Rahul Thorat

Single but Not Solitary: Shattering the Myths of Singlehood

2008-11-02T01:18:00.000-07:00

Single but Not Solitary: Shattering the Myths of Singlehood

TUD indians

2008-06-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

It is magical to be here-5

2008-01-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

I spend the remaining day roaming around the city. It was pleasure to take a tram line and go around the outer ring. With this line, I covered large areas of concentrated monuments. Vienna is a great place full of history and promise for the future. It is monumental to the Habsburg Empire across Europe. So far, entire Europe has been a revelation to me. Of what I am, what I like and what I should be. (Too many I’s and what’s, but nevertheless a beautiful sentence?) It is like a dream for me and I don’t know how much is there for me. I wish I could create such splendid empire like Europe. In Madrid I saw a part of Habsburg Empire. The other part of the empire is here in Vienna. My salute to such a great culture!! It was magical to be here, like going back in time during imperial days.

The evening came with a surprise. I knew that Mozart shows himself at every other corner but did not expect sleeping in my dorm. A very talented American guy, Tylor suggested me for a drink in the bar of our hostel. I was bit reluctant after a tiring day but later decided to join him. He turned out to be guitarist and a better one. He sang famous songs of Beatles and other hits which made my evening memorable. That’s what I was looking for!! Just a cool music and people sitting around and chatting lightly! I met one Indian guy traveling across Europe. It was nice talk with him. An important thing was that we did not talk as fellow Indians but as fellow travelers. Earlier discussed nationality concept crossed my mind

It is magical to be here-4

2007-12-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

The hostel was nice with young people at the reception.
When I asked the receptionist about the receipt, his answer was “What for?” I made a typical stupid face reserved for these conditions where my smooth talking is essentially of no value. It was a lovely hostel, very clean and in a good location. It would have been better to have breakfast included in the price or full fledged breakfast at reasonable price, just like some other hostels. People were really helpful. Unfortunately, my neighbor in the dormitory was snoring like a giant hippo. Another disadvantage of having rounded belly!! The sitting place and drinking bar I would recommend for the people who likes to talk while listening music in background. Overall: Highly recommended!!

My first task in Vienna was to find Museum Quartier from where I could choose other locations to go. Unfortunately, at the first hour of my Vienna morning I found myself staring at the great white shark teeth in natural museum. There were lots of creatures, living, and dead or in between as I feared. Next stop was to visit the MUMOK. I entered into the building and felt like Columbus. A Chinese art exhibition in Vienna!!!! Columbus went to find rich medieval India and instead found Western Indians with red feathers in their hat stairing at him as a savior from the heaven. (These days he stands to give directions to the traffic at the famous street in Madrid. Poor soul!! ) I entered into Vienna for its art, history and western culture, instead found hundred small Chinese eyes looking through the portraits. The art was fantastic and I got to know much about my China art. Such a beautiful paintings!! They have their own way of depicting things. But Red dragon seems to always consider these things as a symbol of their not-so-great recent past. Instead, I find new china of capitalistic culture. But these are dynamic things and can not be reversed. More we talk on this matter; less seems we know about it.

It is magical to be here -3

2007-12-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Living native comrade lamenting about the loss of football match, I happened to meet another fellow Indian who seemed to be living in Vienna. As a rule, I don’t get easy with the people just because they belong to my country. I asked another guy (who seemed Turkish) the stop I should step down. He got troubled with my English. So, I asked the same question to that Indian guy in perfect English. He helped me to get down the place and gave the direction to hostel. These unplanned meetings with fellow Indians have often made me humble and think about my own country. What are we? Just a wonderer nomadic tribe, leaving our native land in the search of some fortune and little peace!! Sometimes, this question makes me so sick at my heart that I continuously seek to find solace in some other stuff. What defines the nationhood? Do we really have to be identified from the nation we belong to? When will our prejudices be over and people will face people as matter of fact? Is it so divine that people kill other people most of the times and sacrifice themselves? But then, we have evidence of crazy nationalism here in the heart of Europe!! Anyway, it is a separate matter worth of spending a lifetime of a philosopher. Much ink has been spent in dividing this zero. Mean while, I enjoy small pleasures of life like traveling!

It is magical to be here-2

2007-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

I was in a spiritual elevation after hearing my boss’s satisfied voice. He would look at the presentation and give it back to me on Monday or Tuesday morning. I considered myself hard worked and the boring talk at the conference made me achy for Schiphol. The road to Schiphol was uneventful. But the excitement of going was damped when I heard that the Sky Europe airlines plane is as usual late for one and half hour. Phew!! Killing time at the Schiphol is a costly affair. I paid triple price for my Bacon-egg sandwich and prepared myself mentally for late arrival in Vienna.

Flight like Sky Europe reminds me of my countries flight. What an untroubled way of traveling!! The service is not satisfactory. But again, I reminded myself that their 45 Euro return ticket has made my dream of journeying of so many places. I thanked for the revolution of low fare aviation industry and hoped that it does not mean any compromise for safety.

As soon as I entered into the arrival in Vienna, I realized that I do not have a single information about Vienna except the hostel address. No Map!! And my respect for German nation got bit lower when I realize that there are no direct trains in the night near to my living place. Phew!! Anyway I boarded the night bus which took me to the Center of the City from where I could take night bus to my place. After circling city center for three times in the dead of night (that is what they call when it is 1 O’ clock in the morning), I was helped by a local German to find the bus. He was like the guy straight from the YouTube videos of Second World War, minus any killing instinct. Actually he helped me to board the bus and gave his England-Austria football match ticket valid for the night buses. The bus conductor was not too happy with their fellow citizen’s kind behavior who was trying to economically help the tourist form the third world country. I was touched by this guy’s help and hoped that Austria wins next football match (What else can be greater thing to ask? I have limited account with GOD!!).

It is magical to be here-1

2007-12-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark Twain

It was very cold out there. But it felt like another world. Another world, in which you can lose yourself for a while before getting back into the harsh reality of cause and effect. The travel to Vienna itself was hefty affair for me. When my boss was giving lots of task on Tuesday, I considered my chances of catching Vienna on Friday were dim. I had presentation on 21st Wednesday which till Tuesdays 14th hadn’t done a slide. Making presentation was an uphill task for me. What should I do? Should I be here in Delft pretending that I am going to work on weekends to manage my deadlines (which rarely happen) or should I take a chance to work during the conference itself and then send the presentation to my boss? It was bit of dilemma. In any case, spending time behind desk is an obligation. But, traveling to various countries and meeting new people is my passion. I have seen beautiful places and nice people. But there could be even more beautiful places and nicer people that I would like to see. At the end I thought I might take a chance and go according to my plan of going to Vienna. On 16th November, I woke up 5:30 in the morning and went to Wageningen for the conference. As I already knew the conference was a great bore. I took this opportunity to work my presentation which with went fine my laptop (Media centre designed for entertainment, hardly for work) and took me 6 continuously stretched hours. While working on that catch 22 situation I realized how important the work is for me and how I like to work. I told myself that my real need neither in this travel nor in the imaginary world of artist that sometime I imagine. The world has enough Rowlings, Jacksons and even Picassas, but it has got not many Buddha. Why not follow the world through our work and check if we can make it better, more fair place to be? Even not for our selves, but for the generations which is going to after us.

To be continued............................

