Travelogue : A Balinese Journey

I was first attracted to the beauty of Bali when I watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love back in 2010. Call it serendipity, but in a sudden twist of comic events, a pre-grad trip planned initially to Krabi, Thailand turned a full 180 degree to Bali when the situation in Bangkok started becoming tense for Indian nationals. Boy, was that a great decision! There is no other place like Bali. Lush green fields surrounded by serene waters , that place is truly an Island of  the Gods!

So, 5 of us woke up droopy-eyed on a cool January morning and left Singapore via AirAsia to the land of paradise. We landed in Denpasar International Airport in, the frenzied administrative hub of Bali. It was a hot and sultry day in Bali . A friendly cabbie was waiting to drop us tired souls at the hostel. We stayed in a place called Granny's hostel recommended to us by our British exchange travel friend!

Hostel entrance

It was a cute cottage-turned-hostel place mainly for backpackers who are looking for company and a place to stay overnight. Unlike a hotel, here you share a big room with 10 other people. Although the hostel staff were really nice and we got comfortable bunk beds, I din't particularly enjoy my sleep time as tiny mosquitoes got the better of me. Thankfully I had a sound sleep on the second night purely out of exhaustion of the day's activities and some good mosquito repellants recommended by the local people.

Day 1 : Kuta, Shopping 

We were famished and we headed for lunch at the local mall's foodcourt. Lunch was yummy! Hot Chinese noodles (Mee Goreng) and classic bubble tea!

Mee Goreng

After hiring a cab ( we were asked to take only BlueBird cabs for safety reasons) , we got off at Bali Bomb Memorial and decided to walk to Kuta Beach. It was the place where dreadful Kuta bombings happened a decade ago. After paying our respects, we set off to do some girl-shopping and bargaining in the roadside shops. Huge collection of quirky items at cheap prices with a bustling night life, it is a must-go place for everyone who comes to Bali. It was an off-peak season and the main tourist locations and shopping centers were not too crowded. The local population seemed like a friendly bunch although I was a little offended by them shouting 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' every time they saw us. Apparently they somehow correlate Indian girls to the famous Bollywood movie for no apparent reason. Oh,well! After walking and shopping for folks back home, we crashed at the local Pizzeria and ate to our heart's content. 

Roadside Haggling for cute keychains

Day 2 : Tanah Lot, Beaches, Scuba Diving, Uluwatu Temple

After a sumptuous breakfast , we headed off to Bali's most acclaimed temple attraction, the Tanah Lot. It is a coastal temple in South Bali. The route to the temple is beautiful and the temple is perched on a rock offshore. Balinese Hindu spiritualism and mythology is very close to that Indian Hindu mythology. Unlike any other island in the largely Muslim Indonesia,  Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture. Although the main cultural elements such as idols, forms of worship and 'aarthi' practice are all similar, I found the sculpture of the Gods to be a bit different. This maybe because Balinese Hinduism diverged from Indian Hinduism well over 500 years ago.

Bali Depiction of Krishna's chariot

Tanah Lot entrance

On the edge of the temple!

We had coconut water to quench our thirst and did some more haggling for curios. They are aplenty in Bali!  After driving through beautiful scenic locations, we arrived at Nusa Dua beach for Scuba-diving! This amazing out-of-the-world experience had been in my bucketlist for a long time. We donned our diving suits and we were taught diving sign language. The watersport guides teased us as expected : "Ooh, you could die! Are you sure you guys are okay with it? Just kidding!" I didn't care. I was super ready for it. With Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara scenes flashing through my mind's eye, we went off to the deep sea on a speed boat. I love the salty smell of the sea breeze and blue-green water of the ocean waves. We were gently dropped into the sea and I was inside the waters, a friendly intruder of the marine kingdom. I had fins, gills and I was swimming away. It was surreal and frightening at the same time! We went deeper and deeper and all I heard was ocean's white noise. Everything was quiet outside but my mind was screaming "Look, Nemo! Wow! What a beautiful coral reef!" I tried to touch the beautiful fish ,but they nestled through my fingers and swam away to la-la land :) I wanted to stay and live forever as a mermaid. But life was calling! :P So we came up and continued our journey to the shores. But it felt like I belonged there :)

Scuba-diving

We set off to witness the most beautiful sunset in the cliffs of Uluwatu , a Balinese sea temple on a cliff. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is perched majestically at the edge of a steep cliff that towers above the gushing sea waves. To enter the temple, all of us had to be properly attired with sarong and sash( a yellow cloth tied around the waist). The path to the top was scary with monkeys on either sides to snatch our beloved bags. But the view was so worth it!

