I'm a nocturnal person, I love staying up till the wee hours of the night getting work done and possibly some entertainment (typically side-by-side). It's a model that's worked pretty well with me, and was pretty much the norm at IIIT as well.
It was so much fun back in the lab a lot of us used to pull all-nighters writing papers or doing experiments, take occasional breaks to get a cup of coffee or a bread-omlette from the late-night road side vendor who's up cooking up fast food for other nocturnal creatures working at call centers and BPOs, and then return to the PCs to continue the work.
Now, I'm in my own office, and it's boring, quiet and irritating. Not to mention lonely. How I miss my and labmates! Let's hope CMUQ expands its research labs and brings in more people. A lot more people.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Convocated :)
Convocation's done.
Ever since the idiotic University of Calicut unceremoniously sent me my degree by registered post, I've been looking forward to a proper convocation ceremony at least for the later degrees in life. Last weekend, I flew down to Hyderabad with my parents, got my degree in a nice, simple ceremony. Sure, it didn't have the pomp and grandeur of the QF graduation (QF might have actually spent more money on that night than the entire budget of IIIT for the year), but it was nice nonetheless. A nice touch was that we graduated in desi style, sans cap-and-gown, but with kurta pyjama :)
The picture above is really special because of how all of us are smiling, just so happy, behind those smiles were literally hours and hours of hard work and late nights at our lab, CVIT. Of course there was the occasional goofing off as well, late night movies on the big screen, card games or Facebook games challenges.
But to the issue at hand (there's always a philosophical standpoint or issue that I need to address in every blog post innit?). Last weekend made me realize what my college life in Kerala was. It was a big mess, but it said so much about how education was treated there. The "value" of a degree and the educational experience was denigrated so much, college turned into some sort of conscription that everyone's expected to attend, whether they like it or not. How do you expect students to learn, enjoy learning when the degrees are treated as only a means to an end? When I finished my bachelors back in college, there was no ceremony, no acknowledgment from the college, just a "when are you guys leaving and vacating the hostel" look.
It's sad to see what education has turned into in the "most educated" state in India.
Ever since the idiotic University of Calicut unceremoniously sent me my degree by registered post, I've been looking forward to a proper convocation ceremony at least for the later degrees in life. Last weekend, I flew down to Hyderabad with my parents, got my degree in a nice, simple ceremony. Sure, it didn't have the pomp and grandeur of the QF graduation (QF might have actually spent more money on that night than the entire budget of IIIT for the year), but it was nice nonetheless. A nice touch was that we graduated in desi style, sans cap-and-gown, but with kurta pyjama :)
The picture above is really special because of how all of us are smiling, just so happy, behind those smiles were literally hours and hours of hard work and late nights at our lab, CVIT. Of course there was the occasional goofing off as well, late night movies on the big screen, card games or Facebook games challenges.
But to the issue at hand (there's always a philosophical standpoint or issue that I need to address in every blog post innit?). Last weekend made me realize what my college life in Kerala was. It was a big mess, but it said so much about how education was treated there. The "value" of a degree and the educational experience was denigrated so much, college turned into some sort of conscription that everyone's expected to attend, whether they like it or not. How do you expect students to learn, enjoy learning when the degrees are treated as only a means to an end? When I finished my bachelors back in college, there was no ceremony, no acknowledgment from the college, just a "when are you guys leaving and vacating the hostel" look.
It's sad to see what education has turned into in the "most educated" state in India.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Nostalgia
Nostalgia's a bitch.
Here I was, for 7 years thinking that all would be well the moment I finish up in India and come back to good 'ol Qatar. Now here I am, and I'm still craving...something. Can't really put a finger on it. Turns out that I'm really missing what life was like. Innocence, school, friends, yacking over the phone all day, face lighting up when I got money (even 25 bucks would do), no care in the world, LIFE. Now I'm back, I have a great job, can pretty much buy (and did buy) all the things I wanted as a Kid : a nice mobile, cool PC, gaming console, sports coupe, etc. etc. etc.
Turns out you can't really buy back your childhood and teen years. There was a time when the latest game and graphics card would make me drool, but now it's like Meh.
Everyone's busy. No one has the time to talk anymore, not even over the phone. I remember a time when 3-4 hours on the phone a day was pretty standard, and I had even gone up to about 7 hours non-stop. Today, my mom (who is works with Qtel btw) scolds me for not being able to finish 400 minutes on my mobile phone plan a month!
