What do you do with a vector? First thing, you add them, vectorially. And then? ....simple! you multiply them.....and then you realise there are actually two ways to do so! One is scalar product, while the other is vector product.
This is the way a typical 12th standard class goes in. I always wondered, why the hell are there two ways? From where did they come from? What was the clue?......Even after a laborious work at length, I couldn't get a clue.
It was only when the introduction to tensor came in my way, I realised that the vector product is indeed not a simple vector. It is dual of some anti..........blah blah!
The actual point I learned was " The direction of the vector, the (vector) product of two vectors, is merely a convention"......consequence of what is called as right handed co-ordinate system.
And we are so used to it.......when you twist the screw in the wall, when you close the running water tap and also when you open your medicine bottle or even when you key your watch! Its all right handed systems.
As far as you are a physicists or an engineer it is just logical. But what if you are a biologists?
Consider, a long flat sheet hold it at one end with your left hand and start twisting with your right hand the most natural way (i.e. clockwise). The thing which you get is a right handed spiral, a model for a right handed DNA in biology. But, have a closer look at it and you will realise, that it is a left handed screw one according to the physiscists' definition.
Amazing realisation! isn't it?
Monday, February 06, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Searching Yaman
I sometimes get amused with the comments people make. And if it comes from an expert in the field, huh!
Few years back, there was a song by ARR "Telephone maNipole sirripuvun maghazha" meaning the girl laughing in telephone tune. I was very impressed by the stunt in the song. Consider someone good-looking sitting beside you and laughing like "HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2)........HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2)........." until you quit the phone, ohh! sorry you change the topic. Will you ever think of loving such a girl? (I doubt, if you propose her, the reaction will be HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2)........HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2).........) But, any ways, when it comes to ARR, you are not supposed to care for the lyrics, unless it is Gulzar or sometimes Vairamutthu.
A couple of weeks back, I was attending a concert of Hindustani classical music. It was an instrumental recital by one of the most famous artists of India. In the interlude of a raga, which is also one of my favorite, the artist claimed "....even we breath in Yaman.....". I was shocked! I have been spending uncountably infinite quantas of Yaman throughout...will have to look at my lavishness!
When, I was back home I shared this with my family. Unfortunately, none of them have any interest in classical music. I made them breath in Yaman, even when my father doing pranayama. Alas, all turned quite unsuccessful. Absolutely no sign of any swara...Yaman is a step ahead. One negative test we could confirm though: One of my relative is a trained classical singer and she doesn't like Yaman at all. I was wise to conclude that she had Asthama.
Any ways, the search of Yaman is still on. Want to try?
Few years back, there was a song by ARR "Telephone maNipole sirripuvun maghazha" meaning the girl laughing in telephone tune. I was very impressed by the stunt in the song. Consider someone good-looking sitting beside you and laughing like "HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2)........HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2)........." until you quit the phone, ohh! sorry you change the topic. Will you ever think of loving such a girl? (I doubt, if you propose her, the reaction will be HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2)........HiHi_HiHi_Hi(1/2).........) But, any ways, when it comes to ARR, you are not supposed to care for the lyrics, unless it is Gulzar or sometimes Vairamutthu.
A couple of weeks back, I was attending a concert of Hindustani classical music. It was an instrumental recital by one of the most famous artists of India. In the interlude of a raga, which is also one of my favorite, the artist claimed "....even we breath in Yaman.....". I was shocked! I have been spending uncountably infinite quantas of Yaman throughout...will have to look at my lavishness!
When, I was back home I shared this with my family. Unfortunately, none of them have any interest in classical music. I made them breath in Yaman, even when my father doing pranayama. Alas, all turned quite unsuccessful. Absolutely no sign of any swara...Yaman is a step ahead. One negative test we could confirm though: One of my relative is a trained classical singer and she doesn't like Yaman at all. I was wise to conclude that she had Asthama.
Any ways, the search of Yaman is still on. Want to try?
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Missing a Bit
It all started with an e-mail, "Would you like to perform on this republic day?" and I replied, " This is a great idea, provided you don't mind screwing up your own performance because of me (which is quite possible!)" and the answer was, "let's try!".........thanks didi, it is so great that people like you exist and I am lucky to know one!
The course was not simple though! everyday, we came with something new! More voices added, then rhythm was added...sometimes chord variation changed...... the other day was the scale change....rhythm removed and tabla added....and when all possibilities were explored.....we fought.....synth was eliminated....and this happened 2 hrs before the programme......This was my punishment....for my over-commitment....they changed the rhythm again to suit non-synth version.......and then came the friend....who sooth out all of us and we had a re-union.....15 min. before the performance!....and now, I was to adjust myself to the changed rhythm (since I was to start with the prelude, fixing the rhythm) .......and then the funny thing......we practiced it outside the main security gate , on the pavement!....it worked ok!.............thanks to my friend.......
Oh, and how can I forget you, who made my resolution come true? quite unknowingly! 7-8 months back when I had my first lesson of piano, I had a resolution: whenever I perform in public for the first time (if at all), I will perform something of ARR, my inspiration, my life! When you came to me, deciding a song was not difficult, if it is me...it will always land on some ARR song, but I wasn't sure of myself....and you geared up my spirit........thanks yaar!
And finally, it's me!...no, no....wrong....it's me on the stage....on the staaaaaaaage! a heavy body made of only nerve cells, full of nervousness.....throughout, I was shivering, trembling like anything.....I was not the best....I was poor....but, I am happy.....I have a way to go better....long long way....but I am on the way, at least.......I missed the bit, but I am missing it a bit now!......ARR, you taught me to keep trying.....and I know, I will be better everytime.....this is my self-commitment......I know, we can make it better! (Request: put your speakers on!)
