Once upon a time....

While trying to google "Why should I get an MBA", I accidentally landed on the site "Why should I get married".. The result? See it for yourself -

Every man should get married some time; after all, happiness is
not the only thing in life!!
* Anonymous

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An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have; the older
she gets the more interested he is in her.
* Agatha Christie

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Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men
should be happier than others.
* Oscar Wilde

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Don't marry for money; you can borrow it cheaper.
* Scottish Proverb

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I don't worry about terrorism. I was married for two years.
* Sam Kinison

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A psychiatrist is a person who will give you expensive answers
that your wife will give you for free.
* Anonymous

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Bachelors know more about women than married men; if they didn't,
they'd be married too.
* H. L. Mencken

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Marriage is a three ring circus:
* engagement ring ---wedding ring ---suffering

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When a newly married couple smiles, everyone knows why. When a
ten-year married couple smiles, everyone wonders why.

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Love is blind but marriage is an eye-opener.

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I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

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I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"
She said, "Somewhere I have never been!"
I told her, "How about the kitchen?"

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We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

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My wife was in beauty saloon for two hours. That was only for the
estimate.

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She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, "Am I too late for the garbage?"
Following her down the street I yelled, "No, jump in!"

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Badd Teddy recently explained to me why he refuses to ever get
married. He says "the wedding rings look too much like miniature
handcuffs....."

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If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling
at the front door, who do you let in first?
The Dog of course...at least he'll shut up after you let him in!

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A couple came upon a wishing well. The husband leaned over, made a
wish and threw in a penny. The wife decided to make a wish, too. But she
leaned
over too much, fell into the well, and drowned. The husband was stunned
for a while but then smiled, "It really works!"

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Before marriage, a man yearns for the woman he loves. After
marriage, the "y" becomes silent.

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It's not true that married men live longer than single men. It
only seems longer.
* Anonymous

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"A man without a woman is like a fish without a bicycle."
* U2

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"Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the
street bald and still think they are beautiful."

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A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can
spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

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The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to
forget it once.

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When a man is single, he's incomplete. When he's married, he's
finished

I don't know how I lived without reading and making sarcastic comments for almost a month now! So here's what I came up while surfing the net at work!

Sarcasm-just another free service that I offer!

National Sarcasm Society-Like we need your support!

Why get high when there are other ways to achieve a smug sense of superiority?

No I won't go to hell! I've got a restraining order!

Some people are like slinkies-basically useless, but yet it's so amusing to watch them fall down a flight of stairs.

A good friend helps you up when you fall. A best friend laughs at you and trips you again.

Silence is golden, duct tape is silver!

Few women admit their age, and few men act theirs.

My knight in shining armour turned out to be a loser in aluminum foil.
When life gives you lemons, ask for a refund.

I know kung fu and 50 other dangerous words.

(Old one) Work fascinates me. I can sit and stare at it for hours.

If you like sarcasm as much as me, you would also enjoy reading: http://www.coolnsmart.com/sarcastic_quotes/

Put that smile back where it belongs!!

Till next time then, Vaarwel!! :)

The title: Did you notice?

I changed my blogpage! Now you can vote using the buttons below. Hopefully you'll all like this revived and colorful template that I picked!

Bah.. how do I always find an excuse to waste time?

I am driving at full throttle here - not talking about my car, but about life. Am I eating more than I can chew? I want someone to hold me back and tell me what I should do, but there is no one I know who has been in my shoes and who has escalated herself on the so-called success ladders. I gather tidbits of advise, suggestions, inspirations and reality checks from here and there, but in the end, my mind is my best guide and worst friend - we'll see what happens and how long I ride this high wave for....

How far in advance should I buy airplane tickets to India? Should I buy them asap or just a couple of months in advance? So say if I decide to go there in April, should I wait till December to book them or book them now?

Do you think the ticket prices will go down from today onwards as the price of oil decreases??

Help!! :)

P.S. Let me know if there are any special websites or agencies I should check with for quotes! Thanks =)

Just non-responsive, but alive. And I am thankful for that.

Within last two weeks, I have *almost* had my life taken away in four different incidences.


The first time it was when I was running to catch my train; a lady was in my path and I moved over to the yellow line that runs along the edge of the tracks. I must have sprinted on the yellow belt for ten seconds before coming back to the asphalt platform and in the split second in which I steered myself to a safer side, I saw the train pulling back behind me. I was baffled that I did not hear the train behind me any earlier and was shocked at what the consequence would have been had I not altered my course.

The other three incidences have been car related. People drive at full speeds at intersections within and while coming out of big parking lots. I had to hit my brakes as hard as I could - thrice within two days - to save myself from becoming the victim of such impatient drivers. Thank God for my brakes - Never again will I put off fixing inefficient brakes!

Anyway, I did want to end on a happy note since I am excited for Navratri even though it's technically over, because for me, it has just begun - Happy Navratras and Dushera to you all! Have a fabulous weekend :)

I have been able to read quite a few blogs again. Yayy! Back to work now :(

You always want what you don't have, and don't want what you can easily have. But then again, chasing the challenging goals is so much more fun, isn't it?

W-O-W.. and that's all I have to say
FOR NOW.

Summer Classes for Men at
THE ADULT LEARNING CENTRE

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by Friday, August 27th 2008
NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1
How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM..

Class 2
The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3
Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics..
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM

Class 6
Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7
Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health
Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10
Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.
Online Classes and role-playing
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12
How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion
Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

You know the funniest thing that I have been spreading in my household? I have been talking and thinking in the same vernacular style as the characters of religious TV soaps like Ramayana and Mahabharat. Yesterday when my dad was a little upset, I told him in a coy, obedient voice, "Kshama kare pitashri, kintu itna uttejit hona hamari parampara ke virrudh hai| Mujhe khed hai ki main aapki vyakulta ka karan bani huyi hoon, parantu aap mujhe apni bhool samajhane ka ek avsar to dete ", and all his anger melts away as everyone bursts out laughing. It is downright hilarious to have everyone at home talking this way. Good thing our neighbors don't understand a word of what we say, otherwise they'd think we're either insane or ancient :P

I take forever to update my blog, don't I? Well, what can I do - there are just so many things I can learn and do at work as a newcomer that I never have time or the isolation to blog, and once I am home, I do not feel like even touching my computer again. On the flip side, I have been reading books, watching religious epics, spending more time with family, trying to become healthier and figure out what I want from this life (and yet I hated philosophy in college, GO FIGURE).. Hence, my apologies to all my blog friends who stop by frequently and are not entertained by the exact same content that they saw ten days ago. I am going to have to use the same old cliched excuse of not having time to blog, but if you'd prefer, leave me a comment (if you haven't already) and I will be sure to inform you as soon as my next post is up!