"Go get a girlfriend, talk on the phone, finish your phone minutes, you're wasting money on your plan otherwise", my MOM told me. Oh Snap! That's probably the worst burn a guy can get. From his MOM.
I sighed, went ahead and changed my plan to Shahry 60 (100 minutes free a month). Hope at least now I won't waste any more money.
Here I was, for 7 years thinking that all would be well the moment I finish up in India and come back to good 'ol Qatar. Now here I am, and I'm still craving...something. Can't really put a finger on it. Turns out that I'm really missing what life was like. Innocence, school, friends, yacking over the phone all day, face lighting up when I got money (even 25 bucks would do), no care in the world, LIFE. Now I'm back, I have a great job, can pretty much buy (and did buy) all the things I wanted as a Kid : a nice mobile, cool PC, gaming console, sports coupe, etc. etc. etc.
Turns out you can't really buy back your childhood and teen years. There was a time when the latest game and graphics card would make me drool, but now it's like Meh.
Everyone's busy. No one has the time to talk anymore, not even over the phone. I remember a time when 3-4 hours on the phone a day was pretty standard, and I had even gone up to about 7 hours non-stop. Today, my mom (who is works with Qtel btw) scolds me for not being able to finish 400 minutes on my mobile phone plan a month!
"Go get a girlfriend, talk on the phone, finish your phone minutes, you're wasting money on your plan otherwise", my MOM told me. Oh Snap! That's probably the worst burn a guy can get. From his MOM.
I sighed, went ahead and changed my plan to Shahry 60 (100 minutes free a month). Hope at least now I won't waste any more money.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Fair Game?
News abounds when there's racial discrimination against Indians abroad. We get all riled up when someone was denied access to a bar, not allowed to seek accommodation etc. However, we seldom realize that we might actually be among the most racist people ever.
Caste and religion based discrimination aside, there's this incredible, primal preference that most Indians have for fair skin. India has one of the world's largest markets for skin whitening products (estimated at around half a billion dollars by Nielsen). The recent Vaseline Facebook promotional app whitening your profile picture was a rude reminder of our "pigmentocracy". The fact that this behavior is reinforced by the media is pretty shocking, as people find this an accepted fact of life now. I remember the following ad from Fair and Lovely and as I saw it, it didn't really occur to me the subliminal message that the company was sending so that they could push more product.
I had a discussion with a friend from France about this and that's when I realized the horrible truth. There are occupations in India which are off limits for people who are not fair skinned! Some pretty obvious observations are the film industry, and down south females need to have milky-white skin to be able to land the big roles along side "superstars", who are sometimes on the other end of the skin color spectrum, but that's more sexist than racist. It became pretty apparent to me that camera-facing jobs for TV and media almost always go for the fairer skinned candidate.
It's really scary how this subliminal prejudice has become commonplace, even in my family. I remember my relatives discussing a prospective match for one of my cousins and the usual dialogue (in Malayalam) of "Kutti nallatha, pashe colour pora" (The girl is nice but her colour is not enough!). Colour is a widely-used euphemism for skin fairness in Kerala.
In spite of having an institutionalized form of discrimination and racial segregation not too long ago, countries like the US and South Africa have come a long way in accepting dark skinned individuals in all walks of life. I remember watching some hollywood action movie on TV and one of my Uncles, who is not used to watching English content remarked, "American cinemayil Negroesinu nalla pradhanyam unde" (American movies tend to give importance to Negroes)
One can only hope that this there's a gradual shift in attitude and people realize that a person's worth is not function of his/her melanin content.
Caste and religion based discrimination aside, there's this incredible, primal preference that most Indians have for fair skin. India has one of the world's largest markets for skin whitening products (estimated at around half a billion dollars by Nielsen). The recent Vaseline Facebook promotional app whitening your profile picture was a rude reminder of our "pigmentocracy". The fact that this behavior is reinforced by the media is pretty shocking, as people find this an accepted fact of life now. I remember the following ad from Fair and Lovely and as I saw it, it didn't really occur to me the subliminal message that the company was sending so that they could push more product.
I had a discussion with a friend from France about this and that's when I realized the horrible truth. There are occupations in India which are off limits for people who are not fair skinned! Some pretty obvious observations are the film industry, and down south females need to have milky-white skin to be able to land the big roles along side "superstars", who are sometimes on the other end of the skin color spectrum, but that's more sexist than racist. It became pretty apparent to me that camera-facing jobs for TV and media almost always go for the fairer skinned candidate.