Sunset silhouette

Uluwatu cliffs

Day 3 : White water rafting, Ubud

Day 3 started off in an adventurous spirit with white water rafting in Telaga Waja river in Ubud. After switching to our rafting attire and paddle, we were off to the river. The rafting instructors were super sweet and gave us a great rafting experience. The river flows along vast expanse of green fields,hills,valleys,cliffs and waterfall. We had our adrenaline racy moments and reflective serene moments. Whenever the raft hit a rock or a cliff, we had to jump up and down to the get the boat on track and at one such point, we were super stuck and the river current almost toppled our boats. We held onto our dear lives and paddled our way through. As my wise friend put it "Life is like a river.You just have to hold onto your paddle tight and enjoy the ride!"

All ready to paddle!

After rafting through for about 2 hours covering 15 km, a long climb to a hilltop restaurant awaited us. After a tiring climb overlooking stunning cliffs and rice paddies, we were greeted with a delicious lunch prepared by warm Indonesian chefs! The rain, the scenic view and the tasty food : I am reliving my vacation all over again!

The view from the top

Ubud is the cultural heart of Bali , miles aways from the maddening crowd of Kuta. It is a place of ashrams, museums, art and crafts and organic farming. A town for quiet retrospection and learning, it's a great place to relax and learn about the lives of local people. After visiting a couple of beautiful art galleries, we headed for the coffee plantations and were welcomed by a smiling farmer. He showed us the art of preparing the local coffee, luwak! Although the preparation is a bit weird (burnt feces of the luwak animal feeding on a particular plant ewww!), the taste was actually quite good. In fact, the sweet Bali lover made us different types of coffee and took us on a flavour journey. We even ended buying tasty coffee for folks back home!

With the coffee farmer

Coffee Love

After a ride around Ubud, our cabbie took us back to Kuta where we shopped for Bali souvenirs and dresses. We then lounged around in our hostel, had our dinner and talked to the local guys. In the late hours of midnight, we packed our bags and went to the airport to catch our flight back to Singapore. We kissed Bali goodbye, the land of paradise and rightfully so!

Until more travel adventures :)

The power of freedom!

“Jane, be still; don't struggle so like a wild, frantic bird, that is rending its own plumage in its desperation." "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.” 

- Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Freedom is powerful. It is exhilarating. It imparts the powerful feeling that you can do anything you wish to!

The moment you step off a plane into a brand new city, no one telling you how to live life,where no one knows you and where you can recreate your own existence. When you have the freedom of life.

The feeling of looking at your credit card statement and seeing a big fat zero. The feeling of submitting that last paper, knowing you're done with school. The moment when you step off the stage after a big speech/presentation. When you have the freedom from burden.

The freedom of hopping into your bicycle and biking anywhere you want to. The ability to choose the place you want to eat. The freedom of dropping all obligations and hopping off to a favourite destination with a close person. When you have the freedom of taking control.

It feels nice when I can exercise the right to control my life, where I can have my say in the grand scheme of things, where I have the freedom to pursue life. In a pensive mood, I realise that I don't always value this freedom. It is indeed a gift that is denied to thousands : So many women who are suppressed, tortured and denied the freedom to express an opinion , so many children who are forced into labour at a tender age when they should be hopping away merrily under bright skies. We have a friend in her 20s as a part-time helper and she is about to be married off to a man she has never talked to. She awaits her impending doom, a life in the confines of a family she doesn't know. She wants to learn, earn and make a mark in this world. But she cannot, merely because of the destiny of fate into which she was born into.

So what happens when one searches for freedom but can't quite reach it? Escape. The feel-good, sometimes-futile temporary replacement for freedom. Just like my maid indulges in guilty pleasures of soap opera watching, just like the small tea-boy secretly collects newspapers in tea-shops to read at night, just like young bored working professionals escape into the internet rabbit hole in the hopes of intellectual fulfilment and world knowledge.

It's a long walk to true freedom. Until then, escapism offers bootstrap solutions!

Where does trust come from?

I just love it when Seth Godin conveys a great thought in a succinct manner. Here is one of my favourites:

Reblogged from Seth Godin's blog :

Trust never comes from the good times and from the easy projects. We trust people because they showed up when it wasn't convenient, because they told the truth when it was easier to lie and because they kept a promise when they could have gotten away with breaking it. Every tough time and every pressured project is another opportunity to earn the trust of someone you care about.

Been there,done that!

If I am granted one wish, I would ask for a time-turner, like the one Hermione gets in Harry Potter which wonderfully enables her to experience two lives at once. On one hand, I love my life away from home and the sense of freedom and individuality that it brings, but on the other hand I crave for the familiarity and the sense of belonging that comes with home. Everyday , an unknown hand feeds me . I sleep in an unfamiliar bed and I wake up to realize that I am miles away from my home,where my heart really is. My dearest ones at home lead a different reel of life altogether. I hear stories, anecdotes but I am almost often not there to share their experiences. But then I realize...

Life is all about the “What ifs”. What if I had chosen the other University? What if I had a different childhood? What if I had gone on that exchange programme? But isn’t it wonderful to stop thinking, take all the opportunities that life brings,venture out of your comfort zone and look back and say “Been there, done that”?

