மதன்-1

1994

பன்னிரண்டாம் வகுப்புத் தேர்வுகள் முடிந்து ஏதாவது ஒரு கல்லூரியில் இடம் கிடைக்காதா என்று ஏங்கிய கூட்டத்தில் நானும் ஒருவன். மத்திய மின் வேதியியல் ஆராய்ச்சி நிலையத்தின் தேர்வு மூலம் விடிவு பிறந்து காரைக்குடியில் ஆகஸ்டு மாதத்தில் காலடி எடுத்து வைத்தேன். மொத்தமே 34 இடங்கள் தான். அதிலே நான் உள்பட 33 பேர் வந்து சேர்ந்தனர் (2 பெண்கள்). ஒருவன் உடல்நிலை சரி இல்லாமல் பின்னாளில் வந்து சேர்ந்தான்.

பணத்தைக் கட்டி சேர்ந்தாயிற்று. இனி கல்லூரி விடுதியில் தான் வாசம் என்று தெரிந்தது. 3 ஆம் எண் அறை ஒதுக்கப் பட்டு இருந்தது. வாழத் தேவையான சாமான்களுடன் என் தந்தையோடு அந்த விடுதி அறைக்குச் சென்றேன். விடுதி வசதியானதாகவே இருந்தது. மொத்தம் 40+ அறைகள். 3 அறைகளைத் தவிர மற்றவை எல்லாம் அடுக்கு மாடிக் கட்டிடத்தில் இருந்தது. இந்த மூன்று அறைகளில் ஒன்றாய் என் அறை. சட்டி பெட்டிகளுடன் போய் நின்றால், சற்றே உயரமான ஒரு 25 வயது சொல்லத்தக்க சரண்ராஜ் போன்ற ஒருவர் தென்பட்டார். விடுதியில் வேலை செய்பவர் ஆக இருக்கும் என்று நினைத்து:

“சார், இந்த 3 ஆம் நம்பர் ரூம் கீ யார் கிட்ட வாங்கிக்கலாம் ?”

என்று என் தந்தை கேட்டார். மேலும் கீழும் பார்த்த அவர், “ஃபர்ஸ்ட் இயர் அட்மிஷனா ?” என்றார். என் தந்தை ஆம் எனத் தலையாட்ட, “அந்த ரூம் கீ என்கிட்ட தான் இருக்கு அங்கிள். என்னை சார்னு எல்லாம் சொல்லாதீங்க” என்றார் /றான்.

“அப்படியா தம்பி உங்க பேர் ?”

“மதன்ராஜ்”

“தம்பி என்ன பண்றிங்க ?”

”நானும் ஃபர்ஸ்ட் இயர் தான். இதே ரூம் தான்”

இப்படித்தான் அறிமுகமானான் மதன். நான் அவனை நம்ப முடியாமல் மேலும் கீழும் பார்த்தேன். 5-7 உயரத்தில், அடர்த்தி இல்லை என்றாலும் அரும்பு மீசை இல்லை என்று பெருமைப் பட்டுக்கொள்ளக்கூடிய அளவில் இருந்த நான் எங்கே ? தினம் சவரம் செய்யாவிட்டால் காடாகக் காட்சி அளிக்கக்கூடிய அளவுக்கு மீசையும் தாடியும் 5-11 உயரமும் கொண்ட இவன் எங்கே ? இவனா என் அறைத்தோழன் ? நடிகர் சரண்ராஜே நேரில் வந்து நிற்பது போன்ற ஒரு பிரமை.

பெட்டி படுக்கைகளுடன் உள்ளே புகுந்தேன். தந்தை விடை வாங்கிக் கொண்டு ஊருக்குச் சென்றார்.

“டேய்..எங்கடா படிச்சே ?”

அவனின் குரலில் அதற்குள்ளேயே ஒரு அன்னியோன்னிய உரிமையுடன் கூடிய தொனி.

“மட்ராசிலே டீ யே வீ…நீ?”

“நான் மதுரை டி வி யெஸ். ஆனா இதுக்கு முன்னாடி ஹிந்துஸ்தான் காலேஜிலே 1 வர்ஷம் படிச்சேன்..ஆமா ராகிங் இங்கே எப்படி இருக்கும்னு ஐடியா இருக்கா ?”

ராகிங்கைப் பற்றி அரசல் புரசலாகக் கேள்விப்பட்டதோடு சரி. இங்கே அதெல்லாம் கிடையாது என்று பெரிய பில்டப் கொடுத்து என்னை (ஏமாற்றி) இங்கே சேர வைத்த பெருமை இன்னொரு சீனியரைச் சாரும். மதன் அப்படிக் கேட்டவுடன் நான்:

“இங்கே அப்படி ஒண்ணும் இல்லைன்னு சொன்னாங்களே” என்றேன் பரிதாபமாக.

“எவண்டா சொன்னான் ? 4th year ல மாஸ்டர் ராகர்னு ஒரு சீனியர் இருக்கானாம். அவன்கிட்ட மாட்டினா செத்தோம்”

என்று பீதியைக் கிளப்பினான். இவனே எருமைக் கடா சைசில் இருக்கிறானே..இவன் பயப்படச் சொல்கின்ற சீனியர் ஆனை சைசிலே இருப்பானோ என்று வயிற்றில் புளியைக் கரைத்தது.

அறையில் இருந்து வெளியே எட்டிப் பார்த்தேன். நிலத்தினின்றும் ஒரு அடிக்கு எழும்பிய மூடி போட்ட கழிவு நீர்த் தொட்டி இருந்து. அந்தத் தொட்டியின் மூடிதான் சீனியர்கள் உட்கார்ந்து தேனீர் அருந்தும் ஆஸ்தான பீடம். அதற்குப் பக்கத்திலே தான் எல்லாரும் சாப்பிடவேண்டிய மெஸ் இருந்தது (என்னே கட்டிடக் கலையின் மேன்மை !). அல்லது சோற்றைத் தின்று விட்டு அங்கே உட்கார்ந்து கொண்டு போக வர பெண்களைக் கண்டு கொண்டு கிண்டல் அடிப்பது என்று பெரிய வேலை பார்த்துக் கொண்டு இருந்தனர். அதிலே சிலர் அமர்ந்து கொண்டு கதைத்துக் கொண்டு இருந்தனர்.

“நம்ம நல்ல நேரம்.,அவர் ஊரிலே இல்லையாம். அறை பிச்சு உதறுவார்னு சொல்றாங்க”

”ஹிந்துஸ்தான் காலேஜில நீ பார்க்காததா இங்க புதுசா பண்ணிடப் போறானுங்க ?”

”தெரியலை..இப்போதைக்கு நிறைய சீனியர்ஸ் ஹாஸ்டல்ல இல்லை. அதனால ரொம்ப பிரச்சினை இல்லைன்னு சொல்லிக்கிறானுங்க”

அப்போது ஒன்று புரிந்து கொண்டேன். இவன் ஆள்தான் வளர்ந்திருக்கிறானே ஒழிய என்னைப் போன்ற மன நிலையில் தான் இவனும் இருக்கிறான். சரி, ஆனாலும் சாப்பிடப்போகும்போது அல்லது வெளியில் போகும்போது இருவரும் சேர்ந்தே செல்வது என்று முடிவெடுத்தொம். சேர்ந்து போகும்போது சீனியர்களிடம் மாட்டி கொஞ்சம் சீரழியாமல் இருக்கலாம் என்று ஒரு நப்பாசை.

அன்று மாலையே ஒரு சின்னப் பையனும் அவனது தந்தையும் எங்கள் அறையைத் தேடி வந்தனர். பையனைப் பார்த்தால் திருவிழாக் கூட்டத்தில் தொலைந்து போய் திரும்ப அகப்பட்ட மாதிரி இருந்தது. அந்தப் பையனின் தந்தை பேசினார்:

“தம்பி..என் பையன் பேரு ஐயப்பன். இந்த ரூம் தான் கொடுத்து இருக்காங்க.”

”வாங்க அங்கிள். நாங்க ரெண்டு பேரும் தான் இங்க ரூம்மேட்ஸ். உள்ள வாங்க” என்றான் மதன்.

அவர் வந்து அமர்ந்தார். சென்னையில் இருந்தும் வந்து காரைக்குடி வந்து வெய்யிலில் காய்ந்த அலுப்பு அவர் முகத்தில் அப்பட்டமாகத் தெரிந்தது.

“தம்பி..என் பையன் மட்ராஸிலே தான் படிச்சான். வீட்டுக்கு ரொம்ப செல்லமான பையன். இங்கே ராக்கிங் ரொம்ப இருக்கும்னு சொன்னாங்க..”

“அதெல்லாம் கவலைப் படாதீங்க அங்கிள். நாங்க எல்லாம் இருக்கோம்ல” என்றான் மதன். நான் அவனை சற்றே நம்பமுடியாமல் பார்த்தேன். சிறிது நேரத்திற்கு முன் தொடை நடுங்கிக் கொண்டு இருந்தவன் இப்போது வீர வசனம் பேசுகிறானே என்று.

ஐயப்பனின் தந்தை அவனை விடுதியிலே விட்டுவிட்டு பின்னர் வந்து பார்ப்பதாகக் கூறிச் சென்றார். அதற்குள் சீனியர்கள் யாரோ மோப்பம் பிடித்து விட்டனர். 3 பேரையும் வெளியில் வரச் சொன்னார்கள். தயங்கிக் கொண்டே வெளியில் வந்து நின்றோம்.

”டேய் நீ மட்டும் மேலே வாடா” என்று ஐயப்பனுக்கு உத்தரவு வந்தது. நானும் மதனும் ஒருவரை ஒருவர் பார்த்துக் கொண்டோம். போய் திரும்பி வந்த ஐயப்பன் கண்நிறையக் கண்ணீரோடு தன் தந்தையோடு அறைக்கு வந்து சேர்ந்தான். அவர் கண்களும் கலங்கி இருக்க மதனும் நானும் “அடப் பாவமே..அடி பலமா பட்டிருக்குமோ” என்று கிசு கிசுத்துக் கொண்டோம்.

