My random musings

And then they blog...

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:37:00 +0000

I dont know why I am suddenly on a spree writing blog posts. Is it because I have so much to do this week, that I am idling away?

However, I just came across a couple of blogs that I would have never come across( or atleast enjoyed as much) if I were still in India. There is an entire set of blogs written by fellow Madrasis( I follow the Tam-Brahm subset of these more closely) which I can identify with so well, it is almost like deja-vu.

Some speak of Tam-Brahm customs, their lingo, their experiences in the USA, how they react in this setting, how they interact within their community. Some even have amazing videos embedded and narrate common place scenarios in amazingly funny lingos, regional dialect spilling all over. I have not laughed so much for any stand-up or sitcom ever.I have blogrolled a few of them, if you must see it to believe it.

I am hooked, but only just. Coz I still need to keep my head above water, to navigate the dangerous waters during these recession times.

Ah, I have so many blogging ideas now, someone gimme some more time puhleez!

Missed it, did I?

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 04:24:00 +0000

I did not make it to my B.E. graduation day. Now, were I in India, I would have cribbed about having to go to college to attend it. Since I was unable to, I thought I missed it.

Though I consoled myself that I would atleast be receiving my Masters degree in person(if all goes well, that is).

Now is this what they mean when they say the grass is greener on the other side?

Finally-The close of the longest,hardest and most hectic academic term of my entire life!

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:41:00 +0000

The fact that my last post was like aeons ago goes to prove the same.

So, finally my first semester of Masters studies came to a close.My final grades are pretty decent considering my state of mind a few months back.I must say that Masters here is by no means a cake walk.Hordes of students come here for their Masters which gives us the impression that it must be easy, if everyone else is doing it.How untrue!You are made to slog out the entire semester.Right from the word go, assignments, homeworks, PROJECTS, midterms, finals, extra credits and labwork keep you on your toes at all times.This coupled with an on-campus job can literally ruin you sleep for the entire academic term.

Another new routine for me was studying in the library.Never before in my life have I spent so much time in the library.I think the latter half of my semester, I stayed more at the library than at my apartment.I even slept over at the library on one occassion.And for two of my final exams, I went straight from the library to the exam hall-after a night out and without sleep.Then the punishing OPNET assignments-takes you hours to do and if you are lucky you will get the expected tutorial output.Else, keep at it for days together-the tables might just turn.

Of course, the reversal of the biological clock.Here, we work all night and grab a few quick hours of early morning sleep. I had a punishing 8 AM class two days every week and to have to attend that(merely because it had surprise quizzes), walking to the Engg Bldng in the early morning sub-zero, windy, Winter cold-nothing can beat that.Thankfully, all my classes next semester are after noon!!Phew!!

And of course, in between all this, we have to squeeze in the time to cook once every four days, clean and other personal work.

But the bright side of all this arduous work is that I can say with confidence that I have learnt in these 4 months more that I probably have in my 4 years of undergraduation. And at the end of it all, you feel a little proud of yourself.For having made it through all this. It is frightening, that you have to endure one more year of this to emerge with a Master's degree-but hopefully, we shall manage.

Now, it is time to unwind, relax and catch up on lost sleep and that is precisely what I am doing.I am composing this entry right after 12 straight hours of sleep.Back to routine now.It feels so nice to be able to sleep at the right time and get up to see the sun rising -rather than the other way round. You have the entire day ahead of you to do what you please.This I like!!Went to an Udipi South
Indian Veg Resto here and gorged on super yummy food-a well deserved treat, it was!!
The climate here is so unpredictable.If it is rainy the temperature goes up-otherwise, it is too cold to venture out much.Anyways, much more to look forward to these hols.I will be getting my SSN, visiting my aunt and begin preparing for the next sem.All in all, a thoroughly worthwhile journey it has been so far!!

Online Casino

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:40:00 +0000

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There are several online poker and casino websites available, but one has to exercise discretion while deciding which one to play in and this website helps you in making an informed choice.Online-Casinos.com provides you with honest and unbiased reviews and enhances your winning chances by furnishing you with tips and tricks to win in a casino game.Hence this is indeed a very valuable guide created exclusively for you budding players.

Back again

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:21:00 +0000

I had two midterms yesterday.My first formal exams under the US educational system.It was different from the exams I've sat for while back in India.In fact,totally different.There were no descriptive questions, as expected.Totally application oriented solutions.It was nice for a change.

Now the fall break has begun and am liking it.Looking forward to my first American football game and some Diwali celebrations, that are lined up.Besides that, life just moves on.Still have a lot of academic work that need to be completed and submitted before this month.So, lets see how it goes.

On a sabbatical

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:23:00 +0000

Not finding enough time right now to compose a sensible blog entry.Even if I manage to gather enough thoughts to write a blog entry, I am just not in the frame of mind to actually put it down.Perhaps, a writer's block. Anyways, this is just to inform those who read my blog to patiently wait for atleast another one week.