Without all these,life becomes a routine, a wheel-spin that you wake up to every morning. I don’t know whether it’s just the thought of turning 21 in an hour or it’s just one of those routine midnight revelations. Through these 21 years, if there is one thing that I have learnt , it is that life is not about success or failure, the black or the white. It is the greyish area that threads the middle. Isn't it better to take chances, have a few scars and watch them heel rather than have a smooth skiing that whither in half of the time?

I say yes, yes to all the opportunities that life brings my way! Here's to a crazy adulthood!

Chronicles of my FYP Journey

Exactly a year ago, I chose my final year thesis project. As a naive junior year student, I wanted to take up a challenging research project and learn a lot. I was eager to enter the world of Professors, cutting-edge technology, warm research advisors and hours of journal reading, a world which seemed as if it had been forbidden to me for so long. So I mailed a Professor who had an "interesting" proposal that I was very eager to work under him. He *gladly* accepted me!

And so, it began : one year of FYP (Final Year Project) aka 'Face Your Problems' phase of my life. Due thanks to phdcomics , I decided to narrate my journey through these strips!

Phase 1: Literature Review aka The Latin World!

Phase 2 : FYP Monday Meetings aka TGIT(Thank God Its Tuesday) mode!

Phase 3 : Data collection mode aka The Tedious Days!

Phase 4 : No Results phase aka The Incognito Mode

Phase 5 : Stagnant Research aka Procrastination phase

Phase 6 : Panic Mode aka Successful Results phase!

Phase 7 : Thesis writing aka Sleepless nights

 

At the end of this report writing phase, I gave my report to my mom to proof read. She told me exactly this :

Phase 9 : Presentation and THE END!

My thesis submission is done. I just have my presentation to go. Fingers cross on that! I sure hope it doesn't go this way!

It has been quite the ride for the past 12 months. It has been such a bumpy ride that I have decided that research is not my idea of an adventurous journey. It does not help that my thesis supervisor is one of the most friendly advisors I have ever met. If anything, the only awesome lesson in this journey is to have a good mentor and to not give up! Anyway, its all done and all is well that ends well :)

I still have 3 exams to go and 4 more weeks for the end of an era that is University life. Another post on that later!

To end this post on a philosophical note,

"When you think you can, you can! When you think you can't you are right! :P "
 - A great physics Professor!

A sister's journey through life!

Having a younger sister is like having a best friend for life. Though I am the elder one, my biggest teachings in life are from my sister, a girl who looks more innocent than a puppy but with more wisdom that anybody her age. Born two years younger to me, she is the first person I turn to for any advice. Its not just because she has this amazing ability to listen to anything i have to say but also because she always tells me(ever so obnoxiously!) the truth I need to hear . She is the smartest, cutest and funniest little kiddo in the entire world and I just can’t believe she is turning 19!!

The growing up phase

One of my first memories with little sis was in kindergarten when she used to quietly slip into a nap in the back seat of our auto. I remember her tiny and sleepy most of the time, almost the opposite of what she is now. At that age, I took upon my job as an elder sibling very seriously ; I made her imitate everything I did, literally forced her to play with me when she was too young to understand the rules, gave her an old ragged doll while I took the new pink fluffy one. I was always the mischievous brat while she was(still is) my faithful sidekick. She was the Robin to my batman, the pinky to my brain and the Joey to my Chandler. I used to come up with these crazy ideas and she used to be my testbed, be it eye makeup, revolutionary hair-dos or silly little stories about the world in general. She used to dutifully execute every role i wanted her to. She was the selfless cutie who would give up her nice red crayon for me even if she only gets the ugly black one. She was the only person in the world I could appear cool and grown-up with. Bad school days were made up by having lunch with her under the school banyan tree. We shared everything from dresses to tv shows( those Pogo days!) . At school, it was the cutest thing to see her scurrying for me in a huge crowd while I conveniently chose to ignore her (snorty cool sis eh?).Yet, I clapped the loudest when she won debates or when she came first in class. I used to look out for her when she was not looking to make sure she was ok. I still remember the day when she fell on the ground and her head started bleeding. I was shivering with fear and I immediately took her in an auto to home by myself, the bravest act I have ever done! Thankfully it was just a minor cut and the mini coconut tree that grew in its place was a source of joy and fun to all of us :P 

The mature phase

The dynamics of our relationship completely changed after I started NUS(which I chose to join because of her!). Now we don't fight as often as we used to. Yes, we still argue over the silliest of things: about how clumsy she is or how quick tempered i am. But its back to love doves in 2 min. She sends me the most touching letters that makes me shed truckload of tears. I miss sharing with her the tiny details about my life here. Our career paths are as different as night and day.She is growing up into a pretty young office-going lady managing tough clients! And I am still a student wading through academic projects! Due thanks to the creators of gtalk and whatsapp, we manage to share some funny moments together. Every time we talk, there’s always so much to share and so little time at hand. I miss her and I wish she were here with me. But these things are meant to be. Absence does make the heart grow fonder and the vacations longer! ;)