ஐயப்பன் தந்தை கலங்கிய கண்களுடன் “தம்பி..இவனை ரொம்ப செல்லமா வளர்த்துட்டோம். ரொம்ப உலகம் தெரியாது. இங்கே இவன் கிட்ட ஒரு குப்பியைக் கொடுத்து இதிலே அசிங்கமா நிரப்பி வரச் சொல்லி இருக்காங்க”

எங்கள் இருவருக்கும் பகீரென்றது. “அடப்பாவி இதைப் போய் அப்பாவிடம் சொல்கிற அளவிற்கா இவன் வளர்ப்பு இருக்கிறது ?இவனோடு எப்படி காலம் கடத்தப் போகிறோம் ?”

அவரிடம் “சார்..இதெல்லாம் சும்மா விளையாட்டுக்குச் சொல்லிருப்பாங்க. அதை இவன் இப்படி சீரியஸா எடுத்துகிட வேண்டிய அவசியம் இல்லை. நாங்க எல்லாம் இருக்கோமே..பயப்படாதீங்க” என்று மதன் அவருக்கு தைரியமூட்டினான். நானும் தலை அசைத்து வைத்தேன்.

அவர் சென்ற பின் “டேய்..வாழ்க்கையிலே ஏதாவது சாமி புக் பார்த்து இருக்கியா ?”

ஐயப்பன் “பார்த்து இருக்கேனே..புராணம் மாதிரி”

“டேய் இது அதுக்கில்லை..வாழ்க்கை சம்பந்தப் பட்ட”

ஐயப்பனுக்கு பல்பு எரிந்து அணைந்தது “டேய் டேய்..நீங்க ரெண்டு பேரும் வேற ஏதொ விஷயம் பத்திப் பேசறீங்க. டபுள் மீனிங்கா” என்றான் குழந்தை போல வெட்கப்பட்டுக்கொண்டே. உடனே மேலே பரண் மீது பத்திரப்படுத்தி வைத்து இருந்த ஃபிலிம்ஃபேர் புத்தகங்களையும் அதை விட மிகவும் “விளக்கமான” புத்தகங்களையும் ஐயப்பன் முன்னே எடுத்து வைத்தான் மதன். பார்த்த ஐயப்பனுக்கு பகீரென்றது.

”டேய் இதெல்லாம் தப்பு. அதுவும் வார்டனுக்கு தெரிஞ்சா அவ்ளோதான்”

”டேய்..வாழ்க்கைல நீ கத்துக்க வேண்டியது நிறைய இருக்கு. போகப் போகப் பார்ப்பே”

இப்படி ஐயப்பனுக்கு வாழ்க்கைத் தத்துவத்தின் அரிச்சுவடியைத் திறந்து வைத்தான். பிறிதொரு நேரம் இதே “புத்தகங்களை” கோபால் என்ற சக மாணவனிடம் காட்டியபோது அவன் வெட்கப் பட்டு ஓடியே போய்விட்டது மறக்க முடியாதது. இப்படியாக மதன் பலருக்கும் வகுப்பெடுக்கும் “பெருசு” ஆக மாறிப் போனான்.

அன்று இரவு சாப்பிட்டுவிட்டு மூன்று பேரும் சீனியர் கைகளில் மாட்டாமல் அறைக்கு வந்து அமர்ந்தோம். அறையின் சன்னல் உட்புறம் தனிக்கதவாகத் திறக்கக் கூடியது. வலை சன்னலிலேயே வெளிப்புறமாய் வேயப்பட்டு இருந்தது. இயற்கையிலேயே பயந்த சுபாவமுள்ள ஐயப்பன் அப்பாவியாய்க் கேட்டான்: ”இங்கே பாம்பெல்லாம் நிறைய உண்டு அப்படின்னு சொல்றாங்களே”

உடனே மதன் அலட்டலாக :”மச்சி மனுஷன் இருக்கிற இடத்திலே பாம்புங்க ஜெனரலா வராதுடா”

“ஷ்யுரா ?”

“ஆமாண்டா..இப்போகூட ஜன்னலை திறக்கலாம். ஒரு ப்ராப்ளமும் இல்லை” என்று உதார் விட்டுக் கொண்டு திறந்தான். அங்கே ஒரு அடி நீளப் பாம்பு ஒன்று சன்னலின் ஓட்டைக்கு மேலே தொங்கிக்கொண்டு ஊஞ்சலாடிக் கொண்டு இருந்தது ! திறந்த வேகத்திலேயே கதவை மூடி அசடு வழிந்தான். அன்றிலிருந்து படித்து முடியும் வரை பார்த்த பாம்புகளுக்கு கணக்கே இல்லை. ஓட்டை விழுந்த வலையுடைய அந்த சன்னலும் இரவு நேரத்தில் திறக்கப் படவே இல்லை.

முதல் இரண்டு வாரங்கள் ஆகும் வரை எவன் சீனியர் எவன் கிளாஸ்மேட் எனப் புரியவில்லை. ஒருமுறை அறை எண் 4 இன் பாத்ரூமில் இருந்து மதன் ராத்திரி வெளியே வர, அவனை சீனியர் என நினைத்து அங்கு இருந்த அத்தனை பேரும் நடுநடுங்கியதும் உண்டு.

முதல் செமெஸ்டர் தேர்வுகள் வரும் நேரம். மதனுக்கு வேதியியல் மீது ஆர்வம் சிறிது கூட இல்லை என்பது மிகவும் தெளிவாகியது. அவன் படித்து நான் பார்த்ததாக எனக்கு ஞாபகமே இல்லை (இனார்கானிக் கெமிஸ்ட்ரியைத் தவிர). ஒரு முறை தேர்வின் அறை முன்னே கூடே படித்த தீபா மிகவும் டென்சனாக இருக்க, இவன் ராஜ ராஜ சோழன் போன்று வலம் வந்து கொண்டு இருந்தான். அதைக் கண்ட தீபா “மதன்.. நல்லா படிச்சிருக்கே போல..ரொம்ப கான்ஃபிடெண்டா இருக்கியே..” என்று கூற, மதன் “3 யூனிட் நல்லா தரோவா படிச்சிட்டேன்..பாஸ் பீஸ்..”என்று இருவிரலை உயர்த்தி முழங்கினான். ஐந்தாவது யூனிட்டில் ஒரு சின்ன போர்ஷனை மட்டும் விட்டுவிட்டு டென்சனின் சிகரமாக வியர்த்துக் கொண்டு இருந்த தீபா எங்கே ? அரைகுறையாகப் படித்தாலும் பாஸ் ஆகும் தெனாவெட்டோடு திரிந்த இவன் எங்கே ? பாஸ் செய்ய என்ன தேவை என்று கணக்கில் எடுத்துக் கொண்டான். “டேய் 5 யூனிட்ல 3 நல்லா படிச்சா போதும். பாஸ் ஆயிடலாம்” என்ற மிகப் பெரிய சூக்குமத்தைக் கண்டுபிடித்ததே அவன் தான். அதுவே பலருக்குத் தாரக மந்திரம். எவ்வளவு பெரிய சப்ஜெக்டானாலும் முதல் நாள் ராத்திரி இப்படி 3 யூனிட் படிப்பது மட்டும் அவன் வழக்கம்.

ஆனால் அதற்காக வகுப்பறையில் கஷ்டப்பட்டு கவனிக்கவோ நோட்ஸ் எடுக்கவோ இல்லை. சொல்லப் போனால் 2-3 பேரைத்தவிர ஒரு பயலும் எந்த வாத்தியாரையும் கவனித்துக் கேட்டதாக எனக்கு ஞாபகம் இல்லை. பக்கத்து அறை மதிவாணன் ஒருவன் மட்டுமே எந்த ஒரு வகுப்பானாலும் நோட்ஸ் எடுப்பதை வழக்கமாக வைத்திருந்தான். தேர்வு நேரத்தில் ஒன்றிரண்டு அறிவு ஜீவிகளைத் தவிர, அத்தனை பேரும் அவனுடைய நோட்ஸை நகலெடுத்து நெட்டுருப் போட்டு பாஸ் ஆவோம். அதற்கு நாங்கள் ஒவ்வொருவரும் காலகாலமாய் மதிவாணனுக்குக் கடன்பட்டு இருக்கிறோம். அப்படித் தேர்வான கூட்டத்தில் சிலர் இப்போது பேராசிரியர்களாக இருக்கின்றனர் என்றால் மதியின் பெருமையை சொல்லவும் வேண்டுமா ? ஆனால் மதன் பாதை வித்தியாசமனதாக இருந் தது.

அப்போது 9 பேராக சேர்ந்து ஒரு கம்ப்யூட்டரை வாங்கினார்கள். அதிலே C++ மற்றும் இன்ன பிற விஷயங்களைக் கற்றுத் தானே தேர்ந்து கொண்டான். இந்தக் கணினிக் கல்வி தான் அவனுடைய வாழ்க்கையைப் பின்னர் மாற்றி அமைத்து. பேரளவில் பாஸ் செய்துவிட்டு படிப்பு முடிந்தும் சக மாணவனான முத்துவுடன் சேர்ந்து ஒவ்வொரு கம்பனியாக திறந்து திவாலாகி மூடுவதாக அவனது வேலை வாழ்க்கை ஆரம்பித்தது. ராம்கோவில் ஐயப்பனோடு வேலை கிடைத்தபோது அங்கே போய் சேர்ந்தான். என்ன..ஐயப்பன் சேராமல் விட்டு விட்டான்.

“மச்சி தப்பிச்சிட்டியேடா”

என்ற ஒற்றை வரிக் கடிதம் ஒன்றை எழுதி ஐயப்பனுக்கு அனுப்பி வயிற்றெரிச்சலைச் சுருக்கமாய் காட்டிக்கொண்டான்.

