Mangalayan and India..

India has successfully launched Managalayan with a fraction of the cost than that what US has spent. I read many articles where people say several things like India should focus on alleviating poverty blah blah blah. I know the general perception people have about India is it is very dirty, bad roads, anarchy, no clean drinking water, poverty, standard of living poor etc etc. While I agree to most of these, but there remains a component that you will not find anywhere, that is humanity. By saying humanity, I am not talking about the rapists or the terrorists or the murderers, as their number is far too lower than the number of good people.

 I will share an experience here that I had recently. I was coming from New York airport by AirIndia. AirIndia allows you to carry two carry ons and one handbag. Now I just had one big bag and that weighed slightly more than the allowed limit (23 KG). There was an African American sitting on the counter and she was really brutal. She said I will not let you take this, take out your stuff! I said I am just carrying one bag and one laptop, so can you not adjust this. She said a big NO to that. So, I opened my bag and tookout whatever was there on the top. And unfortunately I had a ziplock bag carrying toileterris , so I took that out, packed in a separate polythene bag (Since I did not have an extra bag) and checked that in. To that, she asked her colleagues if a polythene bag can be checked in and they said NO. So I thought I will carry it in my hand not realizing that there were LIQUID IN THERE!! Now I was about to leave and suddenly realized this fact. Then I went to the same counter and told the lady that these are liquid stuff and I cant carry them in hand. She is like I dont care! I said OK can you give my bag back, so that I will exchange this liquid with something else. She then said, I am not going to get your back, you climb up the belt and get it yourself. I was on the belt and then people from other desks started shouting what are you doing? I said she asked me to do that!! Then they sent another person for me to get the bag. Then I tried to exchange the liquid stuff with some clothes. At that time, there were few ladies (Of Indian Origin) came near me, lowered their voice and soothingly said, hurry up, pack it this way and helped me. Then I suddenly realized the difference between the 2 sets of people. One is very rude, mean, rigid and the other is considerate, compassionate and ready to help. This kind of people you will find only in India. I was thinking while leaving also my luggage was slightly overweight and the lady thought I am just carrying one bag, so why not to let me go. On the other hand here this lady knowing that my extra weight (Fraction of a kilo) is not a problem, still created a big fuss. So, this is what I like about India. If you are in trouble, they will all come and help you like they are your own, but elsewhere there is hard to find this species.
So, in short, India is not about poverty. In India, people are rich in heart. People may be living in dirty conditions, but I know for sure that they are not starving to death. Everybody has food to eat and they dont live on drugs or alcohol or debt. So we are richer than what others think about ut.

Attending Genome Informatics Meeting at Cold spring harbour

[Between 29th October - 30th October Ensembl workshop; 30-2nd November GI meeting]

It was a last minute decision for me to come here and I am glad I did. The talks are simply exhilarating plus there is so much information. Everybody is a pioneer in their field. So no complaints there although I was hugely inconvenienced because of the schedule, travel time and my unfamiliarity with the place and railway systems in NY. Now if anyone is coming to New York on work or business I can advise. If you wish to book a place to stay for relatively longer, it is better to choose Airbnb site , since the houses are relatively cheaper and also you can cook if you want. We did this before also and that is why I chose it again. If you are going to Long island, then don’t stay in Bronx, rather stay somewhere close to Hicksville or Syosset. These are like small towns and you may get cheaper motels and rent a car if needed. But if you are coming for sight seeing then Bronx may be good for you depending on the locality. Bronx is uptown of manhatten, so most of the uptown trains go there. Carefully look at the MTA map and locate your train station and see which train goes there. In our case, it was train no 2, called as 2 train, that moves back and forth between the place I stayed to Penn station from where I can catch LIRR trains. For Bronx, there are other trains as well e.g; 1, 3,5,6 etc. But each of them go to different destinations. But there are stations where they all intersect (That is where they announce transfer is available). Choose the proper direction of the train. Usually the last stop of the train is announced as the destination, so accordingly go to the platform. Buy a weekly MTA pass that costs about 30 USD and is good enough to take you around the city.

For travelling to Long Island, the best way is to take the Long Island Rail Roads (LIRR). It is a separate line that connects Penn station to Long island. The main station in this line is Jamaica where you can get air train to JFK airport. The train starts from Penn station (34^th street- Manhattan) to Huntington or several other location. Huntington train is like a slow train stops at each stop, but another way to go to Syosset is to get down at Hicksville (By taking Ronkonkoma) and take Port Jefferson or Huntington train. Once you reach there cross the bridge and there the shuttle services to Cold spring harbor will be there.If not, just walk back and you may see Syosset taxi services that takes about 10 dollars to the Grace auditorium. Today I am venturing into going to JFK using public transportation system, I will write if there are any problem or issues.

