This too shall pass

Thursday is usually the worst day of my week this fall semester. My TA duty starts at 8 am and goes on for 6 hrs straight. I then rush to my lab to do a couple of hours of work before heading to my own class in the evening. And so, not surprisingly, I am completely drained out by the time I get home and turn in early. In fact the only way I can get through my day is with the help of an energy drink that apparently gives people wings. 

Thursday this week was no different. I had successfully survived TA duty and lab work and I was waiting to catch a bus that would take me home. Now, I am not averse to social interactions, but towards the end of such a long day the only thing I want to do is get home. So I usually cringe if I see an acquaintance walking towards me because that would mean having to make small talk which feels like a daunting task ( my friends know better than to bother :P ). And this was my exact reaction when I saw an ex-student of mine walking towards the same bus stop!

I tried very hard to recall her name but I still cannot, so I will call her Jane. Jane took a course offered by my department during the fall semester last year and I happened to be her TA for the lab portion of this course. The only reason I remember her is because she was very different from the other 39 students in that section. Jane is a middle aged married woman with kids, the eldest being 17 yrs of age.  She has already had a major thoracic surgery and deals with metabolic issues. This combination has obviously impacted her health and in the one semester I interacted with her, I received multiple notes from the doctor to explain her absence in class. However, all of this did not dissuade her from enrolling in college to get a second bachelor’s degree almost 20 years after she completed her first one. She was one of the most enthusiastic students in class with innumerable questions about the subject matter. This attitude was in huge contrast to the other “usual” undergrads who seemed extremely bored of their education in just the second year of their first degrees. Jane is focused, determined and she has a goal, she wants to get the relevant degree to help others like her. This is part of our conversation at the bus stop-

Me- Hey, how are you? How is it going?

Jane- I have been better. How are you?

Me- I am good. Long day?

Jane- Yeah. I found out a few days back that I have th***** cancer.

Me (trying very hard to keep a straight face)- I am so sorry….

Jane- No its alright, it’s the good kind of cancer to have. They just have to remove it and I will be fine. No chemo. The surgery is scheduled a few weeks from now and I am trying to get ahead of everything since I will miss one week of school.

Me- So what courses are you taking….

And so on. We chatted for a few more minutes. It was mostly Jane talking proudly of all the A grades she made over the past year and more excitedly about all her courses from this semester.

Our chat ended when my bus arrived and we said goodbye. It hit me a few minutes after I got on the bus. Jane was telling me about her cancer and she was still smiling! She told me about the silver lining! She was going on with her life as if everything was normal. I couldn’t help but smile at the epiphany!

As grad students, we tend to have a lot of workload. Most of my conversations with my friends or my parents usually revolve around how busy my days are and how much work still needs to be done. At times we have “cribbing sessions” to vent out our frustrations with our fellow grad students. A lot of us have put our lives on hold. We all have an ever increasing bucket list of “Things I will do after I get my PhD”. Not to mention the ever increasing pressure of generating “positive data” to publish papers or taking up leadership roles in “extra-curricular activities” so that we can have a strong resume to secure jobs which apparently are non-existent. It is almost a holy chant for all of us grad students “I have so much to do, I am so stressed out”. And we have plenty of good reasons for it too.

When we are so focused on solving a really specialized question, we fail to look at the bright side of things. We rarely count our blessings. In fact I think most of us believe that we are cursed. But then having 99% of your experiments failing for one or the other reason can make a person cynical.  My conversation with Jane reminded me of all of this. But it also made me realize that once in a while, I need to count my blessings. It will actually make me feel better.  That if I look hard enough, there is always a silver lining.  And as a wise man once said- “This too shall pass”.

Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion

The lights dimmed, a sudden hush descends on the auditorium. And yet the atmosphere is charged with excitement. As the ideal chatter dies down, a single voice resonates across the hall chanting "Aum" followed by a string of swaras. As people strain their eyes in anticipation, the spotlight falls on V Selvaganesh as he plays the first notes on the 'ghatam' for the evening.  As his performance is about to end, a silhouette moves on stage and takes position. As the audience strain and wonder, the first notes of 'sarangi' fill the air introducing Dilshad Khan.  The duo slowly reveal their skills and the melody of their music fills the air as they set stage for rest of the concert.
A third silhouette takes position on stage even as the 'sarangi' continues to play. By now the audience is at the edge of their seats with anticipation and excitement peaking. The auditorium is filled with an electrically charged silence with ears and eyes straining towards the stage. As if to answer their prayers,  the first notes of table resonate the silence and the stage is lit with peoples smiles creating a single spotlight. The Ustad has arrived and immediately gets to business even as the first few minutes of his performance are drowned by cheers and claps.
The concert has begun! As the 'ghatam'  quietens, the 'sarangi' and 'tabla' take center stage even as they alternately lead and slide into supporting roles. The Ustad brings 'tabla' closer to real life making it create sounds like people would never have imagined. There is the "Tof tarang" or sound of the booming canon being played and then suddenly a train comes to life on stage with the "rail tarang" imitating the rhythm of a train as it moves with varying speeds and even across varying terrains! And there are interesting anecdotes from Indian mythology being played on just the 'tabla'. And as people are marvelling the Ustad's skills and wondering what next, the 'tabla' suddenly slows down and sounds quite unlike itself!
Just as the audience registers this change, Vijay Chavan hits the first notes on a 'dholki' starting with the traditional beginning of a 'lavani'. And it is at this point that the mood changes from appreciation to enjoyment. With the increasing tempo of the 'dholki' it becomes more difficult to resist the urge to stand up and dance and the entire auditorium is foot tapping! There is an interesting duel between the 'tabla' and the 'dholki' at the end of which the Ustad raises his hands in appreciation even as his face lights up with his hallmark smile of enjoying his art.
 For me, to listen to such an excellent performance on a 'dholki' inspite of being so far away from my home was amazingly overwhelming. In a single moment I had lost myself to the music and found my soul. I wanted to sit and listen in peace and get up and dance at the same time. Its amazing how we don't realize the things we are missing until they are right in front of us! The 'dholki' was definitely highlight of the evening.
As much as the 'dholki' had enthralled the audience before the interval, the 'dhol' charmed them after. Deepak Bhat chose to enter from one of the auditorium doors and move amongst the audience before he captured the stage with traditional punjabi tunes. I think for the first time I realized the difference between classical and folk music. Classical music demands an understanding and appreciation while folk music just demands enjoyment. Classical music has to be listened to with keen ears to appreciate the finesse and accuracy of the swaras. Folk music has to be heard with ears of the heart to join in the enthusiasm and energy of the musician.
Niladri Kumar bought back the melody with a brilliant performance on the sitar which kept sounding like a sitar at times and an electric guitar at others. Steve Smith provided an interesting twist with his bass and drum set.
Towards the end as all seven artists came together , there was a beautiful blend of Hindustani classical music with folk music all of which sounded even better with the western drums. At some points, it was impossible to distinguish the sound and rhythm of each instrument. The most surprising part was the jugalbandi of drums with each of the other instrument. After a while, the drum seemed as much of an Indian classical instrument as the 'tabla' or the 'kanjira'.
The Ustad personally introduced and praised each artist and thanked everyone, from the spot boy to the Indian Consulate, even as he continued playing with the rest. His modesty was visible when at the end, he refused to take credit for the performance himself while cheering the other artists.
The music was surreal, as if angels from heaven had descended upon the earth to provide us mortals a magical experience for the rest of our lives. Truly, the best evening of my time in UGA so far. I hope there are many more to come.

