Life-O-philia

Work hard or study further?

2011-08-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

The nagging question that most juniors have asked me is “Should I go for an M.S or opt for a job?” To answer that in a line, “Only you can know that!”

Going abroad to study is becoming as mundane as joining a coaching class. It’s simply a service. You pay for it, you get it. And far too often, people are doing this just because everyone else is doing so. That’s not entirely a bad idea, but at the end of the day, what you want to achieve and what your interests are matter much more.

From my personal experience, I felt that I would have fared much better and would have been a bit more satisfied had I started working soon after my Bachelors degree. It might be a little early to say for sure whether it was a good or bad idea because I've that not yet finished my Masters’ Degree. But over the past year, I've come to realize I’d have been better off working immediately. And that is primarily because I am not a person who enjoys “studying” a lot. And most people aren't as well. The point I’m trying to make is that before you take a decision about going abroad and studying, it’s important to figure out what exactly you want.

Do you enjoy routine schoolwork like going to class, finishing assignments, studying for tests and schmoozing with your professors? Are you going abroad just because your friends are or your boyfriend/girlfriend is going too? Or maybe your aunts, uncles, neighbors or dad’s colleagues are telling you how good it is to go abroad and settle? Do you have fantasies about the United States and feel that studying there is all frat parties and chicks and beer? Really ask yourselves these questions and go ahead only if you feel your answers are satisfactory enough.

When Canadian people ask me about the difference in the lifestyle I had in India and the one I’m having in Canada, I say it’s about the same. 10 years ago, things were different. Today, you get just about everything you want back home in India. The difference I do point out is that things are very organized in North America, but I believe India is slowly getting there and it’s just a matter of time before the balance tips in favor of our country.

Lame duck Numero Uno

2011-08-01T00:37:00.000-07:00

In one-dayers, India has proved that it is a formidable unit with the recent world cup victory and the consistency with which they have played in recent years. However, India’s first two tests in England have left it unambiguously and explicitly clear that India has not quite justified its number one test tag. And I hold the BCCI entirely responsible for the current state of affairs.

The BCCI scheduled match calendar is terrible. They have several grueling test match series, several one day series, as well as that stupid Indian Premier League. The IPL makes a lot of business sense but I don’t think it is a sustainable project and would soon fizzle out. I hope it does because it has completely screwed every other country’s cricketing schedules and priorities. The BCCI probably feels that player burn out is not a major problem and that by hiring more foreign physios and conditioning coaches, injuries would remain at bay. The first test was an eye-opener of sorts. Even before lunch on the first day, Zaheer Khan limps off the field with a hamstring injury and that literally made sure that India lost the test and will decide the fate of the remainder of the series. Add to that Gautam Gambhir’s elbow injury which has left him out of the second test. Sachin falling ill is something that could happen to anyone and so can be left out of this discussion. But the spate of injuries continued in the second test with Harbhajan Singh; whose place in the side on away tours is increasingly being called into question; who pulled a stomach muscle. If players have been playing cricket non-stop for six months, this was bound to happen. The South Africa test series began in December and continued into January. The world cup began soon after that series. And the morons at the BCCI scheduled the IPL barely a week after the World cup. That gets over and the players leave for the West Indies. Thankfully, WI is now a team which would probably lose to most Ranji sides even and that really saved India the blushes.

With a high quality opposition coming up after the world cup, I fail to understand why the BCCI even scheduled the WI tour. It doesn’t even make ANY business sense. England is arguably the best test side in the world currently. Strauss and Cook are good openers but their middle order is fearsome with Trott, Pieterson, Bell and Morgan. These men are colossal players currently; they don’t have the stats like Tendulkar or Ponting, but are the real deal when it comes to the English batting. Matt Prior is proving to be an exceptional keeper batsman and I’m amazed how “kacha limbus” like Geraint Jones and James Foster even got a chance after Stewart. I guess the fact that Prior is yet another South African import to the English team delayed his debut. The bowling is definitely a class apart from that of the Indians. I feel off late England have become a good team is because it has consistently produced high quality bowlers. Agreed that none of them have really survived to have a long career that they’d be called greats but when one bowler has fizzled out, another has inexplicably arrived to take his place. Harmisson, Hoggard and Simon Jones destroyed Australia in 2005. They’ve all been relegated to County cricket. Today, England boasts front line bowlers like Anderson, Tremlett and Bresnan who are as good as any out there today. The reserves comprise Graham Onions and Steven Finn, who though relatively inexperienced are decent bowlers. I’d say definitely as good as Ishant Sharma because they are both as tall as him; perhaps even a few inches taller. Stuart Broad has decided that he can be the next Flintoff because his contributions in both these tests have been invaluable. And he’s getting quality opposition players like Tendulkar out regularly. Swann is currently the top spinner in the world I’d say and he can bat. So can all these other bowlers. With batting that deep, and India’s bowling unit that shallow, there’s not a lot MSD can come up with to even try to win the series.

Let’s face it; teams that were rated high quality have always had the best bowling and fielding attacks. According to me, you can win a greater percentage of matches if you have a stronger bowling line up and weaker batting line up than the reverse and India has always belonged to the latter group. West Indies had Marshall, Holding, Garner and Andy Roberts to destroy even the best of batsmen. And Australia until recently had McGrath, Gillespie, Lee, Warne and a slew of reserve bowlers who would have been front line opening bowlers in probably any other team.

