Tom, Dick & Kambodhi

It is early morning and I am sitting in my Arbeitsraum (work room). Its Friday and work at the moment is saturated and slow. I much my milk bread and scan the Hindu online for news. A caption brings back nostalgia. Quiz on carnatic music.

Way back in 2004, two amateur flautists and one vocal maestro joined forces for a quiz on carnatic music. My efforts to dig out the article that was published in Hindu turned futile and hence owing to my crammed memory, I have to skip details of the organizer. But I think it was carnatica.com or the like. The quiz master was Sanjay Subramanian.

It was none other than me, Vivek and Karthik. Notorious trio we have been, right from standard VI till B.Sc and we shared a common interest in music. And so, we decided to press our luck and participate in the carnatic quiz that was being held that year. Knowing that there would be a prize for the best team name; we racked our brains hard for days to find one. The three musikteers, Masters of Raga and many more were flushed way with the thought that they were common until we realized that we need a name which conveys a meaning that music is for everyone. Standing outside my apartment and balancing our cycles on null velocity we were rolling with laughter over the ingenious and ignoble names that cropped up until there arose a statement “jeez dude, some Tom, Dick and Harry is going to walk away with this prize.” That did it. Tom, Dick and Kambodhi was christened upon our team and the application was submitted.

The quiz was on a Sunday at an auditorium in a school in MRC Nagar. We cycled there and registered at the front desk and as soon as we went inside, we knew that we were not standing any chances to qualify for the finals! Music stalwarts were participating and we were just a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs! Yet, we took up the written preliminary round and were happy with the number of questions we answered right but as anticipated, failed to make it to the finals. We sat back and enjoyed the quizzing and then it was time to announce the prizes. Away went first and second and then came the best team name. Sanjay’s voice was booming in our ears “The best team name award goes to Tom, Dick and Kambodhi. What an innovative name! Come up on stage guys and which one of you is Kambodhi?!” That was a brilliant moment for us and our expectations were not in vain!

I feel a bit sad now, that I am not able to pursue this wonderful art of music with zest and zeal from here in Germany and I guess Vivek feels the same too being in USA. But we are happy that our Kambodhi ( Karthik) is doing it for the three of us back home. Cheers to you and our team!!

Railway stations

After more than two weeks, time wants to test me, whether I will write in the after hours of my work and I succeed! Wanted to write about this for a very long time, about something uncommon.

Railway stations.

Railway stations have always been my fascination. I love everything about them and here I will describe about some that have played a very important role in my life and some which I have enjoyed.

Tiruchirapalli Junction or TPJ is the first one that always brings back the sweetest memories. Early morning 5AM is the time when Rock Fort express will enter the well light Junction and I always used to press my face against the window to see the train entering the platform. The smell of early morning in TPJ still lingers around. Way back in 1990, the station used to be filled with the smell of burning coal and oil and after the advent of Diesel and Electric engines, only the smell changed a bit and not the charisma.
My parents used to take me to this station every time I wanted an outing for they know that is the best place to satisfy me! I enjoyed seeing the steam engines pulling the carriages for coupling with the mail line and loved the coupling process. It was here I got my first ambition, to become an engine driver.

Karur station is another beautiful place. Especially in the evenings of October. We used to go to Karur for performing Utsavam to the Thanthondri Perumal (He who appeared by himself) and catch the return train at around 9PM back to Chennai. To the station we used to reach by 7PM and being a restless boy, I just can’t sit still. The station is simple, not a big and complicated one like TPJ. Three platforms, out of that, one unused in the middle, wooden benches, lots of trees and one very old building in the entrance. The breeze will carry the smell of Neem and I used to walk the entire length of the station a dozen times before our train could arrive.

Tambaram, now a junction, is also a very nostalgic one. No roof and the sun used to pierce everyone in the afternoon. The reason why I love this station is because of the brilliant Bonda and the Vadai available in the VRS. My grandfather used to take me in the electric train from Mambalam to Tambaram, get me Aaloo bonda there and then bring me back home. This was the everyday routine for me until I joined school and after that it became a weekend ritual!

Thirumailai, a station with romantic memories! An unforgettable journey with my peppermint started here. Situated above the Buckingham canal, Thirumailai is also a very simple station. Being close to my home, it always kindles memories of TPJ for me whenever I cross it and that was everyday!

Koln is one station that really made me miss home and TPJ. It was around 11PM in the night when I entered the station from Bonn. Had to wait in Koln for an hour to catch my train to Muelheim and that one hour made me relive my childhood and boyhood days. There is a big dome that covers nearly half of the station and the lights are yellow. The breeze enters into the station, bringing with it the wetness of the Rhine running just nearby and the moon casts a shadow of the magnificent cathedral standing just outside the station. The length is long and evenly spaced with seats. I sat down there, away from the roof, and then came flooding back all these memories.