The course was not simple though! everyday, we came with something new! More voices added, then rhythm was added...sometimes chord variation changed...... the other day was the scale change....rhythm removed and tabla added....and when all possibilities were explored.....we fought.....synth was eliminated....and this happened 2 hrs before the programme......This was my punishment....for my over-commitment....they changed the rhythm again to suit non-synth version.......and then came the friend....who sooth out all of us and we had a re-union.....15 min. before the performance!....and now, I was to adjust myself to the changed rhythm (since I was to start with the prelude, fixing the rhythm) .......and then the funny thing......we practiced it outside the main security gate , on the pavement!....it worked ok!.............thanks to my friend.......
Oh, and how can I forget you, who made my resolution come true? quite unknowingly! 7-8 months back when I had my first lesson of piano, I had a resolution: whenever I perform in public for the first time (if at all), I will perform something of ARR, my inspiration, my life! When you came to me, deciding a song was not difficult, if it is me...it will always land on some ARR song, but I wasn't sure of myself....and you geared up my spirit........thanks yaar!
And finally, it's me!...no, no....wrong....it's me on the stage....on the staaaaaaaage! a heavy body made of only nerve cells, full of nervousness.....throughout, I was shivering, trembling like anything.....I was not the best....I was poor....but, I am happy.....I have a way to go better....long long way....but I am on the way, at least.......I missed the bit, but I am missing it a bit now!......ARR, you taught me to keep trying.....and I know, I will be better everytime.....this is my self-commitment......I know, we can make it better! (Request: put your speakers on!)
Monday, January 23, 2006
Death of a Scientist
"PM A. P. J. Abdul Kalam to attend AoL",
as per the ToI.
"Hema Malini, Atal Bihari Vajpai support Ramdev",
this time The Hindu.
great! If India in shining so brightly there, what am I doing here, at a research institute? Well, Hema, Vajpai are just public figures....no doubt, if they do it! Main et tu, PM? This is not expected from you. Apart from being a public personality, you are (or rather were) a scientist! The thing, I proud to be of, despite being a harmless, useless and pretty ill-paid servant of the nation. I am sorry sir, but I can't respect you for this, if I am to continue with my self-respect. (I don't mind attending such programmes with a open scientific mind. My objection is in the blind faith people are pushing into following your moves sir!)
There is a very thin line between Philosophy(PH) and Spirituality(SP), I believe. The former being a scientific study, based on a few axioms, of evolution of a culture, whereas the later has grown on personal interpretations of the experiences gathered throughout, and claim a global applicability (which has no a-priori reason for). I feel, the difference between the two lies in their being objective versus subjective respectively. Any ways, why mess up it all? Mr. ramdev has already proved his Saiyyam very recently, when a small perturbation stroke his Arkashala.
My institute spends good part of its annual budget on Science popularization programmes. I think what should be nurtured among the masses is not the science itself, but the scientific attitude. Unfortunately, many interesting fields of life such as performing arts, economy and sociology are not looked upon as a scientific subject. Nevertheless, a scientific attitude does exists in their studies. On the other hand, even one's scientific background doesn't seem to develop the scientific attitude, at least in India. Why??
What goes for PH and SP, also goes for astronomy(AN) and astrology(AL). The Saturn which doesn't know by himself which way to go and needs the Sun, the moon, the jupitor and every other celestial object to fix its trajectory, how can govern my lifestyle here on earth? What force? which interaction? The interesting thing is the planet which, according to me, affects our life the most directly, the earth, doesn't have any importance in the horoscope? Isn't it surprising?
Last night sky observation with my institute mates was great experience, until someone from my institute (and for my mishap, a grad. student from a department, for which next whole century is reserved of hopes) started asking questions like what happens if Venus goes into such and such constellation and blah blah.......
It was the death of a scientist! It was death of the science!
as per the ToI.
"Hema Malini, Atal Bihari Vajpai support Ramdev",
this time The Hindu.
great! If India in shining so brightly there, what am I doing here, at a research institute? Well, Hema, Vajpai are just public figures....no doubt, if they do it! Main et tu, PM? This is not expected from you. Apart from being a public personality, you are (or rather were) a scientist! The thing, I proud to be of, despite being a harmless, useless and pretty ill-paid servant of the nation. I am sorry sir, but I can't respect you for this, if I am to continue with my self-respect. (I don't mind attending such programmes with a open scientific mind. My objection is in the blind faith people are pushing into following your moves sir!)
There is a very thin line between Philosophy(PH) and Spirituality(SP), I believe. The former being a scientific study, based on a few axioms, of evolution of a culture, whereas the later has grown on personal interpretations of the experiences gathered throughout, and claim a global applicability (which has no a-priori reason for). I feel, the difference between the two lies in their being objective versus subjective respectively. Any ways, why mess up it all? Mr. ramdev has already proved his Saiyyam very recently, when a small perturbation stroke his Arkashala.
My institute spends good part of its annual budget on Science popularization programmes. I think what should be nurtured among the masses is not the science itself, but the scientific attitude. Unfortunately, many interesting fields of life such as performing arts, economy and sociology are not looked upon as a scientific subject. Nevertheless, a scientific attitude does exists in their studies. On the other hand, even one's scientific background doesn't seem to develop the scientific attitude, at least in India. Why??
What goes for PH and SP, also goes for astronomy(AN) and astrology(AL). The Saturn which doesn't know by himself which way to go and needs the Sun, the moon, the jupitor and every other celestial object to fix its trajectory, how can govern my lifestyle here on earth? What force? which interaction? The interesting thing is the planet which, according to me, affects our life the most directly, the earth, doesn't have any importance in the horoscope? Isn't it surprising?
Last night sky observation with my institute mates was great experience, until someone from my institute (and for my mishap, a grad. student from a department, for which next whole century is reserved of hopes) started asking questions like what happens if Venus goes into such and such constellation and blah blah.......
It was the death of a scientist! It was death of the science!