For many, the elder sister is the role model. But for me, my younger sister is and always will be my greatest role model. The conviction with which she approaches life is unmatched! She is the kind of sister who knows me more than I know about myself. She is the friend who will risk her life to save mine. She is the one person who can take one look at my face and understand my mood. She is the mentor who can give me the best advice for all my problems. She is the one bestie who can crack a joke at how sad my life is and still get away with it :D 

Wherever we go and whatever we do with our lives,she will always be the first person I think of when I close my eyes. Happy 19th Sanju! I can’t thank you enough for being my best critic, my all-time bestie and my laughing buddy !

P.S : Our journey together!

On being a copycat!

Sam Walton , CEO of Walmart once said : "Most everything i have done,I have copied from someone else".  

I related to this statement a lot. Almost every choice of mine , be it career paths, travel destinations, movie picks or even culinary options, have been influenced by the honest opinions expressed by a multitude of people I have had the good fortune of meeting. These people have been acquaintances, professors, friends, relatives or even taxi-drivers. These people somehow came into my life, told me their story and changed my life forever. I feel indebted to such people.

Those who give their honest opinions, express their constructive criticisms, narrate their true experiences and the lessons they learnt from each of them are the ones who change people's lives everyday. Precedents set by people gives one the much-needed confidence to go ahead and do something.

It's funny how you can touch people's lives just by sharing your experiences. It takes successful people more than 10 years of hard work to become an overnight success. Half of them are willing to walk us through the toil,the other half just attribute it good luck and move on. Just focus on the lives of the first half. May be some incident will strike a chord with you,and change your life and the way you live!

My love affair with cheese cake!

After 4 years of literally living in School of Computing , I was surprised to discover that I never knew about the existence of amazing cheese cakes in Western Stall! Happy days, sad days,rainy days or plain stressful days, my to-go comfort food has been the olive rice with yummy mushroom sauce with baked beans or the tomato veggie pasta with fries. Add to that, the warm friendly stall owner who never fails to remember my order and wish me a good day! So, boy, was I excited to realize that they sell cheesecakes - that too in an assortion of flavours  - oreo, chocolate mousse,plain vanilla and blueberry!

I was like this -

After having a bite , I repeated the exact same words of Rachel in Friends!

"It has a buttery ,crumbly, graham cracker crust,with a very rich yet light,cream cheese filling...Oh my God, this is the best cheesecake I have ever had!"

Though a tad bit expensive, there was some major re-shuffling of my top 10 favorite foods of all time! I had it again today, while watching the new Suits episode(which was awesome,btw) on a rainy afternoon and my friday was just made! :) I am officially adding this to my weekly weekend rituals!

When life gives you people..

I recently came across an Abraham Lincoln quote : "I don't like that man , I must get to know him better". It set me thinking.

All of us have personal preferences about the type of people we hang out with. Commonalities bring people together , differences further apart. But what if we choose to treat the next random person we meet as our future best friend? What if we give him/her the benefit of doubt and try our best to focus on the aspects of the person that we like? What if we take the first step to shed the invisible barriers?

Honest Abe is indeed telling us that it is the people we don't like that we must get to know better, for these are the people we are likely to have misjudged and from whom we stand to learn.

Don't you think that people who don't like you would feel differently if they knew you better? Perhaps, it's time to turn the table around!

Mamma love!

In a moment of epiphany, I wrote a small poem dedicated to my Mom, for the wonderful person she is!

You have taught me to dream high,
But in all success,to keep my head low
You have taught me to help the poor,
And to move with the rich,all in the same flow!

I remember crying into a pillow,
That pillow being your lap.
You hugged me tight,
While I slipped into a nap.

You have stayed up all night,
To pray to Almighty for me
To make sure I am happy
That's all you always want me to be!

I wait for your sweet voice,
Every time I turn on skype
Even in the loneliest of moments,
Your virtual presence makes everything seem alright!

I don't remember you wishing for anything,
All your wishes are to keep the family happy
I doubt I will ever be as selfless as you,
And if that day ever comes,I will owe it all to you.

Through these incredible 21 years,
You have guided me in every step I take
Filling the house with love,music and books
Full of wonderful role models to emulate.
 
Mamma ,my best friend and soul sister,
I love you a thousand times over!
I may not say this enough,
But I am the luckiest daughter ever!

Airports : Love for a life in limbo

I spent the night at Changi airport,Singapore on one of my regular bi-yearly trips back home and the following is an excerpt :

They say that if you want to experience the depth of human emotions,you have to go to airports.The place brims with raw human emotions. I see tears of joy and laughter all under the same roof.At the departure gate, I see tearful adieus and parting hugs, while the arrival gate is full of over-joyous families eagerly scouring the sea of passengers for a familiar face.