Shantaram

Shantaram literally means a man of peace. The protagonist of the book is rechristened as Shantaram.

It’s ironic considering the fact that the protagonist happens to be a heroin addict who robs stores at gun point to feed his addiction. He gets caught and is sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment in Australia. He escapes and flees to New Zealand and using a fake passport eventually lands in Mumbai, India where most of the story is based.

All of this is exactly what happened in the author’s life in reality.

And so Shantaram is considered an autobiography and the author’s narration does reinforce this belief. However, that is not the case. All of the characters in the book are fictional. And so are the events, except the major ones. For example, the author was actually renamed as Shantaram in a remote Indian village for coexisting peacefully with the villagers for 5 months as if he was one of them.

And therein lays the beauty of the book- in irony, in contrast, in antithesis.

The story begins with the protagonist “Lin” landing in Mumbai and hiring a tour guide “Prabhaker”. As the plot progresses Lin befriends Prabhaker and goes to stay with him in his village Sunder where he is christened as Shantaram by Prabhaker’s mother. On their way back to Mumbai, they are robbed and Lin, having lost all his possessions, is forced to live in the Mumbai slums due to his poverty. In the slum, he sets up a free clinic. The fact that the only medical knowledge Lin has is from his first aid training in Australia just describes the condition of the slum dwellers and yet, Lin adapts to the community and even learns the local language. He also falls in love with Karla and gets involved with the local mafia which gets him in trouble with the local police and he is thrown in Arthur road jail. In prison he almost dies of torture but is released, again due to influence of the mafia. His sense of loyalty to the mafia takes him to Afghanistan to help the Mujahideen. Upon his return, he realizes he has become everything that he loathes and decides to build an honest life.

For those of you not familiar with Mumbai, the city is characterized by its rains, population and its slums. And they don’t exactly make the city pleasant. Its proximity to the sea combined with the Indian sun and pollution makes it a permanent sauna and leaves a person leaving perennially sweaty and sticky. The slum houses the poorest in the city where people are crowded in huts and live without proper water and power supply or even basic sanitation facilities.

And yet, the author finds beauty and happiness in this very city. His narration is such that he leaves the reader with a craving to visit the city. He captures the reader’s attention and imagination with his opening line (insert opening line) and he holds it throughout the 900 page narrative. 900 pages of a story which seems as fantastic as it seems real. And the author weaves this magic with contrast in events, in ideas and in people. A most wanted fugitive runs a free clinic for the poor, a mafia Don uses arguments and theories of physics to debate morality, the poorest people are the happiest, true freedom is experienced in a prison and the most disgusting and annoying features of the city actually make it beautiful.

And this is just the beginning. The narrative has lots of subplots which give interesting insights into the working of mafia and the insides of the Indian film industry and the life of the richest and also the poorest. The author has truly captured the essence of the city.

The book forces a person to broaden their view points and to think beyond just right and wrong. It makes the readers realize that there is a fine grey area which exists between black and white and a person cannot be judged as just good or bad based solely on his actions. And this is exactly why it makes for such an interesting read.

If you still don’t want to read a 900 page book, just wait for the Hollywood movie-

http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/warner-bros-revives-shantaram-johnny-depp-taps-joel-edgerton-for-lead/

What do I teach?

What do I teach?

What would you teach if you were told to teach something to a class within 5-8 minutes?And you could pick a topic, any topic under the sun (well, except the inappropriate ones). 

What would you do if you were in this position and you have to teach a group of people something, anything, in 5 minutes?

Let’s take a look at this group of people.  It consists of professors and students from all parts of the world. And you are an Indian national.

You have been born and brought up in India and after living there for almost a quarter of your life, you fly half way across the world, to do something you believe in. And everything is great, everything is new and different, but it is great nonetheless.

Except that you are still Indian. For your own self and for the world, you are Indian. That is your first line of introduction for the first month you are here- “Hey, I am XYZ and I am from India”. It will probably be the first time in your life when you will actually feel proud of your nationality. Instead of just feeling it because you are supposed to, you will actually feel proud of it. The only other occasion you feel as proud and connected to your motherland is when you sing Her the national anthem and salute Her flag on a foreign country. It will be a feeling so powerful that it will choke you and you will have to fight to get the words out of your mouth, but you will still do it. Because you are Indian.  You still listen to Bollywood songs no matter how crappy some of them are and you still crave for Indian food.

Or maybe you won’t feel any of the above mentioned things, in which case, I just pity you. Because on a global scale, you really don’t have a sense of belonging. Sure, you will eventually make your own identity and you will still need a sense of belonging to keep you rooted. You work for an organization it will be a part of your intro. You work for an individual that will be a part of your intro.  But that’s beside the point right now.

So what are you supposed to teach a group of people in 5 minutes when say atleast for the time being, you are seen only as an Indian student, nothing more. 30% of the people you talk to will be surprised that you can actually make a conversation in english without getting stuck and they will compliment you about it! Most of the people who ask you which part of India you belong to will need an answer relative to New Delhi or Chennai or Mumbai. And almost all Indian food will be naan and chicken tikka masala. And you will feel happy and surprised that people around the globe know about it. And you will feel grateful that people are taking so much efforts to make you feel comfortable and at ease. And eventually you will settle down and make friends and build a life.