எங்கள் வகுப்பில் நான் நெல்லை, மதன் மதுரை. இரண்டு பேர் மட்டுமே தென் தமிழ் நாட்டின் மணத்தை எங்கள் நெஞ்சில் தேக்கி வைத்து இருந்தோம். சுகதேவ் மற்றும் ராஜாவைத் தவிர்த்து மற்றவர்களெல்லாம் “பட்டணவாசிகள்” – ஒன்றிரண்டு பேரைத் தவிர எல்லோருமே சென்னைவாசிகள். தமிழ் எழுதப் படிக்கத் தெரிந்த பிராணிகள் மிகக் குறைவு. இதிலே ஒருத்தனுடைய தந்தையார் மிகவும் புகழ் வாய்ந்த தமிழ்ப்பேராசிரியர் ! ஆனால் அவனுக்கோ தமிழ் ஜீரோ.

எங்கள் பின்னணி நானும் மதனும் எளிதாகப் பேச உதவியது. பேசியதெல்லாம் வர்ணிக்க முடியாத அளவிற்கு கேவலமான அல்லது உதவாக்கரை விஷயங்கள் என்றாலும் இப்போது எண்ணிப் பார்க்கும் போது அது நட்பின் ஆரம்பத்தில் ஒரு நல்ல வரைபடமாக அமைந்தது என்று தெரிகிறது. தென்தமிழ்க் கொச்சை கொடையாய் அளித்த கெட்ட வார்த்தைகள் எங்கள் இருவர் பேச்சிலும் சரளமாகப் புரளுவது கேட்டு சற்றே “சொஃபிஸ்டிகேடட்” ஆன சென்னைவாசிகளுக்கு சிறிது கண்றாவியாகத் தான் இருந்தது. ஒருமுறை இவ்வாறு சரளமாக வார்த்தைகளை எடுத்துவிட்ட என்னுடைய “புலமையை”க் கேட்டு சென்னையிலே பிறந்து ஆறடி வளர்ந்திருந்த அரவிந்த் (காதில் “why blood ? same blood” ஆகி) கண் கலங்கி விட்டான்! ஆனால் முதலில் ”அக்யுஸ்ட்” போல பார்க்கப்பட்ட நாங்கள், பின்னர் ஒரு கட்டத்தில் எல்லாருமே அப்படிப் பேச “சரி..இது கல்லூரி பாஷை” என்று புரிந்து தெளியும்படி ஆனது.

Tradition, Toe-Ring and Pseudo-science

Recently one of the friends on FB had shared the following photograph from the website : https://www.facebook.com/untoldstoriesoo7

Why Indian women wear toe rings (BICHHIYA)? there is a Science Behind this..read n share

Most Indian women who are married wear a toe-ring. It’s not only a sign that the woman is married, it’s also science. Indian Vedas (Vedham or Vedam) say that by wearing this in both feet, it is believed, that their Menstrual cycle course is regularized with even intervals. This gives good scope for conceiving to married women. Also it is said just because that particular nerve in the second finger from toe, also connects the uterus and passes through heart. If you notice, the toe ring will always be on the second toe of the right leg and also the left leg. It will control the uterus and keep it healthy by producing evenly balanced blood pressure to the uterus...As Silver being a good conductor, it also absorbs the energy from the polar energies from the earth and passes it to the body, thus refreshing whole body system. 

In great Indian epic called 'Ramayana' toe ring plays a vital role. When Sita was abducted by Ravana, on the way, she throwed her toe ring (kaniazhi) as the identification for lord Rama. This shows that toe ring is used from ancient time. Toe rings were introduced to the United States by Marjorie Borell who, after returning from India began manufacturing and selling them in New York in 1973. Her first retail outlet was Fiorucci, a trendy fashion retailer located on 59th Street in New York.
Think about it...

I thought about it and concluded that it was

another utterly stupid "scientific" claim in the series of "science-ifying" religion/tradition. Toe-ring, Menstrual cycles and "polar energies" with conclusions based on theory of electrical conductivity. That touches some essential areas in the lives of women. Epic!

Subsequently one of my long-time friends raised a question:

what do you think of chiropractice, pranic healing, foot-reflexology, chakras as referred in kundalini yoga etc ? do these practices fit in with 'scientific' frameworks ? lots of scientists seem to be interested in these processes ? while the polar enegry quoted above seems like a stretch, the pressure applied by the toe-ring on an energy point on the foot that has connection to the uterus seems plausible to me. i totally see your point of the agenda of 'sciencifying' religion to improve its acceptibility but at the same time i am hesitant to reject outright cultural practices of people who come from a 5000 year civilization. have you read 'structure of scientific revolution' by thomas kuhn ? if not, i would encourage you to do so. at least see a review of it on wikipedia.

and I replied as follows:

======

All the practices you have listed can at best be called different forms of massage which relax the body. I have not personally found any convincing evidence (of course my reading is limited) in the science journals that these techniques have any 'healing' properties.

For example I could not find any evidence in any journal (try web of science) about a nerve that connects the toe, uterus and the heart. In fact the longest nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciatic_nerve ) which runs from the lower back to the limb. Clearly the hypothetical toe-uterus-heart nerve would be longer (unless the sciatic nerve coils up so much like small intestine which does not seem to be the case) but there is no evidence of such a nerve that I could personally find. However, given both uterus and heart are vital components in a woman's anatomy, I would expect they are well connected by circulatory and nervous systems although nothing suggests that there is a long nerve connecting all the three or that applying pressure on this hypothetical nerve would enhance the 'health of the uterus'.

And it is indeed hard to believe such pseudo-scientific claims because of the following reasons:

1. They never cite any proper peer-reviewed source
2. The terms are ultra-vague and usually mixed with high-flown verbiage characteristic of spirituality
3. Some of the terms like 'naadi' of Ayurveda are deliberately confused and mixed up with the modern medical terms like 'nerves'.

Naadi was a 'model' for connectors inside the body which was proposed centuries ago and has no connection with the nervous system whatsoever. Thus at best, the article above could have stayed true to its original intention of disseminating the ancient-wisdom rather than claiming "it’s also science". To quote Richard Dawkins : "There are comforting assumptions based on superstition and inconvenient truths based on evidence". While one may 'believe' that certain things may 'heal' him, unless corroborated with strong experimental evidence, those techniques will never be accepted in the scientific parlance.

However the defenders of tradition tend to overlook the fact that science is not an enemy of tradition or culture. If at all, it has only helped discover and understand our ancestors' ways of living. In doing so we may discover some age-old practices to be redundant after exhaustive experimentation. However it does NOT make our ancestors fools. After all, the genes for thinking through, have been derived from them. Einstein's discovery of relativity does NOT make Newton a fool. Newton will be celebrated just as equally (or even more) as Einstein BUT with always a caveat that Newton's theory was limited in application. Thus if a 5000 year old 'theory' in the name of tradition is to be discarded, a scientist would do so without remorse. In fact, he will recognize that the ancestors ended up with such 'theories' and 'models' based on whatever knowledge they could collect over their lifetimes, just like we are doing. And when the ancestors are correct (for example turmeric's anti-cancer properties) the scientist gladly embraces it.

And this must be very evident from the way historians and archaeologists go hunting for finding new evidence about older civilizations, work with palaeoanthropologists and genealogists and elucidate the lives of our ancestors and their traditions. Radio-Isotope dating is a discovery that has revolutionized science and aided understanding the way of our ancestors. Thus science is an instrument to improve quality of life and is very much part of the tradition or culture.

==============

I believe the biggest threat to science (and thus human existence itself) is not ignorance but the pseudo-science which manifests itself in the name of 'traditions' and spirituality. It is pervasive and penetrative enough to convince those who do not dig deep.

Pseudo-Science : The real plague : "Scientific Reasons behind Indian Traditions"

I came across a post in FB shared by a good friend which was titled  : "Scientific reason behind fasting on "EKADASHI" from the website : https://www.facebook.com/ScientificReasonsBehindIndianTraditions 

It goes as follows:

=========================
Fasting on Ekadashi is a very old and common tradition which is followed in mostly all Hindu families. We all have seen our Mother, Father, Dadima ,Dadaji , Nani and other elders observing Ekadashi fasts, and we usually think they are doing because they are just religious. In fact it is backed up by solid science.

Ekadasi is a Sanskrit word, which means 'the eleventh'. It refers to the eleventh day of a fortnight belonging to a lunar month. There are two fortnights in a lunar month—the poornima and amavasya. So, Ekadasi occurs twice in a month. The special feature of Ekadasi, as most people know it, is a fast, abstinence from diet. According to scientific research, it is known that the air pressure on the earth varies to extreme limits on both the new moon (Amavasya) and the full moon (Purnima) day. This is because of the orbital path combination of the sun, moon and earth.

This can be observed by the change in the nature of the tidal waves on the new moon and full moon days. The waves are very high and rough, but from the next day onwards, the waves become calm, an indication that the pressure has also receded. Now, based on this fact, the significance of Ekadasi fasting can be explained in 2 ways:

1)It takes about 3-4 days for the food that we eat today to reach our brain (for the brain to understand the food intake). Now, if we eat light/fast on Ekadasi days, that intake will reach the brain correspondingly on the New moon/full moon day. On both of these days, the earth pressure is at its maximum, thus leading to imbalance in everything, including ones thought process. So, if the input to the brain is at a minimum, the chances of the brain indulging in any wayward activity due to the high pressure imbalance also becomes minimum. People in asylums behave weirdly during ekadashis due to this same lunar activity.

2) Another explanation for Ekadasi fasting is that compared to any other day of the moon cycle, atmospheric pressure is lowest on Ekadasi days. Thus, this is the best time to fast and cleanse the bowel system. If we fast on any other day, the high pressure/strain may damage our system. Thus, it is advisable that after fasting on Ekadasi, on the immediate next day (Dwadasi), we should get up early and eat as soon as possible

========================

My response to the younger lady who had shared the above passage was as follows :

Dear,

The biggest deterrent to science is not ignorance but pseudo-science. As a young and dynamic lady of the 21st century, you must be very cautious about the "science" being expounded by some of these web-sites. They provide a pseudo-scientific coating for the religion targeting two types of people:

1. literate but not highly educated
2. well educated but are lackadaisical towards critical reading and analysis.