The hallmark of a marauding team is total domination for an extended period of time. Australia and West Indies of old are two such teams that come to mind. They dominated not just test cricket, but one day cricket as well and they played to win and won by big margins in terms of matches. India has played consistently in tests off late and has not lost too many matches. But they have never really dominated quality opposition abroad. To do so will need preparation and foresight. I’m not saying they don’t work hard. They probably work way harder than you and I. But the BCCI needs to play smart. From a purely business point of view, with India having just won the cup, they need to capitalize on the cricket frenzy engendered by the win and ensure that it remains for a long time by defeating quality opposition consistently. They need to ensure that they provide the right balance of things to make this next decade ours.

Extortion in Canada!

2010-08-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

The Canadian cellphone industry and I guess the cellphone industry in the United States as well indulge in what I'd like to call "Legal Extortion". Extortion, in the strictest sense is without a doubt illegal: forcing someone to pay up by threatening them is a monstrosity. Ironically, service providers in the big two North American nations fleece their customers left, right and center by charging exorbitant usage fees and befuddling them with vague and totally lame "plans" which they bandy about with glee at customers' faces.

First things first. The contract system, which in principle is an excellent idea whereby users essentially get their handsets for free by remaining "loyal" to service providers, is tweaked subtly by the "extortionists" so that customers eventually end up paying as much as they would for a new phone or maybe even more. It kind of reflects one of the important tenets of gambling: "The house always wins!" Certain companies have come up with schemes like the "tag" by Koodo mobile or "supertag" by Virgin mobile. You get your phone for free or at a subsidized rate and the rest of the list price is paid off by the company. How? Every month, a sum equal to 10 % of your bill is paid by the company towards the price of your phone. If you think just a little more, they're actually encouraging you to use more every month so that your phone's price is paid off faster! It is only slightly better than a contract because you aren't technically bound to one. But, the phone price would only get paid off if you remain with the service provider long enough. If you do exit earlier, you'd have to pay off the remainder of the list price. After that the phone's yours. But, there's no knowing if your phone would support a different service provider or the one you want. This is why the industry should adopt a system just like the telecom industries in Asia where you purchase your own cellphone and choose your service provider which does away with the locking and unlocking of phones. By the way, did I mention that there is also a charge to unlock cellphones?!?! You could do it yourself if you knew how to but you could end up with a bricked phone as well.

Next, you have a host of very confusing plans. Voice plans, data plans, student special plans, family plans etc. "We cater to your different needs" is what they tell you. Like hell!

The terms of each plan are marked with numbers or asterisks in the end forcing you to squint and read tons of fine print. Every plan is lacking in one feature or another and this forces you to purchase "add-ons". Whichever plan you choose, you end up paying pretty much the same for all the services you need. Also, the terms of each plan and the usage rates are subject to change "without notice". You would thus use a service for an entire month, assuming it to be free only to realize that you have to pay a bomb when you get your bill statement.

When you get your unexpected fat bill, you decide to take it up with the service provider and call customer care. From what I've heard, customer service executives are really stupid and dumb and at times can be rude and unhelpful as well. Not only is your bill statement reversed, you end up very angry and smarting with your experience with customer care. Sometimes, it takes hours for you to get hold of a customer care representative. Ultimately, you realize its no use arguing your case out because the customer reps too can give lame excuses for the mistakes of the company. I guess that's what they're paid for!

There are also a bevy of ancillary fees that have to be paid for and which the service providers conveniently relegate to fine print. There is a one time activation fee which needs to be paid when one gets a cellphone connection for the first time. This can be as high as 35 $. There is also a system access "privilege" fee which needs to be paid every month for using the service provided. (What the hell are we paying usage fees for then??). There are also several other ridiculous fees that have to be paid like emergency 9-11 fees and provincial regulatory fees. However, recently some providers have mercifully done away with these.

New start-up telecom companies attempt to rectify some of the evils of the system by providing better plans without contracts and activation and system access fees. They do gather a good base of loyal customers too. But the major players invariably try to acquire the company and in most cases succeed as well thereby stifling any healthy competition which would have helped lower costs and helped provide better service.

An individual belonging to a low income group can find such practices largely draining on his finances. One could argue that he could do away with using cellphones entirely but that is very unfair. A cellphone has become an essential need for people today.In most cases, it is a must today.

The current high rates and host of confounding plans in the North American market can be attributed to the small customer base in the land thus prompting service providers to recover costs and maintain high margins by charging the customer whimsically. However, I hope that in the coming years, the industry is reformed and that it is also the customer that benefits along with the service providers. As I mentioned earlier, they are clearly engaging in "legal extortion"!

TOEFL Scholarship Essay

2010-08-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

(I composed this essay which was a prerequisite in applying for the TOEFL India Scholarship which I won!The following paragraph in bold was the topic of the essay following which is my response.)

Since Independence it has been India’s dream to ensure all children are enrolled in primary schools. However, drop-out levels are high despite many initiatives, such as

free schooling supported by the government’s Mid-day Meal Scheme. What new initiative would you recommend to ensure minimal schooling, and how would you

implement this initiative? Explain why your recommended initiative will be perceived as relevant by Indian society and why it will be effective.

Education is the most powerful instrument in bringing about social, economic and political change. They don’t say that knowledge is power for nothing. Feudal lords and despots of the past intentionally sought to keep the populace unenlightened as they considered an educated mind a threat to their hegemony. Today, education is a constitutional right in most countries of the world and everyone is entitled to an education regardless of one’s race, religion or nationality. Yet, there are still millions of people who still only dream of going to school and getting an education.

