Friday, December 25, 2009

2009: Blogging et al

It has been a long and tumultuous year. It was one year back that I made my entry to the wonderful world of blogging. From the blog that it was to the blog it is has been quiet a journey. I must thank my friends and my readers who have patiently read some of my good and not so good posts.

Thank you all. Sigh!

It has also been year where IIT has really shown its Aukaat, so as to say. 3rd semester hasn't been easy. First OP and then the wonderful grades that I managed all thanks to Signets. For the information of those who do not know - Signals and Networks is the most dreaded course in IIT Kharagpur in the 2nd year. Rumour has it that there was only one A and one Ex given in the course last year. And well... ah! my marks in the mid-sems weren't really great to put it mildly. [The Algorithms course didn't make help matters :( ]

I have turned into a weighlifter (no! it isn't the same as body-building. Please!!). And there has been an evolution in my outlook towards things all round. (That happens every year I guess!).

For me, it hasn't been about --- well --- whatever has been the news --- it has been a long drawn out struggle. But I won't draw my readers into it all. I remain the optimist that I have always been. And with that, here is Jazzy signing off for the year.

A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all my esteemed readers.


Friday, December 18, 2009

Trudging Unknown Waters: Image Registration

It has been some time since my last post. Even after one year of blogging, the phenomenon called Writer's Block has intrigued me. There are times when it is difficult to come up with a post for days and then there are times when one comes up with posts back to back. Very difficult to understand unless one really faces it first hand.

It has also been quiet a hectic time. Life in IIT is not all that rosy as it is made out to be. I have been involved with a project on 3D deformable image registration using GPU. Here is an example of an image registration (2D) that I did using MATLAB.



What is Image Registration?

For those not in the know, I have used a very well known image in Image Processing - that of Lena Soderberg. It is often used as a standard test image. The first image is a deformed one (also known as the moving image) and the second is the static image. The moving image has to be transformed to match with the static image which is the result (the third image - the registered image).

Applications

One often uses image registration in medical imaging. Instead of a face, one might have a deformed state of the human lung. That becomes the moving image. It can then be transformed to match with a human lung in the normal state. This way one can integrate the data and work on the human lung.

As the wikipedia defines it, Image Registration is the process of transforming different sets of data into one coordinate system.


Image registration is not confined to medical imaging alone. It is a widely used technique in astrophotography and panoramic photography.

The Challenge

The image that I have used is a grayscale image of dimensions 512 x 512. Image registration algorithms require that you work pixel by pixel and iterate over the operations 100 to 200 times. This means each operation within the loop has to performed 512 x 512 x 200 = 52428800 times which can be computationally very expensive (This image took me 3 to 4 minutes)

This is where my project comes in - to parallelize the code. Instead of the operations on individual pixels running serially, they can be made to run in parallel by making use of the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) [The NVidia G80 has 16 multiprocessors and each multiprocessor is composed of 8 processors (ALUs).  That is one too many compared to what Intel has to offer].

Parallelizing the code has been used to achieve a speedup of upto 55 times in many applications. This can very useful in image registration, specially in medical applications where time is of prime importance.

The GPU is not the only way to do it - there are other ways too (FPGA based for example). However, image registration using the GPU is a fairly new domain and it is going to be exciting to see how the GPU fairs in comparison to the existing procedures.

P.S: Was this post too technical in nature? Have any ideas for me too write on? You can let me know in the comments section :)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Classification of Teachers

As I was surfing through the flotsam and jetsam of the blogosphere, I came across this post on Classification of Students - A professor of Network Analysis taking a dig at the students on Teacher's Day. And frankly speaking, this was it. Emotions were up to the brim and I had to defend the students.

This is the student version - to which the readers are free to add on and comment upon. A Professor/Teacher at any given instance of time may belong to one or more of the categories.

# The OK Professor

This is the really annoying kind. Talking to them is a real pain in the neck. Their lectures are peppered with OKs, Does This Makes Sense and aahh.. aahh..

They are really nervous while teaching. Or probably, they developed this bad habit in spite of all the training.

In one class that I still remember, the professor had uttered 180 OKs in a span of 30 minutes - that averages to 6 OKs per minute! Or an OK every 10 seconds! Does that make sense? OK?

# The Somnolent Professor

Though the professor is a master in his subject and his presentation is immaculate, there is something in his lecture that puts everyone to sleep.

The professor may not realize it but half the class would be sleeping. It maybe because of his dull voice (rather monotonic?), probably his haphazard manner of going about things or it maybe just nothing at all. But he justs puts everyone to sleep.

#  The Peace Maaru Professor

Really doesn't believe in working very hard. Will teach as much as he is paid for. Nothing more.

Comes to the class 10 minutes late and leaves the class 10 minutes early. Solves a question on the board in the whole class and doesn't bother the students much. His policy is - "Live and let Live".

#  The Dynamic Professor

This is the professor who feels that the students should get the best out of his class. He gives them a lot of assignments and takes surprise tests.

He is young, energetic and full of passion for his subject. He thinks - "I should try to become the Ideal (Utopian?) professor."

# The Motivators

These are generally the old guys. Already in the teaching profession for 20 to 30 years, they know that whatever they teach is not going to make much of a difference. If however they can motivate some of the students to do something in life, they would have accomplished something.

