Interstate 42

What's your excuse?

2013-02-11T12:57:00.000-05:00

Last weekend at Okemo we happened to see a boy skiing on a specially designed wheelchair. Yesterday at Stratton there was a girl on a single left ski using specially designed crutches. I will definitely think about that the next time I come up with a silly excuse to not do something.

In other skiing news, thanks to Nemo and the fresh and thick coat of snow we were finally able to ski down two of the double-diamond expert only slopes at Stratton. Here’s a picture of the last section of Upper Down Easter and that’s not me posing for the pic. Just to brag, that slope is steeper than it looks :)

Why do we fall sir? So we might learn to pick ourselves up - Batman Begins

2013-02-09T06:27:00.000-05:00

Finally, a long overdue update. I have been meaning to be more regular but somewhere I lost the way. Work got in the way, I guess. Or maybe I was just plain lazy.

Diary entry: Jan 27th 2013

I first thought of writing this in early December after my first ski trip this season. These thoughts have been, then, swirling inside my mind for the last few weeks. Never really got around to actually writing them down. Now, sitting in my car after skiing at Stratton for the 3rd time this season, I finally stopped procrastinating.

After starting my doctoral studies in the fall of 2009, thesis apart, nothing much has meant more to me than skiing. Personally I have found it the very epitome of the post's title. I used to be afraid of failure and as a consequence of trying new things, stepping outside my comfort zone. What if I embarrassed myself in front of scores of people? I used to over-think and later regret.

Not anymore; not since my first ski trip when I could hardly handle an easy slope and had to be brought down on a sled, the ultimate embarrassment one can have at a ski resort. Even later, when I mustered courage to try again, slipping and losing balance every few meters when everyone around you are skiing down with immeasurable skill is highly demotivating. Some skiers or snowboarders used to go past me twice before I made it down.

Yet, like Sir Bruce's spider I kept riding up and falling down. I really don't know why, but I kept going and finally pushed through. I am hardly an expert now, far from it really, but I feel good about myself and I really enjoy skiing down with the wind on my face, negotiating the slope at the fastest speed I can control.

I still fall, especially when I take the next baby step toward working a tougher slope. I don't mind falling anymore. As an extension, I don't mind failing anymore. I don't mind making attempts to learn something new. I feel better for it. I couldn't have asked for a better life-changer than skiing.

An afternoon at the Gorge

2012-02-29T23:59:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while, a month to be exact, since I even thought about updating the blog. Am I getting disinterested? God, no! Just that “pressure” has been getting to me.

[For those who are interested, I have to calculate the local pressure in a spherically symmetric atomistic system that is both heterogenous and in thermal non-equilibrium; and, the freaking math does not add up. If you have got a clue, do let me know.]

Anyway, I happened to visit a nearby gorge in a short afternoon stroll with the Photo Club last weekend. I haven’t been there before in spite of living close by for over 2 years. What a shame! Here are the pics.

A "hermit" meditating near the mini-falls. No kidding! He was practicing some new-age meditation technique, shouting his lungs out.

No doubt that was the last thing we expected to see; at least I haven't seen such randomness before in my 2 years here.

Location: Poestenkill Gorge Park, Troy, NY

Anyway, March is here and hopefully I'll keep y'all posted more often. Cheers and until next time.

Jugaad Ka Desh

2012-01-30T00:32:00.001-05:00

This happens only in India, rather, wonly yin yindia.

Location: Mumbai

jugaad n. an improvised or jury-rigged solution; inventiveness, ingenuity, cleverness.

Kodachadri - A photo journey

2012-01-27T01:59:00.005-05:00

Hello folks. I’m finally back after a long hiatus. My Jan 7th promise didn't hold up. Couldn't help it. Let's just say it was a combination of dry eyes and general laziness. After ending 2011 with the LASIK procedure and welcoming 2012 with a glasses free life, all I hope for now is that the Mayans didn’t know something we don't.

Anyway, now back in Troy suffering through a depressingly mild winter and perennially planning to start a final sprint towards graduation, here’s my long overdue photo gallery of my India trip. Starting this new session of postings with the drive and hike up the enchanting Kodachadri located roughly 20kms from Mookambika Temple.

One other thing, I won’t be posting every Sunday like clockwork anymore. However, I’ll update the blog as frequently as possible.

Driving up the narrow winding road from Kollur. It is possible to hike the entire 20km stretch, something I might have done if I were not with family.

The drive up - I would have kicked myself if I had left my camera back at the hotel.

The final stretch - Hiking up to the Sarvajna Peetam (roughly translated, site of all knowledge) at the top.

Sarvajna Peetam. After seeing how US’s short history has been well maintained, polished and kept sparkling new in Virginia and DC, I was left wondering if it was that we were not really interested in preserving our history in a manner that attracted tourists or was it that the old, beaten down site added to the allure of our long and rich history.

Mookambika from atop the hill.

If you guys get a chance do visit the place. You don't have to be religious; it's just a beautiful sight.

Cheers and until next time.

A spiced-up irony

2011-12-30T13:35:00.001-05:00

A couple of days back I boarded Spice Jet for the first time in my life. As the plane taxied before take-off I did what I always do. I opened the in-flight magazine at a random page. This is what I saw and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Maran saab is going to be mighty pissed; someone’s surely losing his/her job.

Irony is a dish best served spiced.
Maran saab, do ask your editor if this was intentional.

Wishing everyone a happy new year. I will be doing LASIK tomorrow; that is, unless I chicken out in the morning. Hopefully I can welcome 2012 with a glasses-free life. Unfortunately that also means that my laptop will be locked up for the next one week. So next update won't be till at least Jan 7th.

