Ice Ice Baby

History of the World Part II - "Hitler on Ice"!
What a Year! It takes a couple of ligaments to tear free of their moorings for the focal length of your perspective lens to change! Its been snowy and icy in Boston the past month and Somerville, the city I now call home, is especially riddled with icy and snowy spots! There have been times i have taken a step only to slide forward like a runaway deer on ice (dont even ask - i have a vivid imagination!)...
"Let it Snow, Let it Snow"
And it did! Tons... and then the rains came and swept it all away! The only thing that can trump nature is Nature!
"Jingle Bells"
I attended Christmas Mass at the St Paul's Church in Harvard Square. The highlight of the Christmas Service every year is the Boston Boy Choir that performs, and even the tone deaf like me can see that they are good!.
The other highlight was when I attended my first "White Elephant Party" on my yearly post-christmas before-new-year trip to Vermont!! My professor who invites me over to his "house in the hills" every year, is one of the most amazing people in the world! At this party I met a bunch of really interesting people, Vermonters who are so full of life.
"Its Another Day in Paradise"
The New Year was rung in with quiet reflection... we now have a lovely new roommate, G, whose intelligence and vivacity is a complement to the brains, niceness and pure brightness of my other two roomates... One wonders how I fit into the scheme of things... the only explanation I can offer is that some people "slip through the cracks" and this one crack that let me in was a big wide one!!... back to the subject, G's boyfriend D (Wai am full of da alphabet in my posts wonly, in interest of annoynimity) was hosting a party and i ended up there, my first new year where everyone I met was someone who I hadnt known for more than 2 weeks... small world, this!
New Year Day was spent singing karaoke Christmas Carols (dont ask, will not tell!) with family in North Reading... my whole khandaan in Boston was assembled and we had great fun with the angels, the glory, the silent night, among others...
On a totally unrelated topic, a good friend sent this across ...
Back to work, now....

Finals

Been really busy with papers and assignments, figuring out how to change the lightbulb while standing on one leg on a one legged stool, wondering if "42" is the answer... will get back to blogging after finals

the video feed is live

WARNING!
The link below takes you to a motion clip of pain and suffering. It is NOT for the faint hearted! No blood, though! If you are ready to see my knee unravel, do so at your own risk!
This is "how it happened"
PS: I did save one goal!

Immovable force and an Irresistable Object

What happens when an ageing soccer warhorse attempts to block goalscoring efforts by the Varsity soccer team? According to my orthopedic physician, the least of my worries is a blowout of my anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. Knee immobilizer, crutches, elevation, cold compress... they are parts of my life now!

I now appreciate how brave people with physical handicaps must be to venture into this bad world. Even in Boston, one of the most handicap-friendly transport systems, I was caught at wits ends many times. Frequent escalator service stoppages ensure that my long jump training didnt go waste- though long jump doesnt really prepare you for hopping up four flights of stairs!! Another big peeve - why is it that the T stop (the T is the Boston subway) servicing the largest hospital in New England, the Massachusetts General Hospital, does not have any provisions for handicapped people to reach the street level from the elevated platform. I went from hopping up four flights of stairs in the morning to hopping down four flights of stairs in the evening! Do they imagine that patients reach the hospital only in an ambulance? Its a shame!
On a related note, are there any good knees being sold on the market? I could use one, especially if it belonged to a Genius!
As to the answer to the first question, my good friend P filmed the whole episode! It will SOON be available on Google Video . A note of Warning - the video is graphic and NOT to be watched by the queasy and the faint-hearted. As one person told me after he watched it "After watching the clip, I feel twinges of pain everytime i bend my knee" Watch for the links!

A new meaning to the word "Ironman"

One of my professors at school, Park Wilde, has a wonderful blog on food and nutrition policy issues in the United States. Its called US Food Policy and one of the stories on the blog is this anecdote from Gary King at Harvard, talking about the need for control groups in research.

