Speech by Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens is a world famous athlete. After gettingr his first Olympic gold medal, he spoke the following lines:

"To those of you who laughed at me, thank you.
 Without you, I wouldnt have cried.
 To those of you who couldnt just love me, thank you.
 Without you, I wouldn't have known real love.
 To those of you who hurt my feelings, thank you.
 Without you, I wouldn't have felt them.
 To those of you who left me lonely, thank you.
 Without you, I wouldn't have discovered myself.
 But it is to those of you who thought I couldn't do it;
 It is you I thank the most,
 Because without you, I wouldn't have tried"

Definitions

This interesting article was found in my lab.Author unknown.

"Standing for what you believe in

 Regardless of the odds against you

 and the pressure that tears at your resistance

 ....means courage.

 Keeping a smile on your face,

 when inside you feel like dying,

 For the sake of supporting others,

 ....means strength

 Stopping at nothing,

 And doing what's in your heart,

 you know is right,

 ....means determination

 Doing more than is expected,

 To make another's life a little more bearable,

 Without uttering a single complaint

 ....means compassion

 Helping a friend in need,

 No matter the time or effort,

 To the best of your ability,

 ...means loyalty

 Giving more than you have,

 And expect nothing

 But nothing in return,

 ......means selflessness

 Holding your head high,

 And bring the best you know you can be,

 When life seems to fall apart at your feet,

 Facing each difficulty with the confidence

 That time will bring you better tomorrows'

 And never giving up,

....... means confidence.

Three Things In Life

Got this piece long back from an unknown source. Found it pretty inspiring. Thought to share it with you all:

THREE THINGS IN LIFE-Once gone, never come back:
  
WORDS, OPPORTUNITY and TIME


THREE THINGS IN LIFE-must never be lost:
  
PEACE,HOPE and HONESTY

THREE THINGS IN LIFE-that destroy a person:
  
GREED,PRIDE and ANGER

THREE THINGS IN LIFE-are never sure
  
DREAMS,SUCCESS and FORTUNE

THREE THINGS IN LIFE-that make you a great person

HARDWORK, SINCERITY and SUCCESS     

THREE THINGS IN LIFE-are most valuable

LOVE, SELF-CONFIDENCE and FRIENDS
  

THE BEGINNING OF A TALE: NCBS AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A FRESH GRADUATE

“A very professional and fastidious place to work in, with a very strong and dominating work culture. Not for the faint of heart”- Anonymous 

Well maintained lawns, spic and span corridors, beautiful buildings, state-of-the-art labs, sophisticated infrastructure, tasty food, lively people and above all-stimulating research work. That about sums up the first impressions of NCBS by first-time visitors here. A place that will tend to increase your fetish for research.

My first visit to the NCBS campus was during the interviews into the PhD programme. I fell in love with the place at first sight. I got bowled over by the warm reception we got and by the beautiful landscape of the campus. It transported me into another world. I felt I was in a foreign university except that the majority of the people there were Indians. It gave me the distinct aura of being in a corporate company (reminded me of the summer internship spent in Dr Reddy Laboratories).

I managed to get through the interviews (partly luck and partly common sense).I therefore embarked on another journey of my life when I joined NCBS in August 2011. At first, coming from a large campus like IITM with its huge student population and where the campus never seemed to sleep, I felt intimidated by the eerie calmness and serene environment outside the labs. But that, as I learnt later, can be deceiving, for within the walls of the building, thev labs are always brimming with activity, despite the lateness of the hour.

During the first three weeks of our programme, an orientation programme was conducted. It focused on every important aspect that was playing a major role in running NCBS and keeping it in good shape. At the core of it was the introductory session by the PI’s who presented and explained the ongoing work in their labs. We were also introduced to the other non-research, but equally important facilities in NCBS. The fact that equal importance was given to all branches of NCBS impressed me.

As the days passed, I begin to observe, and thus, learn more about NCBS. The people were very friendly and also very professional in their work. The help desk attends to the requests of many people without taking much of their time and so does the civil authorities. People, apart from the regular research students, right from the gardeners, electricians ,janitors and housekeeping staff work around the clock to make NCBS look young (literally). The best part about it is their efforts do not go unnoticed.