A real good day!

Today was a real good day for me. Well, what is a good day? The definition has been changing as I grow up. Obvious! When I search into my countless neurons to remember one good day in my childhood, this is what I can stamp as a good day. A day when my parents allowed me to burst fire crackers though it was not the season. Growing up a bit more, a good day was one that had no homework to do and when I was free to play as soon as I came back from school. I don’t remember doing homework anyways! A few more years up the ladder and it was a day when I could play my videogames after studies. Then it graduated to days when I could go out with my friends. Come College and real good days became many! Days of practical sessions and inter collegiate culturals. Days when I used to meet her were exceptionally good days and this is not a blog to describe how it felt!

It’s funny what I define now as a real good day. Like today, the hours were perfectly paced. Stomach did not grumble before lunch and I didn’t have to sit in front of the computer for long. My solution behaved properly during purification and the centrifuge did not spit it out whilst concentration. I did not feel sleepy after lunch but headed straight to the crystals to take a look at them. Immediately to my first German class that lasted for nearly an hour and also the compliment from my German teacher that my language skill is already good and then running to the labs again to finish my samples.

To end the day well, I happily poured the wasted liquid nitrogen on the floor and felt like I was in heaven! And I am blogging in my extra working hour too! What else can be a perfect day? 

I hope the sun sets with good food too!

Discovering Time

Been a long time. Really a long time. I guess my reluctance to write is because there is no one encouraging me to write with constant comments and pats on the back. And I should not forget to mention that I was searching for time to write. There were situations where I just wanted to write on how I felt, about myself and about the world. I guess it was the combined factor of time and encouragement that had put me off.

Now, I want to do a new beginning, wanting to start blogging on earthly and non existent issues just to kill the new found time. Where did this time suddenly come from? Well, I decided to relax after 5PM in the lab and slowly do the reactions to end the day late! I was pretty slow discovering this, but circumstances forced me to this. In a way it’s good! Let me see how far I am able to stick to this practice of blogging regularly!

Cheers to myself!

My Life.... As I Want It

After a brief wipe with a wet cloth, I set my hair and check my face in the bikes mirror. My old bike has been discarded as it could not withstand the long trips I have to make everyday to my working spot. This is a new one. 220CC, black with silver steaks, digital display, disc brakes and custom made Bluetooth recognition. No button start, for I always like to start it with a kick. Guess its always done to show my superiority over the machine and that it is tamed to me. With home made food slung over my back and my fingers still smelling of the wonderful pongal that my mother made, I start to my office. An hours drive through the tricky traffic. My iPod makes time vanish and I reach office not tired from the drive, but with more drive to challenge the chemicals. Flexible working hours and known-to-my-dad boss makes work and life brilliant.

With occasional messages from my peppermint, the day dissolves and I start back home. Amma calls me and asks me to get some good vegetables and not to forget to buy spinach. Carefully parking my bike away from the maddening crowd in Mada street, I walk in the sun sinking evening through the wonderfully aromatic place and pick up mom ordered vegetables and those I feel like too. When just taking the bike, peppermint messages me. “where are you da? Am here in the usual shop where I recharge my mobile balance.” I run across the road to meet her and bask in her sight. Her blushes and smile are the best energisers. She is working in a well known private bank. As happy as I am. We decide to meet at MFAC after dinner to listen to the concluding thukaddas of the days kutchery.

I reach home by 6.30PM. Amma and Appa are home. Sister is still at dance class. God, how can this female manage so many things?! We discuss about the day and I call up my sister to find out what time she will be back. Appa has retired from his job. But he still goes to the college and takes classes. Amma is pursuing her interests. Together they find more romance. Sister comes back at 7.15PM. We sit together for dinner. Eating is always on the floor. The dining table is just for guests and the flower vase and it doubles up as the ironing bench too. Spicy kurma with steaming Jeera rice is the menu for the day. The plates don’t need washing after we finish eating them. They are sparkling!

Appa and Amma decide to join us for the concert. Its around 8.30PM now. Sister wants to finish her assignments. Her BSc is nearing completion. I tell parents that I will pick up my peppermint and meet them at the concert hall and start to her house. Her parents welcome me happily. We have a small discussion on when to have our engagement and some worldly politics. Me and peppermint walk hand in hand to the concert hall.

It was a beautiful one. TM Krishna was singing Brochevaevarura in Kamaas raaga. One of our very favorites. We hummed along without disturbing the rasikas nearby. After an hour of enthralling music we met with my parents outside the concert hall and then I walked with my peppermint to her house.

