GRADUATED !!!

Yay !!! the day of my dreams is finally here.... I officially graduated today with an MS in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Georgia.... I am super happy and even more happy that I am going to share this weekend with my BESTEST of friends. However I miss some of my friends from my days at MIT, Manipal :( Wish you guys were here....

BTW, I was kind of searching for something on the internet and accidentally ended at this web page.... funny - but highly unlikely though :)

What Happens IF INR 1RS=USD $ 1OO

Enjoy the conversation.....
- So

Its finally here

Yes, my defense date has been scheduled and I am waiting to get it over with so I can finally concentrate on other things in life. Lets hope it goes well and I come out of this with colors atleast - if not with flying colors :)

- So

WISH LIST !!

I have always harbored a passion for the creative arts (painting, music, knitting, crochet etc.,). Also, I am good at a few of them :), thanks to my parents..... they always encouraged me to learn new things !!

As a sequel to my New Year's resolution (none of the items on my list have been checked out as yet), I am putting up my wish list here :), a "things to do before I die"-of-sorts.

I have learnt some of these on a basic level, but I wanna be atleast on an intermediate expertise level :)

• Learn how to play the guitar (tried my hands at this and absolutely loved it).
• Many more projects in Knitting and Crochet (have promised my dearest friends some handmade gifts - hopefully soon).
• Learn tennis.
• Expertly fluent in French. Also wanna learn a host of other languages - especially interested in German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean (have a fascination for Chinese and the like -- because to the naked ear, all the words in the language sound the same --- I am sure they are just pronounced with a twisted tongue :P)
• Learn different dancing styles - already know basics of Salsa, Belly dancing and Bharatnatyam (what diversity hehe !!)... wanna complete my learning curve :)
• Would love to Zumba more --- wow !! its just an awesome feeling when you zumba.... its a "not have a care in the world" feeling. You just dont care that someone is watching. You are dancing crazily and well, its helping too --- you definitely lose a lot of calories. So being ignorant is totally worth it.
• Wanna learn singing --- I am kind of a kitchen singer i.e., I sing when I cook. I dont have a formal training and would love to get one. I love to hear people singing. So, maybe someday I can hear myself sing beautifully :)
• Would love to be able to swim better --- again, I know only the basics. I would probably not drown if someone pushed me into the water, but I am aiming at losing weight through swimming, for which I need to be at intermediate level - and build up enough stamina to do quite a few laps a day. Just love the water though.... thank god I am not hydrophobic :)
• Build a robot (intelligent machine / intelligent software) some day --- ONE FINE DAY maybe :) would be totally proud of myself if I did.
• Have some paintings of my own :P Not for sale or anything... just for me to look at and be proud of !!!

Phew !! Seriously a diverse list of stuff to do.... Oh well, so what.... I dont want to be a master of one trade, but rather a jack of all !! I know its quite a weird list, but I believe I can do it and I know I am especially good at some of them. So, why not ??

Well, until the next update.

À bientôt - So.

The freedom and the snow !!! ... TO ... TANGLED !!

Hey you all out there,

I missed you all a lot the past couple of days, or rather couple of months. Was too busy with my thesis work. Fortunately or unfortunately my thesis got postponed by another semester, so I am still stuck here, "in the middle of nowhere", I would like to call it, both literally and figuratively.

Lemme explain,
Fortunately, because, I am not "hot" in the job market as yet. Infact, jobs are being taken off the market like hot potatoes. Hopefully, I will be too.
Unfortunately, because, I was feeling that I was soooo done with the thesis work. I still feel that way. But looks like I am soooo not :(.
Hmm, I guess you all understood my figurative meaning to "in the middle of nowhere". Anyways, I finally finished writing my thesis clean draft... All I have are some small minor changes left, so all I can do is go ahead from here. Lemme see where that will take me.

As for other things in my life, nothing really exciting has been going on lately, except that I have been thinking a lot about both my personal and professional life and want to write and express so many things, that they are all jumbled up now.... oh I suddenly remembered --- I saw the movie "TANGLED" recently... most appropriate word for what I am feeling right now.... but what a cute movie it was ---- absolutely LOVEEEEEED it. Okkk !! now u know exactly how tangled I am. So what was I saying ? Yeah... I have these 1000 thoughts, which I wanna express, but dunno where to start and where to continue. I will try getting to them in later posts. Lets see how successful I get on that front.

I havent done much of cooking either, so I dont know what I am gonna write in my other blog. I was however thinking of starting on some knitting, now that its winter. Ok !!! The title of this post as I write reads "The freedom and the snow !!". What was I thinking of writing ?? Frankly, I dont remember. I am gonna change the title right now. There, DONE !! Intuitive, right :) Wrong... It sounds so stupid, but I dont wanna change it.

Oh, btw, has anybody gotten to the point where they could cross off one of the items in their new year's checklist ? I havent, mainly because, I never had a list in the first place !!! As I said, too many things on my mind. Moreover, I somehow have never believed in them. Never worked for me. I still hope to do the basic things though. Here are 10 of them.

1. Graduate soon.
2. Get a job.
3. Dont go on a diet, but reduce weight..... this one NEVER EVER works !!
4. Communicate more with my family and friends.
5. Have fun in life.
6. Learn something new.
7. Get back to my artistic hobbies (knitting, drawing, crochet)... would LOVE to check this off my list.
8. Eat healthy.
9. Get un-tangled :) thats a new thought.
10. Travel to someplace soooooo gorgeous.... that everyone gets envious of me.

Hmm, I hope to check off atleast the first 2 off my list soon. Anybody else who wants to share their lists here is welcome. We can all keep track of each other's lists and try to reaaalllllllly get there this time.

So long folks,
So.

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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

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.

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.

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 ?