The thing most fascinating about NCBS is the quality of its research work. The research work being carried out here is one of the finest in India. As put in the words of a certain NCBSian, “What amazes me about NCBS is that the researcher has the freedom to follow his passion and the questions that intrigue him the most”. Although limited to life sciences, it makes the best opportunity of the principles of chemistry, maths, biology and physics by applying them to living systems. The research is integrated, intertwined, and interdisciplinary and proves the saying that “Science is one”. It strives to expand its research areas within the frontiers of biology yet make the chemists, physicists, mathematicians (non-life science students) feel at home with their work.

The faculty members were very eager in explaining about their work. The friendly interactions we had with them were instrumental in helping us to settle down quickly without any room for feeling homesick.

NCBS is unique just like any other institute. Part of this uniqueness lies in its well established scientific community which comprises a network of scientists all over the world. It provides an ideal opportunity to interact with eminent scientists’ worldwide working on a wide array of scientific problems. The conferences and workshops are one way of learning new skills as well as increasing our curiosity. The problems and questions set forth during these seminars leave us intrigued with the mysterious workings of living systems. It also serves as a platform to reach new heights in science, with its diverse collaborative projects and sending research students abroad for conferences and workshops.

The seriousness of safety issues here dawned upon me only after we were made to write a biosafety exam, as well as, presented with a fire safety drill. A lot of emphasis was put on every minute safety detail.

With the orientation programme coming to a close, the students were now in a dilemma of choosing their labs for pursuing their rotations. With the wide array of options available, it sure was hard to make a final choice as all seemed equally interesting. Of course, as I had been waitlisted, my lab had already been decided.

The sports complex at NCBS is worth a special mention. With its polished wooden courts, the well equipped gym, the water of the swimming pool sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight, it makes for a refreshing change of activity. Apart from providing rejuvenation to both the body and mind, it serves a certain purpose for the researchers-to vent out their bottled up frustration in the form of an interesting game of badminton or squash. I was no exception and I started working out at the gym within a week.

It was a refreshing change of food from the stereotyped sambhar, dal and rice typical of Chennai’s cuisine, to the cosmopolitan cuisine of NCBS which offers a variety of dishes. For the first time in two years, I felt the need not to miss a scrumptious breakfast.

The library, I have to admit, although not as huge as the Central Library of IITM, is a relaxing and cosy place to let one's scientific ideas be born, thanks to the wide number of journals-both in electronic format and hard copies, to which it has subscribed. Apart from the diverse scientific journals, a number of popular textbooks covering every aspect in science, can be found all in one place. It is a wonderful place to sit back,relax,and read through a novel without being interrupted.

It has been one and a half months since I joined NCBS. There is still so much about this place that remains unexplored. Time is spent juggling between attending seminars, course work, lab work and working out in the gym or playing badminton. The numerous seminars conducted daily in the institute, or the workshops once in a while keep the interest alive and helps breaks the monotony of graduate life.

A long journey lies ahead of me, a journey during which I hope to explore unchartered territory in the frontiers of science, expand my ever-increasing reservoir of knowledge, make contributions in the field I choose to work in, and last of all, a journey which is bound to put my patience to test. The real story starts here.

The whirlwind journey called "IIT Madras"

I am sitting in the basement lab of the NCBS campus waiting the arrival of one of the many PI's who are giving a presentatin of their work. This is my 4th day in the NCBS campus and I am still getting used to it.The PI fails to come so then I catch up some free time to pen down my experiences in my previous institute-the famed IIT.

Although I spent only 2 years in IIT Madras, it taught me a lot of things and I came to know that I did not know about things that even existed.The tedious theory courses and the practical work in the first year kept me occupied.A majority of my classmates were from Bengal and the competition was tough. Days and nights passed during which I pored over books and I hardly had time to do extra curricular activities. The only relief I had was during the Saarang fest. My favourite courses included the Biochemistry course during which I made good friends with students studying in the Dept of Biotechnology.