Nickelback Rockstar Music Video (uncensored)

2007-11-30T15:54:00.001-08:00

I wanna be a rockstar

Don't feel like dancing

2007-11-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Serbian Party 2

2007-11-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

After one year, I happened to be again at the same party for Aleksander’s birthday party. Taking note from my earlier experiences, this time I bring gift for him: A year calendar for 2008, which I hope will remind him of me for the next year around. As like last year again, he introduced me with Serbian delicacy. Although these days I am going Dutch by eating at 6 0’ Clock, I helped myself with these delicacies as like never before. The food was prepared by Alexander’s friend Felipe, someone I came to know from my earlier former and informal meetings. I always make an effort to talk to the unknown people, an incorrigible habit long pursued by me. I was delighted to meet a Bolivian guy with liking to the numerous alcoholic drinks that were served there. He has been to US, Canada on education and work missions. He had also worked with various Indian living working abroad. He lauded India’s economic performance in recent years and the promise it holds for the future. Leaving him to discuss other issues with a Spaniard (No party without Spanish), I came across a Dutch person whom I met last year also. Just like me, he was sharing affection for Aleks. 53 years old, but he was not an odd old man out in our relatively younger group. He lived in New Zealand for some time during his young age and wanted to immigrate to New Zealand. We chatted on several topics. Being recently separated, he was skeptic about some of the western values regarding marriage and the individualistic behavior. While talking to him, I was thinking in my mind about the contrast between eastern and western cultures. The separation between him and his wife has led strangling of their children whom both love dearly. What would happen to me if I be in the position of their children? God! I got devastated with the only thought. he also put forward the point that in Europe people are getting more and more individualistic making it harder for a peaceful marital life whose basis is to complement most of the time and sacrifice some times for the benefit of each other. European Couples have kids usually at older age. He told that by having kids at older age, you deliberately put more age gap between you and your kid making segregation in behavior unavoidable. The ambition of achieving carrier success neglects ideas of having a settled life with wife and kid. My eastern mind also finds it strange that younger generation wants particular living standard before they get settled in the life with the marriage and family.

I also come across one Chinese girl who looked like Japanese. It was due to my prejudice of Chinese being shorter than Japanese which she defiantly destroyed. She is living in one of space-box where there is hardly any space. I advised her over the ways of instemming and the advantage of being foreign girl during selection. While talking to her I reminded myself of a incident with a mixed couple. The Dutch president of certain society of TU delft students (there are lots), showing her Chinese girlfriend with her full bulged belly being his affirmation to commitment. I was also astonished in a certain way to find Felipe’s German girlfriend. Truly, when I see those people with their multinational relationship, I think about myself and the kind of havoc it will create back home if something of that kind happened with me. But let us not get into that whirlpool of imaginary world. My life is enough chaotic without extra pinch of multinational relationship. I also came across some American-mixture girls who were quiet occupied with drinks and cigarettes. I always America as a powerful nation (you got to admire, I cannot live without McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, Hollywood etc.,). But, I find and most of my American friends also admit that Europeans are lot more easy-going than them. The girls were doing nanny and they quoted some funny incidents of falsely identifying them as a mother of the children. In that case, one of them has to be pregnant when she is 12 years old. Take that!!

I was getting bit drowsy due to food and discussion and thought to quit from the party. But Felipe had a different idea. He kept us playing with his so called card magic idea. I thought of being there for a while just to entertain myself by Felipe’s fake drunk behavior and his naïve card magic. But I must admit that I was quiet astonished by other guy’s card magic vanishing the card from hand. Wow!! That was really great. While leaving, I promised Aleks and myself about writing an article about the party: a sequel to last time’s Serbian party. The time passes on. Aleks gets one year older with all of us. But the moment that we all together share, the laugh and the merriment we had, the idiotic jokes or philosophical discussion, all those tiny sparks makes a life bit easier than it is. This article in certain way is a tribute to the people coming together while leaving their prejudices back off their mind, giving a thumps up for the good things that we all have in us. It is only the opportunities like these parties and get together that makes the livelier of us, people.

Florence

2007-10-06T12:18:00.001-07:00

Some tips for Arranged marriage

2007-10-04T06:52:00.001-07:00

A personal note:

Dear Reader,

In the following article the views shared by the author are his own & are based on his personal experience. These views may not be applicable in all circumstances. Please interpret the article based on your own free judgement.

Wish you a very happy married life. Thank you.

Warm Regards,

Brajesh Shrivastava (brajesh2@yahoo.com)

Arranged marriage

There are times in a person’s life when he needs to take crucial decisions on his own. Marriage is one of them. Believe me, the decision on whom to marry is the most important decision a person will make in his life. After marriage, your wife is the most important person in your life. She can make or break your life. The mere thought of this is very frightening.

Some of the questions that crop up are –
• What sort of a girl do I marry?
• Will she adjust in my family?
• How can I decide on a girl by just meeting her for a few times?
• When should I get married?
• This is my life. So, I should choose the girl I marry, but then what if I make a mistake?

…. so on and so forth…

I will try to address these & many more questions in the following sections.

The Nine Rules of Arranged marriage

• Rule 1 – Magic no. 28

In an ideal scenario, a girl goes to college at the age of 18. By the time she graduates, goes for her post graduation and/ or works for 1-2 years, she will be about 23- 24. This means that she has spent about 5 years away from her home. In the 5 years period, she would meet many smart guys at college or during her first few years on job. So, in all probability it would be difficult to find a good girl older than 24 yrs. Secondly, in Indian families there is lot of pressure on the girl’s to get married by the time they become 24-25.

Statistics says that there is a generation gap after every 5 years. So, in such scenario, one would prefer to marry a girl who is about 3-4 years younger to you. Thus, working backwards, an ideal age for a guy to get married is by 28. Earlier the marriage, the better it is.

Well, as we all know, in the current market scenario, there will never be stability in our career. So, I believe there is no such thing as, “I will marry when I settle down”.

• Rule 2 -- Subset of marriage-able girls

At times you hear statements like, “I am not getting the right match, I will look after 3 months, I will find a better match then”. Well the truth is otherwise. The subset of unmarried girl looking for a match is fixed. From this subset, there would be girls who would get married & there would be new girls added who would be looking for a match. The net result is that at any given time, the variety & number of marriage-able girls are fixed.

• Rule 3 – Competition for girls

Like all other facets of life, there is lot of competition for good girls. In my own case, I was rejected by girls. So, if you are looking for a girl who is post graduate, done her Engg, is working, very beautiful, smart, from a good family etc. etc, just think again. There are other guys who are also looking for similar girls & probably they are better off than you in terms of career, looks personality etc. Given a choice every guy would like to marry Aishwarya Rai, but then for all Ashs in the world, there are many Salman Khans who also want to marry them. So, set your expectations accordingly.

• Rule 4 -- Understanding girls

You would have met a lot of people during your life. As we all know, its difficult to judge a person based on a few meetings. I am sure you would agree with me that in case of girls it is even more difficult to understand them in a few meetings. I am still trying to understand my wife… ;-).. Understanding your spouse is a life long assignment. So, then how do you select a girl based on a few meeting? This is where you need to take the help of your parents/ friends & latest technologies like email/ chat to choose your girl.

• Rule 5 – Society expectation

The selection process is tough on every one who is involved in the process. In arranged marriage, involvement of family & society is pretty high. You can’t meet a girl 3-4 times & then say no to her. It is bad for her future. So, you should have a good short-listing criterion. Meet only a few girls & be sure what you are looking for. It is for the benefit of everyone involved.

• Rule 6 -- Marriage between equals

Unlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you also marry into the girl’s family. In arranged marriages, family support plays a major role in ensuring a successful marriage. This is where the compatibility of social status, family values & caste/ religion plays a major role. Its important to note that in case there is a perfect match between the two families, the marriage is destined to succeed.