India is one such country where a large chunk of these millions of illiterates still live. Since Independence, the Government of India has implemented several schemes to ensure that the residents of even the remotest of villages get a chance to study. In spite of these initiatives, a large number of Indians still do not attend school. Many of them join a school but drop out after a few years. Urban areas of the country and a few progressive states have a high percentage of literates but the residents of the vast majority of villages cannot even read and write. On several occasions, parents do not let their children, especially girls to go to school as they themselves are uneducated and do not understand the value of knowledge. The Government offers monetary rewards, free housing and free lunches to those families which allow their children to study. However, simply luring people to study without them understanding the priceless nature of an education is futile. Also, there exist several shortcomings in the existing system of education like poor infrastructure, large student faculty ratios and poorly trained, uncompensated teachers. I believe all this is due to poor management of resources allocated for primary education as well as below par governance.

The initiative that I suggest consists of 5 parts:

a) Creating a department of education through an assimilation of elected political officials, officials from the corporate world and officials from NGOs

b) Creating a special fundraising team under the wing of the ministry of education dedicated solely to the task of raising funds from donors and philanthropists throughout the world

c) Making it compulsory for new graduates to undergo a short teaching service commission for a period of 3-6 months

d) Making effective use of educational propaganda to achieve a change in the outlook of the public

e) Modifying the current teaching methodology which underscores rote learning and changing it to education based on problem solving

The existing department which handles both primary and secondary education is the Ministry of Human Resource Development. I suggest a slight overhaul of the governing structure in that it should consist of not just the usual coterie of politicians but officials from the corporate sector and NGOs as well. The government officials should be selected on the basis of elections and portfolios assigned to them by the Prime Minister. Today, most corporations have a department of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the corporate officials in the ministry can be appointed by the elected officials based on their demonstrated CSR. A similar appointment of NGO officials can be made by the elected officials. Additionally, such a structure should be implemented at the union as well as the state or zonal level. Such a hierarchal structure would ensure effective governance of the educational system where corporate officials would be better able to manage funds and officials from NGOs would actually implement the policies and objectives of the ministry because of their interactions with people at the grass roots level. The involvement of government officials would be to ensure that a laissez faire system doesn’t develop.

Further, under the purview of this ministry, I recommend the establishment of a committee dedicated solely to the task of fundraising. Throughout the world, there are several altruistic individuals and organizations which would love to donate money to uplift the destitute and needy. Such a fundraising team can thus be an effective way in reaching out to such individuals. This income along with the compulsory educational tax levied on all goods and services produced and sold in the country; which is already in place, can help raise a sizeable amount of money, which can be used solely for providing better education.

This money which if effectively utilized can help create better infrastructure such as better school buildings, better laboratories, playgrounds and classrooms. Not only can the existing infrastructure be upgraded but new infrastructure can be set up. Salaries of teachers can be raised and they can also be paid on a regular basis thus prompting greater efficiency among the teachers. Also, time and money must be invested for training teachers so that the quality of education received by the children doesn’t suffer. A panel must be appointed to periodically assess the performance of the teachers themselves, in order to ensure that they are up to the mark.

In addition to teachers on a fixed payroll, introducing compulsory teaching for new graduates for a short duration of 3-6 months would help lessen the burden on the existing teachers and would also help reduce the student-faculty ratio. It would also expose the children to outstanding students from elite institutions in the country who could inspire them to continue studying and not drop out prematurely.

The mindset of the Indian public regarding education and work ethics also has to be changed. Only when all minds in the country are tuned to the same thoughts can change resonate through it. Radically changing the way we perceive education is one of the most important ways to garner national support to usher in a revolution in education. This can be achieved by effectively using educational propaganda through advertisements and short movies on not just government television and radio channels but private channels as well. Roping in popular and loved personalities like movie stars and sportsmen to encourage children to study will prove extremely beneficial. Individuals along the length and breadth of the country should be made to believe that denying their children an education is a crime.

Also, the emphasis in the vast majority of Indian Institutions is on learning by memorizing. This technique is the reason why most fresh Indian graduates are not considered to be job ready. Further time and effort has to be invested in brushing up their skills. Being a byproduct of the current educational system in India, I too have studied in the same way. If we continue in this fashion, all of the above initiatives will only partially fulfill our aim of gaining true knowledge. Therefore, the Indian educational system should be gradually changed to one which focuses more on problem solving and obtaining working skills which would prove more beneficial in the real world.

I believe that by implementing this plan, India’s long term objective of achieving cent percent literacy will surely be achieved. Every child in the country will eventually be able to attend school and more importantly complete his or her basic education by which time he or she would surely be able to appreciate its value. I believe that this initiative would prove successful because it is essentially a public private enterprise. Over the last couple of decades, public private enterprises have proved to be very successful in India. Ever since the Indian Government opened up the markets in the country to private entrepreneurs, the economy has flourished. Thus, I feel that this healthy partnership between the government and private companies and NGOs would help India make tremendous progress in education as well. I do not merely say this but I have observed it firsthand. The mid-day meal scheme is a national government enterprise implemented by all state governments in the country. This program which was pioneered by the painstaking efforts of K. Kamaraj, the congress president following the demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, has proved very effective in attracting scores of children to attend school. Yet, in many states, the mid-day meal scheme does not reach maximum efficiency due to gross misappropriation of funds, use of substandard food as well as food wastage. Most of the times, the same preparations are served to the children over and over again which makes the children feel jaded. Poor food quality and adulteration has sometimes resulted in a large number of children falling prey to several diseases. However, in the state of Maharashtra, the mid day meal scheme is managed entirely by the organization ISCKON and it has proved to be one of the most successful implementations of the scheme because of better governance. ISCKON is a not profit organization, albeit a religious one and ensures that the food they serve is of the highest quality. Thus, I believe that my plan coupled with the sustained efforts of all individuals in the country can help us achieve our objective of cent percent literacy and ensuring minimal schooling for all.