I see love, of re-united partners after long months of living apart. I see happiness, in the eyes of those who are finally heading off to adventures they have planned for years. I see anxiety,the fear that sits in the bellies of those who hate flying. I see a sense of urgency - busy clerks typing away boarding passes, hurried passengers running to their final boarding call, and excited passengers buying duty-free presents for their loved ones. I see a microcosm of the world we live in,of so many cultures, backgrounds , languages and ways of living : the super-elite frequent flyer, the adventurous teenage backpacker, the young man ready to start life anew in a foreign destination, the excited family on their first visit to a new country, the dreamy honeymooners eager to know everything there's to know about each other.

It's a place where life's small moments loom large. For a person who finds joy in the unknown, airports are the best places to have conversations with random people and to learn about life from new perspectives. It's a life in limbo, a temporary place where you can choose who you want to be. It gives a renewed sense of direction ,spirit and adventure. There's something surreal about leaving a place behind,bidding adieu to your loved ones, walking alone through security , and watching the plane takeoff from a land you have begun to call your own. You leave it all behind to start all over again in a new destination. One cannot help but feel so many emotions, one cannot help but feel alive!

Oscar speech that moved me!

Lupita Nyong begins her Oscar winning speech with these lovely words "It doesn't escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's".

Deeply touched by such a profound thought, I realize that it is the most candid confession I have ever heard in my life. Isn't it true that it is only because of the selfless sacrifices of so many people known or unknown,  that we are able to lead a happy and contended life?

Few people can move me to tears with their words and this stunning woman is one of them. She signs off by saying "No matter where you are from , remember that your dreams are valid!" All I want to do is to run up to her and hug her for such a deserving award!

Would you be willing to work for free?

I had an interesting discussion with a good friend regarding career choices. He asked me an interesting question : If money was not a factor,what do you want to do in life? At one level ,this is a great question because it liberates you from the realities of life, of planning the future and of taking care of family and that may enable you to make choices with no constraints.

But life is not so simple! Hence, this is a question not to be asked at all. If money had not been a factor in people's career choices , we would still be in stone age. Almost all great historical events were driven by a motivation to become powerful and rich. The Industrial revolution started with the curiosity to make more things in shorter periods of time and hence become richer faster. Information Revolution was largely led by military research. Again to become more powerful. Space Age was started by competition between USSR and USA : competition for power. Nothing significant could have been achieved without a desire to become rich and powerful. Given a chance, I am sure all of us would love to sit in the comforts of our homes and relax all day long. Motivation to work harder comes for a pursuit of money, power or fame. Of course, if the job makes you happy, it is just a side benefit!

There is a very minuscule minority of people in this world who would be willing to work for free. Competition,money,power,fame,stability are some of the few things that influence people's career choices. Take it all away, and we are left with nothing but aspiration-less homo sapiens hunting for the next meal of the day.

Live,laugh and love!

It's a mad mad world out there! There are just too many things to do and so little time. In a rush to check off the next item on our to-do list, we sometimes forget to share our lives meaningfully with people whom we truly care about. Sometimes being content with what you have and taking time to live,laugh and love is the best way out.

Don't take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway!

The joy of changing your mind often!

I believe in everyday learning, even if that means un-learning and re-learning . While I hold my views on a wide array of topics, I can be easily convinced to alter my views as long as the arguments are valid. For example, I used to hate texting on phones a few years ago when the mobile era was just booming. I complained that messaging is very impersonal compared to calling. But once I was introduced to the power of online messaging and emails, I realised that my earlier opinion was too short-sighted.

Nowadays, people keep in touch with loved ones in far-off lands through free messaging apps. I especially admire 80 year old grandparents who are adept with the usage of smartphones and facebook. Born from a generation when phones were unheard of , to using modern tech gadgets surely takes a constant shift in mindset.

Some people might say that it is important to maintain individuality. But I think that it's even more important to change your mind often, to adopt and adapt and to find joy in this iterative process. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says that people who are right most of the time are also people who change their minds often. It is perfectly okay to have an idea tomorrow that contradicts the idea that you held today.

It's easy to live in a world of denial. But to be able to say "Yes,I was wrong" takes courage. So, always be open to new ideas, new points of view, new information and challenges to pre-existing notions! In fact, this trait is essential to survive in a world that's changing so fast.

Avial of world cuisines!

Avial : Sound Indian concotion of delectable vegetables,curd and coconut! Needless to say , it's a post about South Indian food!

Every time I introduce my paati to a new dish from a different cuisine, she immediately comes up with a South Indian equivalent .She gets so excited that she tries in vain to prove to me and my sister,how much healthier "our" food is!

