I find cooking strangely therapeutic. Cooking always puts me in good spirits, regardless of whether I'm making something elaborate like an arachu vitta sambar or the simplest of things like pasta. It gives me a feeling that things are right. Its quite relaxing in a way. I'm sure a lot of us who work tend to cook on Sunday nights and I think it puts you in a good mood and gets you ready for the work week ahead. Ofcourse, the fact that I like eating my own food also plays a small part in it.

I realize a lot of this probably only makes sense or is applicable to people who are at a similar stage in life as me but I'd like to think that its a nice lifestyle at any stage in one's adult life.

Plagiarism!

2008-12-23T21:40:00.001-08:00

I've always thought Karan Johar was an honest filmmaker. He's only done three movies but he's always been open about making these big budget emotional melodramas. He'd be the first to admit that the opulence that he shows on screen is not necessarily rooted in reality. He came out openly saying the college track in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was inspired by Archie comics. He's never been shy of saying he makes movies for NRI audiences.

Which is why it was quite a revelation that Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna is a plain copy of a 1984 movie called 'Falling in Love' with no less of a cast than Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. I just saw that, and the whole story including so many scenes are identical. Ofcourse, neither of them are great movies but I distinctly remember Karan around the time of release, going all over town saying he began writing the story based on personal experiences and episodes in friend's lives. He even distinctly spoke about how all his friends seemed to be talking about infidelity around that time and he had to make a movie about that. Heck, he didnt even make the effort to change the location of the story from the original, New york. The least he could have done was acknowledged the original movie and given credit where it was due.

So the next time any movie maker waxes eloquent about how he was inspired to write a story, take it with a pinch of salt.

Slumdog Millionaire - bloody brilliant!

2008-12-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

No not the movie (which is very good). But the soundtrack. Not since Rang De Basanti has Rahman come up with an album of such quality. Sure there has been the odd great number here and there (Khwaja mere khwaja for example) but albums in their entirety have been a bit of a let down. Until now.

The introduction to Liquid dance makes u realize how entrancing surround sound can be. The chaotic beats, vocal rhythms and mixing of sound really make this one crazy number. No peace and quiet here. Madness at its best.

And then there is Mausam and Escape. The sitar is such a classical and peaceful instrument that listening to it automatically relaxes you. But this one makes you groove to the sitar (ofcourse Ravi Shankar and the likes have collaborated with George Harrison and co to create sitar fusion but at best they were always mixed with other instruments to make it more appealing to the west). For a second you forget that you are listening to the sitar coz it was never meant to be played this way. It then turns into a jugalbandi between violins, dominating beats and the sitar which culminates in a violent crescendo of all three. And its the sitar that triumphs. Imagine that! And just as it becomes a bit much to take, the whole thing quietens down and just echoes in the background a sample of the track so that we can digest what we've just experienced.

One of the things that I most look forward to in any Rahman album are his vocals. It has a unique quality and divinity that is unmatched. O Saya is an instant favorite. With its mesmerizing beats and youthful vocals of M.I.A (who I was quite surprised to find out was a british-bred western singer with sri lankan tamil roots), it makes you sit up and take notice immediately. and the way the song is used in the movie to lead into the credits, with a couple of pandus (mumbai cops) chasing a bunch of kids through the slums of Bombay is just magical. and that is true of all the songs in the movie. The way they are used really adds another dimension to the visuals and compliments it perfectly.

Jai ho is closer to a conventional Bollywood number and yet it rises above it. Sukhwinder is one of Rahman's favorite singers and I like the way he uses him (Wedding Qawwali is one of my all-time favorites). I think a song like this, since it appears in the credits with the whole cast and crew dancing to it, gives Rahman the freedom to do what he wants with it. Makes me wonder if the directors of recent movies that he has composed for have lost their ear. Especially Subhash Ghai. The same people that did Taal have also now done Yuvraaj..........baffling! Ghajini is quite mediocre, so much so that Harris Jeyaraj's music for the Tamil version was better (it pains me to say that but its true). Take Guru even. I think that is the weakest of all Rahman-Mani Ratnam collaborations. I think the other problem this year has been the deluge of albums (jodhaa akbar, ada, jaane tu, sakkarakatti, yuvraaj and ghajini). Naturally tends to dilute quality. I think he should stick to two albums a year, three at most.

The haunting trance of Millionaire, the purity of a humming vocal in Latika's theme, the rhythm of african beats in Riots, the soothing feel of Dreams on fire, and the reinvented Choli ke peeche which is as good as the original. All put together make this album liberating.

Rahman is back, about time!!

Sailing smoothly into the second quarter!

2008-12-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

Given how infrequently I visit this place these days, a post holds that much more value. And ofcourse, birthdays are always a good time to blog!! Infact I'm glad I'm taking the time out to do this now. Coz right through the day I was so completely pre-occupied with work that I wasn't even aware that it was my birthday most of the time. That made all the wishes I got through the day all the more special coz they were timely reminders that it wasnt just another day!

Just got back from the holiday parade right outside my apartment. Wasn't all that great. Except for the kids who are always adorable whether they are trying to play the kettle drums or do karate chops through the air.

The year that was. I think over the years I've become more disciplined. And it also sits well with my lifestyle which is that of a loner. I get to do exactly the things I want at any given time without being bound by anyone else around me. Ofcourse the downside of that is that all my birthday wishes I receive are only through phone calls and emails. Anyway, I guess at the end of the day we choose to be a certain way coz thats what we are most comfortable with.

Back to the silver year. Did a lot of travelling over the last 12 months. Got to backpack through the Alps which was probably the high point. That reminds I had jotted down a short list of things to do last birthday on a whim. That included seeing europe, running my first marathon, and making new friends. I guess two out of three is not bad. Ah, if only my damned leg had cooperated. No worries though coz I know I'll be running atleast a few marathons in the near future.

So this year's whimsical resolutions - well finish that cursed first marathon, learn a new musical instrument, learn to make desserts. The last one ofcourse starts tomorrow when I try to bake a cake.

Anyway I'm looking forward to spending my first christmas in the US in 4 years. That also makes my next India trip exciting. Coz I'll be in Madras for Saarang and Odyssey, and break my jinx of not having attended a wedding in nearly 5 yrs :).

That was quick and fun. I think I shall end with a note to self : blog, blog, blog!!!!

Usain Bolt is an outlier!

2008-08-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Anybody who saw the 100m final at Beijing had the same reaction - astonishment! I'm sure that has also raised the question of the human speed limit in a lot of our minds. Here is an interesting read on statistical modeling of the natural human limit based on empirical data which may have to be adjusted after those breathtaking 9.69 seconds!

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/bolt-is-freaky.html

Let the games begin!

2008-08-08T23:56:00.000-07:00

The opening ceremony was one of the greatest spectacles I've seen. And that's just from watching through a television. I can only imagine how it must have been inside the Bird's Nest. From the 2008 drummers who kicked things off to the air lap by Li Ning to light the cauldron, it was three hours of amazing artistry. Hats off to China! Hope the rest of the games live up to this spectacular start.

In case you missed it, I'm sure you'll find it on youtube.

California burning!

2008-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Currently there are nearly 1800 fires burning all over the state, and a state of emergency has been declared. Thankfully, I dont think there have been any casualties so far but the fire department's resources are really spread thin. The sheer volume of these fires is overwhelming.

The highest priority fire currently and the closest one to Santa Barbara is about 8 miles north, up in Goleta, and the skies have been red and the air filled with smoke all day. It even burnt through some power lines causing a power cut last evening throughout the city. Quite a few neighborhoods are on evacuation alert. And the fire is less than 10% contained. Another problem that the firefighters face are the winds which shift direction at night blowing toward the coast, which is likely to move the fire due south. Just last night, it burnt through 2000 acres of land, and it is just two days old!

And amid all this, the 4th of July fireworks tomorrow are scheduled to go ahead as planned. Seriously, I think people ought to put things into perspective. The last thing we need to do right now is play with fire!

Summer of stress fractures!

2008-06-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Seems like the season for getting injured. And stress fractures in the leg seem to be the most popular choice.

It started off with basketball player Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, followed by a whole host of Olympic track stars who are likely to miss the Beijing games because of it, including Paula Radcliffe. And now looks like I'm in some elite company as no less a name than Tiger Woods joins the list!!!

Just read this.........
"Tiger also suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia two weeks before the U.S. Open, ignoring doctors' advice to take six weeks off to let it heal. And he still won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, going 91 holes over five days on a knee that was getting worse."

And this was less than two months after having arthoscopic surgery in his left knee...........remarkable!!

The race that wasn't!

2008-06-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks back was the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego. That's the race I've been training for since March. Running is a strangely addictive thing. I think all runners, on some level, are a bit neurotic. You always want to run that extra mile, a faster split, and push yourself more than you thought u normally could. I think people who are passionate about their running tend to love everything about it. At some point, we are just consumed by it completely. It isn't about where you start or finish. Just the run itself, the rhythm, the surge of energy and adrenaline, the challenge, the pain, the fatigue, the joy.....its liberating!!!

As a physical activity, it is as pure as it gets. The sheer beauty lies in the simplicity of it all. Its one of those rare sports which is still untouched by drugs and controversy and will remain so. For me its a lot about breathe control. It determines my speed, how quickly I fatigue, how far I go etc. I've reached a stage where on most of my runs I can run without going out of breathe till the very end when I tend to sprint. You always feel refreshed and pumped after a long run. More so after races. Infact, running in races is so much fun, when you're surrounded by thousands of people, spectators cheering you on, just motivates you so much more. It also gives your running routine a sense of purpose.

Anybody who has trained seriously for a marathon would know the joys and pains involved. And the most important thing to know is when not to push yourself too far. Its a lot harder than you think. Marathon running is more mental than physical! As luck would have it, I had a stress fracture of my tibia less than 3 weeks before the race and could not run it. Its a classic over training injury but it was also partly due to the fact that my shoes were half a size too small. It is more than a little disappointing to not be able to run a race which you've worked hard for. When you've pictured it a thousand times in your head. Waking up early every weekend, no late nights, never missing a run, heck even missing out on long weekends :).

So I was still down in San Diego to cheer the 18000 or so who did run the race. Here are a few pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prahlad/sets/72157605568661093/

And I have no complaints coz I cant wait to get out there and do it all over again, without getting injured ofcourse!!

Time's a running!

2008-04-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Quite literally :).

City hopping!

2008-01-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

Some of the places I have been to in the last 3 weeks....................

Austin

Texas has this whole image of being cowboy country with supersized buildings, roads, cars, food, heck even people. But Austin was nothing like it. Its a medium sized city which is quite modern and in a sense reminded me of Minneapolis, atleast the downtown. Bang in the middle of downtown is the state Capitol, which was Dubya's first political office. Surprisingly though, Austin apparently is part of the Bush bashing bandwagon. Just like Minneapolis, there is a big university right next to downtown. But the UT campus doesnt even begin to compare with the structural grandeur of the U of M. Honestly, the EECS building was quite appalling. The thing that strikes you the most ofcourse is that everything is wider rather than taller in Texas. Gaps, gaps, gaps! Between houses, offices, heck even airline terminal gates............everything is spread far and wide. Ofcourse, the drive to San Antonio gives you the feel that you expect from Texas, with miles and miles of open lands, home I'm sure to hundreds of ranches and farms. And ofcourse I'm told that you can get a lovely three bedroom, two garage house for under $200K. Coming from California, thats a hard pill to swallow!

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia is truly a tourist friendly place. Malaysian airlines cleverly gives its passengers a few hours in transit at KL between flights to almost all destinations. A free visa on arrival only encourages one to step out of the airport and see the sights of the city. India could try something like this to improve its tourism but heck no one in their right frame of mind would travel air India, maybe once Jet and Kingfisher start operating international flights! The KL airport is quite majestic with its glass roofs and wide hallways and neat landscaping. And ofcourse free internet!

