Nostalgic musings............

Been missing my IIT-B friends, more so the life there, and, suffering a dull ache at the fact that we have drifted apart. No matter how much I blind myself to this fact, it just stays there and refuses to go away. Half of us married, the rest on the verge of it, most working, some studying. Each busy with their own life, making new friends, & while not forgetting old ones, slowly losing touch. It hurts. These were the people with whom I formed the strongest bonds, sharing almost everything, with close to zero inhibition. I could ask them anything, without the fear of offending them, knowing that even if I unknowingly did so, they would tell me and not take it to heart. We shared laughter, tears, joys, sorrows, crushes, old secrets, foolish aspirations, grand ambitions - in a nut shell - everything! Now, my closest friend is getting engaged in less than a week. I guess she's already in India. Haven't been able to speak to her in months. Makes me wonder what went wrong..... how did we progress from sharing every minute of our lives to speaking once in 3 months.

Watching Wonder Years on the trot these days . Watched the episode titled "Growing up" today . This line that Kevin says towards the end of the episode is still lingering in my mind.

"Growing up is never easy. You hold onto things that were; you wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be - other days, new days, days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older; we just had to forgive ourselves for growing up"

Update : Called her soon after writing the post. Was wonderful talking, discussing the impending engagement and ribbing each other like olden days. Well, somethings might change as we grow older, but, some people will always mean a lot to you.

more Mathe-magic :)

I just love Futility closet... check out these two super awesome links - a & b. Enjaay maaDi !

Bird Diapers

Check out this link at Futility Closet . Need I say anymore to poor IISc-ians who have been bombarded many-a-time by bird crap missiles!!

We wish you a merry Christmas, merry Christmas, merry Christmas....

I studied in a school run by Protestants; so, for us, Christmas was always a time of festivities. Apart from the regular two weeks off at Dasara, we also got about 10 days off during Christmas, which itself was enough to induce the festive mode in all of us! The fact that most of the kids in our neighbourhood, who studied in non-christian schools, got only a day off ; was the cherry on top of the sundae of awesomeness that was Christmas break !! [dialogue credits to the Legen-wait for it -dary Barney Stintson! ]

We would have Christmas carol practice through December, with patient teachers trying to mold our unwieldy voices into a smooth chorus . Christmas celebrations in school always happened 2 - 3 days before the 25th. The day would be a half day, with a small program of a play, some carols, an unwilling guy dressed as Santa, a few boring speeches; followed by sweet distribution - and, off we went on a glorious holiday! In the true spirit of Christmas, it was a period of Joy and Happiness in our tiny little world!

Even after School, the hangover of Christmas stayed with me, and I would get a plum cake, decorate our home, and based on my economic conditions, get small gifts for everyone in my family, including Gowri, and that would be my Christmas celebration.

Coming to think of it now, I am lucky to have broad -minded parents, who did not think my Hindu-ness was threatened by my celebration of Christmas. We have an infant Jesus photo, amongst all the various idols and photos of the close-to-33 crore Hindu gods and goddesses. And, in fact, not at any point did it ever cross my mind as to why Christmas should not be as big a festival for us as Krishna Janmastami, Ganapati , Dasara, Diwali, Ugadi or Sankranti. It was , like the others, a period of Festivities and Cheer :)

Now it is Christmas again... remembering all the previous years and feeling nostalgic. Went on a trek on Tuesday - which was adventourous, and saw Avataar yesterday in 3 -D and loved it [More on this later] .. the ideal finale for the Christmas celebration would be having a break on this extended weekend, go to the Niligiris cake exhibition, get plum cake and relax at home. But, alas, it is not to be. My impending lab meet on Saturday necessiates that I work tomorrow - the first Christmas I am working , in these 25 years... ah, well, there's always a first time, and hope this is the last one too.. it is far too depressing to work when you are infused with the holiday spirit!

It not only rains but pours.

When things start going wrong, they seem to go wrong simultaneously in all different spheres of your life - health, work, inter-personal relations, family - wonder why it happens. Currently, things are not moving at work - want to badly take a break and run away - but, the naked truth is that if I do that, I shall have a lot of not-moving work waiting for me when I get back, to plunge me into another bout of depression, and the vicious circle continues. Better to grit my teeth, bear with it and see this thing through. Hope I find the mental strength for the same.