The importance of education in India is indubitably very important as we strive to achieve progress and meet our long term goals of eliminating illiteracy and poverty. If India is to achieve the status of a developed nation, it must expedite the process of revamping the educational system. As I mentioned earlier, changing the mindset of the Indian public is essential in making our country a progressive one and thus implementing my plan will have positive repercussions throughout our country.

Where there is true knowledge, there is light. The ancients in India possessed knowledge in abundance which is why our country was an economic, political and cultural superpower in the world at the time until the period of decadence set in. It is thus, the responsibility of the present generation of Indians to restore India’s lost glory and usher in a second golden age in our country which this time, lasts for all eternity.

A little bit of GRE Gyan!

2010-07-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

GRE is a prerequisite to enter a masters program at most universities in the US and certain universities in Canada and TOEFL is required by all of them! Most people are falsely made to believe that these tests are really tough and that you absolutely have to have professional coaching to crack them.This fear is usually instilled in students by GRE training centers which come to college. However, from my experience, that is definitely not the case and that with proper focus and planning, most people can prepare for these tests by themselves.

Right at the outset, let me give you'll an idea about the structure of the test. The GRE test has a max score of 1600. It has two main section types, the results of which form your score: The quantitative section and the verbal section. The quant section essentially consists of simple math, arithmetic and geometry, though questions from probability and statistics have also been asked. It is 45 minutes long. The verbal section is without a doubt the tougher of the two and usually proves to be the downfall of most students and is 30 minutes long. There is also a writing section called the analytical writing section which consists of two essay type questions. This section is scored separately and does not count towards your score. The writing section is graded on a scale of 0-6, in half-point increments.Also the test is "computer adaptive". This means that the first question that you get will be of average difficulty. If you answer correctly, your next question would be slightly tougher, however if your answer is wrong, the next question would be easier. And this continues throughout the rest of the test. Therefore, to get a high score, it is very very important to NOT mess up the first couple of questions. Doing so would result in a lower score. By making the test computer adaptive, they have ensured that random guesses will really not help students much.

To get an admit to a masters program abroad, the first aspect that all universities consider is your academic profile. Contrary to what most coaching classes and your friends might tell you, the GRE is NOT the most important parameter. Believe me, it would be better to put greater efforts in acquiring a good percentage( around 65% and above) than just studying for GRE. In the end, your GPA or percentage is what counts. The GRE is merely an additional tool in helping universities select students. This however does not mean that getting a GRE score in not important. Students with both a good academic standing as well as a really good score in GRE are the ones who usually get admits to the top universities. Doing well in both is absolutely a must!

Prior preparation for the test is very important to do well on the day of the exam. Unfortunately, the usual study methods do not really work with GRE. I'm sorry to disappoint some of you but the GRE is a test of the skills in math and English that you have acquired over the years. So students who are weak in math or are not particularly comfortable with difficult English will surely have a tougher time preparing for the test. And sadly, they also do not perform particularly well in the test. Of course, working hard can surely help everyone. Now, the following methods were used by me and may or may not work for you, but they may at least give you some idea about how to go about your preparation.

The verbal section consists of sentence completion questions, analogies, antonyms and reading passages. The first thing to do is to start memorizing vocabulary words. Usually, students purchase a box of flash cards and start learning the words. These cards are definitely not exhaustive and you might encounter words never seen before as well. But flash cards at least help you get started. The best way to learn from the flash cards is to do a small number of words each day and keep on revising them from time to time. Also, sometimes you may already know the meanings of some words and so doing them again is a waste of time. So if possible, maintain a list of words you didn't know and keep on revising ONLY these. Once you're done with all the boxes of cards, you will eventually have a large list of words that you didn't know and you should now revise only this list.This, trust me, will save you a lot of time during revision. Ideally speaking, you should know all the words contained in the flash cards. This will surely increase your score in the final test. Also, vocab building will help you sentence completions(essentially fill in the blanks), antonyms( where you have to chose the correct opposite of the given word) and analogies.

Passages in GRE are just like those we had in 10th and 12th standard English. You read a passage and answer questions. But sadly, its not as simple as before. The passages are ridiculously difficult sometimes and selecting answers for the questions is tough too. You almost never get a direct question and almost always have to 'read between the lines'. Wild guesses are no help here as the test is computer adaptive. The only way to do well in this section is to practice as many passages as you can. This will help improve your reading speed and also give you an idea about the type of questions asked which definitely gives you an edge in the final test. No amount of coaching in classes will help you in this section. You just have to practice.

The quant section is comparatively much more easier than the verbal section. The only preparation you need is to revise basic maths, geometry, probability and statistics. After that, you really don't need to study anything as such. Again, practicing as many problems as you can will help you thereby giving you an idea about the type of questions asked. That is about all you need to do in maths.

The analytical writing section is only slightly different from the usual essays that you write. Also, all the questions that could possibly be asked on the test are available on the GRE site: www.ets.org

No one can help you much here because it completely depends on how you write and think. So you can accordingly prepare for this section.