Until then folks.

Cheers.

A mighty impressive spectacle from the least expected of places

2011-12-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

The site of the terrorist siege in the September of 2002 that took the lives of 29 devotees, a place of worship and, in my mind, a tourist site that warranted just a quick 2-hour stopover on a visit to Gandhinagar, Gujarat; that was all I thought of Akshardham Temple located 30km from Ahmedabad.

Both my brother and I were visiting relatives in Ahmedabad with our parents and we decided to spend an afternoon at the temple. My brother was hardly eager initially. He was more keen on spending his time at a mall. But go we did, entering the temple premises at around 2 pm after a strict security screening.

Akshardham Temple at dusk. Image courtesy Wiki.

We spent time in the temple museum, walked around the beautiful premises (cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside, so photography is a no-no), and watched a movie on Nilkanth’s life. But, more on that in another post.

We bought tickets for the 7:15 water show. Inaugurated on April 3rd 2010 featuring fireballs and scenes of various hues on water fountains, the show was advertised as a scintillating experience with 4000 nozzles, 2000 lights, over 100 pumps and 12 fireball throwers. The 45-minute show depicts the story of Nachiketa, the child protagonist in an ancient Hindu fable.

I must add, the show did not disappoint. In fact, it was way better than expected - 45 minutes of a story narrated through a mighty impressive medium. In essence, a screen formed by water fountains is the target of projected laser that produces scintillating images. Though, some visual elements were difficult to understand without the narration, these instances were in the minority. Even my brother who was initially wanted to spend his time at a mall said this after the show, “7:15 to 8:00 , on 24th joins the league of the best moments of life till date”. To be honest, even if you do not understand Hindi, and hence the story would make no sense, the show alone makes these 45 minutes a worthwhile experience.

The organizers haven’t made a full-length video of the show, but here is a 2-minute trailer. It does not do full justice to the spectacle. If you do visit you won't be disappointed.

The price of freedom

2011-12-18T11:38:00.001-05:00

Yorktown, Virginia is famous as the site where General Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War on October 19th, 1781. The British defeat here is what effectively ended the war. The video is of a demo canon firing done by the Yorktown Historical Society museum.

A Balancing Act

2011-12-16T20:46:00.000-05:00

A fun toy to play with at my aunt's place. No kidding, this is easy in principle, but bringing it alive is an art requiring masterful precision. This was at my grandma's place earlier and this toy used to keep me occupied whenever I visited. This was the one thing that helped me cope with the lack of internet :)

Zooming out in the Total Perspective Vortex

2011-12-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

Having lived inside a college campus with free wifi for over two years and also paying AT&T to be connected on the move, I seem to have lost some perspective. In my last week’s ‘train journey’ update I mentioned that I would be making one mid week update and at least two posts per week thereafter. Instant connectivity for the last couple of years seems to have spoilt me. I forgot that while on international roaming and with no other phone to bank on, it wouldn’t be straight forward to access the internet. As a result, though I have plenty of stories to tell and have already typed out many of them, I’ll be uploading them only whenever possible.

Still, when I do, I’ll be pre-dating the posts. Forgive me for this idiosyncrasy. Even the thought of not doing so irks my obsessive-compulsive tendencies :) . The two pre-dated posts can be found here and here.

Now, speaking of perspective, it is great to have regained some. Standing inside Mookambika temple “praying”*, my first thought was that of the Total Perspective Vortex mentioned in “The Restaurant at The End of The Universe”, the second book in the Hitchhiker series. I was standing there, eyes closed, zooming out of earth, then the solar system, then the Milky way and so on. I was lost in a sea of quickly receding stars fast replaced by new ones. I was stuck staring at an infinity of infinities, finally regaining a sense of proportion. In spite of how much I would like to believe and dream of making a difference in this world the simple truth remains that “I am but a tiny dot in this infinite universe”. I am no Zaphod Beeblebrox, after all.

Image courtesy Google.

* First, let me clarify. I am not really religious in the conventional sense. I don’t usually go to temples but I am known to pray. Pray what and to whom? I guess, the fact that I was thinking of the Total Perspective Vortex kind of explains it. I just have this habit of getting stuck in these philosophical dabbles within while at a place of worship or even while simply staring at a blank wall at home. Truth is, I do not believe in a physical entity called God. Instead I am amazed by the universe’s mystical unknown which one must strive to unlock through knowledge. In that respect you may call me a pantheist, an atheist or a Hindu.

Now, is this sense of proportion a good thing? Douglas Adams doesn’t think so. here’s an excerpt from the book where he talks about it.

“The Total Perspective Vortex derives its picture of the whole Universe on the principle of extrapolated matter analyses.

To explain - since every piece of matter in the Universe is in some way affected by every other piece of matter in the Universe, it is in theory possible to extrapolate the whole world of creation - every sun, every planet, their orbits, their composition and their economic and social history from, say, one small piece of fairy cake.

The man who invented the Total Perspective Vortex did so basically in order to annoy his wife. Trin Tragulla - that was his name - was a dreamer, thinker, a speculative philosopher or, as his wife would have it, an idiot.

And she would nag him incessantly about the utterly inordinate amount of time staring out into space, or mulling over the mechanics of safety pins, or doing spectrographic analyses of pieces of fairy cake. ‘Have some sense of proportion!’ she would say, sometimes as often as thirty-eight times in a single day. And so he built the Total Perspective Vortex - just to show her.

