Not-So-Outstanding Musings

Sisters ♥

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:38:00 +0000

At 11:40 am, I was looking for a nice quotation about sisters. Just felt like tweeting it or putting it up on Facebook. And then suddenly I realized that the whole feeling of having sisters cannot be expressed through a sentence someone else said.* Therefore, this post.

There are sisters who come from the same mother and father, there are sisters who you are sure you have some cosmic connection with (sista from anotha motha) and there are sisters who keep crossing roads with you... just when you need them.

If you're a girl, you've definitely been a great sister to someone at some point of life. And that's reason enough for a toast!

Here's to all the sisters of the world. :)

* Although these come pretty close. :)

- If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.

~Linda Sunshine

- A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves—a special kind of double.

~Toni Morrison

Actually it just comes down to this:

- How do people make it through life without a sister?

~Sara Corpening

I Feared, I Faced, I Conquered

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:57:00 +0000

Over the last few months, I have been pushed into the depths of introspection, while trying to prepare answers to common interview questions and writing statements of purpose, etc. By "introspection" I don't mean the kind I do compulsively anyway, but of the academic kind—more structured.

Along that course I discovered that it's not just in words that I have grown, but also in real life. Here are the three biggest changes I have brought/seen in myself over the last few years:

3. Accepting Excellence over Perfection

I am wired a little weirdly, in case that isn't obvious by now. I look for the tiny "L" and "R" whenever I plug my earphones in, I organize every single file on my computer, I wait for the battery to completely run out before I charge my cell—and then I daren't plug it out before it finishes charging. * Sounds like OCD? I agree.

The change that has happened is that now I consciously let go. Rather than planning my clothes for the entire week, sometimes I deliberately defer the decision to the morning. I don't plan for next weekend's movie today. I breathe. And I let things be.

Also, I no longer correct usage errors in my old diary entries. And just to reinforce the habit, I'm going to not proofread this post. :)

2. Developing Absolute Standards of Judgement

I was once getting my résumé printed for a firm's recruitment process for interns. With me was Kishore, a friend from the final year. I asked him if printing on bond paper would be enough. He smiled and told me that I needn't bother because nobody cares about the qualit—my peers or the hiring people. That's when I told him that I have absolute standards of judgement; it does not matter what other people do.

Now this is a bad example—ultimately in the final placements, I didn't spend the extra money on my résumé; I didn't even have a clipboard for the FF test! But the idea has stayed with me. If something means a lot to me, I make it count, no matter what other people think of it. [Those of you who are aware of my love for MATLAB coding in the fifth semester would know what I am talking about. ;)]

1. Becoming a "Yes Woman"

There was a time when my default answer to every social offer was no. I didn't go out much with friends for movies or food or... anything actually. When asked to join in a plan I would not pick between yes and no, but between one good excuse and another. It still happens today, but a few seconds into the weighing-the-excuses thing, I give up and just say yes. And always I have thanked myself. Becoming a Yes Woman made me Abby Brewster in the play that changed my life. Being a Yes Woman helped me discover that it's not only with your closest friends that you can have fun. It made me really start living.

Sigh. If this entire post were a tweet, I'd probably append "#JustSaying". I actually don't understand the whole point of it. Too late to think of that though. See you in the comments section!

*If the geek in you wants to discuss whether that needs to be done or not, let me know. The geek in me wants to.

Scratch Pad 5

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:40:00 +0000

(This post was originally entitled, "Praying for Others", but I couldn't get my brain to think in one direction, so I ultimately changed the title.)

I've been a fan of praying for a long time. No miracle happened to make me a believer; I just am one. For those of you thinking this is irrational and superstitious of me, I don't care. My belief in God, spirituality, and prayer transcends questions of existence etc., and is a very tangible pillar of strength for me. And that strength positively feeds backs into the belief. ;)

Before I digress within my digression, let me get to the point: Praying for Others.

'Placement' season is on, and for several weeks now, college/hostel has been abuzz with related discussions. A couple of people I had earnestly prayed for have landed great jobs. Many prayers currently stand unanswered as well, but that doesn't seem to matter to me.

Okay, I won't be able to help digressing, so let me just say this one thing: I didn't realize the value of a placement when I got one. It happened too quickly, or maybe I wasn't so desperate yet. But now I have understood what it really means.