But now that you have a chance to teach them, what would you say? Will you talk about the vast and varied geography of India? Or about the numerous cultures She encompasses? Or will you talk about our many festivals ,that certain set of people don’t observe anymore, or the varied food choices? Will you talk about cities which are getting westernized slowly or about those who still uphold their traditions? Will you list the accomplishments of other Indians  and tell people why you are proud of being an Indian? Or will you mention India’s poverty or illiteracy problems ? Will you talk about India’s economy or our attempt to ape certain festivals from across the globe in an effort to become more “westernized”?

What would you teach?

What do I teach?

Any ideas?

PS- This is just me contemplating about a grad school assignment.Please do not get any other ideas. :)

Chronicles of Bangalore- 1

Its been almost a year and a half since I first came to Bangalore.  And like every city, it has its own charm. The tree lined streets, the pleasant weather, the plenty of gardens are a part of it. And so are the traffic jams and overpriced eateries and malls. Well, to each his own, the city has already been described innumerable times from a variety of perspective.  Two things surprise me though, firstly, that Bangalore is not a metro and secondly, this city is a great teacher in itself. And it has its own way of making you learn new things and making you unlearn much more.

I say unlearn because most of the things that have been true for us so far are challenged in the most fundamental ways. The most common and the simplest example would be how people change, or maybe, show some traits which you never thought existed so far. I guess money, or the lack of it, does change a lot of things. Catching up with friends is equivalent to a meal in some fancy restaurant (there is a very nice term for it, fine dining) where they charge you more for the ambience than the food itself. How many of you remember having a much better time with the same people in the hostel mess?? A nice weekend probably means unnecessary shopping and/or visit to a pub where the music is so loud that its impossible to talk, and we go there to “hang out” with friends!!!! Ironic, isn’t it?? We live weekend to weekend, the five days in between are just to get over with, asap.  The phrase “having a life” is now equivalent to the spending power on weekends, the more you spend, the more “life” you have. We have confused the definition of ‘a lifestyle’ and ‘a life’.   And if this isn’t enough, there is always the pressure of looking good, my bad, looking ‘hot’ and ‘sexy’ and ‘modern’ and ‘trendy’. So we spend thousands on the most trivial things like the length of our hair or the shape of our toe nails or the color of our skin. Or maybe, in Bangalore, it does matter what your skin tone is! And once we are outside our homes after being decked up like this, we talk about each and every topic under the sun (not to mention the constant gossip) as if we have a Phd in each of them. We give each other a ego massage and congratulate ourselves for being the masters of the universe. Oh what a wonderfully productive weekend!!! And somebody who does not like all this is a loser, a loner, an outcast or the most pathetic of all, a workaholic!! OMG!! He so needs to ‘get a life’!!!

A good residential area in Bangalore will probably have around 30 restaurants, 20 beauty parlours, 15 mobile service provider shops within 1km radius of it, but not even a single bookstore or stationery shop. Ever noticed that?

So what does Bangalore teach you? It teaches you that situations change people. That some of your closest friends whom you have known for ages will gossip about you for no good reason and you can find the best of friends in perfect strangers. The people you care about can just take advantage of you and some people will be your guardian angels without reason or without your knowledge. That, if you look for them, there will still be some who live for their work and beyond the status quo. Even if for most people money does buy happiness, there will still be some for whom money is just for survival. That your loved ones will always be with you inspite of being far away and some people will always be the same, no matter what and these are the people worth cherishing and caring for.  It teaches you that a dinner date is not necessary to be in love with someone. You can be alone in the crowd and yet, just one person is enough to complete your world.

And last but not the least, as Karan Johar says, “Its all about family”……

P.S- the you I mention is not a person but all of us, what I have written does not necessarily imply a personal experience, the ‘masters of the universe’ line is from the movie Titanic and I am just expressing an opinion, not preaching.

To Romance and to Passion…

Do you look up at the night sky and marvel at the beauty of the moon every day?? Does a tree in full bloom make u smile?? Does your heart skip a beat when u see the sunset? Or the wind blowing in your face makes u euphoric?? If yes, then you are probably a romantic at heart. So what? Everyone is romantic at heart! Well, not everyone takes the time out of their lives to live that romance every day, if only for a few moments……
 Romance, the word is usually associated with love between two people. But it also has many alternate definitions, most common being “a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life” as given in the Oxford dictionary. Ironically, it is this same feeling which actually adds meaning to everyday life.
 I have been living in Bangalore past four months now. Working in a company, my life is mostly about travelling in the bus to and fro and of course, working in the office. And every day, I see thousands of people like me, travelling in the buses, stuck in the traffic for hours, and doing the same work for years together. And this takes a toll on their lives, in a big way! Mondays are hated, weekends begin on thursday evenings and usually involve getting drunk, watching movies, visiting some mall which looks like the 10 other u have already seen and/or paying exorbitant prices in a restaurant for food which is just normal apart from its presentation or the ambience of the place or just its location!!!! And inspite of all this, people come to hate their life so much that they want to kill everyone they see in the bus or on the roads who shows the slightest hint of being in the same industry as them, which basically means, every other person on the street. They have the money and they have the means to luxury, but where is the quality of life??
 W.H.Davies wrote aptly - “A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare”
 And there are people, who life the same life, do the same work for years and yet they are truly happy, it reflects in their attitude, its audible in their talks, they make everyone around them smile. The one reason that I have realized so far, for this difference in people is that the latter take time out of their everyday life, to do something they like, play their favorite sport or pursue a hobby maybe. They take time out for things they are passionate about. And it is this passion that keeps them going, keeps the inner fire burning.
 Ever noticed, how people in love always seem to be so happy?? How your friend’s eyes start sparkling with joy when he or she starts talking about things they love? How all the troubles seem to vanish when you listen to your favorite song? How the mere idea of a weekend trek makes the week fly?? It’s all romance, it’s all passion…..
The easiest way to romance, fall in love!! Fall in love with yourself, with someone, with something, sing a song, break into an impromptu jig, read that book you have always wanted to, plan that holiday even if it seems impossible right now, take some time out to enjoy nature. You never know what is it that makes your life worth living! You never know, maybe your hobby will give you a new lease of life.
 Not everything you love can make a living for you, not everyone can follow their passion. Romance doesn’t pay your bills. Life makes you dance to her tunes they say. Well, so be it, I can still choose my own steps….. Everyone makes a career, earns a living and raises a family. But does everyone live a life they love?? I raise a toast, to romance and to passion, may you live longer than mankind.....
 P.S- yeah I know what most of you are thinking, who am I to judge or give life advice? Well, to be frank, nobody, just sharing my opinion, no offence to anybody.
P.P.S- this one is dedicated to somebody whose sheer passion for things has inspired and added a whole lot of color to my current life . A big thanks to you, from the bottom of my heart.