It's really scary how this subliminal prejudice has become commonplace, even in my family. I remember my relatives discussing a prospective match for one of my cousins and the usual dialogue (in Malayalam) of "Kutti nallatha, pashe colour pora" (The girl is nice but her colour is not enough!). Colour is a widely-used euphemism for skin fairness in Kerala.
In spite of having an institutionalized form of discrimination and racial segregation not too long ago, countries like the US and South Africa have come a long way in accepting dark skinned individuals in all walks of life. I remember watching some hollywood action movie on TV and one of my Uncles, who is not used to watching English content remarked, "American cinemayil Negroesinu nalla pradhanyam unde" (American movies tend to give importance to Negroes)
One can only hope that this there's a gradual shift in attitude and people realize that a person's worth is not function of his/her melanin content.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Hot, Lazy, Boring Summer!
California was a blast, I'm not going to write a lot about it since I might get a bit depressed reading it afterward (yes, I occasionally peruse through my own writings in an effort to better understand myself, DUHH!)
As I gradually return to normalcy and my sleep cycles have made a full shift back to UTC +3 (AST), I that this is going to be one long, hot and boring summer. Sure, I have a few friends to keep me company, but it's still pretty boring here. The campus is practically empty and deserted, and I'm all alone here, fending for myself and keeping the research work alive by myself. And the frikkin' HEAT! I've not been in Qatar for July/August for well over 7 years now and I pretty much forgot how punishing the weather can be. To rub salt on these wounds, California was pretty much the best weather I had ever experienced in my life, with bright sunshine and highs of 20 C. Both my brothers have left for India which basically leaves me and my parents at home.
But I think I complain too much. I'm really looking forward to August 14th, as I will be at my first (actually my family's first) official graduation (convocation) ceremony back at IIIT. Also, Ramadan with family after 7 years (see post below about Ramadan Woes at IIIT). So I guess it's not all that bad :)
As I gradually return to normalcy and my sleep cycles have made a full shift back to UTC +3 (AST), I that this is going to be one long, hot and boring summer. Sure, I have a few friends to keep me company, but it's still pretty boring here. The campus is practically empty and deserted, and I'm all alone here, fending for myself and keeping the research work alive by myself. And the frikkin' HEAT! I've not been in Qatar for July/August for well over 7 years now and I pretty much forgot how punishing the weather can be. To rub salt on these wounds, California was pretty much the best weather I had ever experienced in my life, with bright sunshine and highs of 20 C. Both my brothers have left for India which basically leaves me and my parents at home.
But I think I complain too much. I'm really looking forward to August 14th, as I will be at my first (actually my family's first) official graduation (convocation) ceremony back at IIIT. Also, Ramadan with family after 7 years (see post below about Ramadan Woes at IIIT). So I guess it's not all that bad :)
Friday, July 02, 2010
Dubai...
I've been to Dubai maybe once in 2001, entirely by accident as a flight to India was stuck in dense fog. Since 2007, however, I've flown to Doha via Dubai many times. Dubai airport is a destination of it's own.
Some of the facts are pretty mind blowing: Emirates Terminal 3 is the world's largest terminal by floorspace. When I flew in today, I noticed that they were literally doubling the terminal area and construction's in full swing. Dubai airport services about 40 Million passengers a year, which is much many times more than the actual population of the UAE (~7 Million). Dubai duty free is the world's largest duty free operation with over with over 1 Billion dollars in sales and about 20 Million transactions a year. 5600 flights a week to over 200 destinations by nearly 100 different airlines.
Sure, all these facts and figures about the airport are pretty impressive, but what usually moves me is the Human aspect of this incredible place. Dubai airport is a transit melting pot, located roughly in the center of the world. When whizzing past one gate to another, I see and encounter thousands of people for a quick glance, a brief moment where our lives intersect. I get to see people from all walks of life, and a game I love to play is "What's their story". You see an elderly couple gradually making their way through the terminal to get to their flight, probably to visit their children and grandchildren in a far-away foreign land. Immigrant laborers, confused and dazed, somehow managing to navigate this mammoth structure to get to their next flight. People happy and excited to be reunited with their families, or sad that they are going far, far away and won't see them again for a long time. Excited tourists onward to an exotic location. Businessmen, with their laptops and blackberries, typing away and making sure that they are on top of their job, even while traveling. And so much more.
This very mix, blend of people from all walks of life, from all over the world, all with their own story, their own chapters of life all going forward in motion. It's a sight to behold and really puts your life in perspective.
