ICME Indo-US workshop

It’s always an edifying experience to be a part of something which you know is way above your level. The same was the case with the Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Indo-US conference cum workshop organized by TCS in Pune. The professors and delegates from the US and India are the gurus of their respective fields and to see them give their presentations and seminars about their work in their field activates and improves your gray matter like the eclectic combinations of metals forming enhanced alloys. Although mostly esoteric, I tried my level best to keep up with the seminars. Topics ranging from ICME protocols to material properties and discussions about durability and sustainability to databases and computational design, it was an intriguing and exciting experience. Being the only undergraduate present there with most of the people at least double my age, I was just trying not be stupid. I am not sure if I am supposed to reveal the details of the conference so I shall stay shut about the discussions.

The interesting part was I did not fail to live up to the stereotypical expectations from an undergraduate student. There was free and fast Wi-Fi which helped me update my windows 8 to 8.1 after clearing my proxy settings with help from some smart juniors [“netsh winhttp reset proxy” in cmd prompt in case if anyone is as stupid as me]. There were 20 varieties of dishes for lunch ending with fruit pudding, ice cream and chocolate mousse [which I did not pronounce as mouse like I usually do]. The buffet table was endless and there was no line at all. Delegates were more interested in the research discussions and I had to take the responsibility of keeping the buffet alive. I did not disappoint the Hyatt hotel butlers. 

I was completely at sea as to how to begin discussions with such awesome people and realizing my vacant expressions my professor was kind enough to introduce me to everyone and that too very grandly. I sheepishly just asked them about their current research because there was nothing else that I could have contributed. I hate being stupid.

I have taken all the brochures and schedules with the list of the delegates who had attended the conference for my reference and now I shall get back to reading papers of some interesting people I met there. Au revoir! 

Life @ IITG

I can’t believe I am sitting and writing a concluding blog for my IITG life. These days have passed so swiftly that it has left me bewildered like the elderly who try to cope up the rapidly transforming technology. Phew! Treading down the memory lane just broadens my smile ear to ear. What an undergraduate life it has been!

In my freshmen year I had to deal with a wide range of labels. Spanning from a ghissu to a dassu I am just very glad that I truly did not give any weightage to any of it. I know most of the college guys reading this will give an eye roll in the most ludicrous manner possible but the truth is that people do not like to listen to a lecture. No matter how true it might be it’s sometimes better to be quiet. My incessant questions about aims and ambitions and goals and future life and so on and so forth were straight away dismissed without the slightest of thought or consideration. This was the case with the masses however then there were a couple of people who were ready to talk. Talk about all the topics they really wanted to and it was obvious that I got really close to them.

I guess every college student will have a story of their own with the basic elements more or less the same. These elements include an awesome hostel, the world’s best lobby, a lot of acquaintances, a few good friends, a crush or two and one or two closest buddies on whom you can count on anytime and anywhere. My college life included all of this too. In the end I am glad to have at least three names that spontaneously come to my mind when I think about true friends and I am grateful that I was able to find them.

IIT Guwahati is an eclectic combination of peers. You will find here every kind of student (or professor for that matter) that you can imagine. You need to be strong headed. You need to know what you are getting into and be consciously aware of all the actions and their implications. Well frankly this task is easy for most of us. Being aware. The problem is to be aware and to act on it. Most of the people I observed in this college were very talented and extremely smart. The problem with most of them was their laziness coupled with the college stigma of being a ghissu. People just did not want to be associated with an obvious label. As for me, I hardly cared about stereotypes or demeaning lingos which were just a cheap attempt by losers to anchor down the flying spirits reaching towards their goals.

Frankly, in the first half of my freshmen year I was nothing but ungrateful. I was whining and cribbing about the place, the peers, my not so awesome JEE rank, the fact that I was away from two of my closest friends and most importantly whining because I was not happy with myself. I had categorically decided that there is nothing that I will learn or take away from this place. Having thought about IIT Bombay as the archetype of the undergraduate engineering college since the beginning of JEE preparation, being in IIT Guwahati did not really boost my confidence.