• Rule 6 – Know yourself

Unlike love marriage, in arranged marriage you first marry a person & then fall in love. So, it’s very important that you do a self-assessment on the kind of person you would love. They say, “Opposite attract”, while they also say, “Bird of same feather flock together”. So, you take a call on what sort of person you like. Take a pen & paper; write down the kind of attributes you are looking for in a girl. Say, she should ideally have the looks of Sonia, the style of Monica, the voice of Sheena, the patience of Rashmi. You will certainly not find the perfect girl, but then you would have a good idea of what you are looking for. The secret here is to set some minimum criteria for selection. Don’t forget rule no.3 here.

• Rule 7 -- Girl’s Beauty

A girl’s looks attract, but then no one wants to end up marrying a dumb blonde. It is like buying your bike. When you initially buy it, you are crazy about the looks, but later on you love it for its reliability, fuel economy & comfort level. Similarly, a girl’s looks are important, but then it should not be the most important criteria. Later on it life, you will get bored of her looks. It is then that her personality & behavior will make all the difference to your marriage. I am sure your parents will be able to advice you a lot better on this topic.

• Rule 8 -- Taking advice

As I have mentioned in the next rule, it’s very important that the final decision on whom to marry must necessarily be yours. However, don’t do the mistake of isolating yourself from the world while planning your marriage. Discuss with your parents & very close friends on this issue. They are your well wishers. Secondly, in such important matters its necessary that you analyze all possibilities. Remember, I am not suggesting that you follow others’ advice, but don’t forget to take their advice.

• Rule 9 -- Own decision

All said & done, it’s your marriage & your life that is at stake. Once you are married, you & your wife are the only persons who will be facing the music. Don’t marry a girl just because your parents or friends asked you to do so. After marriage, if things don’t work out & you end up saying, “It’s because of my friends or my parents that I married you”, then your marriage is destined for disaster. If the girl is of your choice, it is you who will be responsible for whatever happens. That’s when the marriage works out perfectly. So, ensure that you marriage the girl of your choice.

How to approach the selection process?

From the day, a person decides to get married; the selection process takes a minimum of 3 months. The whole process needs a lot of patience & commitment. The ideal steps to be followed are:

• Definition phase -- Define the minimum criteria for the kind of life partner you are looking for in terms of education, physical appearance, social status, family values, future career plans. Remember the Rule 3 here.

• Lead Generation phase -- Place ads in various newspapers, magazines, websites, through friends, family friends, family societies & association etc. You need to exhaust all possible means of getting biodatas at one go. Remember the Rule 2 here.

• Short listing phase – Based on your selection criteria, short-list the interesting biodatas. The general process followed for correspondence is as follows:
• The initiator sends a one page profile of himself/ herself
• Based on the profile, the receiver sends his/her one page profile along with request for detailed profile, photo, horoscope
• The initiator then sends the requested information along with a request for similar information
• The receiver send similar information
• If the biodata is selected, it is passed over to the next phase

• Casual interaction phase – Based on shortlisting, about 7 to 10 biodatas are taken forwarded to this phase. The next step to follow here is to exchange email/ chat ids. The guy & the girl then interact for 10 – 15 days to try & judge mutual compatibility through email/ chat.

• Family interaction phase – Based on the earlier phase, about 5 leads are taken for consideration in this phase. During this phase, the parents get involved & check the background information about the families to find mutual compatibility.

• The dating phase – Based on the earlier phase about 3 leads are taken forward to this phase. During this phase, the guy & the girl interact by going out alone for 2-3 times. The guy needs to prepare a set of simple questions like who is your favorite star, what are your hobbies? He needs to use his judgment to analyze the girl based on her responses.

• The D-day phase – Finally, the D-day comes when the guy has to select the girl he wants to spend his life with. If the process if followed systematically, there will be no ambiguity in deciding who should be your life partner.

Finally, my dear friends, marriage is all about compromises. In spite of all the planning that you do, there are a lot of uncertainties in a marriage. In fact this is the best part about marriage. Just remember that the person you marry must be of your choice. In such case, there would be no going back for both of you.

A few words of advice: To make your marriage a success; just believe in the age-old virtue,

“Never do anything to others that you don’t like for yourself”.

Enjoy the selection process, it is fun…. ;-) ..

Books

2007-09-02T03:02:00.001-07:00

About me

2007-08-26T11:46:00.001-07:00

HOME

2007-08-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

cat stevens Wild World

2007-08-15T13:45:00.001-07:00

O Baby baby, It's a wild world, it's hard to get by just upon a smile

hilary duff ~ wake up

2007-08-05T14:24:00.001-07:00

Wake Up People, It is Saturday night!!! Ok, it is actually Sunday night and tomorrow, I need to wake up early (7 AM!!). But still enjoying everybit of this song

I wanna have your babies

2007-08-04T04:40:00.001-07:00

Natasha Rocks

My Google-Picasa Public photo gallery-Madrid

2007-07-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

You can find lots of photos here. A treasure Enjoy

Madrid

James Blunt - Goodbye My Lover

2007-07-16T06:30:00.001-07:00

The lyrics are sad but Beautiful

James Blunt - Wise Men (Music Video)

2007-07-16T06:26:00.001-07:00

Simply great, the lyrics are as beautiful as his voice

Musafir Hoon Yaaro

2007-07-14T04:22:00.001-07:00

Well, This tells my story, Sorry, I could not get any subtitles.

About him and her 6

2007-06-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

The time came for her to go back to her university. Two days before her departure, she gave him a book concerned about her country. They boy become really happy. He has given her a present for the Christmas and she returned the gratitude by presenting something which was useful to him. He thanked God (he believed in him sometimes). He knew that there was some place in her heart which is his own, and it was important that she herself has given that position to him. He realised that it is the liking to good person by which you can be also good. If you express liking to other person then it is very likely that it would be returned back. “She is a just girl” he thought. Here is the poem he wrote about this girl to lament her departure which was to be recounted and rehearsed again and again among the friends who never meet again.

All aboard the ship for the deep sea , life is a business, pay you must a fee
N’ I choose the only choice given to me, to see you once and never again,
As a rainbow sees never the rain, With love n life, with sorrow n pain

Now the journey is coming to an end, I have for you only blessings to send
Without any hope for my heart to tend

Little corner for you in my little heart, To remember you sometime ages apart
While dreaming about the end’s start

If you happen to meet sorrow in life, your heart lies in the shadows of knife
Or you have with your love bitter strife

Remind yourself about my love and liking, Laugh, dance, the rainy weather n striking
And remember my poems to you in writing

Escape you must even if it is too narrow, N’ do not grieve over your present sorrow
For beautiful past has beautiful tomorrow

If death ever comes you to suppress, Do not weep to tell him my address
I will still be here to fight your case

I will keep my eyes for you open , To see your dream in God’s ocean
To sail there and never back again, I say I will remember you till then

stick with you forever

2007-06-12T14:04:00.001-07:00

Beauty on canvas

2007-06-12T12:07:00.001-07:00

About him and her 5

2007-06-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

She continued, “Are we a thing, an object to be used for your pleasures and left alone in a cage till the unstoppable old age creeps through the bars, pierces our body and buttresses our mind? Do you think we do not have as much mind like you with a obsession for a certain boy and dislike for another, respect for this one and dishonesty for another? Just let the male-female stuff out of your head and you will understand that I am like you. I have also certain respect and liking for you under the limit of tolerance that you always consider your domain. My parents has brought up me by teaching me the virtue of respecting respectable, of being polite with everyone, to be modest when in the society, to love unconditionally La Sole, the only one. Above all, they have taught me to hold the self-respect as the precursor of all the things earlier mentioned.

I have never stopped expressing respect and liking to you just as you have never stopped outlasting me with your remarks on the virtues I possess. I believe that we are like each other in certain respect. Whether you are a beautiful girl, or handsome guy, you can have more or less similar virtues and even similar faults. Whosoever you are and whosoever we became on account of our deeds, the gilt of non-virtuous suffering will be there. Always. ”

Boy listened all this with rapt attention and marvelled at the intelligence and the deepness of her thought. He was already liking the girl and from then on, he began to respect her for the intelligence she possessed.