<This is when I went back and changed the title.>

Now with the freedom to digress, I'll go on about my realizations: It was the placement of my friend Surbhi that helped me embrace the power of praying for others. Frantically walking up and down a section of the placement corridor, and trying to keep my calm, I understood how much it meant to me for her to nail those interviews. I kept telling God he has to let her have the job. And once the results were out, I didn't even know how happy I was. (You're welcome, Surbhi!)

Also, that day (Engineers' Day, 15 September) a total of 41 people got jobs. The understanding-the-value-of-placement thing (:P) happened after the results of a different firm were put up earlier that day. People's reactions touched me enough for a little corner of my heart to open up and realize what it really means for the culmination of one's education to happen. That day it also struck me that this otherwise boring semester, is actually the best. :)

Today, another friend of mine, Bharat, got a super job. Just like Surbhi, he totally deserved it, but there's again a part of me that is happy not for him, but for me—it's silently sending out a thank-you to God, or perhaps high-fiving Him. :)

And hey, you know what's even better? When you start praying for someone who's more of a stranger than a friend; you just want to put in your two cents in the piggy bank of the prayers sent out for them—and they get that job.

I love that feeling. Haven't experienced it much, but love it. Makes me feel like a good girl too, wishing the best for everyone. ;)

Uh, since a scratch pad entry should ideally be covering a wider spectrum than this one's, let me just add that... The sunset looks really beautiful from my window.

Cheers! :P

P.S. Testified: You don't even realize when you make new friends during placement season.

Futures First Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:19:00 +0000

When I used to read the interview-transcript-posts of my blogger friends, I never thought one day I would be doing the same. Surprisingly I am now. Here's the link to the transcript. I haven't written all the details:

http://tinypaste.com/e7662

P.S. I have a job now. :) If I take it, I'll write a post about the details of the work. Wait a year. ;)
And really, everything happened so fast. I'd given in my name for the recruitment process only to extract some learning out of the company's pre-placement talk, and try myself out at the tests, which I was told were "impossible" to clear.

UPDATE: For all those bewildered by the lack of connection between the job and my specialization, true, there's none. However, I'm free to move to the technology division (and write code, among other things) after a year with them, of which eight months is the training period. :)

Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:44:00 +0000

"I like how in the universe, some random things suddenly turn out be be bound by a thread."

This is an afterthought I had about the fact that all prime numbers greater than 3 necessarily have to be of the form 6k ± 1 (k = 1, 2, 3, etc.). Not all numbers that equal 6k ± 1, however, have to be prime, like 35, 49, 55, etc.

A similar property is in the realm of the Fibonacci series (0, 1 , 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...): Except for the case n = 4, all Fibonacci primes have a prime index, but not every prime is the index of a Fibonacci prime. Thanks for pointing it out to me, Richa. :)

Try saying THAT isn't awesome.

BTW, it's good to know that the magic of numbers extends far beyond Φ. Actually, once Fibonacci series comes into the picture, it's not like Φ doesn't, but let's not go there for now.

I've been fascinated by numbers for a long time now. (Yes, it's the second reason why it's The Creativ3 Bee, and not The Creative Bee.) When I was regular with TCB, before publishing every post I'd check up the special properties of the edition number and mention the interesting ones, if they weren't too nerdy. ;)

Uh... Now I can't really figure out what the point of this post is. So I'm going to call it the post that celebrates my realization of what's so delightful about numbers. :D

God, I should've been Robert Langdon's side-kick.

Thanks, Subscribers!

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Life gives us an infinitude of reasons to be thankful. I'm going to acknowledge one of them right here:

A big thank you to all the subscribers of this blog (as well as those of TCB). Also to the Twitter followers. You really motivate me. :)

Everyone else, join the club!

Love,
@sudeep1110

Favourites

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:58:00 +0000

There's absolutely no reason why anybody in the world would be interested to know any of this, which is why you are reading this and not hearing me yap. ;)

Here's a list of some of my favourites:

- TV Show character: Leonard Hofstadter
[Update: Sorry, Leonard, but this has given me two sleepless nights. It's time to give the title back to Sheldon Cooper.]

- Movie character: Captain Jack Sparrow

- Anime character: Alphonse Elric

- Book characters: Lisbeth Salander, Mikael Blomkvist, Sherlock Holmes, Robert Langdon

- Authors (Fiction):
Usage of language: Nora Roberts
Content/presentation: Khaled Hosseini
Un-put-down-able-ness: Dan Brown

- Authors (Non-Fiction): Bill Bryson, Malcolm Gladwell

- Toothpaste: Colgate Total

From the days that were:

- Read: Treasure Island

- Watch: Matilda

- Play: Pinball, Super Mario Bros.

