यादें

कॉलेज का आखिरी साल, हर लम्हे को पूरी तरह जी लेने का जज़्बा लेकर आता है| हर कोई कहता है कि यह चार साल ज़िन्दगी के सबसे सुनहरे साल हैं, जितनी मस्ती कर सकते हो कर लो| पर यथार्थ में यही ज़िन्दगी की नींव के सबसे महत्त्वपूर्ण पत्थर भी होते हैं| चौथे साल तक भविष्य कि चिंता दस्तक देने लगती है, साथ ही दोस्तों की अहमियत महसूस होती है | इस उधेड़बुन के बीच मैं यह चिट्ठा लिख रही हूँ, कॉलेज के रंगीन दिनों पर | कुछ दोस्त विदाई ले चुके हैं, बाकीयों से बिछुड़ने का अहसास है |  पर होठों पर सदा मुस्कान लायेंगी कॉलेज कि ये यादें ........


PS: If you are a non-Hindi reader, don't worry, I won't be writing the memoir completely in Hindi :P

Driving in Jabalpur

If you appreciate chaos, you would love this. Heavy traffic, no rules whatsoever and roads with potholes. Driving a two-wheeler in Jabalpur is at times a circus where you are unknowingly one of the jokers.  I went driving for a mere 8 km today and a few peeks at the journey can tell you a lot about my daily experience:

I’m driving a bit towards the left on the road and a passenger auto decides to go left and stop right before me. No problem, with autos you can expect that they’ll turn or stop whenever and wherever they feel like. I then overtook it from the right but then somebody has to get down on the right side.

Time Efficiently Disbursed: TEDx

Inspiring ideas + enthralling evidence + splendid speakers = TEDx BITS Goa

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TEDx was a conference which attracted many speakers from all over India who wanted to spread their ideas. It was an awesome experience to hear those prolific thinkers today. TEDx was preceded by TEDx University where a few speakers where given 4 minutes each to present their idea. The main speakers were given 18 minutes each.

Some of the impressive performances were of : engineer turned toymaker Arvind Gupta, world music band Shanti, structural engineer Himanshu Parikh, YES+ guy Khurshed Batliwala, Rubik cube prodigy Bernett Orlando, MIT artist Chris, entrepreneur Nikhil Velpanur, origami artist Shivaram Narayanan, founder of Blank Noise Jasmeen Patheja and film-maker Aparna Wilder. There were many other speakers, you can see the list @ http://www.tedxbitsgoa.com/speakers

Arvind Gupta has marvelous hands and an intuitive mind. He makes scientific toys out of household things including discarded materials. A cycle tyre tube and matchsticks were used to make various polygons with shape-shifting properties. A triangle is the only one which doesn't change shape, demonstrating that the shape is most fit for mechanical trusses. He showed an electrical motor, a sprinkler, a Velcro slate and wool pen for blind children among other things. His work is the kind of grassroots innovation India needs.

Another grassroots change is being brought about by Himanshu Parikh, a structural engineer who believes in Water and Sanitation as the tool to change millions of lives in India. He strongly believes that we don't need aid from abroad, just one-time investment by corporates, community and government can change the faces of Indian villages and slums. He presented data which was eye-opening. Though he said that an average investment of 6000 per family for drainage gave rise to about 75k of investment by families themselves. A fact that I find hard to digest despite his facts. But, if his movement can become widespread in India, it would have a much bigger impact than green and white revolution put together.

Jasmeen is a founder member of Blank Noise, a community initiative which raises the issue of eve-teasing. It is an issue which plagues Indian society and it was heartening to know that somebody is raising a voice. If you wish to know more about this vital issue, do visit her website http://www.blog.blanknoise.org/ Or join them at twitter @ http://twitter.com/blank_noise

Jessica Mayberry talked about community journalism which would focus on incidents and individuals ignored by the mainstream media. Her work can be another way of rural empowerment.

Shanti band's performance on melody based fusion music was beautifully rendered. It was a pleasure to listen to the symphony of sitar, tabla, keyboard and drums.

Bernett Orlando was a pleasure to watch. The kid is only 13 and can solve Rubik cubes in minutes single handed and even blind folded. It was amazing to watch the fast, nimble fingers of this 6 times national champion. The hand shadow puppetry show by Amar Kumar Sen was fun too. Another set of nimble fingers that served a feast for the eyes. Seeing origami by Shivaram Narayanan was a new experience. His pieces were almost lifelike. I thought of it as only an art, never crossed my mind that it would have so many applications. 

Two websites which I found worth checking out: Bharath Gyan and Bytes for All.