The Garfield Evolution

[The left panel is taken from a 1980 strip; the right is from a 1990 strip.]

Was reading about Garfield on Wiki. They speak about how the Garfield appearance changed over years, as is seen in the panels above. The description given is - "...The appearance of Garfield was probably the most notable; he underwent a "Darwinian evolution" in which he began walking on his hind legs, "slimmed down", and "stopped looking [...] through squinty little eyes".

Why does it sound similar to my evolution? :P

Math-e-magic :)

Got these links - link 1 and link 2 - from the blog "The futility closet" Truly awesome :)

Ambedkar Aur Gandhi

Read the synopsis of a play that is going to stage tomorrow evening at Ranga Shankara. It's a Hindi play called Ambedkar Aur Gandhi .

This is the synopsis of the play as they give it :

The play brings to us the long drawn debate between Gandhi and Ambedkar. Though both worked towards the upliftment of the so called backward community their methods were as different as chalk and cheese. Apart from concentrating on the correspondence between Gandhi and Ambedkar that led to the Poona pact, the playwright underlines the benefits that Ambedkar’s proposals will bring to the lower castes and Gandhiji’s concerns regarding the removal of division between the upper and lower caste Hindus.

I would go with Gandhi's view, than Ambedkar's. 'Cause all the reservations and the so-called efforts to 'uplift' the 'backward' class, have only increased the divide. While these methods don't really help the people in rural area, where the discrimination actually happens; in the urban areas, in minds of the student community, it has only created an anti-reservation attitude, to the point where the quota candidates are looked down upon, as intellectually inferior, having gotten in only on basis of their caste. How does this even help remove the barriers of caste system?? How I wish the Indian Constitution acted on the ideals of Gandhiji, instead of those of Ambedkar!! [Difficult, when the latter wrote the Constitution!] The concern should be to eliminate caste system, and how can we achieve that when every damn application form in the country asks you to state your religion and caste?

The Basterds and the Nobel

I thought I won't start of by speaking about the Nobel - which is what I seem to be doing since yesterday. But, couldn't resist myself from commenting on this idiotic ass-licking that the Nobel committee seems to be doing. A great man, who united the masses and fought a 'war' of independence by non-violent methods apparently didn't deserve the Nobel but a guy who had barely been in office for 2 weeks when the nominations were filed, and who - so far - has only made promises - was given the Nobel !! Apparently, in Stockholm, words speak louder than actions.

Anyway, watched the Inglourious Basterds recently. Ultimate paisa vasool movie. Been a long time since I enjoyed a movie so much. Had been to Quick Gun Murugan with NiNa, hoping to have a jolly laugh - was a huge disappoinment. Went to see the Basterds without too many expectations - but was pleasantly surprised! I did like Kill Bill [after all, isn't it thrilling to pluck an eye out and smash it under your foot!] but this movie had more than just beautiful action, violence and gore !! And, got to hear some French after a long time and realised I still remembered some - could comprehend a lot more than 'oui', 'non', 'merci' :)

Finished catching up on House MD season 6 , HIMYM and BBT - all episodes so far. Waiting eagerly for the fresh ones.

Must say I have made full utilisation of my boss's absence !!

The Lost Symbol

Picked up Dan Brown's latest from the Papyrus desk yesterday. Read about 50 pages. So far no one has died a gruesome death, nor has any ancient mystic secret been revealed - though, a person has gotten initiated into a secret society :D It stars his all-time favourite hero Langdon, but no cute attractive, slim-trim-beautiful lady on the scene as yet.

The book has not been impressive this far, made evident by the fact that I didn't stay up all night to read it :) , but let's see how the plot proceeds :)

Apart from this, read a few Matthew Reillys recently. 'Contest', his first novel, was strictly OK , the plot making it obvious why no publisher wanted to publish it and why Matt Reilly himself had to put in funds to print the first 1000 prints :D . "Ice Station" was humongous - a whopping 700 pg novel. But, it was good. The plot was gripping, the twists nice - it was like reading an action movie :) "Hell's island" was pathetic - I thought it was utterly crappy, and got published or read only beacuase it was in an omnibus version with "Ice Station"; till I read online that it was a novella written for people with reading disablities. Now, I think both the novel and the idea are utterly crappy :P Why would reading about a mutant genetically engineered gorrilla race, built for the kill, encourage anyone to read any more??? Blood-thristy Gorrillas tooting M-4 Colts, controlled by radio waves transmitted to a chip implanted in their brains - not exactly my idea of nice English literature!!!