Photo Courtesy of NBC

When the game started with Rogers and DalHausser against Araujo and Magalhaes, it seemed like the Brazilians were killing the US players. Every smash serve by Dalhausser initially was either blocked before it had it a chance to cross over the net and peek into the Brazilians' court or returned with equally violent fervor. This made rookie Olympain Dalhausser so nervous that he drove a few shots outside the court boundaries. Rogers and his teammate were not nimble enough to return the vehement and well-placed shots of their opponents. BUMMER! I was too sleepy at that point to finish watching this one-sided game, and I predicted that US had lost this gold medal. But, and that is a big BUT, this morning's news were pleasantly surprising. The game must have taken a turn right as I went to bed and U.S. eventually beat Brazil 2-1 to grab the gold medal! That's a good enough reason to be excited all day, isn't it?


P.S. this is an extract of my text written for a discussion board. Figured I would copy-paste it here since I haven't written anything in a while.


Photo Courtesy of National Geographic

Maybe I need to do my part before I expect anything from anyone else. Expectation without perspiration is always a cause of grief. Dang it! Just remembered to pay off a bill that's going to charge me $100 in late fees - purrfect ughh!!!

The Audichya Brahmins have a number of ‘Gotras’. The ‘Gotras’ are Vatsa, Bhargava, Dalabhya, Dron, Maunas, Gangayan, Sankratrutya, Sankruit, Panlastya, Mandakya, Shaunak, Bhardwaj, Kaudinya, Artio,Krushnatri, Swetatri, Chandratri, Gautam, Kutsas, Anfiras, Vashishtha, Upmanu, Udvah-Audvah, Parashas, Laugashi, Kashyap, Shandilya, Gabhil, Pipplad, Udalak, Audalals, Garga, Kaushik, and Hirnyagarbha. There are more than sixty different ‘ataks’ (Surnames) among the Audichaya Brahmans. These atak names which are used as surnames are based on their profession and field of proficiency. The most common among them are Dave, Pandya, Thaker, Upadhhyaya, Trivedi, Jani , Pandit, Acharya, Raval, Joshi etc. Earlier there were only 16 Surnames but in course of time the number went upto 60. The Brahmans who studied and taught the Vedas to other Brahmans were known as Acharya. The Brahmans who study and teach the Vedas in different regions come to be known as Upadhyayas are also referred to as Ozas, Pundits, Pathaks and Pandas. The Brahmans serving Rajput Kings at the marriages of princes and princesses were call Purohits irrespective of their original surnames. Brahmans residing in Panchal Pradesh were called ‘Pancholi’ while those who were well versed in Astrology are known as Joshis. Thakar Brahmans were those who gave up their original vocation to manage their villages. The Brahmans who possessed the knowledge of all the four Vedas were known as Chaturvedis, those who possessing the knowledge of three Vedas become Trivedis or Tripathis and those familier only with two Vedas are called Dwivedi and Dave. The Brahmans doing clerical work were called Mehtas and those who were experts in making preparations of Yagna were called Yagnik. The Brahmans possessing knowledge of the Vedas were called Vyas. One can understand that the community self perception of its status is on a pride in occupying the biggest position in the varna hierarchy.

Yes, we all do. I don't know if we have seven people in the world who can be our imposters, but there is definitely someone somewhere that can look just like you! Just look at the child model in this video. Everyone in my family who has seen this video says she looks like me when I was little. That makes me happy :P

People change. All the time. So do I. I know that is how it is supposed to be, and yet I want to restrict changes, hold on tightly to the past and go back to what I was like four-five years back. The ironies of life are confounding.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

- 'Fire and Ice' by Robert Frost
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

- 'Leisure' by W. H. Davies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I want to go set myself free in Europe for a bit to experience the life-style and culture there! I want to see how every single European goes on a vacation for three months of summer, and how the shops close down for siesta everywhere in Italy!

Ever had a unique idea that could potentially help you become an entrepreneur? Ever been happy to see that there weren't really any patents directly imposing upon your idea? Worked diligently at figuring out how your idea could be turned to reality, and been content that it seems feasible? Done all this and come to the realization that it
is going to need some help from elite people to become successful? Yes, that is a very frustrating BOTTLENECK because I have no higher up contacts whatsoever and because I have a job that takes away most of my time.

P.S. Don't laugh at me. Peace.

So many thoughts. Such little motivation to write. What's on my mind right now? This is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7496725.stm ... makes me somewhat uncomfortable... Stupid countries that want to continue selling arms under the pretext of self-defense! Jerks?

Among other things, Narendra Modi is still being denied visas to visit US on charges that he has violated human rights by not taking any action during Gujarat's hindu-muslim riots. Super controversial topic. I was in the area when the riots happened after Godhra accident. I only know what I heard, read and saw on TV and I am in no position to pass any judgments. I hate to see or hear about genocides - it makes me bitter at everyone!

I never had a slice of bread,
Particularly large and wide,
That did not fall upon the floor,
And always on the buttered side.

How do I make a fresh pesto sauce?
The basic ingredients you will need are: fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan or pecorino cheese, salt and pepper. Put the basil leaves into a blender with the pine nuts and salt and pepper. Add the oil slowly while you are blending, until you create a creamy smooth paste. Dress the pasta with the pesto and serve with parmesan cheese if you wish. Yesterday I had pasta with pesto and I chopped some good quality black olives on it. You can use it on fish, and meat, whatever you want.

- Courtesy of Chef Gino D’Acampo, Italia.

Try not to laugh too hard if you are at work. Tell me what your favorite joke is from this whole act? Jeff Dunham is a superb ventriloquist!

I think that I might have just tipped over the balance towards the superficial and selfish side. Eww

I miss mugging GRE words. It's so cool to be equipped with that vocabulary. Like WOAH.





P.S. Randomness.

For good or bad, life moves on.

Sometimes I worry. Sometimes I laugh at myself for being an hyperchondriac. Sometimes I scold myself for not taking things seriously. Sometimes I wonder what the grand scheme of things is like? Sometimes I try to decide if coveted things really matter? Sometimes I wonder how one classifies the evil of 'Maya'... and then sometimes, I wonder if I would ever understand why an Almighty REALLY created this world???

http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/IBConference/IBC2008/panels.html


No comments about this link here please.. If anything, leave me a comment on my yahoo messenger..

Over the past year, I have become so comfortable sharing my experiences on this site that I almost forgot about the risks of somebody being able to stalk me. Yes, I love sharing my rantings and ravings with my regular blog friends, but the recent stalking incidences that I have heard about are upsetting and alarming. So, I am thinking of migrating to a new blog without my real name or identity, and give the link to only those who I know already.