10 PM when I reached back home again. Sister was bent on her studies and Appa boiled milk. Amma always used to complain the he gave milk only in moderate heat! After checking and sending mails for an hour, I decide to call it a day. My good night message arrives and I go to bed.
Seriously, this is what I wish my life is. Home is where you heart is. Home is also where your dreams are. What I wish for may come true. But sitting here far away from home and thinking of all the possibilities how life could have turned out to be is very painful. May be it will turn out more beautiful, but all I want is the above, at least.

I AMSTERDAM

I AMSTERDAM Prasanna Venkatesh Rangadurai


This is the official tourist logo of Amsterdam.
I reached there by InterContinental Express ICE 224.
Boarded the train at Oberhausen which is 10 minutes
from my home in Mulheim. The journey took 2.5 hours at
an average speed of 130 km/hr and reached Amsterdam
Central by 7pm on Friday 19 OCT 2007.

First Impression

The city is a typical tourist spot and is also maintained so. The tourists also help a lot in the maintenance process by littering. Gives a home coming feeling!! The temperature was around 12 degrees in the daytime and 4 degrees in the night and no breeze at all. So you don’t feel chilly. The sun was out and no clouds.
It’s a night city. Things start after 8pm and when the darkness begins, the lights are on! The streets are flooded with local and tourists and roadside music bands. Noisy I would say.


City layout – Architecture

Amsterdam means city on the river Amstel.
The city is around 8 feet below the sea level
and the water is drained through the extensive
canals. You can use the water ways to navigate
and get to any place in the city. The central station
is the landmark that one should use to recognise
Amsterdam in the movies. The style is a blend
of Gothic and Renaissance built in the 1800’s
by Cuypers. The other very famous landmark is
the Rijksmuseum build by the same architect. Unfortunately I could not make it to the museum due to time/money crunch. I need to make another trip just to visit the museums in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is also called the Venice of North. It has many beautiful bridges, even wooden ones from the 16th century.

Diamonds

Amsterdam goes hand in hand with diamonds. I went to a diamond
cutting industry where the famous Kohinoor diamond from India
was cut for the Queen. Well, diamonds are cheap if you have a salary
of 10,000 Euros per month!! There are several shops which sell
diamonds and they are tax free.

Van Gogh

The Van Gogh museum is one place I need to visit again.
I had to see it quickly in just 2 hours time while more than
that is needed to capture Van Gogh’s master pieces mentally
as no photography is allowed. It has more than 200 of his
originals and also the letters he wrote to his brother Theo.
I don’t think there was blood flowing through Van Gogh’s veins. It was paint and emotions. His paintings capture the raw emotions, mainly of the farmers and his colours reflect them too.


Holland

I took this one day tour of Holland to see the famous Windmills and the capital city of Hague. It was a very nice trip to learn about the evolution of Holland the way they are utilising the resources. They are actually building a whole new neighbourhood by draining out water bodies. These are done over years
using windmills and windmills are every where
in Holland. There are several pastures for the
rearing of cows and Holland’s diary products
are yum!
The city of Hague is very beautiful.
It the economic centre of Holland
and houses all the embassies, ministries and
commercial giants. The architecture is a
blend of Modern, Renaissance, Gothic and
Dutch Classism.

There is a small village called Delft before Hague. It is an artisans village and famous for the Dutch clay artefacts.

The next place is the Madurodam. It is actually a war monument built 1952. It is an architecture park of miniature Holland and having the world’s biggest miniature railways.









Amsterdam and sex

Amsterdam is also designated as the sex capital of Europe.
This is a place where prostitution is legal and so are the drugs.
A big board says that pimping is illegal in Amsterdam.
As if people need them here. The girls stand in the most skimpy
clad dress and beckon the people with erotic gestures and language while the niggers ask if you want straw filled with quality marijuana and Viagra pills. I walked through the streets with pity for the body sellers and thinking about the mind set of the people who sleep with them.
There is also a sex museum which I visited. There are pornographic pictures from the late 18th century and paintings and some bizarre stuff. There is an Ivory sex toy in display which was made in India. The designs around them indicate it was from the Mugal period. Interesting!!

Travel and Food

There are a lot of Indian restaurants in Amsterdam and
many joints that have pure vegetarian stuff. Salads, French
fries and Falafel are the hottest selling items. Food is
available in all the varieties as Amsterdam is flocked by
millions around the world. Heineken is the trademark beer here.
The city has a network of trams and metro trains.
The waterways are used only for tourism.

People

The people in Amsterdam are very tolerant and friendly. They have a liking for Indians. There was a Dutch guy who was speaking to on the tram. He spoke in Tamil! He was there in Pondycherry and Thiruvanamalai for sometime and he picked up Tamil. There were also a lot of people who enquired about India. The main language spoken here is Dutch and almost everyone knows English. Dutch is similar to Germany and people understand it too. The population here enjoys Discotheques and casinos.