Anyway, looking for a really good book to read - something as nice as "To kill a mocking bird". Any suggestions?

Women's secrets :)

Went lingerie shopping with old friends on Friday, at a lovely store on Brigade road. Was observing all the women who'd come to shop. Most of them did not fit into the mold of Victoria's Secrets models :) Some were fat, some skinny, some fair, some dark, some plain, rest- plain ugly! But, yet, as they looked at the lingerie, one could see the transformation happen. I realised lacy lingerie was not just meant to make one look sexy, it made one feel sexy, made one feel desirable and did great wonders to one's self image!! And, I realised one need not be size zero to look wow, one could even be shape zero, yet feel wow... and, a woman confident about her looks is any day more sexy and more alluring than a woman who is anorexic and insecure. Beauty comes from within, truly ;)

Would you capture it or just let it slip?

Two years before, on this day I faced a question. A question like none that I had faced in any interview, one that was both exhilarating and unnerving, one that would just blow me off my feet and turn my world upside down. I had my own sweet time to answer the question - and the time sure was sweet!! :) I had my one shot, my one opportunity..... To seize everything I ever wanted in one moment - I took my chance, seized the moment... and, must say, life has turned out to be very beautiful indeed!!

What next????

Came back to lab - 9 pm
Checked Mbu-mail - 9:05 pm
Checked gmail - 9:15 pm
Checked face book - 9:20 pm
Took random quizzes on facebook - 9:30 pm
Checked PhD comics - 9:35 pm
Checked Abstruse goose - 9:40 pm
Checked xkcd - 9:45 pm
What next???????????
............ Oh, Damn, got to start working now ............ !!!!!

To kill a mocking bird

Just read a beautiful book after a long long time. Amazingly written, the story narrated via kids was one of the most beautiful, simple, innocent, yet touching tales I have read.

Ms Gates- " That's the difference between America and Germany. We are a democracy and Germany is a dictatorship. Over here, we do not believe in prosecuting anybody. Prosecution comes from people who are prejudiced."

Scout - "I heard Miss Gates distinctly saying ugly things about Tom Robinson [a black man who was unjustly sentenced to death on a white girl's false accusation], and how this should teach them all a lesson. Why can Miss Gates can hate Hitler and yet feel Tom Robinson's verdict is justified because he's black? "

Kharaashein

Went with Sis and Bro-in-law yesterday, to Chowdaiah Memorial, to watch a play titled "Kharashein" , which is a recital of Gulzaar's poems and enactment of few select short stories. I wonder whether it was insensitive of us; or whether we aren't 'cultured' enough; but, both Akka and I found most of the play highly pretentious!! The in-your-face poignant recital of poetry, the low voice, the semi-breathless way of speech, the sudden raised voices - reminded us of the arty guy in the movie Luck by Chance !! While Akka with her 'Thriller' reminiscences had me in splits during the poem 'Kabristan hai yeh, yahan aahista chalo' ; lines like 'Sir pe uga hua Cactus" had us stuffing our fists in our mouth to stop laughing.

The small enactments were good; especially the one where two scared people meet in a dumpster during communal riots, each trying to stay alive and escape being killed by the mad mob or the crazier police. The way a friendship springs up, surpassing boundaries of religion; the way each recognises the other as a fellow human, with family and friends - the utter futility of communalism was brought out beautifully and subtly. Was indeed touching.

Guess I am not that "Arty-farty" as my cousin put it. Poems might be beautiful to read, and one might appreciate them a lot, especially if one's in the right mood. But poem recitals - over dramatic ones at that - are not my cup of tea. I prefer my drama to be a ROTFL comedy or an enactment that brings out the message through the play, than screaming it out loud and throwing it in your face all the time.

Anyway, an interesting and unique experience! Though, pretty sure, would not want to undergo it again!