I'd love to hear yours!

Scratch Pad 4

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 28 May 2011 17:31:00 +0000

- Sometimes I wonder what it is about babies that we find so cute. Human babies of course are the greatest joy ever. Even baby animals—they're always so appealing. Nature. :)

- I can't wait for winter to come back. Being buried in layers of clothing and bedding feels SO good.

- Life would've been a lot better if only un-learning came as easily to the human brain as learning.

- Inertia is one borrowing from the world of physics that the real world could really have done much better without.

- Rimless glasses are the sexiest eye accessory. I can't understand why thick-rimmed glasses are so hot these days. I know it's a matter of opinions, but this isn't too high on my scale of cool:

- Jack Sparrow is so hot that I could have him hold out his hand and fry an egg on it. Captain Jack Sparrow, I meant. And no, I still haven't watched it.

- I can't believe I wasted so much time drawing that picture above. I should go back to studying now.

Summer, ho!

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Before I begin:
Sorry, Sheldon. (*Those who don't understand what this means needn't bother—not meant derogatorily.
No, seriously.)

All right, then.
Usually in the western world, summer means that finally the time to go out and play has arrived. Not true where I live. In the plains of north India, for at least a month, the daily highs cross 110 degrees (in your units) and the evenings are just marginally less uncomfortable, especially once it gets humid. Not only that, sometimes rain comes in for an extra bout of teasing, shows itself for a few minutes, and then disappears. On its way out, it yells in your face, "Bazinga!"**
It doesn't end there—for those of who don't know or don't remember, air conditioning is strictly a luxury here, and even those who can afford it and do are left helpless, or ripped off, in the midst of never-ending power cuts.

Wow; I can't believe I've started off with a digression. The idea of this post was to share my arsenal against the heat. So let's just skip to that before something else comes to mind:

Eat Lots of Water:
The drink-lots-of-water bit wouldn't be new to anyone, so here's what some of us miss: Typical (and delicious) summer foods like cucumber, melon, watermelon, etc. are made of up more water than we imagine. And they're great at keeping your system cool for a long time after you've eaten them. Eat them!

Read Your Junior-High Physics Books:
Or just remind your brain that evaporation brings cooling. Wear a damp pair of socks to bed, sprinkle water on your clothes and bed, and keep a large dish of water in your room—unless it's too humid.

Fool Your Body:
In a rather feeble manner.
Apparently, keeping your wrists cool is a great way of keeping the entire body cool. Grab cold water in a bottle and pour it on your wrists while standing in a garden (to make sure the water doesn't get wasted).

Get a New Pet Plant:
I'm new to this, so can't give you recommendations on what kind of plants live well indoors, but I know that being around a plant, if not many, is a great way to cool down and make your eyes smile. I'm thinking of keeping a small plant on my desk next semester onwards (maybe mint or a succulent), so I'll be ready with more details on this soon.

Remix Your Water:
I know how boring it is to drink plain water, especially with the menace of uber-frequent trips to the washroom. What I do to make my water more fun—and more good for me—is add a few mint leaves or a few drops of lime juice. Even a dash of salt and pepper is good.

What do you guys do to survive the heat? Let's hear it in the comments.

**Refer to * again.

Spoof to the Last Post

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 02:39:00 +0000

The last post had started out as a Facebook update. Then I recalled I have a blog too, that gives me much more liberty. (And deserves some of my attention too.)

This is what the post was going to become had it gone to Facebook:

The warmth of a coffee mug, the flavoured air of a kitchen, the feel of a book's yellowing pages, the scratching of a pencil on crisp paper...

There are some things technology can't replace.

For everything else, there's Google.

Some Things

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 02:28:00 +0000

The warmth of a coffee mug, the flavoured air of a kitchen, the whispers of a loved one tickling your ears, the feel of a book's yellowing pages, the scratching of a pencil on crisp paper...

There are some things technology still can't replace.* Perhaps isn't meant to.

In fact, I think that is half the fun. In the world of electronic greetings, a real card received in the mail has a completely different meaning.

Innit?

*I mean what in the world of 0s and 1s can possibly give you the same wonderful feeling as sleep? :P

And in case somebody manages that too, there is NO way anything can match the warmth of a hug. No, sir.

