tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219978852024-03-14T10:18:57.090+05:30my life and other strange thingsNikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-38488605440089123222012-06-18T00:33:00.000+05:302012-06-18T00:43:19.004+05:30Run and Inspire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-90547564936245048702012-01-15T00:12:00.000+05:302012-01-15T00:14:20.480+05:30Soccer in no mans land<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I find this picture very intriguing. Some might find it strange that we went all the way to Death Valley and played soccer *. In the middle of nowhere with nobody else around. This picture involves my life. And it involves a strange thing. So I put this up in a blog called my life and other strange things. Enough said! </div>
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* It was always football to me until I moved to USA and football meant something else. Something that had very little kicking of the ball with the foot. Something that involved a ball that is not round. <i>Strange</i>.</div>
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</div>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-20849656008889356882012-01-13T11:30:00.001+05:302012-01-13T11:30:52.071+05:30Likeable Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Being liked is something you don't get by trying too hard.<br />
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I spent a good part of this morning trying to come up with something likeable to write about. Thoughts came and went, but none of them stuck on. Well, its not like there isn't much happening in my life. No sir (or madam, my apologies), there is no dearth of things to write about. <br />
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I could write about clarinetist and composer Shankar Tucker's music videos that I have become a big fan of. Or about the wonderfully enlightening week I had in New York as part of StartingBloc - an experience I definitely regret not having written about much much earlier. Or about my jam-packed and intense rendezvous with startup scene at a StartupWeekend event in SanFranscisco. <br />
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In each case, I'm trying to envision the end product - a complete piece of writing. I'm trying to compare which topic would produce a better finished piece. Best work first, right? But soon enough I realise how utterly foolish this endeavor of 'comparison' is. The process of writing on a certain topic changes my opinion of that topic. I am forced to <em>actually</em> think about the topic, go over the details, adjust my thoughts as my writing evolves. So I'll never know how the end product will look.<br />
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I believe each piece of writing should get what it rightly deserves - a deferred judgement. Evaluating your writing before completing it can do more harm than good. And since I cant stop evaluating myself on any of the aforementioned topics, I shall defer those posts for later.<br />
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There are certain times when you sit in front of a blank screen, hopeful and lightly expectant. And magically an hour or so later you have a piece of writing that might leave you genuinely surprised (in a good, bad or horrific way).<br />
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This is one of those times. I wont pass any judgement until this has been published and its too late to do anything else. This particular piece of writing (if it can be called that) has been a surprise!</div>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-35771335988505785332012-01-11T11:30:00.000+05:302012-01-12T01:02:33.835+05:30The Ugly Indian Initiative<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<india dirty="" does="" have="" roads=""> I'm not new to dirty roads. I've shared my life with them for over two decades. I have managed to ignore all the potholes, the roadside garbage, the urinal-walls. I didn't think of these features as good or bad, I just accepted that they exist. I'm not alone in this, we (desi types) all have a chalta hai attitude. We are like this only - we tell each other. Even the television advertisements proudly glorify this nature as 'Indian'. <br />
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In the midst of such rhetoric, I came across this website called <a href="http://theuglyindian.com/" target="_blank">The Ugly Indian</a> which really caught my attention. It is <i>actually</i> trying to change things from a ground up level. Check it out for yourself. I really like their motto (from their Facebook page) -<br />
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<em>Our motto: Kaam Chalu Mooh Bandh. </em></div>
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<em>No activism, no lectures, no awareness drives, no moralising. Just go out and do it.</em></div>
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Being in the USA now, there is not much I can do for this 'movement' happening in Bangalore and hopefully other Indian cities. I'm thinking of ways in which I can contribute to this movement. As a computer engineer the best way I can think of making a difference is by a commentary on their website. So here goes... <br />
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The website seems to be very well designed. The first page of the site has just one question - Why are Indian Streets filthy? And the question has four choices that you <i>have</i> to answer before you can proceed. I like this because it makes you think and puts the onus on you, the reader to make a choice.<br />
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The purpose of the site is clear, there are no distractions with a frugal yet tasteful background. While the website is clean and fresh looking, the pictures depicted are sometimes downright filthy. This brings a sense of contrast to the mind. It makes you feel like walking to the roads, cleaning the mess and putting up pictures of spotless roads.<br />
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Most of the sentences are short and simple (especially in the second page) and hard to miss. For the thick skinned who still manage to miss, the really important points ones are in bold.<br />
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The site reflects the take-action nature of this initiative. The photo examples of spot-fixing, with Before and After pictures demonstrate the impact these people are having. The examples are results-oriented with not a lot of preaching. The site clearly makes a call for action and makes you want to be involved.<br />
