Who doesn't like free food?....
My roommate Siddhartha has a Japanese guest from Japan in his lab for some project related work. They were planning to go to a Japanese restaurant and (since it was not very close to our apartment, they needed a car,) Siddhartha asked me if I could join them. I accepted the invitation gleefully. There is nothing more fascinating in this world than to get free food at a nice place.
so we chose Pacific East. It had some good reviews online and was placed at a very neat location. Pacific East has a neat ambiance, a mostly blue space, nicely offsetting the red wood tables and chairs. The place has a vast menu, listing dozens of sushi options plus just about any vegetable ever grown in Japan as well as many tempura, yakatori, udon, don buri, and teriyaki. Service was exceedingly polite and efficient. It was my first outing at a Japanese restaurant, and I must say that I was not disappointed.
I found Ritsuko (Siddhartha's guest) a very well mannered, confident and a charming lady. I must say that she has been a wonderful ambassador for her country and her company. It was nice meeting her.
Anyways, so Ritsuko was there to guide us for ordering food. Pacific East has huge list of items on their menu.. and for a first timer, its indeed a huge task to understand whats going on. It took me a long time to figure out what is good and what is not. Finally ordered Miso Soup (Soy bean soup with been curd, seaweed and scallion) and Tako Yaki (Octopus balls) for appetisers, Oyako Don (chicken with egg on rice) and chicken Katsu (similar to breaded chicken strips) as main course. Ritsoku had Hiya- Yako (cold bean curd with flakes and scallion) and shrimp Tempura. Sidharth had Oyako Don, and Tempuras.
Food was good. Tried to have it with those sticks, but could not. So requested for fork and knife and enjoyed this new delicacy. Now onwards, Octopus will be one more addition to my list. They actually taste pretty good... similar to shrimp. I really enjoyed the Tako Yaki. Rest of the food was good.
They also served some Japanese wine at the end.... it was really good and mellow. Liked it.
All in all, had a good Tuesday evening.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Monday, August 08, 2005
Allegheny Camping and Hiking
Ever since I shifted to Cleveland, I was getting increasingly uncomfortable to see no mountains in and around Ohio. Even feared for a few days that I will have to give up my passion for hiking and camping, and will have to take interest in singing and cooking, etc (:D, :D).... and the thought was scary enough. Surprisingly not too many people hike in Ohio and surrounding states, as its generally a flat land. Come August and I was getting desperate to get out of Cleveland, go to some dense forest and have lots of fun.
So we had to go east to find a thick jungle. And we got Allegheny National park. Vivek, Devyani, Meghna were interested in camping, so we finalised 6th, 7th August as the D-day. I also invited Aniket and Abhijit from Ann Harbor, Michigan; and they were glad to join us. I have known Aniket since past 7 years, and had a few treks together in Maharashtra. We both came to US in 2002, but it was not possible to meet up, as I was in the Carolinas. So I was also keen to catch up with him. Abhishek is also a very avid hiker and has extensive experience of hiking in Maharashtra as well as US.
Allegheny National Forest has a rich variety of outdoor activities to entertain you. There are several trails, ranging from very easy to difficult ones. Also, there are over 600 camp-sites and other recreational activities. Amongst many trails, we chose the Minister Creek trail and the nearby campground, as it was described as a difficult trail in a thick jungle and undeveloped area, which sounded interesting.
Since I have met them 20 days back, I have always found Vivek, Devyani and Meghna full of enthusiasm, a hearty laugh and something to chatter. Devang and Amit also fall in same league. So all in all, an interesting weekend was in offing; with guaranteed non stop entertainment.
On a sunny, hot Saturday morning 8 of us (Abhishek, Aniket, Amit, Vivek, Devang, Meghna, Devyani, me) left Cleveland in 2 cars. Together, we had around 60 music CDs + 8 talkative people... so the 3 hour long drive was hardly boring.
As we came closer to the national park, the forest grew thick, roads became narrower and full of curves. It was a roller coaster ride for a while. As we reached the campsite, we realised that all the sites were full. Now the option was to set up our tents at another campground nearby (which was available, but was a bit too commercialised. We were looking for somewhat more primitive), or away from the campsite, in the woods at the Minister Creek. We chose the second option.
One good thing about Allegheny is that you can set up your tent anywhere in the jungle, except near the trails. It proved to be an excellent choice, as we had even more fun away from the crowd, just by ourselves.
By the time we set up the tents, it was 5 PM, and it was time for relaxing. We started with some chips and salsa, and some beer. The topic of discussion for the evening snack was Andaz Apna Apna and Hera Pheri.... :D.
The main challenge for the evening was to set up the grill. Since we did not set the camp at a normal campsite, we didnt have a proper grill to grill our food. So we fabricated a temporary stone grill, put some charcoal in it, topped with a couple of layers of Aluminium foil. It took 8 engineers and a lot of engineering innovation to set up a grill. But we did it at last (this situation was similar to a sardar joke: it took 50 sardars to change the bulb... 1 to hold the bulb and 49 to rotate the wall, and yet they failed. I am glad that 8 of us did the job :-).
Conclusion: we are not sardars. We can do it ).
Anyways, soon our burgers and chicken breasts and veggies were cooking on red hot charcoal. We also started a campfire side-by-side and put some potatoes and veggies in it, seasoned with Mexican seasoning. It was a very delicious dinner, and it tasted even better with some fine red and white wine. I must mention that the chicken I had on that evening was one of the tastiest I have had ever.
All this while, our topics of discussion varied from Cleveland, Ann Arbor, US, India, football, cricket, baseball to Human beings, animals, Aniket Joshi and Siddharth Dutta. Aniket (who claims to get loads of spare time because he is a full -time research student at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) tried a lot to prove his point that U Mich is a superior research place, but his efforts fell short against 6 Case researchers. Later he tried to crack some jokes from his "improv" club; however, one must say that he needs to improve. Having said that, this trek won't have been even half enjoyable without Aniket. So keep it up buddy.
It was dessert time by then and we had some marshmallow roasters for dessert. After so much of food, a deep sleep was inevitable.
Next morning, after having the breakfast of apples and doughnuts, we started our hike. This almost 7 miles hike is full of huge boulders and lots of ups and downs as well as streams and trees. It was a very enjoyable 4 hour hike. We did a bit of rock climbing, a bit of tree climbing, some apple picking, lots of relaxing and some walking.
On our way back, we had a late lunch at the Pepper-mate Restaurant in Warren. They claim to be the best family restaurant in Warren. Well, considering their food, I would say that Warren families need to improve.
Anyways, it was an excellent weekend overall. It seems that Allegheny will be my second home in Cleveland in a next couple of years. I would definitely recommend you to visit that place at least once. Its cool, and all the trails are worth the effort. I am already planning another camping trip in Fall Break later in October.
Please click here for camping pics.
So we had to go east to find a thick jungle. And we got Allegheny National park. Vivek, Devyani, Meghna were interested in camping, so we finalised 6th, 7th August as the D-day. I also invited Aniket and Abhijit from Ann Harbor, Michigan; and they were glad to join us. I have known Aniket since past 7 years, and had a few treks together in Maharashtra. We both came to US in 2002, but it was not possible to meet up, as I was in the Carolinas. So I was also keen to catch up with him. Abhishek is also a very avid hiker and has extensive experience of hiking in Maharashtra as well as US.
Allegheny National Forest has a rich variety of outdoor activities to entertain you. There are several trails, ranging from very easy to difficult ones. Also, there are over 600 camp-sites and other recreational activities. Amongst many trails, we chose the Minister Creek trail and the nearby campground, as it was described as a difficult trail in a thick jungle and undeveloped area, which sounded interesting.
Since I have met them 20 days back, I have always found Vivek, Devyani and Meghna full of enthusiasm, a hearty laugh and something to chatter. Devang and Amit also fall in same league. So all in all, an interesting weekend was in offing; with guaranteed non stop entertainment.
On a sunny, hot Saturday morning 8 of us (Abhishek, Aniket, Amit, Vivek, Devang, Meghna, Devyani, me) left Cleveland in 2 cars. Together, we had around 60 music CDs + 8 talkative people... so the 3 hour long drive was hardly boring.
As we came closer to the national park, the forest grew thick, roads became narrower and full of curves. It was a roller coaster ride for a while. As we reached the campsite, we realised that all the sites were full. Now the option was to set up our tents at another campground nearby (which was available, but was a bit too commercialised. We were looking for somewhat more primitive), or away from the campsite, in the woods at the Minister Creek. We chose the second option.
One good thing about Allegheny is that you can set up your tent anywhere in the jungle, except near the trails. It proved to be an excellent choice, as we had even more fun away from the crowd, just by ourselves.
By the time we set up the tents, it was 5 PM, and it was time for relaxing. We started with some chips and salsa, and some beer. The topic of discussion for the evening snack was Andaz Apna Apna and Hera Pheri.... :D.
The main challenge for the evening was to set up the grill. Since we did not set the camp at a normal campsite, we didnt have a proper grill to grill our food. So we fabricated a temporary stone grill, put some charcoal in it, topped with a couple of layers of Aluminium foil. It took 8 engineers and a lot of engineering innovation to set up a grill. But we did it at last (this situation was similar to a sardar joke: it took 50 sardars to change the bulb... 1 to hold the bulb and 49 to rotate the wall, and yet they failed. I am glad that 8 of us did the job :-).
Conclusion: we are not sardars. We can do it ).
Anyways, soon our burgers and chicken breasts and veggies were cooking on red hot charcoal. We also started a campfire side-by-side and put some potatoes and veggies in it, seasoned with Mexican seasoning. It was a very delicious dinner, and it tasted even better with some fine red and white wine. I must mention that the chicken I had on that evening was one of the tastiest I have had ever.
All this while, our topics of discussion varied from Cleveland, Ann Arbor, US, India, football, cricket, baseball to Human beings, animals, Aniket Joshi and Siddharth Dutta. Aniket (who claims to get loads of spare time because he is a full -time research student at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) tried a lot to prove his point that U Mich is a superior research place, but his efforts fell short against 6 Case researchers. Later he tried to crack some jokes from his "improv" club; however, one must say that he needs to improve. Having said that, this trek won't have been even half enjoyable without Aniket. So keep it up buddy.
It was dessert time by then and we had some marshmallow roasters for dessert. After so much of food, a deep sleep was inevitable.
Next morning, after having the breakfast of apples and doughnuts, we started our hike. This almost 7 miles hike is full of huge boulders and lots of ups and downs as well as streams and trees. It was a very enjoyable 4 hour hike. We did a bit of rock climbing, a bit of tree climbing, some apple picking, lots of relaxing and some walking.
On our way back, we had a late lunch at the Pepper-mate Restaurant in Warren. They claim to be the best family restaurant in Warren. Well, considering their food, I would say that Warren families need to improve.
Anyways, it was an excellent weekend overall. It seems that Allegheny will be my second home in Cleveland in a next couple of years. I would definitely recommend you to visit that place at least once. Its cool, and all the trails are worth the effort. I am already planning another camping trip in Fall Break later in October.
Please click here for camping pics.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Baseball game
I guess I surprised myself when I went to see the Indians Vs. Yankees Baseball game yesterday.
I like the concept of baseball, as its close to cricket; and i have been trying to understand its rules etc. But never got a chance to follow the game closely. Life in Clemson was too busy to follow baseball in addition to other games.
Couple of days back, Vivek asked if I would be interested in joining him and Devyani for this game. It sounded a great idea.
Its a great experience to be in the ground and see the game live. It was my first such experience, so thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a strong 35-40 thousand crowd, and we were in the top rows. the screen was rt in front of us. Vivek helped me to understand the game; and it was very easy after that.
About the game.... in one line: "Cleveland Indians are a bunch of idiots". They were leading 3-2 till the start of the 9th Innings. Yankees hit 2 home runs in the 9th innings... went 4-3 up.. and then got all 3 Indian hitters in a minute. It was a huge let down at the end. Something I would expect from the Indian cricket team (because Indian cricketers do not carry brain on their shoulders when they go out in middle and play. If you observe closely, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra look mentally retarded when they bowl and are hit for 2-3 fours in one over), but not from the Cleveland Indians...
Bob Wickman messed it all up. MLB has a good cover-up article:
"CLEVELAND -- Bob Wickman knows how precarious life as a closer can be.
After recording saves in the first two games of the series against the Yankees, Wickman's attempt for a third was wiped out by ninth-inning home runs by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi on Thursday night.
The solo homers turned a 3-2 lead into a 4-3 loss, preventing the Indians from recording their first sweep over the Yankees at home since 1970.
Instead of recording his 30th save of the season, Wickman was saddled with his fourth blown save in 33 chances.
When it was all over, Wickman knew where to place the blame.
"I let the team down," Wickman said. "If it wasn't for me, we would have won three games."
Wickman, who leads the American League in saves, said pitching for the third night in a row wasn't the issue. It was more a matter of making bad pitches. After he retired Gary Sheffield on a fly ball to start the inning, Rodriguez crushed a 3-1 pitch into the bleachers in left.
"I was trying to throw it down and away," said Wickman. "It didn't go down and away. It wasn't where I wanted it, but it wasn't the worst pitch in the world."
The 2-1 pitch to Rodriguez raised some questions from the Indians. Plate umpire Bob Davidson called the close pitch a ball, drawing a long stare from Wickman and some yelling from manager Eric Wedge.
"There were a couple of questionable pitches late," said Wedge.
"It was tough to tell," said Wickman.
Wickman (0-3) retired Hideki Matsui on a ground ball, but Giambi, who also homered in the fifth off Kevin Millwood, took a 2-1 pitch to right.
"He hit a slider," said Wickman. "It's the first home run I've given up on a breaking ball all year."
Millwood held New York to two runs in eight innings. John Flaherty also homered off Millwood in the second.
Wedge had no second thoughts about pulling Millwood, who threw 94 pitches.
"It was tough, but Kevin had worked hard," he said. "He did a great job. That was enough for him. Wicky has been great for us. It was one of those days with Wicky."
Millwood, who allowed eight hits, struck out eight and didn't walk a batter, supported the move.
"I was done," Millwood said. "I used my last bit of energy in the last inning. If I went out for the ninth, I would have been real tired. I felt like I was pretty much done after the eighth. I wouldn't have had much on the ball."
Wedge chose to credit the Yankees.
"A couple of pretty good hitters got us late: A-Rod and Giambi," he said.
Wickman also credited the Yankees.
"I felt pretty good," he said. "I just didn't make the pitches. They make you pay when you make a mistake. Guys who hit home runs make you pay when you make a bad pitch."
Down, 2-1, in the seventh, it looked as if the Indians were going to pull this one out. Casey Blake walked to start the inning, which ended the night for Yankees starter Shawn Chacon. Alan Embree came in, and he walked Grady Sizemore. Coco Crisp sacrificed the runners to second and third. The bunt paid off when Jhonny Peralta's groundout off Tom Gordon scored Blake to tie the game.
Travis Hafner, who hadn't played since getting hit in the face by a pitch from Chicago's Mark Buehrle on July 16, grounded a 2-2 pitch through the right side to put the Indians ahead, 3-2, in the seventh. Hafner had missed 17 games with a concussion.
Flaherty's homer, his first of the season, came on a 2-0 pitch and landed in the bleachers in left. Giambi homered to right to lead off the fifth.
The Indians were unable to cash in chances in the second, third and fourth innings, but they finally broke through in the fifth. Blake led off with a single, but Sizemore hit into a double play. Crisp singled and scored when Peralta doubled off the wall in left.
"
All in all it was a great experience though. Enjoyed it a lot. A great game, fairly noisy crowd, pizza, and beer!!... Great experience!!
I like the concept of baseball, as its close to cricket; and i have been trying to understand its rules etc. But never got a chance to follow the game closely. Life in Clemson was too busy to follow baseball in addition to other games.
Couple of days back, Vivek asked if I would be interested in joining him and Devyani for this game. It sounded a great idea.
Its a great experience to be in the ground and see the game live. It was my first such experience, so thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a strong 35-40 thousand crowd, and we were in the top rows. the screen was rt in front of us. Vivek helped me to understand the game; and it was very easy after that.
About the game.... in one line: "Cleveland Indians are a bunch of idiots". They were leading 3-2 till the start of the 9th Innings. Yankees hit 2 home runs in the 9th innings... went 4-3 up.. and then got all 3 Indian hitters in a minute. It was a huge let down at the end. Something I would expect from the Indian cricket team (because Indian cricketers do not carry brain on their shoulders when they go out in middle and play. If you observe closely, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra look mentally retarded when they bowl and are hit for 2-3 fours in one over), but not from the Cleveland Indians...
Bob Wickman messed it all up. MLB has a good cover-up article:
"CLEVELAND -- Bob Wickman knows how precarious life as a closer can be.
After recording saves in the first two games of the series against the Yankees, Wickman's attempt for a third was wiped out by ninth-inning home runs by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi on Thursday night.
The solo homers turned a 3-2 lead into a 4-3 loss, preventing the Indians from recording their first sweep over the Yankees at home since 1970.
Instead of recording his 30th save of the season, Wickman was saddled with his fourth blown save in 33 chances.
When it was all over, Wickman knew where to place the blame.
"I let the team down," Wickman said. "If it wasn't for me, we would have won three games."
Wickman, who leads the American League in saves, said pitching for the third night in a row wasn't the issue. It was more a matter of making bad pitches. After he retired Gary Sheffield on a fly ball to start the inning, Rodriguez crushed a 3-1 pitch into the bleachers in left.
"I was trying to throw it down and away," said Wickman. "It didn't go down and away. It wasn't where I wanted it, but it wasn't the worst pitch in the world."
The 2-1 pitch to Rodriguez raised some questions from the Indians. Plate umpire Bob Davidson called the close pitch a ball, drawing a long stare from Wickman and some yelling from manager Eric Wedge.
"There were a couple of questionable pitches late," said Wedge.
"It was tough to tell," said Wickman.
Wickman (0-3) retired Hideki Matsui on a ground ball, but Giambi, who also homered in the fifth off Kevin Millwood, took a 2-1 pitch to right.
"He hit a slider," said Wickman. "It's the first home run I've given up on a breaking ball all year."
Millwood held New York to two runs in eight innings. John Flaherty also homered off Millwood in the second.
Wedge had no second thoughts about pulling Millwood, who threw 94 pitches.
"It was tough, but Kevin had worked hard," he said. "He did a great job. That was enough for him. Wicky has been great for us. It was one of those days with Wicky."
Millwood, who allowed eight hits, struck out eight and didn't walk a batter, supported the move.
"I was done," Millwood said. "I used my last bit of energy in the last inning. If I went out for the ninth, I would have been real tired. I felt like I was pretty much done after the eighth. I wouldn't have had much on the ball."
Wedge chose to credit the Yankees.
"A couple of pretty good hitters got us late: A-Rod and Giambi," he said.
Wickman also credited the Yankees.
"I felt pretty good," he said. "I just didn't make the pitches. They make you pay when you make a mistake. Guys who hit home runs make you pay when you make a bad pitch."