First of all, the food consumed does not take more than 4 days to reach the brain. The easiest way to think about this is how great one feels when he or she eats after a bit of starvation (say a long day where the lunch was delayed by 3 hours) .Starving slows down the metabolism but not until you have entered starvation mode which is usually 3-4 days of continuous starvation. According to the theory you have quoted, if one were to starve for 4 days after a sumptuous dinner, the brain should be able to receive the food after 4 days and be active again which is far from observation. In fact the transit-time which is the time that the food takes to be absorbed in the body is much less. The stomach processes all content within 4 hours maximum which enters the blood-stream through intestinal projections called villi. The blood on the other hand circulates through the body within a minute ! That means some of the nutrients of the food that are absorbed in the blood stream would reach brain much sooner that 4 days. Hence that claim is wrong.

The age old claim of a "connection" between lunar activity and "lunacy" is a myth and NOT scientific. I could explain this in detail but I refer you to the following link in Scientific American for a thorough analysis on this:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lunacy-and-the-full-moon  

At best, if people are afraid of the moon or if they perform abnormal activity when they see the full-moon, they are to be treated by the psychiatrists to get rid of their fear of the moon like any other object that they may be afraid of. However the converse, namely "the full-moon influences any kind of mental activity" is a farcical statement except in a case when one sits and admires the beauty of it and feels peaceful about.

Beware of the pseudo-scientists and always question.  One of the better examples of such serious offenders  is Khurshed Batliwala who stands exposed:

  

Fantastic Anmol.  I am a scientist and I appreciate this effort wholeheartedly.  The best of all was your summary statement where you have declared : "It is an insult to the intelligence of our ancient scientists that their science and discoveries were based on spirituality and not rationality". I am sharing this with my students and others.

A tribute to my mentor Dr. Bosco Emmanuel on his 25th Marriage Anniversary

A tribute to my mentor Dr. Bosco Emmanuel on his 25th Marriage Anniversary

Dr. Bosco Emmanuel of CECRI - has been my mentor since my undergraduate days.  He and his wife recently celebrated their 25th marriage anniversary (9th Sep 2012).  I was requested by his son Infant Gabriel to write my impressions as a student on Dr. BE, which were read at the celebrations (was a surprise for Dr BE).

It is only after I finished writing this note on him that I realized I had written this on teacher's day !

=========================================================

“Murali – I am being overpaid for my work.  Why should they pay me such a high salary when there are many people in India who are unable to afford regular meals on a given day ?”

Dr. Bosco posed this question and looked straight into my eyes.  I stood befuddled, unable to answer him.  Had I agreed with him I would be underestimating the value he has brought to CECRI and had I disagreed with him, I would be questioning his judgment. That sums up the man of today’s occasion.  A scientist, guide and a mentor who is like none other I have seen in my personal and professional life.  Someone who I have had the privilege of dialing up for any “knowledge emergencies” or when I am at crossroads unable to understand the physics of the processes.  A researcher, whose insight and dedication are superseded only by the extreme discipline that he observes in all aspects of his life.

When we talk about theoretical electrochemistry and modeling in CECRI, there are only three names that we hear : Prof. S. K. Rangarajan (SKR), Dr. Ahmed Basha and Dr. Bosco Emmanuel.  While Dr. Basha has done work largely in engineering, Prof SKR and Dr. Bosco have produced papers in pure science topics.  Prof SKR, as everybody knows, was a true genius, a brilliant teacher and a kind mentor.  While it is easy for a student to inherit the mentoring qualities from their guide, what amazes me is that Dr. Bosco also had derived greatly the scientific aptitude of Prof SKR as well. However, unlike SKR, Dr. Bosco went beyond electrochemistry and applied mathematics and researched on other fields like quantum mechanics, crystal shapes, corrosion and lithium batteries also.  Unless a person is strong in fundamentals of physics, it is impossible to work in such diverse fields.

Prof SKR for a good part of his life had the luxury of interacting with many students at IISc and with other professors on a regular basis.  Dr. Bosco on the other hand chose to remain in Karaikudi working pretty much single-handedly on all the different subjects.  Thus it always amazes me how he could sit quietly and alone in his office and keep publishing in top journals like journal of chemical physics regularly.  We on the other hand, in spite of having a team and having discussions regularly are still finding it difficult to publish in such good journals.  In other words, the so called modeling and theoretical electrochemistry “team” in CECRI was just him.  Students and co-workers simply benefitted from his expansive knowledge.  He could have easily become a professor in any of the top universities abroad given his academic standing, but he chose CECRI.

At this point, I recall one of his statements : “Murali – the ONGC project in which you worked with me in nineties, went on for many years which consumed a lot of family-time as well.  At that time, it was my wife who helped to keep the family going and I really value that”.  Thus, if his scientific thinking was on a hyperdrive and stayed committed, it is Mrs Emmanuel’s dedication to the family which buttressed it suitably.  Hence she has an equal share of recognition in whatever Dr. Bosco has contributed to research.

Lastly, I would like to note that one of my greatest regrets in my life is that I did not do my PhD under him.  And to absolve me off that, after coming to Australia as a post-doc I requested him to come and be our visiting scientist for 6 months in 2009.  At the age of 55, he shared a room with me, cooked and ate vegetarian food and washed vessels with me like a college student would. Every second I spent with him will be cherished and was of highest academic quality.  Dr. Ivan Cole – our supervisor – was most pleased with his contributions and came all the way from Australia  to CECRI recently to strengthen the Indian collaborations keeping Dr. Bosco as the epicenter.

But please remember that prior to his visit to Australia, Dr. Bosco had not stepped out of India for almost 20 years.  In fact at the time I had invited him to Australia, Prof. Venkat Subramanian (U of Washington St Louis) – a former illustrious student of Dr. Bosco - also invited him to USA.  But Dr. Bosco chose Australia and the reason in his own words was :

“Murali is my only student who is struggling to find his feet in his life. It is my duty to help him”.

For that kind heart and all the knowledge you keep imparting, Sir, I am always indebted.  I may age and so may you, but when I discuss science with you, I always feel like that 19 year old who came to you for his first internship.  If I have a choice, I would become your full-time student and work with you on a daily basis.  May you see more anniversaries and live long in good health so that students like me can always come to you for learning.

Yes - it is indeed a selfish wish.

Spirituality - A conversation on "You know that you know nothing....because there is nothing to know"

Recently one of my best friends Ramanan and I got engrossed in a conversation which started with him posting the following quote :

"You know that you know nothing....because there is nothing to know"

It prompted me to respond to him and then followed a conversation which I believe some more of my friends may like to pitch in.  Opinions welcome:

• Murali Venkatraman: I am sorry but I have come to conclude that such seemingly profound statements neither clarify nor add to any existing knowledge but simply confuse and hardly contribute to the progress of mankind.
•  Jana Narayanan :   This is what is maya. have we ever tried to feel the profoundness of this truth? my dad used to say approach the question through the answer.there wont be confusion.the sages through their inner eyes have given the answer to the eternal quest for truth. we, if interested in it, should spend some time in contemplation of the answer to question route. or simply have faith in the saying and believe in it. it is an individual journey.
• Ramanan Moorthy : ‎Murali respect your point of view. However, I must ask - what is this knowledge you talk about and what is really there to gain? Forget for a moment the discussions on self and self realization. On a very basic level the 2 most basic Q's for me fundamentally are: Where from did the power to the cosmos come about to BEGIN with? And the second one being WHY are we born? And a third one if I could add, is there a connection between us and the cosmos? If I cannot answer these questions definitively, any other discussions on knowledge and so called knowledge gain is irrelevant for me. You being a scientist, this might be unsettling and I fully respect that. Now getting to Bhagavan Ramana's teaching, he says "all knowledge is inside you, and when you realize that, you will see there was nothing to know". Intuitively I do believe we have nothing to know, and that we inherently know nothing....but that is my belief....no scientific rational explanation for that.... :) Chitti...Nalpa would have so much enjoyed this :)
• Murali Venkatraman :Dear ‎Ramanan:   Right answers can be procured only if right questions are posed.
  First of all , the question "why are WE born ?" is from a human-centric mind that stems from the preconceived or assumed specialty of the human race in this universe. Of course, I do not debate the unique ability of the human mind to ask such questions and the fact that we are having this conversation is the very manifestation of that ability. What, however, I am pointing out is that, questions like "Why are elephants born or ants born ? " must be realized as no-less significant. This is because, we are just a tiny speck in a universe that spans billions of light-years. To consider ourselves to be extremely special would be either narcissism or a serious delusion or both.
  Science can tell you how multi-cellular organisms evolved from unicellulars and how unicellulars evolved from subatomic particles. While you may argue that science explains "how", and does not explain "why", I must point out that unless you have idea of "how" things have come into existence, you cannot investigate "why" they came into existence. Hence, to answer the (seemingly) bigger question "why", science keeps probing "how". When I say science, I mean the collective intellect and rational minds of human race, which with a child-like curiosity keeps exploring this universe further and deeper.
  However, as I said earlier, what is even more relevant is the possibility of the question "why we are born" being fundamentally wrong. Probability theory explains well why an incident could occur. Or rather it tells you what are the chances that an incident could occur. Now if there was a chance that the incident could happen in a finite period, it WILL occur (with that probability). There is no "greater knowledge" derived in asking the same question "why did it occur" (once it has occurred) when the theory had already taken great care to explain "why" it did already .
  By chance. Every human born here is also by the chance encounter of 1 in a billion sperms with the ovum. What chooses “that” particular sperm to fertilize the ovum ? Some conducive condition pertinent to that sperm at that instant of time. The rest are purged out. So the answer to the question “why was I born” is simply that you were the one who got lucky among the billion – by chance. The main problem with people is that they do NOT want to accept that some things can happen simply by chance.
  That is because it is a scary thought. For example, was there a finite probability that the apple that fell on Newton's head would have cracked his skull open rather than instigate questions about gravity and produce a great quanta of work on Physics ? YES ! there certainly was. But it did not. The immediate question of a “philosopher” is "why” ? Is there a “bigger” power which decided that Newton should be chosen one? No ! Because albeit finite, the probability of him dying by apple-crash-landing was extremely low. (That Newton was a devout Christian himself is besides the point).
  The reason people are scared about things happening by chance is that it introduces uncertainty in life. People love to live in a predictable world where the surprises are minimal (who wants /expects to be given a pink slip after profits of the company had tripled ? But there exists a finite probability). All this so called philosophizing, is an effort to finally find a single entity / law that people can attribute/blame every happening in the world for. One that governs it all. God. But unfortunately, the real natural world is built on the manifestations of things happening by chance and that too at various scales of lengths and time (which themselves are subsystems of the higher space-time, but that is a topic for another day).
  In a nutshell, the questions “how” and “why” are not different if put in the right context. However attributing a “reason” for a happening , which is other than physical, is only a figment of imagination. Thus it finally becomes a question of what is required – truth or comfort – what does the human mind seek ? Comfort will burn in the fire of truth. Hence, while truth may not be comforting, it is fully dependable and that’s what science tries to embrace.
  To me, the above statement “you know nothing since there is nothing to know” – reflects a defeatist’s/incurious mind. If there is nothing to know, why bother learning alphabets / communication and so many other advanced forms of knowledge ? Why work ? Why earn? But even ants work. Elephants learn. If one thinks there is nothing to know, he is in a comfortable veil of ignorance and self-deception which does NOT lead to a higher platform of “contemplation” but to the debilitating domain of inaction. He is the one who is in so called “maya”. Science on the other hand is that sincere method which attempts to understand the complexity of the universe different means so that it can establish truths or at least parts of them.
  And if you want to know the beginning of COSMOS, you should ideally read books on Astronomy and not Brahmanda PuraaNa. Or at least watch the documentary “Journey to the edge of the universe”.