Anyway, like any good metro, KL has a well-connected public transport system. From the lightrail transit, to monorails, to buses and cabs you can cover every inch of the city in just a few ringets. I had just under 8 hours to cover as much as I could. This is the sort of situation I enjoy the most............. an unknown city, a map in hand and the possibilities endless!

KL is a two-faced city. On the one hand, it screams of development, modernization and growth. Great roads, tons of skyscrapers, well thought out landscaping (there r just miles of coconut trees laid out neatly on the ride from the airport to the city). The Petronas towers ofcourse is the big tourist attraction. The panoramic view of the city from the KL tower is not to be missed. And ofcourse consumerism. The malls in KL compare to and outdo most malls in the US. From designer labels like Louis Vuitton to food chains like California Pizza Kitchen, the american brandwagon is rampant all over the city. And whats more its very very pricey. And yet, these malls are packed with people. Yes, a lot of them maybe tourists but the locals were the ones doing most of the shopping. Ofcourse, being predominantly Islamic, the city is punctuated at regular intervals with mosques.

The other side of the story, ofcourse, is not so rosy. Overcrowded, narrow, congested roads, noisy, dirty and waiting for all hell to break loose. I was told by a local cabbie that KL has a large immigrant population from neighboring countries who come over the Malaysia in search of a better life and are forced to survive in the lowest rung of the economic ladder. Poverty naturally also drives people to crime, which is also quite a problem. The economic divide between the rich and the poor is only widening. Sounds a lot like India doesnt it. Infact, Malaysia has a sizable Indian population, mostly Tamil. I was reminded of this quite early on in my trip, when I was greeted on board my flight at LAX by a voice which said, "Welcome aboard, this is Jagannathan, your pilot speaking!"

Hyderabad

I really didnt get a chance to explore the city. But from whatever little I saw, it was a bit of a yawn. The whole place seemed rather lifeless. Indian metros today, even Chennai, are abuzz with activity. Everyone is in a mad rush to get ahead without much care for whats happening around them. Infact the traffic situation in most cities is sort of symbolic! Anyway, Hyd was fairly laid back and for all the talk of Mr. Naidu's efforts to improve the IT infrastructure, cyber-city was a bit of a joke. Bangalore and Chennai are way ahead in the IT race. Maybe old Hyderabad is more charming than its younger cousin.

Calcutta

Kolkata, I should say, is again a city with many faces. It has quite a few firsts to its credit. The first presidency in India, the first college(appropriately - The Presidency college), the first tram service, the first metro, the first Indian museum, the first cricket club and so on. But it is also the dirtiest, most densely populated city in India home to the most number of slums, homeless people and sex workers.
Steeped in history, primarily because of its place in British India, its a must see for any Indian.

The metro (which is almost as crowded as a Mumbai local at most times), has just one line and runs the entire length of the city and is great for covering long distances. Buses, which resemble jail cells, and share autos are best for shorter trips. Givent that almost all the sights are in Central and South Kolkata, Park Street is a great place to stay. Its also supposedly the ritzier part of town. That actually is true of only one stretch from the metro station till about St. Xavier's College, which contains The Park hotel and numerous fine restaurants including Flurry's, the bakery! The rest of the road (where we stayed) is contrastingly ordinary and quite filthy. Although it is still much better than most other localities in town.

The two biggest tourist attractions are ofcourse the Victoria Memorial and the Howrah Bridge. The memorial is a majestic marble structure surrounded by vast gardens and ponds on all sides. Honestly it deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as the Taj Mahal. The museum inside gives one a nice insight into the history of British rule in India. Right beside the memorial is a huge maidan which, refreshingly, has an equal number of kids playing football as cricket. comes into view. A short cab ride past the unmistakeably gigantic Eden Gardens takes you right next to the modern Vidyasagar sethu, which honestly is far prettier than the Howrah bridge. A ferry ride from there gives you a nice view of the city from the Hoogly river. Getting down at Howrah brings both the bridge and the railway station into view. A short walk across the bridge through the vegetable markets on the side, the sheer volume of the crowds remind you that you are well and truly entering the heart of the city. From the financial district to the shopping areas of New market, Chowringhee and esplanade, this part of town was just overflowing with activity. Its also a great place to pause for some tasty roadside gol-gappas! And if that doesnt satisfy you, there is always K.C.Das and Haldiram's.

In sharp contrast to the utter chaos of Calcutta, is the wonderfully planned and still under development Salt Lake City. Just a few kilometers northeast of the city, you are greeted by a quiet almost pollution free environment. Wide roads, tall modern buildings, heck even nice parks, this is how every city in India ought to be. Its difficult to imagine how the two co-exist and one can only hope that Salt Lake remains free of the filth and mess that pervades the rest of the city.

Old as a quarter!

2007-12-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

So another year older! I think turning 25 is a lot more peaceful for a guy than a girl. The sirens don't start going off around you, no peer or parental pressure (yet, although at least 3 people have already said nows the time to find someone). This, in my opinion, is going to be the year of weddings, with a handful of friends tying the knot. Strangely I haven't attended a wedding in over three years and I sort of miss it. Hopefully I'll do something about that and a lot of other things I miss, during my India trip in less than three weeks.

Looking back, 24 has been quite routine and peaceful. My dad calling it shapely 24 turned out to be quite prophetic, as I'm fitter now than I have ever been. Running is now a habit I enjoy. Work itself has been quite steady over the last few months. Summer was quite hectic but it has eased off of late. The highpoint was probably having my parents visit me here for my commencement.

Strangely, Vancouver and DC were the only new cities I visited this year. In fact, I haven't traveled at all since Labor day. That of course will change over the coming weeks. After a point I think every city in the US feels the same. All the more reason to travel further out, like Europe!

Hopefully, this year will turn out to be more adventurous than the last!

The Santa Barbara Half!

2007-11-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

Running is the most popular activity in Santa Barbara. On any given day of the year, if you walk along the beach you are bound to cross paths with atleast a handful of runners. That is mostly due to the fact that the weather here lends itself to outdoorsy things all year round. Biking is the next favored recreation. And whats more, its really neat running along the coast with the ocean breeze in your face. The whole stretch from the bird refuge to Shoreline through Stearns Wharf is ideal for a weekend run. That was the venue for the annual half marathon held last Saturday.

Over the last week, there has been a cloud of dense fog over the city in the mornings and given the fact that DST didnt switch back till this Sunday, the sun was rising pretty late. So we started in thick fog at around 8.30 in the morning. Although it cleared up as the race progressed, the cooler conditions made it all the more ideal for a run. Apparently, almost 2500 people took part. They had come from all over the country. Didnt seem like that many at the starting line though. Races here are organized really well. They take care of every detail. From timing chips on your shoes to measure time accurately, to providing refreshments at regular checkpoints during the race and after, to creating an encouraging atmosphere all around, you feel great about the whole thing. And whats more the registration fees goes to local charities.

The half marathon(13.1 miles) is in my opinion the perfect distance to run unless you're a running junkie. Its not as bad as the full 26.2 where you need a few months of preparation and at the end of it, you will be sore for about a week not being able to do much else. The half, on the other hand, is short enough that you can be back at work in a day's time and yet is challenging enough for you to take it seriously. And at the end of it, you feel like you've done something worthy. And ofcourse, its all the more fun running with thousands of others in your own backyard. The chap who won it was just far superior to everyone else. He finished nearly six minutes in front of the second placed man. I caught a glimpse of him around mile 8 when he was on mile 12 I think. He was being coached and guided throughout by another guy on a bike. He was completely focussed.

As for me, I placed, hold your breath....................., 333rd :). But who cares, what matters is that I had fun taking part.

And then it rained!

2007-09-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

After eight arid months! Time to do a rain dance :).

Juju - the greatest David of all time!

2007-09-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

I"ve watched women's tennis since Gabriela Sabatini beat Steffi Graf to win the 1990 US Open, and Justine "juju" Henin is the best player I've ever seen. Here is why. Ever since the Williams sisters arrived on the scene, women's tennis has become a physical sport. For over 3 years no one had an answer for the power and physicality of these two women. Then came the brigade of Russians - tall (most of them are six footers), well-built and ready to match the Williams' power game. All through this, Henin, the petite Belgian all of 5 ft 5" and 125 lbs, has consistently been at the top of the game. Imagine a lightweight boxer competing in the heavyweight category and coming out on top. The classic David vs Goliath.

So how does she do it? Naturally, the first thing that she realized that she needed to do was build strength. She worked so hard on doing so that she ended up beating up her body pretty bad in the process. That resulted in a series of injuries after which she eased off. Secondly, she has constantly been perfecting her technique. It is safe to say that she has the best technique, footwork and timing of any player in the game currently. She is probably the only one with an all-court game to go along with the greatest backhand in the history of the game. And whats more, she has improved her serve tremendously. These are the traits that Martina Hingis failed to improve on and found herself being blown away time and again. With all due respect to Graf and Seles, women's tennis is played at a far higher level today than a decade ago. Graf would not have been able to bully her opponents with her forehand had she played in this decade. I would infact say that Juju is a better ball striker than either of those two greats.

Juj has always said that she loves facing up to challenges, part of the reason why she loves skydiving so much. And there is no greater challenge in her sport than to face the Williams sisters back to back on a fast hard court at Flushing Meadows! And she rose to the occasion quite beautifully. For the first time, someone outhit and overpowered Serena. The sore loser that she is irreverently blamed luck for her loss instead of giving Juju her due. Make no mistake about it, nobody has dominated Serena Williams and actually overpowered her before the second set of the quarter-final of this year's US open.

If that wasn't enough, she then came up against Venus playing the best tennis of her life in the semi. The standard of tennis by the end of the first set had reached dizzy heights. And it stayed there, despite the swirling winds out on court. Both players were trading winners like there was no tomorrow. Venus threw everything at her. But Juj had an answer for everything. It is one of the better tennis matches I've seen in a very long time. When it was over, Henin had come through in straight sets.

John McEnroe calls her the female Roger Federer. That's mighty high praise. But if you've watched her play at this year's US open you'll see why.

The world is round!

2007-07-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at air tickets to India for the last couple of days. Led to a few interesting discoveries. General consensus is that from the West Coast of the US, it is best to travel westward for a couple of reasons
1. Its cheaper coz you travel via one of the many south east asian airlines like malaysian, singapore, korean, thai etc instead of the more reputed european carriers.
2. Its significantly shorter to fly over the pacific. This might partly be due to the way a world map is laid out.

Now while the former is true, the latter infact isn't. The shortest trip travelling west consists of an insanely long first leg - just over 17hrs (LA to anyone of KL, bangkok or singapore) followed by a relatively short flight of 3 1/2 hours, which adds up to just under 21 hrs of flying time. But interestingly through Europe, the trans-atlantic leg (LA to Frankfurt) takes around 11 hrs followed by an 8 1/2 journey to Madras. That amounts to under 20 hrs. Ofcourse you can dock another 4 and 6 hrs from that time if you're travelling from Chicago and New York respectively. And infact, there are now direct flights to India from these two cities.

This ofcourse leads to another question - which would you prefer? Long flights with minimal stops or a trip with shorter flights but more stops. Personally I think I may prefer the former. But I have my limits. Last winter, I had this 17 1/2 hr non-stop flight from DC to Addis Ababa. When you are in a flight for that long you start to get the feeling that you are never going to get out. Sleep, food, fellow passengers and in-flight entertainment can only take you so far!

To go east or west - that is the question!!

Good old news!

