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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Busy Days

Sorry haven't been blogging in a while now.... I have been pretttttty busy with my thesis and research and coding and what not.... Ah !!! The woes of graduate life.

Thankfully my professor decided that I can graduate this semester. So I have been overly busy writing my thesis and completing the project, tweaking the performance.... etc., etc.,

Also the job search is not going that great. So, there it is.

Hopefully I should be back to frequent blogging soon.

'til then.....
- So

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Yummmmy Days !!

Yep.... !!! thats the name of my new blog, just wanted to keep my thoughts and my recipes separate :P Not that I am not thinking about food all the time !!! But, you know what I mean .....

http://yummmmydays.blogspot.com --- Dint find a blog name with 2 'm's in the yummy :( Cant help.... So, there it is PPL !!! Do visit and leave some comments :P

So long...
- SO

Saturday, September 11, 2010

TRIBUTE TO 9/11

This post goes out as a tribute to all the victims of the 9/11 2001 incident and to the brave fighters who tried to help and lost their lives in the process too.

Countless families lost dear and loved ones on this day and my condolences to all of those families. I know their lives will never be the same again.

I watched a documentary on this event and I could not believe the amount of devastation and damage that the country went through emotionally and financially. Those 102 mins looked like never ending hell. I cant even begin to imagine the thought process of the people / survivors who witnessed the accident and were part of it, lest alone of those who were trapped and died. Imagine the terror they were going through during the final moments of their lives..... Some people even jumped out of the burning buildings, hoping they would atleast live, despite losing a leg or arm.

You would sit in front of the TV and think that if you were around, you would definitely help, but all I saw was people running helter-skelter and some people even shouting for help, but nobody in the near vicinity even stopping to take a look let alone helping them.

Earlier, I used to be curious as to what I would do if I was in such a situation, but after watching this video, the story is totally different. Of-course I would still help (I guess). But seriously, curious or not curious, I would never be wanna caught in such a situation in my life time. My prayers go out to the families who have lost loved ones and my bravados to the fighters and helpers.

Also, thanks to all the brave people who had the guts to shoot the incident on their cameras, which made me see the harsh reality of disasters, this one of which was man-made. And it goes without saying..... "DEFINITELY NO THANKS TO THE PEOPLE WHO CAUSED THIS."

- So

Friday, September 10, 2010

SPACE !!!

Who invented this concept called "space" ? !! I for one hate it like HELL.

Being in a relationship means being together, then why the space factor ? Why do you need the distance ? Some might say "distance" helps you grow and I am not talking in the literal sense of the word "distance" here. I strongly believe that in a relationship, you have numerous opportunities to grow "together".

"I need my own space and time to enjoy with my friends". Well, if you are ashamed of being seen together and cant accept your relationship in front of your friends, then there is no use being in such a relationship. Always be bold in life and love your significant other to the max. Doesn't mean you should not spend time with your friends, but get your partner to enjoy with them and you enjoy with your partner's friends too. Thats what life is all about, relationships and maintaining them.

Show him / her that you love them so much as to consider letting him / her into your life (consisting of family, friends, and other activities). Give them an opportunity to know you better. And most of all, DO NOT take them for granted. Nobody stays forever.... Who knows they might find someone else who is ready to accept and acknowledge them and then you will be left with noone.

Ciao,
--- So

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Feelings and the reasons behind them - 2

Hmm, which feeling should I write about now ? Sadness, Frustration, Hurt.....

Hurt is probably a good one to follow after love.... hurt in love.... love-lost, lonely ?
Also hurt by friends, acquaintances, bosses, and the like.... hurt in all its glorious forms !!!
I have probably experienced all these kinds of hurt in life. Are they really all different or are they really the same ? Of-course there are the physical hurts which cause pain. But isn't the mental pain more painful?

Even though it cant be seen, how much it changes one's life, either for the better or for the worse? Some people emerge from the hurt and grow stronger with each blow, like a piece of metal being shaped into something beautiful. The hurt they have gone through defines them through and through.