Amused , we decided to publish Paati’s Noruku Theeni Dictionary of American Confectionary

"Their" dish vs "Our" dish

Pizza - Vegetable dosai

Burger - Vada pav

Onion rings - Vengaya bajji

Noodles - Lemon sevai

Donut - Thithipu vadai

Falafal - Palapalam (ok just because they sound similar?!)

Buritto - Chappathi kalanda sadham

Hashbrown - Potato bonda

Icecream - Frozen payasam

Tomato soup - Rasam

Chips - Appalam/vadam

Cornflakes - Oats Kanji

Cappucino - Filter kapi

According to pakathu aathu maama, the law of tambrahm culinary has it , that for every foreign dish, there is an equal and tastier saathvika("our") saapadu.Besh besh,mama ! Kalakitel pongo.

Concentration camps in Tamil Nadu

The following is an excerpt from a page in future history textbooks of TN:

"During the era of information revolution where engineering colleges were sprouting along erstwhile forested and barren land in Tamil Nadu, a group of incapable administrators conducted Indian equivalents of concentration camps in the hallowed corridors of sprawling campuses, in the name of good education. The students however found an avenue to explore their creativity by trying to break every foolish rule imposed by 'educated' farcical administrators. At the end of the 4 years of step-by-step removal of intellectual curiosity through rote learning, batches of students were exported to greener pastures of USA,presently known as United Students of American Indians.

The following manuscript is a sample rules page of a so-called famous engineering institution in Chennai , capital of Tamil Nadu"

Every Tom,Dick and Harry has started an engineering college to amass wealth. Laws of extrapolation has it that there will soon be more private engineering colleges than students in TN.

While people like me have successfully escaped torturous 4 years of prison-school education by studying abroad, there are many who will still continue to sell their family wealth to secure admission seats through "quota" to get an also-ran B.E title. Everyone first becomes an engineer ,then they figure out what to do. It's a gateway to secure seats for graduate education in foreign institutions ,a means to an end.

While the rest of the world is busy upgrading the quality of their educational institutions, technical institutions in Tamil Nadu continue to impose superficial rules, curb personal freedom, discourage originality, employ barely knowledgeable staff, perform plagiarised research, systematically reduce the intellectual curiosity of thousands of brilliant students, make them pay hordes of money for zero knowledge returns and ship them to US for them to never return back. US economy keeps growing while Indian economy keeps going down. Cause : Not dearth of talent but destruction of quality of education.

We seem to have this strategy nailed down for two decades. Everyone resents it,but why is nothing being done about it?

Here's a crazy solution a friend had : "Every student should write Anne Frankesque diaries of their traumatic four years and publish them , maybe that will open the eyes of the greedy administrators" :P

Carpe Diem!

I love this latin phrase . It means "Seize the day! Make your life extraordinary!" made famous in the movie Dead Poets Society. It reminds me of a lovely poem by William Ernest Henley.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
   Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
   For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
   I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
   My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
   Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
   Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
   How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
   I am the captain of my soul.

Encouragement

Anything is possible with a little bit of encouragement from someone. At the point of giving up something tedious, someone comes up and says "You can do this! We are here for you", you are encouraged to push yourself and even exceed your expectations.

At a recent TEDx talk, one of the speakers talked about the role encouragement plays in shaping a child's dreams. If a child comes up to you with a cute painting ,you don't ask "What is it?",instead you say  "Tell me about it!". By motivating the child to speak for his/her work, you are imbibing a sense of ownership and pride in the child. If a child comes up to you saying that she wants to become a doctor, you pat her on the back saying "You will definitely become a doctor".

My grandmother is a retired English and Maths teacher who is known for her encouraging smile.My love for Maths is purely because of her . Every time we used to solve problems together , she would say "Its ok, I am sure you can get the next one right" or "Very good,now let's see if you can crack a tougher one". A student told my grandmom recently that she still remembers the way she taught the poem "Where the mind is without fear" by Rabindranath Tagore in class. She had been so inspired by that poem 30 years ago ,  that she still thinks of it every time she needs motivation. Such is the power of an encouraging teacher.

In a life with ups and downs,constructive criticism helps, but it is these sincere words of encouragement that drive us to achieve greater heights. So lend a few appreciative words, and you will just make someone's day!

Chennai..my city,my home

I am a Chennai-born girl .  I had never lived in any other city until I came to Singapore . Every time I go travelling and come back home, there is a distinctive feel about the city that sets it apart. Maybe because I call it my home , maybe because I have had lovely childhood memories in that place.  I display an overpowering interest when a random person comes and up to me and says he/she is from Chennai.