Return

I returned back to Mulheim by ICE 125 that was from
Amsterdam central to Frankfurt. Got down at Oberhausen at
6.30pm on Sunday 21 OCT 2007.

I love you

I wouldnt have spoken about me, i would have spoken about you.

I wouldnt have told her i miss her, for i dont, i would have told her i miss you, for i do.

I wouldnt have asked her how she was, I would have told her how I am, with you.

I wouldnt have asked her about her happiness, I would have told her about you, my happiness.

I wouldnt have talked about the past, I would have spoken about you, my present, my future.

I love you.

Hindus... A Forgotten Definition

What was India before India? It was Hindustan. Place of Hindus. Why did they change it ? The change of name has led to the loss of definition of Hindus and the rupture of the religion too.

December 6 1992 saw a big riot. The demolishing of the Babri Masjid. The discussion here is not about who is right and who is wrong in doing that. But the discussion is on preserving the belief. The Muslims fought for theirs and the Hindus for theirs. The funniest part is co existence and yet all the blood. The most funniest part is that the government has been celebrating December 6th as Babari Masjid anniversary and is reminding the people of all the differences.

A non Hindu sect was able to establish itself in a country called Hindustan. Its about secularism and at the same time not demeaning the existing religions. Every religion has the right to defend itself when it is threatened. Only that we should in a more civilized manner. The country needs more than fights due to religion.

But the country does not seem to realize that. The Rama Sethu project us emerging as a potential threat to Hinduism and the saddest part is that people have forgotten who a Hindu is. A Hindu is a native of Hindustan. Any citizen of Hindustan is a Hindu. Unfortunately now, people have started associating only Brahmins as Hindus. This has arisen from the political scenarios and the reservation systems.

A temple is a monument of belief. This holds good for structures that are considered to be sacred. The Ramar bridge is supposed to be destroyed to make way between India and Srilanka. Or is it being made so that LTTE can be benefited?! I was shocked at the remarks made by the CM of TN on this issue. He questions the existence of Lord Rama and he asks for proof of Srilankas burning by Lord Hanuman. What does the so called Kalaingar think about himself? He does not believe in God, we all know that. But he is forgetting that he is a Hindu. He is questioning the very base upon which India has been built and has insulted the Hindu population.

What is necessary is not proof, but belief. And the stronghold of tradition and religion in our country is only through epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and upon this Hinduism is built. Already our country is being torn apart by the caste and now religious disputes? The CM of TN must think twice before speaking such things. I hope he realizes the meaning the Hindu and the need to preserve something that people consider sacred.

Yet again, I am astonished that there is no resistance from the people regarding this. This is a matter of religious belief and the government is planning to destroy the Bridge that is believed to be built by Lord Rama. This is a national issue and Kalaignar is trying to make it into a Brahmin issue! It feels very repulsive, sitting here and thinking about this issue.

When are the politicians going to stop dividing people? Its high time India becomes Hindustan again.

The sky is still blue

The sky is still blue because of the reservation and the quota system. Read my previous blog ‘ why the sky is blue ‘ to understand the first line. The quota system has damaged the very roots from where our country needs to derive its essentials in becoming developed.

Education is the most important tool in a under developed country like ours. Now don’t raise eye brows. What is that we gain from the title Developing Nation? Its just imparts a false security and the hallucination that what ever is going on is right. Unfortunately, this system of quota is destroying everything what every Indian citizen wants to achieve and feel proud of.

I cannot oppose the quota system. It is essential when our country is divided into two major classes. The village and the city. Life is totally different in these places. Unfortunately, education is different too. This is that primary factor that actually makes the scenario worse. If education was the same, would you need a quota? See, this makes the quota system look funny. If there were a quota for the village students alone ( because of the education standards ) it case would be much simple. But caste spoils the whole thing. Why someone who seldom knows anything about the subject should, become a faculty just because of the quota system?

Our country cannot depend on Ekalavyans. Ekalavyan needed no Guru to become a master himself. Unfortunately in a population of 1,129,866,154 Indians (13-09-07, 2.15 PM IST) need gurus. The same population cannot depend on born geniuses, they need made geniuses. And geniuses are made only through proper education.