Its funny that the proportion of graduate and kindergarden (KG) students who got this right was similar. Given that KG students go on to learn more stuff - history, geography, biology and calculus, among them - is there a point where it all starts to go downhill?!!! As a doctoral student, I find myself at the bottom of that downhill slope. Does this mean that I have to go back to kindergarden after this? Or does it metaphorically mean that I will soon start the kindergarden of life?
Bring on the bib!

I was a Ring Keeper

Taking a cue from Varun V Nair, I found out that I closely resemble *trumpets, please* Galadriel.
The results are there for you to see:

We think its the long locks, precious, but according to Legend, I am possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating my environment!
"What an elfish fairy tale!"

Last night

I laughed a lot last night! I met a bunch of people at my friend M's birthday party, some old friends, some who I knew by name and face, and some who I met for the first time! Laughter is a good cathartic, both emotionally and psychologically!
"’cause I’m as free as a bird now"
My next step? Save the World.. I am flying high on mighty wings (Anyone remember an obscure band in the Eighties named Cheap Trick?)
Before that, its Futsal (indoor soccer) time at Tufts University! Watch the Friedman School compete with the best of Boston to lift the Kings Cup. More details can be had here .
When:November 19th, Saturday
More When: 10:00am-4:00pm
Where: Gantcher Gym

I think, therefore I am

somber, empty
mood, dark
big,ego
tears, hurt
deficiency, good
think, logic
catastrophe, peace
right, wrong
purpose, life
lost, wandering
partner, grow

Calvin & Hobbes

My favorite comic is Calvin & Hobbes, featuring the boy "genius" with a disregard for authority and a disdain for structure, and his tiger "friend". I was introduced to them a long time ago, and they stayed with me because Calvin often eloquently put into words how I feel
Some are pure gems:
"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time."
"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
"Talking with you is sort of the conversational equivalent of an out of body experience."
"History is the fiction we invent to persuade ourselves that events are knowable and that life has order and direction."
"That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!"
"In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks."
And my favorite
"I'm learning real skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life ... Procrastinating and rationalizing."
Source: http://homepage.eircom.net/~odyssey/Quotes/Popular/Comics/Calvin_Hobbes.html

What is funny is that, since reading this, I see flashes of Calvin in every kid I meet, making it seem that Calvin speaks for kids all over, tellig us, "the older people" to "watch it"

To sign off, in Calvin's own words...
"It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy.... Lets go exploring"

My attempt at a Poem

The night is cold
The snow sits easy on the tree,
the colour of the sky mirrors the mood of events to come

The phone rings,
There is a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach
What follows is meant to be

When I saw you standing there
My heart leapt for joy
And I knew that we were going to be just fine

I feel comfortable
And I feel safe
Telling you that I love you
Feels just right

The Public Face

Tomorrow, I place myself right in front of the Board of Overseers at Tufts, talking about why I came to Tufts.... and how my fellowship is going to help me reach whereever I am going... did that make sense? Oddly enough, it did to me... preparing for the talk, it gave me a chance to reevaluate my aims and goals and how I intend to reach them... it does good for one to be shaken up once in a while.. there is a risk of being caught in the wave of blissful ignorance, and in the end, finding yourself washed up on shores unwanted... not happening with me, not here at Tufts... its a lovely place, (inspite of being located in downtown Boston) the faculty is incredible diverse and experienced, and I have funding! Best platform for "life launch", if I have seen any!
This is one instance where my public face and my private face are the same! I do hope I dont cry!!

Game Night

"Do you like Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble. Monopoly, Dumb Charades?
In other words, are you one of the following: Geek, Nerd, Dork, or plain fun lovin'?
Drop by our house on Friday Evening and find out!"

I am a loser! In all of the games mentioned above!