தமி"ழீ"னத் தலைவர் வாழ்த்து !

சமீபகாலத்தில் கருணாநிதி அடித்த ஈழ அந்தர் பல்டியால் உந்தப் பட்டு அவரைத் "துதித்து" எழுதிய "கவிதை".  வெறும் நகைச்சுவைக்கே !

காப்பு / ஆப்பு:
==========

மிதிப்போர்க்கு நல்வினைபோம் இன்பம்போம் நெஞ்சில்
பதிப்போர்க்கு செல்வம் பலித்துக் - கதித்தோங்கும்
துஷ்டயையும் கைசேர்க்கும் இவனுமிருள் - நொந்தார்
வேஷ்டி/கவசம் இலை.

அமரர் இவர்-தீரா சபலம் செறிந்த
குமரர் - இவர் நெஞ்சே நரி.

நூல் / fool
========


சுழலும் ஆட்சிச் சக்கரந்தன்னில்
உழலும் மக்கள் உழைப்பும் உயிரும்
நிழலும் கூட வணிகம் செய்வோய்
நிழற்படம் இங்கெம் மாத்திர மய்யா ?


உற்றமும் சுற்றமும் குற்றமாய்ப் புரிய
கொற்றவனாகி கொடுங்கோல் கொண்டாய்
கற்றவனாகப் பாரிலே நடித்து
மற்றவனெல்லாம் மயங்கிடச் செய்தாய்


பகுத்து அறிதலை பெரியார் மொழிய
பகுத்து அரிவதை புரிந்தாய் - வாழ்க்கை
வகுத்துக் காட்டிட வேண்டிய தலை நீ
வகுப்பு வாதக் கொள்கையால் வளர்ந்தாய்
 
புத்தனைப் போல்மதி மிகவும் படைத்தும்
சித்தனைப் போலதி வார்த்தைகள் சிந்தியும்
அத்தனை ஆற்றலும் நல்வழி போகா(து)
எத்தனைப் போலொரு வாழ்க்கையைக் கொண்டாய்.


விந்திய மலையின் இப்புறம் உள்ளோர்
பிந்திய நிலையில் இருந்திட வசமாய்
தந்திர அரசியல் சூட்சுமத்தாலே
இந்திய நாட்டை பிளந்திட நினைத்தாய்

கைபேசி அலைக் கற்றையில் கொள்ளை
மைபூசி திகழ் திரையிலும் கொள்ளை
இணைவி துணைவி மற்றும் பிள்ளை
கையாடாமல் இருந்தததே இல்லை.


சித்தன் சிதம்பரனார் சென்னை வந்தமைந்து
சத்தம் செய்வதுவும் அன்னைக்கா காதென்று
பித்தம் தெளிவித்தார் பிள்ளைக்காய் நிலைவழுகி
எத்தன் கைவிட்டார் ஈழத்தின் மேல்பாசம்


கருவாய் திறவாய் பொய்யாய்ப் பகர்வாய்
வருவாய் நிறைப்பாய் பிறர்வாய் அடைப்பாய்
மருவாய் தமிழ்த்தாய் முகவாய் புகுவாய்
வளர்வாய் புற்றாய் கருணா நிதியே !

ஞாயிறைப் போற்றுதும் ஞாயிறைப் போற்றுதும் !
  ஊழல் வினை உறுத்தி வந்து (உமை) ஒட்டுமா ?

A musical evening with the legendary singer - Haimanti Shukla ( of Kahaan Se aaye badra fame)

If practicing an art-form is a pleasure, meeting the legendary inspirations behind the practice is joy beyond description for an amateur.  Such luck has been tasted by yours truly in the past with Kadri Gopalnath, Violin Kanyakumari,  Aruna Sariram, Bombay Jayashree, S. P. Balasubramaniam, Yesudas, Ilaiyaraja and Susheela.  Off them, SPB and IR are my idols and Susheelamma is the most special.  Notably they are all connected to Tamil music and it may be considered natural to interact with.

Pseudo-Scientists and Pseudo-Intellectuals

Pseudo-Scientists and Pseudo-Intellectuals

I keep finding people who use complex jargon which sounds deep and insightful, but conveys nothing.  These come from all walks of life : Spiritual leaders, social-networkers, interpreters of ancients texts etc.  Here are some of the quotes I have found from such 'famous' and not-so famous people.

1. My perennial purpose: rekindle quantum advances in cognition with cognition awakening questions.  methodology :i) no-nonsense on the primacy of will and objectiveness ii) insightful valuation of premium human capital iii) Halls without walls  Source : http://www.ryze.com/go/bala - In my opinion this is the epitome of social-network jargon.  No line can be understood.
2. BIO MEMORY - NAADI – probability that it can be changed is half.   what is absorbed into neuro biology expresses in bio memory.  Society factor interferes with the quality of grasping. So possibility in your hands is halved.  Whenever a master transmits the experience which has become part of his bio-memory into another body to become his bio-memory the process is called initiation. It may be physiological mutation or psychological mutation or just conscious ecstasy or a simple awareness experience or the deep restful awareness.  Source : http://nithyananda.net/profiles/blogs/law-governing-our-existence
3. The study proves that the Kundalini process, the initiation, has increased the mitochondria cell energy levels of the participants up to 1300%  (Mitochondria is a cell ? hmm).  En Kriya focuses on balancing the five life breath movements happening in your system (pancha pranas). The Pancha Pranas are - Inhaling, holding, the prana which was held that spreading inside your system, exhaling and cleansing. The net result is the awakening of the Kundalini energy within you. Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhQUpjZbnbE
4. You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.  In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Source : http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/138207.Deepak_Chopra
5. Holding on to anything is like holding on to your breath. You will suffocate. The only way to get anything in the physical universe is by letting go of it. Let go & it will be yours forever. Source :  http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/256518
6. The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah-OM (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x velocity) Source : http://www.bnaiyer.com/Hindu-Special-Articles/d-pranava.html
7. Charles Darwin went to an island by the name Kelotropist and investigated how by pecking the niches (??) the size and beak length of birds changed.  Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcS4xl3H7rY&feature=player_detailpage#t=27s
8. There were four ‘Homonites’. Science tells us today that there were four ‘Homonites’ - first is ‘Lucy’ along with its guy ‘Dosnopytichest’, which died about 3 and a 1/2 million years - the Ice Age. Then next came the ‘Homosepians’, who died about 5 hundred thousand years ago. Then came the ‘Neanderthal Man’, who died hundred to forty thousand years ago. Then came the fourth stage, ‘the Cromagnon’. ‘There is no link at all between these stages’ : Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bcS4xl3H7rY#t=179s
9. Clairvoyance is the ability to see energy clearly. It is a human ability, and is available to anyone who wants to have it for him or herself.i) in order to accurately see the energy of anyone or anything, you must learn to look "Without Judgment". Also known as neutrality, non-judgment is critical in being able to see clearly. If you judge someone or something as good or bad before you really look, you will miss seeing what’s actually there.ii) If you want to see anything, "you have to want to see it". Some things are just too difficult to look at, because there is so much charged energy attached, including all kinds of pain.iii) The greatest clairvoyant ability is the ability to see yourself.Clairvoyance can unite humanity in a positive way. If human beings learn to see each other as spiritual beings, we can also work to create a completely different kind of life on earth, a much more fun, creative, and inspiring kind of life. We don’t have to all agree with each other on everything, just agree to not judge each other’s choices. Source : http://psychiceveryday.com/2010/06/a-psychic-spills-the-beans-about-the-power-of-clairvoyance/

Quoting Richard Dawkins:


Reason has built the modern world.  It is a precious but also a fragile thing which can be corroded by apparently harmless irrationality.  We must favor verifiable evidence over private feelings otherwise we leave ourselves vulnerable to those who would obscure the truth.  Even in the 21st century, despite all that science has revealed about the indifferent vastness of the universe, the human mind remains a wanton story-teller creating intention in the randomness of reality.  - Richard Dawkins

Poetry in Mathematics ? Euler and Bharathiyaar

Was reading the article "What Poetry Is Found in Mathematics? What Possibilities Exist for Its Translation?" ( http://www.springerlink.com/content/5u154707755313mx/ )

My attempt to translate Euler's equation in line with Bharathi's Poem :

"தனி  ஒருவனுக்கு உணவில்லையெனில்  ஜகத்தினை  அழித்திடுவோம்"

 which means : "If, even a single person goes food-less, we will destroy this world"

 

 

Tamil and issues

Tamil and issues

Chennai is probably the only big city in India where educated natives refuse to speak in their vernacular and where knowledge of English is so overrated that they do not care for their vernacular anymore.  I do not see this behavior in people coming from Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad, etc.  The people coming from these cities speak their vernacular very well, are passionate about it and also possess good English skills.  It is downright pathetic to see the attitude of the current generation in Chennai which prides itself in its ignorance of the Tamil language.  Writer Jeymohan aptly remarked that other than fake "tamil nationalism", the Dravida parties have not done any service to promote the language for the past 50 years and as a result people are also moving away from it.