So what did I take away from this place? Now when I look back and connect the dots, I realize that IIT Guwahati has silently helped me turn into a person that I could not have expected to become if I was in that dream college. With deep introspection I thought about this question and I had to just look at myself and realize that the answer was very simple. The answer was me. IIT Guwahati gave me an identity. An identity of an awesome (machau ) senior for a really average and relatively okay person like me. That which I know would not have been possible in Bombay. With every other person there getting admits and internships in the dream universities, a KAIST intern would have been hardly counted as an achievement. I am not comparing anyone or anything, neither am I talking about mediocrity. I just know it for a fact that I would have developed an inferiority complex which is the last thing I would have wanted in my undergraduate life. The kind of boost and energy (positive and negative) you receive from peers in IITG is life changing. You just need to be with the right people at the right time and I am glad I was able to do that wisely. All these external factors strengthened my internal desire of being associated with academia and slowly I transformed into someone who became self-sufficient in developing enough confidence and surplus enthusiasm while pursuing various tasks and really doing what I like and vice versa. This interwoven fabric of many reasons ultimately supports my decision of pursuing graduate school as well.

Getting through the Heritage Erasmus Mundus Exchange Program was totally unexpected. I definitely wanted it and that is the reason that I had applied as well but I felt as if I would not get it. I was probably just trying to be real. Getting to know the results brought a wave of joy followed by the tides of realization. I wish I could have been a part of the final semester or the finale season as some call it but I guess I have to come to terms with the current situation. It’s like playing the role of the supporting actor who gets killed a season before and the actor can just hope that the character is dearly missed.

I would conclude by mentioning that IIT Guwahati gave me a thousand reasons to hate it but then it also gave me a few overpowering reasons vetoing in its favour. It made me realize the fact that everyone is fucked up in some way or the other in life, but who is cribbing and who is happy is decided by what matters to them and what they choose to act on. I am glad I acted well.

Here is the link to a song I made about my College life

End of college life...

As it’s time to bid goodbye,

I look back and see the result;

Four years it took for me to grow,

From a teen to an adult;

Never thought that I would feel this way,

Such repertoire of emotions;

I don’t even have “next sem” to say,

That hypothetical cushion;

The things I learnt, the world I shared,

With the best and brightest peers;

Will stay with me for eternity,

This place has been so dear;

It’s not that it’s the end of life,

But an end of phase it is;

That phase where we, explored ourselves,

Where we tried all of it;

The shit we did, the shit we spoke,

Makes me chuckle every time;

Crazy we are, with logics bizarre,

We set a new paradigm;

I know we won’t meet often now,

But whenever we do;

We know our eyes will dwell deep in past,

Remembering how it was with you;

I will miss this place, I will miss this world,

But I will miss you the most;

With wet eyes and a shivering smile,

To you I raise a toast;

Call it fate may be or destiny,

But I pay my gratitude;

To this place and to you my friend,

I am sure gonna miss you!

The increased respect or shall we say maturity?

Experiencing the 7^th semester is a transforming process. A transformation from an undergraduate to a graduate student. Yes! Even before we get our degrees. Looking at the freshmen, although I do tread the memory lane of my innocent fachpan [first year childhood] however, now the realization of this transformation has replaced that craving to be back to those times. It’s simply amazing how much of an adult I have become. It’s amazing because I remember my stubborn rebellious attitude of shunning maturity and claiming childhood to be the best phase of human life. Definitely the responsibility quotient has increased more than ever but it is daunting and exciting at the same time.

The art of managing your time during the 7^th semester teaches you way more managerial skills than even doing a summer internship. The amount of things happening in parallel in one word is crazy. Some things are necessary and some things aren’t. However you realize that you don’t do everything for yourself every time. It’s probably this balance of goodness. Receiving it from seniors and passing it on like genes to juniors. The CV downpour from various friends and juniors for proofreading and suggestions makes me realize the amount of patience my seniors had while dealing with a control freak like me. The general doubts and inquisitive questions asked by juniors makes you realize sometimes how stupid you yourself were when you interacted with your seniors. This whole process of give and take, this whole process of academic improvement and this whole process of college life is augmented in this magical seventh semester! Full of hopes and hardwork I just wish everyone’s expectations are fulfilled and they get more than what they deserve. Touchwood!