Deja-vu

It happened again.... the return episode of the hair-today-gone-tomorrow saga; Only this time, the protagonists were me and the nice Chinese lady manning the "hair station"!! When you lose money, they tell you that "you got shaved"; in my case, I literally got near-shaved!!
The first person who saw this new look was M, who remarked "hon, you look great"! That did buoy my spirits up a bit, further bolstered by my good buddy and TT challenge ("I will win, someday, P, when I master my new racquet!!"), P, who said _ "It makes you look younger"... younger or not, i am certainly lighter... a few grams lighter!!

On a related note, the P and D Table Tennis (TT) Championships have begun! All ye who are interested in seeing two giants in the Friedman School TT scene (also the only two people on the Friedman TT scene) clash are welcome to make their way to the third floor of 130 Harrison Avenue, Boston! Armed with Butterfly racquets (the locals here call them paddles!) PD or DP will play out sets of 5-7 matches everyday and the loser in those matches wins the Championship. I amight as well take the Cup home right now!

Mood Music

Sitting here listening to 'These Eyes' by the Guess Who, I am struck by how my perception of music is influenced by the mood I am in... to digress, the Guess Who named themselves as such because they gained popularity in the extremely competitive American music scene on the basis of a rumor that they were the Beatles![Source: John Einarson's "American Woman: The Story of the Guess Who"] ... going back to my mood, I was feeling real goooood three days back and 'Otherside' [Red Hot Chilli Peppers] was really moving me... I like this song brcause its rythmn "moves me" but that effect was magnified that day! It felt greaaat! .. When I am moping, Goodbye Blue Sky, Soldier of fortune and Killing Me Softly resonate with my mood and their effect on me lasts longer... talk about mood music
Or I could be just a strange little guy with a fractional emotional quotient!
Take a look at this bitchin' site. Its chillin' magellan!

Hmmm...

I wonder

Singing Beach, Cooking

This weekend I paid a visit to the "Singing Beach" at Manchester-by-the-Sea! The Commuter Rail from North Station takes you to Manchester in all of 51 minutes... a 10 minute walk from the station brought us to the singing beach...
Too bad, the "sun don't shine like in Tel Aviv"... the sun was shining but the day was cold! A, A's friend C, and I ....
(sounds like I am reciting the alphabet isnt it? "ABC, A's friend is C, AC and I, we went out to Sea" ... Strike one, Dr Seuss).. well getting back to the story, A, C and I went out to spend the afternoon and evening on the beach, and hoped to get some water time too... well, Poseidon (Neptune, as he is known in the Roman circles) had other plans... within 25 seconds of entering the water, i exited with a yelp, and with all of my teeth (wisdom too, not that they helped !!) chattering! it was cold, collddd... brrrrr....... that put an end to Jacques Cousteau like adventures... C had brought her wet suit but it was too cold to think of entering the water.... wet suit remained dry! ... we played volleyball, ate pistachio nuts, chocolate chip cookies, fruits, found out that if you kick up the sand, the particles rub against each other, and actually "sing".. i heard a refrain that sounded like "pour some sugar on me" but hey, it could be "shifting whispering sands by rusty draper"
We got back late, tired but content!
Next day, I cooked. Over the last few months, I discovered that I can cook, I like cooking, and other people are not dying like flies from eating the food that I have cooked ... all good news for my future health and life! I am adept at making both north and south indian dishes, which is also a plus! Last week, we had a Dosa cookout (or I should say, cookin, as it was all indoors!), thanks to a generous donation of dosa batter and coconut chutney by my dear cousin sister, L. (L, if you ever navigate to this page, all who have savoured the dosa that was created from the batter you gave, thank thee from the bottom of our bottomless stomach pits!!)
Au revoir!