Bharath Gyan talks about the science lying undiscovered in the observations of ancient India. Khurshed Batliwala showed a few examples from here. One of them showing how we always knew that the earth is round भूगोल and it moves जगत. From his examples, I have a feeling that the site would be fascinating to read.

Bytes for All is a journalism initiative centred on IT innovations which affect daily life. It would be an interesting kind of news to keep ourselves abreast with.

This was a fruitful day spent listening to these wonderful people.

Applause and gratitude to Swetansu Mohapatra, the student who brought TEDx to our campus.

Reading Weekly 2.0

I told you about the MATRIX reading club in my post Reading Weekly. I had mentioned that Art of War, Zahir and Bourne Series would be discussed next week. Sarthak has done a nice writeup of that meeting. You can check it out at his blog, The Difference.

Solid Words

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centred.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable.
Be honest and transparent anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People who really want help may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.
Give the world your best anyway.

Taken from "Meditations from a Simple Path" by Mother Teresa

Reading Weekly

A new activity got added to this semester besides 8 courses, GRE classes and Wall Street Club – MATRIX Reading Club. The club is an attempt to bring together people who are passionate about reading. It seeks to broaden horizons and light sparks of interest. A meeting could be loosely structured around a few books, the talk could veer around to an interesting article in the newspaper or to the world of books and authors galore. I got the idea last sem but was too busy to implement. So, this sem delving into it.

Yesterday's meeting went as follows:

In the last meeting, we had decided to discuss Bourne series by Robert Ludlum, The White Tiger by Arvind Adiga and India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha. We started with a talk between Ankit and Neha about the historian. When Ankit mentioned Jayprakash Narayan, Syam took over with an analysis of Indira Gandhi and her rule. That was followed by feudalism and communism in Kerala. I came to know Kerala has 140 Vidhan Sabha and 19 Lok Sabha seats. Somewhere in between there was Ayn Rand and not believing in her philosophy thrown in. Syam was talking about objectivism, the philosophy that she propagated. I've never read her and took it as objectivism i.e. sticking to truth. Talked about how every author, unless they are a historian writing in black and white, is unobjective. The authors views do seep in. Gave an example of Gone With The Wind, where Margaret Mitchell paints blacks as an integral part of the family in South America. That led to the etymology of the word lynching, traced to Willie Lynch's methods by Achal. There was another digression on objectivism as Achal tried to reason that unless reader believes in the work, it can't be objectified. These three meanings make me appreciate why people mug up word lists for GRE :D

Science fiction also found a way in with Neha talking about The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and The Foundation by Issac Asimov. While I was getting cold coffees, there was a discussion on Ghost In The Shell series. Benefit of organising meetings in night canteen, we get to talk over coffee and bournvita. We didn't much get to Arvind Adiga except that the book begins with a village in Gaya.

To participate in a stimulating discussion like this wasn't just nice, it was fun. Next week, we have on the table, Zahir by Paulo Coelho, Art of War by Sun Tzu and Bourne series again. A classic e.g. Wuthering Heights is also in queue.

Sunrise

Image by Thai Jasmine via Flickr

I was lucky to be up at dawn today. My window gives me an amazing view of the central lawns, hostel buildings, the river Zuari and the bank beyond. I noticed a diffusion of orange in the sky when I woke up signaling sunrise. My window does not face the east, so I went to the other side of the building and stood hanging out of a window to watch the colours in the sky. The window is before a terrace, the door to which is sadly, always kept locked. The hues of the horizon change every second. First there were streaks of bright orange in the middle of the sky. Near to the land, the orange diffused to a misty grey. And above, hung the clouds in shades of white and grey. As the sun rises somewhere beyond my vision, the orange lightens. At one moment, there is a glow to the whole sky like a golden light has overtaken the orange and the grey. The orange gently lightens to herald the appearance of the sun. The sun is hidden beyond the hills but the light has spread.

This is Christmas morning and I want to sing Joy to the world, the Lord has come.

Merry Christmas to all of you!!