Tamil is a language which if not pronounced properly even in one syllable, will lead to absolutely wrong and sometimes hilarious interpretations.  Some examples :

1.  If you ask somebody to bless, they better say "vaazh" (வாழ்).  But most of them say vaal (வால்) which is tail.

2.  One must use a vaaL (வாள்) for fighting and not vaal  (வால்) - a tail - to fight.

3.  kaanchanai காஞ்சனை (golden girl) is dangerously close to kaanja naay காஞ்ச நாய் (dried dog)

4.  Crab lives in a hole vaLai (வளை)  and fish are caught by a net valai (வலை)

5.  விளைநிலம் is arable land whereas விலைநிலம் is a land for sale

6.  If you perform பலி (sacrifice), you may invite பழி  (blame)

7.  What can happen in a moment (கணம்) cannot be weighed (கனம்)
8.  And I wrote this using the time (வேளை)  I was idling at my job (வேலை) :)
So it is really important to take time and learn this language the cultural richness of which is no less than that of any other classical language.  What a great cultural loss it would be if the so called headquarters of Tamil (Chennai) is unable to sustain this great language !

Indian Inflation - A personal experience

Indian Inflation - A personal experience

When I visited India to organize and realize my sister's marriage, I came face-to-face with the ground reality of "artificial inflation". Inflation in a place like Tirunelveli is purely greed driven. I could not find any clear cost-price and definitive profit margin associated with for any commodity. The amount of money that had to be spent on flowers etc would increase by the day. By the time you get quotes from one, compare with another and call the first guy back, the price would have been pumped up. My father and I were flabbergasted and at some point left to wonder how we would pull the wedding off.

My maternal grandmother lived with us for the past 2-3 months. She is next to immobile and my parents were providing her with physical and medical care. Some scan had to be performed and the bill was Rs 3000 for a scan. However, since my father was a friend of the doctor, the scan price was halved to Rs 1500. My father remarked to me : "There must definitely be a profit in that Rs 1500. If so, what is the real cost price and what is the profit margin of such endeavors ?!"

My wife was appalled to know that my sister's make-up woman charged Rs 8000 for a shoddy job ! Lalita was telling me that even in places like Bombay, the branded salons like Lakme do not charge so extravagantly. What was Rs 1500 in Bombay "cost" Rs 5000 in tirunelveli !

It is one thing to note things are expensive and another to note that the quality does not scale proportionately with the price. I witnessed that a brooch that was bought from one of the better stores in Australia for Just $5 (on sale), was miles ahead in quality than the one bought at Pothys for Rs 400. The matter of the fact thus is that, most of these so called "prices" are completely unfounded and only serve to strengthen the retail giants like Pothys and RMKV without much attention to serving customers with good quality products. And all that for a brooch. You can imagine what would have been the state of our minds when we had to shell out money for the maNdapam and other things like sarees.

"Loot and Live" is the Mantra ! And this goes in circles. If people buy stuff at higher prices, they will end up balancing their losses by increasing the prices of their goods and services. I see a potential zimbabwe like situation where INR would be scrapped and a new currency will be floated on par at least with the "25 cents" of USA ! Or else in the future, one may have to stack up Rs 10,000 in his pocket only to go to a restaurant and pay for a couple of dosas and come home empty-handed.

A fundamental change in the mindset is needed else this economy will go down the drain.

My wedding - Udhaya's Write-up

Udhaya - My friend and a gifted writer, flew from San Francisco to attend my wedding. My wedding is described in his words:

Part I: From Tracy to Durham
======================

--Took a Delta red-eye flight from SFO to Cleveland, it was crowded like a slaughterhouse. Luckily I got the aisle seat from online seating. I was hoping not to rub thighs with a fat slimy bastard for 5 hours straight. Luckily it was a girl in the middle seat and thankfully her thighs weren't touching each other or mine. She fidgeted all night trying to get comfortable, while I fell asleep oblivious to cheap snacks and over-hyped soda runs by the crew.

--We landed in Cleveland in the wee hours. I ate a McD breakfast and window shopped for a while. Many Bengals and University of Kentucky wares were being sold. Tried to find the powder-blue UK cap to no avail (Just for my initials. I don't give two shits about Kentucky basketball).

--The connecting flight was like transitioning from the ocean to a wading pool. I had both the window and aisle seat as I sat single file. To my right was the bigger row with two seats each. The hostess was also considerably downgraded to a cover girl from the 60s (the 1860s). I could feel the grade and debris on the runway upon takeoff and landing. I developed a new regard for the wellness of my balls.

--We landed in Durham airport around 10 am. My eyes stung like I rode a scooter without shades on a country road. Rang up Bala, one of MS' many ilavampanju friends. I was splitting a room with this dude. Hadn't spoken to him more than once. He said that the ceremony was underway but the knot was yet to be tied. He conveyed his own and MS' eagerness over me making the wedding on time. So Bala picked me up in a modest Ford rental and took me straight to the wedding hall. Bala was, how shall I put this, sweet, soft-spoken, energetic, and delicate. He makes JR seem like P.S. Veerappaa.

The wedding hall was only 20 minutes away, about the time it takes me to go to the grocery store from my house in Tracy. We Californians are more spread out than a hooker's corpse on a police chalk line. Durham was not the Ku Klux Klan rally or a parade of pasty-faced white rat bastards that I had pictured. It was scenic and green. The roads were so thin with cars that a two-lane road seemed
enormously desolate.

Part 2: At the wedding hall
====================

--The cold of the morning hadn't worn off yet. I set foot into what was an unassuming community hall on the outside. The inside was a typical makeshift Hindu temple that we have grown accustomed to in U.S. over the years. I noticed the bride and the groom seated Indian style towards one end of the hall.

The couple of the hour were flanked by a bilingual priest who explained the ongoing ritual to both sides of the wedding party. The wall behind the bride and groom was filled with pale-faced deities sparely decorated in silk and lit up in soft halogen lights. The length of the hall had a maroon-curtained stage on the far side. On the near side were chairs, benches, and a couple of tables with fancy South Indian breakfast –idly,vadai, sambar, chutney, and the like--still breathing. Several unknown elders ushered me to have breakfast.

I couldn’t eat right then. I was still enthralled at getting a good eyeful of MS and Lalitha. As I saw the contentment in Lalitha's face, the ease with which she handled all that was mandated by the priest and others around, the relief seeping through the fatigue in MS's face, I couldn't help getting caught up in the history behind that moment. The trials that these kids went through, the torment of desire and loyalty, responsibility and need; the risk of asserting oneself at the perils of alienating one's parents...and the lesser evils of academia and workforce that twisted and turned this already harsh path of love... I needed a cigar to manage a sigh of relief worthy of the occasion. So I stood there getting my fill of the couple some more.

MS had lost weight. Seated there in his panjakachcham and bare body he looked like fresh gay bait. On his head was a crown that looked like a hollowed and split flower coconut. Reminded me of the whale, Narwhal from my kid's whale book. The Narwhal fell from his head periodically as if to remind us of the human element in that celestial atmosphere. Going back to the panjakachcham, what an outfit! It looked pretty airy and transparent except around the privates where it layers up like the sari. I wonder how many priests walk around everyday with undetected hard-ons beneath this stealth outfit. I can't wait until the west discovers the panjakachcham fashionably. It looks not different from the M.C. Hammer pants from the 80s. Throw a designer jacket or full-sleeve top over it and it’s good to go.

Lalitha looked impeccable from head-to-toe. She was done up beautifully and accessorized with taste. As the ceremony progressed, I met Meera who guessed who I was and introduced herself. I had learned earlier that she lives not far from bb and Aruna. Then I saw Vijay, MS' roomie from his Berkley days.

Then this curly headed 30-something guy approached me and asked if I was doing anything with a camcorder. I plead innocence and made small talk before someone said that it was Srinath. At the same time Srinath realized who I was and he seemed a bit surprised and disappointed. He said later that based on my writing, he expected an 8-foot tall warrior type (not the undercard sumo wrestler that I am I guess). I had expected a piss-and-vinegar type full of energy and wrath in Srinath. He looked more subdued and at peace like an emasculated husband character in a Thamizh serial. Anyway, we discovered each other simultaneously. My first reaction was to pinch his cheeks and slap them while uttering, 'I adore this bastard' at which point this charming lady joined us, her face a bit curious. Srinath introduced her as his wife Bagya and me to her as 'The Udhaya.' We reminisced our history at which point this SL look-alike (well if SL were 10 years younger and had to shower, shave, and press his pants) joined us and introduced himself as PK.

Soon we were all clapping to substitute for the ketti mElam and the thali, ammi, and arundhathi phases were carried out gracefully. It was a done deal for MS and Lalitha. For someone as jaded and cynical about rituals, religion, and pageantry, I felt several shards of ice dissipate inside me. Perhaps I was dew-eyed, my heart was full and heavy with joy. There was so much joy in me that had I the mammaries, I would've breast fed the entire crowd willing or not.

