Updates coming!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have made a conscious decision to revive this blog. I will strive to keep posting stuff that's happening. I feel like I've left this blog stale long enough and I'm no longer willing to keep it that way.

So, here we go...more updates and posts coming very soon!

A concerted effort...

A Concerted Effort - that's what's needed to keep this blog running. With the advent of Facebook, there's no need to write a detailed essay on my thoughts. The "status" boxes of the Facebooks, the Orkuts, the Twitters have essentially became a think-out-loud, write-out-short kind of communication mediums (media, for the non-American speakers). And suddenly, writing a blog seems so -- what to say -- "yesterday's in thing", so "mid 2000s", so "back in the day".

While lethargy and laziness could be blamed to a certain extent in my case for not writing blog entries, the very motive and the usefulness of personal blogs is questionable, debatable, and useful. While the social media lets me instantly share my "thoughts" to my friends and "friends" around the world, blogs -- especially personal blogs -- seem to me like their predecessory ancestors. But as a person working more or less in the academia, I still believe there is some sexiness in writing up a paragraph or two (or even an essay) about what you consider most important. Having said that, I'm genuinely scared for the next generation of kids, who seem to write anything and everything as if they are writing a text message (u c wat i meen?). But hey, who knows, may be the text-message version of English will become the standard lingua anglica by time we get old. We can then tell our grand kids how people used to write up blogs with words, sentences, paragraphs -- all to be read by people on their "fast" internet connections.

That should make a good story.

2011!

Happy New Year!
С Новым Годом!

Annual Spring Beauty of DC

Yet another year, yet another spring, yet another post on Cherry Blossoms. The annual Cherry Blossom festival just concluded in Washington, DC this weekend. This annual event of breathtakingly beautiful proportions turns Washington in to a tourist hotspot with millions descending down on to the town. I gladly make my way downtown each year, donning my tourist hat and enjoying the hustle-bustle and large crowds that I long forgot since I left India. This year the festival coincided with the "National Pillow Fight" (yes! it is mad!). Pictures from this event and also the National Kite Festival are included in the album below...

Here are pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2532395&id=5734033&l=7bc0dc6249

Choices, Choices, Choices.

During the course of our lives, we encounter times when we have to make choices. Believe it or not, it is my opinion that choices related to lifestyle changes and place changes are the hardest to make. Over the past two years, I have come across situations where I had to make choices. To make it even worse, there were more than three GOOD choices to make. My mind went around and around simulating various scenarios: choose 1, this will be good. choose 2, something else is good. choose 3, it might include choice 2, but will have something uncool. I've had repeat experiences with choosing - choosing place, choosing a job vs going to school, choosing to stay put or change...it ain't easy. To pick among too many choices - good choices at that - is never easy. I've realized that the best way to move forward is to think hard, measure positives vs. negatives, and make a hard choices. If all choices are good, whatever you choose will turn out OK. Doesn't it? ; )

2010!

Happy New Year!

С Новым Годом!

Ice Skating Progress Updates...

After this Spring, I returned to the skating rink to slide, to glide, and to go wild. I must say that I've improved quite a bit compared to the last time.

Here are some latest updates:







Hope you enjoyed these videos : ) L