Dying Changes Everything

Death is a strange thing. You hear of it happening, everyday, everywhere. The media seems to have sadistic pleasure in bring it to your notice all the time -"56 dead in blasts, 45 drowned in floods, Child dies in motor accident", so on and so forth. You read the headlines, maybe feel shocked and sorry for a while, and conveniently move on to the next headline.You never realise the finality of death till it strikes close to home.

Death is a strange morphogen. It impacts your memories, changes them and somehow, you generally end up feeling guilty. You remember all the fights you had with that person, and, though at that time you had a valid reason for taking the stand you did, now you just find it childish and immature, and you feel guilty. You remember the things that the person had asked you to do for them and you had refused or put off, and never got around to doing. You remember all the good things about that person, and wonder why you never appreciated them enough. You think of all the good times you had with that person and wonder why you never had more, in spite of enjoying them so much. And you feel guilty. And, you realise how final Death is. That no matter how much you wish, you really can't go back in time, give them that one extra hug, have that one special day, tell them sorry for everything, and put things right. You just have to live with your guilt, with your demons that creep upon you and catch you unawares in your weak moments.

It is like what Greg House says - "Nearly dying doesn't change anything. Dying -changes everything".

Tragedy ... quarter-life crisis

Yes, the unthinkable has happened. After about a quarter of my life has gone by, the thing that I managed to avoid with some much effort over all this years, has hit me big time. I got dental carries!!!! :(

I was proud of my 31 teeth [ya, one canine decided never to make an appearance!, so, I am not a total bitch :D] And, had managed to preserve them intact all these days. But, alas, the bugs caught up with me finally. So, developed a few tiny cavities. Have to go to the dentist now. As Ogden Nash says, "Some tortures are physical, some are mental, but the one that's both is Dental!!" So, preparing myself for the ordeal now ... :( Sob!

Alternative careers

Had heard this question some time back. "what would you choose as a career, if it is not what you are doing currently?" and, one was expected to come up with at least 5 alternative careers. I found I could come up easily with more than 5 !! So, here are my alternative careers :

1. Restaurant Critic
Nissim suggested this one, based on my habit of ranking eating places - 'ambiance good, service bad, food ok ; overall not good value for money' etc etc :). But, as he pointed out, as a vegetarian I would be handicapped in this job !!

2. Chef
Well, as is evident from my appearance, I enjoy food - especially good food - and I enjoy cooking. Would love to take up some cookery classes and be able to whip up delicacies!

3. Writer
I was seriously considering writing some columns for newspapers - like the O-zone in TOI . Whether they would entertain me is secondary :D But, I like writing. The recent decline in frequency of blogging is primarily due to my shift to campus and the lack of internet in hostels there. A lot of blog posts are composed in my mind, and die a slow death there, without ever seeing the light of cyberspace.

4. Being a member of a music group.
It has always been a cherished dream. And, during Swar Sandhya at IITB, this dream just got reinforced. But, for any dream to be fulfilled, one has to work hard, and, I realised the hard way that I hadn't put in enough effort for this dream to come true. Anyway, tomorrow is another day and there's no harm in continuing to dream!!

5. Wild life enthusiast
I love animals, and, can sit and watch Animal planet and NatGeo programs on snakes, reptiles, birds and all kinds of animals, for hours on end!! The Animal Behaviour course I took at IISc was one of my most favourite courses :) Would seriously love to be out in the field, observe and understand how wonderfully Nature operates!

6. Travellogue writer
Have recently been bitten by the travel bug. Am being filled with a desire to travel, go see different cities, different countries, see how the people are, what the history of the place is, what the habits are, look at their traditions and cultures, shop :D Would love to travel for a living, esp. if someone else is paying for it :D

Other choices of career , which are not as prefered as these, are veterniary doctor, interior decorator, Green Peace activist, School teacher, movie reviewer and book critic :D

So, what would be your alternative careers???

Anniversary celebrations

Our government sure knows how to prioritise. The flooding of roads, blocked drains, perpetual traffic problems, moral policing troubles - all might exist. But more important than these, is the need to celebrate the 1 st anniversary of BJP rule in our state. Now, isn't this what good leadership is all about!