Friday, January 20, 2006
15 Park(ed) Avenue
This should have been the name for the movie. It was moving with such a low pace, practically just like a car parked at the roadside. No doubt, Konkana acted very well. But the movie fails in two senses. Firstly, I think there is a confusion between schizophrenic and mentally retarded patient. I mean, a schizophrenic lives a normal life (suitable to his age), except he has some extra, fictitious characters around and a private world inter-woven therein (this condition is not applicable, if the patient thinks, himself as a person from a very different age group, which was clearly not the case with this movie). Secondly, the director didn't have control over the scenes and may be to give an artistic touch, sacrificed the reliability in them. Many scenes were frivolous and irrelevant. Sometimes, they came abruptly and before you could catch your breath with them, they were gone!
The last scene was not very much clear, even after hours of thinking to me. May be it is my lack of imagination. Though, it triggered a new concept in my mind. Professionally, I am not supposed to reveal my ideas publicly. But, I am anyways, putting them here. Mainly for (again)two reasons. One, I don't have plans and also, credits to get into this field professionally in near future. Second, I might be creating another crap( I am still to test my caliber). Let's see, here it goes!
Konkona is schizophrenic and Shabana is her sister taking care of her. Most of the scenes occur in flash-back during the conversations of shabana with Dhritiman(the doctor), who is helping shabana get Konkona out of her troubles. (This is a three character script, though the others will keep popping at times). Then there is this hunt for 15 park avenue of Konkona. And the story develops........let's come to the final scene. Shabana is taking Konkona to some lane, which Konkona says is park avenue. Dhritiman is following(observing) them in the car. Meanwhile people around start bullying Shabana and Konkona. Shabana calls Dhritiman for help on her mobile. Dhritiman gets out of the car reaches shabana. Meanwhile Konkona disappears. Shabana starts searching for her very violently, from one door to the other. Dhritiman is trying to control her frustration. Finally, gives up and calls his assistants from the car. They all hold Shabana and take her in the car.
Moral: There was no character called Konkona. Shabana is schizophrenic and Konkona is merely a character in her delusion. Dhritman is treating Shabana and all those sessions were the treatment interrogations of Shabana!
The last scene was not very much clear, even after hours of thinking to me. May be it is my lack of imagination. Though, it triggered a new concept in my mind. Professionally, I am not supposed to reveal my ideas publicly. But, I am anyways, putting them here. Mainly for (again)two reasons. One, I don't have plans and also, credits to get into this field professionally in near future. Second, I might be creating another crap( I am still to test my caliber). Let's see, here it goes!
Konkona is schizophrenic and Shabana is her sister taking care of her. Most of the scenes occur in flash-back during the conversations of shabana with Dhritiman(the doctor), who is helping shabana get Konkona out of her troubles. (This is a three character script, though the others will keep popping at times). Then there is this hunt for 15 park avenue of Konkona. And the story develops........let's come to the final scene. Shabana is taking Konkona to some lane, which Konkona says is park avenue. Dhritiman is following(observing) them in the car. Meanwhile people around start bullying Shabana and Konkona. Shabana calls Dhritiman for help on her mobile. Dhritiman gets out of the car reaches shabana. Meanwhile Konkona disappears. Shabana starts searching for her very violently, from one door to the other. Dhritiman is trying to control her frustration. Finally, gives up and calls his assistants from the car. They all hold Shabana and take her in the car.
Moral: There was no character called Konkona. Shabana is schizophrenic and Konkona is merely a character in her delusion. Dhritman is treating Shabana and all those sessions were the treatment interrogations of Shabana!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Name it or not
One day uncle, Shakespeare said to me, " What's in the name?", when I reverted, "what else without it?". Believe it or not, but whenever I joined a new group I had a new title.
My parents used to call me Gundya. Perhaps because I was a little fat and resembled a typical gunda. But, notice the ingenuity. Being parents they gave a little homely touch to make it gundya. (Now a days, they have stopped calling me so, which I miss a lot.) My school friends called me Anna. I loved it. In college I was known as iit. I don't know the reason, but I got along with it. In IIT, for non-marathis I was Bhau,whereas marathi ones invented a rather funny name for me, gotya (you know, even our yahoogroup was given the same name). In my institute I am more often known as Chaapu (though there are many others: moron, warrior, yanni). In one SERC school, there was some misbehaviour from some boy and girls couldn't spot it out. Though, they unanimously claimed, that it can't be Nikhil. Bass! Ho gaya. My friends there started calling me khassi. I don't know the exact meaning of it, but surely it is not one which one can carry for long! (Yeh ladkiyan bhi...) And so and so and so....
Name, name and names! Sometime it is just symbolic, sometimes just for fun. For some, it gives you pride, some are just to pull your leg. Sometimes, it is sarcastic whereas the other show a deep affection. Sometimes, it is for your popularity and sometimes it represents your infamy. With one you feel a bit projected away for the other it is more injected into you. A name for each character hidden inside you, a name for each group you know(I doubt, if I am given some more names in various departments or groups here), a name for each new place you meet new people and name for each good friend and from each worthy enemy. Various names, various purposes, various feelings. Name, name and names!
But, I know of one common thread therein.......they all make you nostalgic at the end!
My parents used to call me Gundya. Perhaps because I was a little fat and resembled a typical gunda. But, notice the ingenuity. Being parents they gave a little homely touch to make it gundya. (Now a days, they have stopped calling me so, which I miss a lot.) My school friends called me Anna. I loved it. In college I was known as iit. I don't know the reason, but I got along with it. In IIT, for non-marathis I was Bhau,whereas marathi ones invented a rather funny name for me, gotya (you know, even our yahoogroup was given the same name). In my institute I am more often known as Chaapu (though there are many others: moron, warrior, yanni). In one SERC school, there was some misbehaviour from some boy and girls couldn't spot it out. Though, they unanimously claimed, that it can't be Nikhil. Bass! Ho gaya. My friends there started calling me khassi. I don't know the exact meaning of it, but surely it is not one which one can carry for long! (Yeh ladkiyan bhi...) And so and so and so....