And into one end he plugged the whole of reality as extrapolated from a piece of fairy cake, and into the other end he plugged his wife: so that when he turned it on she saw in one instant the whole infinity of creation and herself in relation to it.

To Trin Tragulla’s horror, the shock completely annihilated her brain; but to his satisfaction he realized that he had proved conclusively that if life is going to exist in a Universe of this size, then the one thing it cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion.”

Douglas Adams employed the Vortex as a tool for dishing out punishments. But, I disagree. Perspective is a good thing, rather an important one for a civilization to survive. Take this story surrounding Mookambika temple, for instance.

In ancient times Kolapura was a place where renowned sages used to meditate. A demon king named Mahishasura came across this enchanting place and made it his capital. He got Maya, the architect of demons to construct a beautiful city here. Invincible as he was, Mahishasura conquered three worlds and started tormenting the Gods and the sages. Then the sages and Lord Indra (the king of Gods invoked in the Vedas) requested the Trinity (thrimurthi - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) for help. The Trinity invoked goddess Adiparashakthi to destroy Mahishasura. All gods including the Trinity merged their divine potency in Devi. Thus Devi became an entity exemplifying all forms of divine powers. In the fierce battle that ensued Adiparashakthi (also known as Mookambika) killed Mahishasura.

Good overpowering evil. Image courtesy Google.

There are many such stories in Hindu scriptures where Gods battle and vanquish Demons. The Gods and Demons are more or less a symbolic representation of the internal philosophical battle between goodness and evil or lightness and darkness. It is the great inner strength that is invoked by each one of us to do good (by the prevalent moral standards) that is symbolized as the divine potency of the Gods.

Or, take the story of Kerala’s creation. Legend goes that Parasurama, a warrior sage, threw his battle axe into the sea, as a result of which the land mass, that is now Kerala, arose from the sea. The axe here could very symbolize the battles raged to gain control over the land.

The point I am trying to make is that all these stories are not meant to be taken literally. They are in some cases symbolisms hinting at a deeper philosophy and in other cases, history embellished with legends/myths which are remembered for eons. When people blindly follow their forefathers without listening to these stories with the right perspective, stop thinking for themselves and do not try to improve the selves by connecting these symbolisms and then thinking further, that’s when culture stagnates and societies crumble.

For advancing a civilization, egos have to be buried and questions have to be asked of the self and its relation to the outside world. Looking at it this way, it is no surprise, that in spite of all its riches, the Indian subcontinent regressed culturally and got subdued by colonial forces a few centuries ago. Do we have the conviction to do that? Let’s see where we, as a country, stand in 10-15 years time.

Cheers.

The lost symbol

2011-12-09T02:54:00.000-05:00

Here’s a mid week update; it’s about time, I guess. Right now, perched in a middle seat somewhere above the Atlantic, I can finally start penning this post after a week of insane workload. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come up with at least two updates per week for the next month.

I had written about the Virginia part of the Thanksgiving road trip in my last post. After this trip I learnt one thing; and, you have to give this to the US - they have preserved their relatively short history very well. What’s more; go to any historical town and one can find many symbolisms around, some intended and others not. This makes these places a haven for conspiracy theorists and Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” has renewed the appeal of these conspiracies. This post I’ll be talking about an unintended symbolism; no harm in adding one more conspiracy theory to the mix.

Being the center of the free world, as some politicians and journalists like to call it, it is not surprising that Washington DC is awash with Freemason symbolism.

What I like about the city’s design is how the Washington monument is at the center with the entrances to the Lincoln memorial, Jefferson memorial, the White House and the Capitol building all facing the Washington monument. At the same time, the statues of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt all face the Washington monument.

However, there is one memorial that stands out in being different - the Martin Luther King memorial. Here’s a photo.

Martin Luther King does not face the Washington monument. In fact, it looks like he is standing hand folded scoffing at the Washington monument. Take what you will from that. To be honest, it was hardly intended but when you add one more fact into the mix, things get a little interesting. The memorial was designed and sculpted by Chinese architect Lei Yixin, and according to the incomparable Sandeep ‘Morgan’ Ram Mohan, MLK may be facing a Mao statue in China.

Cheers, and please, I am hardly serious in this post.

Reliving a train journey

2011-12-04T13:49:00.000-05:00

I am travelling to India in a week and have a lot of work to complete before I go. So I won't be writing much today. However, I'll try to make up for this quick post today by posting a mid-week update and then two posts per week thereafter.

Recently, there was a post on The NRI written as a train travelers’ guide to the country. The post can be found here. The points made in the post are in fact things each and everyone of us can connect with; in particular the “five minutes of hope” that all Indian males aged 17-29 practice religiously just before boarding the train.

The post made me nostalgic about train journeys back home. In comparison, Amtrak is so dull. There’s one memory that comes to my mind when I think of a train. This is something you can never do on Amtrak - standing by the door, holding the hand rails, facing out and enjoying the strong wind blowing on your face.

Maybe I am being nostalgic here, having missed this part of a train journey for over 2 years now, but to be honest, the freedom and exhilaration of being able to lean out of a moving train stands out in comparison with skydiving. One more week and I can relive this nostalgia. Have I built it up too much in my mind? Hope not.

