After a brilliant day at the labs and after good food and web development with Neeti, I suddenly felt like having some tea. Aromatic masala tea, steaming hot. I stood in the balconey watching the christmas lights of the city. It was freezing cold, but the warmth of the tea in my hands and down my throat was more effective than sweaters and thermals. I just felt like having tea, though my cozy bed was welcoming me to prepare me for a very early tomorrow morning.
It was around 9.45PM and freezing. I looked down the streets as well as into my memories and recollected loads of beautiful moments. The present also made me happy. There was this little boy, unaffected by the searing coldness playing solo in the streets. He was having a stick in his hand and was conducting an imaginary opera with himself being the lead baritone. It was filled with lisp and energy. He actions made me energetic! Well, you can imagine how energetic if I am writing this from home at this time!
Scanning through my address book in my mobile, I decided to call my friend Tomas who is in Prague. I thought he wouldnt recogonise me, especially through the masked phone number that is displayed when I call through my international calling account, but surprise, he recogonised even my Hello! Its really a good feeling when you are recogonised like this by friends whom you had made during a conference.
Oh yawn ! The effect of tea is wearing out... or is it time for another tea and another blog?!!
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
A FULL BLADDER AND CONVERSATION
Am sure many guys have been in this situation, with a full bladder and an interesting girl in the conversation!
It was after the welcome dinner at the FEBS crystallization course in Czech Republic. It was the first international congress I was attending after starting my PhD and I was highly excited to be encircled by PhD’s from around the world. All the twenty four participants were having a good time after dinner. After a game of pool with friends and beer, I felt the need to take a leak to get more comfortable and started walking towards the rest room. I had to cross the big hall where we had dinner and groups of students were discussing science and politics and religion.
Just half way through the hall, this female researcher intercepted me. She introduced herself and shook my hand and asked mine and my research status. I told her in brief about my project and my need of crystals. Crystallographers usually need good diffracting crystals and when I told her that I am ok with crystals that just diffract, she was shocked! According to her, it was blasphemy! Then I explained in detail and she was impressed. The fact that she got impressed, made me more excited and the purpose of my walk through was forgotten for the moment.
Minutes rolled by and I felt nature calling me loudly, but I fought it back. I did not want to break the great scientific rapport that was building on and that too with a beautiful female researcher! She started into the details of her project and the difficulties she was facing. My mind was half concentrating on her words and half working on to avoid spillage. Nobel laureate Peter Agre’s words got reminded “If you fight back the sensation, then it has to get back inside after sometime. This cycle is most important and is responsible for the fact that many of you are sitting here and listening to me without running off to take a leak!.” But I think he forgot to mention the time frame of the get back inside for it felt like an over flooded dam ready to break any second. I crossed my legs and now I could not hear her words at all. Still she kept talking and talking and I was rooted just for the fact that she was talking. My responses became routine. A nod, smile, yes ofcourse and aahan’s became programmed for auto intervals.
I could have just told her that I needed to take a leak and go off, but also there was the fact the when I came back from the rest room, I will not be able to continue this great conversation and I knew that other guys were ready to pounce on her the moment I left the scene. But then finally, after an hour of fight back and conversation, she wanted to get some beer and I used this opportunity to tell her that I need to remove the excess beer accumulated in me and ran off towards bliss!
It was after the welcome dinner at the FEBS crystallization course in Czech Republic. It was the first international congress I was attending after starting my PhD and I was highly excited to be encircled by PhD’s from around the world. All the twenty four participants were having a good time after dinner. After a game of pool with friends and beer, I felt the need to take a leak to get more comfortable and started walking towards the rest room. I had to cross the big hall where we had dinner and groups of students were discussing science and politics and religion.
Just half way through the hall, this female researcher intercepted me. She introduced herself and shook my hand and asked mine and my research status. I told her in brief about my project and my need of crystals. Crystallographers usually need good diffracting crystals and when I told her that I am ok with crystals that just diffract, she was shocked! According to her, it was blasphemy! Then I explained in detail and she was impressed. The fact that she got impressed, made me more excited and the purpose of my walk through was forgotten for the moment.