Down, 2-1, in the seventh, it looked as if the Indians were going to pull this one out. Casey Blake walked to start the inning, which ended the night for Yankees starter Shawn Chacon. Alan Embree came in, and he walked Grady Sizemore. Coco Crisp sacrificed the runners to second and third. The bunt paid off when Jhonny Peralta's groundout off Tom Gordon scored Blake to tie the game.
Travis Hafner, who hadn't played since getting hit in the face by a pitch from Chicago's Mark Buehrle on July 16, grounded a 2-2 pitch through the right side to put the Indians ahead, 3-2, in the seventh. Hafner had missed 17 games with a concussion.
Flaherty's homer, his first of the season, came on a 2-0 pitch and landed in the bleachers in left. Giambi homered to right to lead off the fifth.
The Indians were unable to cash in chances in the second, third and fourth innings, but they finally broke through in the fifth. Blake led off with a single, but Sizemore hit into a double play. Crisp singled and scored when Peralta doubled off the wall in left.
"
All in all it was a great experience though. Enjoyed it a lot. A great game, fairly noisy crowd, pizza, and beer!!... Great experience!!
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Asha
Being a part of AID was one of the most satisfying experiences for me at Clemson. Got a very fantastic friends to hang around with, had lots of fun, and also got some experience of event management in the USA. More important than that, learnt a lot about my country , India. There was a lot more to India than i knew before being a part of AID. The way I think of my country may not be same as the way others think of it; and more importantly the actual situation may not be exactly the same.
We often talk about India being a developed nation by 2020, and India making leaps of progress in IT; but there are millions of people in India who are yet to get the basic knowledge of health care, self-dependence, and education. That's when I decided to be involved with a non-profit organization. I am probably an infinitesimal factor in the development of my country, but still I want to contribute in whatever small way I can. That feeling of doing something for my country gives me a lot of self-satisfaction.
Anyways, AID doesn't have a Cleveland chapter. However, Asha (better known as Asha for Education) is fairly active here and the Cleveland chapter does lots of events thru out the year. Asha for Education is a secular organization dedicated to change in India by focusing on basic education in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change.
I have been attending past couple of Asha meetings. Its cool. Its almost same fun as we used to have in AID meeting at Clemson. Hoping to be more involved with Asha in future months, and also get to know some of the members. We are organizing classical Indian music concert by Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan with his sons Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bhangaash on the 17th September. Am looking forward to it. Last few Indian classical music concerts have been a great experience. This one would be no different either. Lets see how it turns out to be.
We often talk about India being a developed nation by 2020, and India making leaps of progress in IT; but there are millions of people in India who are yet to get the basic knowledge of health care, self-dependence, and education. That's when I decided to be involved with a non-profit organization. I am probably an infinitesimal factor in the development of my country, but still I want to contribute in whatever small way I can. That feeling of doing something for my country gives me a lot of self-satisfaction.
Anyways, AID doesn't have a Cleveland chapter. However, Asha (better known as Asha for Education) is fairly active here and the Cleveland chapter does lots of events thru out the year. Asha for Education is a secular organization dedicated to change in India by focusing on basic education in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change.
I have been attending past couple of Asha meetings. Its cool. Its almost same fun as we used to have in AID meeting at Clemson. Hoping to be more involved with Asha in future months, and also get to know some of the members. We are organizing classical Indian music concert by Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan with his sons Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bhangaash on the 17th September. Am looking forward to it. Last few Indian classical music concerts have been a great experience. This one would be no different either. Lets see how it turns out to be.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Happy Happy Happy Happy, Happy days are here again....
I am enjoying these days... Past 2 weeks or so have been really great!!!.... After a good, long month; feel as if Cleveland has finally accepted me, and I have accepted Cleveland. This mutual acceptance is important for survival.
There have been lots of parties and cricket thru out. It started with a hearty dinner at Vivek Walimbe's place, with Devayani, Meghna, Sameer, Rashmi, and their kid. It was a delicious Indian dinner with Andaz Apna Apna in background, followed by Ice cream. We kept on talking for a couple of hours in Vivek's balcony. From there one can see a lovely view of Cleveland downtown. I want to take its pic one day.... will do it as I get time.
It was followed by Sunday nite dinner with some Case guys (and girls) at Tommy's, and a short trip to Edgewater park by Lake Erie. Its a cool place.... there were lots of people fishing there, and were actually catching a lots of them. I am looking forward to fishing someday by the lakeside.
Then we hosted a party at our place for Siddhath's friends, and they hosted a party the following weekend at their place. So obviously had a great time.
Also, I got my boxes from Clemson, so most of the spare time at home is spent in arranging all the stuff. And then rearranging it. Now my room looks the way I want, with a big (5 ft by 4 ft) US road map and also the world map on the walls, and a poster of a cute little lazy puppy with the quotes "Lazy Days" on the wall near my bed. Plus there are 2 small cabinets, a table, a chair. I would settle for this for now.
A few days back, went to see the hindi movie "Viruddh". Its a serious movie, but I liked it because the first half is well made, portraying the lives of upper-middle class parents living in Mumbai and having their son studying abroad. A few scenes got me thinking about my parents. I was going to talk about it to them, only to realise that they also had been to the same movie a day back.(its been a while since I have had a hearty talk with my parents either. Life is little too fast at the moment. When I went home back in June, hardly got a day to spend with them. Sometimes miss my parents and miss them for not there with me to share my happiness; but its OK I guess. One good thing is that they respect my personal life and do understand that I have a life beyond them and my other relatives. Not all parents are that nice)... They must have read the reviews somewhere.
Anyways, in between all these things, I am going to cricket practice every week and then also to Asha meetings every week.
Its good to be busy, ain't it?
There have been lots of parties and cricket thru out. It started with a hearty dinner at Vivek Walimbe's place, with Devayani, Meghna, Sameer, Rashmi, and their kid. It was a delicious Indian dinner with Andaz Apna Apna in background, followed by Ice cream. We kept on talking for a couple of hours in Vivek's balcony. From there one can see a lovely view of Cleveland downtown. I want to take its pic one day.... will do it as I get time.
It was followed by Sunday nite dinner with some Case guys (and girls) at Tommy's, and a short trip to Edgewater park by Lake Erie. Its a cool place.... there were lots of people fishing there, and were actually catching a lots of them. I am looking forward to fishing someday by the lakeside.
Then we hosted a party at our place for Siddhath's friends, and they hosted a party the following weekend at their place. So obviously had a great time.
Also, I got my boxes from Clemson, so most of the spare time at home is spent in arranging all the stuff. And then rearranging it. Now my room looks the way I want, with a big (5 ft by 4 ft) US road map and also the world map on the walls, and a poster of a cute little lazy puppy with the quotes "Lazy Days" on the wall near my bed. Plus there are 2 small cabinets, a table, a chair. I would settle for this for now.
A few days back, went to see the hindi movie "Viruddh". Its a serious movie, but I liked it because the first half is well made, portraying the lives of upper-middle class parents living in Mumbai and having their son studying abroad. A few scenes got me thinking about my parents. I was going to talk about it to them, only to realise that they also had been to the same movie a day back.(its been a while since I have had a hearty talk with my parents either. Life is little too fast at the moment. When I went home back in June, hardly got a day to spend with them. Sometimes miss my parents and miss them for not there with me to share my happiness; but its OK I guess. One good thing is that they respect my personal life and do understand that I have a life beyond them and my other relatives. Not all parents are that nice)... They must have read the reviews somewhere.
Anyways, in between all these things, I am going to cricket practice every week and then also to Asha meetings every week.
Its good to be busy, ain't it?
Friday, July 15, 2005
Clemson to Cleveland... life moves on
Its been more than a month since I have shifted to Cleveland. Getting adjusted to it bit by bit. Never imagined it would be so tough to get used to this place, especially after spending good 3 years in Clemson. I mean, even my backyard in Mumbai is bigger than Clemson, so thought that since I am moving to a bigger city, things should be much easier at Cleveland, but soon realised that it was not the case.
Cleveland is a nice little city, but its weird in the sense that one struggles to find people to have a hearty talk with. Coming from Clemson, where I knew almost entire Indian community of 300 and so many others, felt as if coming to a desert, as there was no one to talk with.
This is something bit unusual. Its not that there are no people. The place where I work, the Cleveland Clinic, has tons of employees, but somehow all are in a hurry to do something. They don't walk, they run. That was a huge contrast from Clemson life, where we didn't walk either, we crawled. Another fact was that, since I am joining early ( in June instead of August), there is no one who's with me to start off with. So, it was bit unusual not to have a good company in day-to-day life.
Soon, things got better. Got a nice little apartment in a very good locality. Its called Little Italy, as it was primarily an Italian community, and has many nice Italian restaurants. It like lovely little castle. We have a nice backyard with a cherry tree (with cherries on it), and its a homely apartment. After settling in with the utilities, and the furniture, and all; the next task was to get a car. I was done with sitting at home on weekends.
And got a nice car as well. Its a Toyota Camry. Its runs smooth, and is a great comfort. I have already made a couple of small road trips here and there, and its cool.
Nowadays trying to meet people and make new friends.... its like whole new cycle.... did it after school, at engineering college, at Johnson Controls, at Clemson and now at Cleveland. Nowadays, am going for cricket practice every Friday with CSU guys. Its fun to be all padded up and playing with leather ball. And yes, I am not getting out on zero anymore :).
Met Suneel Sai, a VESIT senior last week. It was great to meet someone after 5 long years. He was accompanying his girlfriend Sindhu. We had a nice time first at the Omnimax dome. Watching something on a huge 160 degree dome screen was amazing. Its supposed to be one of world's largest screen.
Then, very interestingly, went to an Ethiopian restaurant, Taytu, and it was a cool restaurant. I would recommend anyone who likes to try something spicy and something new, at a good ambiance. We tried some Samboosas (similar to Indian Samosas), some spicy shrimp and some extra hot beef stuff. The shrimp was worth it. Excellent taste.
"As you walk in the door, the aroma of ginger, cardamom and cloves greets you. The walls are decorated with photos of Ethiopia, and servers are garbed in long white dresses. Here you'll dine as the ancient Abyssinian did: at basket- like tables (mesobs) where you scoop up food with injera, a pancake-like buckwheat bread, from tabletop-sized platters. Dining here isn't just a culinary experience, it's a cross-cultural experience, too. For starters, try the sambussa, fried turnovers stuffed with jalapeno±s and onions -- hot hot hot. For dinner, share a meat combo with marinated chicken, tender stewed beef, lamb and ground beef in their appropriate sauces, and/or a vegetable combo with spiced peas and lentils, well-flavored greens, string beans and potatoes in their appropriate sauces. Both come with good-sized "American" salads. Desserts are tame here (sweets aren't part of Ethiopian culture), so for afters, opt for the enchanting Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Green coffee beans are roasted to order and brought to the table still hot, then ground. Then, as your coffee brews in a clay pot, your soft-spoken server lights incense and explains Ethiopian coffee customs."
All in all, I am having a nice time in Cleveland. Never felt so relieved and relaxed in years: was always under some stress or other. Things are much better now (I hope I can get back some of my hair on my head :)) ). Making some nice friends at the clinic, and in community as well.
Signing off,
Vivek
Cleveland is a nice little city, but its weird in the sense that one struggles to find people to have a hearty talk with. Coming from Clemson, where I knew almost entire Indian community of 300 and so many others, felt as if coming to a desert, as there was no one to talk with.
This is something bit unusual. Its not that there are no people. The place where I work, the Cleveland Clinic, has tons of employees, but somehow all are in a hurry to do something. They don't walk, they run. That was a huge contrast from Clemson life, where we didn't walk either, we crawled. Another fact was that, since I am joining early ( in June instead of August), there is no one who's with me to start off with. So, it was bit unusual not to have a good company in day-to-day life.
Soon, things got better. Got a nice little apartment in a very good locality. Its called Little Italy, as it was primarily an Italian community, and has many nice Italian restaurants. It like lovely little castle. We have a nice backyard with a cherry tree (with cherries on it), and its a homely apartment. After settling in with the utilities, and the furniture, and all; the next task was to get a car. I was done with sitting at home on weekends.
And got a nice car as well. Its a Toyota Camry. Its runs smooth, and is a great comfort. I have already made a couple of small road trips here and there, and its cool.
Nowadays trying to meet people and make new friends.... its like whole new cycle.... did it after school, at engineering college, at Johnson Controls, at Clemson and now at Cleveland. Nowadays, am going for cricket practice every Friday with CSU guys. Its fun to be all padded up and playing with leather ball. And yes, I am not getting out on zero anymore :).
Met Suneel Sai, a VESIT senior last week. It was great to meet someone after 5 long years. He was accompanying his girlfriend Sindhu. We had a nice time first at the Omnimax dome. Watching something on a huge 160 degree dome screen was amazing. Its supposed to be one of world's largest screen.
Then, very interestingly, went to an Ethiopian restaurant, Taytu, and it was a cool restaurant. I would recommend anyone who likes to try something spicy and something new, at a good ambiance. We tried some Samboosas (similar to Indian Samosas), some spicy shrimp and some extra hot beef stuff. The shrimp was worth it. Excellent taste.
"As you walk in the door, the aroma of ginger, cardamom and cloves greets you. The walls are decorated with photos of Ethiopia, and servers are garbed in long white dresses. Here you'll dine as the ancient Abyssinian did: at basket- like tables (mesobs) where you scoop up food with injera, a pancake-like buckwheat bread, from tabletop-sized platters. Dining here isn't just a culinary experience, it's a cross-cultural experience, too. For starters, try the sambussa, fried turnovers stuffed with jalapeno±s and onions -- hot hot hot. For dinner, share a meat combo with marinated chicken, tender stewed beef, lamb and ground beef in their appropriate sauces, and/or a vegetable combo with spiced peas and lentils, well-flavored greens, string beans and potatoes in their appropriate sauces. Both come with good-sized "American" salads. Desserts are tame here (sweets aren't part of Ethiopian culture), so for afters, opt for the enchanting Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Green coffee beans are roasted to order and brought to the table still hot, then ground. Then, as your coffee brews in a clay pot, your soft-spoken server lights incense and explains Ethiopian coffee customs."
All in all, I am having a nice time in Cleveland. Never felt so relieved and relaxed in years: was always under some stress or other. Things are much better now (I hope I can get back some of my hair on my head :)) ). Making some nice friends at the clinic, and in community as well.
Signing off,
Vivek
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Trek pics
Will write a detailed trek report soon. Meanwhile, have a look at my trek pics:
click here: http://community.webshots.com/user/vivek1512_5
click here: http://community.webshots.com/user/vivek1512_5
India Trip - Part II
SO reached India on the 26th. It was a very good Air- India flight. I had heard some very bad feedbacks about Air-India, but was pleasantly surprised at their service. Apart from excellent food, Air- India provides a lot of leg space to relax, and you don’t get cramped up at all. I was still very fresh after 18 hour continuous flight. Secondly, being a non-stop flight, you reach India in considerably short time (18 hours). I will definitely fly AI next time, if it’s not too expensive.
Mumbai was hot. And unbearably humid. One feels continuous discomfort, especially in day time after being used to coolers and air-conditioners in US. Fortunately there are lots of new malls, and Baristas and CCDs. I preferred meeting my friends at such places than meeting outside.
Anyways, this trip was special of sorts. Apart from the trek (will put a detailed report soon), got to experience everything.... from wedding to funerals, and from street fights to dinners in posh hotels. Had real fun in past 20 days. Met a few old friends, revived friendship with a few... and what not. Ate lots of fish and mutton and chicken and sweets and snacks. Delicious food, excellent trek, some nice friends, and spending few days with parents... what else does one want from a 35 day India trip?...
All in all was indeed a great trip. I feel like being reenergized and fresh for my studies and for my life overall. This trip showed me a way to live life happily. And I consider that as a big lesson in life.
More later
Mumbai was hot. And unbearably humid. One feels continuous discomfort, especially in day time after being used to coolers and air-conditioners in US. Fortunately there are lots of new malls, and Baristas and CCDs. I preferred meeting my friends at such places than meeting outside.
Anyways, this trip was special of sorts. Apart from the trek (will put a detailed report soon), got to experience everything.... from wedding to funerals, and from street fights to dinners in posh hotels. Had real fun in past 20 days. Met a few old friends, revived friendship with a few... and what not. Ate lots of fish and mutton and chicken and sweets and snacks. Delicious food, excellent trek, some nice friends, and spending few days with parents... what else does one want from a 35 day India trip?...
All in all was indeed a great trip. I feel like being reenergized and fresh for my studies and for my life overall. This trip showed me a way to live life happily. And I consider that as a big lesson in life.
More later
Monday, June 06, 2005
India Trip (25th April to 3rd June)
Well, should have put this up long back. Tried to upload it from India... but as you know...
Anyways, it all happened suddenly and in span of just 4-5 days. Let me get back to 2nd week of April: I had just confirmed my admission to Case Western Reserve University for PhD in Biomedical Engineering, rejecting other 2 admits I had. It was kind of tough decision as I had assistantship and funding from all 3. But chose Case as it gives me an opportunity to do research at one of the best medical research schools in the world + had a fellowship with healthy stipend. It was an offer I could not reject :). I decided to join Case in June itself as it would give me couple of more months for work and to settle down in Cleveland.
So after all formalities were completed, I had a break for more than a month. I was talking to Madhuri about how to spend time and all, and she said why don't you go to India and do a nice trek? It sounded interesting. It was something I had thought long back... when I was dreaming about my dream vacations. So I googled and contacted a few friends in India to see if there were some nice Himalayalan treks being organized in May, and indeed there were a few. It sounded feasible and interesting too. Then I enquired about tickets and surprisingly they were within my budget! Then thought, why not!!... Dreams sometimes come true. So, let’s make this trip.
I got tickets on the 20th and I flew on the 25th. It was bit too hectic to pack up everything as I was leaving Clemson for good. But you never feel tired while leaving for India. So somehow managed everything. And I was off to India....
(Continued in part 2)
Anyways, it all happened suddenly and in span of just 4-5 days. Let me get back to 2nd week of April: I had just confirmed my admission to Case Western Reserve University for PhD in Biomedical Engineering, rejecting other 2 admits I had. It was kind of tough decision as I had assistantship and funding from all 3. But chose Case as it gives me an opportunity to do research at one of the best medical research schools in the world + had a fellowship with healthy stipend. It was an offer I could not reject :). I decided to join Case in June itself as it would give me couple of more months for work and to settle down in Cleveland.
So after all formalities were completed, I had a break for more than a month. I was talking to Madhuri about how to spend time and all, and she said why don't you go to India and do a nice trek? It sounded interesting. It was something I had thought long back... when I was dreaming about my dream vacations. So I googled and contacted a few friends in India to see if there were some nice Himalayalan treks being organized in May, and indeed there were a few. It sounded feasible and interesting too. Then I enquired about tickets and surprisingly they were within my budget! Then thought, why not!!... Dreams sometimes come true. So, let’s make this trip.