Betrothal

When decided, I thought it was 4 months away!
Then, by March I had the early jitters.. which soon passed by...
Then, April started off with vows to diet, which never took off!
And, now it is May!
About 2 days and a few hours left....
Butterflies are doing the waltz, the cha-cha, the hip-hop and free style simultaneously in my tummy!
I am going to be engaged!!!!!

mind blowing!

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.

The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly

answer the door in your nightgown.

7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n.), olive-flavored mouthwash

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by Proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), The belief that, when you die, your Soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are this year's winners:

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease.

9. Karmageddon (n): It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

10 Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the literature:

16. Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole

Digital sixth sense

Found out that some researchers from MIT have developed this ultra cool technology. Check it out. P.S. Cool quotient is way high and geek alarm is on full alert :D

http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/02/ted-digital-six.html

Garfield rules!

Found this wonderful Garfield poster online and could not resist putting it up!

Im-moral policing.

This is Sankey. My favourite lake. I was suffering from Lake-sickness once I got back from IIT-B. The Powai lake there was our fav hangout. It was a wonderful mood-lifter, to go and sit there when I was feeling low. So, once at IISc, when NiNa suggested Sankey, i just jumped up at the offer. And, instantly fell in love with the lake. The vast waters, the well maintained litter-free walkways, the nice seats that allow people to rest a while - I loved everything about the place. Soon, it was our favourite walk-the-talk site. Ah! There are so many beautiful memories I have about this place!

So, when I bought new Nike running shoes, it seemed that the most obvious place to go running was Sankey :) So, got up at 6, and went to Sankey, all geared up. It looked beautiful, as usual, wisps of clouds , small ripples on the waters, a few kids playing in the sand pit. People of all sizes and ages walking, jogging and exercising. Then, I noticed something - something that had changed at Sankey.

[reads "Dhoomapana nishediside" which means "Smoking is prohibited' ]

[Means "Give preference for seating to Senior citizens and the physically challenged"]

[ Means "Do not walk on the lawns"]

They had painted slogans and directives on the back of the seats. While the ones above were sensible, the others, like these were not.

[this is self explanatory]

[ Means "Do not demonstrate your love"]

[means "Let your actions not cause embarrassment to others"]

Who sets the bar? Who decides what is "obscene"? For the moral police and Sri Ram sene, even a guy and a girl sitting on the same bench might count as 'obscene behaviour'. Or girls wearing tees and shorts for jogging might be 'obscene'. Who is the deciding authority? This was disgusting. Why couldn't they let parks and lakes to be prisitine ? Couples also need a place to sit in the city. Is it wrong to come with your loved one and enjoy a few serene moments at the lake? And, what is meant by "Do not demonstrate your love"? I do not think that demonstration of love is against Indian Culture. For Heaven's sake, we are the country that produced the Kama Sutra! All the love poems of Kalidasa also speak of love. The current moral police do not seem to have the insights the ancient people had - that Love is Divine. Love is not limited to cuddling kids. Even adults can do with a hug once in a while.

Truly, it is not the people - the common men and women - who want the moral policing. Nor are the so called "Moral police" really concerned about our "Culture" . As is obvious with Pramod Mutalik contesting the elections this time, all of this is a bid for political mileage and to hog media attention. After all, who was Mutalik before the Mangalore pub attacks? Now he's become a household name. And, if he had plans of contesting elections, it was an excellent tactic to hog media attention and become a front page personality. Sadly, the only ones who suffer in all this political drama are we common people.

Kundadri - a walk in the clouds!

Went to Agumbe on our departmental trip, on Feb 28th and March 1st. Was an extremely well organised trip! Congos to Aswani, Senthil, Shreya and batchmates. Had great fun on the hike to Barkana falls, the dip at Jogi Gundi and, above all, the near-to-divine experience at Kundadri. We woke up at 4, to go see the sunrise. Our bus took us to the base of the hill, which is about 20 km from Agumbe. For the last 4 km up the hill, a maruti van had been aranged to shuttle people up. The morning was misty. When we reached up at 630 AM, we were dreading we'd missed the sunrise, as the mist had cleared out. But, a spectacular sight awaited us . And, that was this :

We were above the clouds! The fluffy cotton spread all below us was an ocean of clouds! It was heavenly! We sat spellbound and watched the sun rise from amidst the clouds.