2007-07-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days I've been following indian news quite intently thanks to this. Thats CNN-IBN's live stream of its news channel. Pretty neat I must say. It serves as a nice trip down memory lane, catching up with journalists that you've grown up watching. But what is most striking is how much of an influnce western, particularly american style television journalism has had on the channel. This might be in part to their tie up with CNN but shows like cyrus broacha's the week that wasn't are a direct copy of jon stewart's daily show. Although you get bored of the repetetive nature of the programming after a while, half an hour of viewing brings you up to date with most of the day's happenings. And its nice to see good old indian advertising for a change, which is far more sensible than its american counterpart.

Madness!

2007-06-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

Bal Thackeray on the Sena's support for Pratibha Patil, "To have a Marathi President was to pay tribute to the 105 martyrs who shed their blood for the formation of Maharashtra, which was founded 47 years ago..........It is Maharashtra's fortune that a Marathi woman is for the first time becoming the President. Those opposing it should be termed as wretched."

Sectarian politics at its blatant best.

I wont say more about this instead let you read Rajdeep Sardesai's take on all this here.

The last of the grasscourters!

2007-06-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Its that time of the year when the lush green lawns of southwest London are the cynosure of the world's eyes for an entire fortnight. Grass court tennis when played at its best is a joyous spectacle. Since the days of McEnroe, it is the only surface to reward those who play the game with a bit of touch and finesse.

Boom boom Becker ushered in the era of power tennis. Those booming serves from the new graphite frame backed up by deft volleying really added a new dimension to the game. The likes of Edberg, Goran and Stitch flourished on this philosophy. None more so than arguably the greatest exponent of grass court tennis, Pete Sampras. Ofcourse, the Agassis and Couriers were the classic foil to these guys, but at the end of the day, its the serve and volley game that always came out on top.

Its a pity then that Tim Henman, the last of these rare breed of players and Britain's best player in the Open era, never won a Championship. Year after year he would make his way efficiently through the first week playing classic grass court tennis, bringing joy to many a soul on Henman hill and make the whole of Britain believe that he could go all the way. But then, almost always his tournament was ended by Sampras. Like many others in this generation, his best chance came in 2001. But that year in the semifinals, the weather Gods, Goran and his belief in destiny intervened and conspired against him. Its a shame that he was not good enough to beat Hewitt in 2002.

From then on he hasnt been a serious title contender. But watching him play today against Moya was wonderful. Even if he doesn't win, he gave a great exhibition of grass court tennis for one last time to the faithful British crowd. Over the years he has been forced to curb his natural instinct to follow his serve to the net. But today, he played like the Henman of old. Chip and charges, authoritative volleys, deft half volleys, it was all there. Wimbledon reached its low point during the 2002 final between Hewitt and Nalbandian when not a single service was backed up by a volley. Since then Roger Federer has taken over the game. Many would even argue that he is a great grass court player. Yes its true, but he is not a natural. His natural instinct is not to come in behind his serve. This is exemplified by the fact that he hardly ever does so on any other surface but grass. Ofcourse, he is so gifted that he doesn't need to except from time to time on Center court when he is bored of the monotony of baseline tennis.

The women's game has long been a slugfest from the back of the court, despite Mauresmo and Juju's efforts to come to the net in last year's final. And given that this is likely to be Henman's farewell Wimbledon, this may well be the last time we get to savour the lost art of serve and volley tennis that has become synonymous with this surface.

PROFILE OF AN AVATAR

2007-06-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

Dewan Bahadur Dr. Kilambi Ramanujachari, M.A., B.L., F.M.U. was born in 1852 in an orthodox Sri Vaishnavite family in Pentapadu Agraharam, Tadepallegudem, West Godavari District, now in the State of Andhra Pradesh. When Kilambi Ramanujachari was yet in his mother’s womb, she constantly and ardently prayed to God, as her first two sons Raghavachari and Srinivasachari died early in their infancy. Lord Rama appeared in the anxious mother’s dreams, and asked her why was she was praying to Him constantly. She asked for ‘ayush’ or longevity for the incubating child. Lord Rama assured her of the grant of her wish. Soon thereafter Kilambi Ramanujachari was born and was reverentially also called Ramavataram.

Kilambi Ramanujachari grew up in the family homestead in Pentapadu Agraharam where ancestral agrarian lands provided moderate subsistence. He performed austere penances including the daily recitation of Sri Hayagriva Mantras standing in chest high waters at about 4 a.m. The young boy was extremely precocious in learning and had mastered various texts in Sanskrit and studied the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatam and various literary works including those of Kalidasa. His mastery of the Sanskrit language and the emergence of enormous intellectual powers created an insatiable urge to learn more.

Young Kilambi Ramanujachari learned of the Vizianagaram Rajahs’ interest in and encouragement of education. Vizianagaram was a prosperous samasthanam (kingdom) and was known as ‘Vidyulunagaram’ or the ‘town of intellectuals’. The famous Maharajah’s College in Vizianagaram was one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the areas now under the State of Andhra Pradesh. Kilambi Ramanujachari planned to go to Vizianagaram to seek audience of the Maharajahs, and solicit their assistance for further education. With great reluctance, the anxious parents gave their sixteen year old son permission for the long journeys ahead.

Kilambi Ramanujachari arrived in Vizianagaram and sought the audience of the Maharajah. H. R. H. Vijayanandagajapathi was on the throne, and his young and illustrious son, ‘Prince Charming’ H. R. H. Anandagajapathi was already well known for his enthusiasm and accomplishments in learning, sports and the martial arts taught to young princes of the time. The Maharajah learnt of the visit of Kilambi Ramanujachari and his desire to meet the Rajahs. Within a few days, the destined meeting of the young boy and the famous Rajahs took place and they were duly impressed with the brilliance of his personality, learning and intellectual powers.

Kilambi Ramanujachari agreed to perform an Ashtavadhanam and the delighted Rajahs ordered its organization at the earliest in the royal palace.

Ashtavadhanam is an intensive and exhausting test of intellectual capabilities and is organized on the following lines:

Eight learned persons or pundits sit circling the candidate Ashtavadhani. The first pundit asks difficult questions in grammar, the second requires elaboration on key passages in literary classics, the third requests poems on specified topics, the fourth asks questions on general knowledge and history, the fifth tests knowledge of music, the sixth demands answers to questions in sciences, the seventh keeps ringing a bell and suddenly asks the candidate to declare how many times he had rung the bell (!) and the eighth pokes the candidate somewhere on his body and asks him to keep count of the number of times he had poked the candidate! This kind of examination would last about 3 hours and the candidate has to successfully satisfy each of the eight pundits continuously during the period. The Ashtavadhani would be completely exhausted and sweating profusely by the end of the test.

Kilambi Ramanujachari came through the Ashtavadhanam with flying colours and the Rajahs were duly impressed with the young boy’s genius. The young Prince, H.R.H. Anandagajapathi asked Kilambi Ramanujachari whether he could perform a Shathavadhanam. Kilambi Ramanujachari readily agreed.

Shathavadhanam was a rarity even in those days, and the Maharajah’s office made elaborate arrangements for it, inviting distinguished guests from far and wide to witness the event:

In a Shathavadhanam, one hundred pundits of Sanskrit sit in lines. The candidate Shathavadhani has to go up to the first pundit who would request the candidate to compose the first line of a quatrain on a specified subject, on completion of which the candidate moves to the second pundit for a similar exercise, and the third, fourth, ...., finally the hundredth, and repeats the cycle for the second line of the respective quatrain for each pundit, and cycles back again for the third and fourth lines of the respective quatrains. Each of the hundred quatrains is examined by the respective pundit for relevance to specified subject, grammar, quality and finally the pundit has to pronounce his verdict that the quatrain has been accepted. When all the quatrains are accepted, the candidate becomes a Shathavadhani.

Kilambi Ramanujachari was declared Shathavadhani and the Rajahs were as well delighted. They decided to sponsor the further studies of Kilambi Ramanujachari at the Madras University.

Accordingy, young Kilambi Ramanujachari arrived in Madras taking the boat from Visakhapatnam, subsisting on coconut water for the many days of the journey to preserve the acharam or orthodox food and personal discipline. He took up residence in Triplicane and after a year’s study he passed the S.S.L.C. Examinations. He joined the Presidency College and passed both the B.A. and M.A. Examinations. He enrolled at the Law College of Madras and passed the B.L. Examinations. He commenced his legal practice under Sir Norton, a British legal luminary practicing at the Madras High Court. Sir Norton was impressed with Kilambi Ramanujachari’s intellectual prowess and was keen to sponsor his brilliant junior to qualify as Barrister-at-Law in England. When Kilambi Ramanujachari wrote to the Maharajah of Vizianagaram about Sir Norton’s proposal, the Maharajah requested Kilambi Ramanujachari to return to Vizianagaram as the Maharajah foresaw important responsibilities for the young double graduate there.

Kilambi Ramanujachari returned to Vizianagaram, and was appointed as Vice-Principal of the Maharajah’s College on a salary of Rs. 500/- p.m. Kilambi Ramanujachari also attended the Royal Court and provided extensive legal counsel to the Maharajah. H.R.H. Anandagajapathi had ascended the Royal Throne. Young in years, and deeply interested in learning, poetry and fine arts, the young Maharajah found the company of Kilambi Ramanujachari invigorating and enlightening.

Within the next two years, Kilambi Ramanujachari was promoted as Principal of the Maharajah’s College on a salary of Rs. 1,000/- p.m. – a princely sum in those days! Under his able guidance, the College became a famous and revered institution of learning and was sought after by students from far and wide. His contributions to the field of education became well known. He served as a member of the Senate of Madras University. He founded the Sanskrit and Music Colleges in Vizianagaram and guided the establishment of the Sanskrit College in Madras. He encouraged many indigent students by personally paying their college fees.

When Kilambi Ramanujachari was about 30 years of age, and had begun construction of his large 2 acre house [named “Parkside Villa”] with a first floor [‘medah’ – a rarity in that part of the country in those days], he decided to marry. He met Alivellama, a girl of 11 years and he tested her by offering her a banana and observing how she ate it. If she had licked the peel also before throwing it away, she might have been judged as not generous! Generosity indeed was the golden quality Alivellamma demonstrated amply throughout her married life with Kilambi Ramanujachari whom she bore nine children. Daily about 100 persons including family members, guests and poor visitors were fed sumptuously at Kilambi Ramanujachari’s house.

Among Kilambi Ramanujachari’s children, the eldest, Prof. Rangachari, a brilliant mathematician, taught at the Calcutta University along with Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee. Later he returned to Vizianagaram to teach at the Maharajah’s College. His salary never reached home, being always given away the very day he received it, to students who needed to pay college registration or examination fees! He was a scholar of the Pali language. He authored a text on South Indian temples. The second son of Kilambi Ramanujachari was a brilliant advocate practicing at Visakhapatnam, but died prematurely at the age of 40. The third son Srinivasachari who qualified as a doctor, died at a young age of 28. The last son, Raghavachari who was born to Kilambi Ramanujachari when he was 62 yeas old, was a business manager and the father of the author of this article. Kilambi Ramanujachari also had five daughters who were well accomplished and the fourth, Alaka Rajeshwari was a talented veena player. One of Kilambi Ramanujachari’s grandchildren, Dr. Kilambi Ramavatharam achieved international renown as a physicist.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of his service as the Principal of the Maharajah’s College was celebrated with great enthusiasm. A muslin scroll with the following citation was presented to him:

“ To
M.R.Ry.
RAO BAHADUR K. RAMANUJACHARI GARU
M.A., B.L., F.M.U.
Principal, Maharaja’s College,
VIZIANAGARAM.
Dear Sir,

On this happy occasion of the Celebration of the Silver Jubilee of your Principalship, we, the past and present Students and the Staff of the Maharajah’s College, rejoice to present to you this humble address congratulating you on this rare privilege you have enjoyed of presiding over this College for over a quarter of a century in a manner that has placed beyond doubt the capacity of Indians to hold such places of honour and responsibility.

