A Talk by Dr. J. Francis

Can only walking and not talking for years together make you famous? You must be thinking already that I am be crazy. Remember the movie Forrest Gump? He didn't walk though. But he ran. Ran for a cause. People followed him and joined him for the run. Now this was a movie!

I was privileged to attend a lecture last evening at the IDC audi. It was by a man who has walked all over the US, from the west coast to the east coast, from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast. Not just that, he refused to drive his car nor did he oblige to any offers of lift, holding a backpack over his shoulder and playing the Banjo. He didn't talk. He used his mime skills to convey people what he wanted. He did this for 17 long years. And what could be the reason you must be thinking. He wanted to convey the message of ill effects of oil spill, cutting of trees and message of love. During these 17 years, he managed to complete his Masters in Environmental science and get a PhD in Land Management with emphasis on Oil Spillage, from Univ of Wisconsin at Madison!

He is currently employed by US Coast Guards to work on legislation related to Oil spills and also named the UN Environmental Program Goodwill ambassador.

random post

I have been pretty lazy these past 4-5 days. I have just put up some random youtube videos in my previous two posts. I have been half busy. Half because - I am not actually busy but still have work in hand. Now that is confusing. Most of my time is going on browsing the webpages of universities, the place, the visa procedures and pre-departure checklists!

I am enjoying spending more time in library these days. Mainly because the place is quite, neat and of course super fast wifi connection [I have a 'borrowed' laptop now :) ]. Sometime last year - I guess it was the spring semester when I and kunal used to spend almost 4-5 hours a day in the library. And then something happened and I totally stopped.

Yet another univ sends an offer today. Kenny says "When it rains, it pours" :)

Chaap Suey

Have fun!

Updates from the last week

Let me list all the things that happened in the last week here.

1. My hostel lost in the inter hostel badminton GC (though I won all my singles matches, our team lost :( ). I played one of the better games till date. My opponent was at 20 and I was at 16. Still managed to pull the winner. Thanks to the crowd support.

2. Was in Surat on an official trip from our lab. To collect some sample. It was an experience which I can never forget. Negotiating with the commercial tax officers and convincing that the goods that we are taking are purely for research and ofcourse waiting in the long queue of trucks at the toll gate :(

3. My sister gave birth to a baby boy :-) So I am officially a mama now! It'll be only in april that I can see the baby in person.

4. It is holi today and our mess is closed :( :( Had to rush to H12/13 mess for the breakfast before the guys go on rampage.

Okay now I need some colors and I am going out. They have a swimming pool sort of thing made and dragging each one of the hostel guys to that.

Ek Chidiya Anek Chidiya

Another nostalgic video ;)

Delhi Visit

So in my previous post I had written that I would be in Delhi. I am back to Mumbai now, the place that I like the most, not for it being all that cosmopolitan, but for its climate. Delhi was COLD. Before I could get down from the train (yeah I traveled by the Indian railways!) I caught cold. Later in the evening I had an ice cream which furthered the running nose problem. Didn't carry any moisturizer or vaseline which has left my skin particularly lips in a bad shape. Not that I am too concerned about it - but the lips really hurt and I am not able to stretch it much while eating or talking. :(

While my first north-Indian shaadi was a blunder - at least I felt it was too chaotic, with baraat arriving late in the night (as late as 12 !) and people got drunk and were dancing like crazy amidst loud music. Rest all was fun.

I could meet some of my seniors and batchmates. All well settled and busy with their lives. Went out for coffee and had long discussions on all the topics under the sun. Also I could visit the Bahai temple, also called the Lotus temple. It was a nice experience.

I carried the Peter Medawar's 'Memoir of a thinking radish' along - which was really a good read. Couldn't find the baraf pakora anywhere which was a disappointment.
So that is it.