Alas! I am done with school! :) for now, at least. The happy moment came three weeks back, and I took off on a vacation immediately afterwards. A week spent in D.C. and Virginia without having to worry about finances, GPAs and peer competitiveness felt so blissful that I almost exploded with joy. After eight days of frolicking tours, I was back at home, working on some signal processing codes that were incorrectly assumed to be necessary for my graduation. Thankfully though, I did most of my work on these codes the following weekend while waiting at the airport for eight hours straight to catch my flight to Cleveland. To save cab fare, I got a ride from my dad who dropped me off at 6:30 am before going to work even though my flight wasn't until 3 pm. But hey, it was my time off, and I couldn't care less what I did with it :P The only complaint was not having access to free internet at the airport to post an entry here or do some blog reading.

Anyhow, being in Cleveland was fun, and the fact that it was an all-expenses paid trip added four moons to it ('char chaand lag gaye' haha =D) I was there to check out a grad school that flew me from Chicago to Cleveland, put me in a fancy, upscale hotel for a night, paid for all my meals, introduced me to other prospies, alums, current students and program directors, and also took us on a tour of the city. I have a few pics of my hotel to share: it had a 32 inch wide plasma TV and a king-size bed that literally makes you wanna lie down and watch TV 24/7!





A bird-eye view of Chicago from the plane (captured right before the air hostess scolded me for using an electronic device i.e. my camera while landing)

I have so much to say, very little time to write! :-s

The media maybe saying great things about this thinning woman, but she is one helluva immature person. She blurts out whatever is in her head irrespective of the time, place or company. Take, for example, what she did at the Filmfare awards ceremony (I ended up you-tubing it thanks to a link by RedSoul! :P). She won the best actress award (Filmfare is unjustly skewed towards box office results and Vidya really deserved the award, but anyway..) and was given the mike for her acceptance speech.

So she starts out humbly by thanking the director of JWM, the movie that won her the award, and then moves on to say how she is disappointed at the director for not casting her in his second film!! I really don't understand what she was thinking when she said that! She is definitely not smart enough to think of the consequences. And so, the next day, I was expecting to read media reports filled with headlines of how dumb Bebo was to put the director on spot, and not realize that he had the right to cast whoever he thought was right for his film! But no, this blooper never came out in print or on the web...the media is all gaga over this old, immature, so-called glamsham girl and they nicely edit out all her stupidities while printing stories of her gracious behavior. I just can't imagine how many teenage girls will look upto her as a role model after reading these manipulative articles and want to adopt her qualities! Somebody needs to ammend these issues immediately! Where the heck are the industry critics hiding?

AHMEDABAD: "Dimpled cheeks, chiselled bones, beautiful girl, is that you, Yes, Yes, Yes!"

The age-old nursery rhyme might as well have to be re-written as the youth gift themselves this beauty features.

Anjali, who will turn 20 on March 10, is mesmerised with the deep dimples of her favourite star Shah Rukh Khan.

She gave herself a unique birthday gift on Saturday when she went under the scalpel to stitch up dimples in her plain cheeks.

Anjali works as an accountant with the Ahmedabad Stock Exchange. Though she is quite beautiful, she has always wanted a dimple.

"I have always nursed this dream of my cheeks sinking into exquisite hollows as I smile, just like Shah Rukh Khan."

Finally, she decided to undergo the surgery so that she gets dimpled cheeks in time for her 20th birthday. On Saturday, Anjali came to the plastic surgeon’s clinic directly from her office.

"We put an incision in the cheeks and then simply tag the smile muscle with the dermis of the skin with a suture. It is as simple as that," said plastic surgeon Dr Vijay Bhatia. An hour later, Anjali checked herself in the mirror, smiling ear to ear, her cheeks showing prominent dimples!

Plastic surgeons concede that the dimples of Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta have captured the imagination of young girls who want to flaunt the much-celebrated beauty feature on their faces.

Leading plastic surgeon Dr Hemant Saraiya says many middle aged women too are offering their cheeks for doctors to carve those lovely depressions. For just Rs 10,000, the hole in the cheek does not really leave a hole in the pocket.

When people go out to eat, they usually look at the menu prices and decide what they would like. But they are very often surprised when the bill comes around - b/c it is substantially higher than what they had expected. I would lobby for restaurants putting up their tax inclusive prices on the menu, which would raise all prices by 11-14%. However, this is still not going to be the final price paid by the customers because they would need to pitch in an extra 10-15% for tips, which if added together comes out to be 25% of the meal price!! So in future, I better be ready to pay 25% more than what has been listed on the menu :(

I wonder if one of my TAs is a little partial towards me - I think I got more credit than I deserved on the exam. Getting good marks is good, but I failed miserably at explaining the problem on board when he called out my name! Need to go study more; made myself look like a fool in front of the whole class! :(


Another TA did not realize how late I had turned in the report, and he cut fewer points than I deserved. Yes, this is good news, but till when will I depend on my luck to save me from flunking? Answer: More studying. Only 4 more weeks to school. I can do this.

Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.

-Ralph Marstan

Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.

- Sandra Carey


“Success in any endeavor depends on the degree to which it is an expression of your true self.”

-Ralph Marstan

You disintegrate my differential,

You dislocate my focus.

My pulse goes up like an exponential

whenever you cross my locus.

Without you, sets are null and void --

so won't you be my cardioid?






You are the fairest of your sex,

Let me be your hero,

I love you as one over x,

As x approaches zero.

Not perfect, but I still like it!

I miss those carefree days. Days where you could wake up in the morning and not worry about the innumerable things that had to be done. when I could spend the whole day watching cartoons, playing games, hanging out with friends, eating out, laughing heartily, etc without feeling guilty. I don't like growing up. I don't like taking responsibilities that make life onerous. Give me one day where I and everyone else can take a chill pill. Just one day, and life will be sweet again!

Homeworks, presentations, reports and exams have been going well. I have been good at keeping in touch with the family. Social life has been sweet this quarter. I am taking part in a fashion show and organizing an Indian Open Mic Night and its after-party on campus. It's hectic, but fun nonetheless. Touch wood!

India is all over the news! Every business and financial news magazine or supplement will have some tidbit about India and it's progress. Five years back, foreigners only knew India as a poverty-stricken, highly populated, third world country, but fast-forward to the present and all of a sudden, the same South Asian subcontinent looks like an impending economic superpower. Today, a slight quirk in the share markets back home makes headlines in U.S. and Europe, and even an economic meltdown in the States seems impervious to the capital inflows in India.

Agape at this overnight transition of my motherland from the brain-drain reservoir to the call-center land and then to one of the fastest accelerating global economies, I had to search for reasons responsible for riveting the international spotlight on India. While on my quest, I came across this article which compares India to countries like China, Phillipines, Russia and Canada and vindicates why India is the most deserving of them all. http://www.kpoexperts.com/why-india/why-choose-india.htm Take a look if interested, and let me know of similar articles if you come across any!

yup, classes started today. I have some apprehensions and mixed feelings about this anticipated crazy quarter. I will keep you updated if I survive :D

Oh yea, and among the tales of my fatuousness, ever heard of the saying?:

Men pay $2 for a $1 thing that they need; women pay $0.50 for a $1 thing they do NOT need.