The combination, in you, of eastern and western cultures, of a genuine love for the past and a keen sense of the large needs and the rich promise of the present, of character and culture, firmness and sympathy, has eminently fitted you to guide the education of successive generations of Indian youths.

Permit us to assure you, your example of severe simplicity, almost verging on austerity, has served as a lone star on a dark night to many a young man in steering clear of the shoals and sirens of life.

We believe that, at the present juncture in the evolution of progressive thought in our country, your learning of indigenous and foreign literatures and your experience as a Sanskrit Scholar who has received the broadening influences of western culture is bound to help the pupils of this College to form for themselves ideals that advance the best interests of our Country, and in so far as such training for our youths is worth more than book learning, we pray that Providence grant you life and energy to be a guide to us in the years to come.

We beg to remain,
Dear Sir,
Your loving students and sincere admirers,

The past and present students and the staff of the
MAHARAJA’S COLLEGE, VIZIANAGARAM.
Vizianagaram,
15th February, 1913. “

Kilambi Ramanujachari was awarded the title of Dewan Bahadur by the British Government on June 3rd, 1918. He was conferred with the Doctorate in Literature by the Madras University and on that occasion, the students of the Maharajah’s College removed the horses of his carriage and drew it themselves through the streets of Vizianagaram in a spontaneous display of reverence and affection.

The Maharajah of Mysore [the richest kingdom in South India] had requested Kilambi Ramanujachari to become the Dewan of his Kingdom, but Kilambi Ramanujachari could never think of such an eventuality and remained ever loyal to his patrons, the Maharajahs of Vizianagaram. When the title of Mahamahopadyaya was to be conferred on him for his accomplishments in the Sanskrit language, he recommended in all humility that this award be given to other contemporaries to encourage them.

The Maharajah of Vizianagaram bestowed on Kilambi Ramanujachari large tracts of land and villages in recognition of his invaluable services to the Royal Kingdom of Vizianagaram, as well as to the country as a whole. Kilambi Ramanujachari declined to accept many of these gifts.

The Vamsavriksham or family-tree of the Kilambis shows that they were living in regions now part of the present State of Andhra Pradesh, over the last five hundred years, migrating from a village near Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu. They trace their origin directly to one Kilambi Asan, a devout disciple and contemporary of Sri Ramanuja, the famous Hindu philosopher-saint of South India.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article was written by my father, V. Dilip Kumar.

All hail the new king!

2007-06-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

When Lebron James said earlier in the series "Just get me there (the 4th quarter). If its close I'll win the game", he wasn't kidding around. Sure he needed a couple of overtimes to prove his point. But he proved it alright and how!!! James' superhuman 48 point effort, last night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, is the most dominant performance i've seen this late in the playoffs since the days of a certain other No. 23!! I was just happy that i got to watch it.

Forget the athletic prowess, the vision on court, the ability to work the officials. The thing that stands out the most for me is his will to win. He goes out on court and says adamantly "We will not lose tonight, not on my watch". And it is this single-minded determination to win at all costs that made people like Schumi and Lance achieve what they did. And to think that Lebron is just 22. Unlike formula 1 and cycling, basketball is a team sport. But watching Lebron last night, you could be excused for thinking that it wasn't.

He was the only Cavalier to score in the last 18 minutes of the game. Up until then he had missed 13 of his 20 shots. He made 11 of next 13. Tough fadeaways, creating looks with behind-the-back dribbles, three pointers when double teamed, dunks and that poignant layup driving past 4 Detroit defenders to settle matters at the end, he did it all. He was also the only Cavalier who was visibly disappointed when they couldnt close it out at the end of the first overtime.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may not win the title this year but looking at Lebron's steady progress in the last 3 years, it cant be long now! In the career of Lebron James this will be looked back on as his defining game. Yes, he needs a few rings on his finger before we can start comparing him to the all time greats. But the NBA has been searching for the heir to the throne that was vacated nine long years ago. They can stop looking right now.

2007-01-23T00:58:00.000-08:00

The pursuit of perfection!

Its been a while since I've seen someone produce something so outrageous that you think its almost unfair for one human being to be so utterly dominant. Tiger when he won for the first time at Augusta, Tendulkar at Sharjah in 98, Sampras for a couple of sets in his 99 wimbledon final against Agassi, Lance when he won the tour in 2001, and Roger Federer everytime he steps on to a tennis court these days.

Federer, when he burst onto the scene at Wimbledon 2001, was a promising youngster. His exquisite all round game quickly came to the fore especially in 2002 and 2003. Tennis these days, even the men's game, is purely a baseline affair. The serve and volley game is now long gone with the likes of Goran, Henman and Phillipoussis having retired. Hence, we may never get to see the volleying skills of Federer in full flow ever again. His game has long surpassed any of his peers and for quite sometime now he has been chasing history. Whatever false hopes of victory that an opponent might carry quickly disappear after a couple of games against him. Given all this, you'd think that he wouldn't need to add to his game.

Yet, Federer has been steadily improving all this while. When you think of Federer, things that come to mind are his casual style, the forehand, the effortless ease of his game, the audacity of some of his shots, but today when I saw him play, the thing that stood out the most was his backhand. Even when I saw him play against Blake in Shanghai at the end of last year it was not this good. I have always believed that Justine Henin's backhand is the most gifted shot in all of tennis. I now think Roger Federer's backhand is the most potent. There is only so much you can do to a tennis ball. The topspin backhand is hit with more wrist whip and flick than anyone else i've ever seen. That shot looks so dismissive now as if he is telling the ball to go to hell and stay there. But the thing that kills you is that viscious sidespin that he is imparting to his slice. Its quite amazing, even on rebound ace, that the ball just spins so much and dies. I can only wonder what will happen on clay and grass. Earlier the opponent always had a glimmer of hope, thinking they could somehow outrally him on the backhand side but its tough to say which side is stronger now.

Its only a matter of time before he wins at Roland Garros. Last year he was pipped at the line. But with that new and improved backhand, 2007 will probably be the year. After that there wont be much left for him to achieve. But that does not deter a man like Roger Federer from the never ending pursuit of perfection!

2007-01-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

Rain drops keep falling on my head

Let me go ahead and state the obvious : In general, we tend to appreciate things only when we are starved of it. I usually walk or bike home for lunch everyday from work. Today I had, instead of sunshine, rain for company. It was one of those gentle rains after which the sun was trying to break out from under the clouds forming a lovely rainbow. It was such a refreshing change. I think the last time it rained in Santa Barbara was in august or september. I'm all for the sunshine and pleasant weather but once in a while when the rain comes along u suddenly feel light and carefree. The smell of fresh air and the ground just before it rains, the constant sound of the raindrops hitting u, the little puddles that begin to form, there is something innocent about it all. The only thing possibly more enjoyable is ofcourse snowflakes. I've had the chance to experience the seasons(all 4 of them) for a couple of years now and I absolutely love it. The fall colors, people overreacting on the first day of spring :), the long days of summer and ofcourse that special feeling when u goto bed one night only to wake up to see the city covered in white the next morning. I still havent seen snow this year ofcourse but i'm hoping to change all that in february and march with a couple of trips up north.

Speaking of snow, whats with all the weird weather this year in North america? I know the standard retort is global warming or El nino or la nina but it cant possibly explain everything. I mean it snowed in seattle and austin even when new york hadnt seen a flake of snow all winter. We, here on the south and central coast of california, have seen freezing temperatures beating all our record lows comfortably (supposedly due to an arctic blast from nevada of all places). Heck, its been one of the warmest and driest winters in minneapolis and unusually pleasant in the northeast. I find it all very interesting. Who knows, maybe it is all these ocean currents which are having an effect. I'm interested in seeing what summer holds in store.

In the meanwhile, raindrops on roses ........................these are a few of my favorite things :).

2006-12-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-04-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

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.

2006-03-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2006-03-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-01-18T11:43:00.001-08:00

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!!!

2005-12-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

For old time's sake

In no particular order,here is my india wishlist

- wake up to a hot glass of milo and a hindu.
- haggle with an autokaran - enna sir!
- ride my kinetic as freely as ever
- ride the MRTS - have still never done it!
- cook a hearty meal for my parents
- movie at satyam - obviously!
- A delightful breakfast at Woodlands drive-in, pani puri at keshav with the guys, dinner at dakshin and dessert at tangerine.
- morning at marina, evening at elliot's
- cricket in my own backyard and at my cousin's place in adyar - for arun and krishnan!
- meet all my teachers at Sishya, especially my hindi teacher.
- an overnight journey in a train, alone or otherwise
- attend a quiz with vatsa and jigar; wish i could have stayed till saarang and odyssey!
- ride the bus to college and (hopefully) rag a few juniors.
- pool at cue-in
- wile away time at landmark and spencers
- go-karting at danny's - and this time more than one round!!

So little time, so much to do!! Madras, here I come.

2005-12-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

A Birthday post!!!

Here's what Milton had to say on his 23rd...enjoy!!

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stolen on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!
My hasting days fly on with full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
That I to manhood am arrived so near;
An inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
Yet, be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure even
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven:
All is, if I have grace to use it so,
As ever in my great Task-master's eye.

- John Milton.

2005-09-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

The 55 word thingy!!

With all my heart, I tell you this,
Its been a while,
Since I’ve asked you much.
You’ve been so good
You are so kind
I have no reason to complain,
Yet, let this not be a wish in vain.
Make her happy, she ought to be,
That’s all I ask in prayer to thee.

This is a pretty neat idea......55 words about anything under the sun. I was tagged by Ramani and pass the baton to Bobby, Arjun and those two lazy oafs Dooma and Ro.

2005-08-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Calls for National Integration - a linguistic one?

India has always been a land of many cultures and languages. You cannot travel more than 100 miles without encountering a new dialect or language. Such is the diversity of the people.

But I would have never imagined that the boundaries between them were so distinct. Over the last year I have come to realize that people are more than happy to socialize with others that share the same mother tongue. Personally, i have never quite noticed or experienced it until now. Ever since my school days i have had friends whose vernacular varies from bengali to gujarati, from malayalam to hindi. I have never found it difficult or weird mingling with a crowd in which tamil was not the medium of communication. I guess English has always kept us all together.

Last year more than 20 of us came to Minneapolis from Tamil nadu. We represented the lion's share of all desis in the city by far. Who would imagine that in America of all places, with English being the only dominant language, bonds will form between people who shared a common language as opposed to a common interest. Groups slowly formed neatly divided by language. Tamil guys stick to Tamil Nadu, Telugu junta to Andhra and Marathi people to Maharashtra. The boundaries were as well known and evident as our state boundaries in India. Never more so than now when there has been a huge hiatus of students from Mumbai and Pune to match the Tamil population eye for eye.

Even though I see this phenomenon in flesh and blood in front of me, I still believe that it is just an aberration. People do not have a natural tendency toward ones with a common language. Yes, initially maybe, but your closest friends simply do not need to share the same mother tongue. As long as you enjoy each other's company, it really doesn't matter whether you call your mother mom, amma or aai.

p.s. this post has no reference to manmohan singh's address to the nation today or to Kalam's support for hindi although it is an interesting coincidence.

Camping at Lake Superior

2005-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Split rock lighthouse!

Its been a year since I landed in Minnesota and one thing missing from my ever growing travels was a visit to lake superior.

Last weekend I finally got to soak in the brilliance of the world's largest fresh water lake. It was a proper camping trip............tents, grills and all. Even though the drive isn't as beautiful as people make it out to be, nothing can prepare you for the first sight of the lake. The sheer volume of it is breathtaking. Anybody who has been to Duluth will know what I'm talking about. And a cloudless sunny day to boot. Just magnificent. I guess this is the best time to visit even though people come up here for the fall colors.