I got tickets on the 20th and I flew on the 25th. It was bit too hectic to pack up everything as I was leaving Clemson for good. But you never feel tired while leaving for India. So somehow managed everything. And I was off to India....
(Continued in part 2)
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Zakir Hussein
It was the moment of ecstasy, an extreme pleasure to be there at the Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma- Zakir Hussein concert at Atlanta last weekend. It was a wonderful display of Indian classical music and Indian culture.
Panditji is a maestro of Santoor; no one gets better than him. He was at his best on that day, literally creating magic out of those 100 strings. He received spontaneous applauses so many times, and not to mention standing ovations. And to have another genius like Zakir Hussein as an accomplice was something!!
This was my 3rd Zakir Hussein concert, and first time I saw him being overshadowed by someone else on sheer class and persona. I guess it’s to do with seniority and class of Shiv Kumar Sharma. But still, he had his own moments. I would say that Zakir was man of the match on many occasions, but Panditji was man of the series.
Will remember this concert for long long time.
Panditji is a maestro of Santoor; no one gets better than him. He was at his best on that day, literally creating magic out of those 100 strings. He received spontaneous applauses so many times, and not to mention standing ovations. And to have another genius like Zakir Hussein as an accomplice was something!!
This was my 3rd Zakir Hussein concert, and first time I saw him being overshadowed by someone else on sheer class and persona. I guess it’s to do with seniority and class of Shiv Kumar Sharma. But still, he had his own moments. I would say that Zakir was man of the match on many occasions, but Panditji was man of the series.
Will remember this concert for long long time.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Mobile Chess
Am addicted to playing chess on my Samsung X427 off late. I win 5 times before going to bed. :D.
I guess whoever designed, programmed, coded this version must be an absolute d*mba*s!!!. It was the stupidest opponent I have come across. Mind you, before this I rarely played chess, and had not won a single game till a week or so back. One day, just out of sheer boredom of standing at a bus stop, I started with this stuff. It has 3 levels of "difficulties"... easy, normal, and hard. But I guess the easy one is smarter than the hard one and basically all keep making stupidest mistakes.
It is impossible to be on a loosing side. I even tried to loose, but I guess it is not programmed that way at all. Means, you cannot loose, and the mobile cannot win. It must be a part of excellent customer satisfaction I guess.
Meanwhile, if you are looking for such momentary pleasures, like winning 3 games in 15 minutes, Samsung X-427 is there for you!!
I guess whoever designed, programmed, coded this version must be an absolute d*mba*s!!!. It was the stupidest opponent I have come across. Mind you, before this I rarely played chess, and had not won a single game till a week or so back. One day, just out of sheer boredom of standing at a bus stop, I started with this stuff. It has 3 levels of "difficulties"... easy, normal, and hard. But I guess the easy one is smarter than the hard one and basically all keep making stupidest mistakes.
It is impossible to be on a loosing side. I even tried to loose, but I guess it is not programmed that way at all. Means, you cannot loose, and the mobile cannot win. It must be a part of excellent customer satisfaction I guess.
Meanwhile, if you are looking for such momentary pleasures, like winning 3 games in 15 minutes, Samsung X-427 is there for you!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Happy and having fun
Things are much better and relaxing after getting couple of admits and fellowship. It gives a lot of confidence and conviction in life. I always wanted to do this (spend 5 years for PhD at a very good graduate school).... and I now see it coming to reality. It feels nice. Such moments remind you that there are always soothing and satisfying moments coming up in life, you just have to work hard to get them and then savor such moments.
Have traveled a lot in past week. Went to Charleston for beach camping and then to rafting and to Chattanooga. Will be going to Charleston again next Monday for some work. After spending a lot of days under bright sun, I have got a pretty strong tan. I am almost black now :D. Hope it goes away fast. I remember this day: I was in first year and had gone for a 3 day trek... I came back with a lot of tan... and all building friends made life difficult by calling me Koyla. ShahRukh Khan's movie Koyla was running at the same time. Literally had to hide my face for a few days. :))... hope it doesn’t happen again.
Sunil has nicely settled into his job now. It's nice to see that he's living life royally and the way he wants it to be. I guess he's setting a very nice example of how to enjoy life if you have money, and yet to be in control. Keep going buddy.
...But still some people don't change. It was strange to see him barking like a dog at a girl in other car when we were driving on interstate, just to frighten off the poor soul. :)). It was really funny to see a man earning 60K barking like a dog and immensely enjoying the act :D:D.
I have around 50 days before starting my research. Have India trip in mind. There are a few very exciting Himalayan expeditions being conducted by Youth Hostels. I want to do Har ki Doon trek... it’s a 15-20 day trek in Uttaranchal’s Garhwal mountain range, with a lot of time spent on glaciers(http://www.yhaindia.org/Transaction/AdventurePrograms/ProgramDetails.aspx#).
Let’s see if it materializes or not. It all depends upon how soon I get my new I-20. But if everything falls in space, I should be in Bombay by 25th April. It’s been a while since I have seen my parents. I guess they are more eager to see me. Let's see what’s in store.
Have traveled a lot in past week. Went to Charleston for beach camping and then to rafting and to Chattanooga. Will be going to Charleston again next Monday for some work. After spending a lot of days under bright sun, I have got a pretty strong tan. I am almost black now :D. Hope it goes away fast. I remember this day: I was in first year and had gone for a 3 day trek... I came back with a lot of tan... and all building friends made life difficult by calling me Koyla. ShahRukh Khan's movie Koyla was running at the same time. Literally had to hide my face for a few days. :))... hope it doesn’t happen again.
Sunil has nicely settled into his job now. It's nice to see that he's living life royally and the way he wants it to be. I guess he's setting a very nice example of how to enjoy life if you have money, and yet to be in control. Keep going buddy.
...But still some people don't change. It was strange to see him barking like a dog at a girl in other car when we were driving on interstate, just to frighten off the poor soul. :)). It was really funny to see a man earning 60K barking like a dog and immensely enjoying the act :D:D.
I have around 50 days before starting my research. Have India trip in mind. There are a few very exciting Himalayan expeditions being conducted by Youth Hostels. I want to do Har ki Doon trek... it’s a 15-20 day trek in Uttaranchal’s Garhwal mountain range, with a lot of time spent on glaciers(http://www.yhaindia.org/Transaction/AdventurePrograms/ProgramDetails.aspx#).
Let’s see if it materializes or not. It all depends upon how soon I get my new I-20. But if everything falls in space, I should be in Bombay by 25th April. It’s been a while since I have seen my parents. I guess they are more eager to see me. Let's see what’s in store.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Whitewater rafting and camping at Chattanooga:
We (Sunil, Jithu, Gaurav, me) started off our weekend trip on early Saturday morning for Whitewater rafting at Ocoee river. It was a beautiful day; it was sunny sky and cool breeze. Winter is over now and I guess it is an ideal climate for camping and outdoor sports.
Rafting is something I thoroughly enjoy, and the Ocoee River is an ideal venue if you want a bit of adventure and lots of fun (this was the rafting route for 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and provides level III and IV rapids. Considering that the Niagara Falls is a level VI rapid, this is not too bad). This time also, it was great fun. We traced almost all the rapids to perfection. It was basically a roller coaster ride on water, especially when we once made a 3-point whirlpool right in the middle of a rapid. Our guide, Shannon, was cool. We had a good time chatting. She holds a Masters in Communication from Appalachian State Univ. This is one thing I like in Americans: they would pursue their hobbies and interests rather sitting at home without worrying about future and money. We have a lot to learn from them.
Jithu was a bit hesitant for rafting initially, as he is hydrophobic and thought that if he falls in water, alligators would eat him. After a lot of convincing, he finally agreed for it. Sunil and I have rafted before as well, so it was OK. Gaurav was as usual hyper and excited.... till he learnt that Shannon was married. After that, he almost refused to follow her instructions. He was visibly upset. I guess his dreams were shattered (they shatter 20 times a day, anyways...)... But only till he saw a group of girls in minimal attire on riverside.
Next destination was Chattanooga. The plan was to do riverside camping and barbeque, and then visit Ruby Falls and Rock City next day. We got a lovely campsite, right besides the Tennessee River. This was my first riverside camping, and was pleasently surprised to see that it can be as enjoyable as camping in thick jungle. After setting up the tent, we started preparations for barbeque.
Chicken barbeque was the best thing I have had in many days. We marinated garlic chicken and fish fillets in Cajun seasoning and curd, and then roasted them on grill. It turned out really delicious. It was followed by Black Forest cake. It probably doesn’t get better that this.
It was a really wonderful but tiring day... and we fell asleep soon. But we had no idea what was in store for us at nite. It suddenly started raining, and then thunderstorms followed. It was raining cats and dogs by midnight... and we realized that our tent was leaking. There was water in tent. We had to vacate the tent and sleep in car. But that was a good experience. I had heard such stories earlier, but I would believe now that things can ACTUALLY get messed up badly if it rains and the tent is leaky.
Something funny happened in the morning. We went to visit restrooms. There were not too many people camping, as it was Easter Sunday. We soon realized that the toilet men's restroom was clogged, and was unusable. As it was an emergency, and there was no one around, we (Gaurav, me) decided to use women's restroom. (This was the first time for me to see women's restroom; and I was terribly excited, Anyways). There were two toilets inside, and one of it did not have the lock. We asked Jithu to stand outside and see that there was no disaster.
Well, Jithu was in photography mood. He saw some ducks nearby, and went to click them. AND at the same time, a lady came. Jithu was not there, he was behind ducks.... Well.... it would be best if the following drama is left to your imagination. Inside conversation was something like this: "Who’s that???", "Oh!! Oops...", "Oh! My god!", “Sorry”. :))). It was bit funny though ;).
Anyways, the next destination was Ruby Falls. They are basically underground caverns (360 ft deep) with a 100 ft underground waterfall. It’s a wonderful site to visit, and the view of Ruby Falls is breathtaking. It was just awesome and was treat to eyes.
My feelings would be best described if I recollect a conversation I overheard. It was between a kid (4-5 years old) and his father. After seeing the falls, the kid exclaimed: “Wow!!.... Those were the best 5 minutes of my life!" It was really astonishing to hear something like this from a small cute kid. But his father's reply was even nicer. He said: "Son, you are yet to live your life. Enjoy whatever you get." :)
All in all, it was a great weekend. Hope there are lots more in near future.
Rafting is something I thoroughly enjoy, and the Ocoee River is an ideal venue if you want a bit of adventure and lots of fun (this was the rafting route for 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and provides level III and IV rapids. Considering that the Niagara Falls is a level VI rapid, this is not too bad). This time also, it was great fun. We traced almost all the rapids to perfection. It was basically a roller coaster ride on water, especially when we once made a 3-point whirlpool right in the middle of a rapid. Our guide, Shannon, was cool. We had a good time chatting. She holds a Masters in Communication from Appalachian State Univ. This is one thing I like in Americans: they would pursue their hobbies and interests rather sitting at home without worrying about future and money. We have a lot to learn from them.
Jithu was a bit hesitant for rafting initially, as he is hydrophobic and thought that if he falls in water, alligators would eat him. After a lot of convincing, he finally agreed for it. Sunil and I have rafted before as well, so it was OK. Gaurav was as usual hyper and excited.... till he learnt that Shannon was married. After that, he almost refused to follow her instructions. He was visibly upset. I guess his dreams were shattered (they shatter 20 times a day, anyways...)... But only till he saw a group of girls in minimal attire on riverside.
Next destination was Chattanooga. The plan was to do riverside camping and barbeque, and then visit Ruby Falls and Rock City next day. We got a lovely campsite, right besides the Tennessee River. This was my first riverside camping, and was pleasently surprised to see that it can be as enjoyable as camping in thick jungle. After setting up the tent, we started preparations for barbeque.
Chicken barbeque was the best thing I have had in many days. We marinated garlic chicken and fish fillets in Cajun seasoning and curd, and then roasted them on grill. It turned out really delicious. It was followed by Black Forest cake. It probably doesn’t get better that this.
It was a really wonderful but tiring day... and we fell asleep soon. But we had no idea what was in store for us at nite. It suddenly started raining, and then thunderstorms followed. It was raining cats and dogs by midnight... and we realized that our tent was leaking. There was water in tent. We had to vacate the tent and sleep in car. But that was a good experience. I had heard such stories earlier, but I would believe now that things can ACTUALLY get messed up badly if it rains and the tent is leaky.
Something funny happened in the morning. We went to visit restrooms. There were not too many people camping, as it was Easter Sunday. We soon realized that the toilet men's restroom was clogged, and was unusable. As it was an emergency, and there was no one around, we (Gaurav, me) decided to use women's restroom. (This was the first time for me to see women's restroom; and I was terribly excited, Anyways). There were two toilets inside, and one of it did not have the lock. We asked Jithu to stand outside and see that there was no disaster.
Well, Jithu was in photography mood. He saw some ducks nearby, and went to click them. AND at the same time, a lady came. Jithu was not there, he was behind ducks.... Well.... it would be best if the following drama is left to your imagination. Inside conversation was something like this: "Who’s that???", "Oh!! Oops...", "Oh! My god!", “Sorry”. :))). It was bit funny though ;).
Anyways, the next destination was Ruby Falls. They are basically underground caverns (360 ft deep) with a 100 ft underground waterfall. It’s a wonderful site to visit, and the view of Ruby Falls is breathtaking. It was just awesome and was treat to eyes.
My feelings would be best described if I recollect a conversation I overheard. It was between a kid (4-5 years old) and his father. After seeing the falls, the kid exclaimed: “Wow!!.... Those were the best 5 minutes of my life!" It was really astonishing to hear something like this from a small cute kid. But his father's reply was even nicer. He said: "Son, you are yet to live your life. Enjoy whatever you get." :)
All in all, it was a great weekend. Hope there are lots more in near future.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Seinfeld
OK... Someone control me!!!!
I have seen 30 episodes of Seinfeld in past 2 days.... that simply means 15 hours of Seinfeld. I hope I don’t start talking like Jerry, behaving like Elaine, entering y apartment like Kramer....
Its been on my list to see Seinfeld since past 2 years.... got time this Sunday... ever since I've got up on Monday, have been glued to laptop for Seinfeld and at nite to TV for India- Pakistan... I am going crazy :D.
I have seen 30 episodes of Seinfeld in past 2 days.... that simply means 15 hours of Seinfeld. I hope I don’t start talking like Jerry, behaving like Elaine, entering y apartment like Kramer....
Its been on my list to see Seinfeld since past 2 years.... got time this Sunday... ever since I've got up on Monday, have been glued to laptop for Seinfeld and at nite to TV for India- Pakistan... I am going crazy :D.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Boy, here it comes....
Do you believe in getting pleasant surprises??... Got one a week back.
Frankly speaking, I myself don't know what's coming up next in life. I try to live life the way it comes. Afterall, life is all about unexpected twists and turns... and I have learnt to enjoy it that way...( this is my orkut introduction, copy-pasted it..... why to write same thing in different words each time, when I essentially am a same individual?)
Anyways, so I went to Cleveland for PhD interviews at Case Western Reserve University [CWRU]... it was indeed a very pleasing and satisfying experience. Now CWRU is ranked 5th in Biomedical Engineering... is that really means something. I liked the research environment there and somehow was very comfortable with the entire setup right form the start. One thing that I liked most was that all senior students were really enjoying being there, and doing what they are doing. Talked a lot about general research atmosphere and life in general at Cleveland with a lot of seniors.
I liked Cleveland, its a mid-size city on the shores of Lake Erie.... has its own culture... Had a chance to roam around in a downtown a bit, traveled a lot thru the metro rail... Had fun at Jillian’s. ...
Anyways, next day had a few interviews... I thought I did well in that... but getting an admit from CWRU was always difficult.
Then went to Pittsburgh... (Will put up a blog about it later)... and finally came back to Clemson.
As I entered home... there was a FedEx package lying for me. Opened it... it was the admit letter from CWRU. And they had also awarded me a fellowship of 23000 per year.
Man.. That was awesome!!!!.... Wish I could yell or cry or dance or... after all this was sort of dream come true moment. I'd strived for it since October. And finally got what I wanted to do in life.... But to be frank, I didn’t expect the decision so soon.
So… I didn’t do anything like that. Called up a few close people and then called home to talk to parents.... (Well first thing they did was to locate Cleveland on USA map.... and next question was "does it snow a lot there?"... That was kinda funny as I'd just experienced a severe snow storm at Cleveland before coming back.)
Well, that’s it.... am waiting to hear from few researchers, and will take a final decision soon. For the moment, life is good.
Frankly speaking, I myself don't know what's coming up next in life. I try to live life the way it comes. Afterall, life is all about unexpected twists and turns... and I have learnt to enjoy it that way...( this is my orkut introduction, copy-pasted it..... why to write same thing in different words each time, when I essentially am a same individual?)
Anyways, so I went to Cleveland for PhD interviews at Case Western Reserve University [CWRU]... it was indeed a very pleasing and satisfying experience. Now CWRU is ranked 5th in Biomedical Engineering... is that really means something. I liked the research environment there and somehow was very comfortable with the entire setup right form the start. One thing that I liked most was that all senior students were really enjoying being there, and doing what they are doing. Talked a lot about general research atmosphere and life in general at Cleveland with a lot of seniors.
I liked Cleveland, its a mid-size city on the shores of Lake Erie.... has its own culture... Had a chance to roam around in a downtown a bit, traveled a lot thru the metro rail... Had fun at Jillian’s. ...
Anyways, next day had a few interviews... I thought I did well in that... but getting an admit from CWRU was always difficult.
Then went to Pittsburgh... (Will put up a blog about it later)... and finally came back to Clemson.
As I entered home... there was a FedEx package lying for me. Opened it... it was the admit letter from CWRU. And they had also awarded me a fellowship of 23000 per year.
Man.. That was awesome!!!!.... Wish I could yell or cry or dance or... after all this was sort of dream come true moment. I'd strived for it since October. And finally got what I wanted to do in life.... But to be frank, I didn’t expect the decision so soon.
So… I didn’t do anything like that. Called up a few close people and then called home to talk to parents.... (Well first thing they did was to locate Cleveland on USA map.... and next question was "does it snow a lot there?"... That was kinda funny as I'd just experienced a severe snow storm at Cleveland before coming back.)
Well, that’s it.... am waiting to hear from few researchers, and will take a final decision soon. For the moment, life is good.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Catching Up!!
I don’t write too often nowadays. Don’t have that much leisure time for all my hobbies and interests. Life is moving at a very fast pace. Since February, rarely has it happened that I have nothing to do. I am enjoying this new phase, as I like to be busy.... sometimes its good to keep your brain working overtime ;).
Got an admit from University of Pittsburgh, for PhD in Bioengineering. This is one school I would be proud to associate myself with, as they have really interesting projects and a very senior faculty. I am visiting the department this weekend. Hoping to meet few professors. I would also be going to Case Western Reserve Univ. at Cleveland before that, for an interview for PhD admissions. It feels good to see all the hard work (which started long way back in September) paying off bit by bit. Am very positive and excited about this trip. Let’s see what happens.