Their lectures are filled with quotes from the Gita and the Bible. They borrow extensively from Shiv Khera and think that their plagiarism would go unnoticed. One can stand them for a day or two but the rest of their lectures are just "Rewinding the Tape".

# The Pundits

The really knowledgable ones. They have worked in the industry for some time and their breadth of knowledge puts you to awe.

But their lectures are hardly organised. They would start of with programming in C and end up with the reactions that take place in a rocket launcher.

Their lectures can be really hilarious and fun. But it won't do you any good for your exams.

#  The Sadists

They may not be sadists at heart. But some of their activities really annoy the students.

If they are invigilators in the exam hall, they might as well throw out half the candidates out of the hall for plagiarism/not bringing admit card/ringing of the mobile phone.

When they evaluate the papers, one really wonders if he had been having breakfast while evaluating the paper. And worse of all, when the answer scripts are shown, the professor is out of town.

They may be excellent teachers. But rarely student friendly.

# The Liberals

They are the modern professors. They believe in modern methods of teaching. They ask students of the opposite gender to sit together in class and they come in casuals instead of formal wear to class.

Their evaluation is liberal and they are a real hit with the students.

I will stop here. I think this is the basic classification. Did I miss any? Have any to add on to this? Do let me know!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Economics of Travel



Travelling involves a lot of preparation. More so, in Bengal.

As I was travelling from Burdwan to Kolkata by train, I was given some funda on travelling
  • Board the last bogie (Reason? The last bogie turns out to be the first bogie when it arrives in Howrah)
  • There won't be much space to stand. But do not sit.

The second needs some explanation. In fact, it didn't make much sense to me till I boarded the train. The train seemed to be empty. But all the seats appeared to be reserved. Rather "Handkerchiefed" (something that some of my friends really hate about Bengalis) or "Trump Carded" whatever you may like to call it. 

F: Do not sit. Possibly, you may be called to sit.

As I linger about the empty seats, one of those sitting beckons me to sit. He removes a card and gives me a seat. I sit down skeptically.

In a while, the train fills up and the passengers seem to be seated comfortably.

Enter the Dalal.

Medium height, photocromatic eyeglasses and a thick shock of hair oiled in coconut oil. He comes and collects the cards. Counts them. 25 cards. One missing. Sits down besides me.

D: Dutta da, Maal ta din (Give me the goods!)
Dutta da: Diye debo. Apni tho amar bondhu (Will give you. You are my friend)
D: Jhule jhule jaaben, sheta ki bhalo lagbe? (Would you like to go standing in the crowded train?)

As I was about to doze off in the hubbub, what appears to be a 10 rupee note grazes past my shoulder. As I open my eyes, I can see the Dalal writing down carefully on a piece of paper Rs 10 against Dutta da.

Some Quick Calculations

I make some quick calculations. 26 people. Rs 10. That makes it Rs 260. Now if the Dalal loses a card daily. Then he has to buy a new deck every fortnight.  Rs 260 minus Rs 20 / 2 = Rs 250. How much does the Dalal get? Rs 1000 every month (one way!). Not bad if it is weekly.

Now could this weekly or monthly? Would I be willing to pay Rs 10 for a seat if my ticket was for Rs 30 x 7 = Rs 210. How much was that? Roughly 5%. What if it was monthly? It would too low to be even significant. If it was weekly, the Dalal would be earning a handsome amount all for nothing! (If the Dalal earned Rs 15000/month at his office in Kolkata, this would contribute to roughly 10% of his income!). But what if it was monthly?

I was all confused and was about to doze off when it dawned on me that it wasn't 26 people. It was more than that. One couldn't have the same 26 people travel on all 30 days. He was reserving seats for more than 26 people. Maybe 50. Maybe 100. Couldn't tell where his boundaries ended and the next Dalal's boundaries started.

Some Open Questions

Suddenly, what appeared to be a mere gimmick for seats in a train looked like brisk business. And everybody paying/getting paid was equally culpable! Consider the number of Dalals one could have - If one had 2 Dalals per bogie and 15 bogies per train, the amount that went ??? was Rs 2000 x 30. And considering the number of local trains that crisscross the Indian railways daily, here are some questions I leave the reader to ponder upon
  • Where do all these big numbers go when multiplied and added?
  • Where do they come from? (My answer: The taxpayers)
  • If you were a daily passenger, would you pay Rs 10 for a seat?
P.S: Do keep one thing in mind while answering the last question. You are an avid Card player. You love bridge/poker whatever and it is very difficult to play cards if you are standing. Now, would you pay Rs 10 for a seat?

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Military Brats: A Class Apart


I had a rather heated discussion with my roommate (who happens to be from an army background) the other day about who were more successful - someone from an Army background or someone from an Air Force background.

After quiet a bit of discussion, what I realised was - military brats are indeed special. Wikipedia lists some of the well known military brats from India - Preity Zinta, Celina Jaitley, Neha Dhupia, Vinod Dham, Lara Dutta, Sushmita Sen and Gul Panag. The complete list of Indian as well as foreign military brats can be found here.

Some of those who didn't make it to the list were Lt. Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore and Major Dhyan Chand simply because they weren't military brats. They were serving personnel.