The "Godly" debate

“Do you believe in God??” Someone asked me this today, and to be frank, I didn’t have a concrete answer. Probably a bit surprising for many of us, considering I live in India and belong to a religion which believes in the existence of 33 crore Gods!!! Probably many of my peers are facing the same dilemma, do we really believe in God? Yes it is true, we attend pooja’s, we go visit temples and bow in front of the idol, we also make a wish or two but then, how many of these actions are a personal belief and how many just to respect the custom or some elderly family member?
As kids we were taught to respect God, to fear, to pray and to believe. Our grandparents told us stories from the mythology, all of them glorifying the Gods as we know them today. Growing up, we know our mythology, but then we are we sure those events actually occurred? We have grown up belonging to a particular religion, instructed to follow its customs, and expected to stay loyal to the religion of our birth. But how relevant is it to our existence? If whatever my religion says is true, if my God is true, then does it imply that other religions are false, that their God is false? Then won’t they believe in the same? That my religion, my God is false?
I know from personal experience that not everything that happens around me or in my life is under my control. And there are times when I really don’t have an explanation for a particular occurrence. Depending on the significance of that event in my life, I term it God’s grace, luck, destiny or whatever. But a lack of explanation does not prove the existence of God does it?
Personally speaking, I am a believer, not in a particular entity or an idol or a religion, but I do believe that there are some things beyond my will or control and in such times, I just wait and watch. I believe in the positive energy and I believe in doing everything in my power. Maybe that is what some people describe as God. Maybe for some, the personification of this energy is necessary in order to believe. But then how does religion come into picture??
My science teaches me not to accept anything without a rational justification. But this same science is still unable to explain a number of natural phenomenons. Does that mean I should not believe in science? Or should I extrapolate the same logic and believe in the existence of God?
I met with a small accident a couple of months back. I wasn’t hurt much, but it could have been much worse. The incident freaked me out, to the extent that I stopped reading a book on atheism that I was carrying in my bag at that time. I still haven’t touched the book. In retrospect, it seems silly now, or probably makes it look like I do believe in God. I was scared then, for my life, for my family and such strong sentiments turned me into a believer, I was thankful to be safe and alive, and I thanked God, not a particular God, but to me it was the energy of the universe, the power of the good, as I like to think.
Maybe that is what makes people believe too, the fear of the unknown, of the things they can’t control, the uncertainty in their lives. Maybe believing in some higher power gives them the strength to move on no matter what. Maybe that’s why, people believe in God!!!

The Cell....

Its 10am on a bright Sunday morning. I look outside the window and I can see nature in its full glory. Lush green lawns, flowers in full bloom, leaves swaying in the gentle breeze and trees spreading out their branches soaking in the sunlight. It reminds me of the lessons on photosynthesis. How these green plants serve a purpose much more than just beauty, how they manufacture food and thus form the base of our food chain. And all this is done by cells, not a single cell, but millions of them working in perfect synchronization with each other. But fundamentally its one cell, so minute that we need to magnify it about a hundred times, only to see it as a tiny speck!!
As I turn back to the book I am reading- “Cell Biology- Bruce Alberts”, I marvel at the functioning of this molecule. Hundreds of books and thousands of research articles have been written to explain it and yet there are quite a few things that we are still unaware of.
Its amazing how such a tiny molecule makes such a major difference to our very existence!
Life is said to have evolved from a single cell, and here we are, millions of years later, trying to understand the functioning of a single cell!! And today we are alive essentially coz our cells are doing their jobs correctly. Its amazing really, there are cells which divide to creates more of their own kind so that they can perform a function. There are cells which divide to create others which are meant for different functions and also cells which divide and just sit there silently not doing anything at all! And then suddenly one day, when the body needs it, they will come out and take charge of the situation. Its like a never ending army of soldiers. After the frontline falls, there is a backup ready to replace them. But this backup is not always there and that’s when we are in trouble. What intrigues me is how do the cells know what to do? How are they so perfectly timed and so perfectly synchronized?!
I mean, think about it, one cell doesn’t work properly and the next thing you know, you have a deadly disease in your system!! Scary, intimidating and yet, fascinating!!
What is more fascinating is how the understanding of this one cell can give you insights on the working of a system. Talk about being fundamental!! You know what is wrong with the cell, fix it, and your problem is solved! But alas, if only a cell were that simple…..
I wish I could see a cell, see how it works, the intricacies of its structure, the ingenious engineering behind its flawless functioning. It’s a system in itself. A system so robust, our life depends on it. A system so self sufficient, it can survive on its own. A system so complex, that every new insight creates a thousand other questions. A system so fascinating, that man has created some of the most brilliant technological innovations just to study the cell. And a system so beautiful, it has to be the finest creations on this planet!!!!

Real life X-men??

I had a very interesting discussion with my roomie a couple of days back. Both of us are trainees at the same research institute and we were discussing our experiences and the people that we have met so far. And it turns out both of us shared one feeling, pure awe, wonder and admiration!!! These feelings were inspired by the people we had met and heard about and seen working .
But what amazes me is not just their work, but their zeal, the enthusiasm and their approach to the problem. It’s just exhilarating to see these people at work. Be it the scientist who owns the lab or the people working in the lab. I think this was what prompted my roomie to comment “ they are not normal, they are mutants!!!! “ funny I know , but it summarized her feelings aptly.
And I think that’s when I said, “maybe , these are our real life X-Men!!”
I mean, think about it, all of us who have followed X-men have imagined at some point of time ourselves, having some power possessed by our favorite X-men. And who better than scientists to make this dream into a reality?
Things that seem very common to us now like the airplane or the submarine or a satellite or an X-ray machine , were at some point of time in history considered impossible or maybe out of the ordinary. And yet we use them everyday thanks to the scientists and engineers who made it possible with sheer hard work and brilliance. And if we observe such people, I think we come to the same conclusion, they are not like u or me, they are a class apart , or like me roomie said “mutants”
Forget about technological inventions and supercool devices. Imagine if u do get a power like Cyclops or wolverine of jean gray or one of the other X-men , it would be because ur DNA has also been altered to resemble theirs. Now think, who would alter your DNA to suit your requirement?? Scientists again!!!! So if science and research do find out a way to create such “mutants”, it would only be because of the brilliance of those researchers and scientist who make such a thing possible. So you see, it does sort of make them real life X-men!!!!
This was about the thought process and thinking ability of these people. Their hardwork is also something to be mentioned. Being a researcher or even a wannabe researcher is a 24*7 task. There are no holidays, and no 5 day week corporate system possible in this field. It all depends on how your experiments turn out to be. I have encountered people who work day and night without complains!! And I have seen people perform an experiment on such large scales and with such efficiency, it’s almost like a manufacturing unit, and all this they do on their own, talk about robotic arms!!!!
What drives them is their interest, curiosity and a never give up attitude. They haven’t got their DNA altered, its just the way they think that sets them apart and enables them to be what they are. Mutations in their thoughts maybe or like I have been wondering for some time now, real life X-men!!!