Chennai merrily straddles the border of modernity and tradition. It's a melting pot of all Indian cultures with people trying to borrow aspects of each tradition. People are simple, down-to-earth and work hard after a dose of filter kapi. Chennai is not a place where one displays a fierce sense of loyalty ,unlike our counterparts in Mumbai or Delhi or Bangalore. We often underplay our affection,mostly because we know its flaws. We know that it will take at least half a decade for it to be on par with the most developed city in the world. We know that we don't have late night parties or metallica concerts, or for that matter, standup comedy because we are too busy laughing at ourselves. We laugh about the crowded streets of T.Nagar, of Cooum river ,of fat policemen ,of Sowcarpet Northies,of TamBrahmin rage in streets of Mylapore and Mambalam .

A lot of Chennai humour is not targeted at outside individuals or stereotypes.It's ourselves that we find the most funny. It's the lighthearted manner of living that makes the city most happy to be in.You will come to Chennai and complain about its hot weather, poor infrastructure and callous maintenance. But you will go back after sharing a laugh about it with someone!

When you are at crossroads in life, take the Highway

Spoilers ahead!

I just returned from a surreal 2.5 hours watch of Highway, a phenomenal film that is bound to make you shed a tear (for me, truckloads..good i took tissues!) . Highway is a very emotional film at its depths. Imtiaz Ali has delivered his career best in this one.

It's a detour from a typical bollywood film , its a special experience that has to be felt to be understood . This movie is not for the mass audience who seek the entertainment quotient . It's for people who like feeling invested and emotionally drained at the end of a movie. 

Destroying all cliches surrounding stereotypical roles ,its an unconventional film which is very minimalistic in its delivery . It imparts a powerful feeling , yet its very subtle in its screenplay. The unhurried simplicity , the comfortable silence between the lead pair, the caresses between gunshots , the laughter amidst snowcapped mountains…it transports you to another world,one where you can find a renewed sense of freedom, just like Veera , the lead female character in the movie does.

A story which begins like a wedding documentary, rapidly changes pace when the hero appears in the kidnap scene. Most of the story is told from the perspective of the lead pair, we don't know how worried the girl's parents are , that their daughter is kidnapped (although a brief scene after intermission attempts to justify that). But most of the story is of the strange relationship Veera has with Mahabhir, she approaches him,he resists,she hugs him, he yields. We think of love that might ensue between them,but time and again , the story surprises us. No it’s not a love story,nor is it just a story of Stockholm Syndrome, where the abducted tries to kindle friendship with the kidnapper. Its a story of two people who find companionship in the memory of their traumatised pasts. There's a deep understanding that goes beyond a label on their relationships. In life, some bonds are inexplicable, like that between a mother and her son or a father and his daughter.

She asks him about his mother whom he seems to miss, he snaps back at her saying its none of her business. But slowly, he starts finding a mother in her. When they get a house in the mountains,she cleans the house and prepares food for him. He experiences a deep pain when entering that house as it reminds him of his “amma” , he bursts down in a very emotional scene ,in Veera’s arms. She hugs him and sleeps on him like daddy's little girl, she finds in him a protective dad she never had. They both know that their 'rasta' comes with an expiry date, but they just wish that it lasts a bit longer, a little more freedom is all the rich wounded girl asks for.

Veera asks Mahabhir if she could hold the gun. True to his character,he tries to snatch it back from her. He confesses of having killed 3 people and he says that when he killed the first person, he also died. What can be more romantic than a principled bad guy? The guy who knows what he is doing is wrong, but has fallen to the perils of fate ? The facade of a tough guy with the heart of pure gold.

The movie delivered more than i expected.In the first few scenes,I was a tad disappointed with the slow pace of dialogues,with the story beginning in a lull. You often tend to expect Indian movies to start with a bang, with action or moving trains or music.But the audience is left to enjoy the silence of the breezy wind at night. Its a story true to its agenda from start to end. It will leave you with questions you know the answers for. It will leave you surreal, with thoughts about Veera and Mahabhir and their blissful life in the snow-capped mountains.

I would recommend this film a watch for everyone for its unique screenplay, divine music, stunning acting and above all,the postcard ending with two children hopping away in the glory of innocent unwounded childhoods, just like that of Heidi in the Alps. 

I don’t want to stop writing, just like Veera says that she doesn’t want to go back to the place where she came from , nor to her destination . Its the journey that she wants. Its the journey which makes life so beautiful,not the end pinnacles of success or failure. There’s so much in this movie that mere words can fail to convey .I bid a salute to Imtiaz Ali.He just blew me away from a mile, and raised his bar for my expectation of his future movies.As for Alia Bhatt , a girl my age to deliver such a beautiful role is a feat by no means . I look forward to 2 states,her next movie for another stunning performance!

When you are at crossroads at life, go watch Highway.You won't regret it. Sometimes, you need to hear a beautiful story to get your perspective of life in place.

Feeling Blessed!

The day dawned a bright sunday morning and I woke up feeling wonderful . Suddenly I realised that it's a wonderful time to be alive!