Here's how I vindicated this saying: This past weekend, I got a make-up box which was on 75% clearance, and now I am wondering if I will ever use even one of the gazillion shades before they expire. You know what they say: "think before you act ":P

I am stuck. It feels like I had a change of heart somewhere in between the months of September and December. After analyzing my career goals over and over again, I finally came to the conclusion that I would ideally like to be in a med school next year. I am stumped by this conclusion because I (and that is a BIG, BOLD "I") switched out of my major of pre-medicine two years back so that I could pursue engineering and avoid becoming a practicing doctor that my family had initially goaded me into. Don't get me wrong - I still do not want to become a practicing doctor; I just want to get my hands as close to operating and peeping into a human body as possible. I want to design medical devices whilst having a complete understanding of the physiology and having the degree to claim my astuteness in building one of these things. Aaah, now I am a little too late to apply to med schools for the next academic year along with being delinquent on a few of their pre-requisites. Wow, I never thought I would land myself in such deep quagmire! ...Unless... I find ways to land in my dream job without getting a degree, which might be difficult but not impossible... Boy, do I need some guidance or what?!

Jaw-dropping, isn't it?? Kids these days are so talented!!

I am officially on break and therefore living at home and absorbed in touching base with da family! Besides that, I have started reading the book "A Journey Into the Heart" (how cardiovascular treatments came into existence - quite amazing book actually) by David Monagan. Also need to finish my research paper before the end of break. Also on the cards is going to drop off my closest cousin at the airport as she leaves for her wedding in India. She will meet her fiance in personfor the first time and will get married 10 days later. I am a little nervous for her, and way tooo sad that I will not be able to attend her wedding. :'(

anyway, hope you all had a Merry Xmas and wish you a dazzling New Year!

I just accepted a job offer after intense contemplation over the weekend. Yes, the option of extending my college life went out of the window with my decision, but alas, I had to move on... I am thinking of getting an M.B.A. after working for a couple of years, although I am kinda annoyed by the fact that almost every person I talk to these days is getting or planning to get an M.B.A.. Why is it that this one degree in business has the power to catapult people's career higher (salary wise) than any other master's degree? I think it is unfair that the world operates this way :-|

Ever had to pick one option from three equally enticing choices knowing that you will have to stick with the one you chose for a long time while giving up all others? It is like being forced to choose only one husband or one wife out of several different, equally qualified people. On the outside, everybody seems eligible and desirable. But you can only find your true compatibility after being forced into a marriage contract and suffering through it.

Choosing your final job offer feels something like that. There will always be sufferings, but the trick is to pick one with the least problems and maximum benefits.

Consider me dead for the coming two weeks. I am not even going to bother to bore you with my protracted list of things to do. Just wanted to say that with 2 finals, 4 projects and 4 assignments to submit in the next two weeks, it might be unwise for me to update this space for a while.

On the same side-note though, it felt so awesome leading my group consisting of three other grad students onto coming up with a novel idea for our project! Yeah, I am silly and immodest, but only in front of you guys! :P

Thanksgiving break. Wednesday afternoon to Sunday night. A good, long time to relax and get caught up on school work and errands. If only things fell in place so neatly.....

Yes, this past weekend was a complete bummer! Why, you ask? Because it drove my sanity haywire! I began doubting my discretion, attitude, my wisdom. A total self-indignation it was! And to be honest, I have not completely recuperated from this disparagement. The only conclusion I could come to was to shun the causes of these troubles. I have never been good at convoluted thinking, or understanding the mind games being played by guys, and I hate having to find myself being fooled into thinking that a friendship is normal when in fact it is not!! I think I am clear with friends about my expectations and limitations, and it vilifies me to see their wishful thinking. And you know what desecrates me even more? It only hits me when my close friends tell me that things are abnormal and that I should have acted in a more cold and mature manner!

Times like these make me wish to get rid of my naivety so that I could recognize the convoluted minds and not give them the benefit of doubt. And I know that I have not done anything half as bad as it sounds, but the shock of my stupor lingers to make me feel inferior.

That's it, I am growing up, even if it requires being mean to every sly person. No more sympathy for weird outcasts, no more benefits of doubts for anybody, and no more toleration of immature behavior!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim.” - Bertrand Russell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is mind-blowing to think about how many professors and professionals I have been meeting and learning from this quarter! Ahh, I love being in school (minus the acad pressures :P) ..

There is something that distracts me. There is something that I have to consciously stop myself from doing. I like to stay detached from people and things so that I will not be lachrymose when things don't turn out as expected. And yet, this silly mind of mine is eager to connect to the most ephemeral of all things, and to the obviously momentary vanity. What will I do with myself?? Thanks for all the distractions, Shreya, and now if you will excuse me, I will have to castigate myself by pulling another all-nighter....

Why are guys so uncultured? Why do students come to class in their PJs? Why is it so annoying to sit next to shabby students? hmmm... maybe a little background will shed light on my rhetorical questioning. So I wake up at 5:30 a.m., get ready, study for my evening quiz, get breakfast and go to my 8:30 am class. I sit next to a guy in a red sweat-shirt, not knowing that he is one of those people who have just got out of bed to rush to class without changing out of their PJ's and freshening their morning breath. So ten minutes into the lecture, and you can see that everybody has settled into their seats, this guy starts scratching himself on and off at awkward places on his body. I try to avoid him, but I always end up catching a glimpse from the corner of my eye while I am looking at the professor. But thankfully, he does stop after half an hour of periodic scratching, and opens up his big mouth to yawn! And so there comes the reeking smell of the morning breath. I was so restive (irritated) that I considered storming out of my seat and taking up a new one farthest from any other unkempt student, but I restrained myself thinking that the class would be over soon and I could go running to vent out my frustrations on this blog. Just kidding, but I did loathe myself for putting up with the torture... arrghhhh...

I do not like the end of Daylight Savings Timings! It is only 5:30 pm but it is pitch-black outside! *sigh* So depressing....

Have you ever had times when you have to act like a parent to your parents while they unknowingly act like an innocent kid? I have, and in fact, today was one of those days. I played along with them in the same ebullient spirit about something significant, even though I could foresee the lurking of unwholesome news. I acted the way I did simply because it seemed mean to bog them with harsh truths while they were having one happy moment in life. And so like every other parent who knows their child will learn by herself with time, I belied my fears and balked short of warning them. Now with all that in hindsight, the only question that I am pondering about is, "God, when will I become a child again?"