About him and her 4

2007-06-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

"Yes, it's true that it is a hard life for girls." He answered, "But partly it is because of your scanty cloths and funny behaviour that suggests how much you like to be admired for your beauty. It could be the case that you are the reason for your own treatment. You get what you want."

"THIS IS NOT TRUE" She responded, "and there is a very thin line between admiring a person with long verses and making a person un-comfortable with your constant ogling and I will not make it more clear to you since you know the further details about it.

"In that case," Boy answered," You girls are a way to allure us away from our paths of virtue and the glory” .

But, she continued, “You have already read, ‘A woman in Berlin’. Tell me, what legitimate and illegitimate methods the soldiers used to get what they wanted from a woman? Do you not find it hideous to ask that protagonist lady of intelligence for a night in an exchange of one day bread. Do you not grieve, on reading that she was raped by those animal instinct people to pay the price she was not directly indebted to ? And let me ask you a question, what decision you would have taken if you were in that situation. Would you have yield ? Would you have considered it natural to fulfil your appetite on the prey caught in the net? Or would you have rather refused to yield to the temptation?

Boy was startled. He got answer from the corner of his heart which was the purest part of his soul and he grew afraid. Nevertheless he declined to comment and stared at the girl stupidly.

Cham Cham - Aga Bai Arechya

2007-06-02T11:42:00.001-07:00

Well, No comments

My photos

2007-06-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Untitled Album

Rahul Thorat

Delft University of Technology

2007-06-02T09:26:00.001-07:00

Delft University Library
Aerospace Enigneering building

Aula Auditorium

Reactor Institute

Materials science Building

About him and her 3

2007-06-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

There was going to be the customary farewell to the people who completed their internship/exchange and will be going back to join their universities. The girl was among them. Unhappy she was, as miserable was he , they began to converse among themselves as they got an opportunity for it.

She said, “Well, It is important for me to put modesty above desires. I know that you like me and I am not going to speak the reason that you already knew. But, you got to know the mind of a girl. If you think they go only with the appearance, you are wrong. They are so many things which comes to our mind just like you. I have a boyfriend and he is the one I have chosen after a lot of deliberation. I know what you think of us western people. You think we as a community are weak in our faith and dishonest in our promises given to their love.

Boy responded, "I never meant that! I just put my observation. I have come across the boys and girls who has one day one mate and another day another".

"Well", She continued, "I cannot be too sure to tell about other girls, but in general we are not like what you think. Do you know how much pain we suffer when it comes to decide about these matters? Do you know how does it feel when everybody ogles at you and you can feel their eyes on your parts of body? Do you know how much pain we feel when a virtuous person finds our company sinning to their virtue. Do you know how much struggle we have to do through this male dominated world?

About him and her 2

2007-05-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

And boy usued his usual logical thinking and concluded that it as a natural process. As a child, he always wanted to play cricket. His dreams were filled with cricket matches, peacocks dancing in the field, ghosts in wrecked house and similiar things. "May be this is a side effect of being as a youth to get sexually attracted towards girls. Why then we consider it as a sin and be so shy to declare the desire towards each other? Why it happens that the line of morality lies in between the modesty and the animal-like desire?", he continued, "You need somebody to love". As a man, he was bond to have sexual feelings against one or another girl.

He hoped that the girl would understand his feelings even if she cannot reciprocate the affection he had in his mind for her. Now as the condition for an affair was over, he just hoped to talk to her. "Sometimes it is better to have those beautiful flowers in the garden, rather than cut them off and have it for yourself only. You see them regularly untill they were sent to some prince worthy of such things. You can only give your blessings to the flowers to sacrifice your life to their beauty".

But the thought made him sad. Tears rising in his eyes, he begin to lament this painful situation where his heart put him in. His wisdom knew that she was nothing but personification of his imagination. he knew that everybody tries to find his/her sweetheart of his dreams in the existant person. "The world is full of MAYA(Illusion) and our desires let us become what we are now".

Continued..........................

About him and her

2007-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

And he thought about her. It is the time that she should be leaving him and everbody. He is very sad and he told this to his friend. "You are not the only one to sorrow" answered his friend. "Yes Everybody" he responded less truthfully and more bitterly. He thought about the girl. What should be she thinking now? These days he happen to meet her often. Never planned, but always expected. "Yes, she is beautiful, very beautiful" he told himself. But the important thing he liked about the girl was her modesty. She used to mingle around the people, she used to talk freely whosoever is present. And yet, she always maintained the line of modesty. One day she brought her boyfriend as handsome as she was beautiful, ending the speculation and breaking the heart of everybody. He thought this as a very clever move. As true to his own spirit, his logic told his heart to forget about her. And he obeyed. He was, afterall, slave of his own logic and of his own ideas of limit of tolerance. He began to know that he is getting charmed by the beauty of the girl. The thought disturbed his proud mind. Although he was ordinary, he made his life more than any simplicity that that particular life can possess. Afterall he was a down-trodden person raised in misery and has come a long way to realise his dreams. The respect about himself was come from unquenched optimism, his willingness sacrifice his desires for his dreams. He felt ashamed that only a single smile of a beauty dissolved his wellearned pride of many years .

Continued.............................................

DTPH Are re are ye kya hua

2007-05-22T15:39:00.001-07:00

My Fav

We are exchange Junkies

2007-05-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Somehow I happen to come across this mail cum text long time ago. I completely forget untill now when the time for exchange junkies are getting over. I put here the unedited text as a tribute to the person who wrote it. I ask your pardon before hand as some text might be considered as derogatory, abusive and malicious.

WE ARE EXCHANGE JUNKIES

"So much is said about being an exchange student, but only when we experience it things make sense. It is definitely not easy and whether we want it or not, we will end up changing and growing fat, specially the girls. Once your exchange year is done YOU finally realize that you have done so much shit, and those times will never come back, at least if you are a fuckin drug addict. You need to appreciate things like alcohol, drugs, sex and not complain if somebody fucks in the same bed that you are trying to sleep. Life is not easy, specially this exchange year, where you have more freedom than ever and you realize that when you come back to your country you can’t just tell your mom that you gonna spend the night in Amsterdam and come back home in the first train in the morning. You are nothing in your home country. And bringing up the friends you make, true friendships are really forever. The ones that take you to the coffeeshop and convinces the owner that you are not underaged, the ones that brings the box of beer when there are only juices and cola, the ones that show you how to get high for the first time, even if you tried a lot before, you need to learn, the ones who scream banana te amo, the ones who fall in love with 36 year old men, the ones that are caught blowing in school, anyway, our true friends. The best part about being an exchange student is about the parties and the type of drugs and drinks you get to try. Travelling is also important, so students in USA and those shitty places that you can’t get out of the country, “YOU ARE SOCKS”. Good luck with your grades in school and have fun in the marriage of your host sister. The independence and life experience you get, and sex, and beer, and beer, and beer (cuz you don’t have money to buy vodka or wine) and the 'friendships' it’s very important. You may try as much as you can to make friendship with the local people, but they are not party animals like the other exchange students. If we compare our night with the people from the country we are, and the night that we spend with other students, we gonna say “shit, this people sucks, the party was boring, the beer was bad, I need my exchange friends, ok, let’s go to another country in 2 days”. For most of us, or ALL of us, they were the very first "friends" we had in this new experience. The first friends you got drunk with, the stories you gonna tell when you go back, all happened with your exchange friends. We met them in the first orientation meetings, and from there we set parties and trips with them that we’ll never forget, the craziest and wildest trips and parties ever on earth, that you can think of. Not forgeting the crazy sex machine with green eyes and blond hair, that fucked half of the girls from the world in the year. This vacation year (also known as exchange year) makes you change a lot inside and outside. Most of us come back uglier, more fat, with more alternative clothes, because when we are in the one-year vacation, we don’t give a fuck to what we wear. We are “the foreigners” anyway. And what about our classmates in school? They always think we are more stupid than them, right? It’s amazing that if you come from the US, they think you are friends with Bush, if you come from Brazil, they think you live in a jungle, if you come from Peru, they think you’re a poor imigrant, if you come from Italy, they think the only words you can say are “pizza” and “Al Pacino”. If you know something more than them, they ask: “oh did you learn that in your country?”. YES WE FUCKIN LEARNED IT, WHEN WE WERE LIKE 5 YEARS OLD. But that’s no problem, talking about our classmates to the other exchange students provide lots of fun and laughs. And it’s also very nice to tell the news about those students that went back for getting caught when doing shit, because let’s face it, you have to be dumb to be caught. And you need to cause a lot of trouble to be sent back. True exchange students stay until the end, until the final meeting, until the final destruction of brain cells and liver. The hardest part of the exchange year is facing that the 1 year vacation is gonna end, and we gonna have to come back and study again. Wow, that sucks. It’s very hard to do nothing the whole year and come back and work in double because you “lost” one year in school. But if you are a true junkie, you just gonna leave the study behind and drug yourself until death. But that’s not worth, better save some money to do another little exchange to study a language in a student house and party a lot again, uh, just think about it!

