Friday, November 03, 2006

About Me

I just thought will catalogue whatever I had in the 'about me' section in my orkut profile...

The Truth is just out there to be experienced, not analysed. ;)

Indeed it is tough to give a short description about me...still, in the pursuit, I have collected some quotes, which reflect some of the dimensions in me...and here they are!

============================================
karmaNi Eva adhikArah mE mA phalEshhu kadAchana
mA karma-phala hEtuh bhavAmi mA mE sangah astu akarmaNi

I have a right only to my duties, never to their fruits / results.
I shall neither manipulate my results nor fall a victim to inactivity / laziness.

--Bhagawad Gita
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நகுதற் பொருட்ட‌ன்று ந‌ட்டல் மிகுதிக்க‌ண்
மேற்சென்று இடித்தற் பொருட்டு.

Friendship is to be practised not for the purpose of laughing but for that of being beforehand in giving one another sharp rebukes in case of transgression

--Thirukkural

===========================================
u either choose to remain in denial or accept that this is ur destiny..btw.,.PhD is not the end of the world...whatever u do..u will get ur PhD...its just the beginning of an endless journey of multiple saturations, frustations and nonchalance! thats how it is!

--Suhasni, my Senior!
===========================================

I am, the facts I can't deny.

--Shmilona,NCBS
=========================================

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

-- Rabindranath Tagore (Gitanjali, 1913)=========================================================

Words and Hearts should be handled with care. Words when spoken and hearts when broken are the hardest thing to repair

--somebody

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If somehow my expectations and experience dont match with others' it doesnt mean I am on the road to perdition or paving way for someone else's. Excusez moi! Thats why these are part of life's choices and not laws.

--Suhasni (My senior)================================================================================================

வெள்ளத் தனைய மலர்நீட்டம் மாந்தர்தம்

உள்ளத் தனையது உயர்வு.

The stalks of water-flowers are proportionate to the depth of water;

so is men's greatness proportionate to their minds.

--Thirukural

Thursday, November 02, 2006

A Successful Life

I came across some tips my supervisor (Prof. Raj Rajagopalan) had offered to the graduating students of our department, and here they go:

• Never underestimate your own potential. Never give up.
• Aim high and set the highest standards in whatever you do.
• Never be afraid of failure, but do learn from any failure.
• Be compassionate towards others, but be very demanding on yourself.
• Always ask yourself what you can do to improve the lives of others around you.
• Be a leader – and lead by example.
• Remember that no one can be too generous or too humble.

I felt that each and every sentence has profound meaning and following them will definitely lead to a successful and a happier life. Each and every advise has come out treasures of experience over the years. Not all experienced people reach out to others and share their rich treasure in the form advises (at the right moment!).
I am truly glad that I have Prof. Raj in my life!
Rethinking the notion of Leadership

I recently came across an article in Times of India, Mumbai (Lack of Values)

The article clearly brings out how people in India lack fundamental values! India was supposed to be a nation of rich culture, from whom the world can learn! But now it is in a pitiable state! Who cares for the people around thems? Who cares for a common property? People, if not all, have come more selfish! They think, as the writer says, "that rules are made to discipline the uncivilised common man; and that people higher up in society need not be inconvenienced by these rules".

Here is one incident quoted by the writer:

Who knows whose time is most precious? For whose convenience are others to wait? Many years ago, a senior executive of a Tata company rushed to Santa Cruz airport at the last minute, his bags having been sent ahead and checked in beforehand. The flight to Delhi was held up for him. When he entered the plane he found an irritated J R D Tata who had checked in with other passengers asking the steward, “Who is this VIP for whom we all had to wait ?”


Time is precious for every human...and no one can deprive the fellow men owing to his alleged superior status!

The writer then gives his perspective on Leaders and integrity. He stresses that we define leadership based on fundamental values rather than attributing to their 'star status'. The following is the paragraph by the writer:

We yearn for more integrity in our leaders. Integrity is a composite of two qualities. On one hand, integrity is the quality of being honest and uncompromising of values and principles. Many leaders of our times, in business and government in India and elsewhere, fail this test. On the other, integrity also means the quality of being integrated, of being in tune with and connected with wider society, which is something business leaders in India and elsewhere need to think about.


In my view, this kind of leadership with integrity defined in the above two perspectives applies to any kind..be it leader of the nation or the leader of a small social group or simply a teacher and his class of students.
In all the cases, the leader is expected to have uncompromising values and principles and is also necessary that he/she reaches out to the 'wider society' in an appealing way. There is no point in having high standards of values and not being able to reach out the 'wider society'!! And such a person will not set an example for anything!

I strongly encourage you to read the article: Lack of Values

Thursday, August 24, 2006



"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity... Never lose a holy curiosity."

Monday, August 07, 2006

I have been thinking that it was only my behaviour to get a feedback volunteerily to know about my performance in something..but alas! it seems to be the desire for anyone...some take it constructively and some otherwise!