Mentoring Talks and Social Interaction

We recently concluded our second Ramalingaswamy conclave at Pune (12th to 14th Sept 2013) hosted by NCCS at Mariott. I always liked to attend this event - partly because so far it has been a paid fun trip for me. I have not been asked to present my work so far. But the next one is going to be different I guess. They have already announced that in the next conclave we have to pay for our stay and food, which has been borne by DBT so far. I am not sure how many will turn up on that case. If I am not to present and asked to pay my travel and stay in a five star hotel off my contingency, I would rather skip the show. In this financial crunched state, contingencies sound more than a life savor. Now coming to the real business - the business of science. We had this time a lot of breakout sessions starting from issues dealing with purchases, writing grants, dealing with administrative issues and so on. Some of them were really useful and informative; some of them left me baffled as what is purpose of such a session could really be. I simply dont get it when people ask questions such as in our institute our purchase does this or that what to do. I just wonder how someone else will provide you with a solution when they have no clue on what the real nature of your problem is. Just hearing from ones side, does not really reflect the reality. Many of the questions asked easily has an answer either in the R award letter or in some manual. I simply dont relate to this. To me questions that are not found in a manual or elsewhere but with the person in front of you should be asked. I get tired hearing silly or useless questions by people. I guess probably that is just me. Everyone else in the audience seem to relate to everything said or talked.

Similarly, when in the lunch dinner breaks or tea breaks, I am unable to engage in a conversation with the stalwarts. I dont know why. I always feel that I have nothing to ask or know from them. I just end up talking with the people with whom I have some work or business. Casual conversation with strangers is something just out from my dictionary. I hope there are other people like me as well or I am just alone in this behavioral pattern paradigm??

Creativity flows in...

Creativity is the mother of invention. We in India now lack creativity these days, so we resort to copying from others. Today while on my daily ritual to the walk to the Nirvana park, this thought popped in me, so thought I will write it here. I have not been very regular in this blog these days as complained by one of my very good friends (she is one of the reasons I write here:)). In any case, I have noticed when I do a nice nature walk a lot of nice thoughts come in including very creative ones like on new research ideas, programs, topics for the blog etc. which I can't do even if I sit quietly for long hours on my desk or try to read an article. This gets me into thinking about the rationale behind pupils sitting under a tree and getting education in vedic era. Now also this practice thrives in Shantiniketan.

Today, I saw 2 street dogs walking slowly, then I heard a noise - a noise of a dog crying. Then suddenly one dog started running and the other also competed with this one. I was wondering what could be the motivation. May be there is some food somewhere. As I walked close to the place where they were running, there was this dog looking at the lake and crying. These two were just running to be by the side of this one!! We call this humanity (If humans do it), do we have a term called as doganity? There was incessant rain and the water level of the lake was all time high, may be this crying dog lost a loved one and all others were rushing to be by his side and were wagging their tail back and forth near the lake to draw attention for help. This type of things we only see in India I guess.

Ever since I came here, I think I have become more mean. Earlier I used to just believe the intrinsic goodness of people, even many instances I used to leave my door without locking. But now I am kind of suspicious on people. But then there is this amazing thing as going overboard and helping each other that I have seen with some street people and now with these dogs. After all we have not lost it all. Still there are remnants of good being lying within us. When I used to go to the office by car, for six months I felt really restless. I kind of missed the energy of people around me. That happens when you walk or take a public transport, you brush with people and get their energy. Now why I am writing all these things when the title is about creativity. There is a link. The spirituality of humanity (or doganity) can be the creative energy that we need at this hour. The feeling of bliss well being will start flowing if we just get past our self  loving self and step out, be with nature, be quiet, give some time to our own thoughts, introspect and meditate. Om Shanti.

A renaissance of sort...

This post was due last month, sorry folks I delayed it.... Spring came and went by summer came and almost on the verge of going, I documented my life and surroundings took pictures but never posted'em:) Today I am kind of delayed to work since my brother is coming and some electric work is going on in my house, so thought let me blog this long pending subject.