A Troy Story

2011-11-27T22:53:00.000-05:00

Contrary to my expectations during the last update I couldn’t drive down Clinton Road this Thanksgiving; but, I will do that sometime. However, with a Troy - Danbury - DC - Richmond - Jamestown - Yorktown - Danbury - Troy eventful four-day road trip spanning six states I could possibly call this story scouting trip a success. In time I’ll write about all that, but today this post is about a simple Civil War story dedicated to all the beautiful maidens of Troy

It is well said [NOT] that “you can take a trip out of Troy but you cannot take Troy out of a trip”. Eight hours down south in Richmond, Virginia I was reminded of Troy’s place in US history while at the Virginia Historical Society museum. My friends and I were perusing the American Civil War section when one of my friends chanced upon this story. In the context of the Civil War this is probably an inconsequential event. Yet, it is an interesting reminder of how everyone, even non-fighting women far removed from the battle fronts, contributed to the respective causes on either side intentionally or unintentionally. Here you go.

Lt. George H. Thomas, a Union general during the Civil War (1861-1865), is generally held in high esteem by historians for his successful record in the war. Lt. Thomas led the Union forces to a decisive victory over the Confederates at the Battle of Mill Springs. His defensive line that held off repeated attacks from a numerically superior opponent and the subsequent counterattacks that held the Confederate army at bay until nightfall during the Battle of Chickamagua earned him the title of the “Rock of Chickamagua”. He is a hero, no doubt. However, it is a shame that he has failed to achieve as much historical acclaim as some of his contemporaries, such as Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, due to a variety of reasons that included a disinterest in advancing his legacy by publishing memoirs and an uncomfortable relationship with Gen. Grant.

Now what has all this got to do with Troy? Nothing much; just that in the November of 1852 Lt. Thomas married Frances Kellogg of Troy, NY. Now, the good lieutenant was a Virginian and had a close personal relationship with Gen. Robert Lee, who was later the number one man in the Confederate army. Yet, as the Civil War broke out in 1861 he turned down an offer to serve in the Virginia state militia and reported back to active duty with the U.S. army. It is probably the influence of his Northern-born wife that led to his choice.

His siding with the Union instead of the South angered his family. They turned his portrait against the wall, destroyed his letters and refused to accept the money he sent in spite of the economic hardship in the South after the war. His sisters disowned him strongly believing that it was the influence of his Northern wife that contributed to his “desertion”.

In short, without the fair maiden from Troy, the Union forces may not have had such a reliable general to count on in some decisive battles. This is probably inconsequential since Lt. Thomas may have sided with the Union anyway because of his dislike of slavery. Yet, as the saying goes, there is always a woman behind a successful man and thus her role in the fight against slavery, which the Civil War eventually turned to, is worth repeated mentions.

Finally, sticking to the same theme that you cannot take Troy out of a trip here’s a question for my RPI readers. The picture below was taken outside a museum near the archaeology dig of the original Jamestown settlement. Does the name ring a bell? It’s quite obvious but I’ll write about it in my next update, as well.

Horrors of Philly

2011-11-20T22:31:00.000-05:00

Over a month ago I had visited a friend in Philadelphia. The trip was a very short one but rather memorable indeed. Last week I had written about a smile inducing comment made by my friend’s daughter. Following up from that post, this time I’ll be writing about a somewhat creepy side to this historic city. Yes, this is the city where Edgar Allen Poe penned some of his scariest works. Yes, M. Night Shyamalan filmed The Sixth Sense here as well. As I learnt from my friend that day and then later from Uncle Google, if you are looking for a ghost in the US, then this is probably the right place to be. True to this reputation, there are plenty of sites in Philly to go ghost hunting.

Let’s start with the James Martin School. This is an erstwhile hospital and nursing home. The most popular sighting in this school is that of a face in the attic window; and there are plenty of accounts as to the owner of this face - a mental patient who jumped out of the window committing suicide, or a boy stuck in the dark attic unable to find his way out for decades, or of a patient who slit his/her wrist up in the attic; take your pick.

Then, there is the site of the Byberry mental hospital which is haunted by the different patients mistreated here. Prior to 2008 there were reports of screams from the basements and the catacombs were creepy enough for people who had gone in to run out crying. Here’s an excerpt from a visitor’s report - “The place I'm talking about isn't haunted by ghosts or goblins, its haunted with stories, memories, and eeriness. To look into what was once a great utilitarian structure, but now is and great industrial ruin, terrifies you. It makes you scared, worried, and frightened. Not knowing what or who is behind each door, each hallway, each turn can torment your mind. It gets inside you”. The hospital was shut down in 1990 for poor living conditions and later in 2008 it was sold to a contractor who demolished all the buildings. An office complex and a few retirement homes stand there now, but people still complain about a negative vibe that’s associated with the place.

Then, there is the popular ghost hunting site of Fort Mifflin. There are 3 ghosts here. A “screaming woman” in the ruins of the commander’s house and 2 civil war soldiers, one without a face. There are in fact many more such sites. For the lack of time I could visit none of them. As a matter of fact, though I heard about the ones above from my hosts I didn’t visit them either.

One place, however, I did go to - the Eastern State Penitentiary. Opened in 1829, it was hailed as a new type of prison. Here, solitary confinement was not just an occasional punishment, but was the prisoners’ primary state. The idea behind this facility was to force the incorrigibles to look inside themselves and find God. Each cell had a toilet, a table, a bunk and the Bible and it was here the prisoners spent all but one hour of their day. Interaction between inmates was forbidden and even when they did leave their cells for an hour a day, a black hood was placed over their heads. Inmates lived a life of complete solitude that has driven many a sane man to madness.