The quota/reservation system has destroyed the essential roots from where the development starts. Teachers. Let me illustrate a true and recent scenario. The government colleges needed chemistry faculty and an interview was conducted. 25 candidates appeared ( all above the age of 35 ), some already working as faculties in private colleges. The maximum belonged to a particular caste and no one was from the ‘knowledgeable class’. I would not have been angry if there was a single person who loved the subject, who spoke flawlessly, who wanted to become a teacher and who could make students understand the subject. But they were there only for the governments need to fill in the quota of teachers, get a government job and pension. A candidate who was already a chemistry faculty in a private college could not recollect the oxidation stated of common metals and struggled at equations. No body had command over the language or the subject. All of then had come into the system because of the quota.

Where are the people who actually love the subject? Who actually like teaching and are ready to dedicate themselves for imparting knowledge? Why is the government not looking at these aspects? Why does the government want anyone to teach? The answer is simple. People who qualify for all these are chucked out because their quota has been filled. ( If there are 100, 1 is the quota for such qualified people). Why do highly educated and capable people not come for teaching ( be it in any quota )? The pay is pathetic. There is no investment for teachers. I don’t know where else the investment is being made on if not on teachers!

India will start developing only when importance is given to the knowledge level and not the caste or quota. After all Who is John Galt ?

Lessons From The Retarded

I sat down at the restaurant with my sister. She had long asked for a treat. Having competed 5 years of college and getting ready to launch myself into the next level of my life, research, I thought we would relax at this posh restaurant for dinner.

It was a brightly lit place. The menu card was elaborate and you had to spend ten minutes on going through it and another ten minutes on deciding what you wanted to eat! After successfully ordering the chosen menu we sat and talked about the things that were going around us. About the couple nearby who looked as if they were on a war front, about a family who had tasted half of what was there on the menu card, about the lonely man who was sipping a bottle of fizz…

Just sometime later, in came a family of four. There was this particular kid, six years old who was mentally retarded. They sat down near a family of three. There was a kid too in the family of three. But he was just as we were.

I saw the way the special child struggled to get on to the chair. His parents had to help him and keep his hands on the table so that he did not lose his balance. He had a inquisitive look on his face. Immediately he started to fumble with the menu card and tried to put it in his mouth. When his father did the ordering, he too wanted to say something. He was pointing at the nearby kid who was having ice creams. There was a look on his eyes that said, hey, am the normal guy here. Why are you guys behaving strange and not like me?

Looking at him, so many thoughts stuck me. Here is a kid who did no fault, but punished. As much as he wants to be free of all the restrictions, as much as he is restrained. We, the normal ones, do all possible things in life and get away with it. When there is so much freedom unbound, we act restricted and we act incapable.

What is our purpose? We live a life of certainty and dependence. Certainty has made us lazy. Everybody is certain that tomorrow will definitely come and we are going to live through it! Yet we lose out on the purpose of our life. We are capable of finding our purpose. What is his purpose in life? His existence is to prove to us that we are gifted. When you look at him, he makes you realise that you have so much in you and yet you are not capable of carrying it out. What is the difference then?

The special people are really those who can, but who don’t. He was born retarded, but many become retarded. Live you life and make the difference.

Why the sky is Blue?

This prestigious college in our city was granted Autonomy recently. Autonomy in inculcating education to students, to set its own syllabus and to have its own methodology in teaching. But, no autonomy in selecting students. That’s one thing the government is very strict about. Promote the intake of more SC/ST candidates and suppress the study of the 'interested class'.

The reservation system is going beyond tolerance. Many students aspire to study. They are denied the college seat. Others get bare minimum marks and get into colleges with ease even though they detest the subject and don’t have a background in that. Let the seats go unfilled, but you just cant give seat to a student of the 'interested class'. The seat can go only to the candidate with his community certificate showing SC/ST and with his marks reading as 40%.

I asked one of the SC candidates in my own class. He studies well and understands well and he is interested in what he is doing. “How would you feel if another of your community fellow has been awarded this seat with just a pass mark in this subject along with you, would you feel comfortable"? He was practical and not political. He said NO.

There are students who study and are really interested in studying. They are know as the 'interested class'. Why not give them the seat? If they are unable to pay the college fees, let this reservation quota help them to pay the fees or speaking politically, let them even given them free education.

By the way, here are a few responses in an end semester paper (Chemistry major). The question was " why the sky is blue ? ". This responses were given by the specially selected 'reservation quota' candidates other wise affectionately called as " Arjun Singh babies".

1. The sky is replaced by sodium thiosulphate. Hence it appears blue.
2. The sky appears blue because of the eye. ( Philosophical huh??)
3. Nitrate replaces bromate and replaces chlorine and replaces Blue color of sky comes.
4. Therefore s orbital and chlorine give therefore blue color. Therefore the sky is blue.
5. Why the sky is blue?

Now, whom are we to blame? The school in which they were educated? Most of the students hail from the government run corporation schools. You can imagine the state of teachers and the kind of education! The college is helpless, they are forced to accommodate these kind of students fearing the governmental policies. This is big crap. How many students you think passed this paper?