I watched Bhool-Bhulaiya today by myself. How appropriate for Halloween! :D

Also, here is my roomie all-dressed up as a vampire and ready to get to work.. Please ignore the junk in the room (that's her side of the room hehe..):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7065061.stm

Check out this list of common mispronounced words: I burst out laughing as I remembered how I had witnessed many of these in the past, and am now worried that I am going to confuse the wrong and the right terminology *tongue-in-cheek*:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/mispron.html


This is my post#2 after I said I was going to quit blogging. wah!

Yes, consider this my encore entry! I am not officially back to blogging, but here is briefing of what I have been upto lately:

Classes are in full swing, and in fact, we are half way done with the quarter! It is midterm week at the university currently. I had 'Macro-economics' and 'Signals and Systems' midterms last Monday and have 'Medical Imaging' exam this coming Wednesday. Bah, I am even late on a homework submission for the Imaging class which is going to cost me 5% penalty. :(

Being a senior in college has many perks, such as having a sense of security about friends and knowing where to find the required resources. I see freshmen and sophomores in the dining halls and it reminds me of days when I was new to the college and looking for friendly faces, innocent souls and astute minds. Despite of all alacrity, it was an onerous task for a transfer student like me to find the group of friends whom I could easily gel with. But after being here for 3 years, I have become a lot more comfortable with the university setting and college life in general. I am sad to leave my security blanket at the present college and move on to a new place to find my niche with new people, but then again, what fun is a life without challenges, right?

And so talking about moving to a new place, I should mention that I have been spending significant time deciding what I want to do upon graduation with a Bachelors in Engineering. I have interviews with two companies (the only two that I applied to, whole-heartedly :P) next Friday. One of the companies is also offering a free overnight stay in a four-star hotel to attend their Thursday evening social and friday interview sessions. However, I will have to pass up their offer in lieu of my other interview, classes and quiz on Friday. You can't have it all, can you now? However, I am not too worried about landing into a job anyway, because my first priority is getting into grad school. Applications are due mid-november, and I am way behind on writing my personal statements.

Well, I have spilled enough beans about myself for now because I did not know what else to write. All those philosophical/analytical thoughts have been entered into my personal diary in a manner so incoherent that they sound like secret codes, therefore I am going to spare you the trouble of reading my fancy writing.

Alright, I want to get an assignment out of my way and then practice twirling the dandiya :D. I am apparently not over the Navratri fever, and being a Gujarati, it is totally unacceptable to not know how to twirl dandiya between my finger-phalanges. Got to go now, Toodles! \m/

I have decided to officially shut down this blog, especially since I have not been blogging much in a long time. The scattered few entries that I have written in the last month or two make me feel inadequate and empty of creativity. So after some contemplation, I have decided to do myself a favor and move on from this blog. I will still be making rounds of your bloggerings and drop by to say 'hi', but there will be no new entries on this page anymore.

I shall return to the blogging circuit under a new name and new webspace if I miss it enough to start writing again. I just wanted to say that all of you who dropped by my blog regularly have been great friends, especially when it came down to receiving motivation, understanding different perspectives and strengthening my beliefs. Thank you for being there through my ranting and raving; I really appreciate it. Take care, fellas!

Regards,
Shreya

Todna hota to rishta hum na banate,
Umeed nahi hoti to hum sapney na sajaate,
aitbaar kiye hum apke wafa pe,
bharosa na hota to dil apke haath me na thamatey

Every morning I wake up to shayaris like this received through email or IM from a somebody that I do not know. I tried asking this person how he had my email address and who he was, but the only thing I got in reply each time is a generic ' Hi Shreya, h r u? I miss u' followed by some skimpy shayari. Makes me think that he is one of those time-pass people who does not know me and cannot write or talk much in English whatsoever. Well, Mr. rahul_raz25@yahoo.com, in case you are reading this, you might soon be blocked off or be bombarded with tons of spam email if I lose my head. Jerk!

If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.
-Jack Welch

In other words, if you really want to compete for something, get a competitive advantage first!

I think I am going to play Intramural Dodgeball tonight with my hostel kids. But before that, I need to finish 1 homework, study a chapter for my Economics quiz tomorrow and go work out for at least an hour to save my recent routine. So far, school has been tolerable because I have finished all my assignments before time, and my research assignment on Atrial Fibrillation has not been handed out yet. I have got more interesting things to talk about, but have no spare time to articulate those thoughts for a sensible post. My To-do list is long enough to devour all of my time! Oh well, so be it....

There is a centipede invasion on my floor! My room-mate killed one on my bed last night when I was half-asleep! Gawd, now I am scared of sleeping in my room :-s

Wow! Things are going a little haywire for me these days. I am being this rebellious kid who does not want to do what she needs to do, but instead lives in the moment and follows her whim to guide her actions. Examples would be not being serious about making and marketing my resume like my other friends; not having the mood to finish up whatever task I took to hand; not finishing my grad school apps; not calling home regularly to keep in touch with family, etc etc....

So my apologies for not finishing the GRE post. I think I will not have the motivation to write it until and unless I make significant progress on my pending work.

I took my GREs two days back. I walked into the center at 3 pm even though my exam was scheduled for 4:30 pm. This would be the first time in my life that I was so early for a appointment. But anyhow, the exam center happened to have open computers and the proxies offered me the option of starting early. It would have been nice to get it over with early, but I still wanted to look over my word-list for one last time and maybe prep myself for issue writing task by reading one of those samples essays or a magazine article. So I sat there for another hour doing last-minute preparations. I wasn't nervous or anxious at that time; I was confident, but just needed some brushing up of my acquired knowledge.

So I finally closed my books at 4:00 pm and secured my stuff in a locker after eating two 'Tiger' glucose biscuits. The proxy was very affable and he quickly signed me in and gave me general instructions about the test. I walked into the room with sound-proof glass windows and sat down at the table pointed to me at by the proxy.

The first five minutes were all general instructions on how to use the mouse and scroll-bar and how to select the answers. Next was choosing any undergrad institutions that I wished to send my GRE scores to. That made no sense whatsoever to me! I thought GRE was for grad schools only, but whatever.... I rolled my eyes and moved on...

So I came to the essay writing part 15 mins after I had sat down at the computer. I took a long breath, released it and clicked the 'Proceed' button. The essay I chose to write about was: "People who are most committed to a policy or an idea are usually the ones most critical of it'" I refuted the statement and finished writing and proof-reading the essay just in time. *phew*

Oh time for class now... will blog later if I find time!

Threats to music sharing... An email I received earlier this month from my university read:

The Recording Industry Association of America (the “RIAA”) continues its efforts to curtail unlawful peer-to-peer file sharing of music over the Internet. Earlier this year, approximately 16 students were contacted by the RIAA and requested to resolve claims of copyright violations through out-of-court settlements. According to the RIAA, the vast majority agreed to settle. Based on information received from those individuals who agreed to settle, the average settlement amount has been approximately $3,000.