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The website has a certain flowing structure and seems to be designed primarily for first time users - first you answer a poll question, then you see a summary, then look at practical examples of spot-fixing, and then the "I’ve seen enough. So, what’s the point? " link to convert you, the ugly Indian to a more caring person.<br />
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I do feel that navigation of the website has some room for improvement. The structure the website can appear restrictive at times, especially if you are a returning visitor and you still need to go through the first few pages to reach a page you were actually interested in. For example I never discovered the <a href="http://theuglyindian.com/about_us.html" target="_blank">About Us</a> page until my 4-5th visit to the website - usually you would expect this page to be available very easily to a visitor. <br />
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All-in-all, The Ugly Indian is a great initiative. I hope they are successful in changing the mindset of a majority of city-dwellers. I'll be following this group closely! <br />
<question about="" better="" countries="" do="" how="" in="" like="" other="" people="" usa=""></div>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-84777422131833707142012-01-07T07:21:00.000+05:302012-01-07T07:21:11.600+05:30the tea kettle junction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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in the middle of nowhere</div>
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in inyo county</div>
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in death valley</div>
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in california</div>
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is this intriguing sign-post</div>
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laden with kettles old and new</div>
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silver, black, blue and pink too</div>
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some big some small </div>
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some short some tall</div>
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mountains all around</div>
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joshua trees abound</div>
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dusty dirt track, the ground</div>
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in the middle of nowhere we found</div>
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the tea kettle junction</div>
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tea kettle junction</div>
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what is your function??</div>
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<b> sand avalanche : </b> Movement of large masses of sand down a dune face when the angle of repose is exceeded or when the dune is disturbed. <br>
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 <br><br>
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A fortnight ago friends and I were at Eureka sand dunes near Death Valley. We had an awesome time climbing up the structure made up of innumerable ridges and valleys. To climb up, you have to walk on edge of a ridge, which usually gives way to a deep crest on either side. One side of the ridge is steeper that the other and the sand is a loose on this side.
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Some places the ridges were so steep that the sand dune seemed unstable - as though a light wind or a slight earthquake tremor could bring the whole structure down. In certain places we could push a little sand down from the top and watch as a mini avalanche was created! We spent some time playing around and making sand rivers.
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We heard trembling at a certain point on the dunes.. we thought the sound could be from an earthquake or a power station nearby. We dont know what what made the sound, but who knows.. it just might have been a sand avalanche!Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-66705546369027840702011-10-03T05:14:00.000+05:302011-10-03T05:14:15.047+05:30MisscommunicationThere was once a lovely Miss <br>
with whom I started talking.<br>
Talking to her was more refreshing<br>
than a midnight walk in the park.<br>
All I wanted to do was to hear her voice<br>
everything else was just mundane noise.<br>
ahh... wonderful Miss communication!<br>
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But will communication overcome<br>
a great distance?<br>
Little did i know <br>
voices get blurred over oceans.<br>
Something was certainly amiss<br>
and when we do talk its not the same<br>
Wish I could talk to you still<br>
without the hint of a chill.<br>
ahh... I miss Communication!!<br>
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There must be a lesson in all this<br>
that I just dont seem to learn.<br>
Sometimes things are too late<br>
and you need to leave everything to fate.<br>
aaaargh... I hate miscommunication!!!<br>
Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-87593025977329483042011-09-26T09:02:00.001+05:302011-09-26T09:02:31.351+05:30Family mattersHeres an adviserly rambling blog post.... <br>
For a change, I have the whole house to myself. With a lazy weekend in front of me, my mind wanders casually over the past few weeks of life here. With my parents' visit , they have been <i>quite </i>hectic. Now that they have gone, there is a silence in the house I'm not used to. <br><br>
Family matters. They are the only ones who stand by you go with you wherever you go. Its often that you take these relationships for granted. Which is bad. There... I made my point for this blog.<br><br>
People handle staying away from family differently. Some of them miss their family and constantly whine about it. They make a flurry of phone calls across the Atlantic everyday. They share their many concerns and moments of happiness with people back home. Some others try to hide themselves from their homesick feelings. They tell themselves they can handle things on their own and see their impulses to call back home as a sign of weakness. <br><br>
Probably the only unconditional support you will get is from your family. Dont underestimate that.
Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-31042673034555797552011-09-22T08:16:00.000+05:302011-09-22T08:16:28.116+05:30Beautiful Niagara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two faces of the Fall. Rainbow. Ahhh.....
Seeing Niagara Falls close up is something I enjoyed immensely. Looking at the torrent of water gushing down, you can help being in awe of such natural beauty.
Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-18698997987542868182011-05-02T03:47:00.003+05:302011-05-02T03:50:56.661+05:30Synthetic HappinessFreedom is the enemy of synthetic happiness. Whats synthetic happiness? Listen on ...<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LTO_dZUvbJA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-83484888016673055102010-08-01T11:21:00.005+05:302010-08-01T11:28:03.798+05:30Friendship !<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/TFULi_pQkRI/AAAAAAAAA_8/X2lEHWm6408/s1600/friendship.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/TFULi_pQkRI/AAAAAAAAA_8/X2lEHWm6408/s400/friendship.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500315215730872594" /></a><br /><br />Friendship is honey no money can buy.<br />Happy Friendship Day!Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-854781305366371242010-07-29T06:00:00.002+05:302010-07-29T06:04:02.456+05:30Abysmal Jokes (AJ's) Part 16<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/SFIRZZ997uI/AAAAAAAAACY/pnnmQNGqQes/s1600-h/tomato.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/SFIRZZ997uI/AAAAAAAAACY/pnnmQNGqQes/s400/tomato.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211246846986284770" /></a><br /><br />Colleague 1: hey...my computer stopped working all of a sudden. <br/><br />Colleague 2: did you kick something by mistake? a wire might have come loose<br/><br />Colleague 1: hmm...im sure i kicked something AFTER it stopped working ...Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-20641368420610707372010-05-12T03:51:00.002+05:302010-05-12T04:03:24.195+05:30Home Sweet HomeTo travel half way across the world, return after a year <br />and feel like everything happened just yesterday<br /><br />To eat like a king who has everything in the world lined up for him <br /><br />To sleep like a simple man who has nothing in the world to worry about<br /><br />To see with delight how people have changed <br />and how people have not changed<br /><br />To realize with surprise how I have changed and remained the same<br /><br />To return back homeNikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-45013070413579196532010-03-19T10:27:00.003+05:302010-03-19T11:00:37.587+05:30Only so muchIts 1.00 am in the night<br />All my roomies are still up alright<br />But for keyboard strokes and mouse clicks, the air is quiet<br /><br />Such is the fate of people in grad school<br />Let it not for one second fool<br />You into thinking all's well and cool<br /><br />Its bloody cold, sometimes its quite hot too<br />In this silly place Purdue<br />The weather can be irritating like nose goo<br />About this theres only so much you can do.Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-67126347212556979882009-12-21T01:28:00.009+05:302009-12-21T02:09:02.126+05:30Fall colours<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6Cx3GVEOI/AAAAAAAAAlE/fXsDa3vebjA/s1600-h/Photo0011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6Cx3GVEOI/AAAAAAAAAlE/fXsDa3vebjA/s400/Photo0011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417411194888982754" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6JvomjWiI/AAAAAAAAAls/R-k-O2Vnv9U/s1600-h/Photo0026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6JvomjWiI/AAAAAAAAAls/R-k-O2Vnv9U/s400/Photo0026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417418853219260962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6Jlmr-5aI/AAAAAAAAAlk/fpItAzi_82o/s1600-h/Photo0025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6Jlmr-5aI/AAAAAAAAAlk/fpItAzi_82o/s400/Photo0025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417418680906474914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6JXvqS9_I/AAAAAAAAAlc/O1fLKrv-dEI/s1600-h/Photo0024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6JXvqS9_I/AAAAAAAAAlc/O1fLKrv-dEI/s400/Photo0024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417418442797152242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6JIpbzzEI/AAAAAAAAAlU/muD4zj3mBY0/s1600-h/Photo0022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6JIpbzzEI/AAAAAAAAAlU/muD4zj3mBY0/s400/Photo0022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417418183427738690" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6Is6zOCcI/AAAAAAAAAlM/mWQB5byUUl8/s1600-h/Photo0013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6Is6zOCcI/AAAAAAAAAlM/mWQB5byUUl8/s400/Photo0013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417417707052992962" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6J68vnWGI/AAAAAAAAAl0/5DCcpJiii3U/s1600-h/Photo0029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/Sy6J68vnWGI/AAAAAAAAAl0/5DCcpJiii3U/s400/Photo0029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417419047604541538" /></a>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-11894196402172697342009-12-03T09:31:00.008+05:302009-12-06T01:14:20.863+05:30Flow - The Neurobiology of ExcellenceHere is a very interesting excerpt on the concept of "flow" - from the pages of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman : <br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />A composer describes those moments when his work is at its best: <br /><br />You yourself are in an ecstatic state to such a point that you feel as though you almost don't exist. I've experienced this time and again. My hand seems devoid of myself, and I have nothing to do with what is happening. I just sit there watching in a state of awe and wonderment. And it just flows out by itself.