Dependencies

Too cynical one becomes,
in this world of hard work;
Whom to trust and depend on,
is the question that always lurks;

Some people are achievers,
but so 'un'modern in their views;
Is that really success?,
from a different point of view;

Some people are lazy,
but talented they are;
Again whats its worth?,
from light they are afar;

Some people try hard,
but luck seems to be hollow;
but they have a ray of hope,
that they pursue and follow;

If it's a debate on talent,
versus hard work;
I'd go with the latter,
but the question always lurks;

These dependencies is what,
makes you strong, makes you weak;
Too cynical one becomes,
sow something and else you reap;

Disappointments from people,
arise due to expectations;
alas! I am sorry,
for having some emotions;

Wonder who are closest,
wonder which is an act;
Should I listen to my heart,
or believe the facts;

Hilarious that,
social animals we are;
whom to trust and depend on,
these questions still are...

Just this hope...

Her smiling nod and kiss on my cheek,

The yes to the letter in that envelope;

Those sparkling eyes oh! How unique

My heart beats on just this hope;

The little pause she brings in me,

And the bubbling joy it creates;

Makes me want to be with her,

But also makes me crazy afraid;

Her absence will leave indelible scars,

My heart will roll down the slope;

It will stop for sure, won’t take me far,

‘Coz my heart beats on just this hope;

That she will nod and kiss on my cheek,

Say yes to the letter in that envelope;

Finally it’ll end this hide-and-seek

My heart beats on just this hope;

The last day...

No matter what, the last day of any journey is a really special one. The journey might have been a bad or a good one and consequently the last day is either a moment of relief or a moment of nostalgia but it is surely special. In both the cases however, one always looks forward to making it better the next time. Journeys such as an internship in a foreign country have luckily remained for me such that the last days are filled with nostalgia. Coming to Purdue has changed me forever. The amount one learns in a research internship is measureless. The pleasure of meeting intellectuals and people who are the best in what they do leaves such a positive impact on your mentality that even the darkest corners of your mind and heart are flooded with optimistic ideas. These are the moments which make me feel grateful for all those days where I slogged when I wanted to play, was busy thinking about puzzles when my mind wanted to wander like the blithely flying birds and every time I calmed myself down when I heard comments like “You’re a nerd!” or “Stay at home! Loser”

Life has added so much more meaning to my very existence. Although, I still do not know whether we have a purpose in this life or we just happen to be alive, but having a goal definitely gives you a sense of growth and direction. Inevitably, the future is always hazy but there seems to be a path: A path which I can walk even in the darkest and the most depressing hours of my life and feel safe, a path which is similar to those school days corridors where I spent my entire childhood. Those corridors! Full of life, innocence and intellectual growth. Now with this life of research, I think I can experience those corridors once again, just with one different ingredient - Adulthood.

I believe as adults we take our childhood too casually at times. Just remembering it because there were lesser responsibilities. I feel there is much more to ruminate over about one’s childhood than just think about it as a responsibility-free period. I believe, one can actually discover one’s way of life by realizing what (s)he really wanted to do as a kid. Although I wanted to be a rickshaw driver but well I am sure your childhood had a little more self-esteem than mine. Jokes apart, I have been an incessant talker since I was a kid. Be it intellectual debate (1%) or random crap (99%) I have always loved to discuss on various topics. I realized I could take this a step further by investigating my own arguments. It then led me to organize my thoughts and in parallel I fell in love with classical physics (Yes! I need to specify ‘classical’ otherwise these engineering physicists will sit and laugh -_-). In this world of remix and interdisciplinary research my actions naturally amalgamated my childhood habits with my love for physics and a geek was born. A geek that took me places literally and metaphorically.

We all have such a person hiding in us, just waiting like a guy is waiting for his dream girl, just waiting and expecting from you that one step of courage to make your move and waiting to change your life forever …Such a change that even on that last day of your journey when you are sitting alone in Starbucks sipping your coffee, that person within you is happily feeling that calm one feels sitting on Marine drive, allowing you to enjoy your own company, making you feel liberated.

The US visa..

6th sem began with me trying hard to get my NOC re-done as soon as possible (1^st January, 2013). I was so excited about the US trip I booked my flight tickets on 31^st December,2012 even before getting my NOC. A pretty good deal but with a great risk: The tickets were non-refundable and I had not got my visa approved yet. Anyhow, I as always wanted to finish off things as soon as possible. Got the NOC in a day and submitted all the documents. My head was totally into the paper work and also subconsciously aware that I had to do much better in this semester. 

Trying to keep balance between paperwork and acads, walking on the tightrope, finally DS2019 arrived on the 22^nd of January. My excitement had no bounds. The envelope of Purdue University was classy and elegant. Ebullient as I was, I decided to get the interview dates just a week before the mid-sems. I couldn’t wait for the mid-sems to get over. It was a nightmare to think about the visa getting rejected. I booked my interview for the 14^th of February. What a day to choose!