Name, name and names! Sometime it is just symbolic, sometimes just for fun. For some, it gives you pride, some are just to pull your leg. Sometimes, it is sarcastic whereas the other show a deep affection. Sometimes, it is for your popularity and sometimes it represents your infamy. With one you feel a bit projected away for the other it is more injected into you. A name for each character hidden inside you, a name for each group you know(I doubt, if I am given some more names in various departments or groups here), a name for each new place you meet new people and name for each good friend and from each worthy enemy. Various names, various purposes, various feelings. Name, name and names!
But, I know of one common thread therein.......they all make you nostalgic at the end!
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Five Points Something
Recently (7 hrs. 20 min. ago, to be precise), I completed reading a book Five Point Someone. It was a good experience re-visiting the characters through this book. The book is written in a very simple manner, which I would call the New Age style. All along it maintains a cool mood describing the typical scenes at IIT in a lucid fashion. Especially, the one after the first semester grades are out!
There are 5 main characters here
1. Neha : This is a completely fictitious character, no doubt. I mean, Neha is almost impossibly likely to occur, the way she has been portrayed( even her entry scene!). And moreover, if there is one Neha, then there must be atleast six Hari's in the institute (this number according to the latest statistics may go to 8). But true, remove her and the novel will end up in 10 pages, I suppose. I do feel, to have a novel on IIT life, a character like her was completely exorbitant, since there are many other interesting things one has (or rather bound) to live happily with at IITs.
2. Alok : This one is a possible IITan. He is one of them who are very much depressed from their family background, mess up their grades, their life at IIT and being a novice (just 12th passed adult) end up in a suicide attempt (though very unlikely in their 3rd year). I myself, didn't have a chance to deal with such a case, but being in counseling service I always had encounters with them.
3. Hari : He is, I think, the luckiest person overall, provided he had Neha, if existed on earth. Though I don't understand why he got so lucky? Looks and fatty health, no bar. But he was not a chaapu, either. May be Love is blind!
4. Ryan : This is my favorite. Because, he is just like my friends. I think an average of IITan are like him. Truly IITan.
5. Professors : True, either they are prof. Cherian or they are prof. Veera. The midway personality doesn't exist at IIT.
And, there is Venkat, a nine pointer. Actually, this is a mistake. He should be a Ten pointer, to be very careful about his grades and position. A nine pointer at IIT is just like a five pointer, full of enthu and masti. A nine pointer doesn't differ from an average student by his nature, but just by his talent, whereas a Ten pointer is a ten pointer (which occur rarely, though not very rarely)!
Overall book is OK, but if you know reading marathi, I would refer you to a better book Shala by Milind Bokil.This is a again story of three friends(a mere coincidence) from 9th std. One of them had a crush on a girl from the same class. And the story proceeds....Highly recommended. If you take this seriously and try reading it, do send me your feedbacks!
There are 5 main characters here
1. Neha : This is a completely fictitious character, no doubt. I mean, Neha is almost impossibly likely to occur, the way she has been portrayed( even her entry scene!). And moreover, if there is one Neha, then there must be atleast six Hari's in the institute (this number according to the latest statistics may go to 8). But true, remove her and the novel will end up in 10 pages, I suppose. I do feel, to have a novel on IIT life, a character like her was completely exorbitant, since there are many other interesting things one has (or rather bound) to live happily with at IITs.
2. Alok : This one is a possible IITan. He is one of them who are very much depressed from their family background, mess up their grades, their life at IIT and being a novice (just 12th passed adult) end up in a suicide attempt (though very unlikely in their 3rd year). I myself, didn't have a chance to deal with such a case, but being in counseling service I always had encounters with them.
3. Hari : He is, I think, the luckiest person overall, provided he had Neha, if existed on earth. Though I don't understand why he got so lucky? Looks and fatty health, no bar. But he was not a chaapu, either. May be Love is blind!
4. Ryan : This is my favorite. Because, he is just like my friends. I think an average of IITan are like him. Truly IITan.
5. Professors : True, either they are prof. Cherian or they are prof. Veera. The midway personality doesn't exist at IIT.
And, there is Venkat, a nine pointer. Actually, this is a mistake. He should be a Ten pointer, to be very careful about his grades and position. A nine pointer at IIT is just like a five pointer, full of enthu and masti. A nine pointer doesn't differ from an average student by his nature, but just by his talent, whereas a Ten pointer is a ten pointer (which occur rarely, though not very rarely)!
Overall book is OK, but if you know reading marathi, I would refer you to a better book Shala by Milind Bokil.This is a again story of three friends(a mere coincidence) from 9th std. One of them had a crush on a girl from the same class. And the story proceeds....Highly recommended. If you take this seriously and try reading it, do send me your feedbacks!
Monday, January 16, 2006
The Pigeon of all
These bloody pigeons! I have given up on them. They keep visiting my room early mornings, as if the balcony is made specially for them. I don't mind their intrusion to my room, sitting on the slabs or even on the roof of the cupboard inside my room. I will be at their service to keep the floors of balcony clean, so that they have no trouble shiting there next time. But, when it comes to the irritating sound they make all the time (somebody should tell them, if that is the way to attract the opposite sex, then they have a way to improve upon the production rate further, whatsoever), I loose my senses. I can't bear it anymore and have to rush to the balcony everytime. To my mishap, the rule of natural adaptation, considered to be the most sacred job in evolution, comes at the end. By now, they have adapted to all my moves and won't consider my efforts till the distance between us goes down to a few centimeters. (I don't know why this natural adaptation has not worked for me, or I should have been comfortable with them by now)
Any ways, now I have started pulling curtains all along the windows, since keeping them closed is not a breathy way to live in those asylums.