I have observed this in myself..that I would like to present myself well and get GOOD feedbacks from seniors in acknowledgement...but it is the attitude of certain superiors, though they note the excellence, do not acknowledge it so easily!
but though this is just to get the best out, and i too understand it...it still gives a longing to get the admonition and acknowledgement!

But does this longing/yearning quench after one?? NO!!
May be that is the cause for us to keep going on and on! :-)

Sometimes I wonder, if this is what is called "research". Trying to be recognised among peers, by way of doing new things...and "discovering" new things!
I am really convinced now that, after reading an article on Einstein in the recent TIME magazine (July 2006), that there is nothing called a true passion towards science...but just the inherent desire to be getting recognised!

On the basis of this, i find that there can be two categories of scientists/researchers...
Those who aim at a recognition on a global scale...and the others who are satisfied with a recognition locally!

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Society prepares the crime: The criminal commits it --Something to think about???

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Transport phenomena and life!

today i was reading a blog by one of my seniors, wherein she said ppl belong to differnet co-ordinate systems and they shift their frame of reference so often. (http://do-angels-sleep.blogspot.com/)

after reading it, i just lied down on my bed thinking of it...

i see that there is a dynamic shift in the frame of reference...and the frequency of it is sometimes the order of which we cannot even imagine nor predict!

Suddenly some similarity striked between solving problems in transport phenomena and life....dont think i am a nerd...i am studying for my exams and i think thats why my cerebrum correlated like this now!

well...coming to the similarity...

While we are going wrong in solving the problems what happens most of the time is that...

we tend to overlook certain terms in the NS equations or other standard equations...making robust assumptions...and cling on to certain other terms, tying to solve the equations with those terms...but the answer willbe vice versa! we should have actually neglected the terms that we are cling on to and use the terms we neglected to arrive at the solution!!

In life too, sometimes we do the same. We overlook certain issues which might have to be given utmost attention and cling on, brood, lament, frustrate on issues which have to be overlooked!!

In the problems of transport phenomena we realise that what we do is wrong when we see the solution...but in life???

Saturday, April 08, 2006

today we had the NUS-Indian Grad meet!
It ws simply wonderful...though it cud have still been made more lively and eventful...i hope it becomes so in the years to come!
basically it served as a platform to know that there is such a big community of Indians from all over the country doing their grad studies in singapore. The strength of this community is so assuring for the freshers like me!
And morever there were alumni of NUS too who had come for the meet!
That is again reassuring the freshers that jobs are available for the best minds of the world!
Oh...and I should not forget to say about th dinner!It was simply excellent! all the items...no exceptions at all!!! i wish we had a meet frequently atleast for this sake..!!
This is just to say that it is difficult to get good Indian foods in Singapore.
NUS canteens have Indian stalls, but they seem to have adapted some practices from here...and otherwise, some hotels like komala vilas etc...are bit too costly for a student to afford! but nevertheless, if one is a good cook, he can get all that he wants to and cook excellently as he would do in India.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

i am waiting for a call from India...a friend promised me to call me this weekend...and i am still waiting...while the weekend for this week is about to end in another 7hrs!
I guess he tried to April fool me!
mm...
But the expectation of a call from an old friend of yours...particularly when you are out of your native land on a 'mission' is really taunting..
Apart from this friend, there are lots others who dont realise that people away from home long for mails/calls from friends and relatives.
It is true that they most of the time do not realise it...and very few cant do it!
In that the friend I am waiting to call, mails me and so he falls into the category who realises the expectations...but doesnt call due to variuos other reasons which I realise and understand :-)
Thermodynamics...I am sure that everyone who stepped into their college will have come across this word..
All the processes in this world are indeed governed by this 'Thermodynamics'.
So must it be interesting to learn thermodynamics for a person who actually doesnt know what people learn in what is called "Advanced Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics" with module code CN5030.
Its all about fugacity, fugacity coefficients, activity, activity coefficients and Gibbs energy. Whichever chatper you turn into, you will certainly find more than a word in the above lists.
If its all about these 5 words wahts difficult...could be a naive question!
how many equations..how many calculations! mm...i wonder how one can expect a student to learn whatever research has been done for over past 100 years in about 4 months of coursework!
Courseworks should be really banned throughout the world!
I am not sure if the professors realise of how a weekend goes for a student!
They keep tests on Mondays..and thats really sickening :(.
I couldnt do anything due to the fear of a test coming up on Monday..nevertheless did i study for it!!
It all seems so greek and latin as i read thru the book...and i hate to waste a sunday without lying lazily on my bed with my music system singing!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

எல்லோரும் இப்படி தானோ?

அனைவருக்கும் தன்னை எல்லொரும் புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்று ஆசை...
ஆனால் ஏனோ இவர்கள் மற்றவரை புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்று நினைப்பது இல்லை?

தான் நினைப்பது போன்று தானே மற்றவரும் நினைப்பர்?