Even in summer, the water in the lake is far too cold for a dip. So we just had to keep to frisbee and kites on the beach. I was quite looking forward to the barbecue that night. It was almost comical looking at the five of us trying to grill every vegetable known to man. I have to concede.......the idea of a barbecue was not conceived with vegetarians in mind.

But it was capped off by a brilliant starry night. It was a new moon day and all the stars had come out to play. Just sitting there gazing at the sky was really the ideal end to a wonderful day!

2005-07-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Le tour de Rochester

Summer finally feels like it. Searing temperatures, bright sunshine, native minnesotans complaining of the unbearable heat...............unbearable - i would gladly take them on a trip around chennai in may on my kinetic honda to make them understand what unbearable really means.

In an automobile dominated country, its pleasantly surprising to find that there are quite a few dedicated biking or cycling enthusiasts around here. If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't be such wonderful bike trails all over rochester and minnesota. Biking, and therefore bikes, are of two types - mountain and road. And there are bike trails to keep both parties interested. I haven't really tried the dirt bike trails through the woods and orchards but I have taken a fancy to road biking. These are the race bikes - thin, large diameter aerodynamic wheels, a sophisticated gear system, and light as a feather. And these beauties can really fly. I haven't really clocked the speed but I'm sure they can easily do more than 40mph. And recreational trails are the perfect paths to realize the full potential of these speed machines. Biking along the zumbro river here in rochester and soaking in the scenery just adds to the joy of the whole experience. I use an old Schwinn, but some of the latest road bikes like the ones from Raleigh and Specialized are just unbeatable.

So if you have always enjoyed cycling and are thinking twice about buying a bike, just rent a bike and see for yourself. Off roading with a dirt bike or flying through trails, once you are hooked, there is no turning back.

2005-07-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

My favourite movies!

I was just watching Chariots of Fire after ages and it simply overwhelms me everytime. So here's a list of some other movies that do the same..............

In no particular order

Patch Adams
Finding Neverland
Philadelphia
Good Will Hunting
One Fine day
Castaway
Forrest Gump
The Hurricane

2005-06-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Impressions of my new iPod

I am now officially a member of the ipod bandwagon. I finally gave into my urge for an ipod shuffle and recently bought the 1GB music player. Here are some thoughts.

Joys
1. It is your best companion while you are on the move. While walking to the office, at the gym, doing grocery or even chatting with someone, its there and ready for your musical pleasure.
2. Its as light as a feather. You forget that you actually have it in your pocket.
3. The simplicity of it all. Its so easy to use. You can operate all the controls without even looking at it.
4. Even though the shuffle is meant to play a completely random selection of songs from your collection, the ability to control that with song rating is great. And ofcourse, when you want to listen to albums in order, you always have the option of doing so.
5. It looks darn good. Ofcourse its almost always hidden from public view(and hence envy) owing to its minute size.
6. The battery life. I can listen to music continuously all day without having to recharge.
7. I can now move large files. Most divx movies have a file size of 750mb. I have no problems with that anymore.

Irks
1. The ear buds supplied. They are crappy to say the least. It just cannot handle bass or mid range frequencies well. And the wires just get tangled and messy all the time. Leaving my Koss headphones back in NC was my biggest mistake of the year so far.
2. iTunes. I've read reviews of most iPods and they say that iTunes is what makes any iPod a really great buy. Infact recently, iTunes was found to be the second most popular music download software. I disagree. Apart from the fact that it arranges your music collection neatly, the functionality leaves much to be desired. There is no drag and drop method to build playlists, especially with the shuffle being a flash based USB drive, i should be able to drag and drop music onto it. Even that wouldn't be too much of a concern if not for Apple's feeble attempt at preventing music piracy. You can associate your iPod to only one iTunes library at any given time. Which means if you dont have a laptop, and you want to manage songs at both Work and home, you are helpless.........almost. Thanks to the Database Builder it can function like any other flash drive which plays music.

Poetry in motion!

2005-06-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Justine Henin-Hardenne is at it again.........on the brink of her second title at Roland Garros. Unbeaten on clay this year and on a 23 match winning streak. She is back with a bang. If not for the mystery virus that kept her out the whole of last year, I'm sure she would have more grand slams in her kitty by now. And hey, she just turned 23. I know that might sound old when compared to her tall, slender, blonde russian teenaged compatriots. But, I think her best days are still ahead of her.

She looks and feels stronger from the injury and seems to be hitting the ball harder than ever. But the thing that has changed about her is her thought process on court. She no longer tries to outrally or outgun her opponents. There is a lot more thought that goes into the points, a la Hingis. Hingis had to play intellingently every point to have any chance coz she lacked the strength to rally with the Williams, Davenports etc. But Justine has the strength, the groundstrokes to do that. If she starts working her points out, she can be devastating.

And how can I write something about Justine without talking about the most outrageously gifted backhand in all of tennis. Its even hard to imagine where she generates all the power and control over a single-handed backhand like that. Anybody who plays tennis will know what I'm talking about. There are very few moments in sport when you realize that you are overwhelmed by the sheer joy of what you are witnessing......A Mark Waugh cover drive, a Michael Jordan fadeaway, a Ryan Giggs shimmy, a Pedro Martinez fast ball, and a Justine Henin-Hardenne backhand...........poetry in motion!!! You could watch it all your life.

I'm not even watching her matches on TV, yet I realize how much I've missed the diminutive Belgian's play. There is no way in the world I'm going to miss her final on Saturday, not because of the prospect of her lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the second time but for the sheer joy of watching her play tennis.

2005-05-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

First Day on the Job!

Today was the first day of my non-student employee life. It was quite the experience. Things I've learnt...........

1. A hell of lot of time is spent in meetings than you are usually used to.
2. As a result of that a lot is discussed. You're not on your own. Words like planning and design actually seem to matter.
3. The word 'Management' has so much more to it than i thought. There are so many things happening and so many people involved that it all needs to be coordinated. And its no mean task. No wonder MBAs make all the big bucks. A new found respect for all the managers out there.
4. There are committees for everything. And there is a policy governing each one. In order to get a project started, a proposal has to pass through a million committees and has to undergo an even larger amount of changes to be approved.
5. Dress Code. A sudden change from wearing whatever I want to formal wear (shirt, pant, tie.....the whole package) .........I better get used to it quickly. what's more I need to do some shopping unless I want to be known as the "same-tie" guy.

I haven't even gotten used to the place yet..........looks like its going to be a week of revelations..........bring it on!

Tap show - part deux!

2005-05-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Shim Sham shimmy

Its appropriate that I post this on National tap dance day. It was that time of the year(er sem) again when our tap dance class performs at the Southern theatre. Last time, the show turned out to be amazing although our routine was not all that memorable( we cant help it if our instructor forgets our music......we were just beginners). So, this time we were the tap level 2 class. slightly more technical, more style, verve and all that jazz. We performed the 'ocapella' which is a piece without music except for the rhythm of our feet choreographed by our own instructor. Basically no one screwed up and we got through the routine in one piece.....woohoo! Watching tap 6 perform was really energising though. They had such a cool routine and it was super-technical. Of course, 2 tap and a jazz performance later, we all shimshammed together. For those of you who dont know, the Shimsham shimmy is the anthem of tap. Its got a zillion variations. We usually do the one conceived by Leonard Reed. Its the most enjoyable and fun routine in all of tap and when more than 30 people try to do it on stage that is not meant for more than 10, its absolute mayhem!!

Check out the snaps! You might also make another interesting observation.........

2005-04-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

The Weather Gods must be crazy

I missed the morning bus to campus, but I wasn't complaining as it was nice and pleasant and ideal for a walk.........a lovely Spring day!! By the time I came out of a meeting in the afternoon, it was snowing...........yes, it snows in minnesota at the end of April!! The forecast predicted it but we all trashed it saying its just not possible. I mean what are the chances. Its like saying the summer in chennai has been bearable this year. Fast forward to late afternoon. Its nice and sunny, warm almost. So much so that I had took take off my jacket. Are we having an early summer this year? But wait, that wasn't the end to the madness.

If all this wasn't enough, around 6pm, it starts raining. After which, it got windy and was cold!! I mean what's going on here. This is like one of the last scenes in the Truman Show. Is somebody messing with the weather gods.

All this was just too much for a day. I suddenly have an urge to listen to Vivaldi's four seasons.

moodmagic

2005-04-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

moodmagic

Ben and Jerry's has now officially become my favourite icecream place. I dont think anyone could get bored of their flavours except they themselves but hey, we aren't complaining. The more choices the merrier. In keeping with the theme of "An icecream for every mood" , come 4 different flavours which capture not just your imagination but also evoke different moods. I have been exposed to a lot of chocolate icecream in this country. Trust me, there is no lack of choice or flavour when it comes to chocolate here. But if you're still not satisfied, then you probably need medication for that insatiable craving. Aptly named "Chocolate therapy", it has chocolate icecream, chocolate brownie, chocolate chips, chocolate cookies and fudge. Trust me, it is not for the faint of heart.......and if you aren't terribly fond of chocolate dont even come near. It was a bit strong even for a choc lover like me. If this can't satisfy your need for chocolate then nothing can. The mood here is aggression.

But my favourite is "The Last Straw". The flavor has a hint of vanilla covering a light undertone of strawberry which gently stimulates your tastebuds. I was a kid again. It brought back so many memories. I just realized how much i've missed strawberry icecream. I started remembering little incidents when I used to absolutely enjoy strawberry icecream. It gave me a feel of remembrance, of carefree joy, of introspection. The mood was nostalgic.

I still haven't tried the other two flavors, one of them named "Apple-y ever after". The beauty of the whole thing is that it is bound to evoke different moods in different people. It truly is magical.

2005-04-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

The crucible

When I heard that the World championships of Snooker may not stay at the crucible, I went "What are the organizers thinking?" Its been its home for the last 25 yrs. I can't imagine it being played anywhere but Sheffield. I agree that metros like London and Manchester are more cosmopolitan and hence are a marketing dream but I mean comeon. If a World Cup is played in England, can you imagine the final not being played at Lord's. I think you now understand what I'm saying.

Glad that they decided to not move it. All this hoopla luckily hasn't distracted the crowd from one of the most exciting tournaments in years. I mean almost every match has been so tight. Just wish I could have watched the 147 from the Welsh southpaw Mark Williams. Too bad he wont be lifting the trophy this year. There are a few interesting new faces this year including Shaun Murphy who really has been a revelation. But my money is on King Hendry. I think he has gone long enough without a title. Once he is past Stevens I think he should be safely through to the final. O' Sullivan seems jaded this year. He may still make it to the final. But to be on top come Sunday, he will have to up his game.

Whatever the result, whoever the players, The Crucible will be the place to be this Sunday evening!

2005-04-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

A little kindness can go a long way!

Wednesday was free cone day at Ben & Jerry's. Being right in the heart of the U of M campus, u are bound to have a mad rush for it. Why would a business do such a thing? Why give away free icecream for an entire day especially right in the middle of campus where students are ready to try out all the flavors on offer even if it means standing in long queues. This may not run you to bankruptcy but is surely not going to be profitable by any stretch of the imagination. What did they themselves have to say..........."It is our way of saying Thank you". Cool, I'm not complaining but i just failed to see the reasoning behind it. Its almost laughable.

Atleast till today. Ever since then, I dont know if its just me, but this place has gone ice cream crazy......more specifically Ben & Jerry's crazy. The people coming in and out and the number of people on the road with icecream cones just seems to have suddenly gone up. Whenever I walk on the road just a couple of blocks to the bus stop I see atleast 5 people with icecream cones in their hand. Its unbelievable. Wonder how just one cone made such a difference. For regulars like me, it was just another icecream but it seems to have done the trick on most people who otherwise wouldn't have even come near the place otherwise.

Now I wonder who is laughing all the way to the bank!!!

2005-04-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

When the going gets tough call in the professionals!

