Hope

Hi blog, I know I owe you an apology, but I’ve been busy with something really important. You know it and you understand it I know. Doesn’t it amaze you, how sometimes people leave all logic behind and try to make things happen, even if they are certain of a failure? Hoping for a miracle probably, but miracles don’t happen and hope is a pleasant delusion. Still, we hope against hope, we hope against logic, we hope in the face of all adversities, that’s us the humans. Human nature is sometimes more mysterious than Bermuda Triangle. If you have read “The Alchemist” or at least saw “Om Shanti Om”, you would know this quote “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it”. This probably may be the answer to my question, an unseen force pushing you, to go beyond what you think is possible, but it depends on how bad you want it, what you are prepared to loose, and whether you have your heart into it and at this point of time, I am looking towards the universe.

I am going to read “The Alchemist” again; I hope it works as a revitalizer. That word “hope” again, I don’t know how many times I’ve used it today, but then it’s become a part of my life for quite some time now. If by chance you’ve survived all the crap above and you’re still reading it, Congratulations!! You have the ability to go through nuclear winter and come out alive. By the way, if you havn’t heard Jason Mraz yet, you’re missing something. Surprisingly simple music and beautiful lyrics, the guy is amazing. Yeah, and I have moved in to a new place and I’m liking it here so far :). I’m really bad at concluding and I don’t know how to smoothly end what I’m writing so I’ll just stop here. c ya blog, c ya people.

Palau Islands?? ...what is that?

Do you know what Palau Island is? Chances are, you don't or you didn't, before you heard that Obama administration was sending 17 of its guantanamo bay detainees to Palau Island. I am not much into world politics, but Palau Island? surely doesn’t ring a bell so I decided to search it a bit on the net. I first heard of it on google hot trends where it was the sixth most searched item today. Googled it and read some stuff on wikipedia and other places. Turns out, somewhere in the middle of Pacific the Palau islands is an archipelago of hundreds of islands, some of which have been inhabited by humans much before the Europeans started settling in US and Australia. It has a 4000 year old history. One of youngest nations of the world, it is a tourist place and has been the location of one season of the TV series Survivors. While I was looking up the map, I found quite a few such archipelago nations; Marshall Islands, Micronesia etc , quite an addition to my geography knowledge. Pacific is one place on the map I didn't pay attention to in my geography classes and its interesting when you come to know, that there are countries existing, you never knew.

Pittsburgh ...yippie

Here I am in Pittsburgh CMU and I must say its a nice city . Looks more so, if you are coming from Rolla :D. The downtown is beautiful, and if you believe people here the view is second to none in US. Travelling from Rolla to Pittsburgh was quite interesting I decided to catch a greyhound to St. Louis (big mistake), woke up a little too early on Sunday morning, and reached the bus stop on time only to find that the bus was late. Finally the bus arrived and just as I picked my bag up, the driver opens the door and speaks in a Mexican accent, sorry sir, the bus is full. It took me a while to comprehend what he said, because not even in my most pathetic dream, I could have imagined that. Sorry, sir the bus is full, please take the next bus, at 7.10in the evening. In the next few seconds, my brain processed all my options and the result of what could happen if I missed the bus. "But I have a flight to catch in the afternoon; I can't possibly wait till evening." "Well, then sir, if you don't mind standing, I can take you to St. Louis." I had no other option, so I covered the 2 hour greyhound ride from Rolla to St. Louis standing, and the DTC experience back in Delhi came in handy. Since I wanted the receipt of the ticket, the driver drove me to downtown from where I had to take a Metro, back to the airport. While I was waiting at the station for the metro to arrive, a "shady" character came up (you know what I mean here) and started asking for money. Not knowing what to do, I searched my pockets and found a quarter and a dime, I gave that to him saying thats all I had. Thankfully, apart from a little confusion at the airport nothing else happened, rest of the day. I arrived at Pittsburgh in the evening and thanks to Shreyas, didn't have to wander around much. Found the dorm room pretty easily and so far so good. :) . Will come back with more updates later.

btw ... do leave your comments ;)

I dream blogging

Its certainly not a time for a blog post, but I can't put it off any further.Last night I had a dream that I was writing my next blog post, which I think is the sign that one is due for sure.The dream was unusual because I still remember what I wrote. I think this happens to everybody sometime or the otherwhen you get this creepy feeling that you remember what you dreamt. Although I do remember a lot of my dreams but the details with which I remember this one is scary. Contrast this with that I often dont remember what I had for dinner last night.

On a lighter note, I recently got the honest scrap award from vaibhav. Thanks to him, coz I dont think my blog is good enough to have recieved anything like an honest scrap award. Thanks VB

No more presentations!!!!

Finally no presentations for a few days ...I know I have another one next monday, but i have the weekend to start working on it. I've had 4 presentations in the last 3 days, and now I have started to wonder whether MBA would have been a good option rather than PhD.

It started with my advisor announcing an ill timed lab meeting. My presentation there ended in total humiliation, with my advisor dissecting each and every word of what I presented. I cannot thank my lab mates enough for coming to my rescue when my advisor was still not tired of inflicting more than an hour of disgrace on me.Inspite of all this, I had a lot to learn and take away and it helped greatly in the couple of presentations i had yesterday and the one today.

No more presentations till monday, and I have some time to rest before the harakiri of end sem and the final exams begins. May I rest in peace :D.

Its Different

There's a lot to write, but no time :( , I want to write about the smokies trip, how we celebrated holi and i got thrown in the schuman lake, cricket and about jigar ;), but it's just that time of the semester :( .But, I still have something to write.. although completely out of context, but i do this once in a while, when I really feel the urge.. I don't really know what to call this piece of writing, but its here, and you decide for me..

chirago mein lau jal jal ke bujhi jati hai
dil mein jo hai bat vo zuba per nahi aati hai
dil chahta hai har lamha usi ke sath
har pal mein vahi nazar aati hai
kahein na kahein ya karein intezar
isi soch mein nikal gai sari raat
kaise kahein unse jo dil mein hai baat

khamoshi bhi humein dekhkar muskurati hai
per isharo mein bhi bat unhe kahan samajh aati hai
dil chahta hai har lamha usi ke sath
per samne ho vo to zuba ladkhadati hai
sambhalein dil ko ya rehne dein yahi haalaat
isi soch mein nikal gai sari raat
kaise kahein unse jo dil mein hai baat ..... :)

The question

Its been quite some time since I wrote last, but there has been nothing much to write about except studies. Its again that part of the semester where the work starts piling up. This week I got a chance to go to a conference and it turned out to be very interesting. I interacted with the people whose papers I have been reading and networked a little bit too. Its amazing to see how critically these people think and how they dissect any given statement. The conference was in Boeing's campus in St. Louis and as I was walking the floor around the cubicles, it reminded me of my days back in CSC. The nostalgia brought with it the question, why did I come here? Sometimes the money and leisure win over everything else. But these are the times, when I am thankful to my short memory. When I don't want to think about something as tricky as this, I involve myself in some other activity and it is wiped clean from my small RAM. Although I know the answer, sometimes it becomes tough to convince yourself. Its like a naughty kid who knows what is wrong and what is right, but he insists on doing the wrong thing because that is more fun. Of late I have had at least a couple more of these tricky questions and the naughty kid just doesn't understand. While I buy him a pacifier you people take care.