The Date Our Kids Will Hear a Billion Times About

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Second April, Two Thousand and Eleven

...the day history was rewritten—actually make that redefined.

I can really picture myself telling my kids and a bunch of their friends, some twenty years down the line, that when India lifted the Cricket World Cup in 2011, after 28 years of struggling to repeat history, the day when a dozen of the strongest men in the country shed happy tears on the field, the day when Team India proved their mettle—"In your face, world"—

That day, I was alive, and I was praying, and around me were rosaries and excitedly thumping hearts. And in a most glorious battle, as we slowly edged towards victory, I watched golden ink script the pages of history...

(If I continue to write in the same tone, I might just collapse.)

I'm proud to be a 90s kid. And surprisingly for some of you, I'm proud to be Indian.

More than anything else, I'm proud to have been alive on the Second of April, 2011.

Unbounded

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:26:00 +0000

As I read my "Genuine Reading"* posts today, I came across this article from The BridgeMaker.
Towards the end, Alex says, "We don’t know if our greatest moment has arrived."

My smile magnified. I absolutely love the thought that we never know how much happier we are going to get at some point in the future.

This reminds me of my early teens:
1. Think you're very mature and sensible now.
2. A few years later, laugh at your erstwhile self.
3. Repeat.

After a few times, the vicious/virtuous cycle broke, and it finally registered that I have no way of knowing how much wiser I'm going to get, because of the non-negative slope of wisdom v/s time.

Realizing that the same goes for happiness gives me a new high by itself. Just like in relationships, because I don't know what's in the offing, I have no way of calculating how much more happiness awaits me... All good things are, I tell myself, unbounded.

Such a happy thought!

*In the list of my Google Reader tags, there's one called "Genuine Reading", which means that the blogs whose posts go here, have to be really read, rather than skimmed. Whenever I'm in the mood for quick, invigorating reads, I read the articles under this tag, which I had taken notice of when they originally appeared.

Mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:19:00 +0000

Excerpt from my private journal for March 13, bowdlerized. :P

0800: Yes, it's 8 am, and I've been up for an hour. A short nap in the evening yesterday, and some six hours of sleep at night were so good to me that now I'm not even tempted to go back to sleep. I had gotten out of bed to get an early start to downloading X (Yay!), but since I was online, I buffered Vampire Diaries. The intention till then was let this run in the background, while I hit the sack again, but somehow I ended up using the washroom, washing my face, and soon my tea and cookies are arriving! (I'm sitting in my bed with the laptop propped on the bed table. I really should use this thing more—gives a completely different typing feel. Perfect ergonomics.) The early morning chill is just perfect right now.

The point when I thought this calls for a diary entry is when I'd sat down to watch the episode, but instead I first looked up circuitous, since it had just popped into my head from somewhere and I just couldn't recall what it means, then looked at updates from Japan (massive earthquake; 9.8, which triggered a tsunami; a blast at the Fukushima nuclear plant). After that I opened the Hindu's opinion page for the first time since perhaps last Friday. Anyway, after that I Wikipedia-ed stuff on superconductivity, while the episode was still buffering, and now I'm finally here. Seriously, no matter whether you're a night animal or an early bird, there is something about early mornings (the definition of early obviously being very subjective) that triggers reactions in the brain that lead to things* that you might not even imagine yourself doing at other times of the day—not in the near future at least! :)

*For those who get the jargon, Quadrant III activities.

Anonymous Comments

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:51:00 +0000

I haven't received too many of them, but enough to have this thought—musing, if you will:

Why do people post non-controversial comments anonymously? On a non-NSFW, etc. blog?

I mean... Seriously?

Howzzat!

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:13:00 +0000

How'ja like this, me fellas?

I wanted to create my own stick figure, but it wasn't turning out nice, so I took it from here. (Another ephemeral-PS-mania creation here.)
Had a very hard time trying to keep away from a black background.

Invisible Voids... Filled

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:19:00 +0000

[Back in twelfth grade, I couldn't have been less interested in the English course. Yet, there was a chapter that featured an interview with Umberto Eco, highlighting his idea of voids, that's stayed with me ever since. My usage of the word void has been very high since then and I can see the concept at work in almost everything around.]

People walk into your life and make a place for themselves in your heart that you never knew existed. It's happened with me many times, and as you read this, you realize you have had the experience too. The first thought that comes to my mind when I think of the relationship such a person shares with me is of the invisible void in my life that they filled.