Minutes rolled by and I felt nature calling me loudly, but I fought it back. I did not want to break the great scientific rapport that was building on and that too with a beautiful female researcher! She started into the details of her project and the difficulties she was facing. My mind was half concentrating on her words and half working on to avoid spillage. Nobel laureate Peter Agre’s words got reminded “If you fight back the sensation, then it has to get back inside after sometime. This cycle is most important and is responsible for the fact that many of you are sitting here and listening to me without running off to take a leak!.” But I think he forgot to mention the time frame of the get back inside for it felt like an over flooded dam ready to break any second. I crossed my legs and now I could not hear her words at all. Still she kept talking and talking and I was rooted just for the fact that she was talking. My responses became routine. A nod, smile, yes ofcourse and aahan’s became programmed for auto intervals.
I could have just told her that I needed to take a leak and go off, but also there was the fact the when I came back from the rest room, I will not be able to continue this great conversation and I knew that other guys were ready to pounce on her the moment I left the scene. But then finally, after an hour of fight back and conversation, she wanted to get some beer and I used this opportunity to tell her that I need to remove the excess beer accumulated in me and ran off towards bliss!
Monday, November 03, 2008
Spiritual connections and Hamburg
I was really confused for the title of this blog and finally settled for this one.
It was 1980 and my father got an offer to work with Prof. Armin de Meijere. He was Prof. of Organic chemistry in the University of Hamburg at that time. But unfortunately, due to some political problems, the funding for the project was withdrawn and my father couldn’t make it there. After that, life took a different course for him, but working with this Prof. was something he really missed and wanted to.
Nearly three decades later, in the year 2008, I get a chance to work in the University of Hamburg. It was really a special offer. I met the contact in Czech republic and made arrangements to visit the DESY (Deutche Electroniche SYncrotron) facility in the University of Hamburg to measure Dynamic Light Scattering on my proteins. His name was Dominik and he was doing his PhD under Prof. Betzel. It took me three hours from Muelheim to reach Hamburg. The train journey was brilliant and the main railway station in Hamburg is just similar to our good old Chennai central! Over bridges, kiosks in the platform, huge clocks, battered down main display board, dim lighting, the smell of food and the crowd, it was nostalgia in a new place.
I made my way to the DESY campus by taking the suburban train ( S1 / S11 to Oathmarshen, direction of Wedel and bus from Oathmarshen to DESY ) and was bowled over by the huge campus and greenery there. Dominik took a hungry me to the canteen where I had real good German food! To get good food in the canteen is a blessing and we sadly don’t have in here in Muelheim. And then it was time for measurements. They came out really well and Domink was pretty good in pacing up the work.
I told him, “If time presents, then I need to visit the department of organic chemistry in the University of Hamburg and try to find the whereabouts of Prof. Meijere.” “Dr. Meijere?! How do you know him?! He was my teacher in Organic chemistry in Gottingen” was his surprised reply. Then I told him my father’s story. It was really a very special moment for me. I actually worked with a student of the Prof. with whom my father should have worked with! There is some spiritual connection running beneath everyone. It surfaces during happenings like this.
After a days work in the lab, I met up with my school mate, Harsha. He works in Hamburg. Unfortunately, I could not see the beauty of the city due to my packed schedule. Before boarding the train back, I sent dad a postcard…” Dear Appa, we will visit Hamburg as the first place when you come here to visit me…” Love, Munna.
It was 1980 and my father got an offer to work with Prof. Armin de Meijere. He was Prof. of Organic chemistry in the University of Hamburg at that time. But unfortunately, due to some political problems, the funding for the project was withdrawn and my father couldn’t make it there. After that, life took a different course for him, but working with this Prof. was something he really missed and wanted to.
Nearly three decades later, in the year 2008, I get a chance to work in the University of Hamburg. It was really a special offer. I met the contact in Czech republic and made arrangements to visit the DESY (Deutche Electroniche SYncrotron) facility in the University of Hamburg to measure Dynamic Light Scattering on my proteins. His name was Dominik and he was doing his PhD under Prof. Betzel. It took me three hours from Muelheim to reach Hamburg. The train journey was brilliant and the main railway station in Hamburg is just similar to our good old Chennai central! Over bridges, kiosks in the platform, huge clocks, battered down main display board, dim lighting, the smell of food and the crowd, it was nostalgia in a new place.