One thing I really like about my apartment is our landlord. He is the fix-it-all handyman who can get you out of anything. Be it moving ridiculously large and heavy furniture up the stairs and through narrow entrances, changing the screws in the stove, killing bugs, drilling holes through walls, fixing problematic toilets or just being there for any and every trouble............u name it, u can count on him.

So the latest problem, a clogged kitchen sink. the problem with a sink which grinds waste is that u have a tendency to rely on it too much. I think we have been dumping too much food into it over the past few months that it has finally taken its toll. After half an hour of digging away, even our landlord gave up. So what do we do? Call in the professional...........There is a professional for everything in this country. So why should drain cleaners be any different.

Hopefully they will get the job done!!

2005-04-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Tamil New year!

Its been the week of new years. Its funny how different states in India celebrate their new year's on different days of the first fortnight of April.

I know that the Tamil Calendar follows the movement of the sun.I'm sure each state has its own little story attached to ringing in the new year. I was not aware of this until this year when I got to see it first hand with people from Andhra, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Bengal and ofcourse Tamil Nadu. I always thought that there was Ugadi and Tamil New year and thats it coz we used to get a holiday only for those two in school.

Its also strange that Tamil New year is probably the only occasion( i wouldn;t call it a festival) among all the states to not have a proper name. I mean when there can be a Ugadi, Vishu, Gudi Padwa, Baisakhi etc why dont we have a name?

Hmmm.......anyway, here's wishing you all a Happy Paarthiva Varsham!!

How appropriate is it to receive a Panchangam on New year's day!!!!

2005-03-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!

A week back i would have never imagined that I would be in North Carolina. yes, north carolina. Never knew could get such good flight deals at the last minute. Hotwire rocks!!

Anyway, was a reunion of sorts. Got together with quite a few of my college mates. Was wonderful seeing all of them again. All of us are still the same fun loving lot. Didn't feel like we had been away from each other for even a moment. There's nothing much to speak about North Carolina except that the weather was perfect. 21C is the ideal temperature with the sunshining all day. You cant get a better day to go on a 200 mile drive to the Atlantic coast.

Driving in this country is one of the easiest things to do. Dont know why there are so many accidents. I simply fail to understand how one can go wrong with automatic transmission and so many rules to keep you safe. So much so that I'm seriously contemplating buying a car before the summer starts. It would be really helpful especially driving to work if i plan to stay in minneapolis. With a shoestring budget it would have to be a use and throw car though.......lets see!!

Minneapolis is warming up considerably! Spring is officially underway. People in this country are overreacting though. Especially the women. From 2 to 3 layers of clothes to almost none is kind of overdoing it. I mean its not like its sweltering hot. That would be good old chennai in may. Wonder what these people would do in conditions like that............hmmm!!

2005-03-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

Taking a step back

Why do we go through life the way we do? Worrying about gazillion things under the sun. Get paranoid about the most ridiculous of things. The kind of life that we lead, mostly thinking about the future rather than the present. The stuff we dont do when we really want to. Trying to make a better tomorrow for yourself and almost completely losing touch with the present. When you get to see something completely different, a different lifestyle, a whole new perspective perhaps on life itself, it forces you to take a step back and introspect. I mean seriously, is the fuss all worth it? maybe it is eventually. But all i know is that, that is not the only way to go through life even though it seems like it. There are so many others who have such a nice outlook on life. And who knows maybe they end up with a lot more satisfying life if not a very significant one.

I'm pretty sure this is my most cryptic post i've written. But i just had to get it out of my system.

2005-03-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

The first morning of an India-pak series!

The anticipation, the atmosphere, the ground, and its only a few minutes before the toss. Butterflies anyone!!!!!! Funny thing is I wont even be watching it and yet that doesn't really seem to matter. wish i could atleast get ball-by-ball commentary. Actually I think there is a website which is actually providing a live feed of all the matches. Let's see, maybe I am desperate enough for that. But until then, here's a small prayer for a Dravid century on day 1 at Mohali!!

2005-03-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

I dont know a single person who doesn't appreciate the national anthem!

It is absolutely peaceful listening to Jan Gan Man(the Rahman album) early in the morning or late at night. For anyone who has never heard the album, I highly recommend buying the CD and listening to it right away. The ensemble of musicians on the album is simply amazing. It reads like the who's who of Indian classical music. From Vishwa Mohan Bhat's mohan veena, to hariharan's alaap, it never ceases to amaze you.

Thanks to Rahman for reviving the anthem among the youth!

2005-02-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Life has changed!

It was Oscar night. What was I doing.................I was in the lab in complete oblivion doing my graphics assignment. I think this is the first time in 10 years I've missed the Oscar ceremony. This is just crazy. But I think the winner's list is the most predictable in a long long time.

Life does feel like it has changed.

2005-02-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

From the land of skiing gods!

Alpine skiing is a sport that i never truly identified with. What are the chances sitting in the heart of Chennai far far away from any form of snow! Even though it was exciting to watch a few giant slalom events on Transworld sport every sunday it never caught my imagination. Not until Saturday that is!! My first skiing experience.........with a snowstorm round the corner, minnesota was a skiing haven, atleast for amateurs like me. For us this is the alps and the ultimate experience!

Skiing doesnot involve a steep learning curve! Just pay attention to technique and detail and you should be well on your way. A bit of courage always helps. That doesn't mean I was tearing down a steep slope, doing tricks mid-air and screeching to a stylish halt on a level 5 slope. That was the job for 8 year old girls who seemed to have no fear. They were putting me to shame. I mean here I was, hesitant on letting go, contemplating how fast to go down the most gradual of slopes and these kids whiz by me on snowboards and skis as though it was as easy as taking a Sunday afternoon stroll.

More than the embarassment, the fatigue, and the cold(not really), what best describes skiing is FUN. Loads and loads of it! There is no feeling like letting go at the top of a slope and coming down it with nothing to stop you except your own ability to brake using the skiis. The adrenaline rush, that thrill is unmatched. And once you've come down the slope, you can't wait to get back up and do it again. Even after 3 1/2 hours you want more!! I cant wait to go back there and try the steeper slopes! The fatigue never gets to you while you are at it. Ofcourse the next morning is an entirely different story. Your entire body is aching, my whole left side was soar. But its just temporary. Given the choice I would do this every weekend!

So for those lucky souls who get to do this for a living - the tombas, the meiers, the seizingers.............. I admire and envy you!!

Yes the snow is great and skiing is the best way to enjoy it! and for all those who want to run away to florida and california far away from snow, go out, get a pair of skiis and live life to its fullest!

2005-02-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

Friday stands for fun!

Arachu vitta sambar is the only way sambar should be made. I'm never making sambar any other way. And maybe next time i will be more prepared instead of getting a neck pain out of getting a tutorial on the phone from my mom. And when that happens obviously the food cant go wrong. I mean when 15 people gulp down 4 litres of sambar within an hour of its preparation, surely it must have been good! ofcourse the dosai had a part to play in that as well!

So Friday is the day i most look forward to. Its my day of fun. No classes. A meeting with Prof. Nadathur in the morning which is kind of fun coz I am given preferential treatment over my co-TA. The fun starts with preparing for the recitation(teaching) on Monday and then planning dinner. The fun is rounded off with a movie.

What is more satisfying than cooking dosai, sambar...............eating it!!

2005-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

Snowfight - the most fun way to fight!

When your environment is taken over by a sea of white, life can be depressing at times. But for all those who say winter is a miserable time of the year, i'd say you just dont know how to have fun. If you cant fight the snow, try to enjoy it. Go out with a few friends and have a snowfight. Its the most amazing experience. Ofcourse, dont be crazy and not be protected before you do so. But seriously, smashing snowballs on each other and playing with snow gives you this feeling of carefreeness which I haven't felt since my school days. So for all you lonely, miserable and bored souls out there, if there is snow around you go play in it. You will realize how liberating it can be.

Next thing on the agenda - build a snowman!

2005-01-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

The quest for Dosai in midtown Manhattan - In a New York minute

Observations
1. Times square is probably the only place where you could sit in the middle of a street and have dinner with a million people from all over the world. Its an experience that I will never forget and one which every person should experience atleast once. Counting down the new year's with a million voices to give you company is a big part of that.
2. When the wind hits you on the 86th floor of the Empire State building, you better be prepared.
3.Chinatown here really means chinatown. You would really think you were in midtown Tianjin.
4. The statue of Liberty is best seen on a clear day just after sunrise bathed in sunlight.
5. Becco's is probably the best italian place in manhattan. Its by far the best italian food I've had. Never knew pasta meant so much more than mac, spaghetti, and penne.
6. Dosai tastes heavenly regardless of whether you have it at home, at Woodlands or on Lexington and 27th in Manhattan.
7. Never thought I could see anything like the queues and crowds at the Tirupathi temple. The mob trying to get into Times square on New year's eve comes pretty close.
8. The museums in New york will drive you crazy. They are so huge that you can get lost in them. But I must admit that some of the stuff on display is fabulous and makes even the most uneducated eye pause and take notice!
9. Most people working on wall street and making millions still live in apartments smaller than the one I live in right now.
10. The number of people making a living off the streets is almost equal to those not. Most of these are asians.
11. For the first time I saw a ladies queue much longer than the men's. Any guesses as to what the queue was for?
12. NYPD bomb squad dogs are some of the healthiest known to man.

New york city is like no other in the US. But the more I think of it the more I'm reminded of Bombay. Here are a few parallels........
1. Its the first and probably only skyline that requires a panoramic view to see.
2. It is dirty almost to the point of being filthy at certain places. I needn't even bother to open my mouth about the cleanliness of bombay.
3. Its busier than any other city. People dont have the time to take a moment and soak in the atmosphere. That is left to the tourists.
4. The subways are a lifeline every New yorker appreciates. It reminds you of the train system in bombay. Sometimes, it does get that crowded as well.
5. The waterfront on battery park is the place to be for sunrise and sunsets. The ferry to liberty starts from there. Benches, pigeons, even buildings resembling the Taj Mahal hotel..........need I say more.
6. Grand central is a train station so much like VT. Ofcourse its much bigger. It also has this Indian place called Cafe Spice which serves some amazing biryani!

But thats where the similarities end. New york has so much more. The sheer size of the buildings can be quite a pain in the neck! In the middle of all the madness is a green haven called Central Park. You can get your peace and quite there. Just walking down the streets of Manhattan is quite a surreal experience. Its a truly international sight as you bump into people of all shapes, sizes, race and color. There's an ad, i think for mastercard, which goes "If you stand on Times Square long enough, you are likely to meet every person on earth". I now actually believe that.

2004-12-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

Babies have it easy!

The lifestyle of an infant
Repeat every 2 hours
1. wake up and cry for food.
2. be fed until you are full and stop crying.
3. adults play with u and try to entertain u. U entertain them by just lying there and giving that occasional percious smile.
4. u start feeling sleepy.
5. mother takes great pains to put you to sleep.
6. go to sleep.

it doesn't get simpler than that. But i must admit, they are a bundle of joy and are the most adorable things on earth.

2004-12-17T23:40:00.000-08:00

Riverdance - worth every penny and more!

It is almost blasphemous of me not to have posted anything on riverdance yet. But after watching their NYC performance at radio city music hall on dvd a couple of hours back, i just cant resist!

I was lucky enough to witness them perform live from the 3rd row at the orpheum theatre. I must say it was the most spectacular, energizing and uplifting thing that I have ever witnessed. I just love everything about the show. The dancing, the music, the people, the atmosphere,their merchandise...........oh, i could go on! It is one thing that never ceases to amaze me. I get so energised and excited every time I even see the riverdance video that i have on mpeg. But i must say the real thing is something worth waiting ur entire life for! I'm just lucky i got to witness it before my 22nd birthday. So all of you out there, if u ever find out that they are coming to a town near u, do whatever it takes to be there.