Of scientists and temperatures…..

Well let me clarify the title of this blog, it’s the temperature of the lab we are talking about , not the global or body or incubator or mental state temperature for that matter. :P
So yeah, temperature of the lab, in the sense ambient temperature or in scientific ( or layman ) terms, RT – bole toh room temperature of the place we are working in. By we, I mean all the people in the lab that I have been allotted to work in, for the next six months at a premier research institute of the country.
As I may have mentioned to some of my friends before, this place is great with all the facilities that one can hope for.And hence one thing that is abundantly found here is the air conditioner, which is omnipresent in all the closed places (except for the corridors and toilets of course :P ).Also, people here can be found wearing sweaters perennially!
The problem (or rather conflict) arises when people working in the lab differ on what temperature the AC should be set at, like it happened in my lab today morning (actually it’s been there for the past one week now). One of the senior( I mean education wise) people in the lab got a cold which worsened, owing to the low temperature in the lab and even colder conditions in this city and hence with everyone’s consent set the AC to a temperature about 2˚ higher than usual. Now this person is completely cured of his cold, but the AC temp remained same. Well for the past one week, the weather in this beautiful city has been quite cold due to the rains and the winds, so nobody really objected to the lab being warmer than the outside environment.
But for some strange reason today, conflict arose about the lab temp again, and being the scientists that they are, people tried to sort it out in their own ways. One person actually called the instrumentation dept to clarify the issue, wherein he was informed that the temperature displayed on the indicator in the lab is actually a little higher than the actual temp. Not convinced (well they are scientists, they need proof), this person asked them to send in a person with the most accurate thermometer they had in their possession! So the dept duly sent in personnel with some thermometer to prove their point. Now this thermometer (being extremely accurate as was claimed) showed diff temp. at diff places n the lab which perplexed the people more!!! Moreover the thermometer in the lab showed a different reading altogether and all the 3 readings weren’t even coinciding!!!! Perplexed, people decided to set the lab temp as the one recommended in the user manual for the most expensive piece of equipment in the lab. Unfortunately, the manual did not have any specific information for the same and mentioned the temp in very ambiguous terms. So finally they decided to take a poll to reset the temp. And as luck would have it (not luck actually, its science, the science of probability :P ) , there were people with completely different points of view and hence no consensus was reached.
Well they are a bunch of scientists here, how can they not find a solution to a problem!? So the problem was put on hold till all the people in the lab had arrived. But alas!! That just created a new problem, more people, and more opinions! Also some people insisted that no matter what temperature is set; they want the indicator to show 24˚C!!!! Then there were deliberations like,-
“why is the lab feeling hot now, it was feeling cold before we left for lunch!!” ,
“aap sweater pehnoge toh garmi toh lagegi na!! ” ,
“ yaar, 10 min pehle lab mein thand lag rahi thi, aur ab garmi ho rahi hai !!”
“aap ka metabolism rate jyada hai, isiliye aap ko garmi lag rahi hai”
“ tumhe hypothyroidism hai toh hum sab garmi mein baithe!!! “ and so on and so forth….
Well so much for scientists trying to solve a problem. I am leaving the lab right now, but inspite of so much probing and thought put into the issue, the problem still lies unanswered……

A monsoon evening...

Yeh sama , sama hai yeh pyaar ka,
Kisike intezaar ka;
Dil na chura le kahi mera, mausam bahar ka……
The song is playing on the radio, its 10pm and a typical work night at home. My parents are watching the days news and my sister busy with her homework. The weather outside is brilliant, there’s a light shower and cool breeze blows the hair off your face if u step outside or into the balcony or just stand by the window.

Rim jhim gire saawan, sulag sulag jaaye mann…..
Next song on the radio, and I am already impatient. How can I possibly sit in my room when there’s such an awesome weather outside!!!!! I go and stand in the balcony, I can feel a few raindrops on my face, the wind blows in my hair and I close my eyes to enjoy the sensation of pure uninterrupted bliss. And then suddenly as if by a time machine, I am transported into a different world altogether. This world has a different set of people and a different surroundings and an altogether different way to enjoy the rains…
In this world, such a weather is synonymous with empty hostel rooms and an overcrowded library lawns, filled with people playing Frisbee or footsal. I can see groups of people sitting and chatting outside the library or just watching those playing on the lawns. The more enthusiastic ones can be seen having chai and pakoras at the jhopdi, the little ‘lazy’ ones –maggi and cappuccino at Nescafe…..
I remember the long walks on the campus with my friends just to feel the wind in my hair, the periods of intense discussions or meaningless blabber or just a serene calm which actually culminated into a feeling of the most meaningful conversation. I remember the over extended breaks in between the long study sessions in the library just the day before the exam when the weather suddenly turns great and the sunset more beautiful than on any other days and the evenings more pleasing and enjoyable somehow.

Yeh shaam mastani, madhosh kiye jaaye;
Mujhe door koi kheeche, teri aur liye jaaye……..
The shower is still on and somewhere in my minds eye, I can catch a glimpse of the magnificent and austere B-Dome standing proudly like a commander overlooking the working of his subordinates. I can see the zuari river flowing behind the campus and the lighthouse flashing its light to guide the ships. I remember the lyrics of “ab ke saawan” floating in from a hostel and setting the mood for a perfect monsoon evening.