See you all then!

Random ramblings of a harried soul

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:12:00 +0000

I heard of the Delhi bomblast from one of my friends and I realized I had barely been tracking the news back in India. When I finally did check it out, I realized that i had missed out on a lot.For starters, the new season of Jodi No.1 is up and though the current season is more of a rehash, I miss all the melodrama and action:P.Next up, Chennai news. The power holiday has been a topic of contention among many and I am glad I did not have to face it this time around. Power cuts for a few hours everyday in the Chennai heat is unbearable. I still remember how I had a major power cut before one of my semester exams and I was in such a mess.I ended up studying under candle-light as even the battery in the emergency light drained out. You know how all the bad things just have to happen together.

This was exactly what happened here 2 weeks back.None of us had expected a power outage here in the USA, but to our shock we had no power at our apartment complex for few hours that night. I had an assignment due the next day and my laptop was giving me trouble. I called up the Dell call centre and got it set right, but meanwhile the charge drained out and I could not contact anyone online. Finally, camped out at my neighbours' for awhile and finally the power was restored.

Zenni opticals

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:49:00 +0000

Zenni opticals is a world leader in providing spectacles that are of superior quality, stylish and affordable, all at the same time.Sounds unbelievable?But it is true.They sell stylish prescription glasses online and hence it is easy to place the order without any hassles.These $ 8 Zenni Optical Rx Eyeglasses can be purchased by visiting their website.

They provide a vast array of options as far as frames are concerned. This includes frames for sunsensor (potochromic)lens, tinted suglasses lens, bifocal lens and progressive lens and single vision lens.

Now,one may wonder how these prescription lenses and frames are available for such low prices. The reason behind this is that Zenni Opticals sells their own manufactured frames directly to their customers with no middlemen involved.This cuts down the costs drastically.Furthermore, there is no amount of money invested in advertising and this too helps in reducing the costs passed on to customers.

Zenni opticals' shipping and handling charges are also very minimal and they charge flat rates irrespective of the size of the order.Their fast selling glasses are the Complete Single Vision Eyeglasses starting at $8.00.Anti Scratch coating,UV protection,Lens Edge polishing and Beveling are all offered free of charge.Moreover, a variety of upgrades are all available and you can customize the order to suit your needs.Considering the bundle of attractive features they provide, Zenni Opticals can definitely turn out to be your one-stop shop for all your optical needs.

Chat online for free

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:42:00 +0000

Online Chat Roomsis the place where you have to be looking if you are interested in chatting with people from different walks of life.Online chat city is a place for people to meet and chat online in virtual chat rooms.The best part is that this service is provided free of charge and hence anyone can use it.Using your internet cam, you can even show users online, live videos and broadcast it to several users simultaneously.Register now for a free account and begin chatting right away.All these service are provided by this web site.

Now this comes as a surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:16:00 +0000

I never realized that I'd use the library at all since I've never made much use of it back in school or college. But out here, the library is one place I prefer to even my apartment.You actually have to be here to know what I am speaking of. In fact, I was able to get so much more work done here at the library today than I ever would have were I back at my place. And the best part is that you have lots of company. There are people who camp out at the library overnight, pack food and eat it here.Literally, they live in the library.

It is a haven for many people, including me now(surprise!).What with wireless connectivity, exhaustive books, free laptop rentals, amazing seating areas, awesome computers and a lot of people around to keep you going.

Libraries can be fun too!

And so I ramble!!

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:36:00 +0000

An assignment to do and a project to finish.I begin reading up. Then, take a break.Come online to check out updates in cyber space. Check gmail, yahoomail and webmail.Orkut and then some blogging.Read others' blogs.Wonder why some people never update!And then remember that it is some time since I have updated myself.Then scan sponsored posts for opportunities.Reserve, if they are available else get back to refreshing the multiple email accounts.Catch some friend online, and squander some more time.Then, remember that you don't know what is the state of affairs back home and check out India(read Chennai) news online. Bug my brother for sometime, if he is online.Update him on everything I've been upto since the last time I spoke to him,which is most probably yesterday!!Then finally realize you have work you need to get back to. Meanwhile, you are tempted to check out videos on youtube. Keep jumping videos and another hour passes. Now, you really have to get back to studying. Uh, so there I go.Rambling, as usual.

I am taking a break,after all.So forgive the incoherence.

Digital picture frames

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Digital cameras, camera phones and handycams have all become a part of our daily lives these days.No vacation is complete without the mandatory coverage on the digital camera or even better, recording those lasting memories as videos.Also, there are a large number of electronic equipment these days that provide support for digital camera.Hence, it is almost impossible for us to distance ourselves from the digital revolution in this age.