Decided to go to Kolkata, as the acceptance rate was high there or so I was told. That whole consulate experience was very interesting. Went there at 8 am, waited for 2 hours, got in the line, 3 people got rejected just before me and I was shitting in my pants.

I went there:
The officer asked “Undergraduate from IIT Guwahati?”

I replied a faint “Yes “

“Okay so what’s your work gonna be?”

“3D printers”, I said.

“Can I 3D print my car?” he asked

“Ummm..that’s exactly my research work, you might just be able to, if you allow me to go there”, my heart was beating fast.

He looks at me, smiles and says, “Congratulations sir, your visa to the United States of America has been approved!”

Just 2 minutes I thought! I was allowed to go out and there was a light smile setting on my face. United States of America buzzed in my head in that sweet city of Kolkata!

Sorry maa!

Hello maa! How are you? I know we’ve been far away for too long now. I am here in a foreign land gaining new experiences every day and I just cannot help but remember all those little things you did for me, which now, when I have to do it on my own seem too great a deal. Today a really strange thing happened. I was having dinner. Had made sambhar theoretically, but it looked like a mix of vomit and loose motions. I opened the new loaf of sliced bread I had got from walmart and picked up that first weird looking slice of bread. Remember my antipathy towards that slice maa? I always used to yell at you if you ever, even by mistake, made me a sandwich out of it. Oh! I so yearn for those sandwiches today. Today, I don’t even have an audience to crib about that bread maa. I simply took it in the plate and ate it. There was no one to whine to how yuck that stuff was. I am sorry for all those times I yelled at you for cooking something I disliked.

 I realized the number of utensils I have to wash after every meal maa. In those days I used to take every new thing from the fridge in a different plate. I did not know the efforts behind cleaning something as simple as a plate. Now, I warm the rice and the curry in the same plate maa. I realize how cognizant you were while preparing breakfast for me as well as keeping something as trivial as my towel ready before my bath. Now, I cannot just sit at the table after having my bath. I need to constantly stare at the milk boiling in the vessel to prevent a disaster. Remember one time I had told you “it’s math you won’t get it”? I am so sorry for that maa. Today while cooking I don’t get any proportion right. It was child’s play for you. I have to even pause the timer of the microwave at intervals to see if the food is warm enough. You would so easily select the right time and just go out of the kitchen. All those memories are coming back to me maa. I miss you maa and all I can try and do now is to make you proud. I cannot undo those things with which I troubled you every time maa but I hope when you see your son the next time we meet you are nothing but proud.

Love you, always!

Purdude!! (Purdue University, Summer Internship, 2013)

Wow. I don’t know where to begin. The United States of America!! This place has left me spellbound. After all those Hollywood movies and certain epic scenes from Bollywood movies, coming to the United States fulfilled the dream of a young boy who wished to travel over the seven seas. The beginning was definitely discouraging and horrendous given my 36 hour delay thanks to goibibo.com-the stupidest website to book your flight tickets. It lures you into these schemes of cheap fares and then decides to change your flight dates without passing the correct information to you. Nevertheless, the feeling of being in the States superseded everything else.  

I went off to sleep in the empty bus. As all the students were heading towards their home, I was heading towards the university. Plus this was one of those bus rides where you get to change the time zone from central to eastern. As if my jet lag wasn’t enough to confuse me with the time. The free wifi helped me contact my professor and he reached the Purdue memorial union (PMU) to receive me. It felt great to finally meet my professor and have the company of someone whom I could talk to. I am not the loner kinds. I hate travelling alone. My professor is awesome. Purdue was bucolic and urban at the same time. It was such a picturesque and comely view that it reminded me of my freshmen year at IIT Guwahati. My professor took me to his place and took one of my luggage bags himself. He let me facebook on his macbook :P and let me chill in his awesome house. I am so glad to have such an amazing guide. 

Later, he came to my accommodation to see how my room was and spoke to my sub lessor’s friends. We peregrinated across the campus and he showed me various marts from where I could buy cheap groceries and which places are economical etc. Now which prof will take you on foot just so that you could remember the routes well? I felt happier every second.

Learning the ways..