Some of the facts are pretty mind blowing: Emirates Terminal 3 is the world's largest terminal by floorspace. When I flew in today, I noticed that they were literally doubling the terminal area and construction's in full swing. Dubai airport services about 40 Million passengers a year, which is much many times more than the actual population of the UAE (~7 Million). Dubai duty free is the world's largest duty free operation with over with over 1 Billion dollars in sales and about 20 Million transactions a year. 5600 flights a week to over 200 destinations by nearly 100 different airlines.
Sure, all these facts and figures about the airport are pretty impressive, but what usually moves me is the Human aspect of this incredible place. Dubai airport is a transit melting pot, located roughly in the center of the world. When whizzing past one gate to another, I see and encounter thousands of people for a quick glance, a brief moment where our lives intersect. I get to see people from all walks of life, and a game I love to play is "What's their story". You see an elderly couple gradually making their way through the terminal to get to their flight, probably to visit their children and grandchildren in a far-away foreign land. Immigrant laborers, confused and dazed, somehow managing to navigate this mammoth structure to get to their next flight. People happy and excited to be reunited with their families, or sad that they are going far, far away and won't see them again for a long time. Excited tourists onward to an exotic location. Businessmen, with their laptops and blackberries, typing away and making sure that they are on top of their job, even while traveling. And so much more.
This very mix, blend of people from all walks of life, from all over the world, all with their own story, their own chapters of life all going forward in motion. It's a sight to behold and really puts your life in perspective.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Off to San Francisco!
Wow, looks like June's becoming a special month of sorts. Last year, in June, i flew to the east coast in the US and visited both New York and Miami. It was an amazing experience, to be finally able to see the "fabled" land of the US, given the couple of years of slogging I went through in India.
Looks like I'm being rewarded again, Tonight I fly to the west coast, to San Francisco for four days on a business trip to the Hadoop Summit in Santa Clara. This time, it's business class all the way. I mean I can't believe my luck. Damn!
Then again, there's a part of me who's loathing the trip a bit. For the most part of the last decade, I've been traveling alone. I think the last time I've traveled with my family is back in 2001, for my brother's wedding. I've now associated travel with a bit of loneliness, a time for reflection. And on this particular flight, (one of Emirates' longest non-stop flights), it's going to be 16+ hours of traveling all alone. Yup, that's a long time to be left alone with your thoughts.
Don't get me wrong, I've become perfectly accustomed to traveling alone. There's always this excitement of seeing a new place, and a word in the English language describes it perfectly: Wanderlust. But there's always this feeling, a longing for someone to share the experience with.
I remember remember going to NYC / Manhattan alone. It was exciting at first, roaming the streets by foot, stopping to catch my breath, opening up this cumbersome pocket map and navigating my way through from Grand Central Station to Central Park to The Met, 30 Rock and Times Square! But at the end of the day, It was a bit depressing. It would have been nice to have at least another person that I can turn to, talk to, enjoy exploring the city with.
And it's going to happen all over again. I didn't want to spend too much time in San Francisco, but I'm not dumb. I've earmarked a day for sightseeing, I just might sign up for some sort of city tour or something. But It's going to be one day, all alone, at a place I've seen so many times in movies and TV shows. But I won't have anyone to share it with. Bummer.
Am I going soft? Maybe I should man up, there's so much that I need to finish in my life before I "settle down". But will it be too late? Will I turn into Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) from Up in the Air? Am I doomed to see the world and all it's glory alone?
Hope my Mom does not see this post :)
Looks like I'm being rewarded again, Tonight I fly to the west coast, to San Francisco for four days on a business trip to the Hadoop Summit in Santa Clara. This time, it's business class all the way. I mean I can't believe my luck. Damn!
Then again, there's a part of me who's loathing the trip a bit. For the most part of the last decade, I've been traveling alone. I think the last time I've traveled with my family is back in 2001, for my brother's wedding. I've now associated travel with a bit of loneliness, a time for reflection. And on this particular flight, (one of Emirates' longest non-stop flights), it's going to be 16+ hours of traveling all alone. Yup, that's a long time to be left alone with your thoughts.
Don't get me wrong, I've become perfectly accustomed to traveling alone. There's always this excitement of seeing a new place, and a word in the English language describes it perfectly: Wanderlust. But there's always this feeling, a longing for someone to share the experience with.