When I came to college, I already had a social circle as big as I could handle (read: a few friends). I had a small bunch of close friends (Told'ja!), and didn't really need more people in my life... Yet within the first few weeks I had found my new "best buds". As time rolled on, I found friends who ended up a lot closer still, and rediscovered some who magically went from being casual friends to very close friends. In fact, some of the people in the smallest concentric circle (See graphic. :P) have completely redefined the kind of relationship I thought could be shared between two individuals. The bar has constantly been rising. I've just made some new friends lately and they're already closer than some people I've known for years. That explains to me, yet again, that I never thought I had a deficiency in my life, waiting to be filled by them. Even so, now that I've met them life is unimaginable without them. Such a paradox, isn't it!

I actually think it's a lot like ACs, cell phones, or the internet. We've lived without them and never had any feelings of incompleteness, yet today a cell phone forgotten at home is considered a perfectly justified reason to go all the way back for a soulful reunion with it.

...Or was it eleventh grade? Damned right, I am weird.

Actually, considering that I started with an English chapter, I'll end with a thought from a chapter in eighth grade (the days of a more glorious relationship between me and the English course). The story was about a couple who lose a young son to war. There's a discussion going on among several people, whose lives were being torn apart by the hostilities, and in its course the dad remarks that when you have another "son" your love doesn't get divided among your "sons"; rather it gets multiplied.
I absolutely love this concept.

"Like"

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:57:00 +0000

Inspired by this post, I decided at 1518 hours today to make a log of (almost) everything I liked today. Here it is:

- Without any reason, I couldn't sleep last night, and was up for long after 2 am. Yet, when I woke up around 8.20 (got out of bed around 9.30), I felt very rested and ready for a new day. The lounging around, half awake, was fun.
- Had a pleasant early morning dream and smiled whenever bits of it came back during the day.
- The morning coffee had too much sugar, but thankfully I was in a hurry and didn't mix it in too well. Apart from the last sip, the sweetness was just perfect.
- Last night I was beginning to feel slightly ill, and it looked like a bout of illness was on its way, so I took some medicines, but was sure that's not going to help. That's how it always is. But not this time! I woke up feeling perfectly healthy. :)
- I'm at the office right now, working. (Technically, taking a break.) Today was a productive day, yet I don't feel the least bit of tiredness.
- It's been a reading day. Read some news pieces and edit-page articles, and tons of great blog posts, some of which I had skimmed earlier.
- That reminds me that I'm exceptionally happy at Prez Mubarak's decision to finally step down. Feel like high-fiving Egyptian protesters and encouraging each one to keep at it and drive him out even before his term officially ends.
- After several days, today the weather and my clothes are being nice to each other and I'm perfectly comfortable.
- I've spent lots of time daydreaming today, mostly the time between waking up and getting up. Everything I've imagined makes me smile.
- I enjoy phone conversations SO much! :)

Thank you, Manal and Leah, for inspiring this post.

P.S. Did anyone ever notice that online window shopping can be very gratifying? I've looked at truckloads of stuff that I don't need and can hear my shopping hormones snoring for now.

Cell Phone Wallpapers

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:47:00 +0000

I usually get very bored with my cell phone wallpaper within a few days, so there's a compulsive need to keep changing it. My favourites are dark, minimalistic ones.
(Created with Photoshop/Paint.NET)

I own all the copyrights to these images, but go ahead; do whatever with them. :)

2011

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 06:59:00 +0000

There is something about the beginning of a new year that fills us all with new thoughts, ideas and goals. I'm not a very festive-y person, but there is a new dimension to my attitude this year. Anyway, this is just a quick post to wish all of you a very happy new year.

P.S. With an apology to my Twitter/Buzz followers for the repetition, and another to most of the other readers for the dispensable geekiness, here's a quick factoid:
2011 is the sum of 11 CONSECUTIVE prime numbers: 2011=157+163+167+173+179+181+191+193+197+199+211.

To those who know of my love for numbers, here's a high-five. :D

A Non-Post

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Oh, God. Not one post in an entire month. Darn. I hate exams.