The gargoyle at the entrance

A cell block

A typical cell

Solitary confinement was not the only punishment. Inmates desperate for human interaction, would tap on pipes or whisper through vents. When caught, the penalty was brutal ranging from being dunked in a bath of ice-cold water and then hung from a wall for the night to the “Iron Gag” for which an iron collar was clamped onto the tongues of the inmates and then chained to their wrists which were strapped behind their backs. For the latter, even the slightest movement would tear their tongues. Many a men have died in the resultant bleeding.

Unsurprisingly, Eastern state Penitentiary is one of the most haunted Philadelphia locations. The most famous sighting is that of a prisoner who killed 27 people in an attempted escape. Another popular paranormal episode is that of a locksmith who was doing restoration work in one of the cell blocks. The tale goes thus: “He was working to remove a 140-year-old lock from the cell door when a massive force overcame him so powerfully he was unable to move. Some believe when he removed the key it opened a gateway to the horrific past and offered the spirits caught behind its bars a pathway out. The man spoke of experiencing an out-of-body state as he was drawn toward the negative energy which burst through the cell. Anguished faces appeared on the cell wall, hundreds of distorted forms swirled around the cellblock and one dominating form seemed to beckon the locksmith to him. The man's experience was so vivid, years after he would shudder in fear when he talked about it”.

The prison system of solitary confinement was abandoned in 1913. A famous prisoner of Eastern State after the relaxed rules was Al Capone. He was given a special cell away from the cellblocks where the other prisoners were kept. The image below shows his cell. Compare that to the cells of the other prisoners shown before. In spite of his relatively cosy treatment, Capone himself has reportedly said that the spirit of James “Jimmy” Clark, one of the men murdered in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre used to haunt him. Reports from other prisoners seem to indicate that they heard Capone constantly screaming and begging with an unseen entity to be left alone.

Al Capone’s cell

As the years took its toll on the structure and faced with costly repairs, Eastern State was officially closed down in 1971. Now, opened to the public the state makes good use of its haunted reputation by hosting a haunted house called “Terror Behind the Walls” every Halloween. It is supposedly very scary, but I was a week or two too early to check it out myself.

In any case, I’ll be going to Philly again over the next year and a half. It would be fun to check these sites out. But before that I need to take the road less travelled. Hopefully, next week I’ll have some photos and stories from Clinton Road, NJ.

Until then, cheers and have a blast.

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2011-11-13T16:03:00.000-05:00

A month back I was in Philly. It was a day trip to visit a friend and I did not have time to explore the city. There was not much point either since it was Columbus day and most museums were closed. Nevertheless, my friend decided to show me the Liberty Bell and a couple of other places in the short time we had.

Driving around the city, at some point the GPS lost its signal and my friend happened to comment, “I think I am lost”. Suddenly a sweet voice responded from the back of the car. It was her daughter strapped into her child restraint seat. “Mommy, you are not lost. I can still see you”.

Now, if that did not put a smile to your face you must have a heart of stone. Next week, I’ll write about the Philly trip in detail. Until then, cheers and have a blast. Wait, what's that I hear? You have more such stories? Do share it with us in the comments section.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

2011-11-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Growing up near the equator I had never really experienced the true meaning of change. To me then, any change was like the process of evolution; it took time. Nature is so complex that it would have a slow response to change, always; or so I thought. Then, Troy happened and I finally got to see four full seasons. Here are a few campus shots capturing the same.

Middle of spring

Towards the end of summer

Fall colors at their peak

Last winter was one of the roughest we have had

This contrast shows nature at its best. Pity we are exploiting it at a level that may possibly bring upon us nature’s full fury. Have we crossed the tipping point? Will we go the dinosaurs’ way?

The road less travelled

2011-10-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Well, this week I am cheating; sort of at least. The post this time is about a place I haven’t been to yet. It’s more like a build up to, hopefully, my thanksgiving weekend upload. Oh boy, am I taking this road in a couple of weeks?

Connecting Newfoundland and West Milford in New Jersey runs the 10-mile stretch of Clinton Road. What’s special about the road? Watch this.

The video is a segment from a Travel Channel series on the “Most Terrifying Places in America”.

The road has been associated with paranormal activities for over a century. Stories of the phantom truck, weird animals, satanic rituals and frozen dead bodies have had plenty of people scared. Some of the above stories are true, like the serial killer “Iceman” using the roadside for dumping his victims. Reports of KKK activity also have some substance. Everything else is so unbelievable and severely exaggerated that the trip could end up to be damp squib.

In any case, the general endorsement is that it is a scary, creepy, isolated road. The road essentially winds through a desolate woodland in the middle of nowhere. There are no connecting roads or homes along the road. So what do you expect, especially at night? It is said that you essentially have a spine-tingly feeling while driving down this road raising the hair along the nape of your neck. This one, I have to check out.

Straight out of LOST

2011-10-23T22:37:00.000-04:00

Here, are a couple of photos taken along the golf rink ocean course in Half Moon Bay, California. I must confess, I haven’t seen any episode of LOST, but the title of this post was how my uncle described the above scene to me. I wouldn’t be surprised at all, since the presence of those pillars on a beach is indeed mysterious. Searching on the internet I could find no answers. What are they? What purpose were they sought to serve? For once, Google failed me.

I asked my uncle. The pillars formed the foundation of a building, the construction of which was stopped due to stability concerns. The Pacific is indeed rough and the site was prone to extreme erosion of rocks, as is obvious now. The construction was stalled, the pillars remained and now constitute the main attraction on a beach that I guess is hardly popular with casual tourists, given the failure of Google to find any answers.

Here are a few more photos from the beach.