The second year was even more hectic and it was a mixture of madness, exhilaration and exhaustion.In addition to the theory courses we had to work in the lab for a project as part of course requirements.My labmates were all guys and they took relish in pulling my legs all the time.

Roopa was one of my closest friend I made in IIT. We both tried to hang out whenever we got the time. We would sit and talk for hours in the mess on a wide variety of subjects, the most favourite of them being movies and guys.I once attempted to climb a 60-70 feet water tank in the IIT campus in the midnight around 2 am. It was the only crazy thing I did in IIT.

I particulary enjoyed swimming in the huge Olympic-sized swimming pool. Sadly, my coursework took up a lot of my time and I ceased swimming after the 2nd semester.
The monkeys played havoc with my clothes all the time and once a monkey tried to peep under my long skirt when I was walking down the stairs. Ever then I have been wary of wearing skirts.

Mess food was good in the first semester and it gradually turned worse. By the 4th semester, I was eating in Tiffanys more often than in the mess.

Some of the rare moments that I experienced in IIT was watching the Indo-Pak cricket match during the WC 2011, first in the hostel common room and then in OAT.This was followed by the WC finals,also in the common room and then OAT.It was an awesome feeling being amidst the screaming crowd cheering hard for the Indian team.

Holi was another particular occassion that I enjoyed playing in the campus.We used to play for long hours and spend even longer hours washing off the colours from our clothes and body.

Saarang fests in IIT was one thing that all IITians eagerly awaited.It was a 5 day event filled with fun,frolic,entertainment.I attended a dance workshop during the fest, apart from taking part in various competitons.I used to enjoy the foods from the food stalls.

The final months of my stay in IIT cannot be explained with words. It was perhaps one of the most hectic moments, shuttling my life between end sem exams, thesis submission, and preparation for interviews into the PhD program. I had to go to Mumbai the next day my end sem exams ended and as soon as I returned I had to present a seminar on my MSc project, immediately after which I left for Bangalore to attend the interview at NCBS.Only after reaching Hyd for the summer vacations, did I catch my breath.

It was a big surprise to me when I heard I would be receiving the Best M.Sc Thesis Award in chemistry. Perhaps all that "pulling legs" in the lab paid off.

The time flew by very fast and before I knew it, it was time for me to join the graduating batch for receiving the Convocation degree. The title of this post sums it all up perfectly-a whirlwind journey.

All in all, it was a lovely experience at IIT. As for many students, I too had my share of both bad and good experiences in the institute but I prefer to keep only the good memories and ditch away the bad ones (not that I would ever forget the lessons learnt from them).

Farewell Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Herminone Granger aka. Dan, Rupert and Emma

Harry Potter is a ficitious character, and its on screen counterparts-Dan, Emma, Rupert, are merely actors. Yet, why do I feel sad that the series is coming to an end? Harry was 11 when he started at Hogwarts. I was 12 when I first read Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The journey of Harry throughout the years is parallel to the journey of mine through school and college.Nine years is a big deal!

Being in the same age group as Harry could help me relate more to him than an adult would have.It is a coincidence that the end of my student days and the last film of HP should occur at the same time. Harry Potter is more than a fictious character. It is a reminder of how wonderful my school and college days were and the innocence that was carried along with it.

It was my parents who first introduced me to HP. Since then, there has been no looking back.I fell in love with the book and the character.

Those days when I was not aware of the more serious things in life, Harry Potter was my wholesome entertainment, Never before, had I felt such a need to buy a book on the first hour and first day of its release. It transported me to a world of imagination.I alwayd enjoyed reading the novels no matter how many times I read them.

It was an integral part of shaping my reading hobby. I credit the avid reader in me, to HP. It taught me a few important lessons too. Harry Potter, in short, made my childhood more memorable. If I had read HP when I was older, I would not have felt this way.

I will definitely miss the actors who brought to life the book characters-Especially Dan, Emma and Rupert..

You can call my crazy or insane but HP always remains my first love.And I am sure all of you HP fans out there will agree with me:-)