Was the closest to divine experience I have had. It was like this John Muir quote I'd read -

“The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

Sunday Blog day.

Why can't we have the net at hostels!!! I hate going back to lab at night, and, lack of the net at the hostel leaves me nettled! Have to store up all thoughts and ideas for the weekend, some of which don't seem worth blogging by then. I miss the 24-hr net at IIT-B hotels :(

Looks like the memory isn't failing after all!

Took a memory test. Got the link from jb's blog. Looks like the Alzheimer's is far away! Here is my result!

The very bearable lightness of being!

No, I have n't lost weight or anything! Just having this wonderful feeling of well being. Ajja always used to quote this poem, and, my state of mind matches with it!

THE year 's at the spring,
And day 's at the morn;
Morning 's at seven;
The hill-side 's dew-pearl'd;
The lark 's on the wing;
The snail 's on the thorn;
God 's in His heaven—
All 's right with the world!
- Robert Browning
[Pippa's song]

The Cellular Jail

The Cellular Jail. People unnecessarily spend thousands in going to Andaman's to see it, while there is a perfectly functional replica at the IISc campus [Tata institute, to localites] . Being an inmate, I can give you a detailed tour of the same.

From the outside, you can see the formidable stone structure, an imposing circular building, as the name suggests. If you are brave enough to enter it, you can see the dark gloomy corridors, that rays of sunlight haven't penetrated since construction.

The building has three storeys, each having rooms that are like cells - prison cells, not the telephones or the ones that Leeuwenhoek was interested in. In fact, these are the ones that most people wouldn't be interested in, except for sadists, torturers and the occassional masochists.

The rooms have windows having steel frames. If you can steel yourself to try and open them, you'll realise the effort is futile. In fact, if the demon from the parable managed to straighten his dog's tail, you could put him to the task of opening the windows of these rooms, and be assured of keeping him occupied for a few millenia.

These unopenable windows, however seem to be selectively permeable. They keep out the air and sunshine but let rain water and mosquitoes in. And, since the rooms lack the net - both the real and the virtual one - you ll only be fighting a losing battle with the winged beasts.

The rooms are meant for solitary confinement. Once in the room, you will not be able to talk to your friends and family - in virtuality and in reality. While the lack of the other kind of net prevents the former, the building being the 'Cellular' Jail, ensures that your Cellular phones do not get any network once you are in. In fact, I am quite sure that the special stone with which the walls are built reflect radio and micro waves, ensuring signals do not sneak in.

But, fikar not. The Ever-gracious Nature has found a way of overcoming the horros of solitray confinement. So, ta-da-da! You have Friendly Fungus giving you company [albeit unwanted] on those long, lonely nights. The fungus is well watered by the drip irrigation during the rains. And, your walls soak in enough of the moisture to remain damp in the dry months so as to continue to nurture Mr. Friendly Fungus.

The jail is guarded by The Sri Ram Sene - the loyal primate brigade of the Lord. They abound around the circular dungeon and were you to try and break open a window, they will pour in by the dozen and make you feel that the state of closeted imprisonment was better. This way they ensure that the women of our country do not try to break free of the acceptable norms.

So, if the description has suitably interested you, please make it a point to visit. Women alone shall be entertained. You see, men pollute the sanctity of the place . Introducing the presence of men is too big an attrocity to be inflicted upon the inmates. We believe in some healthy torture here, not in violation of human rights. Men who try to force entry in spite of this shall incur the wrath of the Sene [The Pramod Mutalik one, not the one consisting of primates], which will then beat up random women inmates as punishment.

And, yes, in case you can not locate it in spite of the excellent description , the place is also named as LK - Ladies hostel, Kritika block.

Hurdles

Finally got my scooty repaired and drove it. Went for a long [well, not very] drive on Wednesday to meet Jowairia. Had not driven or sat pillion post my accident and parents were apprehensive. I was confident I would not have problems driving, yet, there was some irrational fear.

It was comfortable. It felt, as always, that the scooty and I were one. And we went sailing over the roads to Jayanagar and back. :)

While it is joyous to achieve something new, it is a greater pleasure to overcome a hurdle in your mind, get over the past, exorcise your demons, conquer your fears and emerge victor. :)