Apart from that, February appears to be a month of interviews. Have had a few telephonic ones and one on-site at Boston. Things are finally happening thick and fast. It was a very good experience, in more than one ways. I learnt a lot in past month or so. I had done a good homework for these interviews, and it always helps to be well prepared. Did well from my side, exceeded my own expectations. Let’s see what the output is. Working hard is something in my hands; the ultimate output is not really what I can decide. But I believe I have done my job well... and that itself gives me a lot of happiness.
But still, what holds in my future is a mystery for myself. I myself don't have an answer and feel out of clues sometimes. It feels as if I am a puppet, and strings of my future are with someone else, and I am just dancing to his tunes. Sometimes feel as if I myself am that puppeteer, who’s holding all these strings and doing the balancing act. Its funny feeling and its funnier to be in this ‘avalanche’ situation, but hopefully its taking me in right direction.
That’s it for the moment from my side at the moment. Will surely post if and when something new and exciting happens in life.
Signing off,
Viv.
Got an admit from University of Pittsburgh, for PhD in Bioengineering. This is one school I would be proud to associate myself with, as they have really interesting projects and a very senior faculty. I am visiting the department this weekend. Hoping to meet few professors. I would also be going to Case Western Reserve Univ. at Cleveland before that, for an interview for PhD admissions. It feels good to see all the hard work (which started long way back in September) paying off bit by bit. Am very positive and excited about this trip. Let’s see what happens.
Apart from that, February appears to be a month of interviews. Have had a few telephonic ones and one on-site at Boston. Things are finally happening thick and fast. It was a very good experience, in more than one ways. I learnt a lot in past month or so. I had done a good homework for these interviews, and it always helps to be well prepared. Did well from my side, exceeded my own expectations. Let’s see what the output is. Working hard is something in my hands; the ultimate output is not really what I can decide. But I believe I have done my job well... and that itself gives me a lot of happiness.
But still, what holds in my future is a mystery for myself. I myself don't have an answer and feel out of clues sometimes. It feels as if I am a puppet, and strings of my future are with someone else, and I am just dancing to his tunes. Sometimes feel as if I myself am that puppeteer, who’s holding all these strings and doing the balancing act. Its funny feeling and its funnier to be in this ‘avalanche’ situation, but hopefully its taking me in right direction.
That’s it for the moment from my side at the moment. Will surely post if and when something new and exciting happens in life.
Signing off,
Viv.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Biotech Bodies
Recently came across this article on Tissue Engineering, and its future. Its kinda old but is really well written. It's like a story, or a fairy-tale. Even if you are not from medical/ biomedical background, it should make a very interesting and enterprising article for you. I am copy-pasting it word by word from: http://www.businessweek.com/1998/30/b3588001.htm .
This is something I am planning to work on as a career, for my PhD and lateron as well. I find it a very realistic dream, because its very well supported by a strong scientific base. Read on as you get time:
"Sean G. McCormack of Norwood, Mass., seems like your average 16-year-old boy, if a little more reckless, given his passion for mountain biking. In fact, though, he is an advance scout for a brave new world: He has the first chest grown in a lab rather than in the womb.
Sean was born without cartilage or bone under the skin on his left side, a rare congenital condition known as Poland's Syndrome. The cartilage down the center of his sternum pointed out, and his heart was virtually unprotected--you could see it beating under the skin. Doctors talked of implanting an artificial plate once he reached 21 and stopped growing. But by the time he was 12, Sean was a star pitcher for his Little League team and no longer wanted to put up with a condition that put him at risk every time he played ball. His doctor referred the family to a team of scientists and surgeons at Children's Hospital in Boston who are leading the way in growing human body parts in the lab.
Dr. Joseph Upton and Dr. Dennis P. Lund, working with tissue-engineering pioneer Dr. Joseph P. Vacanti and his brother, Dr. Charles A. Vacanti, scraped away Sean's protruding cartilage and used the cells to seed a biodegradable scaffold made of artificial polymer, molded to the shape of his torso. Dr. Yilin Cao added growth factors to the cells and ''cooked'' the concoction in a bioreactor for several weeks until a chest grew. ''The procedure was so experimental that none of the polymer companies would give us [custom-designed] material for fear of a lawsuit,'' says Joseph Vacanti. The doctors had to adapt off-the-shelf polyglycolic acid, normally used to stitch up wounds, adding to the risk of the operation.
Sean admits that ''at first I was like, 'What if they mess up?' But after a while, I put it in my head that they've done this a million times.'' Of course, they had never even done it on an animal. Nevertheless, after receiving special dispensation from the Food & Drug Administration, doctors implanted the engineered cartilage in Sean. Within a year, the boy had a normal-looking chest that was able to grow along with him. Now, four years later, the six-foot-tall teenager says: ''It's pretty cool. It looks like something I was born with.''
This is more than a nice human-interest story. It is a glimpse into the future of medicine, one in which doctors will routinely order up newly grown, living body parts whenever existing ones fail. Or they will prod the body into regenerating itself. After some 20 years of painstaking investigation into the processes by which cells grow, the nascent field of tissue engineering is ready for prime time, and dozens of startup companies are preparing commercial products. Regenerated or lab-grown bone, cartilage, blood vessels, and skin--as well as embryonic fetal nerve tissue--are all being tested in humans. Livers, pancreases, breasts, hearts, ears, and fingers are taking shape in the lab.
Scientists are even trying to develop tissues that would act as drug-delivery vessels. Salivary glands could secrete antifungal proteins to fight infections in the throat, skin could release growth hormones, and organs could be genetically engineered to correct a patient's own genetic deficiencies. ''I think [tissue engineering] holds the possibility for revolutionizing clinical medicine,'' says Kiki B. Hellman, coordinator of the FDA's biotechnology center for devices and radiological health.
The age of the biotech body is dawning. Tissue engineering offers the promise that failing organs and aging cells need no longer be tolerated--they can be rejuvenated or replaced with healthy cells and tissues grown anew. The prospect signals ''a profound revolution in medicine,'' says William A. Haseltine, a leading genetic scientist and chief executive of Human Genome Sciences Inc. in Rockville, Md. ''The current chemical era of medicine may, in retrospect, appear to be a clumsy effort to patch rather than permanently repair our broken bodies,'' says Haseltine. ''Cellular replacement may keep us young and healthy forever.''
Haseltine's genetic fountain of youth is a long way off. After all, lab-grown organs, the first step towards his vision, are still subject to the ravages of age. But tissue engineering can certainly keep failing organs from shutting down life prematurely. The principle has already been proven with the first off-the-shelf tissue approved by the FDA in May: a living skin, Apligraf, for the treatment of leg ulcers, a common ailment in the elderly. Apligraf maker Organogenesis Inc. (ORG) of Canton, Mass., turns a few cells of infant foreskin into acres of living skin that can be handled, cut to fit, and grafted on to anyone without fear of rejection or scarring. Next up: cartilage to strengthen the urethra and repair the knee and a method for replacing shinbones. Both processes are in late-stage clinical trials and are likely to be considered for FDA approval in the next year or two.
THUMBS UP.
In the next 10 years, a veritable body shop of spare parts will wend its way from labs to patients. ''It's time for us to move into humans,'' says Charles Vacanti, and he's not wasting any time. At the University of Massachusetts at Worcester, his team is growing thumb bones right now in bioreactors for two machinists who cut off their own appendages. Vacanti says one or both of the thumbs should be grafted back on to the patients this summer, with growth factors added that will encourage regeneration of the nerves and tendon. He figures that the thumbs will be operational about 12 weeks after surgery.
In Boston, meanwhile, a team of doctors at Children's Hospital led by Dr. Anthony J. Atala plans to implant a bladder grown from fetal cells into a human in the next few months. Atala's lab caused a stir in the medical community last summer when doctors there successfully used the same procedure to implant new bladders into 10 baby lambs.
Creating even the most complex organs seems possible, though still 5 to 10 years out. Researchers from around the world met in Toronto in June to set up a 10-year initiative to grow a human heart. ''It's an ambitious project but not a farfetched one,'' says Michael V. Sefton, biomaterials professor at the University of Toronto and head of the heart effort. ''The likelihood of success is very feasible.''
Other complex tissues are already taking form. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, chemical engineer Linda Griffith-Cima is using three-dimensional printers, first developed for computer-aided design, to build up structures that are turned into mouse-size livers. And at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, David J. Mooney, another chemical engineer, is heading an effort to grow cosmetic breasts for women who have had theirs removed. Researchers in Sweden and California have been able to regenerate nerves in rats with severed or damaged spinal cords to the point where they can walk again--albeit weakly.
With each success, more attention is paid. After years of barely acknowledging tissue-engineering research, the National Institutes of Health plans to award 30 grants in the field, some $6 million worth, this summer. But the lack of government interest heretofore may have been a blessing in disguise. Gail Naughton, president of Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc. (ATIS) of La Jolla, Calif., says that because so little federal money was available, tissue engineers had little choice in years past but to start a company and go public in order to raise funds. ''I think that this field has moved so quickly toward reality precisely because it spent very little time in academic labs,'' she says.
Even as it gains recognition, tissue engineering remains hard to categorize. The multidisciplinary field attracts surgeons, chemical engineers, materials scientists, and genetic researchers. Products straddle the boundaries between medical devices and gene therapy. The FDA even had to set up a special task force three years ago to figure out how to regulate the products.
The FDA is playing catch-up with a technology that has been 20 years in the making. As early as 1979, Eugene Bell, professor emeritus of biology at MIT and the founder of Organogenesis, figured out how to grow skin in his lab. Since then, much of the field's progress stems from a 20-year collaboration of two fast friends--Joseph Vacanti, a pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital, and Robert S. Langer, a chemical engineering professor at MIT. Their lab ''seeded the entire country with people doing this work,'' says Dr. Pamela Bassett, president of medical consultants BioTrend in New York.
LIFE MISSION.
The two, both 49, first met as researchers in the mid-1970s and started working on a way to grow tissue in the early 1980s. In 1986, they developed an elegantly simple concept that underlies most engineered tissue. Start with a scaffold, bent to any shape, made of an artificial, biodegradable polymer. Seed it with living cells, and bathe it in growth factors. The cells multiply, filling up the scaffold and growing into a three-dimensional tissue. Once implanted in the body, the cells are smart enough to recreate their proper tissue functions. Blood vessels attach themselves to the new tissue, the scaffold melts away, and the lab-grown tissue is eventually indistinguishable from its surroundings.
Vacanti, who is remarkably self-effacing despite his pioneering role in the field, says he is driven by his dedication to his patients. He regularly saves the lives of the smallest children by replacing their failing livers--and regularly sees others die for lack of donors. ''I recognized fairly early that the biggest problem facing me as a surgeon was the shortage of organs,'' he says. ''I've devoted my professional life to solving that problem. Wouldn't it be nice if [tissue engineering] could provide the solution?''
Nice is an understatement. A study done by Vacanti and Langer in 1993 found that more than $400 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on patients suffering from organ failure or tissue loss, accounting for almost half the national health-care bill. Some 8 million surgical procedures are performed annually to treat these disorders, yet every year 4,000 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. An additional 100,000 die without even qualifying for the waiting list.
''OVER THE BRINK.'' Those kinds of numbers represent a huge commercial opportunity as well as a humanitarian one. Dr. Peter C. Johnson, president of the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative research consortium, estimates that the overall market for engineered and regenerated tissues could reach $80 billion. As for individual products, Michael Ehrenreich, biotech analyst with investment adviser Techvest of New York, says that the most immediately promising are those that repair damaged knee cartilage, now replaced with artificial materials. ''There are a quarter of a million meniscus [knee-joint] operations performed every year, and no good options for repair,'' says Ehrenreich. ''That's the killer app.''
Tissue engineering is dominated now by tiny startups (table, page 64), but the big drug companies are beginning to take notice. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. has investments in four tissue-engineering companies, including Organogenesis. ''With the [FDA] approval of Apligraf, this whole area has really sparked the imagination of corporate executives,'' says David Epstein, vice-president of Novartis' specialty-business sector. ''We've stepped over the brink into the future of medicine.'' Novartis is not the only one with future vision. Britain's Smith & Nephew is investing some $70 million in Advanced Tissue Sciences; Amgen has a deal worth up to $465 million with Baltimore-based Guilford Pharmaceuticals to develop a compound for regenerating nerves; Stryker is funding research into bone regeneration at Creative BioMolecules of Hopkinton, Mass.; and Medtronic has agreed to invest up to $26 million in lab-grown heart valves from LifeCell in The Woodlands, Tex.
Although it may take a decade or more for some of these investments to see any returns, scientists in the field are heartened by the rapid progress of the past two to three years. ''The kinds of things that we are doing now are the kinds of things that we used to think about sitting around having beers 13 or 14 years ago,'' says Dr. Scott P. Bruder, director of bone and soft-tissue regeneration research at Baltimore-based Osiris Therapeutics Inc.
Perhaps most intriguing about tissue engineering, though, is how much the scientists don't know. Much of the excitement in biotech these days centers on figuring out complex cellular interactions and then intervening. Tissue engineering, however, is driven by surgeons and engineers who are, by nature, most interested in a successful endpoint--and less so in how they got there. ''The great thing is, we don't need to know exactly why or how cells organize into tissues,'' says Joseph Vacanti. ''We just need to know that they do.''
This all sounds easier than it actually is. Scientists must still figure out the best materials for the scaffolds that shape the organs, determine exactly the right growth factors, and pick the right cells. For bone and cartilage replacement, one possibility under investigation is a kind of premature cell called a stem cell. First isolated from human bodies in 1992, this specialized cell can turn into everything from bone to tendon to cartilage. Implanting these cells in the appropriate location can generate the full range of cells normally found at that site. While only about one in 100,000 to one in several million bone-marrow cells are stem cells, Osiris Therapeutics, partly owned by Novartis, has been able to isolate enough of them to regenerate bone in both small and large animals.
UNWELCOME STRANGERS.
Scientists also must figure out ways around the immune system's rejection of human tissue. That's not a problem for skin--it presents relatively few resistance problems since the immune system will accept some foreign dermal cells. Nor is rejection a problem when the original cells are taken from the specific patient for which they are meant. However, if off-the-shelf organs are to be transplanted, patients must take the same immunosuppressant drugs now given to them when donor organs are used.
Ideally, tissue engineers want to develop universal donor cells that would not trigger an immune response, so that body parts can be manufactured in large numbers. To that end, cells must either be genetically stripped of their rejection-provoking proteins or encapsulated in a porous membrane that the body will accept. The latter approach is nearing clinical trials for the treatment of diabetics whose pancreases are failing. BioHybrid Technologies Inc. in Shrewsbury, Mass., and Neocrin Co. of Irvine, Calif., are harvesting insulin-producing cells, called islets, from the pancreases of pigs and encasing them in a membrane that blocks the immune response while allowing the cells to do their job. The capsules are injected into the abdomen, where they go to work producing insulin.
Some companies are trying to avoid the whole immunity problem by encouraging the patient's own tissue to regenerate. Genentech Inc. (GNE), for example, announced in March that 5 of 15 patients who were given a genetically engineered protein called VEGF regrew blood vessels around the heart. Integra LifeSciences Corp. (IART) of Plainsboro, N.J., believes that just about any tissue can be regenerated by implanting a collagen matrix coated with the appropriate growth factors at the site of the damage. It already has such a matrix on the market for growing back a burn victim's skin and is in clinical trials with a similar product for the nerve endings in arms and legs. ''The body is continuously regenerating tissue,'' says Integra Chief Operating Officer George W. McKinney III. ''We're just trying to harness that process.''
Most scientists agree that regeneration is the ideal but doubt that it is always possible, or practical. ''Sometimes you have complete organ failure and can't wait for tissue to grow back,'' says Antonios G. Mikos, a bioengineering professor at Rice University. ''In truth, I think we will have both approaches. There is no one right way.''
Indeed, there are dozens of right ways in the works. Reprogenesis Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., for example, is in late-stage clinical trials with its method for using lab-grown cartilage to reinforce the urethra, a tube leading to the bladder. Weakened urethras can lead to incontinence, which afflicts an estimated 10 million people in the U.S., and reflux, a potentially fatal condition affecting about 1% of all infants in which urine backs up into the bladder. Reprogenesis removes a few cartilage cells from behind a patient's ear, grows them in the lab, and then mixes them into a gel matrix. The cells are reinserted endoscopically where the urethra meets the bladder. There, they grow to bulk up the tubal walls.
A knee-repair product called Carticel, approved by the FDA last August, uses somewhat the same principle. Made by Genzyme Tissue Repair, Carticel grows cartilage cells removed from the patient in the lab and then surgically reimplants them in the knee. No matrix is provided, however, so the cells can only be used to repair small rents. To replace the entire meniscus--that's the C-shaped pad in the knee between the thigh bone and shin bone--ReGen Biologics Inc. of Redwood City, Calif., is in clinical trials with a collagen scaffold in the shape of the meniscus. The pad is implanted in the knee to encourage regeneration of the patient's cartilage. Going a step further, Advanced Tissue Sciences is in preclinical trials with a meniscus-shaped cartilage grown in the lab that's meant to work in anyone. It hopes to start human tests by yearend.
NO MORE FILLINGS? After cartilage, look for bone products. Creative BioMolecules Inc. in Hopkinton, Mass., bases its approach on a bone-regenerating protein called OP-1. The company molds a porous scaffold out of calcium, seeds it with OP-1 and a few of the patient's own bone cells, and then reinserts the newly grown structure. Doctors reported in March that in a clinical trial of 122 patients with tibia fractures, the OP-1 graft performed as well as grafts using the patient's own bone.
The biggest market for tissue, though perhaps not the most dramatic, is the mouth. Some 10 million dental surgeries are performed each year in the U.S., on everything from teeth to periodontal ligaments, and most use artificial replacements. One of the first tissue-engineered alternatives is Atrisorb, made by Atrix Laboratories Inc. of Fort Collins, Colo. On the market since 1996, it is a bioabsorbable material loaded with growth factors and healing drugs that guides the regeneration of gum tissue.
But think of the implications if cavities could be filled with engineered tissue. Harold C. Slavkin, director of the National Institute of Dental Research at the NIH, says all the genes for making enamel have been cloned and sequenced, and lab-grown human enamel could be a reality in 5 to 10 years. Some 90 million new fillings are placed each year, and some 200 million are replaced. If those could be filled with original tissue, says Slavkin, ''we'd never have to do traditional fillings again.''
IN A HURRY.
Of course, many of these lab-produced body parts may never make it out of clinical trials. And doctors admit that they are entering uncharted waters: Who knows what might happen to an engineered organ decades after it has been implanted? Lab-grown tissues are put through far more rigorous purification processes than donor organs to make sure that they don't carry diseases, but it still is impossible to be completely sure that a replacement organ won't cause as many problems as the original a few years, or decades, down the line.