Think Outside the Bottle

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:14:00 +0000

You're driving down the lanes of an urban desert in the June heat... The car seats are roasting, and so are you. You park right outside the mall where one of the screens is about to start a show of the season’s hottest movie; you get out of the car, and help the kids out. You have a fear you might just give in to the heat any moment. You stop just outside the mall at a small store, pull out a damp fifty from the front pocket of your jeans, inspect the rows of drinks inside the refrigerator, resist the momentary temptation of buying a Coke, glance briefly at the juices, and then just settle for a bottle of good-ol' water, mentally patting your back for avoiding the redundant calories and sugar. Pat, pat, pat.

I might have gotten too specific and stereotypical there, but at least someone, somewhere, must have been through a time quite like this. In either case, whatever the reason, thought, or intention, I'm sure bottled water is a life-saver for all of us, and it's done its job a million times over. For all of you nodding your heads in agreement, and smiling, and for the sceptical few, here are five short sentences that might change lots of opinions you might be comfortably owning:
(With thanks to onlineeducation.net/bottled_water for the facts.)

1. The price of bottled water is up to 10,000 times the cost of tap water.
2. 40% of all bottled water is taken from municipal water sources, a.k.a. tap water. 22% of tested bottled water brands contained chemical contaminants at levels above the health limits.
3. 17 million barrels of oil are used in the production of water bottles yearly... which are enough to fuel 1 million conventional cars for a year.
4. It takes three times the water to produce a water bottle, than the water it can hold.
5. Only 1 in 5 bottles are recycled. The other 4 contribute to 3 billion pounds of waste from plastic water bottles, or are incinerated, releasing toxics.

Surprised? I'm glad. Your surprise may just be the first step towards a change. The change we really need.
So if we have an agreement that we really need to think out of the bottle, may I proceed to suggest what we can do about it? (Disagreement might just inflame me even more!)
All right, now this is a more comfortable zone... Happier, calmer, positiver. So, as I believe is the case with most environmental problems, the solutions are all easy and simple. As I learnt how wasteful it is to spend huge resources on manufacturing bottles to hold pure hype, my impulsive thought was that it is so much more convenient to leave the house with insulated bottles and the pleasant-tasting home-water, filtered in most cases. This has to be the best way to reduce our intake, as a body of consumers, of water bottles—to always have our "own" water with us on the go. However, in some cases the need to buy drinking water is very real, and not merely a matter of convenience. In fact, the grimaced faces right now probably belong to those who do not have good enough water available in their community.

In these cases you should just go buy that bottle, reuse it a few times (the safety of which is debatable—wretched plastics!), and make sure it gets recycled. What would mean the most is to refuse bottled water when tap water is known to be safe enough. Earlier, at restaurants, when NRIs settled themselves at a table, "Mineral water or tap?" used to be a certain question. Now the company of NRIs isn't even a prerequisite for the servers to pop the question. Worse still—sometimes no energy is wasted on asking the question, and the bottles are assumed to be your choice. The times sure are changing... Let's change the direction!

Support companies that are bringing innovation into the bottled water industry by throwing plastics out of the picture, help get politicians to invest more in bringing clean tap water to every house, and make a conscientious decision next time. Let's steer the wave of change towards a safer, healthier, happier tomorrow.

Ditch the Plastic

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:14:00 +0000

Yes, I know we've all heard it about a billion times. And then another million times. And yet... Do we care?
Huh?
NO!

We're all highly educated, intelligent and wise people. In either case, it is a safe assumption that we all know very well, the perils of using polythene and plastics. These materials are non-biodegradable, which is a fancy way of saying that natural processes cannot tear them down to simpler materials that can be absorbed or used by plants or animals. You might wonder how they are disposed of, in that case.

The answer is landfills. Fancy word again, but simpler this time. Dig a pit in the land, fill it with trash, and bingo—you have a landfill. (All right, I know it's actually safer and more sophisticated than that, but hyperbole deserves a chance to try stirring people to action!)
Once in a landfill, most plastics take up to a thousand years to degrade. And that's not it—if they escape the landfill, they can cause devastation to wildlife and marine life. Globally, an estimated one million birds and one hundred thousand marine mammals and sea turtles die every year from entanglement in, or ingestion of, plastics. Let me put those numbers more strikingly for you: 1,000,000 and 100,000 respectively. It's not only animals in some remote area suffering—it's also you and me. The process of manufacturing, transportation and disposal of plastics involves toxins and choking hazards. And to use a trendier word, plastics also contribute to the greenhouse effect.