Random Thoughts

As I have told more than one person, "the anchors for my logical processes are always up in the air", so a post about 'random' thoughts is always inevitable! Though random in order and content, you might also find a thread of "lateral thought" interwoven in the broad tapestry of my creation! I claim sole ownership rights for these thoughts (not likely that anyone else would want to touch this one with a bargepole!)
1) I have the best roommates one can have!
2) Dosa and coconut chutney make a potent combination, second only to mosaranna, the curd rice ... *sigh*
3) Karl Popper is a cool daddy
4) The Boston Symphony Orchestra is playing Weber, Schumann and Mendelssohn on October 18. Dont miss it!
5) If my roommates stay in the same house, but not the same room, shouldnt they be called housemates?
6) I cant wait to see Nisha.
7) If radio waves can cause physical damage to our brain, does it not stand to reason that we might one day be able to recieve radio waves without the use of a cellular phone. What happens to the phone companies? Do they start installing radio frequency chips in our heads. Does the prepaid plan still remain more expensive?
8) Are waffles better with maple syrup or with Blueberry syrup?
9) If the inhibition centre of your brain is the first to be overwhelmed by alcohol, then why is there a psychological need to drink more when alcohol has not been shown to induce a physical craving?
10) What are the 'statue" couple in Davis Square talking about?
11) Why does the "Uruk-Hai" theme from the Lord of the Rings strike such a "chord" in me?
12) I can cook
13) Over the last year, I have learnt that out of the box is better than within the box... Ten years hence, I would not be surprised to find myself stuck in the middle of the Sahara, without water, and regretting the fact that I did not learn how to skin a cactus fruit when I was in the Negev
14) As I grow older, I grow more obstinate
15) Sometimes I am so full of s**t that I disgust myself... luckily, these days, those times are rare
16) I now find time to appreciate life for what it is... not something that I need to subdue and control... Less anal, more oral!!
17) I know a lot more about a lot of things that others didnt think possible of me... I see that as a result of the new emerging me!
18) Things look a lot different after the past weekend... I find that I realize my boundaries, limits.... or is that my limitless boundaries?
19) Does age matter? Not in the general scheme of things, but in the personal scheme of things?
20) When should I speak up? Is there a right time? What if the window of opportunity is slowly being shut in my face?

On this note, I bid thee goodbye!

Parties, Gita, et al

My friend, M and I had left a Tufts party at 11.00 PM. We reached Central Square at 11.40. We were on our way to another party! (Did I mention that I was going to spend this semester enjoying curricular and extra-curricular activities?)
We reached the house where the second party was to be held and found, to our consternation, a silent party-animals-less house! (Two days later I was to find out that we had been standing in front of the wrong building, staring bleary eyed at a complete stranger's house!)
M and I decided to walk the few miles to our respective houses, catching up on what we had done this summer.
Notable among our discussions was the origin of religion and the concept of god; our perceptions on our religions and how we view other religions.
I started out on the Vedas, the Bhagwad Gita, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata... not as much trying to explain where these stories are from as trying to understand how they have influenced my perceptions (This at 12.30 AM on a saturday morning!). I thought back to the week before where a good friend of mine, D, read out the "Opulence of the Absolute", a chapter in the Bhagwad Gita.
This chapter came into my mind when trying to explain my vision of God to M.
M, if you are reading this, these links might make what I said a wee bit clearer, though you have to make allowances for the hour of the night when i said what i said!! More when we meet again.
D, Thanks. I am sure you will take a dekko at this page, someday, when you are not enjoying a refreshing cold beer on a hot day; then again, even when you are!

UK trip update

Some snippets from my UK visit... I spent two days in London, headed out to Cambridge for a day trip, hoofed it to Leicester and ended the trip with a day trek in the Peak District at Edale!

Lord Love a Duck, its Lords!
Did you know that Lords is walking distance from Sherlock Holmes' house on Baker Street? I found out the hard way or rather the "walk way"!


The all seeing Eye!
If you think the red eye of Mordor was bad, you should check out the British Airways "Bad Boy" London Eye!!



Doesn't he look tired?
and this was before...



He became one of the "Indian Men Who Went Up This Mountain...



"And Came Down This Hill"... All these adventures in the Peak District!

More... later.. from Bahston!

aah! Boston!

London, Leicester, Peak District passed by in a blur... its good to be back in Boston again!