Still, there has been no evidence that these engineered tissues could turn malignant, says Joseph Vacanti. Therefore, he asks, ''can we really afford to wait for a complete understanding of how the process works?'' To him, the answer must be no. Millions of lives are hanging in the balance."
I remember a quote from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: "Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended. Dream, dream and dream. Dreams convert into thoughts and thoughts convert into actions. Dreams float on an impatient wind, A wind that wants to create a new order. An order of strength and thundering of fire".
....A beautiful mind and a beautiful life!!
This is something I am planning to work on as a career, for my PhD and lateron as well. I find it a very realistic dream, because its very well supported by a strong scientific base. Read on as you get time:
"Sean G. McCormack of Norwood, Mass., seems like your average 16-year-old boy, if a little more reckless, given his passion for mountain biking. In fact, though, he is an advance scout for a brave new world: He has the first chest grown in a lab rather than in the womb.
Sean was born without cartilage or bone under the skin on his left side, a rare congenital condition known as Poland's Syndrome. The cartilage down the center of his sternum pointed out, and his heart was virtually unprotected--you could see it beating under the skin. Doctors talked of implanting an artificial plate once he reached 21 and stopped growing. But by the time he was 12, Sean was a star pitcher for his Little League team and no longer wanted to put up with a condition that put him at risk every time he played ball. His doctor referred the family to a team of scientists and surgeons at Children's Hospital in Boston who are leading the way in growing human body parts in the lab.
Dr. Joseph Upton and Dr. Dennis P. Lund, working with tissue-engineering pioneer Dr. Joseph P. Vacanti and his brother, Dr. Charles A. Vacanti, scraped away Sean's protruding cartilage and used the cells to seed a biodegradable scaffold made of artificial polymer, molded to the shape of his torso. Dr. Yilin Cao added growth factors to the cells and ''cooked'' the concoction in a bioreactor for several weeks until a chest grew. ''The procedure was so experimental that none of the polymer companies would give us [custom-designed] material for fear of a lawsuit,'' says Joseph Vacanti. The doctors had to adapt off-the-shelf polyglycolic acid, normally used to stitch up wounds, adding to the risk of the operation.
Sean admits that ''at first I was like, 'What if they mess up?' But after a while, I put it in my head that they've done this a million times.'' Of course, they had never even done it on an animal. Nevertheless, after receiving special dispensation from the Food & Drug Administration, doctors implanted the engineered cartilage in Sean. Within a year, the boy had a normal-looking chest that was able to grow along with him. Now, four years later, the six-foot-tall teenager says: ''It's pretty cool. It looks like something I was born with.''
This is more than a nice human-interest story. It is a glimpse into the future of medicine, one in which doctors will routinely order up newly grown, living body parts whenever existing ones fail. Or they will prod the body into regenerating itself. After some 20 years of painstaking investigation into the processes by which cells grow, the nascent field of tissue engineering is ready for prime time, and dozens of startup companies are preparing commercial products. Regenerated or lab-grown bone, cartilage, blood vessels, and skin--as well as embryonic fetal nerve tissue--are all being tested in humans. Livers, pancreases, breasts, hearts, ears, and fingers are taking shape in the lab.
Scientists are even trying to develop tissues that would act as drug-delivery vessels. Salivary glands could secrete antifungal proteins to fight infections in the throat, skin could release growth hormones, and organs could be genetically engineered to correct a patient's own genetic deficiencies. ''I think [tissue engineering] holds the possibility for revolutionizing clinical medicine,'' says Kiki B. Hellman, coordinator of the FDA's biotechnology center for devices and radiological health.
The age of the biotech body is dawning. Tissue engineering offers the promise that failing organs and aging cells need no longer be tolerated--they can be rejuvenated or replaced with healthy cells and tissues grown anew. The prospect signals ''a profound revolution in medicine,'' says William A. Haseltine, a leading genetic scientist and chief executive of Human Genome Sciences Inc. in Rockville, Md. ''The current chemical era of medicine may, in retrospect, appear to be a clumsy effort to patch rather than permanently repair our broken bodies,'' says Haseltine. ''Cellular replacement may keep us young and healthy forever.''
Haseltine's genetic fountain of youth is a long way off. After all, lab-grown organs, the first step towards his vision, are still subject to the ravages of age. But tissue engineering can certainly keep failing organs from shutting down life prematurely. The principle has already been proven with the first off-the-shelf tissue approved by the FDA in May: a living skin, Apligraf, for the treatment of leg ulcers, a common ailment in the elderly. Apligraf maker Organogenesis Inc. (ORG) of Canton, Mass., turns a few cells of infant foreskin into acres of living skin that can be handled, cut to fit, and grafted on to anyone without fear of rejection or scarring. Next up: cartilage to strengthen the urethra and repair the knee and a method for replacing shinbones. Both processes are in late-stage clinical trials and are likely to be considered for FDA approval in the next year or two.
THUMBS UP.
In the next 10 years, a veritable body shop of spare parts will wend its way from labs to patients. ''It's time for us to move into humans,'' says Charles Vacanti, and he's not wasting any time. At the University of Massachusetts at Worcester, his team is growing thumb bones right now in bioreactors for two machinists who cut off their own appendages. Vacanti says one or both of the thumbs should be grafted back on to the patients this summer, with growth factors added that will encourage regeneration of the nerves and tendon. He figures that the thumbs will be operational about 12 weeks after surgery.
In Boston, meanwhile, a team of doctors at Children's Hospital led by Dr. Anthony J. Atala plans to implant a bladder grown from fetal cells into a human in the next few months. Atala's lab caused a stir in the medical community last summer when doctors there successfully used the same procedure to implant new bladders into 10 baby lambs.
Creating even the most complex organs seems possible, though still 5 to 10 years out. Researchers from around the world met in Toronto in June to set up a 10-year initiative to grow a human heart. ''It's an ambitious project but not a farfetched one,'' says Michael V. Sefton, biomaterials professor at the University of Toronto and head of the heart effort. ''The likelihood of success is very feasible.''
Other complex tissues are already taking form. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, chemical engineer Linda Griffith-Cima is using three-dimensional printers, first developed for computer-aided design, to build up structures that are turned into mouse-size livers. And at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, David J. Mooney, another chemical engineer, is heading an effort to grow cosmetic breasts for women who have had theirs removed. Researchers in Sweden and California have been able to regenerate nerves in rats with severed or damaged spinal cords to the point where they can walk again--albeit weakly.
With each success, more attention is paid. After years of barely acknowledging tissue-engineering research, the National Institutes of Health plans to award 30 grants in the field, some $6 million worth, this summer. But the lack of government interest heretofore may have been a blessing in disguise. Gail Naughton, president of Advanced Tissue Sciences Inc. (ATIS) of La Jolla, Calif., says that because so little federal money was available, tissue engineers had little choice in years past but to start a company and go public in order to raise funds. ''I think that this field has moved so quickly toward reality precisely because it spent very little time in academic labs,'' she says.
Even as it gains recognition, tissue engineering remains hard to categorize. The multidisciplinary field attracts surgeons, chemical engineers, materials scientists, and genetic researchers. Products straddle the boundaries between medical devices and gene therapy. The FDA even had to set up a special task force three years ago to figure out how to regulate the products.
The FDA is playing catch-up with a technology that has been 20 years in the making. As early as 1979, Eugene Bell, professor emeritus of biology at MIT and the founder of Organogenesis, figured out how to grow skin in his lab. Since then, much of the field's progress stems from a 20-year collaboration of two fast friends--Joseph Vacanti, a pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital, and Robert S. Langer, a chemical engineering professor at MIT. Their lab ''seeded the entire country with people doing this work,'' says Dr. Pamela Bassett, president of medical consultants BioTrend in New York.
LIFE MISSION.
The two, both 49, first met as researchers in the mid-1970s and started working on a way to grow tissue in the early 1980s. In 1986, they developed an elegantly simple concept that underlies most engineered tissue. Start with a scaffold, bent to any shape, made of an artificial, biodegradable polymer. Seed it with living cells, and bathe it in growth factors. The cells multiply, filling up the scaffold and growing into a three-dimensional tissue. Once implanted in the body, the cells are smart enough to recreate their proper tissue functions. Blood vessels attach themselves to the new tissue, the scaffold melts away, and the lab-grown tissue is eventually indistinguishable from its surroundings.
Vacanti, who is remarkably self-effacing despite his pioneering role in the field, says he is driven by his dedication to his patients. He regularly saves the lives of the smallest children by replacing their failing livers--and regularly sees others die for lack of donors. ''I recognized fairly early that the biggest problem facing me as a surgeon was the shortage of organs,'' he says. ''I've devoted my professional life to solving that problem. Wouldn't it be nice if [tissue engineering] could provide the solution?''
Nice is an understatement. A study done by Vacanti and Langer in 1993 found that more than $400 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on patients suffering from organ failure or tissue loss, accounting for almost half the national health-care bill. Some 8 million surgical procedures are performed annually to treat these disorders, yet every year 4,000 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. An additional 100,000 die without even qualifying for the waiting list.
''OVER THE BRINK.'' Those kinds of numbers represent a huge commercial opportunity as well as a humanitarian one. Dr. Peter C. Johnson, president of the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative research consortium, estimates that the overall market for engineered and regenerated tissues could reach $80 billion. As for individual products, Michael Ehrenreich, biotech analyst with investment adviser Techvest of New York, says that the most immediately promising are those that repair damaged knee cartilage, now replaced with artificial materials. ''There are a quarter of a million meniscus [knee-joint] operations performed every year, and no good options for repair,'' says Ehrenreich. ''That's the killer app.''
Tissue engineering is dominated now by tiny startups (table, page 64), but the big drug companies are beginning to take notice. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. has investments in four tissue-engineering companies, including Organogenesis. ''With the [FDA] approval of Apligraf, this whole area has really sparked the imagination of corporate executives,'' says David Epstein, vice-president of Novartis' specialty-business sector. ''We've stepped over the brink into the future of medicine.'' Novartis is not the only one with future vision. Britain's Smith & Nephew is investing some $70 million in Advanced Tissue Sciences; Amgen has a deal worth up to $465 million with Baltimore-based Guilford Pharmaceuticals to develop a compound for regenerating nerves; Stryker is funding research into bone regeneration at Creative BioMolecules of Hopkinton, Mass.; and Medtronic has agreed to invest up to $26 million in lab-grown heart valves from LifeCell in The Woodlands, Tex.
Although it may take a decade or more for some of these investments to see any returns, scientists in the field are heartened by the rapid progress of the past two to three years. ''The kinds of things that we are doing now are the kinds of things that we used to think about sitting around having beers 13 or 14 years ago,'' says Dr. Scott P. Bruder, director of bone and soft-tissue regeneration research at Baltimore-based Osiris Therapeutics Inc.
Perhaps most intriguing about tissue engineering, though, is how much the scientists don't know. Much of the excitement in biotech these days centers on figuring out complex cellular interactions and then intervening. Tissue engineering, however, is driven by surgeons and engineers who are, by nature, most interested in a successful endpoint--and less so in how they got there. ''The great thing is, we don't need to know exactly why or how cells organize into tissues,'' says Joseph Vacanti. ''We just need to know that they do.''
This all sounds easier than it actually is. Scientists must still figure out the best materials for the scaffolds that shape the organs, determine exactly the right growth factors, and pick the right cells. For bone and cartilage replacement, one possibility under investigation is a kind of premature cell called a stem cell. First isolated from human bodies in 1992, this specialized cell can turn into everything from bone to tendon to cartilage. Implanting these cells in the appropriate location can generate the full range of cells normally found at that site. While only about one in 100,000 to one in several million bone-marrow cells are stem cells, Osiris Therapeutics, partly owned by Novartis, has been able to isolate enough of them to regenerate bone in both small and large animals.
UNWELCOME STRANGERS.
Scientists also must figure out ways around the immune system's rejection of human tissue. That's not a problem for skin--it presents relatively few resistance problems since the immune system will accept some foreign dermal cells. Nor is rejection a problem when the original cells are taken from the specific patient for which they are meant. However, if off-the-shelf organs are to be transplanted, patients must take the same immunosuppressant drugs now given to them when donor organs are used.
Ideally, tissue engineers want to develop universal donor cells that would not trigger an immune response, so that body parts can be manufactured in large numbers. To that end, cells must either be genetically stripped of their rejection-provoking proteins or encapsulated in a porous membrane that the body will accept. The latter approach is nearing clinical trials for the treatment of diabetics whose pancreases are failing. BioHybrid Technologies Inc. in Shrewsbury, Mass., and Neocrin Co. of Irvine, Calif., are harvesting insulin-producing cells, called islets, from the pancreases of pigs and encasing them in a membrane that blocks the immune response while allowing the cells to do their job. The capsules are injected into the abdomen, where they go to work producing insulin.
Some companies are trying to avoid the whole immunity problem by encouraging the patient's own tissue to regenerate. Genentech Inc. (GNE), for example, announced in March that 5 of 15 patients who were given a genetically engineered protein called VEGF regrew blood vessels around the heart. Integra LifeSciences Corp. (IART) of Plainsboro, N.J., believes that just about any tissue can be regenerated by implanting a collagen matrix coated with the appropriate growth factors at the site of the damage. It already has such a matrix on the market for growing back a burn victim's skin and is in clinical trials with a similar product for the nerve endings in arms and legs. ''The body is continuously regenerating tissue,'' says Integra Chief Operating Officer George W. McKinney III. ''We're just trying to harness that process.''
Most scientists agree that regeneration is the ideal but doubt that it is always possible, or practical. ''Sometimes you have complete organ failure and can't wait for tissue to grow back,'' says Antonios G. Mikos, a bioengineering professor at Rice University. ''In truth, I think we will have both approaches. There is no one right way.''
Indeed, there are dozens of right ways in the works. Reprogenesis Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., for example, is in late-stage clinical trials with its method for using lab-grown cartilage to reinforce the urethra, a tube leading to the bladder. Weakened urethras can lead to incontinence, which afflicts an estimated 10 million people in the U.S., and reflux, a potentially fatal condition affecting about 1% of all infants in which urine backs up into the bladder. Reprogenesis removes a few cartilage cells from behind a patient's ear, grows them in the lab, and then mixes them into a gel matrix. The cells are reinserted endoscopically where the urethra meets the bladder. There, they grow to bulk up the tubal walls.
A knee-repair product called Carticel, approved by the FDA last August, uses somewhat the same principle. Made by Genzyme Tissue Repair, Carticel grows cartilage cells removed from the patient in the lab and then surgically reimplants them in the knee. No matrix is provided, however, so the cells can only be used to repair small rents. To replace the entire meniscus--that's the C-shaped pad in the knee between the thigh bone and shin bone--ReGen Biologics Inc. of Redwood City, Calif., is in clinical trials with a collagen scaffold in the shape of the meniscus. The pad is implanted in the knee to encourage regeneration of the patient's cartilage. Going a step further, Advanced Tissue Sciences is in preclinical trials with a meniscus-shaped cartilage grown in the lab that's meant to work in anyone. It hopes to start human tests by yearend.
NO MORE FILLINGS? After cartilage, look for bone products. Creative BioMolecules Inc. in Hopkinton, Mass., bases its approach on a bone-regenerating protein called OP-1. The company molds a porous scaffold out of calcium, seeds it with OP-1 and a few of the patient's own bone cells, and then reinserts the newly grown structure. Doctors reported in March that in a clinical trial of 122 patients with tibia fractures, the OP-1 graft performed as well as grafts using the patient's own bone.
The biggest market for tissue, though perhaps not the most dramatic, is the mouth. Some 10 million dental surgeries are performed each year in the U.S., on everything from teeth to periodontal ligaments, and most use artificial replacements. One of the first tissue-engineered alternatives is Atrisorb, made by Atrix Laboratories Inc. of Fort Collins, Colo. On the market since 1996, it is a bioabsorbable material loaded with growth factors and healing drugs that guides the regeneration of gum tissue.
But think of the implications if cavities could be filled with engineered tissue. Harold C. Slavkin, director of the National Institute of Dental Research at the NIH, says all the genes for making enamel have been cloned and sequenced, and lab-grown human enamel could be a reality in 5 to 10 years. Some 90 million new fillings are placed each year, and some 200 million are replaced. If those could be filled with original tissue, says Slavkin, ''we'd never have to do traditional fillings again.''
IN A HURRY.
Of course, many of these lab-produced body parts may never make it out of clinical trials. And doctors admit that they are entering uncharted waters: Who knows what might happen to an engineered organ decades after it has been implanted? Lab-grown tissues are put through far more rigorous purification processes than donor organs to make sure that they don't carry diseases, but it still is impossible to be completely sure that a replacement organ won't cause as many problems as the original a few years, or decades, down the line.
Still, there has been no evidence that these engineered tissues could turn malignant, says Joseph Vacanti. Therefore, he asks, ''can we really afford to wait for a complete understanding of how the process works?'' To him, the answer must be no. Millions of lives are hanging in the balance."
I remember a quote from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: "Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended. Dream, dream and dream. Dreams convert into thoughts and thoughts convert into actions. Dreams float on an impatient wind, A wind that wants to create a new order. An order of strength and thundering of fire".
....A beautiful mind and a beautiful life!!
Friday, December 31, 2004
Catching up!!!
Writing a blog after a lot of days.... 58 to be precise!!. A lot of things happened in these 58 days... trips to California, to Roanoke- Virginia, to New Orleans, to Atlanta, .... and a few things on personal front. As far as my future is concerned, I finally finished applying for PhD. So if all goes well from here, I should start my PhD in August 2005.
It was always in my mind to pursue a PhD. I kinda changed my field after I came to USA for my Master's. I was a Biomedical/ Electrical/ Instrumentation Engineer before and Clemson made me a Bioengineer. I liked this field... the concepts of Tissue Engineering and artificial implants somehow convinced me. I found this field to be very exciting and mesmerizing.... and that’s where a thought of doing PhD came to my mind.
I remember my last India trip, precisely one year back.... I was quietly sitting on shores of GanapatiPule... it was quiet... no one was around... had some leisure time and I was thinking about my future. "What do I WANT to do in life" was and has been the biggest question of my life. It’s not a question of "Can or cannot"... It’s more of a "Want to" problem.... anyways.... and a thought of doing a PhD seriously touched my mind. Before that I didn’t believe that I would be very happy doing a PhD... But I saw a dream... a dream of being a researcher... an inventor... a dream of doing something extraordinary... a dream of being THE best in this field.
I came back to Clemson with those dreams, and have been working towards making them a reality.
California trip was very good in that respect. I had gone there (to Anaheim, LA) to present my research. It was a good opportunity for me to catch up with some big-names in this field as well as to know what I exactly want to do. Those 7 days at Anaheim kind of changed me.... I was now convinced that a Doctorate was my ultimate aim... and it gave me a confidence that I CAN and WANT TO do it. “It’s all in mind"... ( no, I am not John Nash). After I came back from California, I spent 20 days on application procedure... had a couple of interviews with a few profs. And all that....