Using its own process of monitoring peer-to-peer traffic, the RIAA identified IP addresses for members of the University student body alleged to have violated copyright laws. The RIAA then notifies the University that it intends to issue pre-litigation settlement letters for these students, outlining the details of the settlement process and threatening to initiate legal proceedings against these students, should they elect not to participate in the settlement process. Upon receiving such settlement letters, the University promptly takes steps to identify and notify the students at issue. The University does not share information about the identities of individuals with the RIAA unless required to do so by law (e.g., in response to a lawful subpoena).

One day and 16 hours remaining to the start of exam...

One day and 21 hours remaining to the celebrations afterwards...

I have got a lot of things on my schedule for tomorrow - incl. moving back to the dorm, exam review, getting directions and general prepping for the exam - Just wish me luck: I will need all that I can get!

With due credit to.... http://asma.eomag.com/category/lifes-funny/ whom I stumbled upon for some GRE entertainment :P

A NORMAL PERSON : People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
GRE STUDENT : Individuals who make their abodes in vitreous edifices would be advised to refrain from catapulting perilous projectiles.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Twinkle, twinkle, little star
GRE STUDENT : Scintillate, scintillate, asteroid minim.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : All that glitters is not gold.
GRE STUDENT: All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Beggars are not choosers
GRE STUDENT : Sorting on the part of mendicants must be interdicted.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Dead men tell no tales
GRE STUDENT : Male cadavers are incapable of rendering any testimony.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Beginner’s luck
GRE STUDENT : Neophyte’s serendipity.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : A rolling stone gathers no moss
GRE STUDENT : A revolving lithic conglomerate accumulates no congeries of small, green, biophytic plant.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Birds of a feather flock together
GRE STUDENT: Members of an avian species of identical plumage tend to congregate.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Beauty is only skin deep
GRE STUDENT : Pulchritude possesses solely cutaneous profundity.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Cleanliness is godliness
GRE STUDENT : Freedom from incrustations of grime is contiguous to rectitude.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : There’s no use crying over spilt milk
GRE STUDENT : It is fruitless to become lachrymose of precipitately departed lactile fluid.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : You can’t try to teach an old dog new tricks
GRE STUDENT : It is fruitless to attempt to indoctrinate a superannuated canine with innovative maneuvers.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Look before you leap
GRE STUDENT : Surveillance should precede saltation.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : He who laughs last, laughs best
GRE STUDENT : The person presenting the ultimate cachinnation possesses thereby the optimal cachinnation.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
GRE STUDENT : Exclusive dedication to necessitous chores without interludes of hedonistic diversion renders Jack a hebetudinous fellow.

*******************************************************
NORMAL PERSON : Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!
GRE STUDENT : Where there are visible vapours having their provenance in ignited carbonaceous materials, there is conflagration.

My co-op assignment culminated last friday and I finally bid adios to all my co-workers and the cat-house for good. I was in a state of baffled ambivalence- torn between the grief of not seeing those friendly co-workers regularly and the excitement of finally graduating and entering into a new phase of life. I was amazed at the comments and compliments I received over my last week of work; I could not bring myself to believe that my colleagues had actually confessed to me that they found me so transparently pristine and morally strong! On a funny note though, one Mr. Patel who happens to be from the same district in Gujarat as me sent me the following email:

"You are a good girl, so here are some tips that may help you for your bright future.

1.Work hard.
2.Be honest.
3.Learn new things.
4.Take more responsibility.
5.Never get married until you are 100 % sure with your partner. Trust your partner.
6.Manage/control your weight.
7.Nothing is too late to do something new in the life. Never say “It is too late”.
8.Think everyday is new day of the life. Keep your mind fresh.
9.Never say “I am old now”. Be active. Be open minded, and talk with others.
10.Have a good night sleep. Never sleep with sleep with family issue. Trust god.

I wish you all the best for your school and bright future.
God bless you…."

I did not know how to react to this one either - laugh it off because I already knew all the above, or respect the advice because it was given by an elderly person. My ultimate reaction was an amalgamation of these two ambivalent feelings.

Anyway, work is done, and so is everything else except for some formalities for the 'co-op of the year' award that my supervisor nominated me for. Ok well, back to GRE marathons for now; I will get the paperwork done later.

Never did I imagine even in my wildest dreams that I would be inundated by such self-created eccentricities and outlandish incidents! These past few weeks have seen me go from morose in worries to exhilarated in ebullience, and from debilitating in mettle to glowing with ambitions. It has been a roller-coaster ride that I have thoroughly lived and remembered. Despite of everything, I feel bubblier; more effervescent than ever and satiated with optimism! And as you can tell, the GRE study is on, albeit not as efficiently as I would like it to be, but also not bad enough for anyone to disparage.

And lastly, I am beaming with joy for coercing myself into watching 'Chak De India'! I loved the fact that YRF were thoughtful enough to represent the eastern states of Mizoram and Manipur. No wonder the populace of those states have lacked patriotism so far! We have ostracized them for being Chinese or Nepalis indeed!! And SRK has perfected the role of 'the' coach - he is middle-aged, charismatic and diligent- qualities felicitous for an experienced captain who was extradited for seven years! Despite of all the current ardor surrounding the film, I wonder if it will have any impact beyond an ephemeral celebration as witnessed by other reformatory films such as Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho Munnabhai?

I finally registered to take the GRE on 24th of Sept, right before school starts! Wish me luck and let me know if you have any suitable practice tests.

Alright, here is a GRE question for you. I answered it incorrectly but I do not understand the thought process behind the given answer choice. So leave me your answers if you will so that I can justify my opinions::

Recent advances in research methodologies in neuroscience have created excitement in academic circles and have __________ greater interest in funding new research projects in the field.

a) stymied
b) intensified
c) magnified
d) engendered
e) multiplied

So? What's your choice?

Have you ever been swamped by offers so wrong that you wonder what you have been doing to attract them? I have! I used to be nice and easy-going with people who I suspected to be jerks just to give them, you know, the benefit of doubt in case I was mis-interpreting them. But not anymore. I have stopped being super-nice because I do not have the time or energy to deal with the actions of berserk people. Sure I feel guilty for being so rude and cocky to someone, but my antipathy overrides my guilt a lot of the times. And yet, despite of all my efforts to beguile and shove away these irritating individuals, these annoying characters (who are probably devoid of self-respect I wonder) try to strike a punning, perversive conversation with me! What did I do to deserve this I ask? Being affable isn't a coveted virtue for me anymore...

Holy cow! there are so many international Indians in all the masters programs that I have been applying to that it scares the crap out of me to have to compete with these guys for getting admission. And even if admitted, I would love being around Indians, but a part of me is also scared that I will not get an all-rounded cultural experience if I am surrounded by desis all the time.