Few performances that i have witnessed over the years have delivered when I've wanted it to more than anything else on this earth..........
Goran at Wimbledon 2001, Dravid at the Adelaide oval last year and Riverdance @Orpheum - November 27th 2004.
$65 - it means so much more to me than that!! Its a memory i will cherish forever!!

The tap show!

2004-12-12T02:20:00.000-08:00

The Shim Sham

Who could have imagined I'd tap dance in front of an audience of over a 100 people in minneapolis?

But thats what I did a few hours ago! This pic is from the Shim Sham routine that all of us tappers did together. It was a whole lot of fun! Its pretty difficult to spot me in the snap! Here's a clue. look at 11 o'clock from the lady's head at the bottom right!

2004-12-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

22 and still feeling young!

So a year older.........didn't really feel like it though! It was totally different. Usually i'd be greeted with a card and wishes from my parents early in the morning followed by dinner and movie in the evening. It used to be rajinikanth movies in my childhood but it progressively moved toward SRK movies off late.
I had my first ever midnight birthday bash of sorts this year. Cake, candles, friends, party.......the whole package!! People near and dear to me, people not really known to me and people who made other people's heads turn all showed up to make it a delightful celebration!! There are so many tamil people here that it felt like madras not minneapolis!
In true birthday tradition, I decided to watch a movie with a couple of friends. Crown cinema in downtown and a Julia roberts-Natalie portman-Jude law movie playing. The perfect situation right? Wrong. The movie turned out to be the most inappropriate thing I have ever done since coming here. Let me just leave it at that!

Oh, and as usual I have exams to look forward to after my birthday! so back to the grind!

2004-12-02T00:20:00.000-08:00

India on the verge of victory!

There is no greater joy than watching India inch closer to victory in a test match. Even if it is just a ball-by-ball update online, I can still picture it. Rahul Dravid hitting the winning runs and lifting his bat to the dressing room and the Eden gardens erupts!! Can it get better than that!!

2004-11-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

Of thanksgiving, Veer Zaara and the first snow

Yesterday was thanksgiving, which basically means a holiday and nothing else. Every shop including all restaurants are closed as 15 hungry junta found out the hard way! Guess every american is home, busy with their turkey!

We finally got to see snow. And it was worth the wait. Rushed out of the house at the sight of it, camera in hand, excitement all over. Ran 6 blocks in my bathroom chappals, night pants, and a thin t-shirt - utter insanity!! Who cares - i've waited too long for this.
Coolest feeling - sticking the tongue out and letting the snow fall on it!
Cant wait for a heavier fall so that we can start making snowballs and having snowfights!

I also had my first movie theatre experience in Minneapolis. Was glad that it was a Shahrukh movie. Veer Zaara turned out to be pretty good! Incidentally the two movies I've seen so far in north american movie halls have both had Amitabh and Hema Malini in it!!

2004-11-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Weight control in the USA!

I never knew the kind of food you ate could affect your weight and appearance so much until now..............what was i thinking - silly me!!

In the first 3 months of my time here I've lost 8 kgs. Thats 20 pounds!! And I'm not alone!! Its not that I have cut down on how much I eat. I still do have a dinner which is comparable to what I used to eat at home but its just that I've completely cut out my fat intake. No ghee, fried stuff, chocolate, chaat, PANEER!! I'm bound to lose weight. So I've begun my weight gain regime since last week. One icecream a day to go with all the cheese, cookies, brownies and chocolates my stomach can digest!
I should be back to normal in a month's time. And its sweet on the tongue too!!

2004-11-16T02:54:00.000-08:00

Unfathomable - Sankaracharyar arrested!

Whats going on in this world? When a pontiff like the Kanchi kamakoti can get arrested so easily, there is surely something wrong. Not much difficulty in making the arrests, not much public opposition save a few shouts from staunch BJP(vhp) faithful. Even the bail plea has been adjourned. what happened to the people of chennai? i was expecting a public uproar, mass hysteria. how is this happening? and it seems there is some solid evidence against him! i cant even imagine!
hope the whole thing is just a terrible nightmare!

2004-11-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

Fortnight from Hell!

Let me for a change take time off to write about my day-to-day life. These past couple of weeks have been so hectic that mails, calls and this blog have been neglected!
My nightmarish two weeks finally ended with my midterm today. A whole bunch of assignments, projects, TA work(i think this should be no.1) and midterms meant that I really haven't been in touch with too much outside of academia! i'm almost ashamed to say this but i didn't even know there was an india-pakistan match over the weekend and that too at eden gardens.
Heck even diwali went by like any other day! no crackers, no sweets, no new clothes, no mom or dad! but atleast a potluck and some good food! also Flavors, a must see ABCD movie. Good fun!
Incidentally the midterms turned out very well! As soon as i finished it I felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders. Suddenly, life seemed fun again.
I just realized that I have almost no work over the next couple of weeks. add to that the thanksgiving break and the riverdance show and basketball game that i have planned with friends..............boy, am I jumping up and down! So what if i haven't had anything to eat except noodles for the last two days,haven't done my laundry in more than two weeks, haven't cut my hair in more than two months............i have a carefree fortnight to look forward to.

2004-10-31T17:52:00.000-08:00

That rare 25 hour day!

Yesterday was October 31st which means we switched from daylight savings to the normal central timezone in the USA. So basically at 2am the clock was turned back to 1am. I strangely felt happy that I had gained one hour in my life without doing anything. Not that I made much use of it. The whole concept of daylight savings is stupid. Why adjust the clock just so you could have more daylight in summer and work more hours.

An interesting thought! What if somebody committed a crime in this 1 hour and claimed to have an allibi. The person would be telling the truth coz they could have committed the crime and been somewhere else at the same time!!
Wonder how that works!!

2004-10-28T01:28:00.000-07:00

Red Sox nation can finally rejoice!

It finally happened. The Boston Red Sox are world champions. Yes, you heard it right! No joke this time! And what an emphatic way to lift the curse of the bambino by sweeping the cardinals in the world series.It sounds too good to be true doesn't it??

No one and i mean not even the most die hard red sox fan would have imagined this 10 days ago when they were down 0-3 in the ALCS against the NY Yankees. Red sox fans are no strangers to miracles. They have witnessed a few over the years but its always been produced by their opponents. But this time they scripted a miracle of their own! They left it late till the 9th inning in game 4 of the ALCS blowing Mariano Rivera's enviable record to pieces winning in 12 innings. And then they did it again the next night in 14 innings! Thanks in big part to that highly underrated David Ortiz! They go on to win 4 straight against the Yankees and then win 4 straight in the world series creating history in more ways than one! There was no better sight in baseball than watching Schilling, Pedro and Lowe pitch shutouts in games 2,3 and 4 of the WS. This was no fluke! They seemed fearless. They seemed to take charge of their destiny. There was no doubt this time. They have been so close on numerous occasions only to have their hearts broken every time. But this time they were not to be denied! There was a belief and conviction in their play! It was quite simply awesome!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh..............its been a painstakingly long wait(86 yrs to be precise) for every Sox fan but it has been worth it! Thank you to Terry Francona and the entire roster of players for making our dream come true!

2004-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Puja Hols - now and then!!

What it used to mean

Eagerly anticipating that day when you have the complete freedom and permission from your parents to not go anywhere near your books.
Get up in the morning, keep all your books in front of god, do puja for all useful things around the house eat an extra-special meal made by mom and spend your whole day doing whatever you want!!

What it means now

I have a midterm tomorrow. And I have to get my TA work done before that. Study for that and finish that in the day.now, i have to cram for my midterm. So stay up all night studying for it. its 5 am and i need to get some sleep coz my exam starts in 4 hours. Oh my god! was it saraswathi puja today? shit!! No one told me! Would it have made a difference..............no, i'd still have to cram for the midterm(making up for all those years of no studying i guess). So what is the use? well, atleast i know now. So i'm going to make up for it over the weekend by doing all things non-academic - movies, eating out, laundry, cooking, groceries - whatever comes to mind except work!

But first I'm going home and getting some much needed sleep!!

2004-10-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

The harbingers of Snow!

Yesterday I had my first experience of snow...........almost. I dont think it was cold enough for it because the flakes were coming down as transparent ice and melted as soon as we touched them. It was so mild that it was like a drizzle of rain. But it gave us a feel of things to come.

So there you have it.........my first glimpses of snow............which actually wasn't really there! Cant wait to see the real thing.

2004-10-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Tha Mall of America - truly American

The biggest mall in the USA is a 20 min drive away from downtown Minneapolis. So we decided to check it out and see what the fuss is all about. The locals actaully frown upon the mall saying its more of a showpiece than of any use. I would disagree.

The instant your inside the place the first thing that hits you is the size of the place. Every damn thing there is big. Like any other mall its filled with storeys and storeys of shops,restaurants and movie screens. But what makes this even bigger is that there is an amusement park called Camp Snoopy inside the mall. Its simply mindblowing. Yes, I maybe too old to enjoy amusement parks but the rollercoaster ride was simply fab!!

Every storey has restaurants as well as food courts. I had my first taste of Taco Bell. Its decent + its great value for money! But what made my day was that outlet of Haagen Dazs that was hiding round the corner. For those of you who dont know, Haagen Dazs makes, quite simply, the best icecream in the world. After indulging in my chocolate sundae I just realized that I had eaten to satiety for the first time since I've come to the US. Haagen Dazs rules!!

Simply put, The Mall of America symbolizes the quintessential American way of life - big, rich,and busy!!

2004-10-09T19:00:00.001-07:00

Bush bashing!

Well, Michael Moore was on campus yesterday as part of his 'Slacker uprising' tour to get people out to vote and more specifically against George Bush in all the swing states. I was fortunate enough to listen to him. For those who dont know Michael Moore, he is a documentary filmmaker whose sole purpose is to remove the current government from power. Farenheit 9/11 is a brilliant movie and a must see!!

Few people in the US, i think, have the power to publically embarass the president like he did yesterday. During the presidential debate, for every stupid look, guffaw and lie that bush made he donated 10,50 and 100 dollars respectively to the democratic party. The event was held in front of a totally partisan crowd which was laughing at bush throughout.so much so that it felt like an anti-republican convention. We were even live on HBO for a few minutes.
He has also released a book recently called "Will they ever trust us again". It is essentially a compilation of 3000 letters written to him by american soldiers in Iraq. He read out a couple of letters. It was quite compelling and moving.
This was followed by a series of six commercials that he has made as campaigns for the republican party. They mock bush to the core and were simply hilarious!
The event was a grand success coz not a single soul seemed to have a hint of respect left for republicans at the end of it all.
After this, there's no harm in calling Minnesota a blue state.

2004-10-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

Spreading the word of God!
Vivek(my roomie) and I were accosted by this middle-aged lady at the tram station in downtown yesterday evening. Instantly she started talking about everything from her education, background, her future plans to our experiences in the US so far.She seemed nice enough just a bit chatty until she posed the question that i knew she was itching to ask "what are your traditions"? what she really wanted to know was what are religious belief was. She started off with her half hour "sermon" on the scientific existence of christ. Ah, these missionaries............sheesh, they cant help themselves!! She even gave us a pamphlet to read. Luckily we slipped out saying we had a train to catch.
Hey, I believe in god as much as the next guy but that does not mean that I have to adopt their beliefs! maybe there is only one god after all so why should one force everyone else to have the same religious beliefs as you do! that goes against the true meaning of faith itself!

2004-09-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

There's no food like home food!