Once again, I apologize for the delay in updating the blog; was busy the whole weekend with a cricket tournament we were organizing for fundraising as part of the Troy/Albany chapter of AID. And, then earlier tonight, we had the last league match of the intramural soccer tournament at RPI; which, we won 9-0. Had to gloat :)

Cheers and until next time.

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.

2011-10-16T22:39:00.000-04:00

The title of the post is a quote attributed to Carl Sagan. Creating the universe may be impossible, save for the schizophrenic few, but we can always do the next best thing - marvel at the mysteries of the universe before us and indulge in some apple picking in an orchard nearby. Ya, you can use them to make pies, if you want to, but if you are like me and find cooking a chore, then the marveling part alone should entice you. Yet, it took me two years to take a bite.

Apple picking is an activity that is highly popular here, in the northeastern United States. Every Fall, orchards are open to public and consumers can pick their own apples from the sprawling fields. Yes, this is essentially a method of purchasing apples, given that you pay pay per pound in most places, but, it is widely seen as a social activity and a popular dating ritual.

A popular fall pastime, maybe, but for the last two seasons whenever I received club emails talking about apple picking trips, I never understood the fuss; they are just apples for heaven’s sake. How can apples be anyone’s idea of a time well spent. Yes, apples have touched the lives of many - from Norse mythology to the Newtonian legend, from the Garden of Eden to Steve Jobs’ legacy; but, apple picking? Are you kidding me? I would rather struggle up a mountain than dance around trees.

But I must admit I was wrong. This time, when RPI’s photography club sent their email out, I thought I would check what the fuss was all about, if only to get away from my godforsaken thesis. With a camera in hand and the changing fall colors in the background, the orchard really is a paradise. Here are a few pics from yesterday afternoon. They don’t do full justice to the serenity of a pristine, clean and picturesque landscape.

Would I go again? Just to clarify. I would still rather struggle up a mountain than go apple picking. But, for a bored afternoon, an apple orchard is a great place to be with your camera in tow. Moreover, the sky was gloomy yesterday. I would like to capture the landscape under blue skies.

Until next time.

Cheers.

Does this ring a bell?

2011-10-09T00:53:00.001-04:00

I can afford to procrastinate no more. The deadline is fast approaching. Earlier, each time stared at the blank screen of my would-be thesis, I would end up working on a new blog post. Not this time. This weekend, I finally managed to finish a major chunk of my candidacy report. On the flip side, though, I haven’t got time to work on this week’s post. So it’s a short one this time, just one photograph in fact.