The song changes-

yeh raatein, yeh mausam, nadi ka kinara, yeh chanchal hawa……
it reminds me of some very special evenings. Remember the long talks outside the hostel at night, right till curfew time, or sitting on the benches watching the highway when the conversation is carried mostly whispering in each others ears or walking around the campus hand in hand trying to avoid anyone else or the stolen moments on intimacy on the darker lanes in the late hours………….
Its amazing how one monsoon evening can spark a chain of thoughts that transports me into another world altogether. A world I lived in the four best years of my life, made the best of friends and have the most beautiful memories of. When it was time to leave I was reluctant, I thought I would miss this world, I would miss the people and I would miss all the great time I spent here. But now I realize, I wont miss it really, coz to miss something is to acknowledge its absence in your life. And I cant say that to something that has now essentially become a part of my existence…….

So close, no matter how far.....

We have but today,
And I want to spend all my time with u;
So that when we part and walk our own way,
I can still share the memories with u……
In our hearts we can still share all our laughs,
And I will always remember your smiling face;
For this is a relation of a lifetime,
It transcends all boundaries of time and space……
I may not be around, but don’t you feel alone,
Coz in your minds eye u can always see me,
And in my heart I will always be with you;
In my dreams we will meet everyday,
And in this lifetime we will always be together……..

This post is dedicated to all my dear friends on campus. We have little time left together, and I want to make the most of it. With all the talk of we not being able to meet again and everything going to change soon, here's hoping that this change will only be for the good, and all of us have much more happier times to come.....

MM @ BPGC.......

First of all, about todays ganesh chaturthi cultural programme. It was good, entertaining.
maharashtra mandal performance - it was great, we rocked the show ( as usual :P). The skits were hilarious( bordering on the perverted side a bit :P), the dances were awesome and the powada was intriguing.once again MM proved that there are better performers on the campus apart from those belonging to all the clubs , so cheers for MM !!!!! :D:D:D

Next, i want to dedicate this blog to all my seniors who started MM and the tradition of a cultural performance. For me it was one of the best things that happened on this campus. Right from my first year to this year,being my last,MM is one thing that has helped me and many more like me to get over the homesickness and lonely feeling that creeps in during all festivals, specially ganesh chaturthi. All of us have bonded over lots of things that seemed so trivial back home, but are now priceless memories. Not to mention all the awesome people that i have met and all the great friends that i have made, all thanks to this wonderful organisation- The Maharashtra Mandal at BPGC oopss.... its now BPKKBGC (:P)......

Today morning when i was in the SAC for the pooja, i complained to one of my fellow batchmates "yaar, is baar feel nahi aa rahi ganesh chaturthi ki". What a junior said then, now makes sense "jab tak kaam nahi karoge, feel nahi aayegi..."
As i entered the audi for the show, i felt myself walking down the memory lane, all those practise sessions, the tension, the words of "advise" by seniors, the anticipation, the performances and finally the feeling of pure joy, relief and achievement flashed in front of my eyes in a matter of seconds. The celebration after the show reminded me of my own happiness and also of one more thing- this was my last ganesh chaturthi on campus, this is the end.......

While walking back alone to my hostel, i could feel a part of me being left behind with each step. A part of me that was so happy, a part that worked so hard for days only for a 30 mins show, a part that would always remain a precious memory and a part which i know is now lost, forever.....
Ganesh Chaturthi has always been special for me, and now after four years on campus, it all the more special.Few of my best memories on campus are related to this festival and they will always be so. I know now that this festival will always remind me of these four years on campus, but with a difference. There will be joy, but without the thrill, there will be laughter , minus the emotions,the sense of achievement and relief will still be there, but the pride will be missing.

As I prepare myself to make this transition from the bonds of freedom to the shackles of slavery, i feel trapped between two minds, one which wants me to rejoice for the new life i will be stepping into and one which wants me to be sad for the one i m leaving behind.
I know this blog is a bit too soon, i still have one whole year on campus and another one in PS2, but i now realise with each passing month, i m getting closer to reality. I dont know how my life is going to turn out , it may be happy, it may be sad, all i know is, it will never be as wonderful as this dream run of 4 years in this wonderful place called BITS-Pilani,K.K.Birla,Goa Campus.............

PS- I would like to thank all me seniors once again for this brilliant concept of Maharashtra Mandal. Hats of to them!!!

Pyaar ke (only a couple of) side effects.........

They say love is blind. Hmmm, now that really set my grey cells working. Is love really blind? If yes, y so? And if no, then y is it said so?

Love is blind, maybe coz it makes u overlook ur beloved’s faults. Like they say “complete acceptance”.

Love is blind, maybe coz it makes us unable to think rationally and logically, its more about the feeling than about being rational. Maybe coz it can make u forget the difference between right and wrong, coz it makes u bend to the other persons demands , to an extent wherein u forget ur selfrespect. It can make u question ur core values and deepest beliefs, shake foundations of ur most treasured relations…..

It gets worse when it is one sided. It can make people crazy, hurt them, break them, drive them out of their minds and depress them to the point of ending their lives…. As if there is nothing else in this world that is more important……

But that’s not all. What happens to friendship when love , in any form or intensity, comes into picture?

They way I perceive it, love has this dangerously peculiar characteristic of causing neuro-degenarative disorders. It will affect those specific neurons which are involved in perceiving feelings of friendship. These neurons , as they degenerate, will then wipe off only those specific parts of ur memory where ur friends are stored ( yes u will have to store ur friends in ur brain cells once u fall in love, coz ur heart is fully occupied) . though it may sound tacky or pathetic, its true, think about it.

For those of u who r in love with someone, think about this-

When was the last time u called ur friend, just to see how he/she is doing?

How many times have u hung up on ur friends, or said u r busy , coz u wanted to talk/ chat to ur beloved?

How many times have people told u, that thay haven’t seen u for long and u think they r all lying?

How many times have ur friends told u that u have changed, and u chose to ignore them?

When was the last time u talked to ur friend without mentioning ur beloved even once?

See what I meant? I agree I may be exaggerating here, but then all that I have said is true to some degree, in some form. Exceptions are always there and if u r one of them, then I must say, ur brain cells are good enough to be compared with that of some of the best scientists in the previous century. Either that, or, ur immune system is strong enough to ward of all the ill effects of love…….