ஏனோ நிறைய மக்க்ள் இதனை புரிந்து கொள்வது இல்லை....ப்ரச்சனைகளுக்கு வழி வகுத்து விடுகின்றனர்! :-)

Saturday, March 11, 2006

today i had the opportunity to attend a conference on the business of biomedical sciences. many sucessful entreprenurs had come and shared their views. i really feel and understand that there is a lot of oppurtunities for biotech ppl and it is they who dont realise it!

when i joined B.Tech Biotech i joined only with aspiration to do research...idealistic hopes to find solutions to diseases...then as the 4 years went by, i realised what is idealistic and what is practical....
i never had thought about copmpanies...jobs etc..but one thing i wanted to be was to be a leader rather than a follower...and that was what triggered me to attend this conference which was aimed at pulling students into the biomedical industry. but i never thought there were already pioneers in this field!!
from their experiences i learn that things are not that easy as we think...biotech venturing is full of risks! u never know if u will succeed or fail! but still what theseppl claim is that true passion wins! but i am sure they would have undergone such a lot of agony and pain. they have shifted fom one domain to another...and back to the same domain...i mean...from bio to business...and thru business to bio...the passion...and what else cud have kept them going?

one hard fact that i notice is that there are not many entrepreneurs in India and hence Indian students lack that motivation. Students will have to extend their horizons and look into the trends in their neighbouring countries too...though US would be a dream target.

Another thing that i noticed was the the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr.Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also incharge of entrepreneurship is a trained optha surgeon! he really understands how it is to do science and how excting it is..at the same time, he strikes a perfect understanding of the economic grounds for a biotech industry..and the mind of a business man...understand these extremes, he has played an instrumental role in bringing these ppl together...and i guess thats the secret of success for Singapore!

I wish Indian students cross borders and tap the potential available....
and ofcurse i am one among them!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

HOW FRIENDS BREAK?

Both Friends will think the other is busy and will not contact thinking it may be disturbing. As time passes both will think let the other contact. After that each will think why should I contact first. Here ur love will be converted to Hate. Finally without contact the memory becomes week. They forget each other. One fine Day they will meet n blame one another

I caught this from the net and I felt it was damn true!!

Friday, February 03, 2006

Friendship...

Friendship is a blessing, and a friend is the channel through whom great emotional and spiritual blessings flow. Friends can cheer us when we're sorrowful or depressed. Friends can challenge us when we allow ourselves to get beyond our reasonable boundaries. Friends can motivate us when we're ready to give in, and they can provide for us when life falls apart. They are there when all is well, and we want someone with whom to share life's pleasant and memorable moments. We often just want them around to have a good time, to laugh, to act silly, to enjoy some mutually liked activity. In how many ways have friends enriched our lives and made us feel loved, accepted, respected and cared for? Probably, too many to list, and the list grows daily.

It is safe to say that when God created the world and all the majestic things in it, when he streaked the heavens with radiant color and the earth with grand mountains and awe-inspiring canyons, when he painted the plains with waving grasses and erected noble forests of towering trees, he outdid it all by creating friends.

--Caught from the Net!

Monday, January 30, 2006



நேற்று சீனப் புத்தாண்டு... ஒவ்வொரு வருடத்தையும் ஒரு விலங்கின் பெயரிட்டு வழிபடும் இவர்கள்... இந்த ஆண்டில் நாய்களுக்கு மரியாதை செய்கின்றனர். சீனப் பாரம்பரியம் மிக்க "China Town" சென்றேன்...சீனர்களின் களிப்பைக் காண...ஆனால் நான் கண்டதோர் மாரியம்மன் கோவில்!!
தைப் அமாவாசையை முன்னிட்டு பூஜைகள் நடந்து கொண்டிருந்தது...ஒரு இந்திய கோவிலில் ஆகம விதிகளின் படி எப்படி நடக்குமோ...அப்படியே!!
அங்கு கண்டேன் ஒரு சீனரை...அர்ச்ச்னை தட்டுடன்!! புளங்காகிதம் அடைந்தேன்... வெளி நாட்டில் கோவிலை கண்டு அதிசயித்தென்...பின்னர் அதில் பூஜை நடப்பதை கண்டு மெய் மறந்தேன்... ஒரு சீனரும் அங்கு இருப்பதைக் கண்டு அனைத்தையும் மறந்தேன்! Cross border-terrorism தலை விரித்தாடும் இந்நாளில் "unity in diversity" ஐ கண்டு களிக்கிறேன்...
I am angry with my friend
I told my wrath,
my wrath did end
I am angry with my foe
I told it not,
my wrath did grow
--William Blake.

Friday, January 27, 2006

I am now in Singapore...Life is different from that of in India...or atleast the India I have seen.
People respect others as individuals...and u can always hear people saying a sorry if they had dashed upon u...or a thanks if u have done the smallest help of giving way!! That much is the respect you get!
I dont mean to say that Indians are not so...but atleast most of the Indians are not!
And the vehicles wait for the pedestrians to cross at zebra crossing...and the pedestrian needn't be afraid that a bus will smash him!!
At this I remember my mother...who is always afraid of crossing roads...I can now feel how hard she grabs my hand when there is a bus 100 feet away while crossing a 10 feet road!
Is this all becoz that the government fines individuals who violate these basic laws? Or is it inculcated in the individuals itself? An open question!!