My roomies and I had somehow managed to get through the first month here with this brand of thai rice called "3 ladies" whose categorization as rice is highly questionable. Trust me, it tastes more like soft pebbles than rice. My tastebuds had gone into a coma! Then, enter "Ponni raw rice" (courtesy the indian store in minneapolis)- the same rice i used to have at home. I suddenly rediscovered my appetite! Eat it with sambar, rasam, pulikachal, curd.............everything tasted better! Suddenly everything in the world seemed nicer and almost heavenly. Home food makes all the difference. I'm never going back to that crappy thai cereal masking itself as rice. I wish my supply of powders and spices that I brought from home could last forever!!

This one is for my mom. Amma, thank you for every home cooked meal that you have ever prepared for me!!!

2004-09-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've been itching to say this

I finally got myself to post an entry about something that i truly enjoy - sport. I thought this article on sachin that i found on rediff was an appropriate place to start. The article expresses the exact sentiment that I've had about sachin's game better than I could ever try to. So, just sit back and enjoy the article.
Wanted: Tendulkar of old

The author of this article has a nice blog on cricket at Beer, chips and cricket

2004-09-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Stand up comedy!

This weekend was fun! Soccer or footer as they call it here is exciting. A bunch of friends and me went over to st.paul for a game on saturday. We played for the international team and they were quite good. some africans as well. they are really quick. a couple of europeans who know how to play the game the way it should be played. We were found wanting and woefully short of practice.
I think i should do it more often!

Saturday night is usually filled with expectation and then it bombs. i usually end up doing laundry. This saturday was much better though! I had my first experience of stand up comedy and it was awesome! I've always likes spontaneous comedy......(hell, whose line is it anyway is my favorite show) but this exceeded my expectations. The comic was simply fabulous. He could make fun of just about anything and anyone without being dirty or politically incorrect. simply awesome! cant wait to see another show!

2004-09-16T13:56:00.002-07:00

Rahman Teases with the power of music!

I had completely lost touch with indian music until the genius of a.r.rahman revived my sense of sound again. I just saw the promo of Swades(his next release in hindi) online and it simply rocks! The theme just grows on you and stops suddenly leaving you begging for more. It is almost entrancing!! Ah........can't wait for the audio release on the 26th. Doesn't this remind you a lot of the first lagaan promo where a small bit from 'ganan ganan' is played. That was so captivating! and why shouldn't it be similar coz its rahman and ashutosh gowarikar again who have come together for swades........only this time its the inimitable shahrukh in the lead.
For those fortunate souls in India stay tuned to sony or zee to catch a glimpse of the trailer. The rest will just have to watch streaming video at radiosargam.com

Now I listen to the CDs I brought from India all day to keep myself charged. I'm never leaving home without arjun's mp3 player again!!!

2004-09-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

My new tap shoes!

Don't they look neat!!
Actually, i'm realizing how challenging tap dancing can be. But its a lot of fun. The sound that the shoes make is so unique. Today, our instructor showed us the routine we are going to learn and perform by the end of the semester and trust me it was phenomenal! There is no way I can learn that but he seems to think otherwise. I'm well on my way to being the next Michael Flatley(i wish!!!!). Oh, and Riverdance (the irish dancing troupe) are coming to minneapolis in november. Yeah!! They are the reason I wanted to learn tap on the first place. Thanksgiving is going to be one heck of a weekend!

2004-09-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

India is pervasive!

Yesterday, i went swimming at the recreation(rec) centre. I was doing laps and the guy in the neighboring lane comes up to me at the end of a lap and says hi. since both of us were taking a breather we got into a conversation. Bill Wealy (i think that was his name) was a local and was teaching management at the business school here although he is an attorney by profession. so anyway, he suddenly says "ninne kannada gotthu, numke kannada solpa solpa gotthu" and i'm like Oh my god!! is this really happening to me. Here is a quintessential minnesotan trying to converse with me in fluent Kannada. It was almost embarassing as my knowledge of Kannada was far less than his. Turns out he had lived in Raichur for more than 20 years. Here he is telling me how beautiful the city of Belgaum is and how bangalore has developed and I was just frozen there listening to him in amazement. It seemed he was very fond of karnataka from the way he was describing it. He says he will go back there again. Then we went on to topics which were much closer to minneapolis like skiing and the winters and the conversation looked more like one between a local and a foreigner!! phew!

What can I say...........India and its presence are ubiquitous!!

2004-09-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

What I'd give for a TV!!

So, the long weekend dawned on me full of expectation albeit a bit late coz i woke up at noon after the emergency room debacle the previous night. so i was looking forward to a weekend of fun filled with games, a trip to the state fair and maybe even a taste of downtown. wishful thinking!!! turned out that most of the guys here were out in on hiking trips in various parts of the US. and with arjun out cold i was left stranded with nothing to do.

i realized that all a man needs are a TV and a computer for entertainment. I always knew i was dependent on them but only when you start having enough time to stare out of the window and see the rains come down like never before for more than 4 hours do you realize that you are addicted to it. I miss watching sitcoms and movies, browsing online(the only thing i do online now is check and reply to mails). I realized that I'm completely disconnected with the world when i found out that india had won a cricket match two days ago and i came to know of it only now. its almost pathetic to see that I have completely lost touch with what i truly love(sport, in case your wondering). but i will try to stay updated on campus where i will atleast have access to the internet. And maybe the occasional basketball game once the season begins. Right now I'm watching paes and navratilova dismantling sharapova and mirnyi and waiting for justine's match to begin. it feels like heaven!! i just dont want to go home!! hail the man who invented the television(i think that would be a gentleman named baird)

so atleast i've salvaged something out of this miserable weekend. Cant wait for classes to begin. My first tap dancing lesson is tomorrow. Will keep you posted on that!

2004-09-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

The definition of the term 'Emergency'

The US medical system is known for its ridiculously high-priced service. But atleast we were supposed to get our money's worth. Well, unfortunately as we found out first hand that is not the case. I dont know if every emergency medical facility is as bad as the one we went to on Friday to treat a friend of mine who went over his ankle(i pray they aren't) but this must have been one of the worst.

It was 11 in the night when we figured out where the place was after much confusion with the lady in the emergency helpline. Sheesh, we should have guessed then that this wasn't going to be pretty. Anyway, the place itself seemed to have all the facilities to treat emergency cases. But as soon as we entered the fact that the triage nurse made us wait more than 1/2 hr before attending to him was the sign of things to come. Finally she came back with an icepack, placed it on his foot and said "unless you have blood oozing out of your body you will have to wait" and that usually patients having heart attacks or open deep wounds would be given preference! was she kidding? i assure you she wasn't. After a bit of paperwork which was basically an personal information quiz which included questions like "would you like to state your religious preference?". What the hell........the guy is in a lot of pain and ur sitting here wondering which religion he believes in. I mean come on.......this is an emergency facility and clearly this was a medical emergency. Dont they know that?

He was finally ushered in only to be quizzed again this time by the triage nurse about questions on his medical history. This also included the most ridiculous question of all. " On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your pain". was she trying to torture him. This was outrageous. and as if this wasn't enough he was given a chart with grades of pain ranging from mild to severe to unbearable. All this while we were wondering if all this trouble was worth it.

It wasn't for the lack of nurses or doctors but nobody seemed to care. The guy was dying of hunger now coz he had been told by the lady on the phone not to eat anything until he was checked up. Now that the doctored had OKed him to take some food we asked the nurse for some vegetarian food. She promptly brought a frozen banana, a few crackers and juice! Well, if the insurance didn't cover all this we would have sued for mental and emotional trauma in order to pay for this visit.

By the time we left it was 3:30 in the morning and we now realize how important it is to stay healthy and not get involved in any serious injury...............else our fate would be sealed........literally!!

2004-09-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

NEW APARTMENT

As you already know I just moved into my new apartment and i love it. Its a spacious two bedroom with a nice view on to the road. I dont know my neighbors yet but by the look of things they seem cool. most of them are students both desi and american.
The apartment itself looks clean and furnished. I will upload photos soon. The kitchen is handy as it comes with a lot of storage space, a garbage disposal and a dishwasher.........yey!! and the bus that comes outside takes me right to my department.

Well, labor day weekend is coming up so maybe i'll goto the state fair that is going on here. The last weekend of fun before i buckle down into some serious studies. So i'm quite looking forward to it. I'm quite looking forward to the classes as I will get an opportunity to make some non-desi friends for a change!! oh, and did i mention that i'm also planning to take a course on tap dancing. it will be an audit but its bound to be interesting. i hope i dont break any bones.

2004-08-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

AVANI AVITTAM

Its quite amazing that i changed my thread yesterday during avani avittam more sincerely than ever before when i'm more than 20000 miles from chennai. 7 of us iyers and iyengars performed the ceremony religiously. we followed it up with 1008 gayathri mantram chant today. Sridhar mama(the man who taught me every sloka i know) would be pleased to know this. anyway, it was both a satisfying as well as calming experience.

anyway, it was a crazy weekend. saturday was slow and lazy to say the least. our walmart shopping plans gave way to our lethargy. the only activity for the day was an exciting game of tennis. i really hope i can get to play tennis more regularly. we ended saturday watching a movie. sunday morning passed doing the religious ceremony. u know we even cooked and ate paayasam! i just couldn't believe it. this was really the icing on the cake. this was followed by an exhausting game of football. lunch was at home as i had already cooked before i left for football.

The international student association had planned a welcome night in the den of the undergrads also known as Melrose. The place is something else. It houses more than 500 undergrads. It includes a games room, library, internet access facility, gym etc. Its almost like a multistar hotel. Well there was also a mini-theatre room where we got to see a movie followed by pizza for dinner. Whats with orientations and pizza? hope i get to eat something else during my department orientation on wednesday. we ended the day playing table tennis or ping pong as these guys call it.

More craziness on the horizon as I move into my apartment this week. Lot of moving and shopping to do. Hopefully we will settle in by the weekend before classes start next week.

2004-08-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Orientation

Well, we woke up early today to attend the international student orientation. No student, especially indian, ever misses an event which provides free food and refreshments. So there we were promptly at 8:45 in the morning only to find out that we were late and had already missed this fun thing that was meant to help us get to know each other better. basically it was this form in which we had to find people fitting certain descriptions. it was a cool idea! unfortunately i couldn't be a part of it for long. This was followed by a series of boring lectures and do's and don'ts for international students.

The most awaited part of the meeting-lunch- came to the rescue. We stuffed ourselves with pizza and cookies. It was great. This was followed by a hilarious lecture by a Zambian native named Duncan about health insurance. Anybody who can talk about sickness and death and still keep the audience alive and excited is pretty cool!! his sense of humour was the highlight though it was a bit morbid at times. That was the bright spot of the day.
This was followed by a session on culture shock which was sillier than i thought it would be. People started complaining about how unhealthy it is to serve pizza for lunch at the orientation. Come on...........ease up a little!! a few slices of pizza wont kill you!!

anyway, it was more of an advice session for the students than an orientation. i didn't get to interact too much with the other students as we were forced to listen to the lectures most of the time. i guess i will have plenty of opportunities later. they said there were atleast about 40 countries represented in the room. anyway, not a bad way to spend the day i guess.

2004-08-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

From MT to Blogger

I've temporarily shifted to blogger coz movabletype suddenly got a mind of its own and stopped working. i wonder why coz its not like MT to be unreliable.oh well i'll just have to figure out what happened. until then, i'll be posting here.

So, time flies here like nowhere else. My day begins at about 9am. I cook lunch, have breakfast and am ready to be at the lab by 10:30. the whole day is usually spent in the grad lab. wonder how much time i spend browsing, printing, proffing, meeting profs. oh, did i mention there is a grad lounge right next to the lab which has a fridge that is always stocked with coke. lucky me i guess. wonder who would be silly enough to leave all that stuff behind. definitely not PIGS(poor indian grad students).

anyway, evenings are spent either at the park or on the phone. and the day winds up cooking and eating dinner and watching TV. besides the cooking, its not very different from a day in chennai. i guess things will be a lot different once classes start(sept. 7th).