Now there is a book called "The Big Book"( really the name of the book) which is a must for preparing for this test. I don't think that it is commercially available these days so you'll just have to ask your seniors or friends. This book has numerous actual GRE tests and sometimes you may encounter the very same questions from this book during YOUR final test. However, you may find the quant section in Big Book to be very easy and that in the real test, the quant questions are slightly tougher. Nevertheless, it will give you practice. The verbal sections of the Big Book contain classic GRE questions and are pretty much what you would see in the real test. So if you find that you're not doing really well in big book tests, then practice harder if you have the time or don't expect a good score at all. Those under-performing in the big book tests will NOT get a high score at all. I guarantee it!

Apart from these, there are several software tests which are available which you can either download from the net for free or borrow from friends. These tests are also very important because they give you a feel of the actual test and they'll help you in timing yourself effectively. Notes provided by classes are really a waste because they include extra tough questions which are usually never asked. Also, these very notes are used by MBA aspirants giving GMAT and CAT as well. So do not waste time going through classes' notes.

Now the best time to give the GRE is in the vacation after the even semesters. The vacation is longer(almost a month) and even if college starts, the first couple of months are really a joke with nothing serious going on. So it's best to sacrifice one vacation in your engineering student days and give your best shot for this exam. With proper focus and training, this test should not be much of a hassle for most students.

Fitness Struggles!

2010-02-07T05:24:00.000-08:00

Damn my frail body man!I mean cmon man!Right now its plagued with injuries.

I've been working out in the gym these past 6 months. Before that I jogged like a marathoner doing almost 6-7, sometimes even 12 kilometers a day for a little over a year. I loved these sessions and missing even one of them made me feel like shit the next day. So basically I was pretty damn fit considering that I'm a student 'supposedly neck deep in study'. Anyway, things were going pretty well for a while. I loved the comments I got from people who were amazed at how fit I looked. I still get them though I'm not nearly half as fit as I was.

The trouble started way back in the September of 2009. I was doing parallel dips which is a free body exercise and something I was becoming pretty good at because I had raised the number of reps I could do from around 10 to 25,even 30. On this particular day I'm talking about, I was on the 12-13 rep and I heard a kind of little snapping sound somewhere near my left Trapezius. Well like any good fitness instructor will tell you, any such snapping should ring alarm bells in your brain and make you STOP immediately. But I continued anyway, finished my usual number of reps and felt that it might have just been a minor thing and that it should get sorted out by the end of my session. By the way, I was working my chest that day. I started doing horizontal bar bell presses. I loaded the rod. FIRST SET. Went by fine. I loaded some more. This time it was 25 pounds both sides. Even better. 30 pounds both sides. Goddammit!I couldn't lift even once!HOLY SHIT!What the hell's happening?!?!

I tried a coupla stretches.I tried everything. But no amount of stretching would make it okay.Well I had no choice but to leave the gym. I went home and put a hot water bag on the affected area.The next day I tried doing a few push ups but couldn't manage 'em without considerable pain in my back. I needed to visit a physiotherapist who told me to do some strengthening exercises and told me to stop working out for a while. I had officially got my first injury doing some kind of sport. The days went by and like I said before I felt like shit. I could relate so well with every sports person on the Earth, who at the prime of his career got injured and had to sit tight watching everyone else take away the glory and when he got back was a ghost of his former self. Hell look at Nadal!

Anyway, things got righted after a while and I started training again.This time it was even better. I could lift more and the size of my core muscles increased as well.Things were goin on just fine.

The year changed. A new decade began. Weeks before I had again developed a bit of soreness in my left shoulder which would manifest every time I stretched a bit more. But like before I thought the better of it and continued. Thankfully during the first 2 weeks of 2010 I wasn't in town and I didn't train. However when I got back I worked out for a week. But the pain persisted and I decided to give it a break. That was during the last week of January and up until now I've been at home sittin tight. FEELING LIKE SHIT!

Hell I even went to a doctor who gave me pills and asked me to rest which I diligently did. But this time, things aren't that simple. As I write, I still have that niggle in my left shoulder. I just dunno what I can do to get rid of it.

I decided a week ago that the least I can do is get back to good ol' jogging. Something I'm very good at. When I was in Bahrain this year, I jogged a couple of times and managed to do so without a worry. True, I couldn't run as much as I used to but I knew I could get back to those levels in no time. But during the last two days I've been jogging and my breathing and stamina have been amazing.But now there's a new problem.Damn it!After a while of jogging I experience severe pain in the shins. I even continued tolerating the pain, but after a while it was unbearable! So I go back home and check it out on the internet.It turns out that I've got something called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. Sounds terrific doesn't it? I just hate it. On the site, it says that I need some more rest and a bit more of physio.

Like I said earlier, I can truly relate to the injured sports star. Take Shane Watson of the Aussie cricket team. A major player, but for the first couple of years; in fact for most of the early part of his career, he had to sit out due to fitness problems. Stress fractures, knee problems, shoulder injuries you name it. Andrew Flintoff cut short his career due to his knee injuries which kept recurring. Rafael Nadal can barely manage to reach the peak levels that made him his best.

I can assure you that it's horribly frustrating. I just hope I can get over these injuries and get back on the circuit. I really can't wait. For a fitness enthusiast like me, sitting at home, hogging in front of the TV is not my idea of a life, though that's what I've been upto lately!

A day at work

2009-09-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

The alarm rings at 5:30 without fail like it does every day. That’s the time when I should get my lazy ass off the bed and get it onto the toilet seat.(Lolz).Anyway, that doesn't happen until almost 8 when I finally tell my weak brain that it's time to go or you're gonna be late for college. With groggy eyes, I start scanning the newspaper; beginning with the sports page which is at the end of the main sheet; and moving slowly forward, as would an Arab reading an Arabic text. Once this chore is done, I get into the shower, do whatever it takes to make myself feel cleaner than I was before and get out feeling better.