Today, an interesting thing happened. Despite all my arrangements, one smart pigeon managed to enter my room. And bang there! I started pushing it out, when it couldn't find a place to get out. I think they have a short term memory. It took me almost 2-3 minutes to succeed.
Think of this: In typical hindi movies (or sometimes even hollywood does it), to save oneself from the villain our heroin closes all the entry/exit points and assures that they won't be broken so easily. Now, comes the point. If somehow, villain manages to get an entry, what will our beautiful lady do? There is hardly any chance of her rescue, which she herself has confirmed in defense, sometime ago. So our defense system may become our impasse at times!
Great theme for a movie, isn't it ?
Any ways, now I have started pulling curtains all along the windows, since keeping them closed is not a breathy way to live in those asylums.
Today, an interesting thing happened. Despite all my arrangements, one smart pigeon managed to enter my room. And bang there! I started pushing it out, when it couldn't find a place to get out. I think they have a short term memory. It took me almost 2-3 minutes to succeed.
Think of this: In typical hindi movies (or sometimes even hollywood does it), to save oneself from the villain our heroin closes all the entry/exit points and assures that they won't be broken so easily. Now, comes the point. If somehow, villain manages to get an entry, what will our beautiful lady do? There is hardly any chance of her rescue, which she herself has confirmed in defense, sometime ago. So our defense system may become our impasse at times!
Great theme for a movie, isn't it ?
Thursday, January 12, 2006
The search
What is the specialty of a Hijara/chhakka ? The fact that they are impotent is all accepted. Plus, in most of the communities it is believed that they have a direct touch with their gods. The blessings from them is a word of god. This must be the reason, why at every religious function in India, they are invited whole-heartedly.
So, here is something (or rather someone), who can do nothing but to pray the god for your good-fortune. Recently, I met with a tree which depicts the idea. This is a tree on the Neral station some 100 km from Mumbai CST on the central line towards pune.
C'mone don't hurry to add a comment! The idea is not my original. This piece of ingenuity belongs to my dear friend Mr. Amit Kulasreshtha, though the search is purely mine.
You can have a look at other snaps of the trek here.
The trek
Saturday, Jan 7, 2006. I woke up at 04:30 in the morning. Not because of my alarm clock, but it was a call from one of my friend asking, if I could go for a trekking with them. At 05:30 we were on the station. We were 7 with 2 girls. (I don't know why but this ratio seems to be a magic number!)
The whole plan was a matter of 5 minutes involving 4 calls altogether and we headed for a one day trek in less than an hour. This is quite opposite to what I generally face in my institute, where even a Sunday dinner takes hours of planning, that too ending in a quarrel(s). But, mine is a different group overall and I love spending time in it.
Any ways, we had a nice one day trek to Peb fort near neral and just beside matheran, the famous hill station nearest to mumbai. It was a wonderful day. Firstly, we didn't know the train timings: had to wait for an hour for the train, which didn't confirm its arrival before I had my third tea. Secondly, the train (or at least the boggy) we embarked in didn't have the route sticker. We had to hold our breath before each station passed. Next came the side: I don't know, why the destination has to be always on the opposite side I go to. Fortunately, the fort is so famous, that even the people from the village at the base don't seem to have any knowledge of its existence. Ultimately, when we started at the base, it was 07:30 and we couldn't confirm anything apart from the apex, which appeared conspicuously far away all the time, till 10:30(circled in the image). We lost our way and had a really tough time managing the rocky climbs, which helped us with fantastic land slides almost all the way. After sacrificing away tones of calories with buckets of perspiration, we reached such a height, that we couldn't hear the farmer at the base, when he asked' "Kuthe chalale, pavhan?"(where are you going?). Any ways, less than half along the way, we spend all of our water. There was just one hope rest of the way, there was a water-tank at the top according to one of our friend, which was soon to be proved a rumor. It was 2:30 when we were just below the top and top was an epitome of barren.
The Peb fort, as almost every other fort in Maharashtra exists in pieces, which one really has to dig hard for. There is nothing on the fort, which can strongly confirm its one time existence. So our effort ended in a big ZERO. Are these forts worth visiting? Big question!! and answer is positively "No" in most of the cases. But, ask this to me or anyone from Kshitiz.
The real fun is not visiting a fort which is untouched, like those many in Jaipur. The non-existence of these forts confirms the thrilling history of maharashtra, full of wars and fights fought against Mughals, Nijams and even British governance. This gives an immense feeling of pride. The other fact not to be overlooked upon is the way they were built. We find it tough to walk through bare hands. Think of the times, when Maratha sardars used to climb it up with their horses and kilos of weight of the swords in the hands. Cool, isn't it?
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Getting connected
The horn cried. The driver in my taxi waved his hand out of the window responding immediately. The car at the back snored to decelerate and aligned itself in the queue. The heavy truck in the side opposite lane passed roaring like a lion. A big nothing happened. Sure? Ask the driver at the rare end of my taxi and he will breath deeply before even thinking about it.
The car at the back was trying hard to overtook our taxi, when a pay-load was passing the other side. The car missed running into an accident just by a few milliseconds. Thanks to the taxi driver.
I don't think this is something great that I observed yesterday. It is a routine story in a car holders' life. Then why am I to waste my time and energy scribbling for nothing? Wait! Give it a shot and you will realize the importance of the signaling system here. I think it is the best example of a communication system which is managed through a crew of completely untrained, unconnected and more or less unknown people everyday quite equipotentially.
No doubt, the road signaling system is important. But the passage of such information from one driver to another within a fraction of second is a milestone. Particularly, when there exists no common livewire connecting far away ends of the thread! Really, an ideal case of Lattice communication to analyze in a management studies classes.
The car at the back was trying hard to overtook our taxi, when a pay-load was passing the other side. The car missed running into an accident just by a few milliseconds. Thanks to the taxi driver.