The digital photo frames are a big revolution in that sense. Initially, we used to browse through the photos in an album occasionally.Even the digital prints store on our computers were viewed in an unwieldy way.

Now all we have to do once we take a photo or video, is switch the memory card to the digital frame and view.In this way, we can have all our snaps strategically located in different areas of our homes, such as the living room, drawing room and even hung on walls.These frames are available in various sizes such as 7",10",12" and more.We even have the option to set the period of time for which we want the photo to be displayed and we can even indicate how the transitions between the photos should be.For more information, refer digital picture frame, the right place for latest news on this technology.

The right place for unbiased information on diet pills

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:26:00 +0000

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However, there are some safety issues that need to be looked into. Phentermine should not be used by people with high blood pressure, pregnant women or those with allergic reactions to the contents of Phentermine.

In summary, Cheap Phentermine, is a store-house of information on Phentermine and other diet pills.

Need to lose weight?Try out these diet pills.

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:36:00 +0000

Many of them who are trying to lose weight will be in search of a magic remedy that will work wonders for them. They might have resorted to all forms of exercise, dieting and even starvation but to no avail.

But now, there is indeed a possibility available to all you people out there. There is a diet pill,fenphedra, that has been doing the rounds in the body building circles. It has become a rage of sorts for people wanting to burn fat but without having to face any harmful side effects.It functions as a CART stimulator. CART, Cocaine-Amphetamine-Regulatory-Transcript, is the chemical in our brains that signals to the body indicating that we are full and hence we consume less food.

The three main ingredients of fenphedra are Di-Caffeine Malate, Synephrine and Phenylethylamine.A lot of users who have tried it out are raving about it and now it is your turn to realize the wonders of this amazing pill.

A sign of things to come

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:05:00 +0000

I had my first day of classes today and as mentioned before, I have all of my classes on the same two days every week. So, of the two classes, one went on alright and the other got me all nervous!!The professor has a reputation of sorts and his intro to the course had several students dropping the course within minutes after the class got over. I am still in a quandary.

We have an international students welcome party tomorrow night followed by a tour of raleigh and then a "Two cents of Hope"volunteers meeting. So, a lot of interesting stuff lined up this weekend. However, I am so nervous about one of my classes, I think I better brush up on shell programming and Unix programming.

Uh, the cycle begins now!!

In other news, I got my own laptop. The shipping and delivery were so quick, I was amazed at their efficiency. Things were never like this before.

A whole new meaning-rediscovered

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:24:00 +0000

August 20th-Classes begin for Fall 2008. I dont have any classes on 20th and my first class is on 21st. In fact,my timetable is pretty much convenient. All my 3 courses fall on Tuesday and Thrusday and I have the remaining 5 days off. It is this flexibility that impressed me most about the education system in the USA.Back in India, if were to pursue some form of higher studies, we would have a strict 8 to 4 schedule with classes being incorporated every possible weekend. It is this imposition of so-called discipline and lack of flexibility and free time that results in a literal burn out. We are so fatigued at the end of it all that we have no time or interest for research, reading up on allied subjects or even plain unwinding and this very obviusly affects our productivity.

What I appreciate here is the beautiful work-life balance and the importance given to the individual. Of course, I still will have assignments, projects and coursework to catch up on the rest of the five days but the fact that we are given time for it all is so amazing. In fact, I get to choose my courses, my professors,my advisors according to my interests and convenience. Nothing is thrust upon us and so each of us is given an oppurtunity to pursue our respective fields of interest in an atmosphere of freedom. This is why there is so much of active research going on out here and so many publications in International journals.

I can go on and on, but for this post, this should suffice.

Pics from Raleigh

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:19:00 +0000

Here are some pics from Raleigh, NC. Not taken too many pics on university campus, so most of them depict those taken during our trips to Lake Raleigh .

A flurry of activity

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:32:00 +0000

After the period of lull mentioned in the previous post, there was a flurry of activity. An information fair followed by a full day orientation. Got to learn a lot about how things work down here and the system here is so different from that followed back in India.

What is missing here is the traffic, commotion, noise and life that is so unique to most Indian cities and with no exception to my very own Madras. Down here, it is so calm, peaceful and smooth, it is like we are in a separate world altogether.

However, we do not feel the absence of Indian faces here because they abound every where. Even during orientation, all the speakers were like, "The Indian community here is so strong". It really is. This was re-iterated by the presence of a vast number of desis attending the Independence Day celebration on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Two more days of orientation for graduate students and computer science department students and we are all set to start with classes from this week.

Period of lull

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Now that we have done with all our mandatory work down at the university and also made the initial shopping visits to Food Lion and K-Mart, we are back to playing the waiting game. Waiting for orientation to start so that we have something to keep ourselves occupied with. Meanwhile, we visited Lake Raleigh(the nearest tourist spot ) and took our first snaps at the USA. Long idle walks and late night chats and movie watching sessions have left me longing for some sort of activity. The lack of a regular routine is killing me and am awaiting the weekend and the impending start of classes.