PS: the “love” that is mentioned here, belongs to the category that is exhibited in my immediate surroundings, i.e. amongst the youth. The other forms of love I believe are too sacred to comment upon by someone like me.

random....

somethings are never meant to change,

no matter how hard the struggle,they always remain the same....

some call it destiny, some fate.....

some think its pre determined, for some its just a matter of time.....

some think its ur fault that it happened,

does that mean that its really possible to change the outcome???

what do u do when things go wrong, no matter what u do...

or is it just that u think they r wrong, when in reality they r not??

is it really impossible to change somethings.........

when do u know where to stop the struggle??????

or as people say keep working, but that too without results??????

does the term 'makeover' really apply in real life???

damn!!!!!!!!!!! m confused...............

questions.....

Why????? Why is it that we r so desperate for marks???  Why is it that our entire world gets reduced to marks and grades especially during the compreesssss???

 Why is it that we assume and expect so many things?? 

It all starts with the pre comprees being put up…. Ek ek mark ke liye jhagda… our section avg is low, he/she has not given us marks, our instructor suxx, he/she is bias, such a ******* , its so unfair… blah blah blah….. a minute analysis of the entire grade sheet follows…………..

“ I lost my grade by a mark, what the ***** is this?”  “This is not done”… How much did u get?? This is soo unfair , blah blah blha….

Its like uhhhhhhh

ENOUGH……………

How much analysis r u gonna put in one excel sheet????? Come on people, its  just the pre compree, u still have time in comprees……

  

 Why is it that we assume so many things?????/ That we expect full marks in all  continuous evaluative components just for being physically present for them????? As if  we r doing a favour to the teachers…

Why do we expect to get ful marks for the report just for submitting it, irrespective of the fact whether we have actually put in an effort or not?

Or why is it that we expect atleast 90% marks in the lab tests just for being present there n doing something, no matter what u have done is rite or wrong???

N when these expectations are not fulfilled, we make a huge hue n cry about it…

Is it fair???

 

Why is it that anyone who cares to put in efforts for a lab report is labeled as dumb, and his/her work as waste and timepass??? Or for that matter, made fun of amongst his/her peers??

Why is it that a person who does good in POM is not considered as intelligent or is not given as much credit as someone who does good in say a technical course? Its not that POm does not require effort on that persons part. If it is so easy then why doesn’t everybody score full marks in it??

 

Why is it that people take  project only under a particular teacher coz the teacher is known for giving easy A grade?? Is only grade that matters in life? Does it not have any importance at all what kind of work u have done, or how much u have learned in the process? Is ur effort, ur sincerity, ur honesty not at all important?? Only what matters in the end is whether u get an A or not, irrespective of whether u have worked or not!!!!!!!!!!!! How sick can people get??

 

Why do people get so desperate for marks that they fall to the levels of cheating in an exam?? Cheating!!!!!!!!!!!!! By students from an institute like BITS!!!!!!! What then is the difference between us and the people from other colleges??? How do we stand out?? Are grades so important that we give up our ethics, our moral values, our conscience for its sake???

 

Someone who starts studying about an hour  before u is called as phodu. We live in constant fear of the other person n how much he or she has studied coz we fear that the average is gonna be high. Friendship doesn’t really matter here, all that matters is marks!!! The irony is a person who has got less marks has to console a person who has got more marks just coz the latter is losing a grade by a couple of marks or sth, or in some cases not even losing the grade, just FEELING that they r gonna loose the grade!!!!!!!!!!

 

We keep saying 10p’s r sick coz they keep studying… well the only difference is, they care for matks as much as u do, just that they start working for it from day one n get them, we work at the last moment and expect to score as much. Well if grades r so important then y not work for them as much??  Why blame others for studying more just coz they care more?? Or they put in more effort??  Why swear at them, instead of working hard ourselves???

 

Are grades more important than knowledge? U say its not ur subject then why should u have its knowledge? Well in that case, why even bother about it grade?? As it is its not gonna affect ur future much, then why bother at all??

 

Why is it that we have lost all sense of morality? That honesty, sincerity, dedication, hardwork,originality are now merely words in the dictionary?? And the person who tries to follow them in real life is mocked at or thought of as impractical??

Why???

Can neone give me an honest satisfactory answer to this epect for I m thinking too idealistic and impractical and ‘when in rome do as the romans do’.?

Anyone??

 

PS- This post is not meant to offend anyone, its just a reflection of my thoughts. If I have offended anyone in the process, its unintentional n I apologise for the same.

I was or rather am also one of the above mentioned persons, and that is one thing I regret. I never thought it was wrong but now I m ashamed to think that I was one of those people and I had reduced myself to such a narrow line of thought. This post is one the first step towards making amends……

 

 

 

 

 

 

the ' saying' dilemma :P

to say or not to say, thats the question.....

see thts wat happens whn u start studying for an xam 3 (omg 3!!!!) days in advance, u cant concentrate n u start  gettign werid thoughts into ur head:P

specially if u r studying a subject like CAS, nothing can beat tht....

 ya as i was saying, 'to say or not to say, is the question' (  i totally respect Shakespear, no offence meant to him).....

i guess  most people might have understood by now wat i m talking abt.... if not..... well there is nothing much tht i can do abt it, this is something u ought to understand urself, woh kehte hai na-' samajhdar ko ishara kafi hai'   :P

coming back to our basic question- ' to say or not to say'

i guess almost 50% of us r facing or have faced this dilemma at some point of there life - "should i say or should i not??", " what will the other person feel if i say??", "what will the other person feel if i dont say?", how will he/ she react??"," wat if he/she is offended?", "wat if he/she is hurt?"

" is this the rite time??" "or should i wait for some more time??", " will the person be in the rite frame of mind??", " is the situation rite??", " should i have said it earlier??", " should i postpone it till everything becomes perfect??" or " should i say it all??"

these and a thousand more contemplations and we come back to where we started from- ' to say or not to say'.

why does it become so difficult to express ourselves in front of tht person whom we feel knows us the best, or rather with whom we can talk for hours together on any topic under the sun???

i mean ,come on, this is one person with whom u have shared everything and then suddenly u r unable to express urself!!!!!! how ironic can it get???

y does it get so complicated?

is it possible for just one line to change everything??, y does it have to affect us so much??

i guess wat most of us fear more than rejection is the end of it all.......

thats why the contemplations- ' to say or not to say'....

is there really a correct answer to this question????

different people have different opinions.......

according to some its best to wait till the time is rite......

but then how do u know the time is rite?? it can happen tht u keep on waititng n then one fine day u realise the time has already passed n now thr's nothing tht u can do abt it..

so should we just wait n watch??

some think its best never to say anything n let the other person understand....

but then isnt there a huge risk of getting misunderstood or rather just assuming things?? both of which can lead to undesirable consequences...

some believe in just saying.....

well ya its not tht easy, n yes all the above mentioned contemplations come into picture.....

in this case there is no risk of assuming things but ya ur worst fears can come true ( y so even i dunno, but the possibility cannot be ignored)

n even if they dont well thr r other things, awkward silences, stick situations, the charm is lost i guess..

so its basically a never ending debate...........

i m confused......

wats ur say????