<br /><br /><br />His description is remarkably similar to those of hundreds of diverse men and women-rock climbers, chess champions, surgeons, basketball players, engineers, managers and even filing clerks-when they tell of a time they outdid themselves in some favoured activity. The state they describe is called "flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the University of Chicago psychologist who has collected many such accounts of peak performance during two decades of research. Athletes know this state of grace as the "zone" where excellence becomes effortless, crowd and competitors disappearing into a steady absorption in the moment. Diane Roffe-Steinrotter, who captured a gold medal in skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics said after she finished her turn at ski racing that she remembered nothing about it but being immersed in relaxation: "I felt like a waterfall".<br /><br />Being able to enter flow is emotional intelligence at its best, flow represents perhaps the ultimate in harnessing the emotions in the service of performance and learning. In flow the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand. To be caught in the ennui of depression or the agitation of anxiety is to be barred from flow. Yet flow(or a milder microflow) is an experience almost everyone enters from time to time, particularly when performing at their peak or stretching beyond their former limits. Its is perhaps best captured by ecstatic lovemaking, the merging of two into a fluidly harmoniously one. <br /><br />The experience is a glorious one: the hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture. Because flow feels so good, it is intrinsically rewarding. It is a state in which people become utterly absorbed in what they are doing, their awareness merged with their actions. Indeed it interrupts flow to reflect too much on what is happening-the very thought"I'm doing this wonderfully" can break the feeling of flow. Attention becomes so focused that are aware only of the narrow range of perception related to the immediate task, losing track of time and space. A surgeon for example, recalled a challenging operation during which he was in flow; when he completed the surgery he noticed some rubble on the floor of the operating room and asked what happened. He was amazed to hear that while he was so intent on the surgery part of the ceiling had caved in - he hadn't noticed at all.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-14969320150657325782009-11-15T21:42:00.002+05:302009-11-15T21:45:10.636+05:30A beautiful day in Purdue<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/SwApCJ-Ct8I/AAAAAAAAAkI/5P1eKXYliJE/s1600-h/Photo0106.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/SwApCJ-Ct8I/AAAAAAAAAkI/5P1eKXYliJE/s400/Photo0106.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404364669857216450" /></a>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-85003133238898109702009-09-26T05:41:00.002+05:302009-09-26T05:47:15.739+05:30row your boatRow row row your boat <br />the journeys' half done<br />the morning is yet to come <br />still time for the rising sun<br /><br />Dark doubts cloud over the horizon<br />a trace of fear, a hint of uncertainity <br />add more meaning to the black eternity<br /><br />But all these fade away<br />no more with the wind you sway<br />when you conjure up an iron will<br />and push like hell towards the distant hill<br /><br />So you row row row your boat <br />the journeys' half done<br />the morning is yet to come <br />still time for the rising sun<br /><br />In the pitch black darkness you see clearly<br />the green grass the dotted trees <br />the temple on the hill and the monkeys<br />on the beach kids play and scream <br />all vividly in your dream<br /><br />Your doubts were mistaken, you realise<br />you'll always have good company<br />never did you think you'll come this far<br />but just look up, theres always with you the northern star<br /><br />So you row row row your boat <br />the journeys' half done<br />the morning is yet to come <br />still time for the rising sunNikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-91604004176161960702009-09-13T07:20:00.001+05:302009-09-13T07:25:56.919+05:30...Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.<br /><br />-Steve JobsNikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-9161343069893789322009-09-10T10:25:00.004+05:302009-09-10T11:03:37.916+05:30Been a monthIts been around a month since I arrived at Purdue. So many things have happened in so less a time. The ability of humans in general (and me in particular)to adapt to surrounding environments constantly surprises me. In just a few days things have started to turn from the extraordinary to the routine. Im no longer overwhelmed by the different sights, sounds and smells (or the lack of them by Indian standards) around me. <br /><br />You cant help being inspired by the professors and the research happening in this place. You begin to realize how much more there is to learn. By learn I mean really learn.. and not "get good grades" or "pass an exam" and the like. The teaching in class (for most part) makes you think. Which is good.