If that isn't enough to provoke serious action in individuals and societies, I fail to understand what might be. The most troubling side to the issue is how easy it is to change the scenario... Or at least initiate a change. We know it all begins with a single thought, a single small step, a single plastic-bag-free trip to the grocery store... One of the simplest ideas, that I really, really appreciate, is for stores to charge for plastic bags. Just this change usually becomes just the difference, and almost forces people to carry reusable bags to the store every time. With enough determination, regardless of store policies, we can all make the change. In fact, it’s easy to dramatically reduce the amount of waste plastic we have to get rid of by making a few simple changes to our lifestyle:

Buy loose fruit and vegetables from a farm shop or farmers' market, rather than pre-wrapped ones from supermarkets. For meat, prefer to buy from a local butcher. They will use a sheet of grease-proof paper and one thin plastic bag rather than a polystyrene tray and cling-wrap. It’s not perfect, but definitely far less plastic to get rid of. The third major change would be reducing the amount of plastics wasted in milk packaging. Use the local milkman, rather than buying milk in plastic cartons or bottles.

It's not only buying patterns that can help bring a change; simple choices around the house also have a deep impact: If you have leftovers, don’t reach for the cling-wrap to store food. Use a dish covered with a plate instead. It’s healthier for you and the environment. (To freshen up the refrigerator, use dried orange peels.) Likewise, if you take sandwiches to school or work, use paper bags from your vegetable box, unbleached parchment paper or the inner waxed bags from breakfast cereal.

The most obvious step, of course is recycling whatever plastic you cannot avoid buying. Most bags, cartons and bottles are recyclable. An even better option is to reuse. And even better, to refuse. Make sure you exercise your right to refuse to buy products with superfluous plastic packaging.

That reminds me about the big bad bottles of water—they're all over, and why, nobody can say. Bottled water makes no sense in areas where clean water is available in taps, or water filters are ubiquitous. Say no to bottled water—and make sure it listens! To carry around your own supply of drinking water, bring along a reusable bottle. Most of us do not realize how much waste is generated worldwide because of trashed plastic bottles of water alone. (I'll talk more about how disgustingly uncalled-for bottled water is, next time.)

So what am I really trying to say here? Plastics were originally invented and popularised because of their convenience... but then so were leaded petrol and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). We're mature enough to understand the problem here, and definitely enough to know what to do about it. Let go of those last shreds of complacency. Get up, speak up, do whatever you can... Just make a change. Let that plastic not stick!

The Sunny Future

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:05:00 +0000

If you could melt the earth and pour the liquid into a hollow sphere the size of the sun—all in one second—it would take you fifteen days to melt enough earths to fit the sphere.
That's the stature of the sun—better start respecting it!

Jokes apart, the sun is definitely our lucky star. With its never-ending benevolence and generosity to compare with, of course humans are mean and selfish! All right, jokes apart again, it's silly, at best, to not fully utilize the infinite reserves of energy the sun stores. For the next countlessly many generations, the sun will continue to shine and in all its glory and make our world go round—pun intended. Wouldn't take even an average level of IQ to figure out that solar energy might just be the solution to all our energy issues.

The surface of the earth receives an amount of solar energy equivalent to roughly 10,000 times the world's energy demand. Of course there isn’t always sunlight, but the solar panels can store the energy, and they are getting better and better at it. A solar panel converts one-sixth of the sunlight into electrical energy. That might not sound very impressive, but given the abundance of incident sunshine, even utilizing a small fraction of the earth's surface would more than do the job.

Himachal Pradesh has taken commendable steps in this direction by deciding to develop Shimla and Hamirpur as solar cities with the assistance of the central government. Also, Dr Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Solan and the National Institute of Technology at Hamirpur would have solar energy parks. This is a significant step towards replacing conventional non-renewable sources of energy by solar energy, which indeed is the only energy source that cannot be exhausted by over-utilization.

