MS (by Research) — What, How, WTF???

OK. Let me make this very clear right at the outset. This blog post is a complete waste of your time. That is, unless you like reading something that hasn’t got much to do with anything. If you do, then by all means proceed…

Just so that you know, this post is nothing but a way to occupy me for the next hour or two, when the tatkal bookings open.  Tatkal, that devilish scheme which gives 1. people sleepless nights, and 2. the railways lotsa extra money —  I often feel things would be better without it.

Anyway, so it’s been quite some time since my last post…  (like most other things, I find it rather tough to be regular at this). These past few months have been quite eventful. Lots of things have happened, but the one thing that’s hit me the hardest is the parting of ways that came with our graduation. The B.Tech fellows have left, some for jobs and some for other pursuits, leaving behind a bunch of oddballs — The Dullas (“Dual Degree people” — clarification for non-IIIT-H junta).  Needless to say, lots of familiar faces are no longer seen on the IIIT campus. Vacant rooms remind you of their erstwhile inhabitants, and a single stroll through the OBH is enough to bring back lots of (happy) memories. We dullas have come together like scattered drops of water, old “wings” amalgamated to form new ones, and what not. But it’s going to take a fair amount of time to get used to the new life, if at all. The speeches made by some of my batchmates on the farewell night come back to me afresh. Things have changed.

I bet I wouldn’t be wrong in saying that each one of us dullas has, at some point or the other, wished he/she were among those leaving. But life’s a bitch. We were naive and gullible, filled with the excitement of what lay ahead, when we chose the 5-year Dual Degree at IIIT-H without really finding out what it entailed. As most of us know, it isn’t really a 5 year degree (before starting an argument on that, I strongly advise the reader to find out the average passing out period of a dual degree student). But my grudge isn’t with the duration as much as it is with the nature of the degree. I strongly believe that a person must get to choose to do research, it can’t be thrust upon someone. I’ve not done an ounce of it myself, but nonetheless, I’d stake my reputation on that last statement. A dual degree student doesn’t really get to make an informed choice. And that’s sad.

Having said that, I’ve no scruples in admitting that I’ve not been a model student these couple of years at IIIT;  I don’t regret it. But I guess it’s time now. Luckily I have a guide who is great — both as a person and as a professor. There are people who have found their passion in research. It’s just a matter of finding mine… (or so I hope)

In the words of John Wayne – “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do”.

Oh, and as an afterthought — I’ve given up on GNOME 3.0 (Fedora 15) — it’s promising, but not quite there yet. KDE’s better… (yeah, I know that was totally random. But I warned you, didn’t I?? >:D)

Thermal And A Quarter… And how I got to meet them :)

“Today I met Thermal And A Quarter” — the statement should suffice… but if I stop here, I won’t be able to gloat all the way through this post then, will I??

So well… It all began around a week (or more, who cares?) ago, when I read in the small print on taaq.in that TAAQ would be performing on 7th Sept. ’10 at 10DS, Hyderabad. Now this was news… Their last show, which was at HRC, was before my days as a TAAQ fan, and for that, I plead guilty. Anyway, let bygones be bygones — This show was like the light at the other end of the mid-sem exams and I was all taaqy with anticipation.

The much awaited day arrived, and as I broke free from the clutches of the exams, I had no clue what ups and downs were in store for me this evening. First came the shocker… Couple Entry only, and it spoilt some well made plans. But I suppose where there is a will, there’s also a nice understanding friend willing to be great company. Sania very graciously agreed to come along.

The venue was OK-ish, but the show was brilliant… TAAQ exceeded my expectations and even though 2 songs I was really hoping for weren’t played (One Small World, This Is It), the set list was superb. Bruce was stellar as usual, Prakash was awesome too (I don’t know if he managed to get a peek at the audience with his headgear) and Rajeev kicked some serious ass on the drums throughout. The songs were played to perfection, the bass and drum solos here & there just added to the magic. Pity the “funny money” didn’t buy us drinks, though After the show, I grabbed a TAAQ T-Shirt & a “Plan-B” CD and we headed back.

Funny Money

The second jhatka came late at night when I decided to try on my groovy TAAQ Tee. I’m not sure how to describe what I felt when I unfolded it — It was tiny!! I wonder what the guy who called it “L” was thinking. Thanks to Baba (Native Tongue) I managed to get Bruce’s number. They invited me over to have the tee exchanged. So around 2 AM I found myself “in the company of giants” (yeah, I’m using that phrase a lot… but it’s my goddamn blog, my fb profile and whatever else). The band and some friends were chilling at their hotel room when I arrived. It was great to meet them all and I’m quite sure I was acting mighty strange, trying to keep the excitement bottled up. Now I don’t know what you may have read about bands having attitude or ego issues or blah, but this was a group of fellers who made me feel at home almost instantly. Heck, the way Rajeev expressed his concerns about me riding all the way & back “all alone in the big bad city” would’ve reminded anyone of home! So after a teeny sip of what Rajeev was having and some chatter, someone (bless his soul!) said I should have a pic with my new TAAQ T-shirt. The way I’m looking like a 16-year-old kid on cloud 9 in the pic brings back some memories of Stillwater & the kid from Almost Famous. Bruce gave me a copy of “This is It” as a keepsake for my nightly visit. It was time to leave, and I had left the room when it struck me to get the CD signed — and I did 8)