It was time for a big break then.... and New Orleans happened. It would definitely rank amongst my best road trips. Dsouza has written a pretty nice blog of that trip, I am pasting it here:
New Orleans baby:
”Just back from my New Orleans road trip. Was a fun trip. We (Vipul, Ankur, Jithu, Vivek, Korade, Viraj, Bonda and myself) left on 23rd night from Atlanta and reached New Orleans by 10 am the following morning. We checked into Sleep Inn. At around 2 we ate at an Indian restaurant called Tandoor. We just missed the lunch buffet and we were discussing over the table that we need to go somewhere else cause we were really hungry and we wld have spent atleast 25-30/person since the dishes were pretty expensive. The owner did sense that she was gonna lose business and so she gave us a a fat discount. Shld say the food was very good. :) We then went to Harrahs - New Orleans most famous casino. I did gamble a bit on the slot machines- lost all my money. Ankur did lose $20 on the roulette table. Korade and Bonda $20 each on the Blackjack table. Place seemed decent but think Las Vegas wld be much better.We then left for Bourbon Street - the hippiest street down south. Bourbon lived upto our expectations. The place was crazy. a string of clubs and party joints on both sides of the street. Variety too - live blues, jazz, rock, pop... We drank the "handgrenade", which was advertised as the most powereful drink on bourbon street. Yes now I know why... Ankur and Vipul got drunk lol. We then decided to eat some New Orleans authentic food- cajun(pronounced k zun) specialities. The food was just ok. I ordered the dish which was the combination of Jambalaya(sausage and rice with cajun seasoning) and Crawfish etouffee (a soup) and fried beans. We then started pub hopping. Of all pubs we visited we really liked the one which had a live rock band. The band was really good. They also played our favorites- sweet home alabama, american girl,...A bit of Led Zepplin too. We were a bit dizzy, thanks to the handgrenade. Beer on Bourbon street is very costly, $6 for a glass of beer. Drank beer for a while. We then started fooling around with the shot waitresses and tricked each other into buying /drinking shots. Now we were in the what I call the "Happy" state. Danced for a while. Left the bar without Bonda and Korade. Bonda was trying his luck with the bartendar. Bonda has this never die spirit that I am pretty impressed with :)
Woke up at 12 the following afternoon. Ordered Chinese food which was pathetic. We then thought we shld visit the Honey Island Swamp. We reached there at around 5.30 and it was pretty dark then so we drove back to the city. Went to Bourbon St again. Ate at Royal Rizou(not sure if it was Rizou but name was french) . Oysters is a New Orleans speciality so decided to order fried oysters(we dont dig raw oysters and sauce). I ordered steak sandwitch which was good. It was a long time before the food was served to us. Our behavior in that place got worse over time- Ankur made some Indian tea for himself and drank it from the saucer like we used to do in India. Bonda ordered some brownies and eveyone swooped down on it like vultures. Everyone in the restaurant was looking at all this... kinda pretty surprised - these guys had immaculate manners 10 minutes back and now... In all that commotion Vivek dropped a hot sauce bottle on the floor and now the floor was red lol. We left the place and started pub hopping again. Viraj and myself decided to listen to some live jazz, so we went to a Fritzels - an european jazz bar. The rest were enjoying in the bar we were last night. Dunno much abt jazz but it sounded great. The others now wanted to listen to jazz too. They came in, ordered the costly beer ($8 for a beer) , since it was a minimum 1 drink bar and had just taken their first sip when the band stopped playing hahhahaha. The band was done for the day. Hard luck... They were pretty pissed off and whenever a bunch of drunk guys get pissed off it isn't a grt site. Ankur then went on stage and started fiddling with the band equipment. Bonda wanted to kiss the waitress and was asking ppl to pay him $10 if he does go up to the waitress, ask for a kiss and gets it. We started fooling around on the street. Walking backwards in the middle of the street, moonwalking, shouting and a lot of things which I can't mention. We left for home at round 3 am.We had decided to leave for Clemson as soon as we are back We started our drive back at 4.15am. Reached Atlanta at 1pm the following day. Ate at Minerva. Rested at my place in Atlanta for a couple of hours and then these guys left for Clemson. I have taken many trips and should say that this ranks one among the best.”
It's been a good break for me.... and I am gearing up for some hard work, my mind says so... and "It's all in mind..."
It was always in my mind to pursue a PhD. I kinda changed my field after I came to USA for my Master's. I was a Biomedical/ Electrical/ Instrumentation Engineer before and Clemson made me a Bioengineer. I liked this field... the concepts of Tissue Engineering and artificial implants somehow convinced me. I found this field to be very exciting and mesmerizing.... and that’s where a thought of doing PhD came to my mind.
I remember my last India trip, precisely one year back.... I was quietly sitting on shores of GanapatiPule... it was quiet... no one was around... had some leisure time and I was thinking about my future. "What do I WANT to do in life" was and has been the biggest question of my life. It’s not a question of "Can or cannot"... It’s more of a "Want to" problem.... anyways.... and a thought of doing a PhD seriously touched my mind. Before that I didn’t believe that I would be very happy doing a PhD... But I saw a dream... a dream of being a researcher... an inventor... a dream of doing something extraordinary... a dream of being THE best in this field.
I came back to Clemson with those dreams, and have been working towards making them a reality.
California trip was very good in that respect. I had gone there (to Anaheim, LA) to present my research. It was a good opportunity for me to catch up with some big-names in this field as well as to know what I exactly want to do. Those 7 days at Anaheim kind of changed me.... I was now convinced that a Doctorate was my ultimate aim... and it gave me a confidence that I CAN and WANT TO do it. “It’s all in mind"... ( no, I am not John Nash). After I came back from California, I spent 20 days on application procedure... had a couple of interviews with a few profs. And all that....
It was time for a big break then.... and New Orleans happened. It would definitely rank amongst my best road trips. Dsouza has written a pretty nice blog of that trip, I am pasting it here:
New Orleans baby:
”Just back from my New Orleans road trip. Was a fun trip. We (Vipul, Ankur, Jithu, Vivek, Korade, Viraj, Bonda and myself) left on 23rd night from Atlanta and reached New Orleans by 10 am the following morning. We checked into Sleep Inn. At around 2 we ate at an Indian restaurant called Tandoor. We just missed the lunch buffet and we were discussing over the table that we need to go somewhere else cause we were really hungry and we wld have spent atleast 25-30/person since the dishes were pretty expensive. The owner did sense that she was gonna lose business and so she gave us a a fat discount. Shld say the food was very good. :) We then went to Harrahs - New Orleans most famous casino. I did gamble a bit on the slot machines- lost all my money. Ankur did lose $20 on the roulette table. Korade and Bonda $20 each on the Blackjack table. Place seemed decent but think Las Vegas wld be much better.We then left for Bourbon Street - the hippiest street down south. Bourbon lived upto our expectations. The place was crazy. a string of clubs and party joints on both sides of the street. Variety too - live blues, jazz, rock, pop... We drank the "handgrenade", which was advertised as the most powereful drink on bourbon street. Yes now I know why... Ankur and Vipul got drunk lol. We then decided to eat some New Orleans authentic food- cajun(pronounced k zun) specialities. The food was just ok. I ordered the dish which was the combination of Jambalaya(sausage and rice with cajun seasoning) and Crawfish etouffee (a soup) and fried beans. We then started pub hopping. Of all pubs we visited we really liked the one which had a live rock band. The band was really good. They also played our favorites- sweet home alabama, american girl,...A bit of Led Zepplin too. We were a bit dizzy, thanks to the handgrenade. Beer on Bourbon street is very costly, $6 for a glass of beer. Drank beer for a while. We then started fooling around with the shot waitresses and tricked each other into buying /drinking shots. Now we were in the what I call the "Happy" state. Danced for a while. Left the bar without Bonda and Korade. Bonda was trying his luck with the bartendar. Bonda has this never die spirit that I am pretty impressed with :)
Woke up at 12 the following afternoon. Ordered Chinese food which was pathetic. We then thought we shld visit the Honey Island Swamp. We reached there at around 5.30 and it was pretty dark then so we drove back to the city. Went to Bourbon St again. Ate at Royal Rizou(not sure if it was Rizou but name was french) . Oysters is a New Orleans speciality so decided to order fried oysters(we dont dig raw oysters and sauce). I ordered steak sandwitch which was good. It was a long time before the food was served to us. Our behavior in that place got worse over time- Ankur made some Indian tea for himself and drank it from the saucer like we used to do in India. Bonda ordered some brownies and eveyone swooped down on it like vultures. Everyone in the restaurant was looking at all this... kinda pretty surprised - these guys had immaculate manners 10 minutes back and now... In all that commotion Vivek dropped a hot sauce bottle on the floor and now the floor was red lol. We left the place and started pub hopping again. Viraj and myself decided to listen to some live jazz, so we went to a Fritzels - an european jazz bar. The rest were enjoying in the bar we were last night. Dunno much abt jazz but it sounded great. The others now wanted to listen to jazz too. They came in, ordered the costly beer ($8 for a beer) , since it was a minimum 1 drink bar and had just taken their first sip when the band stopped playing hahhahaha. The band was done for the day. Hard luck... They were pretty pissed off and whenever a bunch of drunk guys get pissed off it isn't a grt site. Ankur then went on stage and started fiddling with the band equipment. Bonda wanted to kiss the waitress and was asking ppl to pay him $10 if he does go up to the waitress, ask for a kiss and gets it. We started fooling around on the street. Walking backwards in the middle of the street, moonwalking, shouting and a lot of things which I can't mention. We left for home at round 3 am.We had decided to leave for Clemson as soon as we are back We started our drive back at 4.15am. Reached Atlanta at 1pm the following day. Ate at Minerva. Rested at my place in Atlanta for a couple of hours and then these guys left for Clemson. I have taken many trips and should say that this ranks one among the best.”
It's been a good break for me.... and I am gearing up for some hard work, my mind says so... and "It's all in mind..."
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Falls Creek Trek and Camping in Smokies
Falls creek trail:
It was Saturday and we were all set for an exciting, adventurous hike. I don’t know why I chose this trail... Not much information is available about this place and hardly anyone goes there. But then what’s the fun in having a safe, predictable hike?... so thought of having some adventure.
This hike is weird, its crazy and its mysterious. First of all, there is no defined trail as such. That means wherever you go, it becomes your trail... you just have to remember how to come back. The jungle is dense, thick and it leaves no space for sunrays to reach the ground. Everything is wet, and covered with moss. The wood is spongy and the moment you step on it... it breaks down. The space is filled with unpleasant smell of rotten trees, uneasy wetness and some weird noises made by insects. And in midst of it, flows the creek... which transforms into a waterfall every now and then.
It was fun to walk thru that. We lost our way quite a few times, but the creek helped us in keeping track with the direction. The view of the waterfalls and the creek itself was quite amazing and slippery at a few places and gave us plenty of opportunity to show our trekking skills.
After 4 hours of hike, we were back with innumerous bruises, muddy clothes, tired body and very fresh mind.
All in all, its an excellent place for an experienced trekker, especially if you like a bit of spice in life; but i wont recommend it some an armature.
Photos are available here: http://community.webshots.com/album/210810372xDhIUB
Smokies:
After a very hectic trek, I was not too keen to go to smokies on a very next day, but ISA needed someone who could drive a van. One of my friends asked if I could do that..
One really can’t say no to smokies. It’s my fourth trip to this Blue ridge Mountain range... and i am not yet satisfied. How beautiful can nature be!!!.... It’s almost like heaven. This place reminds me of manali. This place looks similar to what bhimashankar jungle looks in july-august and the panoramic view as beautiful as harishchandragad's konkan kada.
It doesnt get much better than this.
If God asks me "when and where would you like to rest forever"... my answer would be: " if it's smokies or harishchandragad, I am ready to die even right now". I dont mind living at such a beautiful place rather than living in lifeless cities.
Had a lot of fun in this trip. There were some weirdoes who were at their craziest best, and kept people laughing for 2 days. It was fun... a lot of fun.
Hope to have couple of hikes before winter starts.
Photos are available here: http://community.webshots.com/album/210820741XDaeXJ
It was Saturday and we were all set for an exciting, adventurous hike. I don’t know why I chose this trail... Not much information is available about this place and hardly anyone goes there. But then what’s the fun in having a safe, predictable hike?... so thought of having some adventure.
This hike is weird, its crazy and its mysterious. First of all, there is no defined trail as such. That means wherever you go, it becomes your trail... you just have to remember how to come back. The jungle is dense, thick and it leaves no space for sunrays to reach the ground. Everything is wet, and covered with moss. The wood is spongy and the moment you step on it... it breaks down. The space is filled with unpleasant smell of rotten trees, uneasy wetness and some weird noises made by insects. And in midst of it, flows the creek... which transforms into a waterfall every now and then.
It was fun to walk thru that. We lost our way quite a few times, but the creek helped us in keeping track with the direction. The view of the waterfalls and the creek itself was quite amazing and slippery at a few places and gave us plenty of opportunity to show our trekking skills.
After 4 hours of hike, we were back with innumerous bruises, muddy clothes, tired body and very fresh mind.
All in all, its an excellent place for an experienced trekker, especially if you like a bit of spice in life; but i wont recommend it some an armature.
Photos are available here: http://community.webshots.com/album/210810372xDhIUB
Smokies:
After a very hectic trek, I was not too keen to go to smokies on a very next day, but ISA needed someone who could drive a van. One of my friends asked if I could do that..
One really can’t say no to smokies. It’s my fourth trip to this Blue ridge Mountain range... and i am not yet satisfied. How beautiful can nature be!!!.... It’s almost like heaven. This place reminds me of manali. This place looks similar to what bhimashankar jungle looks in july-august and the panoramic view as beautiful as harishchandragad's konkan kada.
It doesnt get much better than this.
If God asks me "when and where would you like to rest forever"... my answer would be: " if it's smokies or harishchandragad, I am ready to die even right now". I dont mind living at such a beautiful place rather than living in lifeless cities.
Had a lot of fun in this trip. There were some weirdoes who were at their craziest best, and kept people laughing for 2 days. It was fun... a lot of fun.
Hope to have couple of hikes before winter starts.
Photos are available here: http://community.webshots.com/album/210820741XDaeXJ
Friday, October 29, 2004
barber and haircut!!!
Its been a while since a barber has touched my hair. In past 2 years, I have visited a saloon only once!!
No, no.. I am not planning to act in Aamir Khan's 'Sun- The Rising'.
After we (Sunil, Naren, Deep, me) came to Clemson, we realized that cutting hair outside every 20 days would be a very expensive affair ($12 for a haircut??.. nah....$12 x 50.....600 Rupees... mad or what!!!... was our first reaction..eddam desi eshtyle). So we thought of trying it out at home. First few haircuts were a disaster (invariably we would wear a cap for next 15 days... our apartment had around 10 caps at one point... as everyone would need one) but slowly we improved ourselves. Apart from a few hiccups:
One fine day Naren messed up Deep’s haircut with a huge patch at a very inconvenient spot. After that Deep hasn’t yet dared to try it out again. He prefers a professional barber instead. On another fine day, I by mistake created a dent on Sunil's head and for a month he was a bald headed gentleman.
Apart from that its been a smooth and fairly exciting experience. After Naren moved out, it was just Sunil and me who would cut each others' (upper) hair. I guess we have become fairly professional barbers now... and reliable too. It’s been one memorable experience, and one more very useful thing I learnt in life after coming to Clemson. Sunil is any day better than a professional barber.
The reason I remembered all this: I badly needed a haircut a couple of weeks back. I finally decided to go to a barber as sunil was busy with his thesis defense and I didn’t want him to spend his time cutting hair. So, I went and I almost entered the barber shop...
Man, I was shit scared to let someone else cut my hair. I came out of that shop almost running.
I am going for a conference in LA, California in couple of weeks and I DONT want to be bald at the conference. I am used to give instructions in hindi... and cant simply imagine telling an american "cut short from sides, shorter from backside and slightly long on upper head... i want slope also"... what if he doesn’t understand what exactly I want??... and what if I dont get a satisfactory haircut?? ..."slightly short on this spot....and this much here... and that much there"... nah.
Finally requested Sunil to take some time out, and thankfully he obliged.
I dont know how long I can avoid a barber... as we are unlikely to be in Clemson for too long now... but I will be extremely scared when I enter the barber's shop next time... whenever that happens.
No, no.. I am not planning to act in Aamir Khan's 'Sun- The Rising'.
After we (Sunil, Naren, Deep, me) came to Clemson, we realized that cutting hair outside every 20 days would be a very expensive affair ($12 for a haircut??.. nah....$12 x 50.....600 Rupees... mad or what!!!... was our first reaction..eddam desi eshtyle). So we thought of trying it out at home. First few haircuts were a disaster (invariably we would wear a cap for next 15 days... our apartment had around 10 caps at one point... as everyone would need one) but slowly we improved ourselves. Apart from a few hiccups:
One fine day Naren messed up Deep’s haircut with a huge patch at a very inconvenient spot. After that Deep hasn’t yet dared to try it out again. He prefers a professional barber instead. On another fine day, I by mistake created a dent on Sunil's head and for a month he was a bald headed gentleman.
Apart from that its been a smooth and fairly exciting experience. After Naren moved out, it was just Sunil and me who would cut each others' (upper) hair. I guess we have become fairly professional barbers now... and reliable too. It’s been one memorable experience, and one more very useful thing I learnt in life after coming to Clemson. Sunil is any day better than a professional barber.
The reason I remembered all this: I badly needed a haircut a couple of weeks back. I finally decided to go to a barber as sunil was busy with his thesis defense and I didn’t want him to spend his time cutting hair. So, I went and I almost entered the barber shop...
Man, I was shit scared to let someone else cut my hair. I came out of that shop almost running.
I am going for a conference in LA, California in couple of weeks and I DONT want to be bald at the conference. I am used to give instructions in hindi... and cant simply imagine telling an american "cut short from sides, shorter from backside and slightly long on upper head... i want slope also"... what if he doesn’t understand what exactly I want??... and what if I dont get a satisfactory haircut?? ..."slightly short on this spot....and this much here... and that much there"... nah.
Finally requested Sunil to take some time out, and thankfully he obliged.
I dont know how long I can avoid a barber... as we are unlikely to be in Clemson for too long now... but I will be extremely scared when I enter the barber's shop next time... whenever that happens.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
About changing yourself and the world
"you must be the change if you want to change the world".... its not as easy as it sounds. We had one Gandhi... who tried to change the world by this principles... he changed himself and then asked people to follow him. He was great... Alas, he was killed for his own principles. United States had one Martin Luther King... he also mate same fate.
Take India or US or for that matter any place... things are going worse. For todays hip-hop and party generation, you are a fool if youare principlistic. In today's world; Gandhi, and MLK would have been thrown in mental asylum. Today's world is of Laloo, Bangaroo, Dawood, and Mallika. How can you even think of changing this world?