I don't think this is something great that I observed yesterday. It is a routine story in a car holders' life. Then why am I to waste my time and energy scribbling for nothing? Wait! Give it a shot and you will realize the importance of the signaling system here. I think it is the best example of a communication system which is managed through a crew of completely untrained, unconnected and more or less unknown people everyday quite equipotentially.
No doubt, the road signaling system is important. But the passage of such information from one driver to another within a fraction of second is a milestone. Particularly, when there exists no common livewire connecting far away ends of the thread! Really, an ideal case of Lattice communication to analyze in a management studies classes.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Happy New Year
One morning one sardarji comes out of his house, leaving for office and jerks suddenly to see a banana ruffle falling in front of the door. "Are yaar, fir se girna padega (Oh no, have to slip once again)", he sighs.
Yesterday, the same thing happened to me. I woke up to feel the cold of the first day of a new year. "Are yaar, fir se??" (Uff, once again?), was my response.
Just kidding....I know this year is going to be full of fun, masti, movies, magic and music, just as great as the last year. I am keen to grab the new stroke of the time, the fresh flesh of the fate every moment, every day, every month, every year. And, I know, it will be similar for you too.
Wish you all, a very Happy New Year.
Yesterday, the same thing happened to me. I woke up to feel the cold of the first day of a new year. "Are yaar, fir se??" (Uff, once again?), was my response.
Just kidding....I know this year is going to be full of fun, masti, movies, magic and music, just as great as the last year. I am keen to grab the new stroke of the time, the fresh flesh of the fate every moment, every day, every month, every year. And, I know, it will be similar for you too.
Wish you all, a very Happy New Year.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
For a change
How much does the salt on the dried chin of a kid, who has recently lost his father, cost? one anaa? one paisa? Or even less? But, who is to account for his lost future? his lost of shape of life? or rather the entire life?
India recently lost one of its fathers! (we call it our matru-bhoomi (motherland). But for me, this relation is a bit complicated than it. When it comes to paying-back, one should consider it as one's child, nourishing, nurturing and growing with dignity of whose is one's morality)
And what for? Did it bring out a change? Amir Khan had his reception ceremony as per schedule. I wrote my blog as usual. Mumbai went on daily wages crowding the locals with the same strength. World enjoyed the same sound sleep. Then what for?
Somebody should convey the terrorists, that it is not going to change even a bit for us. We are too busy with creativity to be disturbed by their endeavors. And, the loss....true we lost one. A big loss! But we have uncountably many more and will produce still more. If have courage, go to the front. This will surely shackle us. But, then I doubt their(terrorists') long term existence.
At any cost, It is very easy to fight with a mighty enemy, than the impotent friend-like looking entity sitting next to you in some seminar, or in a bus, or in a mosque.
India recently lost one of its fathers! (we call it our matru-bhoomi (motherland). But for me, this relation is a bit complicated than it. When it comes to paying-back, one should consider it as one's child, nourishing, nurturing and growing with dignity of whose is one's morality)
And what for? Did it bring out a change? Amir Khan had his reception ceremony as per schedule. I wrote my blog as usual. Mumbai went on daily wages crowding the locals with the same strength. World enjoyed the same sound sleep. Then what for?
Somebody should convey the terrorists, that it is not going to change even a bit for us. We are too busy with creativity to be disturbed by their endeavors. And, the loss....true we lost one. A big loss! But we have uncountably many more and will produce still more. If have courage, go to the front. This will surely shackle us. But, then I doubt their(terrorists') long term existence.
At any cost, It is very easy to fight with a mighty enemy, than the impotent friend-like looking entity sitting next to you in some seminar, or in a bus, or in a mosque.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Fate of 12:30 PM
In IIT, one of my friend, also my hostel-mate, once put a notice on his door "Do not disturb after 12:30 PM." OK! I won't. But when can I know, it is 12:30 PM?
According to the logic 11:30 PM is followed by 12:00 PM and then comes 12:30 PM. That means 12:30 in the night. Is that all? Certainly not! According to the rules of grammar, or whatever, the tag A.M. indicates time slot from midnight to midday(noon) and P.M. corresponds to that from noon to midnight. That means 12:30 P.M. occurs between noon and midnight. So it must be 12:30 in the afternoon.
And, we (when I told this to my friend, he joined me) ran into a deep confusion followed by a discussion. Any way, what was wrong?
Simple enough for a student of maths, though not trivial for a layman! Have you heard of a time 2430 hrs? I don't remember. This is because 24:00 is identified with 00:00 hrs in 24 hr clock system. Similarly, in 12 hr system 12:00 should be identified with 00:00.....There will never occur a time like 12:30, neither P.M. nor A.M.
After the realization, I was fascinated with the power of ignorance! Even in marathi terms like saade-baaraa appear and most of us don't realize that it is wrong. (One good thing about marathi is 12:45 is denoted as pauN, which is equivalent to 3/4th part of something. Shall I guess superiority of marathis, from this?...Just kidding
According to the logic 11:30 PM is followed by 12:00 PM and then comes 12:30 PM. That means 12:30 in the night. Is that all? Certainly not! According to the rules of grammar, or whatever, the tag A.M. indicates time slot from midnight to midday(noon) and P.M. corresponds to that from noon to midnight. That means 12:30 P.M. occurs between noon and midnight. So it must be 12:30 in the afternoon.
And, we (when I told this to my friend, he joined me) ran into a deep confusion followed by a discussion. Any way, what was wrong?
Simple enough for a student of maths, though not trivial for a layman! Have you heard of a time 2430 hrs? I don't remember. This is because 24:00 is identified with 00:00 hrs in 24 hr clock system. Similarly, in 12 hr system 12:00 should be identified with 00:00.....There will never occur a time like 12:30, neither P.M. nor A.M.
