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:-)

NOTHING BEATS IIT!

T’was once upon a time
Bengalis, Telugus and aTamilian
All congregated in the hall
To learn from those great minds
And Bengalis and Telugus were of opposite polarity
With very weak Vanderwaal forces between them
As time passed, Hydrogen bonds were formed between them
And now Ionic bonds have replaced these bonds.


I’m in IIT and I ‘m great
I’m in chemistry and Im great
I work all night and sleep all day

I like my professors. I like my work .
I work with nasty chemicals
That inititate spectral transitions within my face
And cause it to redden
Sometimes I end up throwing the other fellow’s hard earned product

Chemical bonds between classmates
Are of various types-sigma,coordinate,ionic and pi
But the strongest ones are
Among those with even parity and maximum orbital overlap


I prowl the library all day
And the articles that I could use
Are gone when they’re needed

Come exam time
The time for me to stir, recrystallise and rotavap
And come out new
Before exam,tempers run high
Students change their conformers
From being most stable to the least stable.
Increasing the repulsion energy between them

After exam the excess energy is dissipiated
And thus,a “relaxation effect” occurs
Which stabilises the chemical bonds between students
And things are fine again
Till the next perturbatuion occurs

As wavelength of light strikes our retina
From the answer paper carrying our marks
Our electrons either get excited to the highest energy level
Or drool and undergo inversion of spin

As time passes, the ‘like’ for one subject
Is subsituted nucleophilcally by the ‘love’ for the same

Time always seems so short
That I wish I could teleport

Since I first came here,
The Earth has made 365 rotations about its own axis
And it has another 365 rotations to complete
Before I leave this place
So lets not get sentimental
But make full use of the opportunities here

Adieu!

My Life-Fifteen Years Ago..

My childhood has not exactly been a cakewalk for me and my parents.It was a bolt out of the blue when I was identified as "hearing challenged" by a doctor at the age of 2 years.It was one of the most darkest hours for my parents.Still they did not give up hope. Through a friend, they took me to Bangalore.There only, they first heard of the school "Balavidyalaya-The School for Young Deaf Children" in Chennai.

Without a moments hesitation,my parents packed their bags and took me to Chennai.My dad did not have a job then. They first enrolled me in the school.The then headmistress and principal, Ms Saraswati Narayanaswamy and Ms Rajalakshmi respectively, were very kind hearted and also strict at the same time.They agreed to put me in the school for free.I joined Balavidyalaya in June 1990.

I was trained in Balavidyalana for five years. It was a struggle and my parents worked very hard with me. The way of training in Balavidyalaya is different from other normal schools. They taught us words directly without introducing us to the alphabets. They made us use the best of our hearing aids.The teachers were very strict but also warm and loving. I had three more classmates who were trained along with me. My mother used to constantly discuss with their parents during the school hours. My parents also used to take me out to the beach every weekend so as to facilitate my training.Everyday they used to make me sit with them and make me learn all the words.She used to keep dictations for me.

It was for my sake only that my mother learnt English.Since, it is difficult for a hearimg challenged person to learn two languages at the same time, they decided to keep only one language for me-English.

Most people, whenever they talk to a hearing challenged person, think that there is a problem with his or her voice and they assume it to be more of a problem with the vocal cords rather than hearing. This notion is wrong. In reality and actuality, every child first starts hearing sounds from quite a young age and then starts to reproduce those sounds. This is how his or her speech develops. But if there is no proper hearing, then the child will not be able to hear correctly.As a result, the speech is also not developed properly. Thus, it is very crucial and of utmost importance that the hearingg problem should be identified in a child as early as possible from birth onwards.

Another most common problem is learning a second language. A hearing challenged person, mostly depends on the combination of lip movements and hearing through aids, to hear and talk to others. If that person depends on hearing alone, then they miss out many things. As a result, while trying to depend on audio devices like TV, tape recorder and telephone, the person misses out a lot. Unlike normal children who can pick up a new language easily by being exposed to hearing it daily, it is not the case with hearing challenged persons.Thia ia the reason why we find it difficult to pick up a mew language easily.The most annoying part is, when people ask us why we do not know our mother tongue and misjudge our knowledge for the English language alone as arrogance.


The five years of hardwork paid off. In June 1995 we moved back to Hyderabad where I was admitted directly into the second standard of Sherwood Public School. ICSE/ISC. It was the beginning of another journey of my life. I remained in the school for 11 years till 12th. I passed out of the school in April 2006.

After completing my schooling, I joined St Francis Degree College for Women,Hyderabad and enrolled in the B.Sc BZC course.In the second year of B.Sc, I started attending coaching classes for JAM. I gave the JAM entrance in May 2009 and cleared the entrance test. I joined IIT in August 2009,in the M.Sc Chemistry course. It was a new phase of my life since I would be staying away from home for the first time. At first I was alarmed that most of my classmates were Bengali's and I had doubts as to whether I would get along with them. But soon, my fears were put to rest for I started gradually warming to them.

These two years at IIT have been a great learning experience. I feel so lucky to be working with esteemed professors and brilliant students. It is less than a month before I leave IIT. But like every phase of life, this too shall pass and before I know I'll be busy elsewhere,but the memories of IIT will always remain with me.

My life has been full of twists and turns but it has taught me many things along the way.Among the most important things it has taught me, is to have faith in myself and God.If ones think one can do anything and if they have the will power, nothing can stop them from achieving their ambitions.

ADIEU 2009

GOODBYE 2009.
What an eventful year it has been for me!
I experienced both sides of the same coin. If April was a bad month for me, May was an equally joyous month. The year has had lot of surprises in store for me.It has been both cruel and kind to me.
My hardwork put through the last 2 years had finally paid off. It has been a major turning point in my life in both professional and personal life. Professionally, it has helped me achieve my short term aim. Personally,it taught me a very invaluable lesson and I have become more experienced and wary out of it.
The year has been good to my friends too. Many of them got whatever they wished for.Abhishek achieved his dream-joining the IAF. Kalpana finally got married to the person she loved.Nalini also found her ideal match. Abhimitra got placed into a good company. Anisha and Ameena also secured a seat in the MBA colleges of their choice.Vineela finally found her match.

Then there were times of the year when life raised its ugly head. We lost a promising person of our family to God.The state is on the brink of violence.The floods in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu left thousands devastated.

There are some issues that are yet to be resolved. India is making a mockery of its judicial system by denying and delaying justice to deserving victims, and also delaying the prosecution of the lone terrorist, Abul Kasam under the pretex of "following the Constitution Acts". People in Telangana are employing "anti-Gandhigiri" principles to achieve their goal. Whatever happened to the quote "UNITED WE STAND,DIVIDED WE FALL"?

People have lot of hopes and aspirations on a new year. They wait for New Year's Eve to make a resolution.Why wait for a New Year to make a resolution? Why not implement it soon? After all, every day is a new beginning.

We must make the best use of our time and put it in the best possible advantage. The best way we can be at peace with the rest of the world is to "LIVE AND LET LIVE". I am not making any resolution because I do not believe in making New year resolutions. If I have to make one, I would make one at the earliest possible.

I am hoping this New Year brings us more peace than violence.Let us see what awaits us in the new year. Meanwhile I will also not forget to live each moment as it comes by because every moment is a learning experience, be it good, joyous or bad.