What makes them tick?

This makes it all the more convincing. There is every reason to believe those from a Military background are indeed special. So, what is it that makes them tick? That makes them a class apart from the rest. A breed in themselves.

As a starting point, we might take a look back at the list. What do we notice? Most of those on the list are actors/actresses or sports persons. What can that indicate?
  1. Military brats are outgoing? (I'll assume that actors/actresses are!)
  2. They are disciplined? (How else do you expect them to get to the top in the sporting world?)
  3. They had a lot of opportunity. (That I guess is a must - no matter how talented you are)
Those in the military are frequently transferred from place to place. It is at times quiet inconvenient for the family. But on hindsight, it exposes one to such myriad and varied cultures that one is bound to be outgoing. One has to make new friends every time the family relocates. You cannot stick with your 'best friend' forever.

The social fabric of military life is quiet strong. There are frequent get-togethers, bounce ins, potlucks and what not! One gets to interact with people on a regular basis. Talking to people isn't a choice - it is the only option.

I pondered upon the second point for quiet some time. Actually, all military brats aren't disciplined. It is a choice. But, the thing can easily get into you. Looking at people around you leading a really disciplined life can inspire you. Nothing runs in military without discipline. And that thing is bound to get into you if you are connected with the military in some fashion.

And opportunities? Loads of them. One doesn't have to go looking for them. They just keep coming to you. Like I discussed in my posts on A Typical Air Force Station and 5 Reasons to Join Air Force, the opportunities to make it big are aplenty. It is just a matter of grabbing them!

Just Actors?

So what is the military brat authoring Jazzonomics going to be? An actor or a sports person? Chances of either look pretty slim.

Dig a bit deeper and one can find technocrats from military backgrounds. Arun Sarin, a graduate of IIT Kharagpur and CEO of Vodafone group was a military brat. (He though was well known for being good at boxing and hockey!). Vinod Khosla, a graduate of IIT Delhi and a very influential person in the Silicon Valley is a military brat. He was one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems and became the first CEO and Chairman of Sun Microsystems.

Military brats are a class apart and I have every reason to believe so. What do you think?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

#5 reasons to Chuck Windows and...



#1. Windows isn't free

2000 bucks doesn't come easy. Atleast not in a country where people are struggling to earn that much in a year.

Why spend that much when you can have something better for nothing?

#2. Windows is clumsy

If you haven't found out already, let me tell you this. Windows is clumsy. Downright clumsy. Try doing something and it will take tons of time. It'll freeze. It'll report viruses. Tons of problems.

#3. Who is in control?

Million dollor question. Who is in control of your PC? You or Bill Gates?

Can you do what you want in your PC. Can you get your updates whenever you want? Can you get the simplest jobs done hassle free?

#4. Secure?

Windows isn't secure. It cannot be secure. Simple logic. Being the most popular operating system, all viruses are made for Windows. All Trojan Horses are made for Windows.

Viruses and Windows. Made for each other.

Everything is made for Windows. Can it be secure?

#5. Windows is dumb

Yup. It is dumb. It is copied. Microsoft is business. Business by hook or by crook. Try something new and you'll know the difference.

In a nutshell
Chuck Windows.

AND...


SWITCH TO UBUNTU/LINUX/WHATEVER

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Illumination and Rangoli: Day -1

The Results are Out

Diwali is over. Actually not. According to the lunar calander (or whatever), I am informed that Diwali would be till 4 o' clock in the morning. All of us go out to see how other halls had fared in the competition. Then we gathered at the Gymkhana where the results would be declared.

Post-Result Euphoria

RK bagged the gold in Illumination. RP bagged the gold. LLR and SN bagged the silver and bronze in both the categories. PAN loop had to be satisfied with nothing.

There was lot of talk about it. Some said the results had been rigged since all the GSecs were from LLR and RK/RP + SN was a girls hall - so they had to get something. Others argued that RK/RP/LLR have traditionally won this competition and they are really good at it.

Alternate Versions of Illuminations

After the accident, people started theorizing alternate versions of Illu (some really crazy ones though!).

  1. Instead of putting up tables to light the diyas, run a thread along all the diyas. At the right moment, burn the thread so that it would light up all the diyas. (Unreliable?)
  2. Put a cap on the height of the chatais. This will decrease the number of accidents that happen. (A cap on creativity too?!)
  3. Have a mirror chatai which will be lighted well in advance. This chatai can be used to light up the original chatai. (The budget would be doubled then!)
  4. Run a pipe of natural gas with openings at the right places. Ignite the thing when you have to light the diyas. (Budget?! Safe?)

The Rangoli was something that bowled me over. I had never expected something like that - near Paintings. And it wasn't just Nehru. Every hall I visited just made it look better and better.

The photographs have started pouring in. I'll keep updating this post to include more and more of them. In between, I'll try and manage a video of the split call, so that non-Kgpians can get a real idea what it is all about.

And oh! I had forgotten! Wishing my esteemed readers a very happy Diwali/Dhanteras/whatever.