And why is that people who cant study need to study? Is our economy based on the number of educated people? Why is that true knowledge is not sought after at? Why are people afraid of pursuing what they can?

Well, this is our Government!!

Trickles........

Trickles have always mesmerized me. The stream of water running down the street on a rainy day has something that couples my neurotransmitters responsible for bliss and happiness ( Phenyl ethyl amine and a dash of serotonin i guess !! ). When it runs over sand and stones, it looks just beautiful that i feel like watching it until all water flows down. The ocassional floating down of a leaf and a flower along with the downpour of water from the roof tops into the trickle makes it look like a vision of heaven!

Its a small unnoticeable happening on a rainy day, but it attracts my most attention!
Today, it was raining heavy and i was in my college hostel taking notes on Cholestrol ( I have to burn the excess in me!!!). Started from the hostel admist the rains wearing my rain coat towards the parking area where my beautiful blue Ducati stood waiting for me ( well, its just self soothing!!). But before that, this trickle flowing over pebbles and sand got me fixed on to it. I tore a page from my note, made a paper boat and was following its course downstream. There was big fallen branch on its path and superman heaved it out before my titanic could hit it!!

I know, its sounds crazy, but I just love doing that! Rains and trickles and paper boats!

GROW UP?

Into my fifth year of college now and transversing into the final semester of my college life. We are sitting in the classroom, a round table with a big board on the western wall and thousands of books enclosing us. The professor walks into the room and announces, " Guys, you ve got your model examinations next week, from Monday to Friday. " Hey ! But, the Friday is Diwali eve ! The professor looks at me,

" Arent you grown up? whats the deal in Diwali for a MSc student like you"

Well, how is that growing up is defined? Is it defined in terms of how many festivals you dont care to celebrate and the many birthday days you tend to ignore like any other day in your life? if this is the defenition, then to the world, I am certainly not a grown up. But, do I care, certainly not, I define my happiness and I lead myself to it.

People want to stay young. Anti oxidants, peroxide creams, free radical scavengers, wrinkle control, skin upliftment and what not. Every chemical formula goes into the body just making things worse. I shall give a simpler treatment, just celebrate. Keep your mind young, you stay young.

I still feel as though, everytime I light up a fire cracker, its the first one I am lighting. The smell of the burnt powder of Nitrates and sulphides does more good than any of the creams do! The early morning competetion on who bursts the first cracker still makes me jump. The task of lighting the sky in the night is a responsibility that me and my sister look forward to. And if this means that I am not grown up, I am not!

See, celebrating works better than creams because even after years, am still going to light up the sky with my sister near me!

The System

He asked me if i could,
I told him i would,
but why not now ?

What was missing?
The reason? The urge? The wounds?
Am i afraid to quit?

Yet again he asked me,
yet again I answered I would,
he said, better not.

This world accepts metamorphosis, not changes.

And then she asked if I could,
I answered i would,
But now there was a tear,
of no reason, no fear.

Senators And The Senate House

Today, I thought it would be the most memorable day. The 150th year celebrations were on in the most sought after university in Madras. The " Mother of all universities " was how it was referred to. May be it was a pun intended, Mother, a person who makes us instantly sleep and I guess that’s what the students affiliated to the university do and the so called lecturers catalyze our serotonin levels that induce sleep!

The most anticipated event of today was the talk by our President. But, the President had to anticipate his turn first! The first citizen of the country was the last person to address the gathering! Our president had to endure through 2 hours and 30 mins of Tamil and Tamil Nadu politics before he could rightfully belong to his citizens, WE.

We were a large group of say nearly 700 students from various institutions and we were given a taste of politics and the beautiful Tamil "uraiaadal" of the eminent scholarly and Honorable ministers.

What is the purpose of a language? Is it to communicate or is it to change us into fanatics and never adopt any other language? When I returned from the 18th International Conference of Nobel Laureates, held at Germany, there was a meeting hosted by the Indian Government with the Minister of Science and Technology. A participant in our group started to speak in Hindi. The explanation he gave, " I find that the Germans have advanced in everything because they never speak anything else that their mother tongue. Therefore, we can also advance by speaking only in our mother tongue". Is this a statement of jealousy or ego ? In a country where there are 18 languages, is this a possible way towards development? The ultimate aim is to develop our country. Is there a question of language in this? When English is serving as a cross platform access, why is this ego playing?

Well, the brief introduction about the language war is a preface to the following passage !