After the realization, I was fascinated with the power of ignorance! Even in marathi terms like saade-baaraa appear and most of us don't realize that it is wrong. (One good thing about marathi is 12:45 is denoted as pauN, which is equivalent to 3/4th part of something. Shall I guess superiority of marathis, from this?...Just kidding
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Proud to be
Today early morning, I was passing to the navy ground - Kohli Ground, when I overheard a group of school children. I don't think they were more than 6-7 years old. It is usually nostalgic to come across such a situation. You start recreating your own days of innocence, full of joy and enthusiasm and most importantly, with a deep urge of talking about everything you know (I am referring to the age when you generally avoid talking everything that you don't know). Having no reservation for sharing anything with anyone you call a friend. But, today was different. No No, the day was the same as usual. I am talking about the group. It was truly different.
They were from navy nagar and I think from navy personnels' children. I heard one of them "mere papaki kashmir posting ho gayi hain, woh jaldi hi chale jayenge" (My father got posting at Kashmir, he will leave soon). The other came up, " mere papa bhi 2-3 saal pahile wohi the, bahut thunda hota hain" (Even my father was there 2-3 years back. It is very cold there). What throbbed my heart the most violently was another child adjoining "meri maa kahti hain ke mere papa kashmir main hi the jab mein 2 saal ka tha, unko award bhi mila tha"( my mom says, my father was there when I was 2 years old, he was awarded). And then, the sound had decayed so low, I couldn't hear next.
What was amazing in the whole is the immense pride they showed in their tone. All alike. There was no sign of repent or loss or fear. It is true, that they are too young to know the intensity of the situation, though surely they know what kashmir is. Or they never had talked about it so passionately. But, so what? I think the views they represented were the most natural ones. Since, there emmotions are not enveloped by their experiences and the philosophy of life they are going to develop at a later stage. It is truly an inner sound. Three cheers, to them. They taught a new way to look at the things around. The positive kernel of everything: KarmaNyewadhikaraste ma faleshu kadachan|
truly, something to be proud of.
Celebration continues....
Today finally, our team got the permission to shoot at the institute.
Our institute holds an open house every year and students from school are called to the institute to visit the labs and see the facets of research work we do here. It was proposed, that we have a short film on Students life at the institute. I have a group, where we from different academic background, have a single dream of film making. We have a commercial artist, one architect, one student of statistics, one from M.B.A. and of course, one researcher. We have little, though working knowledge of camera, scripting, music....
we decided to take up this challenge and we got the permission. Hope to do great.....
Our institute holds an open house every year and students from school are called to the institute to visit the labs and see the facets of research work we do here. It was proposed, that we have a short film on Students life at the institute. I have a group, where we from different academic background, have a single dream of film making. We have a commercial artist, one architect, one student of statistics, one from M.B.A. and of course, one researcher. We have little, though working knowledge of camera, scripting, music....
we decided to take up this challenge and we got the permission. Hope to do great.....
Celebrations
It was a windy afternoon at Dombivli. 26th day of December, 2005. I was sleeping, when it ranged. At home, everyone has his own space of existence, except me...reason: I am a wanderer which appears only on weekends, for them and usually, have to make some arrangement for myself. I was sleeping in the hall on a sofa next to that idiot noisy tring'er. So any ways, it rang and went on ringing for some more time, when I gave up and pulled the receiver. It was a womanly voice saying, "Hi, may I speak to Mr. Nikhil Joshi?"....uff, another freak from those ICICI kind. main to katane ke chakkar mein tha, when she continued," I am from the Academy of Music" and then it went on for a while. I quit the line and went to sleep, which I couldn't continue.
I woke up after a 2-3 minutes of chaos. I tried to recall what she (I couldn't recall her name!) was blabbering all the time. Was it any important? Was it any specific? Was it a news? And, I chuckled with a great power. Almost jumped to the bed on which my parents were resting. It was a celebration.
The call came from The Academy of Music of which I am a student. The lady announced my result of the grade exam for piano I gave of the Trinity College of Music, London. I had cleared the exam. I am from the very few who clear up the exam.
It is only because of my great luck the day, I had the exam. Mr. Allen Hodge, who was the examiner was very kind to me. I almost scrambled the pieces, I was supposed to play. I lost my mind, when I make mistakes in the piece, I was to play from memory. I must have composed a completely new piece that day!(which I can definitely sell, as an inspired composition, any ways in hindi cinema). I was a lot nervous. I remember struggling for the right keys on the piano, many a times. The only good thing was my technical knowledge. I must have scored fully in that. Also, sight reading, which I had absolutely no faith in went fantastic (I don't know how!).....Any way, the result is I am through..Time to celebrate!
I must thank my piano teacher Mr. Nimesh Shah, who showed deep faith in me and at times more sincere than me. Agewise, he is one year junior to me, but when on piano, he is ageless and I am just an embryo. Thanks a lot, Nimesh
I woke up after a 2-3 minutes of chaos. I tried to recall what she (I couldn't recall her name!) was blabbering all the time. Was it any important? Was it any specific? Was it a news? And, I chuckled with a great power. Almost jumped to the bed on which my parents were resting. It was a celebration.
The call came from The Academy of Music of which I am a student. The lady announced my result of the grade exam for piano I gave of the Trinity College of Music, London. I had cleared the exam. I am from the very few who clear up the exam.
It is only because of my great luck the day, I had the exam. Mr. Allen Hodge, who was the examiner was very kind to me. I almost scrambled the pieces, I was supposed to play. I lost my mind, when I make mistakes in the piece, I was to play from memory. I must have composed a completely new piece that day!(which I can definitely sell, as an inspired composition, any ways in hindi cinema). I was a lot nervous. I remember struggling for the right keys on the piano, many a times. The only good thing was my technical knowledge. I must have scored fully in that. Also, sight reading, which I had absolutely no faith in went fantastic (I don't know how!).....Any way, the result is I am through..Time to celebrate!
