Alma Matters- Osmania Engineering

Some bouts (pics) from a nostalgia trip-

Inside, and outside views of the stately building.

Strength of materials lab..above, and below, the entrance area.

Arts College, below, where most of the women were, those days.

And the brave men were doing Electrical Engineering..two of the alumni who stayed in ECH II, at the spot..the other just happens to be my brother.

Quadrangle of the hostel, not much has changed..
The roads (below) are better though.

Wedding in the Family

In Hyderabad, a wedding in the family meant a gathering of the Nargundkars who came from far and wide (there were only 265 of them on the planet by one count). Some pics of the party-

 The groom (right) and dad get into the groove..

 A sober pose with three cousins. :)

 The young ladies of the khandaan (family)..

 Groomed..proving himself.

 Family members from abroad..

 ..and some more.

 With  my niece Shweta..

and friend Abhay Temurnikar.

Travelexp 3- Sri Lanka

I travelled to the Emerald Isle twice last year and instantly fell in love with the place. Some pics will illustrate what I want to say, better than words can.

 Horton Plains National Park, where this is THE WORLD's END, nothing less. Below, some of the flora in the Park.

 Other end of the World's End.

 Prarthana is aided by a walking stick, as she finds the walk a bit long!
Below, Baker's Fall, halfway along the trek.

 Negombo beach-I left my imprints on the sands of time.

 A rainy drive, getting us to Kandy and the Temple there.

View to kill for, on the way to Nuwara Eliya.

Like, I mean..

Here's the latest on Americans' vocabulary- English vocabulary, from someone who just returned from a trip there. Sample these half-sentences-they have been cut short to prevent too much mirth,..bad for health.

Like, if you are like looking for like shoes, ...

Like, I'm gonna like absolutely go to like the North-east for my vacation

Can I, like, tell you, like, why I like the Disney characters?

Ok, like it or not, the word like is all-pervasive (not just on facebook), and is a substitute for other words, or just over-used in like, places where it's not needed..

But we can't let the Americans win so easily right? Matlab, it wouldn't be right. So we have matlab, used and matlab, over-used, in parts of our own dharti (land). Matlab, if you can't get this, you are a person from matlab, Mars or something.

The Good and the Better

I had yet another session lasting about three hours with a couple of former students the other day- I think I am getting rather good at this now.

The conversation ranged from careers- with me adding my two bits to whatever amazing things the youngsters are up to (some of which I understand, not all)- and educational opportunities in India and abroad- of which I know a bit. We also delved into films of yore, and I was surprised that one of them actually asked me to recommend films from my times to watch! The tension arising from seeing their classmates getting married in quick succession also figured in the conversation..had to, I guess.

Reminiscing about the good old days from IMT Nagpur was another track that took us back a few years, nostalgically. I spent the prime of my youth (!!) there, and so did they. We also tried a couple of yummy mocktails (one was called Dark Beauty!), and turned out we could also recommend some cocktails to each other. All in all, a very satisfying conversation, and we parted with promises to continue them.

Reminds me- a few days ago, I met a current student who was taught by my wife much earlier (in school at Bangalore), who remembered her fondly. Well, the profession is such that it throws up pleasant surprises often!

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Cancer has been a scourge for a long time, but the instances have been increasing at an alarming pace. I now know at least five people in my circle who have had it at some stage, and are under treatment of various types.

A couple of days ago, I got bad news regarding a former colleague at IMT Ghaziabad who succumbed after a fight. She was young and a very happy person.. I remember her as a very caring and courageous human being. Unfortunately, cancer struck, and snuffed her life at an unfairly young age. Another ex-colleague at Bangalore/Harihar also went through a similar fate a few years ago. Others have got treatment, and have recovered, as of now.

I have read a few books about the disease, and there does not seem to be an easily identifiable cause. Some of the people who got it were non-smokers, and some, vegetarian in their diet. Tough to say what caused it in each of the cases, but it seems like you cannot predict why it will strike, and when. One can only hope that it is detected early if one gets it, and try and take care to treat it with available forms of treatment.

Here is hoping we find ways to prevent it. One has to die one day, but the suffering need not be so severe.

Friends- A 2 x 2 Matrix

Ok, since people understand 2x2 matrices best, I decided to make one about Friends- not the TV show, but real life ones. These are the four varieties.

Ones you met in real life first and then on Facebook. (1)

Those you met in real life and don't want to meet on FB. (2)

Those you did not meet in real life before but are FB friends with. (3)

Those who you did not meet ever, either on FB or in Real Life. (4)

All the celebrities that I admire- scientists, sportsmen, music directors, singers, movie stars, dabbawalas, etc.. are in Quadrant 4. Naturally, coz why would they want to meet me?

Quadrant 1 is a natural consequence of a mutual liking which translates to Likes on FB.

Quadrant 2 is also understandable-it's the opposite of Quadrant 4, except that I am not a celebrity, and I still don't want to meet them.

It's Quadrant 3 that is interesting, because I am now starting to meet a lot of people that I had only known from FB. And hitting it off too.