Testing times...............

                         Yoyo, its test time again....( ok i know thrs nothing to yoyo abt tht, woh aisehi kiya :P). So, as i was saying t2 starts 26th march...... nightmare for most of the second n third yearites actually, considering tht 90% of their papers are open book.... :P. For me n my frnds initially it used to be like- open book test... we get to see the book in test... so liteeeee. After three sems here now its like; open book? waise bhi kuch nahi aane wala... so liteeee    :P.  Moral of the story is as always, whether u study or not, t2 gg..... ( except for the 10p's who always do welll no matter wat... hats off to them for tht).

                    But thinking of tests, i think most bitsians think of similar things..... 

It all starts with long hours in the library,u can see all kinds of people in the lib b4 n during tests (not just the regular couples :P). Any outside person can also predict tht tests r coming up by just taking the look at the number of bags in the library bag room :P. Even our very own uncle sam can predict tht tests r round the corner( ok by uncle sam i meant uncle sam frm mongi :P).

I remember going to mongi the evening b4 mt midsem for a coffee break with a frnd, and uncle sam was like- ' koi xam hai kya kal?' , when we said yes he says ' isiliye, aaj koi aaya nahi ab tak.' 

LOL, bitsians r sooo predictable.......

   Speaking of mongi, it becomes an integral part of life for most people during tests ( it is an integral part of life for many neways :P).  Eating habits get irregular due to all the dedicated studying and most people rely on mongi to bail them out. Same with nite outs, coffee consumption in the entire campus  increases exponentially during this period, again, mongi n nescafe bail people out.....

        When nestle launched maggi, they would never have thought that it would be such a life saver......

All times of the day(night rather) if one walks around the hostel, one will find atleast 10 people making or having maggi in some form.... i think maggi should change their advertisement strategy- 'Raat ke 2 baje bhook lagi hai?? Dont worry, maggi hai na..... ' and maggi should be renamed as - Maggi- the life saver ( waise bhi the ' bas 2 minutes' wala concept has already been changed for us thanks to nescafe, so no harm in trying sth new :P). ( waise according to 'the most fav person on campus' we r not supposed to get hungry at 2am- reasons i will tell later, lambi kahani hai :P)

        The typical schedule during tests includes nite out, thn go n write paper, come back n study for second ppr or sleep( depending on how many pprs in a day), and the cycle repeats again till then end of tests.But honestly all the xam buzz, grp study, late night gossip instead of study(:P) makes it all bearable (n fun actually if u think of it later). Though all the 'other stuff' does reflet on ur marks for sure....

             On a personal front, my ehining increases during this period and 'life suxx, even more thn it usually does ( my frnd knows better :P). 

Neways, its bound to happen thrice everysem , so no point complaining abt it...

better enjoy it, kya pata, fir aisa mauka mile bhi ya nahi.....

time to get back to books....

all the best to everyone...............

lage raho...   :P

                        

Summer Waves 2009

                                              Waves.............. they come,they go..... they take some sand with them,but they leave behind more than they take away......

                                       summer waves this time was something of that sort.......

it started on a hopelessly boring note(the inaugral was boring) but it ended on a high,atleast for me. I didnt get drunk or nething(ob! :P), my parents came for a visit and so I had an amazing time at the end of waves. As i mentioned before i gained a lot. spending time with parents \m/,palolem \m/\m/, panaji\m/, vasco hotel room \m/\m/\m/    :P:P:P.

but more than just beaches or shopping its the time spent with ur loved ones that actually makes it all so important and special.....

i never knew how much i missed my parents until they left me back at the hostel.........

then a friends came visiting from ps2.. funny how going out of the campus for just 3-4 months can change u soo much.....

learnt a lot this waves..

1) u can enever enjoy a fest if u dont have ne job in it

2) feels great to see old friends

3) no matter how best friends u r, it always has a trace of selfish interest

4) jo dikhta hai woh hota nahi

5) indian oceans is a great band

6)there is a limit to everyones patience, no matter how much u take it "lite"

                     and i discovered whole new feelings.................

neways dont feel like typing nemore....

cya....

Quark 09

'He came,he saw,he conquered'- thats how quark started this time,with Dr.Kalams visit.his speech delivered to a jam packed audi containing ppl of 18- 80 yrs was also a big hit(or should i say inspiration). i particularly remember one of the oaths tht he gave us-" I will work and work hard with all the forces of the universe to make my dream come true, whatever it may be".
Truly,the aura of the man is incaptivating..... its like u see him in front of u alive,but still u cant get enough of him..... an amazing experience.....one of the best in my life.... with his entry in the audi,everything seemed worthwhile....... all the security checks,the restrictions,the hour long wait and anticipation melted in one moment with the wave of his hand......it was awesome...........
Tht apart the event was fun too. 10 teams,three events,one prize...... \m/.....
sometimes u never know wat u have to face unless u face it... something like tht happened during the events.... no matter how much u think u r prepared,u r not,u can never tell wat problems can arise during the actual event itself....i guess thats human nature.... complex,unpredictable yet seems to be the most ridiculously simple and obvious thing ever....
Speaking of human nature,there seems to be a sudden surge in emotional problems in the life of ppl around me and its similar.....everyone has similar or related problems..its like an emotional epidemic gripping the campus... i just hope its not gripping my entire generation,otherwise it will lead to a considerable brain drain i guess....Hey ppl,no offence meant,but i always have one question in mind whn i see everything,is all tht u do worth it? i mean is that one person worth all the trouble u take? is tht person worth giving up everything giving up wat u r good at,ur natural talents,ur creative faculties? i for once will never understand the complete involvement of one person in the other,dunno abt u......
That apart,life is rocking as always.... the contemplations continue at intervals...... quark was fun,hopefully waves will be the same...
cya soon..... byeee.