Well, meeting our exchange friends again it’s going to be difficult, unless your parents or you have tons of money, let’s face it: we are meeting maximum 8% from the people we met in our year. And the girlfriends and boyfriends? HAHA FORGET IT! Nothing lasts forever, just leave it behind and get a better one. Learn how to improve your relationships. Here we are in the final meeting, crying, screaming, drinking, crying again, making promisses that we gonna meet again (which is not true), but that doesn’t mean that I DON’T LOVE YOU! I DO LOVE YOU! YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE BEERS YOU PAID, THANK YOU FOR THE MONEY YOU LEND AND I DIDN’T PAY BACK, THANK YOU FOR INVINTING ME FOR THAT CRAZY BIRTHDAY PARTY, THANK YOU FOR COVERING THE SHIT I DID, THANK YOU FOR BEING MY JUNKIE FRIEND, I’m a better person for knowing all of you, prepared to face the craziest situations in our lives. Never forget the good times we had, and let’s go on, always partying. Now “TOP TALKIN” and have fun in your super vacation. Send this e-mail to all exchange students in the world. IN THE WORLD.

Don Quixote de la Mancha

2007-05-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

The culture of a particular country can be studied by various means. Some of the best ways are to visit the country, meet the people and places where the culture is getting flourished. But it is not always possible to travel to those countries. That's why I always say that the best thing about Marcushof is its international nature where you meet lot of students from various countries, thereby getting a flavor of diverse cultures.

The spanniards are one of those interesting folks. With their flamboyant -easy going nature, they make great buddies. Apart from their stereotypic party culture impression, they have deep down rich philosophy about the life. This conclusion was drawn after long discussive sessions with my spannish friends, especially David and Jesus. And as I was very much interested in learning the root of this spannish philosophy, David suggested me to read One book called "Don Quixote". I am hereby give the impression of this book on me as I consider it would be useful for the reader as it has been to me.

I donot consider it as a simple task to describe the powerful emotion that I felt while reading this book. To be very brief, it is the story about the quest of an eccentric yet vey intelligent gentleman, Don Quixote of La Mancha, Spain. He is accompanied on this adventure by his faithful squire, foolish yet simple Sanzo Panza. The reason why he goes on journey and what happens him on this risky adventure are best left described by the creator of this great work.

After reading this book, I find almost everybody more or less quixotic. There are always things which are just our imagination. But what makes Don Quixote special is his belief in those stories he read from books. As he imagines himself as a Knight errant to do justice, to save life of people etc etc., we, living 500 years after him, still carry that flame in our heart in literary or factual sense. In fact, we donot love or hate people but their impessions on us. The person or the condition could be slightly or strikingly different from the way you think he ot it is. We like Don Quixote are somewhat bonded to the madness even when we know our folly to observe the things different than what they actually are.

Cervantes has given an opinion on everything in the dealings of life. From the pschye of women to the matter of arms, from the paths of chivalery to the pity of poors. He has everthing. It is hard to believe so developed and concise mind was there in the 15th century and so many writers were already flourishing in medieval spain. The book is truely a great piece of art. Before this book, I read lot of other books. I know the author's mind and the interpretation of the emotions because I learn it as I grew. But Cervantes as a spannish Author has given a different view to look at the same things. It is amazing that the things you consider granted are completely striking when great author like him describes into words.

Photos from my village in India

2007-05-18T13:32:00.002-07:00

Holy Baffalo from our manger
Holy Cow from our place
Marriage of my relative
Typical Village home in India

In India

2007-05-18T13:32:00.001-07:00

The time travels fast. I am here in my own country for more than two weeks and it is time to go back to Delft on 14th. I have been browsing through the development of salt 'n' Coffee and needless to say how much pleasing to know about floor mates across seven seas. Delft, when I left was almost in a paradise enviornment, something not common with Dutch weather.

Back in India, it is hot hot hot. With temperature rising above 35 degree centigrade, it is not an easy place to live. And back from pleasent enviornment of Delft, it is even harder. Then the train journey from Mumbai to my small village, Kadegaon in the south west India describes me a view of humble begining that I came from. There was a such pride of achievement generated in me when I remember back some hard times. My father, a simple person who has not yet crossed the bounderies of our provinance is very happy when I tell him about the people from distant lands. And it is equally difficult to my family to understand the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. According to them, if you are in love you should get married irrespective of economical or age related issues. As simple as it could get. They asked me how does it fill when the flight takes off, how does it fill when the first particles of ice touches your face, how does it fill to be there with the students of different countries. I have mostly educated and entertained them with those amusing yet true stories from the west. I told them about the system of canals, waters, big churches and tall dutch people. I told them and showed some of my photos from Marcushof (sober ones, mind you).

The time has come to go back Delft and resume the research. The place of Marcushof seems inviting.

Somebody to love

2007-04-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Close up

2007-04-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

1.This is the latest of me. 2.This is the best pics showing as I am.

3.This is the formal one for the group. 4.This is the with the smile for my friends.

5.At the German Parliment on a shiny day.(Dec2006)

Looks like I am on the verge of becoming a celebrity. Here are the different close ups of me.

Famous Indian song

2007-03-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

My heart is beating, keeps on repeating, I am waiting for you
My heart is beating, keeps on repeating, I am waiting for you

My love encloses, a plot of roses,And when shall be then, our next meeting,
'Cos love you know,That time is fleeting,
That time is fleeting, time is fleeting,

Oh, when I look at you,The blue of heaven seems to be deeper blue,
And I can say that,God Himself, seems to be looking through (hoo-hoo),
Zu-zu-zu---zu-ru-zu, I'll never part from you,
And if it is so, when are we meeting,'Cos love, you know,That time is fleeting,
time is fleeting, time is fleeting.

Spring is the season,That rolls the reason of lovers who are truly true,
Young birds are mating,while I am waiting for you (hoo-hoo)
Darling you haunt me,say do you want me?And if it so, when are we meeting,
'Cos love you know,That time is fleeting,
time is fleeting, time is fleeting.

Den Haag Beach

2007-03-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

I love Berlin

2007-03-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of berlin

In Madrid

2007-03-10T02:49:00.000-08:00

I go to places of rosy faces, I sit in the gardens of lovely roses,

I walk through the city of multiple faces, thinking how time flows,

from where it comes and where it goes,

I see shadow and shine, the blue sky and silver lights,

my heart, full of joy, see God in those sights.