@RK: Gold (Theme: Samudra Manthan)

@LLR: Silver

Rangoli: @RP (Gold)

Rangoli: @RK

Rangoli: @MMM

Rangoli @Azad

All for this:


Related Posts

Illumination And Rangoli: Day 0

Illumination and Rangoli: The Countdown

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Illumination and Rangoli: Day 0

It is Diwali day and everybody is preparing for Illumination in full swing. I contemplate going to my native place. The prospect of a Daru Party after Illumination haunts me. Finally, I decide to the contrary since this was the first Illumination that I was seeing in Kgp.

Last Minute Preparations

Last minute preparations are on. Everybody is allotted teams. Lots of seniors also pitch in. Work is on at full throttle. Nehru Hall has been allotted the 11 o' clock slot. So we have some time. 7 Chatais have been made ready.

I run around with wicks, Diyas and candles giving last minute touch-ups. At 2100 hours, we are allotted the chatais where we are to light the diyas. We get our tables stacked up and ready so that we can start lighting the moment the judges arrive.

The Rules of the Game

It is all about timing. You light the diyas too early - and they will burn off. You light it too late - and you can't finish by the time the judges come. No artificial lighting is allowed. Nobody is to be seen in the arena when the judges arrive. There should be pin-drop silence. The main switch is toggled before 11 o' clock. The battleground is ready. (literally!)

A signal would be given when we should start lighting the lamps. No one was to panic. And above all, we had to use our common sense. On the split call, the tables and beds had to brought down and removed from the arena.

Music will be played in the background. The narrators would explain the battleground - how Krishna in his Viraat Avatar convinced Arjun that it was his dharma to go to battleground and fight it out. We would be judged on the overall theme, the narration and the chatais.

The D-Time

The judges are supposedly late be half an hour. We start lighting our diyas comfortably. Suddenly, we are told to hurry up. Calculations have gone horribly wrong. The judges are asked to wait for some time outside the gate. They showed around the Rangoli for some time.

All effort is made to buy time. The Virat avatar is 2 storeys high. Completing it would be a colossal task within the time frame. Everybody rushes to complete the Virat Avatar. The Virat Avatar is 60% complete when the split call is given. Everybody rushes to dismantle the tables and hide everything.

A Risky Affair

In the mayhem, one fellow is injured. A bed had been dropped on his leg from high up. His leg has swollen and he is clearly in extreme pain. He is smuggled outside the hall to the hospital. Music (Shlokas etc) is running in the backdrop. Even that has been mixed up. Everything seems lost.

The Junta starts pouring in and wishing us Happy Diwali. Even on this festive occasion, the fiercely competitive Nehruites have nothing to cheer about. The Daru Party more or less stood cancelled. I haven't had dinner yet. We go out to have something. And even though, I wasn't really very much involved in the preparations - it was really difficult to swing the mood after that. Probably one of the most tiring and eventful Diwalis I have ever had.

Related Posts

Illumination and Rangoli: Day -1
Illumination and Rangoli: The Countdown

Illumination and Rangoli: The Countdown

Diwali in IITKgp is celebrated differently. Instead of firecrackers, we have Illu (the abbreviated form of Illumination) - something unique to Kgp.

Preparation for Illumination starts 15-30 days in advance and gains momentum in the last few days before Diwali. The idea, though novel - struck me as odd - specially the way it happens in Kgp.

  1. Only the 1st year and 2nd year students are involved in the preparations. The entire hostel isn't.
  2. The actual preparation takes place only in the final few days. 10-15 days aren't required at all. More so, I could never understand why Illu preparations had to happen after midnight when it could be easily done in the evening.
  3. I couldn't see any point in everything being done by the students - themselves.
Armed with this + some additional funda (again a very strange culture of Kgp) that I had gathered from some of my seniors, I decided to stay out of Illumination as much as I could.

Therein began my tale of escapades, some of which become popular in the hall. Some - in my own estimate - were rather dumb. But nonetheless, it was an adventure worth trying instead of sitting in the hall doing menial things that were being instructed to me.

Day 13: 2000 hours

Since this was the first day, I had almost no idea. A common room meeting is called at 2130 hours. I decide to bunk it. I go to the library.

Day 12: 0000 hours

I don't feel like coming back to the hall - having bunked the meeting - knowingly. My cycle tyre is flat - punctured. I decide to spend the night in a friend's room in another hostel.

Day 11: 2000 hours

Day 10's strategy seemed really dumb to me. Someone else's room isn't the best place to spend a night. I decide to lock the room from outside after 2130 hours. The windows in the doors turn out to be really useful.

Day 10 upto Day 8

Everything is peaceful. I have no problems with my strategy.

Day 7: 2200 hours

I decide to go out for some fresh air. The moment I open the window - I see seniors standing gaping at the window and the lock in alternate fashion. I have to go to work that day.

Day 6: 0030 hours

I decide - enough is enough - I'll go back to the room and sleep.

Day 5: 2230 hours

Even though my strategy had been discovered, I couldn't see any reason that I shouldn't do it again. After all, nobody could break the lock of my room.

Unluckily, the trick is discovered again - for the door yields a bit to merciless banging - and I can be seen through an opening in the door. Bad luck yet again.

Those outside: "Mainak, give us the key."
Me: "I don't have them. My roommate has it."

I was in no mood to work through the night.

Day 4: 0400 hours

I couldn't come up with any good ideas. I decide to fall back on Day 13's strategy. But again I am caught. A senior calls me in the dead of the night.