I finally understood what a block meant! The numbering system in the US is so organized. Although I still hate the fact that the country hasn’t adopted metric system but the street and residential areas are so well organized. On the roads you will find one of the sides to be only odd numbered and the other side obviously even. The house numbers increase as you go north of the street and decrease south. On a major junction the street is divided as north and south and from the junction the numbering restarts. The main roads have a specific number assigned to them and it helps you identify how long the street is. Larger the number, smaller the length. The sign boards shape for the road number lets you know whether the road is connecting two states or it’s a highway or just a local road. It’s amazing.

Also, the pedestrians are given the priority. When you are on foot and you want to cross the road (obviously via zebra crossing) there is a push button for you to activate the walk sign. As this is manual the priority is given to the pedestrian to walk. Obviously you have to be careful though as a drunk retard wouldn’t care for you.  Everything here is online. One seldom uses cash. Everything’s by card. Even at the petrol pumps (or the gas stations here -_- ) you have to manually fill petrol. No one is waiting for you. Labour is crazy expensive here and petrol is crazy cheap. Plus here it is gallons. Extremely irritating. Anyway getting to know new stuff is always fun (obviously Americans don’t think so otherwise it would have been a “Kilometer”stone in their history). Hopefully I do well. Extremely excited and I hope this intern comes to fruition. 

Meeting a friend after 12 years

Back in school days I had a dear friend who left my school and then after a while left the country for Purdue University, Indiana, USA. Although I vaguely remembered him or how he looked thanks to facebook we reconnected and thanks to my internship I got the opportunity to meet him. 

Although we were supposed to meet on the 2^nd in the university itself  but due to my “goibibo cheap fare fiasco” there was a change of plan. He was leaving for India on the 3^rd of May and so I realized while I was at the hotel that we wouldn’t be able to meet unless I see him at the Chicago airport. Luckily the complimentary wifi at the hotel allowed me to chat with him and we decided to meet at the airport. At least this went according to the plan and we did actually meet.

Even though we met just for 10-15 minutes, it felt great to meet a friend after such a long time. Now, EAC (Express Air Coach) is the only service (crazy expensive) that runs directly from Ohare airport to Purdue. I had made my 70$ (Stop converting! Stop converting! ) reservation but as I had missed the bus, I had to inform them to accommodate me in the next available one. The best part of service in US is they are not eager to gain money or charge you unnecessarily if the problem is genuine. My friend called them up and according to the operators system the next available bus was at 1:30 pm which meant I had missed the 9:30 am bus..agian! Anyway, it so happened that the 9:30 bus was actually waiting outside the airport and my friend helped me spot the bus. I rushed outside the airport to catch the bus. As I wasn’t able to inform the bus shuttle service about my delay so, all I could do was run and catch the bus on time. Finally I boarded the bus and was on my way to Purdue on the 3^rd of May!

The Goibibo cheap fare fiasco

Just like any other student intern who is on budget for their internship, I too was looking for cheap international flights. I got a reasonable price from goibibo for Qatar airways from Kolkata to Chicago. Just a week before my flight an executive from goibibo calls me and tells me that my flight time is changed by 20 minutes and that my flight will take off earlier than the given time. The flight was supposed to take off at 4:10 am but now it would at 3:50 am. For any sane passenger this change is highly insignificant and it was obviously fine by me. What the dumb executive did not inform me was my connecting flight from Doha (Capital of Qatar) to Chicago is changed by a day! I reached Kolkata via Indigo’s domestic flight from Guwahati at about 7 pm on 30^th of May. I waited there at the airport till 1 am and then began my check in. At the check in I come to know that my Doha to Chicago flight is not being reflected. I get the boarding pass for Kolkata to Doha and I start filling the immigration form. Suddenly I realized that my baggage tag was just till Doha and so I went back to the check in counter and inquired a little more into this. It was only then I realized that had I boarded that flight on the 1^st May from Kolkata to Doha I would have got stranded at the Doha airport for more than 24 hours. That meant I would need to have a transit visa (Doha requires passengers with a transit time of more than 24 hours to have a transit visa), which I obviously did not as my transit time was supposed to be an hour and a half only, which meant that I would be deported back to India! What a mess it would have been. Luckily I was cognizant enough to help myself out of the trouble by delaying my Kolkata to Doha flight by 24 hrs rather than get stuck in a foreign country. Thanks to goibibo I had to stay 24 hours in Kolkata without any accommodation provided by Qatar as it was not their fault.