The function began with the speech of the current vice chancellor in English. It was good, to the point and apt to the occasion. Then came the first Tamil speaker. Sorry for not remembering his political status. We are in Tamil Nadu and hence Tamil. Ok. But in a occasion like this, where the majority of the participants are scholars and students and some Central Government ministers, why Tamil is my question. Well, he could have completely spoke in Tamil, but there was this beautiful statement in English. " Thanks to the revulsion in IT industry " Revulsion in the IT industry!!!!? Since the purpose of language is to communicate and make understand, you are supposed to understand it as Revolution!

The next minister, " Colleges function in shipt system" . The word shift was changed to Shipt and it just sounded like Shit !

Ok, here comes the first best one. The speech by the Minister of Rural development ( state ). He inaugurated the Digital library and spoke thus ( In Tamil ) : " Libraries are important. All colleges have libraries. Students utilize the library. Students must utilize the library. Since libraries contain many books and hence they can be termed as Book store house. Scholars use the library. The fact that APJ kalam has used the library made him president. Libraries decide the fate of Tamil Nadu." Judge this speech yourself !!

Next came the speech of the man responsible for India in 1 Rupee. The man who gave internet to the farmers, instead of ides towards better crop cultivation. The words in the left are those which he said for those on the right. But since language is only to make understand, we could get the meaning.
Perumukkal : Perumakkal ( Audience )
Alambam : Aarambam ( Beginning )
Palaikegam : Palkalai kazhagam ( University )
pugzhal mundham : pugzhal mandram ( praising committee )
nootuandu vila : noothruaandu vizha ( 100th year )
Paritalum : Paaratinalum ( to praise )
palbadu : paagubadu ( discrimination )

Long live classical Tamil !

Next was the speech by the father of the minister who spoke on the importance of libraries. This function is a educational function. But his speech was full political and " reserved ". Reservation in education ( Mr Arjun Singh was there in this function and he too spoke ) . Haven’t we had a lot on this already?!! This were his concluding words ( in Tamil ) : " Like how Lord Krishna was supportive for Arjuna in the Kuruksethra war, I will support this 'Arjun' singh for the war on reservation policy." The students are supposed to take this easily and that too, spoken in a education university!!! Is there really a value for your degree certificate or your Caste certificate?

Then at last came our President. His speech lacked the fire. I guess he could not fuel his thoughts due to the very high price of fuel here! It was an ordinary speech. Mostly about his school and college day memories. Expectations shattered. We were asked to submit questions that would be answered by him. But the questions were scrutinized and selected and hand picked by someone. The President will read out the name of the selected person and that person will ask the question. These were the questions asked :

* How can we impart technology education in school?
* What is the importance of women empowerment?
* How to make technology education and moral education go hand in hand?
* How can we control environmental pollution?
* Why is India lagging in sports/Olympics despite its population?
* Why isn't news on technology reaching the farmers?
* In spite of rise in technology, why are medicine prices high in India?
* Why is not India conducting Nano technology research?

All these were hand picked admist questions about the Indian development, the fiscal nature, the current issues, the rocket failures, the reservation, the future of pure science, question on commerce and current scenarios and the response of Indian government to the recently faced problems. These kind of questions were not allowed to be asked.

The ending was most pathetic. Everyone stood up for the National Anthem. It was played in the tape. The president raised his hands and asked everyone to join in. Imagine how reverberating it would have been if all the 1500 in the auditorium sung? And isn’t it how it should be when it comes to the country? Only 10 sang along. The President, a few students and me.

" INDIA " We are forgetting that its OURS.

My Media Plugs!!

The chemistry COOK!

My friends always say that i always cook well with the values in the chemistry lab! Though this aspect is not verifiable ( even by my professors!!), you can verify how i cook at home! yesterday, a new recipie struck me and i name it,
PSEUDO PANEER MASALA.

The basic aim is to replace paneer by someother thing so that people on "diet " can relish it without having to worry about the calories. And also, i chose a vegetable that is usually blended in the base in this kind of dishes as the main ingerdient.

Carrot! cut it into cubes and boil it soft. Shred cabbages and boil them soft too. keep them aside and remember to add salt when cooking the carrot and cabbage. Make a fine paste of Tomato, onions and ginger. Add butter to the pan and let it melt. Add a few pieces of cinnamon, elachi and clove to this and saute. Fry cut onions in this butter melt till the aroma elevates you to a few inches above the ground. ( errr... actually till the onions are golden!) Add salt and garam masala and red chilli powder. Now, add the paste of tomato, onion and ginger with a little if water if it is too thick. Let this come to a boil. Now, add the carrot and cabbage to this and close the pan with the flame on simmer. Stir after sometime and add finely minced capsicum ( cut in thin strands for more glamour! ) . Take it off the flame and garnish with fresh corriander and few pieces of cashew.