"Mainak, come back to the hall."

Day 3: 0530 hours

Having been caught thrice, I decide to work - so as not to complicate matters. I feel the work is really awful. I have lost my sleep all for nothing.

Day 2 & Day 1:

By now, people are fed up with my tactics. They know I'll come when I want to come. I work for some time and go back to sleep before midnight.

Day 0:

It is Diwali day. This is the day when most of the work gets done. I decide to pitch in with a helping hand.

Many felt I couldn't exonerate myself from the guilt of the last 13 days by working a day or two. But for me, it was about being sensible and doing what seemed was most appropriate for me and my hostel.

P.S: I think I forgot to mention Daru night and the treat. The treat was somewhere around Day 13 and the Daru night was somewhere around Day 4 or 5. I do not remember exactly because I had skipped the Daru night.

Related Posts

Illumination and Diwali: Day 0
Illumination and Diwali: Day -1

Friday, October 9, 2009

A Curious Case of Jalebis and Roshogollas



A Sweet Treat

Looks yummy, doesn't it? Roshogollas and Jalebis. A Sweet Treat.

That is what I thought when we were first taken for the treat on 6th October. A Sweet Treat.

That day I learnt - It is nice to have sour food items too.

Why the treat?

Bimala Sweets at 0700 hours for a sweet treat. I was all confused. Has OP started again? Or is it the OP treat? Placement treat? Illumination treat.

I have never appreciated sweets much. More so, the idea that someone should push sweets down my throat is something I had never concocted in my wildest imagination.

But this was Nehru Hall. And Nehru Hall has 'some tempo'.

Tempo to do what I really don't know - but 'some tempo'. In Kgp lingo, tempo is the enthusiasm/zeal one shows in doing something. Higher the zeal - higher the tempo.

So for 'God knows what reason' we were taken for this treat. Most of us were puzzled. Even more puzzling was the presence of first year students.

"You won't be served again"

In the first round, we are served Jalebis. "Take as much as you can. You won't be served again".

I take two Jalebis.

What ensued can best be described in the C programming language as follows...

do{

if(!eating)
      Push 5 jalebis/roshogollas down his throat;

else
      Serve more; //"Please take atleast 3"

if(Professor's arrive)
      break;

}(1);

My final count

9 Roshogollas. 10 Jalebis.

Not as many as compared to many of my batchmates.

But I am not the kind of person who can swallow whatever is pushed down the throat.

For my throat takes only that much as my stomach can digest.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Trivandrum: Picturesque City Deep South

I have spent two vacations in Trivandrum now and although I cannot claim to have a diploma in matters relating to authentic South Indian experience - I can safely say that I much better equipped than I was a semester ago about matters quintessentially "Mallu".

For one, I can with fair degree of expertise, read the Malayalam script (though I need to improve upon the Kootaksharams - that is something Shashi Tharoor and I have in common). Here is my name in Malayalam.
à´®ൈà´¨ാà´•്‌ 

Secondly, I have spent some time visiting people in and around Trivandrum - Kovalam beach, Shankhamugam beach, Kanyakumari et al.


Thirdly, I have tasted some Appams and Kadla Curry in a resturaunt downtown.

Kerala although having impressed me in many respects has also disappointed me.

For one, I was told of the magnificient food in Kerala. And though, I fully agree that the food is no doubt good, the spicy and the coconutty nature of the food is bound to discourage any non-Mallu from trying it.

Secondly, Kerala though largely a literate state - has people who are unwilling to converse in Hindi or English.

Thirdly, the trouble with Bengal is the trouble with Trivandrum. The colour Red. The communist colour.

What I liked about Trivandrum was

Their attachment to culture - be it Kalaripayattu, Kathakali, Onam or Ayurveda.

More so, the way Trivandrum being a traditional city is moving forward in the 21st century without detaching itself from the past is worth marvelling!

And the way people in this wonderful city treat guests is something I could go on talking of.

Thanks a lot, Trivandrum!


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Cape Comorin - The Southernmost Tip of India

The Southernmost tip of India - not something one dreams of travelling to every now and then. But then, being brought up in a family that has led a nomadic life - or rather - being from an Air Force background - this wasn't much of a surprise.

So, when a day trip to Kanyakumari - which is barely 100kms from Trivandrum is planned - I wasn't excited - but surely looking forward to the trip - as any other.


Vivekananda Rock

I had been to Kanyakumari some time back - well - that is 16 years back - if you can call that some time.

And all I could remember of that trip - was Vivekananda Rock.

That is all I knew was Kanyakumari.

That is what I still know of Kanyakumari.



Even though the trip comprised of much more than Vivekananda Rock, it is Vivekanda rock and the sea-side breeze of the place that has still stuck with me after the journey.

The newly constructed Thiruvalluvar Statue and the town-side shops of Kanyakumari are an added bonus. But it was the Vivekananda Rock that had me stumped.

Padmanabhapuram Palace, Suchindram Temple et al

The Padmanabhapuram Palace although not in Kanyakumari is a must see for anybody going to Kanyakumari.



So too is the Suchindram Temple.