The delay continues..

Somehow the 24 hours passed and now on the 2^nd of May I boarded the scheduled flight for Doha from Kolkata. I had a transit time of just an hour now to board my connecting flight to Chicago. Thanks to Qatar airways now, this flight got delayed by 45 minutes and thus the Chicago flight took off. When I reached Doha they rerouted me through Houston and then via American airlines to Chicago. I was supposed to reach Chicago at 2 pm but I reached at 10 pm on the 2^nd of May.  Thus, I miss my bus to Purdue University from Chicago Ohare International Airport. Luckily this time I got an accommodation and got to stay in a grand hotel at Chicago for a night. Finally the feeling of being in the States sunk into me as I sunk into the soft cozy bed of that hotel. Then a light smile spread across my face and I heard myself saying "you’re in US!" 

Evolution

Was I born to be something special?

Why does my heart feel that there’s a mission;

I wanna be something more,

And as this feeling grows,

I become more agitated.

They tell me to be contented,

Ask me why I intend it?

Well, I thank you for the question sire,

But you won’t understand my desire,

This tune to which my heart beats.

In fact it has taken me a while

Not to be beguiled

By such questions and comments

By those whose heart laments,

To hear it’s voice too.

I guess its evolution

Giving me those resolutions

Helping me break my cocoon

Giving me the hope that I’ll soon

Become a butterfly.

And I guess I take this path

With a little hope in my heart

That like the butterfly I might

Do something right

And blossom at least one flower.

From the top of Eiffel Tower

All those moments

That we fought for

We’ll prove they’re worth it,

I couldn’t ask for more…

And all of those hopes

Those candle lights

Will light up our world

Our futures bright…

Let those problems be there

it can’t chain our thoughts

Let them do their best with it

Oh let’s get caught…

Let shout our love from the top of the Eiffel tower

Let the whole world feel the power of love

We’re made for each other and it feels so right

Nothing else matters we’ll continue to fight

Let shout our love from the top of Eiffel tower

Let the whole world feel the power of love

Baby all I ask is for your support

Don’t hesitate here..I ask for nothing more

Oh let get caught, let get caught

Baby lets get caught..lets get caught

Let shout our love from the top of Eiffel tower

Let the whole world feel the power of love

Lucky ambiverts

From the very moment I’d realized I’m an extrovert it became impossible for me to understand the other side of the coin. How could one be an introvert? My callowness made me think. Also being garrulous by nature it seems an impossible feat (even now) to be laconic in my style. Why this urge? You might think. The answer lies in the fact that being an introvert or an extrovert has its innate boons and banes. As an extrovert I truly truly want to explore that energy existing within which keeps an introvert motivated. As for us extroverts we try and seek positivity and optimism externally which seems to be an impossible task in contemporary times! It’s easy for us to be deteriorated if our surroundings are dull or do not share the same vigour as we do. How lucky are the ambiverts! Is success related to this or independent of it? Is happiness and satisfaction in general related to the “vertere” or the turning in or out of you? I personally feel it’s independent but probably the amalgamation of both would be a more stronger and powerful trait. Need to learn to keep my mouth shut at times (several times) have been told this since school days but till date no improvement whatsoever. So is it not in my control? My nature? Do I need to naturally accept it? As a control freak it’s a freaky topic you bet. Hope to improve myself…someday…surely! 

Super busy beginning.. 2013

Phew! Just when I thought that securing an internship would be a load off and I could relax this semester, life with all it's irony strikes me hard. 2013 has swooped me away like the waters of a flooded dam and I am just managing to pull myself on the surface for a few seconds of deep exhausted breath. Of course this in no ways means I am complaining. I have voluntarily chosen this sea of myriad tasks. I just wonder when it shall be conquered. As for now I am drowning in this deluge. I am a swimmer in that sense not a fish. I hope to surface more often. This blog writing time is like an isolated island's shore that I've managed to reach but I have to get back to the waters. I am thinking of Dory from 'Finding Nemo' who's whispering to me "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming'. To be honest, I am loving it. Life has been much more orderly, disciplined and has managed to keep vapidity far away from my circle of concern. An increasing affinity towards novels and a firm decision of living a healthier lifestyle has substantially improved my cognitive abilities and in general is making me feel more positive everyday. The pleasure of successfully accomplishing a task is irreplaceable. Fingers crossed!