Selecting what I wear is not really fun, though I do manage to surprise myself occasionally by finding a tee that I've never seen before. I then glance into the mirror. Satisfied with my appearance(sadly the mirror didn't crack), I stuff whatever I need into my run-of-the-mill bag, and get going downstairs, where the maid has half liter of milk and protein powder ready( On days when I'm good and I do get up early, I have a bowl of muesli with milk in addition to the usual).Gulping the milk and wolfing down the muesli as soon as I can, I don a clean pair of socks, get on my faithful rebok trainers and I'm out!

You might say that I am now a man on a mission. Nah! I'm just another engineering student going to college, not to get some useful stuff into my head mind you, I'm going solely because I need to sit for 75 percent of the lectures(A real good attitude to have don't you think?)And yeah, part of my plan for the day apart from just physically being present in the lectures is to chat up as many chicks as I can in college, on the way, basically wherever I get the chance. I’m damn good at this! Anyway, I reach college at 9 usually. I sit for the lectures in which I begin boring my friends to death with my far-fetched tales. My tales keep getting taller and taller and every damn day my friends resolve harder not to believe a word of what I'm saying. To them, anything that comes outta my mouth is miles away from the truth. Anyway, we somehow manage to plod through most of the lectures. In a couple of the lectures, we have to try hard not to fall asleep. Data Compression and Encryption wins hands down in the most-powerful-sleep-inducing-lecture competition! One fifteen on the clock signals the end of an era almost, that’s how long it feels sometimes.

We then march towards one of the empty tutorial rooms, a place which we fondly call the “Dining Room” for obvious reasons. A nice shared lunch replenishes all the energy which we exhausted in sleeping and chatting in the classroom, not to mention the pain we take to make the arduous journey all the way to Vasai and climbing up three flights of stairs all the way to the classroom! The rest of the break is spent in whiling away time discussing nothing in particular or, like I mentioned earlier, chatting up pretty girls.

Two-o-clock on my watch signals the end of what should have been a really long session. Anyway, as the practicals beckon us to attend, we make our way to one of our ramshackle labs, rooms in which we sometimes do useful work; otherwise most of the time is spent in brushing up our clerical skills. If there’s anything that I’ve learnt in these last four years, it’s how to become a first class clerk or secretary. Since it’s the final year, no practical session lasts longer than two hours. And if it happens to be Tuesday, like it is today, then the practicals are all the more fun because the professor (at least that’s what he considers himself to be or rather what those who’ve hired him consider him to be) is the lamest person I’ve ever met and has not the foggiest about the subject he’s about to teach, which has a charming little name-Discrete Time Signal Processing. Anyway, this time is put to good use watching movies behind his back (BOLT was excellent and so was Monica Belluci’s Malena). You pretty much get the picture.

Four-o-clock on my watch is the end of a highly productive day at college.

What the fuck was I thinking?!?!

2009-09-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

The medley of thoughts and desires in my mind right now has led me to reconsider what I really want outta my life.At times, I think things are going pretty well and at others...well, you get the picture.

Of late I've called into question some of the decisions I've made.Like leaving the students' council.I felt that I was doing the right thing till a couple of days ago and now I wonder whether that's what I really wanted to do in the first place.I mean, I so fuckin miss the stuff man!!All along I was this known guy, with people hanging all around and then I had to settle for a life of relative anonymity(not that nobody knows me), but its just that I feel a little aloof from whats happening in college.(And trust me, my class is the MOST boring class in college.)And like one of my friends said about me returning to the council, being in the council does have its perks.(read chicks et all!)

My stint with the council has been pretty memorable.Though it wasn't ideal to say the least.In the first year, I was an idiot;absorbed in spending as much time as I could with a girl that in the end wasn't to be with me.(LolZ) Half of my 2nd year too went in chasing the girl.It was only after she ditched me (a lesson i needed) that I seriously began thinking about life in general,just like I'm thinking about it right now.That's when I began actively participating in the council activities.Of course some of my peers wouldn't want to give me credit for the work I had done then (It's part of the game.Nothing personal I guess.)But according to me, I did a pretty neat job.And things seemed bright enough.

The beginning of my third year was also one in which I put in a lot of effort.I wanted the top post accorded to third years and I was a strong contender to say the least.Then, circumstances prevented me from "being seen" in college during that time.I wasn't in college.In fact, I was halfway around the globe roaming the streets of Toronto.But the damage was done to put it simply.Of course, It wasn't irreparable.But that's when all the hard work I'd put in over the last year was laid to waste.I again became the lazy ass that I've always been and stopped working completely.This, I'd say was the biggest mistake I could make.What the fuck was I thinking!?!? And dig this! The general secretary of the council became a real close pal of mine.And I mean a real close pal.He's now one of my best friends!(Asshole's havin a good time in France right now!)Anyway, things just couldn't have been better for me had I been smart enough to grab the opportunities that came my way.But like I said, I've become the laziest asshole in the world.And the worst part is, I STILL AM!

Well, these are just a few of the thoughts crossing my mind right now.Not to mention that fact that I'm ruing bitterly everything that's happened!Or rather what I've let happen.I'll never get the chance to reach the hey day that I could have reached now but I'm willing to make amends.The sad part is that I really dunno what I'm supposed to be doing!Got any ideas,anyone?