I have become a nature, green, exercise freak for sometimes now. I live by a great park, which according to me the best park ever in India (although my memory of parks in India is not very rich). When I walk in  the park in the morning, I feel divine. Lately I found a spot in the nature park and do meditation. At that point, time just stops, serene divine feeling sets in - What could I ask more?

In the morning, it is endearing to see people walking, practising yoga, meditation, pranayam. I have never seen this duing my childhood. It has reached a renaissance of sort. I went to Delhi, and on Lodhi Garden, the same scene was there. You go to any place in India these days in the morning, you will find regular walkers/joggers/yogaikars and so on. Behind all these there is a hand which we often fail to acknowledge and that is of Baba Ramdev. He began popularizing yoga and pranayam and deshbhakti through Astha channel. And now a couple of years back, there is this Brahmakumari revolution. This is just so amazing. As some people would say, kalyug is going to end and satyayug is going to come and that is what I am feeling. How incredible that will be if that happens during my life time?

Thoughts are very powerful...

I have been watching sister Shivani's program for quite sometimes now. Not that I want to become a monk soon, but her teachings are very convincing and helps us analyze ourselves better. Many things I agree(around 95%), many things I don't (about 5%), but nevertheless I thought it makes us a better human being if we practice what we hear. But sadly most of us don't including me.

I will give an example here. My father calls me almost everyday, sometimes during office hours, and mostly after work hours. Many times I am not in a position to take the call and then he keeps calling repeatedly till I pick up the phone and then asks why I was not taking the call. Although I understand that he is very anxious, but often I loose my cool. Recently, I got so irritated that I told him to stop calling me. That is not what I meant, but I don't know why I got so irritated. Having practicing and believing myself to be a follower of sister Shivani, this sounds really uncanny. After the episode I tell myself several times just cool down and never get irritated. Since thoughts are very powerful and can be channelized to reach the impossible, it is extremely desirable that we control our thought and conquer over our anger.

After I shifted to my official quarter, I have developed a great interest in decorating it and making it beautiful - which I never did in my entire life. In the middle of the apartment, there is a large room with one side open with glass and the other side with a structure that has abundant amounts of holes. I was advised to buy a unsightly plastic sheet  and cover it, other wise there will be bird menace as well as rain menace. I have been thinking about it and suddenly a thought came to convert that space into a vertical garden. Then I often imagined to have hanging baskets there covered with plants. Then I was not aware where to get them and how to get the desirable plants. One day while on a haat, I accidentally discovered large nurseries filled with plants. Then little bit of more probing, saw these hanging baskets. Now my unsightly wall is a beautiful garden. So, the point I am trying to make here is to generate good thought, which we are perfectly capable of converting into reality. So, why waste our thoughts in negativity where as so many great things can be achieved by just mobilizing our thoughts in the right direction and  doing something great for the humanity...

I loose my cool way too often these days....

I am going through a deep introspection now, more so because I am becoming more judgmental, more volatile and less cool. All these days I believed that I am working on them and on the verge of concurring all the evils, but that does not  really seem right. I believed strongly a saying that Dr. Deepak Chopra said "What others says about you is actually all about them and NOT about you at all - so it is none of your business. Leave others judgement of you to themselves only and don't get purturbed". I tell this to myself many times, but at the same time, I often fall entrapped to the "what people will say". Hope some day I will concur this and will stay fearless of others judgment on me..

Recently somebody visited our house, and in a harmless sort of conversation (this is what I thought), she got offended and walked off. It got ugly, and I could not comprehend what would have triggered that. I realized later that my unwanted advise is what made her mad. Now I am beginning to wonder whether I have concurred over any of my annoying habits... In the first place I should NOT advise anyone, second I should not get upset because someone gets upset on me. It took me one full day to realize that it is me who is at fault (how difficult is that to accept your own mistake:)). I should be more resilient and steer clear from the advise zone. At the same time, I also learnt a new lesson and that is: If you advise, people tend to think that you are showing the perfect side of your life - which is far from perfect. Here, I just remembered a popular TV show in this context - "according to Jim". Here the lady of the house, Cheryl is always concerned about her near and dear ones and would offer help (read advise) on any matter. Now that made people around her revolt and she decided to stop offering her advise on anything (Can you believe? She was actually successful in doing so!!). After sometimes, the husband got so bored that he begged her to be her old self and offer free advises. But this is just a TV serial - everything does not have happy ending like this, so folks refrain from advising people, more so, when the other person believes that s/he is perfect....