Forget about India as a whole... take examples in our family,community and neighborhood. We have so many individuals, whom we respect immensely, because they always followed an idealistic approach. They say " we should do this.. and we should do that...". We look forward for their guidance. We hope that they can bring the difference in our society. But these same individuals have ridiculously spoilt kids... they are hopeless, they don't even know how to live a respectable life, they don't even know their own culture, they are completely out of control. If you can't bring the change in your own family, how can you even think of changing this world?.
Forget about changing the world... its not easy even to change yourself. Its extremely difficult to stick to your principles, especially when we are living in a materialistic world.
Today's world is all about money, name, fame and party. People party 4days a week. Do they even have time to think about those so called 'principles' and 'change one has to bring within him/herself' ??. Love, dignity, faith, trust, commitment, relationship.... all are materialistic gains. I have seen closest and best of people changing for money and these so called materialistic gains. How can you change yourself, if you are living in such surroundings?
I am not being negative here., as I know there are people who are different. I myself beg to differ from today's 'chalta hai' attitude. I just wanted to put forth a point that its not easy to change yourself and to change this world.
Take India or US or for that matter any place... things are going worse. For todays hip-hop and party generation, you are a fool if youare principlistic. In today's world; Gandhi, and MLK would have been thrown in mental asylum. Today's world is of Laloo, Bangaroo, Dawood, and Mallika. How can you even think of changing this world?
Forget about India as a whole... take examples in our family,community and neighborhood. We have so many individuals, whom we respect immensely, because they always followed an idealistic approach. They say " we should do this.. and we should do that...". We look forward for their guidance. We hope that they can bring the difference in our society. But these same individuals have ridiculously spoilt kids... they are hopeless, they don't even know how to live a respectable life, they don't even know their own culture, they are completely out of control. If you can't bring the change in your own family, how can you even think of changing this world?.
Forget about changing the world... its not easy even to change yourself. Its extremely difficult to stick to your principles, especially when we are living in a materialistic world.
Today's world is all about money, name, fame and party. People party 4days a week. Do they even have time to think about those so called 'principles' and 'change one has to bring within him/herself' ??. Love, dignity, faith, trust, commitment, relationship.... all are materialistic gains. I have seen closest and best of people changing for money and these so called materialistic gains. How can you change yourself, if you are living in such surroundings?
I am not being negative here., as I know there are people who are different. I myself beg to differ from today's 'chalta hai' attitude. I just wanted to put forth a point that its not easy to change yourself and to change this world.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
We Indians
These are my personal views about the article in Economic Times (the article is pasted at the end of my views):
1: Some examples cited in the Economic Times article are very true (ladies entering the swimming pool in saree and people hogging on the freebreakfast, etc.). It ridiculous to see someone of your own country behaving in an obnoxious way, and thus tarnishing his own as well as his country's reputation.
2: I also agree that a lot of Americans, Chinese and African Americans are worse than us when it comes to running behind free stuff.
Having considered these two points, one, however, CANNOT justify their irresponsible public behavior. If a certain thing is wrong then it IS wrong. Hogging on a free breakfast is NOT justified just because some American also does it. One has to remember that you are always representing something: be it your country, community, company or your family. One has to always behave him/herself, because your behavior determines the reputation of the entity your are representing. This this even more significant for a developing country like India, which is still trying to find a prominent position in world affairs.
One simple example: After coming to US, a lot of people complain that 'south Indians badly smell of food'. It does not mean that EACH AND EVERY south Indian smells of sambar and rassam. But a few DO. And those few people tarnish the reputation of entire community.Americans, Europeans do not differentiate between a south Indian and north Indian. For them, Indians smell of food. Thus, only a few individuals are good enough to make people believe that Indians smell bad, which, as a matter of fact, is not completely true.
Even Chinese small badly of food. But that doesn't mean that our south Indian brothers are doing well by doing free publicity of our Indian delicacy.
When I read the article, I took it positively... with a message that one has to behave himself and try to be an ideal ambassador for our India. I agree that one single individual cannot change the things....But he can always try from his side, can't he?
Original Article:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2004 01:11:11 AM ]MUMBAI:
In a resort, the world is somewhat easier to place. The Japanese see others through a Japanese handycam. The Americans pretend to be friendlier than their president. The French flirt with your wife if she is not British. The Ukrainian will not mind indecent behaviour, for a fee. People from all nations steal the bathrobe. And the Indian? The country's hospitality industry lets out a sigh and flight attendants roll their eyes.
There are unpleasant memories. The middle-class Indian is travelling to the upper reaches of good life and he is feared today by all in the business of standing with folded palms and salaried smiles.
He screams at the hotel staff to secretly ensure good service. He mistakes the waiter for his domestic help back home. He tries to eat everything in the breakfast buffet, because it is obviously profitable that way. His wife is in the pool in a saree, mixing water sports with modesty. And his we-two-ours-two kids are all over the place.
"The new Indian traveller wants attention, he wants slavish respect, he wants to own the place, he wants to swim in the pool in his VIP underwear," says Poonam Sethi, Radisson Hotel's director of sales and marketing. On international flights, he asks for "souvenirs", washes his hands in the plate and snaps his fingers to call the stewardess. "One guy even tried to open the aircraft door thinking it is the toilet," according to a flight attendant.
Cabin crews of international airlines that fly to India are specially briefed about the Indian. "The flight is going to be demanding," is what an air hostess is told by her chief during Cathay Pacific's pre-departure briefings on the Hong Kong-Mumbai flight. "We are clearly asked to be generous with liquor because Indians would want to drink a lot when it is free. If an average international passenger has two drinks during a flight, Indians have four."In her eight-year career, she has seen Indians make bhel from onions and other things brought from home, bathe and smoke in the toilet, and hide under a blanket to flout the seat-belt rule. One man even asked her, 'where is your urinification room?'
"Indians are so feared by the cabin crew that the highest number of sick leaves happen just before the Hong Kong-Mumbai flight," she said. Rupert Bray, the country manager for India, Nepal and Bangladesh was not available to confirm this phenomenon.Part of the high-end leisure industry's grouse against Indians finds its genesis in selfish commercial interests. A suave white man at the breakfast buffet, who does not raid all varieties of food, is more profitable than the experimental Indians. Tips influence the world view of waiters greatly. But even the hotels who claim to suffer the onslaught of the middle-class Indian, admit that he is precious during the lean periods.
Rattan Keswani, senior vice president, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, does not sympathise with the grievances of high-end resorts. "If you offer those prices, those people will come," he says. "You can't make money out of them and regret having them at the same time." According to him, "the Indian business traveller is a very mature individual and so the Oberoi in Mumbai for example, has no trouble dealing with him at all."Mr Keswani's views are not shared by all.
For several Indian resorts, sales meetings are treacherous confluences where the middle-class Indian male arrives at a wonderland called 5-star, leaving his regulatory wife at home.During such conclaves in Rajasthan, resorts are wary of men from Delhi. "Even during lean periods we try our best not to take conferences from Delhi," an executive of a high-end hotel chain says. "The men are rude and leery towards the female staff. They are insufferable," he adds.During the monsoons in Goa, it pours Indians. Sales, marketing and, of course, HR conferences spill over all facets of high-end resorts. And Scot Adams' men come to life. A photographer, who used to run a boutique in Goa, remembers a sight in a Panjim resort. "These guys were by the pool but didn't know how to swim. So, they brought buckets from their rooms, filled the pool water in the buckets and poured it on themselves," she said.
An Indonesian girl hired by a Goan resort to perform Balinese massage is tired of middle-aged Indians who want, "sex massage". Her understanding employer has told her that if a customer uses the word 'sex' a particular number of times, she could walk out of the room. The chef in the same hotel explains: "When the off-season comes, our boss comes around and tells the workers: Gentlemen, the season has changed. The foreigners are gone and the Indians have landed."
1: Some examples cited in the Economic Times article are very true (ladies entering the swimming pool in saree and people hogging on the freebreakfast, etc.). It ridiculous to see someone of your own country behaving in an obnoxious way, and thus tarnishing his own as well as his country's reputation.
2: I also agree that a lot of Americans, Chinese and African Americans are worse than us when it comes to running behind free stuff.
Having considered these two points, one, however, CANNOT justify their irresponsible public behavior. If a certain thing is wrong then it IS wrong. Hogging on a free breakfast is NOT justified just because some American also does it. One has to remember that you are always representing something: be it your country, community, company or your family. One has to always behave him/herself, because your behavior determines the reputation of the entity your are representing. This this even more significant for a developing country like India, which is still trying to find a prominent position in world affairs.
One simple example: After coming to US, a lot of people complain that 'south Indians badly smell of food'. It does not mean that EACH AND EVERY south Indian smells of sambar and rassam. But a few DO. And those few people tarnish the reputation of entire community.Americans, Europeans do not differentiate between a south Indian and north Indian. For them, Indians smell of food. Thus, only a few individuals are good enough to make people believe that Indians smell bad, which, as a matter of fact, is not completely true.
Even Chinese small badly of food. But that doesn't mean that our south Indian brothers are doing well by doing free publicity of our Indian delicacy.
When I read the article, I took it positively... with a message that one has to behave himself and try to be an ideal ambassador for our India. I agree that one single individual cannot change the things....But he can always try from his side, can't he?
Original Article:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2004 01:11:11 AM ]MUMBAI:
In a resort, the world is somewhat easier to place. The Japanese see others through a Japanese handycam. The Americans pretend to be friendlier than their president. The French flirt with your wife if she is not British. The Ukrainian will not mind indecent behaviour, for a fee. People from all nations steal the bathrobe. And the Indian? The country's hospitality industry lets out a sigh and flight attendants roll their eyes.
There are unpleasant memories. The middle-class Indian is travelling to the upper reaches of good life and he is feared today by all in the business of standing with folded palms and salaried smiles.
He screams at the hotel staff to secretly ensure good service. He mistakes the waiter for his domestic help back home. He tries to eat everything in the breakfast buffet, because it is obviously profitable that way. His wife is in the pool in a saree, mixing water sports with modesty. And his we-two-ours-two kids are all over the place.
"The new Indian traveller wants attention, he wants slavish respect, he wants to own the place, he wants to swim in the pool in his VIP underwear," says Poonam Sethi, Radisson Hotel's director of sales and marketing. On international flights, he asks for "souvenirs", washes his hands in the plate and snaps his fingers to call the stewardess. "One guy even tried to open the aircraft door thinking it is the toilet," according to a flight attendant.
Cabin crews of international airlines that fly to India are specially briefed about the Indian. "The flight is going to be demanding," is what an air hostess is told by her chief during Cathay Pacific's pre-departure briefings on the Hong Kong-Mumbai flight. "We are clearly asked to be generous with liquor because Indians would want to drink a lot when it is free. If an average international passenger has two drinks during a flight, Indians have four."In her eight-year career, she has seen Indians make bhel from onions and other things brought from home, bathe and smoke in the toilet, and hide under a blanket to flout the seat-belt rule. One man even asked her, 'where is your urinification room?'
"Indians are so feared by the cabin crew that the highest number of sick leaves happen just before the Hong Kong-Mumbai flight," she said. Rupert Bray, the country manager for India, Nepal and Bangladesh was not available to confirm this phenomenon.Part of the high-end leisure industry's grouse against Indians finds its genesis in selfish commercial interests. A suave white man at the breakfast buffet, who does not raid all varieties of food, is more profitable than the experimental Indians. Tips influence the world view of waiters greatly. But even the hotels who claim to suffer the onslaught of the middle-class Indian, admit that he is precious during the lean periods.
Rattan Keswani, senior vice president, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, does not sympathise with the grievances of high-end resorts. "If you offer those prices, those people will come," he says. "You can't make money out of them and regret having them at the same time." According to him, "the Indian business traveller is a very mature individual and so the Oberoi in Mumbai for example, has no trouble dealing with him at all."Mr Keswani's views are not shared by all.
For several Indian resorts, sales meetings are treacherous confluences where the middle-class Indian male arrives at a wonderland called 5-star, leaving his regulatory wife at home.During such conclaves in Rajasthan, resorts are wary of men from Delhi. "Even during lean periods we try our best not to take conferences from Delhi," an executive of a high-end hotel chain says. "The men are rude and leery towards the female staff. They are insufferable," he adds.During the monsoons in Goa, it pours Indians. Sales, marketing and, of course, HR conferences spill over all facets of high-end resorts. And Scot Adams' men come to life. A photographer, who used to run a boutique in Goa, remembers a sight in a Panjim resort. "These guys were by the pool but didn't know how to swim. So, they brought buckets from their rooms, filled the pool water in the buckets and poured it on themselves," she said.
An Indonesian girl hired by a Goan resort to perform Balinese massage is tired of middle-aged Indians who want, "sex massage". Her understanding employer has told her that if a customer uses the word 'sex' a particular number of times, she could walk out of the room. The chef in the same hotel explains: "When the off-season comes, our boss comes around and tells the workers: Gentlemen, the season has changed. The foreigners are gone and the Indians have landed."
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
How to mess up your nite
I came home at 1AM, and realized that I didn’t have any clothes for tomorrow. So decided to do laundry. Logically speaking, it should have been over by 3 AM, which was fine for me.
(I have shifted to Lemans recently, and I had no idea about the laundry machines there. They look innocuous, so I thought they would be similar to ones in Village Green. I had also asked my friends in Lemans.. they were happy with it and said that... $1.25 for washing, and $1.00 for drying would be sufficient. Still, as a precaution, I took quarters for 6 dollars. Now read on...)
1AM: went for laundry.... realized that the washer was too small for all clothes to fit in. So used two washers. Which means I used 5 quarters more for washing... little worried if I had sufficient quarters...Came back to my apt. and talked to Sagar for a while about life in Lemans.
1.45 AM: went to check if washing was done. Saw that all the foam was still intact, and unwashed. Put some more coins.... again a long wait of 40 mins... Went to Nikhil Rane's place... Talked with him for a while about free food at harcombe.
2.30AM: washing was finally over. I had only 4 quarters left. I am little worried... but dryer seems to be good.
3.05 AM: went to check if clothes were dry... and realized that they were still wet, not even close to drying..... hmm... seems to be a long nite
3.10AM: ... oh!!!! i dont have any more coins.... what to do.... i cant leave clothes like that... they will stink. I have to get some more coins.
3.15AM: went to old laundry to get some coins from coin machine. 20 mins walk at midnight. Great experience.
3.30AM: started dryer again... praying that this time they should be OK. Ate 2 apples to keep myself awake.
4.15AM: clothes were still wet. Put a few more coins..... Another 45 minutes....
5.00AM: clothes were about to dry... but little wet.... 4 more coins... 45 more minutes.. Can’t even sleep... can’t even stay awake. Stage of extreme frustration.
5.15AM: Lemans is!!@!#!$#!#$@%@#%@%@$% ? (BAD)!!!
5.45AM: its almost morning... clothes are finally dry. I am almost dead.... and ready to sleep
* Total cost for laundry: 9 dollars
* Lessons learnt: don’t be a fool to leave village green and come to lemans
* Lessons learnt: never sell your car just because u need money to go to India. It’s horrible to walk for 20 mins at 3 o clock in the night to get a few coins.
* Lessons learnt: Never trust people for their words.
(I have shifted to Lemans recently, and I had no idea about the laundry machines there. They look innocuous, so I thought they would be similar to ones in Village Green. I had also asked my friends in Lemans.. they were happy with it and said that... $1.25 for washing, and $1.00 for drying would be sufficient. Still, as a precaution, I took quarters for 6 dollars. Now read on...)
1AM: went for laundry.... realized that the washer was too small for all clothes to fit in. So used two washers. Which means I used 5 quarters more for washing... little worried if I had sufficient quarters...Came back to my apt. and talked to Sagar for a while about life in Lemans.
1.45 AM: went to check if washing was done. Saw that all the foam was still intact, and unwashed. Put some more coins.... again a long wait of 40 mins... Went to Nikhil Rane's place... Talked with him for a while about free food at harcombe.
2.30AM: washing was finally over. I had only 4 quarters left. I am little worried... but dryer seems to be good.
3.05 AM: went to check if clothes were dry... and realized that they were still wet, not even close to drying..... hmm... seems to be a long nite
3.10AM: ... oh!!!! i dont have any more coins.... what to do.... i cant leave clothes like that... they will stink. I have to get some more coins.
3.15AM: went to old laundry to get some coins from coin machine. 20 mins walk at midnight. Great experience.
3.30AM: started dryer again... praying that this time they should be OK. Ate 2 apples to keep myself awake.
4.15AM: clothes were still wet. Put a few more coins..... Another 45 minutes....
5.00AM: clothes were about to dry... but little wet.... 4 more coins... 45 more minutes.. Can’t even sleep... can’t even stay awake. Stage of extreme frustration.
5.15AM: Lemans is!!@!#!$#!#$@%@#%@%@$% ? (BAD)!!!
5.45AM: its almost morning... clothes are finally dry. I am almost dead.... and ready to sleep
* Total cost for laundry: 9 dollars
* Lessons learnt: don’t be a fool to leave village green and come to lemans
* Lessons learnt: never sell your car just because u need money to go to India. It’s horrible to walk for 20 mins at 3 o clock in the night to get a few coins.
* Lessons learnt: Never trust people for their words.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Marathi chat
(If you do not understand marathi, please don't read this. I am sorry, but kindly adjust).
tushar_save (11:57:52 AM): ya saheb ya...
viv1512 (11:58:05 AM): arre alabhya laabh, aaj apan ekdam prakat kase zalat?
tushar_save (11:58:11 AM): apale ya kolishtakachya mayajalat swagat aso
viv1512 (11:58:25 AM): dhanyawaad
viv1512 (11:58:40 AM): sagle kahi kshemakushal?
tushar_save (11:59:28 AM): Arthat swami...tumhi-amhi astana desh dev an dharma kshemakushal asalach pahije
viv1512 (12:00:06 PM): kay re... bebandashaahi baghun ala ki kay
tushar_save (12:00:35 PM): nahi mitra nahi
viv1512 (12:00:51 PM): ani kay mhantos
viv1512 (12:01:05 PM): ikde yenyacha chance ahe ka?
tushar_save (12:01:09 PM): Marathi , hindi and engraji madhe apan bolat ahat. aple bhashadhnyaan prachanda ahe.
tushar_save (12:01:38 PM): Time time ki baat hai pyare...ek chance tera ek mera
viv1512 (12:01:40 PM): good joke
tushar_save (12:01:47 PM): but bad PJ
viv1512 (12:02:06 PM): so aajkal kay navin mohim?
tushar_save (12:02:50 PM): Jeevan ek sangharsh aahe ani toch mala navya navya mohime var pathavto..
viv1512 (12:03:10 PM): bas bas bas.. mansaat ye.
tushar_save (12:03:26 PM): evadhyat?
viv1512 (12:03:56 PM): arre ikde sakal ahe. he sagla vachlyavar sakalchi pahilya dhaarechi ghetlyasarkhi vatte
tushar_save (12:04:47 PM): shant gada dhari bheem shant..aaj ek tar shukravaar aahe ani tu pahilya dharechi vaigare bolun mann vichalit karu nakos...
viv1512 (12:06:22 PM): mann kara re prasanna sarva siddhi che karan....
tushar_save (12:06:24 PM): peeun daru hoil sarv jag hey prasanna
tushar_save (12:07:24 PM): mitra aahes ka?? ki tula MURCCHA yevun to behosh jhalas?
viv1512 (12:07:56 PM): brb
tushar_save (12:08:16 PM): 'brb' mhanje kay re bhau?
viv1512 (12:12:29 PM): be right back
tushar_save (12:12:55 PM): ok ok .. i will also start using that..
viv1512 (12:13:10 PM): see.. u learnt something today from me
tushar_save (12:13:53 PM): dhanyawad mitra..jeevan ek shala aahe ani apun tyatil vidyarthi.
viv1512 (12:14:48 PM): yes, shalaa co-ed ahe, tyat mule ani muli pan astat. te jara soyiche padel
tushar_save (12:17:23 PM): aso aso..baki bol...