I made my way to the DESY campus by taking the suburban train ( S1 / S11 to Oathmarshen, direction of Wedel and bus from Oathmarshen to DESY ) and was bowled over by the huge campus and greenery there. Dominik took a hungry me to the canteen where I had real good German food! To get good food in the canteen is a blessing and we sadly don’t have in here in Muelheim. And then it was time for measurements. They came out really well and Domink was pretty good in pacing up the work.
I told him, “If time presents, then I need to visit the department of organic chemistry in the University of Hamburg and try to find the whereabouts of Prof. Meijere.” “Dr. Meijere?! How do you know him?! He was my teacher in Organic chemistry in Gottingen” was his surprised reply. Then I told him my father’s story. It was really a very special moment for me. I actually worked with a student of the Prof. with whom my father should have worked with! There is some spiritual connection running beneath everyone. It surfaces during happenings like this.
After a days work in the lab, I met up with my school mate, Harsha. He works in Hamburg. Unfortunately, I could not see the beauty of the city due to my packed schedule. Before boarding the train back, I sent dad a postcard…” Dear Appa, we will visit Hamburg as the first place when you come here to visit me…” Love, Munna.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Workshop in Advanced Crystallization, FEBS, Nove Hrady
Nove Hrady, had the workshop not been held there, I am sure everyone who attended wouldn’t have noticed this place! 350 Kms away from Prague, 30 Kms away from České Budějovice, Nove Hrady translates into New Castle. The history of this town dates back to the 12th century when a castle was built for protection of trade routes and since then till now Nove Hrady houses a population of 3000. It has all the essentials and to top it all, it has got a research institute!
This is the castle/research labs where we were put up for 7 days. There were lectures everyday morning from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and then practical demonstrations from 2.30 pm till 6.30 pm and followed by late night beer party discussions which extended till 2.00 am in the morning!
This workshop was the first of its kind I attended. It was really a wonderful experience to be admits so many international audience and scientists. Unlike the Lindau conference, where I a big group of Indians with me, here I was all alone. Hence my interaction with the group was better than weak Van der Waals!
Apart from the scientific discussions, there was a lot of discussion regarding the culture, religion and habits of people from different nationalities. The amazing things that stuck me there is that fact that people can be programmed to hear things differently!
It was early morning and me, Sofia, Valentina, Rosa and Manuela decided to go for a walk. Suddenly, Valentina said, hear the rooster… kekerakeee kee! Her in-the-middle-of- road jiggle like the chicken was unfortunately not caught on the camera, but her representation of the roosters call was different! Me and Sofia were, come on, its cockaraakoo koo. Rosa and Manuela were with Valentia and apparently they hail from Italy. Then we made a survey and found that many people agreed to hearing it as kekerakee kee and not like how we hear it! Some serious audibility programming!
The travel to Nove Hrady for me was with Terese Begfors and Claude. They are both crystallographers and gave awesome presentations and workshops. Terese is a vegetarian and loves cooking Indian! Wow! I was really amazed and shared with her some of my patented recipes! The getting back to Prague was in a train. The group that travelled back was Me, Sofia and Kathrina. Kathrina is a native of Czech and she helped us get the tickets. When I entered the Nove Hrady station, boom, I was transported to my good old childhood days! What a station! Very old, smelled old too. There was burnt diesel in the air, just a single platform, cross the rails and hop into trains, heaped building material and a worn down building. It was just beautiful! There was some construction work going on and hence no trains to České Budějovice from where we were supposed to take a connection fast train to Prague. So, we were shuttled till another station in a bus and then from there in a diesel carriage. The diesel carriage was slow and late and we would have missed the fast train to Prague. Kathrina spoke to the conductor “ there are two international scientists travelling to Prague and they must reach on time. Do something and hold the train there.” The conductor called the controller in Prague and had the fast train held just for the two of us! Man, what a feeling it was!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)