I remember remember going to NYC / Manhattan alone. It was exciting at first, roaming the streets by foot, stopping to catch my breath, opening up this cumbersome pocket map and navigating my way through from Grand Central Station to Central Park to The Met, 30 Rock and Times Square! But at the end of the day, It was a bit depressing. It would have been nice to have at least another person that I can turn to, talk to, enjoy exploring the city with.
And it's going to happen all over again. I didn't want to spend too much time in San Francisco, but I'm not dumb. I've earmarked a day for sightseeing, I just might sign up for some sort of city tour or something. But It's going to be one day, all alone, at a place I've seen so many times in movies and TV shows. But I won't have anyone to share it with. Bummer.
Am I going soft? Maybe I should man up, there's so much that I need to finish in my life before I "settle down". But will it be too late? Will I turn into Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) from Up in the Air? Am I doomed to see the world and all it's glory alone?
Hope my Mom does not see this post :)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Duuude Noooo!
(Not for the weak-at-heart, gruesome double entendres may follow)
So I've been frequenting the fitness facilities here at QF. Might as well, right? Great facilities, free of charge, and I'm feeling great now that I swim almost everyday. But there is one thing that really pisses me off. The sheer number of people who change without stepping into the changing booths at the locker.
I mean, please, come on! Why the F do you have to show the whole world your junk? I just don't get it. It's been like the nth time that I've accidentally walked into someone changing right in the hallway without bothering to use a booth. My eyes still hurt from the scene. Dude! I don't even know your freaking name!
"Sure, we're all made the same way. and we all have the same "apparatuses" or whatever, but please, just take it inside, at least here in Doha. No, we're not that cool about it here. I mean if I was in a ladies locker room, then...well.. lets not go there. How did this become acceptable locker room conduct? I mean who started this whole concept?
Ugh. Please god, I don't want to see anymore bananas and coconuts.
So I've been frequenting the fitness facilities here at QF. Might as well, right? Great facilities, free of charge, and I'm feeling great now that I swim almost everyday. But there is one thing that really pisses me off. The sheer number of people who change without stepping into the changing booths at the locker.
I mean, please, come on! Why the F do you have to show the whole world your junk? I just don't get it. It's been like the nth time that I've accidentally walked into someone changing right in the hallway without bothering to use a booth. My eyes still hurt from the scene. Dude! I don't even know your freaking name!
"Sure, we're all made the same way. and we all have the same "apparatuses" or whatever, but please, just take it inside, at least here in Doha. No, we're not that cool about it here. I mean if I was in a ladies locker room, then...well.. lets not go there. How did this become acceptable locker room conduct? I mean who started this whole concept?
Ugh. Please god, I don't want to see anymore bananas and coconuts.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Back to Life...
Why am I complaining?
I have a nice, comfortable job, in my "home"town, that is not a run-of-the-mill IT job. I'm doing research, I work on projects that are pretty close to what I worked on in IIIT. Home to Office commute is roughly 10 minutes, 5 if i decide to put the pedal to the metal on my swanky new car, a vehicle I cannot dream of owning (and fueling) in India. Heck, I could go out on a limb and admit that this job is probably the best job for me in Qatar. I could also claim that this job is identical in work to typical MS/PhD research work, but with a fairly generous paycheck.
But it really isn't. I think it has something to do with what my Boss said when I had lunch with him in the first few weeks of my time here:
"When you are a student", he said, "you can afford to be spontaneous, you can walk around campus aimlessly, you can have 2-3 hour discussions with fellow students about life, universe and everything. This life is addictive, you are free of responsibilities. You are responsible only for yourself. And then there's 'real life'. It's like a big red button that you choose to ignore as you study. But it gets bigger and bigger as time passes. Finally, when you step out of grad school, you push the button and you enter real life, with all the responsibilities and stress and other goodness that come complementary with it"
I haven't gone to grad school and gotten a PhD. But having done what IIIT essentially calls a "mini-PhD", I understand exactly what he's talking about.
It's not like my life's chock-full of stress and responsibility. Not yet. But its slowly becoming mundane, routine, boring. What really hit me was my friends asking me about my plans for a PhD, and what I'd be doing when I was leaving IIIT. Even though the work I'm doing here is pure research, on par with what is expected from a PhD student, it's not the same. I don't have the luxury of being a carefree student anymore.
Have I pushed the button too soon?
I have a nice, comfortable job, in my "home"town, that is not a run-of-the-mill IT job. I'm doing research, I work on projects that are pretty close to what I worked on in IIIT. Home to Office commute is roughly 10 minutes, 5 if i decide to put the pedal to the metal on my swanky new car, a vehicle I cannot dream of owning (and fueling) in India. Heck, I could go out on a limb and admit that this job is probably the best job for me in Qatar. I could also claim that this job is identical in work to typical MS/PhD research work, but with a fairly generous paycheck.