The three main problems hindering the growth of solar power plants are energy storage, high initial expenditure, and lack of free surface area. Even a kindergarten kid could imagine that the energy from the sun could be used to generate electricity while the sun shines, but obviously an alternative source would be needed in the absence of sunshine—you can only make hay while the sun shines! Modern solar power plants solve this problem by using batteries to store "backup energy". Currently this is one of the main points of focus in trying to cut costs. The price of solar panels has fallen exponentially in the last few decades ($300 per watt in 1956, $27/watt in 1980, and about $2/watt in October 2009), but it may not be reduced further to a very high degree, primarily because of the expensive process of obtaining pure silicon (the main constituent of solar cells). However, considering that the low running cost more than offsets the initial expenses, it is a win-win bargain. The government or any authority that sells solar power plants, water heaters, cookers, et al should provide the option of paying the sum in instalments, or giving loans to customers to facilitate their purchase. With recent technological progress in this field, solar cells have become more efficient than what even the ambitious dreams of the past could have calculated. The lack of area problem can now be easily solved by mounting solar panels on the roofs of houses and other buildings. This would generate enough electricity to power the average
building.

The benefits of using solar energy go beyond the obvious ones. As it begins to replace conventional energy sources, the need to transport energy will decrease. Also, remote areas that aren't connected to an electric grid can have reliable power supply. Developers, world over are designing electronic gadgets that can utilize solar energy. If such gadgets replace contemporary cell phones, laptops, electric cars, etc., users would be able to charge them on the go, by letting their gadgets sunbathe.

Within this decade, it is very realistically hoped that solar energy will equal conventional sources of energy in price. At least in the First World, we might see solar energy replacing other sources, starting any time now. Which is doubly great, because it helps takes frugality out of the picture of saving the environment. Although till then, buy less, reuse, recycle, and green-it!

Seven Little Green Things to Do

noreply@blogger.com (Sudeep) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 16:10:00 +0000

Sometimes the smallest effort can become the largest change. Rather than thinking, discussing and mulling over the degrading condition of the environment, let us get together and do something about it.
Here are seven of the simplest things that you can do to help the Earth:

1. Switch Off!
Energy is one of the biggest resource-suckers and waste-creators. Reducing energy usage is easier than most think—replacing the standard light bulb by a CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp/Light) is a great step that cuts down up to 75% energy consumption. What else can you ask for, when it is known that CFC’s also last way longer! Look for opportunities to reduce your energy use in everyday activities: drive less and walk more, turn off the lights and pull the curtains aside, wear more layers and turn down the heat, use a clothesline to give the dryer some rest...

2. Waste Less.
Working towards a waste-free culture in and around you presents myriad opportunities every day. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over-packaged products, upgrade gadgets (primarily computers) rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace.

3. Talk...
Talking about issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action. Online forums and petitions are great too, but face-to-face community interaction is more powerful—and green. Talk to everyone around about the issues facing our environment, and how every person's small effort can help. Oh, but don't talk needlessly—save energy. ;)

4. ...And make sure you Get Heard.
With the help of media, individuals can get their voice communicated to the world at large, which
inspires more and more people to take appropriate action for the greater good. Try to get your local press to spread the ideas that the community needs to know about. Write letters to the editor, contact the local press and persuade educational institutions to increase the focus on greener living—and in a way that spreads knowledge about our currently toxic lifestyle. Get the media to communicate ideas that truly count.

5. Ditch your car.
Cars and bikes are a major reason for the emission of bad gases and consumption of fossil fuels. Ditch your private vehicle to walk or bicycle. Or use public transportation, and encourage the concerned officials to invest in bettering its quality and service. Carpooling is another great option for people commuting on the same routes. The best part—all of these leave your pocket feeling a little fuller. :)

6. Recycle.
Most products and packaging now contain the recycle symbol to indicate that they are recyclable.
Make sure you throw all such items in a different pile, and have them recycled. For electronic gadgets, batteries and other products that cannot be recycled directly, there are organizations that you can give them away to, to ensure proper disposal. Better still; donate old clothes, household articles and cell phones to those who would value them. If recycling options are not conveniently available in your area, talk to the officials who are responsible to make this change and ensure that they take the needful action. And in the meanwhile try to think of alternative uses before trashing stuff.

7. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less.
Be an intelligent and aware shopper. Find out which companies actually utilize greener manufacturing practices, pay due and fair attention to worker rights, and make a real change rather than merely print an "All-natural" tag on their product's label. Buy food from local farmers to reduce cost of transportation and keep your hard-earned money in the community. Research online to find out which products use toxic-free materials and processes. (E.g. on cosmeticsdatabase.com) Buy used goods to reduce the pressure on the industry... and your wallet.
But of course, sometimes the greenest solution is not even on the store shelves. Sometimes not buying is the best thing to do. Sometimes, less really is more.

(With ideas and inspiration from storyofstuff.com)
Prepare for a short series of green articles. :)