Till then, its back to mindless killing of time.

An affair to remember

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:10:00 +0000

So today I went with my room mates to stock up our refrigerator. It was our first time grocery shopping out here and we were taken aback at how things work here. It's processed food and frozen eatables all the way. Milk in huge cans;ready-made frozen chappathis;instant upma;instant sambar;instant everything. Cut and frozen vegetables and canned food. In all, very little time spent cooking. My mother was like don't go for too much of processed food unless you want to ruin your health. Though she does have a point, there are two reason why these instant foods are so popular out here. One, no one really has much time to cook an elaborate meal on a regular basis. And here, I speak on behalf of the student community. But, more importantly for us, it is difficult to lug around shopping bags often since most of the time we end up car pooling. So, stocking up on fresh produce frequently is out of the question. And also, fresh veggies and fruits are more expensive than their frozen counterparts.

However, we have taken a decision to incorporate some healthy eating practices. For instance, we decided that we'd make chappathis afresh than using the frozen ones often and also cut down on eating at the fast food joints that abound everywhere in sight.

It's to be seen if we can live up to our decisions.

Olympics and India

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:10:00 +0000

So the Beijing Olympics is the talk of the town and is all over the media. China seems to be doing a great job of hosting it and despite the recent earthquake they have managed to keep the spirits riding high.

As far as India is concerned, the chances for a podium finish are always a dream and if we do make it, it will hog the limelight back in India for several months. That reminds me of one thing-the huge amounts of prize money given to those who make it to the top. Rathore got it for shooting and he was awarded enormous amounts of money as a token of appreciation. Wont it make more sense if the Government and sponsors take steps in nurturing talent and creating infrastructure targeting these Olympics and grooming the sports persons? This can help towards bettering our performances and increasing the medal count in the long run. Many countries have dedicated training centers established for this purpose and this has been reaping rewards for them. We should follow suit if we want to make the dream a reality.

At the end of every Olympics, we reflect on what went wrong. But take no action. It is high time we stopped passively waiting for that elusive medal but instead get down to brass tacks and do something about the issue.

So here's wishing good sense prevails.

To miss or not to miss?

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:55:00 +0000

My seniors and batch mates keep asking if I miss home. I tell them, "No, I dont". I wonder why we should really miss our homes?Yes, we have been accustomed to a lot of things over the years and a shift to a new country will definitely leave you a little disoriented. But all it involves is a little bit of getting used to .There is so much to do that you never have much time to reminiscence and miss home.

We still do call up people back home and the ubiquitous Internet is always there to help us stay connected. So, it is all in the mind.

What I do miss, is reading the Hindu over a cup of freshly brewed filter coffee early in the morning. Doing everything over the Internet is a little annoying. But that is how it works here.

Life of a Desi Grad student

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:43:00 +0000

OIS.On campus jobs.Laptop deals. AT&T connections. Yard sales. Self cooking. Long walks. Wolfline buses. Wolfpack. Wolf everything.

Tree lined avenues. Wooded areas. Awesome roads. Better cars. Non-interfering people. Great professors.

Course discussions. Homework. Projects. Deadlines.Wal-mart trips.Internships. Placements.

Sleep, now what is that?

Bonding. Cribbing. Enjoying.

Learning. And some more.

Loving it.

Life in the USA

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:37:00 +0000

So, after a really tiring and long journey with two stopovers I landed at Raleigh, NC, USA.It was a new experience, travelling alone, across two continents.

I was picked up by my seniors from the airports and landed at my temp accommodation at my seniors place, a bunch of really friendly and helpful girls. Since I landed on a weekend, I could not get much work and so set out exploring the campus and gorging on typical american fast food-pancakes for breakfast, Pav Bhajji for lunch and Dunkin Donuts for dinner-all in one day.
I am thankful that my seniors are such good cooks-hats off to them-I cant thank them enough.

Waiting for Monday morning, have to set out on all the mandatory work and getting myself acquainted with the campus.

For now, waiting for my room mates to land so I can move into our own apartment.

Bidding goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Srividya Jayaraman) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:35:00 +0000

I am leaving tomorrow night to the US of A. Although I am very eager and excited, I am still a little anxious. How will I fare in this new country?Will I be able to adapt myself to the US system of education?

A new beginning, a new life. But I will miss Chennai terribly. It is very tough to leave behind all that has been yours for over two decades, but the show must go on.So with a little bit of trepidation and loads of enthusiasm, I embark on this new journey.

I just wish this new chapter turns out to be as rewarding and fulfilling as my life back here.

Bidding adieu to everyone.

P.S. I don't know if I will be able to blog much once am there, but hope I manage at least the occasional post.