<br /><br />Not being in contact with people back home is like a dull persistent body ache. You can talk on the phone or chat online, but there's never a good time to say goodbye. Some things will just take some getting used to, I guess.<br /><br />Of course as a grad student you have no time. There is always something important to do right away. And more often than not (at least in the beginning of the semester) the tasks are very interesting. Very difficult and time consuming, but interesting nevertheless. This is one of those rare occurrences when I don't feel guilty of spending time writing a blog.<br /><br />More to come later. Fervently hope I get the time (and the clear conscience) to blog again!Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-17536681030989734912009-08-30T03:43:00.003+05:302009-08-30T03:54:00.865+05:30Bull****I dont think my blog's all bullshit. But simetimes I might get quite close to it, dont you think?<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/SpmpLT2bncI/AAAAAAAAAe4/D-hUrREwB98/s1600-h/DSC03464.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yyH7C8Rh7uI/SpmpLT2bncI/AAAAAAAAAe4/D-hUrREwB98/s400/DSC03464.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375513642015628738" /></a>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-21781975029649196392009-08-21T00:46:00.006+05:302009-08-21T01:18:25.001+05:30First ImpressionsI came to the US on 1st August 2009. To New York in fact. These are my three first impressions of Unites States :<br /><br />1) Where are the people, people?? <br />Coming from India, you are used to having people around. Physically I mean. Be it small villages or big cities we all sort of stick to each other. I found exactly the opposite in US. There are hardly any people around you. When I was told that JFK is one of the busiest of airports, I expected to see loads and loads of people . Somewhat like what we see in Railway stations in India. There was nothing of that sort. I was half afraid I got down at the wrong airport. On the drive back from the airport to Mangalas' home I didn't see a SINGLE pedestrian walk on NY streets for around 20 minutes. This really freaked me out. Theres this underlying concept of personal space here. Maybe this might explain the no people concept: <br />Population density of India: 349/km2 <br />Population density of US : 31/km2<br /><br />2) Loads of Infrastructure.<br />The buildings, the malls, the roads, the vehicles are all a sight to behold. All structures here are massive and as automated as possible. A lot of technology goes into all kinds of contraptions used to make living very independant. This is something in which India is regrettably very far behind. Here even the homeless have access to basic humane facilities.<br /><br />3) Auto Fanatics paradise.<br />Big red trucks.Not big,HUGE. Every kind of car imaginable. Every make of car heard of and many unheard of. Roaring gangs of Harley Davidson's. Convertibles cruising in morning sunlight. This country worships automobiles. Without them everything here would grind to a halt.Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-74705731978153108112009-07-29T08:58:00.001+05:302009-07-29T09:00:04.667+05:30Off I goSomebody’s off to Purdue this year to do his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering. <br />If the manages to hop on to the plane before it takes off.<br />If he miraculously avoids misplacing his passport.<br />If he doesn't get stuck in maddening Bangalore traffic.<br />…you get the drift.<br /><br />The last year in general has been one hell of a year for me (for those with no sense of humor…should I say no sense of bad humor ... by somebody in the previous para I meant myself).The last two years in particular were easily among the toughest in my life in more ways than one. Shifting companies, losing touch with once-close friends, preparing for cat, applying for ms, battling loneliness, picking up pieces. Trying to make sense of my part in this universe. And what not. I’ll try to pen down those memories some time later in another post perhaps. For now…its been one hell of a roller coaster ride.<br /><br />And I'm guessing the coming years won’t be a cake walk either!! So here I am , writing posts in the lull before the storm. Here’s me wishing myself the best of luck. I know I need it!!Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-81129242750463769862009-07-26T23:05:00.001+05:302009-07-26T23:08:19.721+05:30...<i>“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.”<br /></i> <br />-James A. MichenerNikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21997885.post-15022602004055324312009-07-24T08:31:00.006+05:302009-07-24T08:40:00.287+05:30Using Google For Ranking CollegesHere is an interesting way to rank colleges, based on Google's Page Rank system : <br /><a href="http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/rank.html">College Rankings</a><br /><br /><b><br /><div id="extract_output"><br /></div><br /><div id="extract_output2"><br /></div><br /></b>Nikhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09191460922275596237noreply@blogger.com2