I do not know what this says about me :-P

Before I get comments saying that I need to update my blog :P, here is what has been going on in life lately:

1. Chasing deadlines at work to meet an important milestone. Work-week is therefore stressful these days, but I enjoy doing it since each piece of work is a new challenge that needs to be tested and corrected for.

2. Going for a walk/jog in the evening. I usually escape to the downtown area which is very cute with shiny buildings with old-school architecture; it feels like you are walking in a town from 80's. :)

3. The walk/jog always ends at the library, where I spent an hour or two ruffling through the pages of different GRE books, trying to solve exercises and cramming vocabulary. Honestly, I am too tired to retain more than half of the words that I read. Afterall, there is a myriad of words that need to be fit in my coconut-sized skull, but I shall write a more interesting entry on my GRE study experience next :P....

4. Weekends are usually spent at home - helping mom with groceries, general cleaning around the house, laundry :P, finishing chores, playing tennis, working-out in the gym, catching up with new developments in the family (which there always are, given how big both my parents' families are!), relaxing and watching Indian song videos on TV.

5. Now I am also in charge of finding a place to visit over the Labor Day weekend. I do not want to go to a beach (have been to too many in this area), and the selected place has to be within 5 hours of driving distance from Chicago. So, any ideas? So far I have only come up with Rock Island in WI, which is an island without any luxuries (not even cars and bikes are allowed, so you have to walk where-ever you need to go, and cook using firewood :D), but all the tents have been booked already for that weekend :( ... Let me know if you have any suggestions for places that would match the above description !! :)

6. Went to Six Flags Great America yesterday for the co-op outing from work!! It was amazing!! My boss ended up spending over $600 on the 8 of us. He brought us flash-passes so that we did not have to wait for hours in lines at any of the rides!! I liked Raging Bull the best and hated BATMAN ride the most. BATMAN ride gave me a neck-ache, and made me nauseous because it spins and loops around so fast that your head bangs from side to side or hangs loose downwards during the steep drops. Ahh... don't remind me! Its deja-vu all over again even though I am sitting in a perfectly still chair *yuck*

Alright, so with that I am going to wind up this entry and get ready to leave for home. Happy weekending to ya all! :)

aye mere vatan ke logon
zara aankh mein bhar lo paani
jo shaheed hue hain unki
zara yaad karo qurbaani

jab ghayal hua himaalay
khatre mein padi aazadi
jab tak thi saans lade vo
phir apni laash bichha di
sangeen pe dhar kar maatha
so gaye amar balidaani
jo shaheed...

jab desh mein thi diwali
vo khel rahe the holi
jab ham baithe the gharon mein
vo jhel rahe the goli
the dhanya javaan vo aapane
thi dhanya vo unaki javaani
jo shaheed ...

koi sikh koi jaat maraatha
koi gurakha koi madaraasi
sarahad pe maranevaala
har veer tha bhaaratavaasi
jo khoon gira parvat par
vo khoon tha hindustaani
jo shaheed...

thi khoon se lath-path kaaya
phir bhi bandook uthaake
das-das ko ek ne maara
phir gir gaye hosh ganva ke
jab ant-samay aaya to
kah gaye ke ab marate hain
khush rahana desh ke pyaaron
ab ham to safar karate hain
kya log the vo deewane
kya log the vo abhimaani
jo shaheed...

tum bhool na jaao unko
is liye kahi ye kahaani
jo shaheed...
jay hind jay hind ki sena -2
jay hind, jay hind, jay hind 

Bharat humko jaan se bhi pyaara hai, sabse pyaara gulistan hamara hain- I miss the smell of wet sand before and after rains, the warmth of people, the simple lives, the pious relations and the strong bond towards our motherland. On days like these, I wish I could be standing on that blessed soil where I grew up and learnt how to and what to live for. Wishful thinking, wishful thinking....

Anyways, heres wishing you all A very Happy Independence day!!

I just finished watching Life In a Metro, and I am pretty aggravated by what is being preached through the movie. Konkana Sen is taught to accept the fact that Irfan Khan can have the nastiest habits, but she should still be acceptive of them and learn to love him for his other qualities (which I did not even think existed- afterall, the man lied to her about not drinking, was ready to leave his wife on the day of his wedding and acted like a total villager).

Also, does Shilpa Shetty or Shiksha have to put up with her husband for the rest of her life, despite of how she was treated?! Do these men ever learn? Are they ever ashamed of themselves??

Well, I guess I was okay with Dharmendra pair and Sharman Joshi and Shiney Ahuja couples. But I really wonder if life in Indian metros is really like what they have shown in this movie? Are they really that needy and superficial???

The neighbor on my right is my friendly Post-It neighbor, but the one on the left is a little cold and unfriendly. My boss once described him as the most irrational person working in the Systems Validation department, which I found quite ironic since using logic and rationality to test the system and software are the foundations of his work. Anyways, we always hear him arguing on the phone with a new person each time, and he mutters under his breath as he fumes out after putting down the receiver. His favorite abuse word is not BS, but horse-s***, and his usage of that word cracks up my Post-It neighbor. This validation guy also seems to have a loud, feigned laugh that sounds like a grand-father laughing at his silly little idiotic grand-children. (I am not doing justice to his laughter; do you remember Amrish Puri (Mogambo)'s laugh in the movie 'Mr. India'? yeahhh, thats how he sounds!!)


Next down the aisle in the direction of this disgruntled neighbor of mine is the cube of my ex-boss. She is currently part-time, but there has never been a time when people are not excited to have her around! An alumni from my university, she is very perky, inevitably smart, an extrovert and a party-lover. I think I enjoy working with her more than anybody else, and am glad that I have had that opportunity this whole term! Did I mention that she is very generous and has often treated us college students to delicious delicacies?! :)


Across from my ex-boss is my current boss. A young guy with a good personality and pleasant nature. But he has too many responsibilities on hand and thus, cannot fulfill the mentoring needs of five amateur minds. He holds up well against the childish teasing by his seniors, whether it be for his unintentional charm of attracting girls or for wearing matching clothes (same-colored pants and T-shirts) or for taking numerous vacations to Vegas. But he is pretty nice as a boss, and has promised the co-ops an outing of our choice, all on the corporate credit card... classy na? :)

.... I need to close my post here and call it a day. But watch out for *maybe* yet another sequel about my other work-related acquaintaces. So long, then! :D

check out the articles on this page: http://www.desijournal.com/articlelist.asp

My fav was: http://www.desijournal.com/article.asp?articleid=306 out of the few articles that I read.

Current status: downloading songs and gathering matinee masala for my radio show this sunday. Listen to me live at www.wnur.org on Sunday 4-7 pm Chicago time!

I shall be heading home tomorrow for the weekend, and my next post will not be until next week... Just wanted to share that with you :-P.. Have a lovely weekend!!