Part 3: Lunch and chores
==================

Around lunch time I met MS’ dad and mom. MS’ sister Aparna was busy running around getting things done. MS’ parents both seemed to have heard of me and said so. Whatever trepidations they must’ve had before this wedding, they seemed absolutely at peace with the goings on. There was a sense of purpose and clarity in their demeanor that warmed me. MS’ dad was so collected and dignified in speech and tone—truly a throwback, old school soul; I wanted to hug the man and dwell in the comfort he represented. It is the comfort of childhood when all my uncles towered over me and imparted wisdom, wit, direction, and security. There are telling moments in my adult life where I have longed for such a figure of the past to guide and comfort me with wisdom unknown to me.

A bunch of us put out some more chairs and got the crowd ready for lunch. The food was excellent. I met Aravind, Mathi, Raj, and Ramanan (some more friends of MS) during lunch. Srinath and PK were discussing about getting the musical instruments and equipment set up at the Reception hall. Bagya sent her man to go get Ziplocs to save the leftover food. I wish I could go back in time and eat it now. Wonder what happened to all that food! We thought of donating the food to some shelter, but didn’t know enough venues around for that.

MS pulled me aside and expressed regret about not being able to hang with the boys. I felt like reminding him that this will be the first of many occasions for him where he would have to unwillingly forego hangtime with friends; friends that don’t have much to do with the wife. He was married now. Married men and their pre-marriage friends are in parallel universes. Any male who doesn’t agree with this is either lying, has his wife reading this with him, or has his in-laws as friends. But I didn’t feel that the day of the wedding was a time for the groom’s disillusionment. Life will do it slowly and painfully, and before long he will be summing up the state of things with a non-verbal hand movement and shrugged shoulders that said, “You know how it is. I can’t go dude.�

MS hinted about a bottle of Rum that was saved for the reception. He mentioned that the reception would be a very relaxed affair. There will be singing and dancing and guaranteed merriment, he said. All my fires were stoked at this point.

We took a while to clear out of there. Everybody pitched in and cleared the place, folded chairs, emptied garbage, and all that. But somehow an organized effort to shoulder everybody to their fronts was missing. We really needed a Periyappa figure there telling everyone what the priorities were and what had to be done next.

After much dilly-dallying all the aforementioned friends of MS drove in two vehicles to gather all the equipment. PK connected his iPod and treated everyone with mid-80s IR music, replete with insipid Vaali lyrics, morose romanticism of KJY, and the suggestive singing of the AARP audio porn queen S.Janagi. The first depressive thoughts of the day arrived in my mind at this point, and by the time the nursery rhyme music of 'kELadi en paavaiyE' came on, I was deeply contemplating mass murder or at least the opportunity to go the way of Van Gogh to slit my ears off. The only solace was the angry Gutka sauce in my mouth.

Part 4: Spirits: Channeled/Bottled what have you
====================================

We waited at the parking lot trying to consolidate our efforts to knock out the remaining chores—gather the instruments, do a grocery stop, pick up some flowers, and some choice kavas am for MS' kundalam.

All through the day I felt the presence of all my missing friends from the chat room where MS and I frequent. When Ramanan invited himself and all of us to Srinath's house so that Bagya could make tea for all of us, I saw Raja G's socialism at work there. When Bagya and Srinath readily accepted and extended a warm welcome to our bunch of faux and bonafide bachelors to their pad, I saw Aruna and Balaji show up in their hospitality. When a perisu hugged MS and told him that God will take care of everything, Kitkat was there. While waiting for the wedding party to show up, Aravind noticed the flaw in our plan for not leaving one of us behind to drive them to the reception venue; I knew Ranga would've picked up on that detail right away. When someone remarked at the beauty of the evening sky, I saw JR's photographic vision there. When I was breaking down the beauty of the MSV's , 'ninaiththathai nadaththiyE mudippavan', I was channeling Sriram there. When PK was mesmerized in the beauty of ARR's ,'munbE vA', I saw Srikanth there. When somebody was air-violining along with an IR interlude with closed eyes, I knew Shankar was there. Whenever someone interjected another's comment with a better one and sent us all into hysterics, I knew inji was there. When Raj confided insider information on knowing actor Surya personally since childhood and proclaimed him as a 'flaming asshole', I could hear Arun's frustration with Kollywood. When Ramanan leaned over during one of the songs and said, 'That's in Revathi. A very expressive raagam,' I knew Ram was there.

We went to Jawahar's office to pick up amps, speakers, and mics. Jawahar was a local figure that everybody seemed to know. He loomed over the proceedings like a kind Tony Soprano. I got to meet him briefly and could tell he rolled with the heavy hitters. Somewhere on the way to getting the evening organized, I raised an important element that was missing in the plans—libation.

Between the shopping stops and missed phone calls from Bagya who was texting us with numbers of people who had to be accessed for some pickup or other, we landed at a spiritual place.

Ramanan magnanimously announced that whatever we got was his treat. Guys got excited and pondered over two 18-year old single malts that were ridiculously priced. Some of us thought of going Dutch but Ramanan wasn't having any of it. I wanted to ascertain that the objective was universal. Did we all want the best tasting Scotch that could be savored and worshipped or did we want something that went the distance without losing its essence from ice cubes and club soda? Srinath came out with the timeless nugget: quantity beats quality. I did a quick survey and determined for everybody that if the Scotch was to see cubes or soda, then an 18-year old was indistinguishable from a 12-year old. So we settled on a small barrel of 12-year old Glenfiddich and saved Ramanan's 401K money.

We ended up having to stop at Srinath's on the way to pick up his keyboard and the invitation to go in was revived again. Myself and a couple of others stayed in the vehicle to prevent any further delays. We were under the gun for the 6 pm reception and Srinath, who chaperoned us, had this sense of urgency about him that I last observed in an INS service clerk. He moved at a pace that suggested that the rest of us were either restless or in the wrong speed altogether. Srinath bitched and moaned about having to dress up for the occasion, he mentioned sheer discomfort at what Bagya had proposed for him to wear. I envisioned a 3-piece suit or a tuxedo with cumberbun and bow tie in the least. Upon seeing just a pressed pair of pants and a full-sleeve shirt on his hanger, I just had to laugh. I reminded him that his appearance was a reflection of Bagya and not himself, he knowingly relented.

Part 5: Paattu, Baratham, Punidha Neeroattam
==================================

At around 6 pm we reached the reception venue and rushed in to make up for lost time. Little did we realize that the terms lost time would gain new meaning that night. We marched in with our wares and an empty hall awaited us. Empty of humans that is, the tables were already set, and the buffet lines were in place. The concierge seemed happy that somebody showed up to honor the reservation. The guys got the equipment s set up in no time and we rocked some more to PK's iPod muscling it out through concert-strength speakers. Srinath's sense of timing had been wise all along as the only clueless punctual guests were an elderly white couple. Thankfully no seating chart was in place, so we picked the table closest to the music and tucked away in a corner at some distance from other tables.

A half hour passed and those of us who brought change of clothes went and got changed. The caterers brought the food and we helped them set up. More time passed and there was still no sign of the wedding party. We congregated at our table and got the event started in some sense with our plastic cup toasts aided by a bucket of ice from the ice machine. Even at 12-years of age, young GlenFiddich showed much of the promise and potential that will be achieved six years later. We enjoyed the Scott's company immensely, watered down as he was. Most of the guests were in by then and there was still no sign of the wedding party. Time was creeping into 7:00pm and slowly at 7:30 pm the kids were showing some signs of chaos. A general concern crept up about the wedding parties’ whereabouts. Calls were made and positions were ascertained. We discussed having the kids fed early, but the plates and utensils were stuck in the van with the wedding party. Jawahar and Srinath called and GPS-ed MS who shockingly was driving the group to his own reception. I felt very stupid for being oblivious to MS’ side of the evening. One of us should've stayed back or gone back to lead them to the right place. Perhaps we should've done a trial run to ensure everybody knew the way. Many such suggestions came out in hindsight.

Around 8 pm the wedding party finally made it to the reception. MS got out of the driver's seat looking like the visuals of a country-western song where the guy lost his job, girl, and dog on the same day. I gave him a hug and reminded that it was his ascension from solo to duet; it was his night, he had to go out there and own it. I knew he needed to vent, but I was thinking of the plates and silverware that could keep the kids from mutiny. Later on, I was thankful to hear that Bala took MS aside to let him vent. What appeared to be a disaster was easily diffused to a trivial issue. As Raj mentioned before a toast, 'I'm already here and I'm not going anywhere else, what's the fuss?' Libation makes philosophers of us all.

The stars realigned themselves into perfection the moment the wedding party entered the hall. Despite our concern about the pliable carpet not being suitable for a sure-footed dance like baratham, Aparna was bent on doing her routines. The night was too big for her brother, and in her eyes she couldn't be kept from delivering her part that night. Bagya MC-ed and introduced Aparna to the crowd better than James Lipton does on 'Inside the Actors Studio'.

Aparna sprang into her first dance with vigor. Though I knew very little to appreciate the dance technically, I could tell that her moves were fluid and precise, especially when a move ended in a stance her mechanics revealed the extent of her practice and prowess. Her big expressive eyes complimented the dance ably as the crowd lapped it up. I kept turning to watch Lalitha's reaction, as I knew her to be a dancer too. I wanted to see an insider's appreciation of the art form. She looked like she was itching to join in, her face beamed the whole time that Aparna danced. This had me convinced that my uninitiated eyes had picked up on some of the expertise that was wowing everybody. At the end of her first routine, Aparna was almost out of breath; her eyes appeared to give out a little. We were worried and thought that at least she got to finish one routine. Her folks sat her down and rested her.

Ramanan got the mic. next and launched into 'Hey nath' a prayer song by SPB in Ravi Shankar’s composition. MS had earlier requested that Ramanan begin the night with this song. Maybe Ramanan always had that ghazal singer timbre, but I was willing to bet that our Scottish friend lent a bit of Bass to that song. Both the song and singer were top notch. By then Aparna was ready with her second dance and so it went the rest of the night with a singer alternating with each of Aparna's dances. She danced at least four maybe five. Through it all the buffet lines moved from appetizer to main course to dessert, whereas the boys' were at various stages of the liquid diet. I kept filling cups like it was the victor's election headquarters in Tamil Nadu.