Does this photograph ring a bell? It’s an easy one. Think LA. Think Movies. Shoot away in the comments box. I’ll update the post with the answer on Thursday.

~~~~~~~

Apologies for the delay. Today was one of the rare day’s when I felt good about my research and wanted to fully utilize it. Now, the photograph; the answer is already down there among the comments.

It is the aqueduct immortalized by Terminator 2. Watch it again here. One final thing, remember the place where the truck jumps into the canal. The above pic was shot from roughly the same location.

New Orleans Slideshow

2011-10-02T21:55:00.000-04:00

New Orleans, Louisiana

Dec 31st 2010 - Jan 3rd 2011

It’s been close to ten months now since the NOLA trip. A lot has transpired over that period - a few ski trips, hikes and a leap of faith. Yet, those three days in New Orleans are still fresh in my mind. No doubt this post is long overdue. The trip was decided on a whim, and with minimal planning I set off from the dull university town of Troy in the wee mornings of 31st December 2010.

New Orleans was catastrophically impacted by Hurricane Katrina which has been described as “the worst engineering disaster in the world since Chernobyl”. Though many of the residents had evacuated by the time the hurricane approached at the end of August 2005, and flood walls and levees had been constructed by the US Army Engineer Corps, the flood protection system failed catastrophically resulting in countless deaths. Many are still unaccounted for.

The damage to the city can still be seen. But as society is known to do, the city recovered and is still very much a party town. The city ‘takes almost any occasion for an excuse for a parade, a party, and live music, and in New Orleans most events often have a touch of Mardi Gras year round’. Like they say, “New Orleanians are either planning a party, enjoying one or recovering from one” [Source]. That makes NOLA a great place to welcome the New Year.

New Orleans is a vibrant city, colorful and a true melting pot. Here’s a slideshow of some of the pictures I took. The background score was made while fiddling around with Apple’s Garage Band. If it sounds, in part, to anything you have heard before, blame Apple :)

This was my first attempt at something like this. It took longer than my usual posts but working on it helped me perk up after a rough week. Do let me know what you think and if it’s a good idea or not to make travelogues in this form.

Cheers and have a wonderful week.

Photo Gallery: Into the wild

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

In the August of 2009, I had been on a safari to the Selous Game Reserve in central Tanzania. I had then written about the trip in detail. The posts can be found at the following links.

Part 1: The long drive to Selous (pronounced “Seloo”)

Part 2: The Boat Trip

Part 3: Jungle Safari

However, many of my photographs from that trip as well as all my travels since had been languishing in my hard drive. I finally spent some time, this weekend, to sort all of them out and to upload the best ones both at the Interstate 42 Facebook page and in my Flickr photo stream. You can follow the links and enjoy the photos.

This week’s post is a subset of the above collection; an “Into the Wild” photo gallery.

African Golden Weaver

The Great Nile Crocodile: They are the largest crocodiles in Africa. They prey both within its natural habitat (where it is the apex predator) and out of its normal range. Outside its natural habitat, they rely on rapid unpredictable attacks on almost any other animal equal or smaller in size. Other Nile crocodiles and adult hippos are their only threat in the water. Out of water, however, the Nile crocodile is at a disadvantage. They can only rely on their limbs to chase the prey. So, most hunting on land is done at night by lying in ambush.

Giraffes: The national animal of Tanzania.

Malachite Kingfisher: This is a small kingfisher, only, 13 cm in length.

White fronted bee eaters in flight: This was a lucky shot. I would have preferred if the birds were more in focus, though.

African Pied Wagtail: Its natural habitats are “subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, rivers and intermittent freshwater marshes” [Source]. They feed on insects and tadpoles. An interesting fact about this species of birds is that human association has not threatened the species’ survival. In fact, they have even benefited from the construction of dams.

That's it for now.

Cheers.

Brooklyn Bridge is falling down

2011-09-18T23:43:00.001-04:00

I am fast running out of ideas. This won’t do. I really want to keep this blog running, if at least to temporarily take my mind off my thesis. To do that I really need to travel more often. By travel I don’t mean taking an extended break and frolicking off into a different corner of the world, but just to get out of my lab more often and soak in the life on offer in and around the capital district area.

Darn it! Till my doctoral candidacy is done that’s not going to happen. Stuck in my lab my mind gradually going to bits, I guess today’s short post is just apt. Yes, Brooklyn Bridge is falling down; or rather it was, soon after it was opened in the May of 1883.

Picture taken on Christmas Day 2010. Christmas in the Big Apple, now that’s another story altogether. Ever since Kevin McCallister was lost in the City in 1992, I have wanted to retrace his steps. I should probably try and locate some of the lesser known spots in NYC that the movies have eternalized. KsK.

The Brooklyn Bridge that officially opened to the public on May 24 1883 was, then, the longest suspension bridge in the world. The first person to cross the bridge was Emily Roebling, the wife of Washington Roebling, the engineer who built the bridge and the son of its designer. On its first day, 1800 vehicles and 150300 people crossed the span.

Being the first experience of such a kind one can’t blame the panic that soon ensued. Six days after the opening, a rumor spread that the bridge was collapsing. The resulting stampede killed at least 12 people. Being such a technological marvel, the first of its kind, and already bearing the burden of 12 dead people on its shoulders, public faith in engineering had to be earned. On May 17, 1884, showman P. T. Barnum led 21 elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge to prove that it was stable. Considering it has stood the test of time, 128 years of proud service, the designer and builder of the bridge can stand head high.

Brooklyn Bridge was designed by John Augustus Roebling, a German-born American civil-engineer. He, however, was not fortunate enough to lay his eyes on his dream child imposingly spanning the East River. A crush injury to his foot before the construction began eventually led to his death. His son, Washington Roebling was placed in charge of the project.

Washington Roebling, of course, immortalized his name as being the builder of this imposing bridge. Being an RPI alumnus, his ingenuity was hardly in doubt, and he successfully supervised the construction overcoming the various practical challenges involved. Resting on past laurels may result in one losing sight of the future. Nevertheless, I like saying this, whenever I get the chance.

Listening to No Turn Unstoned, Shpongle, I sign off for the week listing a few facts that endear me to this monumental structure; other than it being built by an RPI alumnus, of course.

Each of the bridge's four supporting cables is 3578 feet 6 inches long, 15 1/2 inches thick, and contains 21000 wires that, combined, has a total length of 14060 miles.

Con man William McCloundy was sentenced to 2 1/2 years at Sing Sing Prison for "selling" the Brooklyn Bridge to a tourist in 1901; inspiration for Bunty and Babli to sell the Taj, perhaps.

On May 19, 1885, Robert E. Odlum became the first person to jump from the Brooklyn Bridge. Oh! The memory of my jump still raises my adrenaline, in spite the many weeks that have passed since.

Cheers.

Those pesky tourists!!!

2011-09-11T16:22:00.002-04:00