Though I must caution anybody planning a visit to the temple to be prudent in deciding the itinerary for their journey. For all the effort, you may find the temple closed because you didn't know the temple timings - and be satisfied with the photograph of the temple entrance. :D

The Padmanabhapuram Palace - is in India - though many may think otherwise. And if you were to believe all the hogwash of the guides in the Palace, nothing like this has been been built - ever before in India - leading one all the more to doubt its origins.

A Final Word

Those who are visiting Kerala/Tamil Nadu for the first time are advised to play it easy on their cameras. For you wouldn't wish to post photographs on blogs just because multiple shots of the same mountain had been taken at multiple instances of time.



And this - was taken - specifically for Jazzonomics.



And if my esteemed readers don't mind, will be posted at the end of all posts henceforth.

Friday, September 25, 2009

The Frog and the Nightingale?

No 'personal' offences meant - frog, nightingale whosoever has been mocked. Credits to Vikram Seth for creating such a wonderful poem. It fits in wonderfully. Yo Nehru! Or rather "Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash!" ;)

Once upon a time a frog
Croaked away in Bingle Bog
Every night from dusk to dawn
He croaked awn and awn and awn
Other creatures loathed his voice,
But, alas, they had no choice,
And the crass cacophony
Blared out from the sumac tree
At whose foot the frog each night
Minstrelled on till morning light

[+/-]Read On

Neither stones nor prayers nor sticks.
Insults or complaints or bricks
Stilled the frogs determination
To display his heart's elation.
But one night a nightingale
In the moonlight cold and pale
Perched upon the sumac tree
Casting forth her melody
Dumbstruck sat the gaping frog
And the whole admiring bog
Stared towards the sumac, rapt,
And, when she had ended, clapped.

Ducks had swum and herons waded
To her as she serenaded
And a solitary loon
Wept, beneath the summer moon.
Toads and teals and tiddlers, captured
By her voice, cheered on, enraptured:
“Bravo!” “Too divine!” “Encore!”
So the nightingale once more,
Quite unused to such applause,
Sang till dawn without a pause.

Next night when the Nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing
She was startled by a croak.
“Sorry – was that you who spoke?”
She enquired when the frog
Hopped towards her from the bog.
“Yes,” the frog replied. “You see,
I'm the frog who owns this tree
In this bog I've long been known
For my splendid baritone
And, of course, I wield my pen
For Bog Trumpet now and then”

“Did you… did you like my song?”
“Not too bad – but far too long.
The technique was fine of course,
But it lacked a certain force”.
“Oh!” the nightingale confessed.
Greatly flattered and impressed
That a critic of such note
Had discussed her art and throat:
“I don't think the song's divine.
But – oh, well – at least it's mine”.

“That's not much to boast about”.
Said the heartless frog. “Without
Proper training such as I-
And few others can supply.
You'll remain a mere beginner.
But with me you'll be a winner”
Dearest frog”, the nightingale
Breathed: “This is a fairy tale –
And you are Mozart in disguise
Come to earth before my eyes”.

“Well I charge a modest fee.”
“Oh!” “But it won't hurt, you'll see”
Now the nightingale inspired,
Flushed with confidence, and fired
With both art and adoration,
Sang – and was a huge sensation.
Animals for miles around
Flocked towards the magic sound,
And the frog with great precision
Counted heads and charged admission.

Though next morning it was raining,
He began her vocal training.
“But I can't sing in this weather”
“Come my dear – we'll sing together.
Just put on your scarf and sash,
Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”
So the frog and nightingale
Journeyed up and down the scale
For six hours, till she was shivering
and her voice was hoarse and quivering.

Though subdued and sleep deprived,
In the night her throat revived,
And the sumac tree was bowed,
With a breathless, titled crowd:
Owl of Sandwich, Duck of Kent,
Mallard and Milady Trent,
Martin Cardinal Mephisto,
And the Coot of Monte Cristo,
Ladies with tiaras glittering
In the interval sat twittering –
And the frog observed them glitter
With a joy both sweet and bitter.

Every day the frog who'd sold her
Songs for silver tried to scold her:
“You must practice even longer
Till your voice, like mine grows stronger.
In the second song last night
You got nervous in mid-flight.
And, my dear, lay on more trills:
Audiences enjoy such frills.
You must make your public happier:
Give them something sharper snappier.
We must aim for better billings.
You still owe me sixty shillings.”

Day by day the nightingale
Grew more sorrowful and pale.
Night on night her tired song
Zipped and trilled and bounced along,
Till the birds and beasts grew tired
At a voice so uninspired
And the ticket office gross
Crashed, and she grew more morose -
For her ears were now addicted
To applause quite unrestricted,
And to sing into the night
All alone gave no delight.

Now the frog puffed up with rage.
“Brainless bird – you're on the stage –
Use your wits and follow fashion.
Puff your lungs out with your passion.”
Trembling, terrified to fail,
Blind with tears, the nightingale
Heard him out in silence, tried,
Puffed up, burst a vein, and died.

Said the frog: “I tried to teach her,
But she was a stupid creature –
Far too nervous, far too tense.
Far too prone to influence.
Well, poor bird – she should have known
That your song must be your own.
That's why I sing with panache:
“Koo-oh-ah! ko-ash! ko-ash!”
And the foghorn of the frog
Blared unrivalled through the bog.