But it really isn't. I think it has something to do with what my Boss said when I had lunch with him in the first few weeks of my time here:
"When you are a student", he said, "you can afford to be spontaneous, you can walk around campus aimlessly, you can have 2-3 hour discussions with fellow students about life, universe and everything. This life is addictive, you are free of responsibilities. You are responsible only for yourself. And then there's 'real life'. It's like a big red button that you choose to ignore as you study. But it gets bigger and bigger as time passes. Finally, when you step out of grad school, you push the button and you enter real life, with all the responsibilities and stress and other goodness that come complementary with it"
I haven't gone to grad school and gotten a PhD. But having done what IIIT essentially calls a "mini-PhD", I understand exactly what he's talking about.
It's not like my life's chock-full of stress and responsibility. Not yet. But its slowly becoming mundane, routine, boring. What really hit me was my friends asking me about my plans for a PhD, and what I'd be doing when I was leaving IIIT. Even though the work I'm doing here is pure research, on par with what is expected from a PhD student, it's not the same. I don't have the luxury of being a carefree student anymore.
Have I pushed the button too soon?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
India (2003-2010)
2003-2010. 7 Years.
Memories. So many memories. Bittersweet memories. A wake up call for life, a reality check for a person who hardly spent time outside a tiny little nation called Qatar.
Transformations. From a naive NRI brat to a brand new person, educated in both computer science, research and life. From tunnel vision to broad-mindedness.
This blog was all about missing home. Tomorrow, I go home. For good. I used to look forward to this moment like it was the biggest thing in my life, but I don't anymore. Looks like it's time to start a new blog, one about restlessness and boredom, because in spite of all Qatar has to offer in comfort, quality of life and family, it just can't offer things that India offers:
Things like spirit, adventure, and scale. The spirit of India, the adventure that daily life is over here, and the sheer scale of this country, the size, the unknown sights and sounds and smells. So much to explore, so much to do, so much to experience, probably for a hundred lifetimes!
India has left a lasting imprint in my soul, my character, my being. Tomorrow marks the last day for me here. I'll never forget the places I've been, the people I've met, the friends I've made and the experiences I've had.
Never.
Memories. So many memories. Bittersweet memories. A wake up call for life, a reality check for a person who hardly spent time outside a tiny little nation called Qatar.
Transformations. From a naive NRI brat to a brand new person, educated in both computer science, research and life. From tunnel vision to broad-mindedness.
This blog was all about missing home. Tomorrow, I go home. For good. I used to look forward to this moment like it was the biggest thing in my life, but I don't anymore. Looks like it's time to start a new blog, one about restlessness and boredom, because in spite of all Qatar has to offer in comfort, quality of life and family, it just can't offer things that India offers:
Things like spirit, adventure, and scale. The spirit of India, the adventure that daily life is over here, and the sheer scale of this country, the size, the unknown sights and sounds and smells. So much to explore, so much to do, so much to experience, probably for a hundred lifetimes!
India has left a lasting imprint in my soul, my character, my being. Tomorrow marks the last day for me here. I'll never forget the places I've been, the people I've met, the friends I've made and the experiences I've had.
Never.
Monday, June 14, 2010
The end of an Era...
Where do I begin?
I’m such a lazy ass! I love to write, but I don’t. So many amazing things that have happened my life but I don’t bother writing about them! I think I should at least capture the essence of the most defining moments of my life, so that I have these milestones in my life noted and remembered somewhere “in the cloud”
In a few hours, I’ll be defending my Master’s thesis. In academic terms, it also means defending your honour, your work, your research. And that marks the end of an era, a time I’ll never forget, here at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
Where do I begin? This place has given me so much and took nothing in return. Two and a half years of working on cool Research problems, solving them, having it accepted at a major international conferences, going to said conferences, and having your work recognized by your peers. It’s been amazing, and on this journey, two special people (Dr. Kishore Kothapalli and Dr. PJ Narayanan) were there to guide me at each step of the way.
I could go on and on about the nitty-gritty of the past couple of years here at IIIT, but I don’t think I have the writing prowess to pull it off and capture the essence of what was essentially the best time of my life. All I want is to be able to come back to this post, look at it and smile at one of the happiest moments in my Life... :)
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