Others however, can barely manage to stand straight, let alone growing stronger. Their whole life gets messed up and they can hardly make sense of what is happening to them anymore. So confused about life, that they cant see straight ahead. That is when people write about it in the blog like what I am doing I guess :) Because they try to get some meaning out of life by writing about it and trying to analyze it.....

All advice appreciated folks... just don't ask what caused the hurt :) Only advice about how to get out of the hurtful phase will be welcome.

Feelings and the reasons behind them


Love, Hate, Sadness, Anger, Frustration etc., etc., etc.,

What are these feelings and why do they happen to us ? Are we - humans - the only creatures on earth which experience them ?

I had some time to reflect about life in general today and I began to wonder..... Why do people fall in love ? As in, what makes people actually fall in love with someone ? Why is it that when you are in love, you tend to do anything and everything for the person you love ? Why is it that when this person whom you love is angry or shouts at you, you feel sad ? Why is it that when this person feels hurt, you feel hurt for him / her too ? Why is it that you ponder about them all the time when they are not around / with you ? Why do you remember every little detail of your life spent with them that you wouldn't normally remember if you had spent it with your other normal friends ? Why do you miss them when they are not with you ? What is it that makes them so special ? Why do people get attracted to each other ? What makes them inseparable ?

Of course, every single question here can be explained scientifically perhaps.... for example...I read somewhere recently

"Falling in love can induce a calming effect on the body and mind and raises levels of nerve growth factor for about a year, which helps to restore the nervous system and improves the lover’s memory".

Seriously ?? Is that why you always remember the details of the time you spent with your lover ? I also read the following somewhere (quoting)

"It's official: Love makes us crazy
For one thing, it causes serotonin levels in the brain to drop, which may lead people to obsess about their lover. (The levels of serotonin, a chemical produced by the body, are also low in people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder.) Next, it ramps up production of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to slightly higher blood pressure and possibly loss of sleep. Finally, a scientist at the University of London has found that when people look at their new loves, the neural circuits that are usually in charge of social judgment are suppressed. All in all, love kind of leaves you obsessive, stressed, and blind. And we love it."

I ask you people out there.... would you believe this ? And if this is true, then love is not unique to a particular lover, I mean, you can surely love more than one person, can't you ? Its just science. Then why on earth do we love the same person all our lives and remain faithful to him / her ? Well, I guess I dunno the answer to this one... If someone out there can help me on this, that would be great.....

More to come about feelings and the like..... c u all soon....

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Awesome Day !!

Today was a great day... Had loads of fun with friends and a good workout session too :) Some awesome shots at Racquetball, some interesting talk at dinner, and some great strategies while playing cards.... what a day and what a night !!! Totally loved it.

Signing off for the day
--- So

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

To the ER and back !!! What a day !!!

I always knew that racquetball was a dangerous sport, and have been injured quite a few times too, but never knew that it is not just racquetball, but many sports which involve overhead activities are dangerous to you if you have a loose shoulder, even plain swimming !!!

The person playing racquetball today was trying to "win the lost game" when this story happened. He tried to smash a shot against the wall with a full force of his overhead swing of the racquet and the unexpected happened. He ended up with a dislocated shoulder and was also unable to move the arm due to extreme pain.

His friends had to rush him to the Emergency Room (ER). I was one of them. I had never been to a ER before and had never seen all those cardiac and respiratory monitors in live action. It was all just fascinating. But, for my friend, the victim, it was pure torture even after reaching the ER. He was not even allowed to drink water, in fear of vomiting due to saline and sedatives that were being administered. Finally, he fell asleep due to the effect of the drugs.

The doctor then came in and pushed back the arm in place. Well, the placing back took hardly like 10 secs, but the entire process before that was just (I can just guess here) plain "WTH is going on here.... when will I be taken care of...." kind of time.

When the doc was pushing back the arm into place, we were allowed to stay in the ER and the scene was something like this. My friend was completely knocked out due to the sedatives, but we friends were all cringing, since the doctor was turning his arm around to place it back. We were afraid that our friend was getting hurt. It was an awful scene, but thankfully short-lived and the operation (if I can call it that) was successful.... As someone said "All's well that ends well".