If you still haven't figured it out - I hope you have. But if you haven't - try moving your mouse over the italicized text - line by line. Cheers!!!

P.S: Suggestions welcome!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Idea: Flexible Road Dividers

August was hectic. So has September been. First Orientation Programme and then the mid semester exams (More about OP, SOP and other campus happenings in another post).

Right now, I'll rush through an idea that I had been doodling with for some time. In fact, the post on traffic congestion was a by-product of an attempt to present my idea.

Here is the idea.

Ever seen a busy road from above? Like the bird would see it?

Next time you go on a footover bridge - observe. If it is anytime in the evening, what do you see?

A lot of red lights moving in one direction and a lot of yellow lights moving in the other direction. Right?

That is common sense. Yellow headlights and red brake lights.

What more do you see?

Invariably, you'll see the yellow lights outnumber the red lights. Or vice-versa.

My question. Couldn't we device a mechanism that would allow traffic flow in such a way that maximum amount of road-space is utilised?

More specifically, could we have flexible road dividers?

Dividers that moved depending on the traffic distribution.

Give it a thought. And do let me know.


Couldn't we give those on the left lane more road space?

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Is the OP really over?

[OP corresponds to Orientation Programme. It may loosely be equated to what is commonly known as ragging. However, the two aren't the same and subtle differences exist. For a more detailed account, the reader is directed to the blog The Kgp Files by Deep Throat.]

I woke up from sleep today morning feeling really fresh. I had woken up from a marathon 10 hour sleep after staying awake for 40 hours - which included a night out.

The lethargy & tiredness of sleeplessness has been drowned by the excitement of a single news - OP is over.

Yes, it is over. OP is finally over. And with a bang.

Lights, Camera Action.

It is 4 o' clock in the morning. I have been practising for the Bengali Dramatics since 10 o' clock in the night. Suddenly, we are summoned to D-Ground.

Artificial lighting is on. All second year students are sitting in neat queues with their legs crossed on the wet early morning grass (The sun hasn't risen yet). Seniors are standing at strategically selected vantage points.

Q: How many 5th year wings have you covered?
A: None

Thwack! A slap lands plum on the left cheek very close to the ears. The spectacles fly and land a few feet away on the ground. Everything is now hazy.

More arbit questions can be heard.

More arbit answers.

More slaps.

No one is spared.

In the mayhem, the Hall President announces - you OP ends.

Everybody is confused.

Buckets full of water come splashing from the wing above. Reality dawns. Yes, the OP is truly over.

The regular traditional ceremonies take place. The Oath, the Anthem & then the treat.

The spectacles are now back on the nose. But the question still remains.

Is the OP really over?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ambigram: Azad


This ambigram completes the set of ambigrams for the PAN loop.

For those not in the know, the PAN loop is a group of hostels in IITKgp - both infamous and famous. P stands for Patel Hall of Residence. A for Azad Hall of Residence and N for Nehru Hall of Residence.

How is it? Have any modifications to suggest? Do let me know.

P.S: I got bored with the regular ambigram. So I inverted the colours - nothing special. Just an attempt to do away with boredom.

Other Ambigrams I designed

Jazzonomics, Patel, DPS RKP, Nehru, Mainak

Thursday, August 6, 2009

10 Strategies to Survive a Somnolent lecture

STATUTORY WARNING: The ideas being presented below have not been tested in any laboratory. Try them at your own risk.

10. Eat Well

This is somewhat an equivocal statement. How you interpret it depends on the situation.

For instance, it is always advisable to have breakfast in the morning. Here "eat well" translates into "have food".

On the other hand, one of the best known methods to stay awake in the class is - "Avoid heavy food."

9. Sleep Well

Again depends. (Am I being too diplomatic?)

Try doing a "night out" and attend classes. It feels like hell.

Converse is also true.

Try attending a lecture after you had a wonderful dream and you'll know what is heaven and what is hell.

8. Bathe well

Again depends. (What is all this crap? Sounds like a tape recorder on an infinite loop?!)

There are days when I have taken a nice shower and gone to the class all charged up only to find my friend waking me up at the end of the lecture.

7. Exercise Well

I have tried almost everything. But nothing seems to work.

Some time back, I started exercising before going to the class.

I would run one round of the 2.2 km stretch or go to the gymnasium.

Aerobic exercise supposedly gets your blood circulating and keeps you awake.

But that is theory. It didn't 'work out'.

6. Take a deep breath

This is some advice I got from some well wishers.

Deep breathing is supposed to increase the oxygen supply to the brain and keep you alert during an important lecture.

Works! But only for a few days! :(

5. Back Counting

Start from 100 and back count to 1. The best I have gone is to 64.

There are variations you may try out - prime numbers, Fibonacci sequence.

But (as the cliche goes) it simply doesn't work.

4. Talk well

Works! But unfortunately, some professors get really annoyed if you gossip in class.

Moreover, talking is a little counter-productive and the whole point of attending the lecture is lost.

3. Bunk Classes

Counter-intuitive. Why bunk a few good lectures just to stay awake in the somnolent lecture?

Nevertheless, Bunking serves as a welcome break and one can come back to the next class without any reason to feel exhausted.