Being the ideal employee that I am, I decided to let you peek into my daily work-life. Not the technical side of my job ofcourse, since I do not want to get into trouble for violating company confidentiality (not like you would be fond of the nitty-gritty of my engineering tasks anyways :-P). It has been almost a year working at this medical device company, and a lot has changed over time, but I have only enjoyed my experience here more and more with each passing quarter.

So where should I start from? Oh yes, with my cube-mate ofcourse!! When my division got sold-off to a private investment firm (TPG a.k.a Texas Pacific Group) early this year, the hiring managers went on a mad recruiting spree to maximize their employee per inch of office space ratio. And that is why I, like all other contractors and interns, am sharing my cube with a fellow worker. Some of the super-cubes have like four employees sharing the common walls of the cube. Not the most efficient way to work for sure, but a very coy way to chat and bond away with your colleagues. And so I get to share my socializing fervor with a blonde engineering co-op!! We get along quite well, and thankfully, she is not the typical blonde character! :D She is, a spoiled American kid though, and also a complete party animal! We share jokes and our frustrations on a daily basis, apart from the giggles aroused by chairs that seem to bump into each other every time one of us moves a little from our designated spot!

Let me move on to our neighbor on my right side. We have a special mode of communication, especially when we are distracting each other by talking loudly. We use post-its to notify each other of our grudges and opinions. Oh, we are friends and we are definitely on speaking terms with each other, but it just so happens that we find posting sticky notes on each other's cube walls to be a funny and effective mode of communication. In a typical week, we usually exchange about five post-its over the tall common wall that separates our cubes. :D

Man, I have so many other people and events at work that I could write about, but I will have to hold off until my next post to describe my work community and environment. I guess you will have to wait for Parts 2, 3 and maybe 10 of this post. Stay tuned! :D

I managed to impress myself for a very silly reason (not the first time I will be doing this, ofcourse!). I have seen more movies in the last month than I have seen in the entire year(2006)! Amazing, isn't it? Ok fine, I only saw like 3 movies in 2006 :-P. Forgive me for not being a movie buff *grin*

The following movies made it to my seen list.
1. Delhi Heights (first time I saw Neha Dhupia act, an alright movie)
2. Khosla Ka Ghosla (hilariously real!)
3. Partner (saw it in the theatre, some parts maybe entertaining, otherwise the story is greatly 'pakao')
4. Chandni Bar (depressing, but an eye-opener to the problems of prostitution in India!)
5. Kaho Na Pyaar Hai
6. Bheja Fry (stopped soon after I started)
7. Lagaan (for the second time)
8. Dil Se (only because my bro put it on)

.... and that's all I can remember to have watched in the last few weeks. But a pretty decent turn-around for an apathetic movie person like me.

Thanks to Shalin for the movie website www.videoduniya.com. Amazing quality films for free...! Ah, entertained, at last! :)

U.S. may be a melting pot for people of all ethnicities, but Indians stand out, even more so than the Chinese a lot of the times.

I read up a few articles today on the perception of the market towards immigrants, and India seemed to be at the back of every writer's head, especially when it came down to the professions of dot-coms and doctors.

At this point, I get the feeling that some Americans are spiteful towards Indians, for we seem to have the capability to work harder and act smarter. I read a few opinions complaining about how people from other countries returned to their homelands after several years, and take their capital with them so that America loses its money.

It does seem unfair to me that we gain from this wonderful economy and tolerant culture of America, but do nothing to really give back to the nation. Maybe Indians become entrepreneurs and create several jobs for this economy, or innovate amazing computer chips in the Silicon Valley, or go shopping for overly priced articles at the mall, but they might still want to consider celebrating July 4th with the same fervor as Aug 15th!

You might enjoy reading this: http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/culture/features/11621/

This is insane! It is 12:40 am, I have to be at work by 7:30 am tomorrow and I cannot resist the urge to blog! I am actually exhausted after the long trip to and from Chicago - had numerous thoughts during this commute; those thoughts also included how I wanted to pen down (on my blog) what I felt and why.

Actually nevermind, my brain is giving out very inarticulate signals and the shutters of my eyes are ready to drop any moment now. Will continue this post some other time.....

I am so excited for next week - for some reasons that I cannot disclose over the public webspace!

But I will tell you this: Monday night I am going to Chicago for an informational session of Bain & Co. Consultants. That will be a nice change from the routine work-life, and also an opportunity to clear my questions about consulting!

Next weekend, we are also throwing my friend a surprise party somewhere in Chicago!

Work has been great so far! Things have been moving along at a good pace, and I keep getting attached to my co-workers more and more everyday! They are a bunch of talented, friendly and candid people. Just the type of company I have been seeking!! :-)

Oh, and my car is finally back from repairs. I spent 3K on the old thing - but its still my car and I love it!! Atleast it is newer looking, has nice interiors and a CD Player that works!!

Btw, I am downloading some songs because I am tired of my current song collection. What are your all-time favourite songs??

Lastly but very importantly, does anyone know how to scare these cats out of my room???

A Duke University survey found that immigrants in U.S. contribute substantially to the technological progress and development out here :
http://memp.pratt.duke.edu/news/?id=829

Ahh the uncertainty!! With just one more year of undergrad education left, I am feeling the crunch for time to prepare for my GREs, choose the right grad school program, fill and send out grad school applications, and update and send my resume to potential employers!

The feeling of ending up with an insecure future is intimidating! Better get back to researching schools and degrees....

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Also, I am going to stick up these witty sayings (which I found on web today) outside my cube the next time I go to work =D

Cubicle One-Liners

1. If you do a good job and work hard, you may get a job with a better company someday.

2. The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off due to budget cuts.

3. Sure, you may not like working here, but we pay your rent.

4. Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings -- they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

5. A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat.

6. If at first you don't succeed--try management.

7. Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether.

8. Never quit... until you have another job.

9. Hang in there: Retirement is only 30 years away!

10. Go the extra mile--It makes your boss look like an incompetent slacker.

11. Pride, commitment, teamwork--words we use to get you to work for free.

12. Work: It isn't just for sleeping anymore.

13. There are two kinds of people in life: people who like their jobs, and people who don't work here anymore.

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I made the move! I am now a paying guest in a house with a single mother and her two daughters. I get a small wooden room, neatly furnished with a bed, closet, desk, a tall chest and a TV. Along with wireless internet and other utilities, I also get the privilege to live with two cats! I have never had any pets, nor am I a cat person, but I think I am learning to like them.

The family I live with is amicable, but not really friendly. The mother is a mid-wife who is usually not at home till late night, and the daughters have their own things to do, so I am usually by myself when at home. Luckily for me, I made an Indian friend while searching for a renter close to work. I wonder how depressing it would have been to not have anyone around in the evening! My newfound friend was quite desolate when he moved close to work eight months back. You begin to value good friends and good company even more once you pass through such phases in life.