The other singers to take the stage were Meera, Swati, Sindhuja, Ramesh, Swarna?, and MS.
Meera sang idhazhil kadhai ezhudhum with MS. MS mixed some self-cooked Bengali into the song and the word Lalitha jumped out in it. A very romantic rendition it was (also with a little Scottish Bass). Special kudos to Meera for holding the mic. in one hand and a tired toddler in the other without missing a beat.

Sindhuja sang MS' own devotional composition, 'karaigindra megam'. Ramanan expressed surprise at hearing that MS also penned the lyrics. I told him that MS can't help but write formal Thamizh lyrics in the lines of Maruthakaasi. Sindhuja, for whom the song was composed by MS, sang it reverently with aplomb.

Ramesh and Swarna? sang 'thoongaatha vizhigal rendu'. The song, never one of my favorites, actually sounded better live with better pronunciation than the original.

Swati sang two songs that were just out of this world. One of them, 'Barse Badaria', an MS composition in Urdu was so good that I wept without realizing it. Srinath pointed it out and asked me if all was well. It is a crime that Swati is not a national figure. If you detect any hyperbole in this statement, just find out for yourself and listen to her singing.

MS took time to serenade Lalitha with several Hindi songs that oozed love. We dimmed the lights and made the two dance, or at least attempt to move in unison, hand-in-hand. It worked. MS threw me a surprise by singing a lullaby I wrote for one of his compositions. His dad pulled up a chair to the front to listen to it. MS paid homage to his dad with the song which after all is about a father showing the way to his son.

MS' dad was glowing with satisfaction. His cup was full. He later joined us at our table and chatted with everyone, remembering their families and other mutual friends. He looked at me and asserted that MS and all his colleagues were a bunch of great kids with stellar character and nary a bad habit. To that statement we all nodded as we shook the ice loose in the cup to have the Scottish kid lose some more color quickly.

As the night drew to an end, people dispersed slowly. MS said Jawahar had booked the honeymoon suite at the same place as his gift, so he only needed to travel 3 floors up. Some women had decorated the place and already placed some kavasams prominently on the bed. I still presented the one Srinath had bought, and said, that it had a decidedly male perspective to it.

The rest of the boys met at PK’s Extended Stay room and partied into the wee hours. Bala who had been running other errands all day (dropping and picking up people) finally joined us to hang out. We finished the Scottish treat and topped off with some Heineken that Aravind brought on the way in. Then we discussed everything under the sun—movies, songs, technology, NRIs, NRI parents, etc. PK looked about to collapse so we dragged his ass out and smoked some cigars. Mainly he and I did while the others stood around shivering or smoking cigarettes. We finally parted ways and hoped to stay in touch through MS' Facebook page or website.

On the way back to our room, Bala and I discussed the need for people, especially men, to upend their station in life, to test their boundaries from time to time. No matter how civilized he gets, man is still a hunter and gatherer, a wild beast on the inside. If that beast doesn't get to come out and butt heads periodically and bang itself on the chest in revelry, there is bound to be a severe price paid on the domestic front.

Pallavi of En vaanile - on piano

Was playing the piano at JAwahar's residence in Raleigh.

Quietitude Weighs Heavy

..And parents have gone back. So has my dear sis aparna.

I have always preferred a balance between calm and chatty times. I have sought quiet contemplation when home bubbles with activity and now ..the emptiness stares at me reminding the clatter and clamor that was life for the past 6 months..

well.. I realize that the clatter and clamor IS life..and quietitude should only be a vacation.. The affectionate awakening with steaming coffee by mom, the long puja by dad accompanied with a barrage of strong verbal push for aparna to get up against her characteristic sleepy defiance to savor the early morning slumber...

Appu is much younger to me and I have never seen her as my sister. The bond between her and me has been more like dad-daughter. Right from she was born, I was have babysat her for hours. The three of us - dad, mom and me - could easily go into our own worlds like cooking, reading and office work respectively and we may not even feel our mutual presence until either hunger beckons or mom sounds the food-bell. But with appu around, the home is always filled with vibrancy which is an admixture of arguments, jokes, laughter, her follies and what not.

That my dear appu - I miss. I never thought I would miss 'clamor'. But I realize that is a part of life.

When you folks were around, I felt a bit suffocated at times with a tight work schedule, weekend plans and the impossibility of finding time for things that otherwise enthuse me - like music. But with you folks gone, I have time but no interest.

Love you all.

Dr. Bosco Emmanuel visit to CSIRO

It is not very often that one gets to work with his undergraduate school professor in his career. But I have been fortunate in that respect. Dr. Bosco Emmanuel of CECRI is currently visiting CMSE-CSIRO as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow. Dr Bosco is a theoretical electrochemist who has made important contributions in the various fields including (but not limited to) lithium batteries, corrosion, percolation and Feynman’s path integrals in leading journals. His current interests include developing a generic framework for Multiscale modeling in corrosion which coincides with our current interests.

Apart from his commendable work, he also was the first PhD student of Prof. late S. K. Rengarajan of IISc who was an eminent electrochemist. Dr. Bosco had not travelled outside India for nearly 23 years and was kind enough to accept CSIRO's invitation to work with us.

Everyday I am learning a new concept. and I am really happy about it.

Prof Oldham's Lectures on Electrochemistry at Monash University

As a student, you would learn from certain textbooks, the authors of which would mostly be world-renowned authorities in the subjects. Although, I came to know about Prof. Keith B . Oldham's works later in my student life, I have always been fascinated by his crystal clear introduction to electrochemistry. What could be better ?

A course directly taught by him.

Prof. Alan Bond of Monash - another authority in fundamental electrochemistry has organized a series of lectures by Prof. Oldham and I am so very delighted to be learning from him directly in a class !

Thanks CSIRO and Monash. Enjoyable totally !

Kudos Kaumudee ! Thank you Ayush !

With Kaumudee

With Ayush - Meera's son at Kaumudee's concert.

Ayush silencing me in a humbling gesture of affection .

Audio bloggers may be familiar with Kaumudee Torsekar. Kaumudee and I have been friends for almost 7 years and the first chance to meet Kaumudee happened to be at R. D. Burman Show in the Bay Area and what a show it was ! Kaumu stood out as an outstanding talent among the singers and Kishmu and Nagaraj amped up with theri brilliant keyboard play.

Some of the songs Kaumu sang included "Aaja ..aah aha aaja" and "Monica my darling". I can confidently say that off all the singer friends I have seen till date on stage, Kaumu was the most outstanding in all aspects. Choice of song, expressiveness, staying tuned in shruti and presenting the song with the energy that the song originally intended to have. Meera' family and I were in the audience and both Meera and I were clapping so much that our palms started feeling the heat. Although the other singers did a reasonable job, I preferred babysitting Ayush when they sang and certainly that was infinitely more exciting :)

Kaumu - You are a star and I am honored to be your friend !

A rapturous weekend

How would you feel if too many good things happened over a weekend ?! Happy and Tired and..may be sick !

That is what happened to me last weekend.

1. Raja Govindarajan (rajaG or G) - my long time friend from Kansas and Narayanan - an old alumnus from University of South Carlina joined hands together in the Bay Area to give a telugu concert http://www.aavakai.com/
2. I was meeting Narayanan after 8 years !!
3. Went to Nara and G's practice session on Friday where I met Kishmu who I have known for 6+ years but have never met. We have had so many discussions online ! It was wonderful to meet him personally.
4. Ended up singing "track" for G for Vidhata talapuna just for fun
   
5. It was even more wonderful to have him play some background for me and G to sing some songs like NinaivO oru paRavai where there were some voice overs. Note this was a leisurely singing after the practice..as in jamming !
6. Met Vamshi - a good singer with a penchant for high pitched songs and a friend of Nara. On his insistence, sang a composition of mine.
7. Came to know that Guitarist Krish was the brother of Raghu Tangirala - a common friend of Udhaya and me - who composes !
   
8. Bala - my DAV classmate and a close bud was supposed to pick me up from the practice session and his tyre burst !
   
9. I ended up going to Nara's place with Vamshi where we had a lively discussion about singing Aye ajnabi - a song that Vamshi wanted to give Mahesh Shankar - a budding music director in Telugu Films.
10. All of us packed up and headed to Vamshi's house where we chatted about music till 3:30 am !
11. Got up late only to be notified by Bala that a certain Mahesh Shankar - who happened to be cousin of Arthi - Bala's wife - was waiting to join them for a hike in the mountains !
12. That was a coincidence ! The same Mahesh Shankar who I was talking about the previous night with Vamshi!
13. Before we could reach Vamshi's place, Bala's car breathed its final and Mahesh picked us up. We deposited the car in the garage and headed off to Mahesh's home with the hiking programme cancelled.
14. Came to know Mahesh was a very good friend of Nandu and Ramesh (ya blogswara guys !) who played with me for Aavarthana !!
15. Mahesh and I sat for a discussion on song making and exchanged thoughts about our philosophy towards music production.
16. Came to hear Meera's and Nara's recordings for Mahesh and many other songs that Mahesh had composed. Shared some of mine !
17. Mahesh and I decided we should look forward to meet for many times before I leave for australia.
18. Landed in aavakkai programme an hour late only to be apprised I did not miss anything due to the unexpected long lecture by Sirivennala
19. Had a lot of backstage conversations with singers and musicians during the break and ended up leaving the auditorium at 12:30 with G and BB.
20. Went straight to a Dennis and had some pancakes and omlettes to appease the appetite and headed to BB's place
21. It was rollicking fun with G at his panning best. Cannot divulge it all here :)
22. The snoring or roaring of G made my sleep impossible and could catch only 4 hrs of sleep before which I was woken up and was asked to sing with G. You can see how disheveled I look in this video. Sang "enakkoru kaadhali irukkindraaL" imitating the voice of MSV.





23. Went to Meera's son Ayush's Birthday party and met tons of ppl.
    

Finally ended up with a severe cold and fever. And could not go to the office on Monday !!