I always tell

2007-02-01T02:26:00.000-08:00

I always tell whatever is there in my heart, But you understand that as just my art
To keep my mind free from all this deal, I can not tell you how much pain I feel

The heart I kept away from bad phase, to present it to you when the time tells
I wait for you with my eyes on the road, dreaming warm as you will have me hold

How many times on this errand we meet, How much I learn about us at the summit
First it was just a hobby with you to talk, But now it is a desire for round the clock

I pass some time whenever you come to meet, But I have already drawn the line of my limit
“You are too beautiful for me”, my heart toil, I don’t want anything other than your smile

Now, I meet all people and talk I feel just, I have not got heart only for single lust
I desire sincerely you to be my sole’s pure part, And dream a corner for my heart in your heart

Neither the road nor the world has changed, Then why change my love for you beloved?
Whenever you are sad or feel the lonely mile, Just remember my love for your single smile

Cursed

2007-01-20T03:11:00.000-08:00

I hear battle cries, I see happy people fallen and feel afraid,
I no longer be a wonderer and keep my journey way ahead,
I stay here with the fallen ones and weep for nameless dead

For what is May sunshine with red blood on green grass
And what is a swift river carrying body of fallen carecass ?
For what is breeze bringing foul smell deep from the seas,
and bright blue sky bringing wrath of unknown enemies ?

Death, Death, Death for everything and everwhere I stared
I stay here for a while and then pass carrying journey ahead
Without honour, without peace, cursed life with cursed dread

The unfinished story

2006-12-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

One Prince and one princess in their golden sway
Half way held the story and then, they brake away

Prince told I knew the language of hearts
With my fate connected was your ends
Why held then princess, a full tear at bay
Half way held the story and then, they brake away

Pricess said while as a foreever midnight star to me
The morning has come where you cannnot see me
Why prince then couldnot understand the end of the day
Half way held the story and then, they brake away

Prince asked why it happened to life of mine
why do all stories not end in complete ryhm
Pricess had no answer for this bitter mime
Miserable she was, as was he at that time.

One Prince and one princess in their golden sway
Half way held the story and then, they brake away

My week from 25Nov-1Dec

2006-12-02T04:07:00.000-08:00

25 Nov : I went to Rooterdam and saw Meritime measuem with the orchestra. It was great to be there and know how much things are been done.
26Nov : Dutch course study
27 Nov : Very busy
28 Nov : movie at culture centrum, A very long engagment
29 nov wednesday: reading journals papers
30 Nov : Very busy with Dutch course, and movie in the evening
1 dec : Sintniklaas party, Dutch speaking practice

Serbian party

2006-11-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a non popular bloggist as till date nobody has put a comment and only few have acknowledged the existance of such thing as my blog to say most. But anyway, I hope some will stumble across my blogs, and again hopefully read the articles. Here is one more for my absent readers.

As a guy from distant land, I consider it very important to get insight of different cultures. and Delft offers good place to meet people from the remote corners of the world. Some time ago, I happened to be at Serbian people’s party. This article gives the experience of finding similarity in diverse culture. Aleksander, my class mate from Dutch language course invited me for the house warming party with a promise to introduce me to lots of Serbs. I was bit reluctant to go as because of pre-planned study of Dutch course. But the temptation to meet new people, talk to them, get to know their culture, these ideas led me to the doorsteps of those unknown people. As soon as I went there with my Spanish friend, I realised that this was the same reason which made me to start learning dutch and to know their culture. Like all knowledge workers, I have spent my yesteryears in the lab, on the desk, being mostly in solitude with boring computer screen. These parties are good opportunities to make up those lost moments. As soon as we arrived, Alexander was kind enough to introduce us to food which was fondly accepted. May be it was my imagination on account of omnipresent hunger for good food, but I got personally interested in the Serbian bean recipe which was much near to the taste we find in India. And like in my home, I tried it with the bread by my bare (and clean, mind you!!) hands. As odd man out, I don’t take alcoholic drinks, and hence my Spanish friend was more than happy to drink my quota of wine (he already finished his) and admiring it with cake helpings. You can know people from the food they eat. The host I mate was very generous and polite. Alex, and his fellow organisers, Filip and Darko were presented with the gifts. Our dear Alex has got a Dutch cartoon book which would serve very much as a purpose for learning Dutch. They sang a Serbian song which I guess(or at least I hope) should be very much romantic one. I met some toddlers with whom I shook hands, saw beautiful girls (multicultural) with whom I could not speak very much, partly due to my shy nature and partly due to a Dutch man who was very interesting to hear. Nevertheless, I admired their beauty by glancing at them now and then, which you should pardon as a nature of man being. There was a Serbian man which can give Dutch people run for their height. He was like six and half feet. But, may be it was so because he lived in this land for 8 years. He had a Belgian accent to his Dutch. The party was also proved to be an opportunity to hear lot of Dutch conversation and to my surprise, I was able to understand fifty percentage of the words in a conversation. I made myself extra happy by extra helping of cake and juice. The party was at its peak with many conversations which included very intellectual and interesting subjects, for example are Dutch girls really taller than boys, (then how come the male child they bear are shorter), why you have to speak Dutch with the throat etc. The talk was long and loads of second helpings had put me into drowsy state. With drowsy mind, heavy heart and very heavy stomach, I bid farewell to Alexander and his friends. Really, these were the experiences with different cultures which can give us an understanding of that culture, that society and may lead us all to live peacefully in harmony.

Heaven on Earth at Eindhoven

2006-11-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes nature bestows beauty on you when you least expect it. I was in Eindhoven for the symposium. It was very boring, but as I am a sincere student and donot like to miss the courses, I decided to take a walk around the university during lunch time. Little I know my small walk would give me beautiful sites to see and see nature beauty at its best. It was a walk in dreams. you can walk with your respected prof., you can walk around with your buddies debating over the nonsense issue, you can walk with your soulmate missing the eyes of the world and, at the least, you can walk alone like me thinking about all these things. I have captured some of those views to get you know what it was like.

Photos from Rotterdam

2006-10-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

Questionaire

2006-10-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

One of my friend is a exchange student form turkey. He and his friend was looking for a buitenlander to interview about living and studying in Holland. Here are the details of that.

Were you familiar with the Dutch (or European) culture before via the movies or any other means?
How did you prepare yourself?
Have you had any opinions about the Netherlands, the people and the culture before you came here?
Ans : I was not very much familiar with the country till I got the call from the professor about my selection. Then I started to browse the website about the Netherlands and its culture. I realized that it is a country where multiple languages are spoken and it is very beautiful. In fact, some of Indian films were shot here and there is cultural connection between India and Netherlands since immemorial time. During 16th century, Dutch were having colonies in the south coast of India and there was lot of spice trade.

If yes, how do you compare them with the ones now? Are there any differences between you had imagined and you lived up to now?
Ans :The country is very beautiful surpassing my imagination. I like the way they have maintained the trees, grass and canals beside the road. I ride on bicycle (known as bike here) to university and it is pleasant to watch all those small buildings and the people on bicycles. They have trams, buses and trains for transport and those are never crowded if you compare with Indian counterparts.

People are friendlier than those in India. I feel amused when they say hello whenever they meet you even without knowing you. They know English very well although it is their second language. I found some people a bit racist in their approach, but their number is less and I cannot consider it as a general public mentality. One can always feel the undercurrent of segregation on the basis of nationality and color of the skin. But I guess these are just some little grey areas in this beautiful land and it can be considered negligible for the most of times.

Do you consider your own culture is greatly different than the Dutch culture? If yes, in what ways?