The boiled carrot is a beautiful substitute for paneer and it tastes awesome ( tested and certified!!) . Goes well with Basmathi rice varities. In the picture, my mom cooked the pudina-basmathi rice and i did this side dish!

Guten Appetite!!

Arvind Sir

When the time comes, let this be the fist one about the Man who is.

He is courage. He is strength. He is what the youth have lost. Arvind sir.

I was in my second year of BSc chemistry. Those were the days of utter carelessness. We had shortage of faculty and hence a lot of free hours. Towards the end of the second year, he entered our department. Average height, athletic, fair and with a lot of beard. His eyes spoke before he did. He was not employed like a faculty, he was a part time staff and handled only Allied chemistry.

Then came the final year BSc and then came to our class, Arvind sir. Physical chemistry, gaseous laws and stuff. He stood before us, we laughed from the last bench. If he shaves, he will look like a kid! What a baby face! Skinny man! Ho... another new faculty, gonna mess up the subject. It was just the usual welcome.

After the class, i sat mesmerized. Well, where has this guy been all these years? It was not a class, not a lecture, not a meeting. It was an experience. The way he brought out the concepts and the way he talked in class, not a single student needed to take notes. It was like energy reaching out to you and getting inside you. After all, it does travel from higher potential to lower potential without strain!

And then i contacted him. Something drew me to him. He accepted my request to train me for IIT and thus began my trip to his house.

I entered his house, there he was, seated on the floor. He looked like Buddha. Radiance emitting was so powerful that you will never feel any hatred in his presence. I asked him, sir, you practice Buddhism? why all these pictures of Lord Buddha here? What he answered that time i cant remember. But he follows no religion, for his religion is mankind, the youth.

I will coach you in chemistry. I will just give you questions, find out the answers and we will discuss them. And i return, i heard you are a flute player, so, teach me flute. I was stunned. Accepted it without any hesitation and the next moment he thrust a few currencies and asked me to get him a flute. Then he brought out his Tabala and played a thaal. After some time of chemistry discussions, he got out his Harmonium and played a raga. I was literally stunned.

In college, his classes were getting better and better. We had this practice of playing table tennis after the college time. One day we were in for a surprise. It was none other than sir, with the TT bat in hand and skillfully smashing the shots across. It took one full year for me to block and return his smash to his own table and till now, no one has won him!!

After a month of the classes, flute and TT, he asked me if i could take classes for the less previliged childen in the slums. I accepted. He made me feel the most wonderful thing. Then i came to know the real Arvind sir.

The MSc from IIT Madras, a part time faculty in our college who taught chemistry the way it must be, a philosopher, who believed that the villages in India are the key to its development. He told me about this Organization. Mother, he had named it. Educating the children from the villages and making them know the value of education and trying to develop the villages was his primary activity. His teaching in college was just his hobby!

Having education networks in over 16 villages, he coaches the students and supports them to pursue their interests. The most unique thing about him is that he gives charge to the youth. He himself, just over 25 years, has over grown all the basic things that attract the youth.

Life and emotions are nothing but chemical surges. The effect of this on the Mind controls the body. The experience of these on the body controls the mind. He had everything in control. His chemicals, his mind and his body. Meditating for hours and a staunch follower of Vipassana, he cannot be shaken by any worldly thing.

His aim, develop the villages, develop the youth, develop the nation. He resigned his job in college and is now full time into his ambition.

I go to his house often. To be frank, he is an addiction to me. It feels great to be with him, to speak to him. We have had endless conflicts about everything. From chemistry to Love. We have spent so much time playing the flute. Never seen someone who can pick up things very fast. He is the most positive force on earth.

To put it very short, the summation of energy, hope and self is him.

Life is worth living

Life starts the way it must,
it goes on the way it does.
People turn when they can,
some turn whenever they can.
For others, its a wild river,
turning whenever it wants.

Many give a discourse,
on how to put life on course.
But what purpose is this force,
makes things little but worse.

sit down and give a try,
find out the real I,
then to places unreachable, you can fly.

What you are is living.
What you want to be is life.
Aferall, life is worth living.

WALK BACK, AGAIN

I walked down the road,
plugged my ears with music, cutting off all others
Through the crowd i waded,
each face, meaningless, yet meaningfull.

I just moved on....
why did they exist?
why did i?
why did he stare at me?
why did it run away?
why did she stop?
why were they shouting?
Do i need answers?
I just moved on....

The wind blowing salty, i neared the beach.
with the waves beneath me, i stood.
A toddler learnt to walk, just like i did,
to walk through life.
He played in the sand, vastness unknown.
Should he know it?

The sun sank into the ocean.
I know it will rise again.
I know i will walk back here,
again.