I have a dream

2009-06-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard for the GRE exams for more than a fortnight now.The scores that I've been receiving in the practice tests have been varying more than an amplitude modulated wave!I've plumbed the range of getting marks:1490 is my highest score so far and I've even managed to get a paltry 970!

The days when I've done well usually end with me feeling contented with my preparation.However,the very next day,I under perform and I feel "Will I get the marks that I have the yen for?"I sure hope so.

An important lesson I've learned in the recent past is that of having a dream.I always felt confused when people mention that the first step toward success is to dream big.I've always dismissed such pronouncements as being statements used by people to enhance their success stories.Little then, did I realize my folly.

The truth hit me when I was watching Roger Federer take on Robin Soderling in the French Open Final.Roger has been unlucky enough to lose the last three French Open finals to his nemesis,Nadal.Roger had somehow plodded through the stages of this year's tournament and he managed to reach the final,Yet again!But this year was different in that he didn't have to play Nadal,the upshot of which was that he won his maiden title at Rolland Garros.The tears came in torrents.Soon he composed himself and gleefully accepted the trophy.I have watched Roger breakdown everytime after winning Grand Slams.This time was no different.What then inspired me?This time I could understand WHY he cries!These victories mean so much to him.He has dreamed about them for so long.And boy has he dreamed about winning at Rolland Garros for so long!

What sets Roger apart from his peers?Is it solely his backhand,his dead accurate service or his power play from the baseline?No I wouldn't attribute his dominance just to his overall game.I'd attribute it to something far more essential;something far more primeval:HIS DESIRE TO WIN AND BE THE BEST!

Had he not had the burning desire to win,I doubt Roger would be the man he is today:A legend!Hard work definitely is of prime importance but what actuates one to work hard and harder than anyone else is the dream one has!Unless one is passionate about achieving one's dreams,I don't see one able to put in the hard work.

A typical example is me.I've approached everything in life without a goal,without a plan.The cliched phrase "I take life as it comes" applies perfectly to me.I have everything that it takes to succeed.The intelligence,the will to work.I just don't have a dream to strengthen that will.

I'm trying to change.I've tried to utilize this revelation in helping me get a good score on the GRE.I'm not going to make a prophecy about my score.All I'm saying is that I have taken a step in the right direction and that I've stumbled upon a verity of such importance that I guess my life would improve by following it.

Federer Ahoy!

2009-05-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well,right now,I really should have my nose in a text book by this geek called "R R Gulati" who's the author of Monochrome and Color Tv, which is a subject we have in the 6th semester.What he fails to mention as a disclaimer in his text is that watching TV is much better than reading about it!

Anyway, a coupla hours before writing this post,I was watching the tennis game between Robin Soderling and Rafael Nadal.This was a match which one thought would be boring and predictable.C'mon who the hell freaks out "Nadal" on clay?Let me tell you it sure as hell wasn't predictable.Soderling won!Kudos to the dude!The very fact that he won the first set 6-4 surprised me and I HAD to now see this game and I was rooting for him all through the second set which ended in a tie breaker,but Nadal won.Now,I shut the TV (to get back to reading about TV...hehe) and thought that perhaps soderling had now run out of luck.He'd given Rafa a chance and I knew he would pounce.But that was not to be.Sod beat Rafa 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (2)!!!Hurray!(Hey I'm not supporting SOD here but the big daddy FED EX!!)

Now Rafa is one of my admirers....oh sorry,I'm one of his admirers!:) And I really look up to the sinewy fellow because of the motivation he has for his game but I think I like Federer more.Trust me,it's painful to choose between these two guys,but I think Fed needs some divine intervention to win the only grand slam eluding him.And the way I see it,GOD himself wants him to win.So FED,don't screw up this one in a zillion opportunity,because hey,trust me,RAFA will wanna kick some ass next time at Roland Garros!

Hate the strategy breaks!

2009-05-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Trust me guys!The strategy breaks during the IPL matches are the most annoying things on Earth!Seven and a half minutes!Its insane.If it hadn't been for the zoozoos,It'd been a lot worse!

And Mandira Bedi, try as she might, isn't able to produce the spark that she was able to create in the 2003 world cup.Where's the hair,"noodlestraps" et all?And her histrionics on the field do nothing to buttress her already fizzled out persona!

The commentators think that they are anchors on animal planet.That's because during the strategy breaks they go "There you can see the Royal challengers huddle planning a strategy to get rid of hayden.On the other side you can see hayden in heated discussion with stephen fleming!"All this is said very slowly in calm hush hush tones like those presenters on animal channels do when they get up close wild animals.Set max should probably be renamed "Pet Max"!

Now something sanguine,lest y'all call me cynical.Danny Morrison according to me is the best among the commentators!His naughty face on TV is sure to make you smile.Add to that his mischievous voice and antiques with the cheerleaders,they're sure better than the likes of Gavaskar and co talking about the averages of batsmen or the temperament of Appam chutiya,as Sreesanth is called so these days!

Why all the OBAMAMANIA?

2008-11-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

The past couple of months have been witness to a series of dramatic events like the earthquake in Pakistan,a global economic crisis and the melting of various well established and powerful investment banks.However nothing was more dramatic than the election of Barack Obama to the office of President of the United States.

I have often pondered a lot on history and the lessons that it has to offer.I have poured over countless history textbooks and it wouldn't be hard to guess that history was my favorite subject in school and is still one of my favorite topics of discussion.
I read about Asoka the Great.The 18th century witnessed the awe-inspiring French Revolution and the American war of independence.The Indian freedom struggle was drilled into our heads throughout school.I read about Mahatma Gandhi.I read about Abraham Lincoln and the amazing humility with which he conducted himself in spite of being elected to the highest office in his country as well as his tremendous contribution in abolishing slavery and uplifting the blacks.I also read about the world wars and about the destructive "Littleboy" and "Fatman".I was amazed by these stories and people who found their way into my history text books.