(L-R) Buce, me, Prakash, Rajeev

As I cruised back to college, I was happy that I got the bad T-Shirt. Luck comes hidden in the most unexpected things, I guess

Spoils from the evening

Autographed copy of "This is It"

In retrospect, my description of the gig could’ve been more elaborate… but I’m quite sure I’m useless as a music critic — I love stuff, I like stuff, I don’t like some stuff and that’s about it.

Sherlock!

I’ve always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes… Read the books cover to cover half a dozen times or more, and I wouldn’t mind having another go right now.

Now a few weeks ago, I had read somewhere about this modern adaptation of SH that someone was doing… mini-series called “Sherlock”, and my first thought was, umm… well it was something on the lines of why people can’t let a good thing be.

Nevertheless, when the show did air, I couldn’t stop myself from giving it a chance — and by Jove, Watson! The game was afoot! As I went through the first two episodes, all my misgivings were thrust aside, and the creators of this brilliant, brilliant adaptation took me on a ride that I wasn’t going to forget in a hurry. The way they managed to blend the old with the new earned fervent applause from the Holmes fan within me. Each reference to the original works — words, characters, places, events — was skilfully woven into the story. The music, the cinematography… it was London like I had never seen it before. In a wonderful way, despite the modern setting, I found myself back in the old world of Victorian London, centered around 221B, Baker Street, with the fog and the street lights, the quintessential deerstalker cap, pipe and so much more…

This past week, I found myself counting down the days till the 3rd (and sadly, final) episode would be aired. And now, having watched it, I’m happy and I’m sad. Happy to have had the privilege of watching this short but exceptional mini-series, and sad that it has, like all things, ended.

Some investigation has revealed that the show is now on hiatus. I pray with all my heart that it comes out of it alive and kicking, with more seasons and episodes. I’m aware of what they say about too much of a good thing, but well, I’m only human

Kudos to Steven Moffat for giving us another memorable show (the other being Coupling), and a personal word to all SH fans to put aside their prejudices and go watch SHERLOCK!

Update: The show will return for another season Visit here for more details

Hello (blog)World!

It’s been around 3 years since I’ve been fighting this battle between my laziness and the occasional urge to blog. A number of times in the past, something or the other has made me sit up and say to myself, “Yes, this is it… I have to make this the topic of my first blog.”… and I recall at least 4 instances when I even got as far as signing up for a blog of my own. Evidently, none of those fits of inspiration actually made it into the blogosphere.

I often wondered what would eventually lead me one step further, make me put aside the lethargy and publish my first blog post. Judging by the things I generally feel like blogging about, I knew it had to be something related to linux, movies/shows or music. I’m sure anyone who knows me can understand why.

So this morning, as I watched The Two Towers (after having finished The Fellowship...), I got the goosebumps when the leader of the company of elves that arrives at the fortress of Helm’s deep made his speech about honouring the old alliance between elves and men. These goosebumps I associate with movie moments that inspire me, touch me deeply, or just leave me awestruck at the power of good cinema. There are sequences in movies which, whenever I watch, have this exact effect upon me. The speech made by commissioner Gordon at the end of The Dark Knight which finishes with the words “… He’s a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight” made my hair stand on end the first time I heard it in the theatre, and it manages to do the same again and again! Before I had seen WALL·E, I never imagined that an animated story of robots falling in love could make my eyes well up, or make me feel warm right from within. How does a song and a bunch of people parting ways (Walk On, FRIENDS) bring people to tears?

I cannot claim to know what others feel (or don’t), but it is this subliminal effect that, I feel, gives movies their magic. I feel privileged, and at the same time humbled, when I have one of these experiences… And I hope they linger forever as memories of these great works of art.

Here’s an excerpt from an article I read a couple of days back — “Just as there are odors that dogs can smell and we cannot, as well as sounds that dogs can hear and we cannot, so too there are wavelengths of light we cannot see and flavors we cannot taste. Why then, given our brains wired the way they are, does the remark “Perhaps there are thoughts we cannot think,” surprise you?”. If indeed there are feelings that we cannot feel, then I’m sure it is these overwhelming moments that take us quite close to the perceived boundaries of our thought.

There is a lot more that can be said about the matter at hand, but for lack of being able to do justice to it, I will (perhaps?) pursue it in a later post.

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I can’t believe I actually did it!!… my first blog.