The drug wore off after less than 10 mins and my friend was awake again and we teased him that he had been asleep for like 8 hrs straight. Being the smart-ass (pardon the usage of words) that he is and the dumbos that we are, little did we think that there was a clock on the wall in the ER right on the opposite wall where his bed was placed and he didn't in the least bit believe us. Whatever it was, even after such an incident, we were still able to laugh and have fun and amuse ourselves. I guess its just human nature which leads us on and makes us forget our worries just so we can get through bad times and move on wherever life takes us. I guess GOD made us that way.

Anyway, all in all it was a happy ending to a bad start of an evening. We all finally got back home, settled our friend down for the night and went back to our respective houses. Everything should be back to normal tomorrow. We might have to take the friend to an orthopedist to get his shoulder and arm checked, but I am sure the visit will go well.

Wising my friend well !!!
-- So

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Last Day at Work !!

Today is my last day at work (assistantship ends on May 31st -- memorial day and I don't work on Fridays) and I am sooo sooooo happy that I will find more time to spend with friends and for other activities.

But I am seriously gonna miss my cubicle at work. And I am definitely gonna miss my beautiful dual monitor system :) How I wish I could take it home with me. This post is written from my work place and in memory of my dual monitors :(

Ah well, I just hope to graduate soon, so I can get on with my life and other things ;)

So long.... ciao.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Sleeplessness

Weird.... for some reason, yesterday I was too sleepy all day long and now its already 3.30 am and I am still unable to sleep. Tried to sleep, couldn't.... so now here I am.... wondering what to write about.

I know tomorrow (technically today) is going to be a long long day. I have to work some extra hours and I have to do more work on my research. Oh God !! What do I do ? I just hope I can do some work tomorrow and not feel sleepy.

Also planning to start exercising from tomorrow, most probably swimming or even badminton should do the trick. Havent had much physical activity in a long time, except a little bit of walking, which I dont consider as an activity at all, since it doesn't in the least bit affect my weight. My doctor has advised me to lose at-least 9 pounds. I am well on the way of achieving that, having lost around 2 pounds.

Hmm, the topic has moved from sleep to exercise and weight loss... that shows I am blabbering without reason and sense. Time to go then :) See you all soon.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Driving Practice....... !!!!!

Well..... today was a good day overall. I woke up quite early compared to other days (it being a Sunday and all - 8 am is pretty early for me even otherwise :P). I called back home (India) and was on the phone with my mom for around 2 hours or more trying to get her to check the Internet connection at my house (newly installed) and come online. Well, it was a time-consuming job actually, but finally she was online. All's well that ends well... as they say.

Finally we saw each other after 2 whole years since I came to the US. It was a good feeling. I spoke to her for another 2 hours over Skype, not letting her have her dinner or serve dinner to Dad (sorry Pappa....). I enjoyed eating her brains for a while, then took off for the main event of the day.

We (me and couple of my friends) had rented a car for the weekend and wanted to do some driving practice. I have been driving for 6 yrs now in India, just need to clear my driving test here in the US (what with the opposite side drive and all). All I had to practice was to reverse park, parallel park and reverse parallel park. I did pretty well, but since I cant go out on the roads w/o a US license, I was limited to the University Housing campus. Soon, got bored.

Took some long breaks in between, took an afternoon nap, went for a drive again in the night. And then now relaxing for this post.... so that's that for today.... I am enjoying my first day of blogging... hope this continues !!! See you all soooooon.

My first blog

Hello All,

Hmm, lemme see..... I will just refer to myself as So for the time-being... currently doing my Masters in Artificial Intelligence. Nothing to be awed of.... its all cool and sometimes boring too (ssshhhh..... dont tell my profs I said that !!). Well, this is my first blog and I am planning to write about "my daily life adventures" as the name suggests..... So, here goes.... lets start blogging, shall we ?