Every story in history has inspired me a little.But I have often wondered what it would have been to actually be there when these great events unfolded;when these great men walked the Earth?What must the followers of Gandhi have felt when he was right in front of them,urging them to be united in the struggle for independence?What must it have been for a little boy who had to go into underground bunkers every time he heard the dreaded sirens declaring the imminent arrival of German Bombers?What must have been the atmosphere in the NASA control room when Neil Armstrong must have finally announced,"Houston,I've just landed.Buzz is just behind me."I can only imagine.

Yet,only yesterday, I witnessed something historic.Something unprecedented.I finally felt that I was privileged to be witness to an event which will undoubtedly find place in the history textbooks of the coming generations,not just in America but all over the world.

Barack Obama became the first African American President of the United States,a country which like many others encountered clashes between people of different races.Racism is still prevalent in subtle forms but today it is anathema to many.Which is why a whole country, whose population groups are primarily Caucasian or in simpler terms European or even more crude,whites,set aside their racist attitude and elected a Black.Obama has made history just by being elected.He still hasn't officially taken charge of the country.

What is it about this senator from Illinois that has endeared him to not just the Americans who voted for him but also to the general public all over the world?Apart from the fact,that people are frustrated with the previous President,which I believe is quite unfair to President Bush,why have they voted for him and developed affection toward him?I've been following the campaign trail on CNN and finally after the new President was elected people in many parts of the world were actually celebrating.Agreed that if a leader wins an election,his followers are quite jubilant.But to witness a celebration of the kind yesterday and that too of such an enormous global magnitude was astounding.Obama's relatives in his native country Kenya were understandably overjoyed.Not just his distant relatives but the whole country of Kenya is proud of their son Barack.In fact, the President of Kenya has even declared the day after the election to be a national holiday.(That makes Obama even more popular,you know.Holiday for school kids!)But why does it matter to a man in Australia or China or India for that matter whether Obama or Bush is the President?Who outside America would care which "Bill" or which "John" is the President?Yes,America does play an extremely influential role in world politics and that American foreign policy has ramifications in distant corners of the globe.But the general opinion of many outside America is that the Yanks are a bullying lot and that they've been bullying ever since they became the most powerful country under Woodrow Wilson.So does which man who sits in the Oval Office really matter to someone outside America?

To put it simply it doesn't.However, Barack Obama has captured everyone's attention.People wouldn't know the details of his work in America or which Bills he voted for and against in the Senate or what his particular area of expertise is.But the man truly appears to be a great leader.Just by his countenance.His oratory skills are absolutely brilliant.And he keeps getting better and better.Right from his acceptance speech during the democratic national convention to his address to the public as President.I've listened to almost every speech and I must say that he had my full attention each time he spoke.Unlike President Bush he doesn't even need to glance down to his notes every now and then while he speaks.In fact when he addressed the public, accepting his new post,there were times when there were thunderous cheers when he made a statement;but the moment he resumed his speech, there was pin drop silence!I've never seen a man capture a crowd's attention like that.And the world's attention for that matter.And you feel he speaks from the heart.You feel that he's genuinely concerned about people's problems.

Barack,as I'd like to call him is a Black.Born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and a white American mother from Kansas.He's lived not only in the US but also in other parts of the world like Indonesia.He has a law degree from Harvard Law School.It would also be interesting to note that he's previously made history by becoming the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review, a remarkable achievement in itself.

You look at Obama and then you look at McCain and it doesn't take you long to decipher who looks more Presidential.

Bollywood and Hospitals

2008-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Bollywood Films, with the massive melodrama that they portray have played a major role in establishing the mindset of the Indian Public about the medical profession. Invariably, some character in the movie is badly hurt and requires medical intervention.The scene shifts to a hospital where the doctor takes charge. The doctor is usually portrayed to be a grim looking fellow dressed in a white coat.(This is not always the case.Doctors are human just like the rest of us and they do smile!).

Next,the doctor declares an emergency operation after which the family members plead with the doctors to do something following which the doctor looks up to indicate the will of Providence.Or even more dramatic would be the hero pouncing on the doctor threatening him to save his father or else face the consequences.The doctor then enters the double doors of the operation theater.A bulb glows!

Hours,depicted in minutes, pass.The doctor emerges and takes off his gloves.The family rushes forth toward him.”What happened doctor?Is he alright?”, they ask anxiously.The doctor gives a non-committal shrug and informs the family that the patient is out of harms way but he still needs to be monitored.Or even better, that the patient is in a coma.

Well all these things do happen to a certain extent in hospitals but hey, this isn’t the sole scene that one gets to see in a hospital.People do get treated for even nosebleeds in a hospital,not just brain surgery.Speaking of brain surgery, one film has the protagonist suffering from epilepsy and the doctor declares an emergency brain surgery. No sooner is the patient fit than he’s shown walking around with all his hair intact fighting the diabolical rascals who kidnap his queen.Talk about super fast growing hair!Not even a grizzly bear grows hair that fast.

To bust some myths,most patients respect the doctor a lot.There is no red bulb outside the operation theater.The doctor does not walk out the operation theater removing his gloves.(They’re supposed to be smeared with blood, remember?)Brain surgery isn’t the only surgical procedure performed.And remember,hair grows slow.At least mine does.