.
.
.
tushar_save (11:57:52 AM): ya saheb ya...
viv1512 (11:58:05 AM): arre alabhya laabh, aaj apan ekdam prakat kase zalat?
tushar_save (11:58:11 AM): apale ya kolishtakachya mayajalat swagat aso
viv1512 (11:58:25 AM): dhanyawaad
viv1512 (11:58:40 AM): sagle kahi kshemakushal?
tushar_save (11:59:28 AM): Arthat swami...tumhi-amhi astana desh dev an dharma kshemakushal asalach pahije
viv1512 (12:00:06 PM): kay re... bebandashaahi baghun ala ki kay
tushar_save (12:00:35 PM): nahi mitra nahi
viv1512 (12:00:51 PM): ani kay mhantos
viv1512 (12:01:05 PM): ikde yenyacha chance ahe ka?
tushar_save (12:01:09 PM): Marathi , hindi and engraji madhe apan bolat ahat. aple bhashadhnyaan prachanda ahe.
tushar_save (12:01:38 PM): Time time ki baat hai pyare...ek chance tera ek mera
viv1512 (12:01:40 PM): good joke
tushar_save (12:01:47 PM): but bad PJ
viv1512 (12:02:06 PM): so aajkal kay navin mohim?
tushar_save (12:02:50 PM): Jeevan ek sangharsh aahe ani toch mala navya navya mohime var pathavto..
viv1512 (12:03:10 PM): bas bas bas.. mansaat ye.
tushar_save (12:03:26 PM): evadhyat?
viv1512 (12:03:56 PM): arre ikde sakal ahe. he sagla vachlyavar sakalchi pahilya dhaarechi ghetlyasarkhi vatte
tushar_save (12:04:47 PM): shant gada dhari bheem shant..aaj ek tar shukravaar aahe ani tu pahilya dharechi vaigare bolun mann vichalit karu nakos...
viv1512 (12:06:22 PM): mann kara re prasanna sarva siddhi che karan....
tushar_save (12:06:24 PM): peeun daru hoil sarv jag hey prasanna
tushar_save (12:07:24 PM): mitra aahes ka?? ki tula MURCCHA yevun to behosh jhalas?
viv1512 (12:07:56 PM): brb
tushar_save (12:08:16 PM): 'brb' mhanje kay re bhau?
viv1512 (12:12:29 PM): be right back
tushar_save (12:12:55 PM): ok ok .. i will also start using that..
viv1512 (12:13:10 PM): see.. u learnt something today from me
tushar_save (12:13:53 PM): dhanyawad mitra..jeevan ek shala aahe ani apun tyatil vidyarthi.
viv1512 (12:14:48 PM): yes, shalaa co-ed ahe, tyat mule ani muli pan astat. te jara soyiche padel
tushar_save (12:17:23 PM): aso aso..baki bol...
.
.
.
Monday, September 20, 2004
World of cricket
Cricket..... One word, one sport...and so many sweet memories associated with it. There are people who hate cricket or who don’t follow it... but there are cricket lovers who love this sport more than anything else. Cricket surely has its own charisma. You love cricket or you hate it, you cannot ignore it.
Cricket is not all about technique (otherwise Manjrekar, Artherton, and Boycott would have been gods of cricket). Crickets is not all about grace and style either... (Otherwise Mark Waugh, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and David Gower would have ruled the cricket world). What makes cricket more interesting is the application of technique, absolute determination and grace to achieve something more than normally expected from a cricketer (that’s why Steven Waugh, Lara, Tendulkar, Dravid, Hyden are great... because they are so determined and focused at their play that they cannot go wrong). Very few cricketers are abundantly talented (a few examples... Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Akram, Kallis and more recently Andrew Flintoff. I had almost included Ajit Agarkar.... but he himself doesn't know how to utilize his talent. He wasted so many opportunities.. I feel sorry for him)...
Still... cricket is a treat to watch. It’s been a while since I have seen a cricket match, and I miss that dearly. Last time I saw one was the India-Australia test series in December 2003. After the fourth test... I was a big big fan of the artistry of VVS Laxman... he was very very special in that series indeed. I was thinking about that series a few nights back... and thought... these memories; and not a few individuals; make cricket a truly great sport... there are so many of them, and if you are an avid fan of cricket... you would also recollect the thrill associated with such moments. A few instantly came to my mind were:
* Anil Kumble coming out of pavilion with a broken jaw... with bandage all over his face, to bowl to Brian Lara: It was one of the most unforgettable moments for me... India-West Indies test series... Indians were loosing the grip on the game... and Brian Lara was slowly getting in his own mood. His wicket would have given India a victory, but sadly no bowler was looking dangerous. And all of a sudden this guy comes out, when no one expected him to... he had a big fracture in his jaws. He came... he bowled... one can imagine how much pain he would have suffered.. And all that for one wicket... of Brian Lara and for India. Hats off to Kumble.
* Tendulkar hitting Shoaib Akhtar's first ball for a six over covers in 2003 world cup: India-Pakistan match in a world cup.... whoever wins goes to next round... whoever looses goes back home. Akram, Waquar playing their last world cup... out there to prove that they still are the best...Akhtar wanted to bowl the fastest ball...and India needs more than 275 to win the battle. It doesn’t get better than this. Does it??. Indian batting had performed poorly in all the previous games... their supporters back home were furious.. Some of them event attempted to attack players' homes. It was indeed do or die for Indians. A pressure cooker situation.. Akhtar comes running like a horse... and bowls (or throws) to Sachin... I can never forget the way crowd erupted at that moment. India won that match there itself. Memories of Miandad's sixer were erased from our minds. Akhtar has never been at his best against us after that.
Some other unforgettables:
* Warne's first Ashes ball to Gatting: Ball of the century.
* The entire 2001 India-Aus test series: Harbhajan's hat-trick and 32 wickets, VVS Laxman's epic 281 at Eden Gardens, and his partnership with 'the wall' Dravid. India didn't loose a single wicket on 4th day of the match. Isn't that amazing?
* Jawagal Srinath's 6-21 against South Africa in 1996 at Ahmedabad. It was indeed a master-move by Tendulkar to bring Srinath on, on a dead-as a dodo-pitch.
* India-Pakistan series in 1999: India should have won Chennai test. It remains one of the worst failures of Tendulkar's career. It was a shameless act by Mongia, too. And of course 10 wickets for Anil Kumble at Feroz Shah Kotla. It was Sunday.. And Kumble-Harbhajan pair was really giving a lot of trouble to strong Pakistani batting. Last wicket was Wasim Akram :c Laxman b Kumble 37. Laxman caught that bat-pad catch, umpire Jaiprakash rsaised his finger, and thats it!!! No one can forget the celebrations after that. It was a great achievement from a man who can't turn a ball for nuts and still calls himself a spinner and takes all 10 Pakistani wickets.
* If you have seen 'cricket classics' on ESPN-star sports, you can't forget first India-Pak match held at Sharjah: India won it by 38 runs after scoring 125. Full marks to Sunil Gavaskar, for his captaincy and some amazing catches he took in slips.
* And of course 1983 world cup win
* Speaking of catches.... Do you remember Ajay Jadeja taking Border's catch in 1992 world cup?... and a Ganguly's catch taken by James Kirtley in 2002 Natwest series?... it takes a miracle to do something like that.
* One more catch I clearly remember was in 99 world cup: Lance Klusner to Robert Croft.. croft hits a full blooded shot... jonty rhodes leaps in the air, stops the ball in the air, and takes an unbelievable catch...and his feet are still in air. I clearly remember... Bill Lawry was the commentator. He said just 3 words, "He is special". It says all.
There are so many more... these memories make me love this game of bat and ball.
Cricket is not all about technique (otherwise Manjrekar, Artherton, and Boycott would have been gods of cricket). Crickets is not all about grace and style either... (Otherwise Mark Waugh, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and David Gower would have ruled the cricket world). What makes cricket more interesting is the application of technique, absolute determination and grace to achieve something more than normally expected from a cricketer (that’s why Steven Waugh, Lara, Tendulkar, Dravid, Hyden are great... because they are so determined and focused at their play that they cannot go wrong). Very few cricketers are abundantly talented (a few examples... Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Akram, Kallis and more recently Andrew Flintoff. I had almost included Ajit Agarkar.... but he himself doesn't know how to utilize his talent. He wasted so many opportunities.. I feel sorry for him)...
Still... cricket is a treat to watch. It’s been a while since I have seen a cricket match, and I miss that dearly. Last time I saw one was the India-Australia test series in December 2003. After the fourth test... I was a big big fan of the artistry of VVS Laxman... he was very very special in that series indeed. I was thinking about that series a few nights back... and thought... these memories; and not a few individuals; make cricket a truly great sport... there are so many of them, and if you are an avid fan of cricket... you would also recollect the thrill associated with such moments. A few instantly came to my mind were:
* Anil Kumble coming out of pavilion with a broken jaw... with bandage all over his face, to bowl to Brian Lara: It was one of the most unforgettable moments for me... India-West Indies test series... Indians were loosing the grip on the game... and Brian Lara was slowly getting in his own mood. His wicket would have given India a victory, but sadly no bowler was looking dangerous. And all of a sudden this guy comes out, when no one expected him to... he had a big fracture in his jaws. He came... he bowled... one can imagine how much pain he would have suffered.. And all that for one wicket... of Brian Lara and for India. Hats off to Kumble.
* Tendulkar hitting Shoaib Akhtar's first ball for a six over covers in 2003 world cup: India-Pakistan match in a world cup.... whoever wins goes to next round... whoever looses goes back home. Akram, Waquar playing their last world cup... out there to prove that they still are the best...Akhtar wanted to bowl the fastest ball...and India needs more than 275 to win the battle. It doesn’t get better than this. Does it??. Indian batting had performed poorly in all the previous games... their supporters back home were furious.. Some of them event attempted to attack players' homes. It was indeed do or die for Indians. A pressure cooker situation.. Akhtar comes running like a horse... and bowls (or throws) to Sachin... I can never forget the way crowd erupted at that moment. India won that match there itself. Memories of Miandad's sixer were erased from our minds. Akhtar has never been at his best against us after that.
Some other unforgettables:
* Warne's first Ashes ball to Gatting: Ball of the century.
* The entire 2001 India-Aus test series: Harbhajan's hat-trick and 32 wickets, VVS Laxman's epic 281 at Eden Gardens, and his partnership with 'the wall' Dravid. India didn't loose a single wicket on 4th day of the match. Isn't that amazing?
* Jawagal Srinath's 6-21 against South Africa in 1996 at Ahmedabad. It was indeed a master-move by Tendulkar to bring Srinath on, on a dead-as a dodo-pitch.
* India-Pakistan series in 1999: India should have won Chennai test. It remains one of the worst failures of Tendulkar's career. It was a shameless act by Mongia, too. And of course 10 wickets for Anil Kumble at Feroz Shah Kotla. It was Sunday.. And Kumble-Harbhajan pair was really giving a lot of trouble to strong Pakistani batting. Last wicket was Wasim Akram :c Laxman b Kumble 37. Laxman caught that bat-pad catch, umpire Jaiprakash rsaised his finger, and thats it!!! No one can forget the celebrations after that. It was a great achievement from a man who can't turn a ball for nuts and still calls himself a spinner and takes all 10 Pakistani wickets.
* If you have seen 'cricket classics' on ESPN-star sports, you can't forget first India-Pak match held at Sharjah: India won it by 38 runs after scoring 125. Full marks to Sunil Gavaskar, for his captaincy and some amazing catches he took in slips.
* And of course 1983 world cup win
* Speaking of catches.... Do you remember Ajay Jadeja taking Border's catch in 1992 world cup?... and a Ganguly's catch taken by James Kirtley in 2002 Natwest series?... it takes a miracle to do something like that.
* One more catch I clearly remember was in 99 world cup: Lance Klusner to Robert Croft.. croft hits a full blooded shot... jonty rhodes leaps in the air, stops the ball in the air, and takes an unbelievable catch...and his feet are still in air. I clearly remember... Bill Lawry was the commentator. He said just 3 words, "He is special". It says all.
There are so many more... these memories make me love this game of bat and ball.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Yell-Wo-See
Yesterday, the great Ramaswami was having a look at the cultural map of India that we were planning to use for the publicity of 'Day with India'. That map also included Pakistan and Bangladesh, as we all share same culture. This is how the conversation took place.
Ramaswami: This map is wrong!!! We should change it.
Vivek: Why?
Ramaswami: This is for 'Day with India' and not for 'Day with Asia'.
Vivek: But this is a cultural map, not a political one.
.
.
.
.
.
Ramaswami: And what is this?? What IS this!!!
Vivek: ??
Ramaswami: There is a dark black line in this map!!! change the map. (looks at it again)... Oh, actually this is LOC (he pronounced as Yel-Wo-See)
Vivek: Yellow Sea????..... Are you mad?.... how can you have Yellow Sea in Kashmir??
Ramaswami: You are a fool. Where else will you find Yell-Wo-See in India??
Vivek: you are a %^$#@&^!@#
Now whos fault was it?
Ramaswami: This map is wrong!!! We should change it.
Vivek: Why?
Ramaswami: This is for 'Day with India' and not for 'Day with Asia'.
Vivek: But this is a cultural map, not a political one.
.
.
.
.
.
Ramaswami: And what is this?? What IS this!!!
Vivek: ??
Ramaswami: There is a dark black line in this map!!! change the map. (looks at it again)... Oh, actually this is LOC (he pronounced as Yel-Wo-See)
Vivek: Yellow Sea????..... Are you mad?.... how can you have Yellow Sea in Kashmir??
Ramaswami: You are a fool. Where else will you find Yell-Wo-See in India??
Vivek: you are a %^$#@&^!@#
Now whos fault was it?
Monday, September 13, 2004
Finally...scored some runs!!!!!
Being from Bombay, India; cricket is in my blood. Cricket is a passion for me. I have even seen Bangladesh Vs. Zimbabwe game (No.. I didn't completely see the Holland Vs. UAE game.. that was too boring, I slept mid-match).
I started playing gully cricket since I was 5 (earlier I used to hold the bat in wrong manner... with left hand at the bottom, and right hand on top :D... I am a rightee) and I guess I was good at it.
One of the most enjoyable things I did after coming to Clemson is playing cricket. The "South India Vs North India" matches were really played with the passion and instincts that we have for the India-Pak matches.
I happened to be the opener for our team (that was largely because, A: we were short of players and there was noone to open, B: I potrayed myself as a professional opener... sometimes I blaber anything , especially when I am under the influence of... you know what). My scores were 0, 0, and 0. Balls faced.... 1,2,and 2. First time... caught behind: ball swung too much and the bowler was good. Second time: it was a very good yorker and I didnt have a good grip on my shoes. I fell down. Third time: ball hit a wrong spot on the pitch and.... I was bowled.
It was very shameful. For a next few days, I had tough time to openly roam around in Clemson. I used to come home very late to avoid people directly laughing at my face... you can imagine the situation. It was like falling on face. Cmon, I was not THAT bad a batsman... trust me. I wanted to prove that. And was looking for a nice opportunity to prove that I can do it.
We play cricket on Friday evenings ( means... they play regularly, I go sometimes). Last week, I went after a long time. We played 3-9 overs matches. And I have decided that I will not open again in my life. First match: went in with a score of 4 in 5 overs... we scored 39... and I had a decent contribution. Second match: We had 69 to chase... I scored a duck again!!!... Cmon I was under the pressure of scoring runs and ball was swinging and some old habits take long time to go. We lost both the matches.
It was the third game.... We had to make 47 to win in 9 overs to win... and when I went in we had made only 17 in first 6. Srinivas Cherukpalli was at the other end. 30 runs in 3 overs... Srinivas and I hit a four each and it was 20 in 2 overs. And guess what... we did it... with 3 balsl to spare.... My contribution was a six and 2 more boundaries.... It was indeed a great feeling for me... Felt as if I also can do something in life. Even I can score runs.
And now no-one can call me a choker.
Finally I am happy.
I started playing gully cricket since I was 5 (earlier I used to hold the bat in wrong manner... with left hand at the bottom, and right hand on top :D... I am a rightee) and I guess I was good at it.
One of the most enjoyable things I did after coming to Clemson is playing cricket. The "South India Vs North India" matches were really played with the passion and instincts that we have for the India-Pak matches.
I happened to be the opener for our team (that was largely because, A: we were short of players and there was noone to open, B: I potrayed myself as a professional opener... sometimes I blaber anything , especially when I am under the influence of... you know what). My scores were 0, 0, and 0. Balls faced.... 1,2,and 2. First time... caught behind: ball swung too much and the bowler was good. Second time: it was a very good yorker and I didnt have a good grip on my shoes. I fell down. Third time: ball hit a wrong spot on the pitch and.... I was bowled.
It was very shameful. For a next few days, I had tough time to openly roam around in Clemson. I used to come home very late to avoid people directly laughing at my face... you can imagine the situation. It was like falling on face. Cmon, I was not THAT bad a batsman... trust me. I wanted to prove that. And was looking for a nice opportunity to prove that I can do it.
We play cricket on Friday evenings ( means... they play regularly, I go sometimes). Last week, I went after a long time. We played 3-9 overs matches. And I have decided that I will not open again in my life. First match: went in with a score of 4 in 5 overs... we scored 39... and I had a decent contribution. Second match: We had 69 to chase... I scored a duck again!!!... Cmon I was under the pressure of scoring runs and ball was swinging and some old habits take long time to go. We lost both the matches.
It was the third game.... We had to make 47 to win in 9 overs to win... and when I went in we had made only 17 in first 6. Srinivas Cherukpalli was at the other end. 30 runs in 3 overs... Srinivas and I hit a four each and it was 20 in 2 overs. And guess what... we did it... with 3 balsl to spare.... My contribution was a six and 2 more boundaries.... It was indeed a great feeling for me... Felt as if I also can do something in life. Even I can score runs.
And now no-one can call me a choker.
Finally I am happy.
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