Ans : The Dutch culture is very much different from the Indian culture. With one and half month’s experience here, I can say that they enjoy more than their Indian counterparts. I attended more number of parties here in one month than that in my 25 years in India!! Also, the society is very free in terms of human relationship.

How do you compare the Dutch culture and your own culture in terms of;
High vs. Low power distance, (the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally )
Ans :Indian community is very secure system for the less able people and thus, it is very rigid also. With respect to India, I guess family ties are not that strong here. I heard from my friend that as children turns adolescent, they start to live apart from their parent. I cannot imagine myself living apart from my parents.

Individualism vs. Collectivism,
Ans :I consider western society is much more individualistic than Indian one. Individualism is very good for creative and strong people but may lead to arrogance and careless approach. In other way, collectivism provides much mental–financial security and less freedom.

Masculinity vs. Femininity,
Ans :I was astonished and dismayed to see so many girls here drinks alcohol and smokes cigarette in public. In our country, even boys do not dare to do that in public places and /or in front of elder people. The girls here are freer to judge their own course of life than Indian girls. Also, you can hardly talk to girls in India without getting any problems from the society. The girls and boys here surely experience more freedom to mingle with each other than their Indian counterparts. Indian family is male dominated which does not seem do be the case here.

Short vs. Long term orientation.
Ans :I think people here live in present. They give more importance to the material comfort than the spirituality. They are always well ordered and frank and have an eye on future.

Are there any cultural differences (small/ big) between different regions in your country?

Ans :In India, you can find large difference between culture of cities and villages. Cities like Bombay (Mumbai) are far more westernised than other places.The cities are grown as melting pot of any segragation that exist in rural india. Villages and small citites still exhibit the culture that is ever prevalent in India.

Which countries do you think are close to your own country in terms of culture?
Ans :I consider neighboring countires like pakistan, srilanka are close to our own country in terms of culture.

Do you think you are a good representative of the culture of your country?
Ans :I think I am a good representative of the culture of my country because I experienced both rural as well as urban India. I travelled and experienced lot to know my country.

Can you tell some anectodes (if any) where your own culture/expectations clash with the Dutch culture? If yes, how did you solve the problems?
Ans :They have different notions for respect than Indian culture. Most people like to call them by their first name irrespective of their position in organization. In any case, they are much friendlier than Indian professors and staff and this is a surprise for me.

There is no end

2006-10-04T02:45:00.000-07:00

Yes! There is no end !! Stories end with good or bad note. Great stories end with the note "And he lived happily thereafter" But No!! There is no such end in reality. In real life you feel there is the start of another story to discuss, another path to follow, another place to go. The story only ends with person's death, his nonexistent on earth, with his out of breath -out of action of the life.

When I changed my premises, I thought of ending my story with the good note. But soon I realized that this is not end, this is just at-its-best an intervalI didin't even realized when other part began.

Philosophy of life

2006-09-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

Small fish in big pond ? OR Big fish in slightly bigger pond? YOU DECIDE!!

There is a thin line in between confidence and arrogance, courage and stupidity.

Is life a reality or just mind game?
The discrete function of momentary experience integrated into a continuous links of action and reaction is defined as life.

In Delft

2006-09-25T01:03:00.000-07:00

The country is very beautiful. The weather is always changing. Like sometimes, it will be rain and and sometime it is sunlight. Some time you can have darkness like we used to have in mansoon. But what I think considerable here is trees and grass. It looks very beautiful. I walk between university and room and it is pleasant to watch all those small buldings and the people on bycycles. Yes! Most People here use bycycles only ! Almost 80 %. And there is a separate road for that !! They have trams, buses and trains and those are never crowded. People are very friendly. They say hello whenever they meet you even if they donot know you. They help to us to find the way. They know English very well although it is their second language. Delft is not very big city. It is a tourist palce but not crowded like our cities. The whole Netherlands is a small country. I am living alone in a very plush apartment where everything is there right from bed to the cooking appliances.It is having good furniture for study, to seat and to relax I have Italians, chinese, portugeese and almost everbody in my hostel. Vegetable are very cheap and healthy. They have provided personal fridge where I am putting eggs, bread loafs, vegetable and other things. I am having a supermarket very near to my living place so i am getting everthing from there. I have started my work here. I am doing registration and other beaurocratic things. University is really big. Bigger than IIT and there are students from every corner of the world. I will let you know about my availabilities later. I am going to get free bicycle and dutch courses also. It is good from money point of view.

No Looking Back

2006-08-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

You are neither for the earth nor for the stars
Your existence is only for history jaars

Do not look back at that garden
No branch on those trees of pardon

Freedom, Love, Romance

2006-08-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

She says
" Why are you wondering through the streets of unknown cities,
as it is pilgrims and gypsies' necessities,
Come to me and rest in peace,
Only I can promise you that eternal bliss"

I say
" Your love is a golden cage for me, my dear princess,
And freedom is dearer to me than anything in excess"

I continue
"Why are you loving me as I am a wondering black cloud,
I roam through those territories you can't be allowed"

She returns
"I am in love with you as you will result me bring,
winter after winter that beautiful dancing spring"
.................................................................................................
Romantic

My heart is just crazy about you. I know my limit, but it can't stop thinking about you. It says your veil is like a cloud which has covered your moon like face. I am on this earth looking at you with starry eyes. My heart doesnot understand that you are not for me. I am too diffrerent from you but still it desires you.

Farewell!! My pals and colleagues

2006-05-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

Murthy, Monick and me

Myself(black T-shirt) and Monik

Myself(black T-shirt) and vivek

There are some things to sing,

there are some things to sorrow,

some gossips, some talk to remember.

All things will be forgotten,

remembrance will get remembered.

Miles to go before I sleep

2006-04-27T04:04:00.000-07:00

Yes !!

So Finally one application turned positive. Good!!! Now I am trying to be patient about the visa and work permit formality. I am also currently reading HG Wells's "An outline of the History" with Callister's "Materials Science and Engineering", which seems to be deadly combination. As work is going on its way with little progress in so called R&D. And the life is like that!!
Here are my favorite lines from Robert Frost (Road Not taken):

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence.
two roads diverged a wood, and I
took the one less travelled by
And that has made all the difference

take this one more from JRR Tolkien(LOTR)

The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursing it with weary feet,
Untill it joins some larger way,
where many paths and errants meet.
Whether then? I cannot say.

The reason to put all this stuff here is that, they seems to be eaxctly the ideas of my thinking put by those great writers and poeets. The writing has become almost rules of thinking to me. I have travelled various parts of the India, it's cities, it's villages, it's lakes and its's mountains. I came into contact with so many people and personalities, stong and weak, bold and shy, rich and poor. These things are giving a new experience, an affair to remember, something unique in itself to give meaning to my importnant but yet to be meaningful life. I think time has come for action. Time has come for achievement. Time has come indeed to catch stars and go beyond that.
This meaning is giving me something to say, something to write and something to achieve. Each and every writing whether it is technical or non-technical, each and every person irrespective of his presence to human eye, each and every place -irrespective of its geographical or historical importnace/nonimportance, seems to tell me its secret. It is their secret, secret which is well hidden from the world which indulages in itself, but revealing to the person who goes to find it. Those things they have kept in their heart for so long time. But, now, the time itself, is making them to reveal to the people like me. People, who are fighting for their sole mental existence and refuse to take any thing from other person as a matter of faith, for them they have their own faith. They will not and cannot walk on the paths led by somebody for they have their own paths to follow.

Waiting for the scholarship

2006-01-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

I hate waiting and that is what I am currently doing. Its not like I donot have any work and my empty mind is tricking me into it. But I want it to be over. The action seems to be mssing. To be drifted with the event is not my job. I want to creat events. Event that matter to me and others. To be good and healthy.