None of us were given a choice of where we are born, who our parents are, how we look like or what kind of education we are given. I have been blessed with a comfortable lifestyle and to share my life with some wonderful people. Many people do not even have their basic amenities, for absolutely no fault of theirs, but a fate of birth. While we all can find thousands of reasons to be unhappy about, there's always someone whose dream we are living. How incredible is that! 

Technology has changed the way we live our lives. Its never been easier to become smarter, keep abreast of latest world events , learn new things and keep in touch with people miles away . With an ipad filled with hundreds of books, a smartphone with instant access to information and a macbook which guarantees amazing productivity, even sky is not the limit for what we can get done. 

A few years ago, I had loads of free time to get bored. But now, there is so much to do and so little time. I want to read more books,learn more songs,write more often,play more sports...laziness is just not an option when it's such an amazing time to absorb what the world has to offer.

"Don't worry about getting old! It's a privilege denied to many!" Maintain good health, learn more and give back even more.

A happy video to drive in the message :)

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing

can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel

that there is something in them

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,

and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past

and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times

and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticise others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,

and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side

so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

-Christian D.Larson ,Your Forces and How to Use Them.

Solving Rubik's cube!

I finally learnt how to solve Rubiks Cube! I have been wanting to add this to my bragging rights for a while now and it feels good that I finally can! Thanks to a good friend who taught me the nuances to Rubiking!

For those interesting in learning, here's a good youtube video to get you started!

As with most skills, it just gets better with practice. With a few days of practice,I am able to solve it in 5 minutes. However, I have heard that speed-cubing is a whole different story. It needs skills like muscle memory,finger dexterity and multitasking. But the good thing is that these are more of acquired skills than innate skills . Just like sports , some people are natural at it while some become very good with practice and hard work.

Though there isn't a direct relationship between solving Rubik's cube and intelligence level, research shows that the process of understanding why and how it works greatly aids in 3D visualisation and algorithmic thinking. Personally, it helps me focus on days when I can't concentrate.

Who knows? This skill might even land me up in a dream job. Remember Will Smith in Pursuit of Happyness? ;) Oh ,well!

5 Reasons why I love Suits!

Suits is a legal TV drama with outstanding script and classy acting. I got addicted to it during my final year and finished 3 seasons in 2 days! Packed with good suspense and witty banters, it's a show everybody should watch at least once in their lifetimes. If you don't like it straightaway, give it some time and come back to it. You can thank me later!

Here's are my top 5 reasons you should catch the show:

1) The show's got style!

If you thought Rajnikant has got style,wait till you start admiring Harvey Spector, the man who carries the show. Everything you need to know about Suits can be learnt in the very first episode. Sleek cinematography,smooth soundtrack and fantastic opening title sequence. I am liberal with my praises because the show is worth it. It's one of those rare shows which you know will be quoted for years to come.

2) Smart Writing.

Though the show has got some real talent, the reason why its awesome is really because of its smart and quick dialogues. Whether its WWHD(What would Harvey Do) or 'Don't Donna me' or 'You just got Litt Up', suits has its own unique lingo , apart from the sexy legal jargon. I can safely say I can carry off a conversation with my law major friend without taking the fifth(if you know what i mean!)

3) Pop Culture References.

One of the most enjoyable things to do during each episode is to spot the numerous pop culture references in the dialogues. Every season has some references to Shakespeare , Dead Poets Society,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Pulp Fiction,Forrest Gump and even shows like Downton Abbey ,Game of thrones and many more. For a pop culture junkie like myself, there's nothing more exciting than movie quotes, comparisons to fictional characters and even some really awesome Lady Macbeth impressions!

4) Life's not so simple.

Suits models real life. The cases in Suits are morally complex,and so are the characters. No case is smooth and no character is perfect. Everyones' flaws,mistakes and misjudgements makes me question my own character. What would I do in that situation? Characters who may seem like stereotypes are actually facades to their actual selves. For example, the protagonist Harvey is the evil and proud lawyer for an outsider. But on suits, we root for him because we know the humane side to the character,why he is what he is. Everyone has a story to tell,don't they?

5) Relationships matter.

Once in a while,we forget that everything in business is operated by a human. We may blame a system,but it's a group of humans with real feelings who run the system. At its core, Suits is about relationships. Trust, loyalty and respect are important for long-term relationships. This perspective adds a unique emotional depth to an otherwise generic legal procedure. Harvey believes in the abilities of his protege,Mike and comes to care about him, while Mike has immense deep rooted respect for his mentor.

Suits is a show populated by genuine characters .Every combination of actors on this show produce dynamic scenes. I laugh every time Donna and Rachel gossip together, I cheer every time Harvey stands up for Mike(and vice versa), I feel all warm and fuzzy when someone is genuinely nice to Louis, I smile every time Jessica and Harvey strategise together and I melt when Donna and Harvey protect each other. I love television shows that make me think and reflect , and that's Suits in a nutshell.

I came for the smart writing and charming cast, I stayed because I feel invested in the show's journey.