सू करू छे

पिछला आधा हफ्ता ट्रेन में ही गुजरा । पहले वास्को से जबलपुर, फिर जबलपुर से सोमनाथ और वापिस – ९६ घंटे का सफर । गुजरात मैं पहली बार गई थी, खमण- ढोकले तो नज़र नही आए पर अमूल की दुकान हर स्टेशन पर थी । गुजराती नमकीन लज़ीज़ होते हैं पर ट्रेन में तो दाने-पानी को तरस गए । वो तो घरवालों के साथ थी तो खाने का एक थैला साथ था, वरना, गए थे । हाँ राजकोट और जैतलसर अच्छे शहर थे । राजकोट में अमूल श्रीखण्ड खाया तो अणुशक्तिनगर का श्रीखण्ड याद आ गया । { अणुशक्तिनगर -> देखें I love Mumbai } । ऐसे ही जैतलसर के भजिये याद रहेंगे ।

पेट पूजा से आगे चलते हैं उसके एक स्त्रोत पर। सोमनाथ में गाय-बैल थोक में हैं । गुजरात में 'दूधो नहाओ' ज़रूर होता होगा अगर अमूल और वाडीलाल सब बेच न डालते हों । एक ही शहर में हर तरह का पशु पालन दिख गया - गाय-बैल, बकरियाँ, भेड़ें, मुर्गे और गधे ।

सोमनाथ मन्दिर परिसर में बहुत सारे कबूतर रहते हैं । दाना चुगाते लोग और दौड़-दौड़कर कबूतर उड़ाते बच्चे दोंनों ही सुंदर छवि बनाते हैं । मंदिरवाले शायद साम्यवादी हैं इसलिए कुत्ते और शूकर भी मौजूद होते हैं ।

अगर आप कभी सोमनाथ जाएँ तो गुमने का कोई डर नहीं है । जिस जगह से समुद्र-मछलियों की तेज़ बदबू शुरू हो जाए, बस समझियेगा पहुँच गए। सोमनाथ से लेकर दीव तक एक भी मछली बाज़ार नहीं दिखा पर गंध 'आपके साथ सदा के लिए' । गोवा में तो यह धूप कभी नहीं महकी । पर गोवा जैसी ठंडी-तेज़ मस्त हवाएं भी हैं सोमनाथ में । स्टेशन पर ट्रेन की पटरियाँ खत्म कर दी गई हैं की कहीं ट्रेन समुद्र में न कूद जाए ।

सोमनाथ से दीव के रास्ते में एक नए तरह का रिक्शा देखने को मिला । आगे से मोटरसाईकिल, पीछे से ट्रॉली। फोटो में देख सकते हैं आप। बैठने का आनंद उठाने का मन था, पर सफर सिर्फ़ इन्डिका में कटा।

यहाँ पर स्टेशन से मन्दिर पहुँचने में ही इतनी गलियाँ हैं की होश फाख्ता हो जाएँ। बनारस घूमी हूँ, उसे मात देती हैं ये गलियाँ। पर इतनी गन्दगी होगी ये सोचा न था। सोमनाथ एक तीर्थस्थल है, पर ये मेरा देखा हुआ सबसे गन्दा क़स्बा है।

ये थे मेरे गुजरात भ्रमण के कुछ अनुभव। गुजराती लिपि देवनागरी से मिलती-जुलती है। कुछ अक्षर अलग हैं जैसे क -> ક । गुजराती में उसे डाँट कर सीधा खड़ा कर दिया गया है। बेचारा मुँह बाए खड़ा रहता है।
दीव और गोवा नाम पढ़कर एक सवाल उठा मन में । हिन्दी में गोआ गोवा और दियू दीव क्यों हो जाता है? अगर दिमाग की बत्ती जले तो अवश्य बताएं ।

हिन्दी में

थोडे दिनों पहले विकल्प का लेख पढ़ा पिलानी के हिन्दी प्रेस क्लब के ब्लॉग पर| बहुत दिनों बाद हिन्दी में कुछ पढ़ा| उसके बाद प्रतीक माहेश्वरी का ब्लॉग पढ़ा| बहुत अच्छा लिखते हैं| तब से हिन्दी में लिखने का मन कर रहा था, इसलिए अगली रचना हिन्दी में| अब से इस चिट्ठे में थोड़ी हिन्दी, थोड़ी अंग्रेज़ी|

!!!Two hours

In those two hours, the world went topsy-turvy. I received three CDC papers in two hours, one was good (surprisingly) and the other two left a lot to be done in T2 and compre. But these are not the two hours I am talking about. They are the ones that followed. I decided I was in no mood for snacks, instead went to the library and settled down with a book, only the fourth person inside. No network inside lib, switched off my phone. The clock showed six and I was completely immersed in All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. Another hour went by among sheep, horses and calves. {James Herriot is a vet and writes about his country practice.} By now, I was ravenously hungry. I proceeded to the Institute Cafeteria for samosa chaat (staple food at IC). Saw some crowd outside audi, couldn’t figure out why. Maybe there was something related to the visiting MIT delegates, but without prior intimation… Wondering, I reached IC where the guy asked me that what was happening in audi. I replied with a negative probably for the first time. Anyway, returned at a leisurely pace to hostel where the world exploded. And I came to know a lot had changed…