Happy New Year

2005-12-31T01:26:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a happy new year. I am trying to assemble dies together but nothing is working properly so I gave for a while. I will try it in the next year only.
Bye

Photos : International Conference at BHU Dec 2004

2005-12-29T01:49:00.000-08:00

Once in a yellow shirt , Always in a yellow shirt !!

At the Dinner party !!

I am in yellow shirt with Praji to my right. Balle Balle in Varanasi!! Through this bolg, I thank him for these pictures. The picture is a proof that I attended this international conference. Good Work !!

Oh!! Thou Podium of Knowledge!!! Thou kingdom of Varanasi!!!

Real guys have looks !! On the top !!

On the Varanasi Raiway station, I look cute, No?

IISc under terrorist Attack

2005-12-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

The situation is really grim. One of the best science institutions "Indian Institute of Science Banglore" attacked by terrrorist group. This is the worst that none could even imagine. The attack was launched when there was a seminar on operation research. One professor of IIT Delhi is dead and several are seriously injured and in critical condition. I donot know how could the terrorrist managed to enter the premises. It seems that the world is shrinking. Whatever happens there in Kashmir is mattering here in Banglore. It also shows desparate attempt of our neightbouring countries to nullify our scientific growth by killing our scientist and attacking education institutes. What next? IITs obviously. One day they will attack old age house just to prove that they are being heard. God should tell these people that you cannot get answer by killing people. The condition is far more complicated than being good and bad. Instead of educating youths about new technologies, our neighbouring countries are training them to be Jihadies and Fidayeens. Instead of cherishing life, they are being told to sacrifice there lives for so called noble cause. I donot know when these politicians and religious leaders will know that economic growth and material prosperity only can make people feel attracted towards life.

I want to recall the words of Pearl Buck. It is the no action from good men that makes bad men's work easier. We should not let youths of any community, religion or country fell to this idiotic sacrificing approach. Life is good when lived fully and for the use of welfare of people. It really hurts when your own house is burnt by angry mob for no reason other than just rage against any particular community. But this really doesnot give you the right to torch neigbhour's house. What exactly you need is to make another house, may be for another people. You cannot get what you have lost. But you might get something better or more cherishable about life.

Unfortunately, most of the people think taking revenge about the hurts they have got. But there are other methods of taking revenge. If the neighbouring countires loath us because of out technological and economic boom, they should build their own PITs and BITs to compete with us and dominate in the field of IT. Now that our neighbouring country has got large share of Kashmir, what good it has done? Training those youths for warfare to get the remaining part of their mtherland? Personally, I donot find any intelligence in sacrifice for sach a cause. True, one should give his life for his/her motherland to get rid from foreign invasion, but first make your land worth dying for. I will never die for any mad politician or any religious leader. It is one life and if you are using it for blowing out public, my dear, you are missing the thing called life. If you are thinking that something very worse has happened to you, just look around in the past and you will know that you are not the one that has experienced with. Wise are those who look these things from other perspective and give others a chance to live than making bullets and guns. It takes years for a tree to grow and flurish. It takes few blows to break it down and leave birds homeless.

Autobiography of a researcher

2005-12-27T00:40:00.000-08:00

I can be seen in the opposite picture standing second from viewer's left (in scarlet color shirt, I didn't shave for whole four days) during the international conference on the powder metalluregy held on 3 to 6 February 2005. To my right is RamNathan(PSZirconia, Mr. Cool) with specs. To my left Sujal Upadhyay(Chemistry, Our lab's spiritual, extremely helpful), Rajlaxmi Dash (Biomaterial, Very sweet, Scheduled to go US in 2006), Aebjin John (Injection Molding of stainless steel, extremely talented, uncommenly commen sense), Dash(Biomaterials, God bless him, he needs it), Sujit and Kadam (our lab staff, my critics in research) and extreme left is Sujit ( Silicon Nitride, Now in America, Lucky guy!!! If somebody thinks that he needs some fluency in English before living to US, Ask this man). Sitting, from viewer's left, Vikram Dabhade(PhD in Ti-TIN nano composite, scheduled to go to Korea for post doc in january 2006, and above all my best friend in the lot, ), to his left Prof. BT Rao(He gave me valuable recommandation, Thank you very much. Study area: I never had a technical discussion with him, whenever we meet, we talk mostly about cricket ), Prof.P RamaKrishnan(Very formidible figure, retired professor of powder metallurgy, I never had guts to talk to him directly. If I see him coming from front, I either change my direction or keep my eyes on my shoes till he crosses. Stories of his discipline and work are famous in the P/M lab. ). To his left, One and only one Professor T.R. Rama Mohan(There are no words to describe this person, my existence in research community is due to him only. He is God.). To his left are conference organiser and My senior Deepak Patnaik (PhD in biomaterials. Lucky guy!!! Thrice abroad for conferences and scheduled to go Japan for postdoc in 2006)

Me, Myself and My research

Prologue:

The days are getting really lazy. I am waiting for a result of scholarship which will allow me to study in The Universtiy of Queensland. Meanwhile, I have plan of presenting a paper entitled " Trends In Diamond Tools For Stone Processing" in the national conference on Powder Metallurgy. Some times I feel my present is traped in between the past and future.

My Job:

The job I am doing is good and I am proud that I am contributing some creative work to help the employer to develop diamond tools. But I really like to start my doctoral studies as soon as possible. Doing research is always great, you know. One can have sufficient time to learn the things as per his/her own capability. He can go to places and see new things. And more importantly, in the research centres and institutes, one can afford to do mistakes. In fact, I have observed that research in the universities is to mostly consisted of finding the wrong ways to do any particular thing right.

My Research:

But, the real problem I am facing to continue my education is financial one. I am the eldest in the family with so many responsibilities. The idea of getting higher education becomes more difficult if you are neither rich nor qualified for a particular research. Only thing that remains in your hand is to work hard and get some research experience to improve your curriculum vitae. I am exactly doing that.

My City:

Anyway, the job is fine in terms of satisfaction and income and I am having great time in Hyderabad. If you are in Mumbai for 8 years then any city in or out of India would seem perfect to live. Hyderabad is not a costly city and have both, old cultures and new values in it. People are not that frustrated as in Mumbai and one can notice peace in the city. But, the city of Hyderabad has worst traffic. Drivers are really reckless and only small population seems to bother about following traffic rules.

My Love Life:

As in Mumbai, I haven't got any girl here. I spent my holidays with one of fellow mate from IIT bombay. Both of us are now very frustrated of the non alliance with opposite sex. But sometimes I belive I am working hard for a dream of becoming numero uno in the field of powder metallurgy and this is very small sacrifice I am providing. Who knows? Someday I will be as popular as AJ Abdul Kalam. Again, when I thought about this area in deep, I found out that we haven't taken any efforts to contact opposite sex. We were always busy with experiements, conferences and most of the time we thought is about having fun with females other than how should we achieve it. Another dreamer, that should be my introduction in the latest edition of love and relationship. I have learned a lesson here. Without trying, you cannot even get into the relationship, forget about getting success in research and other remotely boring things.

Introduction of Mr. Rahul Thorat

2005-12-26T01:42:00.000-08:00

Dear All,
This is the introduction of myself. I would like to introduce myself as a powder Metallurgist although it is only 2 years since I started working in the field of powder metallurgy. I believe I have a writer in me too. I have been writing articles, letters, poems, travelogs, my diary since I was a school student. By this blog, I just want to put my thoughts on the internet so that it will last for more period than on the paper.

I donot know, but I will write mostly about me and the world from my point of view.

Bye. Love you all.
Rahul

Subscribe to TUDIndians
	name="Click here to join TUDIndians" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/yg/img/i/us/ui/join.gif">
Powered by groups.yahoo.com