I must thank my piano teacher Mr. Nimesh Shah, who showed deep faith in me and at times more sincere than me. Agewise, he is one year junior to me, but when on piano, he is ageless and I am just an embryo. Thanks a lot, Nimesh
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Name of the Disease
Last Friday there was a screening of a documentary made jointly by MIT and Udaipur Health Project, namely "Name of the disease". This documetary was based on a survey made by the above body in the rural areas around Udaipur, gauging the general awareness towards the medical facilities nearby or in the town.
There are mainly three bodies covering the medical needs in these areas. Namely, Bhopas, Bengali Doctors and government centers. Bhopa is an illiterate, generally a guardian of some temple. He falls in the same category as "tantrik", who by using some unreasonable techniques like Jhaadu to beat the patient to remove the bhoot infection, portray their connection with the god. Bengali Doctors are those, who couldn't hold their jobs as compounder(helper to the doctor) in some dispensary, settled here as a doctor. When interviewed such a case, the answer was " pataa nahi, main to 12th pass nahi kar paya, is liye doctor ban gaya"( I don't know all this, I couldn't clear my 12th exam (H.S.C.), so I became a doctor). There are appointments of the regular doctors from the government, with well equipped labs and medical centers, which 5 days a week are closed, for some fishy reason.
90 % of the medical cases are referred to the Bhopas, which people have the most belief in. In case of no cure (and provided the patient survives), in the rest 10% of cases people go to the bengali doctors: for there is no option most of the time. The natives believe in the saline bottles more than any other method and always demand for so (even in the case of simple cold or throat infection), which is not supported many a times at the medical centers. This is another reason for the affection towards the bengali docs.
Moral of the story is quite clear. Literate the people. Remove those Bhopas. Remove those Bengali Doctors. Keep the medical centers open 24x7. Simple......but then the question comes, how? and who? I am a sane researcher, so I am saved. The other is an engineer, safe either. My family doctor is quite busy, out of question!
What is the name of the disease, in which there is a co-existence of a super-saturated density of professionals in the metros and scarcity in the rural areas of India? what is the name of the disease, in which the highly literate gang of India, sits in front of the idiot box early morning to know their daily fate? What is the name of the disease, in which the cream of intelligentsia, the so called researchers, improve their quality with a perl on a ring in their index finger? What is the name of the disease, due to which we have forgotten that we are falling short of our social expectations?
The Bhopas, the Bengali Doctors are all doing their jobs, when are we going to start ours? Only literacy is not the solution. A scientific attitude is needed and that way we all are equally illiterate.
What is the name of this disease?
There are mainly three bodies covering the medical needs in these areas. Namely, Bhopas, Bengali Doctors and government centers. Bhopa is an illiterate, generally a guardian of some temple. He falls in the same category as "tantrik", who by using some unreasonable techniques like Jhaadu to beat the patient to remove the bhoot infection, portray their connection with the god. Bengali Doctors are those, who couldn't hold their jobs as compounder(helper to the doctor) in some dispensary, settled here as a doctor. When interviewed such a case, the answer was " pataa nahi, main to 12th pass nahi kar paya, is liye doctor ban gaya"( I don't know all this, I couldn't clear my 12th exam (H.S.C.), so I became a doctor). There are appointments of the regular doctors from the government, with well equipped labs and medical centers, which 5 days a week are closed, for some fishy reason.
90 % of the medical cases are referred to the Bhopas, which people have the most belief in. In case of no cure (and provided the patient survives), in the rest 10% of cases people go to the bengali doctors: for there is no option most of the time. The natives believe in the saline bottles more than any other method and always demand for so (even in the case of simple cold or throat infection), which is not supported many a times at the medical centers. This is another reason for the affection towards the bengali docs.
Moral of the story is quite clear. Literate the people. Remove those Bhopas. Remove those Bengali Doctors. Keep the medical centers open 24x7. Simple......but then the question comes, how? and who? I am a sane researcher, so I am saved. The other is an engineer, safe either. My family doctor is quite busy, out of question!
What is the name of the disease, in which there is a co-existence of a super-saturated density of professionals in the metros and scarcity in the rural areas of India? what is the name of the disease, in which the highly literate gang of India, sits in front of the idiot box early morning to know their daily fate? What is the name of the disease, in which the cream of intelligentsia, the so called researchers, improve their quality with a perl on a ring in their index finger? What is the name of the disease, due to which we have forgotten that we are falling short of our social expectations?
The Bhopas, the Bengali Doctors are all doing their jobs, when are we going to start ours? Only literacy is not the solution. A scientific attitude is needed and that way we all are equally illiterate.
What is the name of this disease?
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Meet my friend
This is other side of it. Same day, same place: Haji Ali. I saw this family enjoying their tour to Haji Ali. As if, the father while introducing his little child to the unfathomable sea of life, says "hey, this one of my oldest friend and I am handing over his friendship to you now".
Haji Ali cosmetically a very bad choice for a hang out. But, this is the good thing about it. It provides the contrast in the background, you are bound to look at nothing but yourself.
Later we had a concert of light music and bhajans by smt. Vaani Jairam at the Homi Bhabha. Truely exciting experience. I don't know, why but she skipped any reference to carnatic music, even "Shankarabaranam" one of my most favorites of her.
Face off with life
Haah, this was not at all new. Only, that it takes a new form everytime. A couple of days back, I visited Haji Ali for the first time. The place was a complete disappointment. I bet, it looks much better in the landscape view. While, moving towards the entrace, there were quite a many beggars around, typical of a developing country with occupying pious cultural backing like India. What I liked about this lady was the immense optimism about her life (particularly, when this relation has not been successful till late). How can one expect, in such a diverse atmosphere, that someone will wait for her, fumble with his pocket for a penny and float it heartfully?
But, this is life and it is beautiful.
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