Big city residents have always had a love-hate relationship with tourists, the affair skewed more towards the latter with the former being nothing more than a fleeting endearment. The sheer number of tourists adds to the popular appeal of the city and who doesn’t love it that their home is famous even in obscure parts of the world. Yet, with noisy tourists stopping and pulling their cameras out every step of the way disrupting the hectic life of the big city residents, it is no wonder that pesky tourists are a thorn in the sides of the denizens who call the city their home.

Here’s an Improv Everywhere prank that essentially taps into the resident-tourist relationship. “New york city resident? No. Please go in the tourist lane so you can click pictures, go slow, go to sleep, whatever tourists do”, says an agent. “As a New Yorker I appreciate this”, a passer-by responds.

All of us would have had some experience in this regard, either as the pesky tourist or as the heckled resident. Here’s one of mine.

Location: the Golden Gate bridge, west side lane. It was windy and cold. However, the view was so beautiful that we had decided to brave the windchill and walk across the bridge. Once at the middle we set our camps and were enjoying the sunset; a group of five. Oblivious to the lack of other tourists on the bridge we spent our time looking west, mostly in silence. I was engrossed with my Canon capturing the orange sky, experimenting with different exposures.

Someone shouted, “watch out!’. I took a step back just as a cyclist shot past through the same spot I was standing on a split second earlier. I looked up and left towards the cyclist only to catch him glaring at me. If looks could kill! He was kind enough to not say anything but his eyes betrayed his thoughts. ‘Damn you tourists. One day you’ll kill somebody.’

Apparently there were signs that said ‘Cyclists: West-side. Pedestrians: East-side’. Confused tourists that we were we had missed these signs and strayed into the cyclist lane. Undoubtedly it is people like us that grant legitimacy to the Improv Everywhere prank. As Mayor Bloomberg commented at a press conference later, “When I saw it I said, ‘Oh! That’s a nice thing to do.’ I thought it was very cute.”

Now as I was saying, all of us might have some story or the other to share in this regard. The comments box is open. In the meantime, listening to Shpongle and working on my doctoral thesis, I’ll be waiting for your reply.

Cheers.

Conquering America's First President

2011-09-04T21:15:00.006-04:00

3rd September 2011

The forecast was for rain. With Mount Washington known for its erratic weather and super-strong winds, this is one piece of information never to be taken lightly. Yet, five hours into the drive from Troy, the night gradually turning into day, we were greeted by beautiful views with just intermittent spots of rain clouds. There was some occasional meek lightning trying to scare us, but more or less we were increasingly feeling confident that the weather wasn’t going to deteriorate on us so much that we would have to call-off the hike.

There were ten of us in three cars. Roughly half past six, as soon as we turned into the parking lot at Pinkham Notch visitors center it started to pour. It was coming down strong. Distant rumbles could be heard as well. It was a rancid welcome, no doubt. We were at roughly 2000 feet elevation. If it was bad down here then the summit (6288 feet) could be deadly, the ascent tricky and dangerous. We had a decision to make.

There are different routes leading up from the visitors center. The most popular and the easiest way up is the 4.2-mile Tuckerman’s Ravine. One look at these photos here and there are no prizes for guessing why this route is popular. A diversion via the Lion’s Head will take one through a more scenic route. A section here is slightly steeper than the Tuckerman’s Ravine trail but this diversion won’t punish you distance-wise. The Lion’s Head trail rejoins the Tuckerman’s Ravine trail in the final push to the summit.

The 5.4-mile Boott Spur trail is another option. Starting off from the visitors center, this trail is no more difficult than the Tuckerman’s or Lion’s Head trails; yet, the extra mile makes it a relentless and daunting task.

If you have no acrophobia and wish to take a more direct route up, the Huntington trail that branches off a mile and a half up the Tuckerman’s trail might sound welcoming. This trail is very much like the Cathedral on Katahdin.

7 a.m

We enquired at the information desk. Due to the weather going up Huntington was strongly discouraged. Coming down that trail was anyway not an option. Though this news was not welcoming for those in the group who had scaled Cathedral, one never challenges the weather. We decided to go up Tuckerman and on the way down via the same route, to take the Lion’s Head diversion.

Initial stretch of Tuckerman. Fortunately it stopped raining half an hour into the hike. The rocks were still slippery, though. The 2.4 miles up to the Hermit Lake shelters is a wide and relatively easy hike. However, you still climb 1800 feet. As I was to learn later, the hike down this stretch is long and relentless.

Seven of us made it up to the Hermit hut by 9. Three others had chosen to take the Lion’s Head diversion instead. We would join them later as we set out on our final push to the summit.

[Photo courtesy Nikhil]

Looking up at the Tuckerman’s Ravine from the Hermit hut.

[Photo courtesy Mitul]

Another view from the shelter. The sky seemed to be clearing. We might have a smooth ascent with great views, after all.

[Photo courtesy Nikhil]

We were going to tackle this stretch next. The trail looks tough but is manageable in bad conditions and in terms of difficulty, it may be classified as a moderate hike under good weather conditions. At roughly quarter past 9 we started the climb.

[Photo courtesy Mitul]

Looking down into the ravine. The sun was out for a brief period. “If it stays this way we might have even better views from the top”, I thought. Pity it didn’t.

Looking up.

We still had 1500 feet to climb and the visibility was only going to get worse. It was also getting colder. It is important to carry warm clothes with you on this hike. With this fog it is important to hike in groups. With the poor visibility it is easy to miss the trail markers and wander off. Once lost and off the established trail, you would not only be damaging the fragile environment but also run the risk of falling into the ravine. Seeing other hikers offers a great reassurance that you are on the right track.

11 a.m - We had reached the top.

[Photo courtesy Nikhil]

There was a board nearby that proudly declared “The highest wind ever recorded by man was observed here - 231 mph”. It was a great climb up despite the poor visibility. The challenge in itself was exhilarating. Somehow, with mist-blurred glasses and a case of bad cramping in my thighs during the final 0.8 miles, I had made it up.

The peak is a tourist trap. The “not-so-serious” outdoor types can drive up or take the shuttle. There are plenty of gift shops and eateries. The sheer number of people up at the summit, in spite of the miserable weather and zero views, suggested that this particular tourist destination is a commercial success. The parking lot was full. For what joy would people drive up when on a day like this, I’ll never know.

A little after 12 we begin our descent. Walking into the fog with misty glasses affected my depth perception. I had to hike without them and the strain on my eyes eventually gave me a headache.

[Photo courtesy Nikhil]

We somehow managed to miss the diversion to Lion’s Head. Barring three others in the group, we ended up coming down the same way we traversed up. The climb down was tough, no doubt. It was taxing on the knees and some sections were scary to the hilt. We were down by 3.

At the end of the day, my knees hurt more than ever before. The cramps were still there in spite of a bottle of gatorade. I was exhausted, more so than I was after the Katahdin hike; and, this was supposed to be easier.

I guess the workload and the subsequent lack of food, sleep and exercise over the last one month got to me. Either that, or as a friend cheekily suggested, “You are getting old, Kiran”. In any case it is time I said goodbye to Big Apple, from where I have been having two slices of pizza every other night during the summer. It is time I trained hard, watched my diet and strived to stay fit. I can’t imagine the thought of an old body with weary bones.