2. Sketch/Scribble/Anagram/Ambigram/Whatever

The professors can serve as ideal subjects for caricature/sketch/whatever. This has proved to be one of my best strategies to stay awake in class. Just scribble away and stay awake!

1. This is going to be Reader's Choice. You can leave your ideas as comments to this post. The best one gets nominated as the 1. Strategy to Survive a Somnolent Lecture.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Ambigram: Jazzonomics

It has been a while since my last post (A week?!). I have been shifting my hostel room in the last few days. Now, I am a proud Nehruite! :D

And if you haven't had a look at the ambigram of Nehru that I designed, you can check it out here. That reminds me: I haven't posted an ambigram for a long time!

So here is an ambigram that I made - of Jazzonomics - in Roman script. Yeah! I have been trying to design ambigrams in other scripts - without much success though :(
If you observe - ONO is a natural ambigram. That made my task easier! :D

The rest though was tough - I had to wrestle a lot with the letters.

Nevertheless, I am posting the ambigram - since a considerable amount of effort went into it.

How is it? Do let me know.

Other Ambigrams I Designed

Patel, DPS RKP, Mainak

Monday, July 13, 2009

Metro Mishap: Avoidable?


Not an isolated incident

This is what one of my friends at LSR had to say about the mishap at Metro Station

yep rt in front of college!we'v been walkin under that darned thing fer a yr now... the level idioticness in this place never ceases to amaze me!!
no one could care a sweet damn!
its all about dead lines!

I said to myself - Well, this isn't new. Keeps happening at construction sites. Delhi metro has an excellent track record. One shouldn't be blaming Delhi metro for one odd incident.

She goes on to say

dude this happened during the asian games run up as well!!2 flyover collapses!!:P

Again I think - nothing new. 96 people had died during the construction of the Hoover dam at Las Vegas. 5609 people died during the construction of the Panama canal.

DMRC head Sreedharan had resigned from his post and the Delhi government had rejected his resignation.

Looked like the DMRC had played its cards right and all will be well.

Then comes the second blow.

In what appeared to have been a case of negligence, the news channels flash the video of three cranes toppling over unable to take the weight of a beam at the same time.

I reconcile myself again - happens.

The first suicide at Kgp didn't stop the second suicide. One incident of racial abuse in Australia didn't stop more incidents. One tends to repeat things.

Uncertainty Principle

Moreover, scientifically speaking events cannot be predicted with complete accuracy: there is always a degree of uncertainty. If you may like, you may ascribe the randomness to God.

But science has redefined its goals: the aim being to formulate laws that enables them to predict events only up to the limit set by the uncertainty principle.

[This is how Stephen Hawking describes the aims of science in his highly acclaimed book A Briefer History of Time]

Then I wake up next morning.

A third incident has happened at Mumbai - again concerning the Metro. A steel scaffolding had collapsed.

This sets me to thinking - could this be randomness?

Can we ascribe it to the uncertainty principle?

Certainly not.

Moreover, all the three incidents involved Gammon India. Was it merely chance?

Certainly not.

Is Gammon India culpable?

I won't pass a verdict - because I haven't investigated the incidents. Nevertheless, the sequence of events do raise suspicions.

There is enough reason to believe that the circumstances that led to such an incidents demands that the engineers didn't stick to the right procedures.

Can engineering excellence be sacrificed at the cost of meeting deadlines?

Certainly not.

The Delhi Metro which has an excellent track record needs to keep in mind that what they call %errors in experiments can become a question of life and death for some.

Avoidable?

The first mishap may not have been avoidable. The second may not have been avoidable. But three is one too many.

It makes one believe that all three incidents were avoidable.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Traffic Congestion: What is the solution?

Everyday, I am faced with the problem of traffic congestion. We all face the problem 365 days of the year.

It cannot be escaped. It has become a part of us. We have started accepting it.

Believe it or not, it takes me 45 minutes to go to Pattom from my home in Trivandrum - a mere 5 km.

Nevertheless, I am an incorrigible optimist who believes that things will change and for the better. So what is the solution to traffic congestion?

Mass Rapid Transport?

Call it the metro, maglevs or the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit Systems) - they have a huge potential notwithstanding the failure of the first BRT corridor in Delhi.


Mega Cities?

Will we stop travelling? Will our needs be fulfilled in a single mega city. A city which houses not just our homes but also our offices. As the cliche goes, no dream too big. Who knows?!


Flying Cars?

When most people think of flying cars, they think of the Jetsons. Nevertheless, flying cars are in the process of getting perfected and it won't be long before we see commercial flying cars.

With the introduction of flying cars, we will be transporting our domain from the two dimensional to the 3 dimensional - a many fold increase in the traffic space.

I have my reservations though. Will the flying cars aggravate the already existing air traffic problems? Will there be more collisions in the air than on the earth? These are questions that can answered only after the first commercial flying car is available.

Going back to cycles?

Many have argued that cycles are the best means of transportation. The environment is spared, so also are deadly accidents. Not only that, bicycles occupy a fraction of space occupied by cars and buses. This ways they can navigate even the most crowded streets easily.

I doubt whether bicycles will be adopted for long distance travel. But surely when it comes to intra-city travel, bicycles sure have a future.

Bicycle Transit Systems are being developed in which air will be moved through the system in the same direction in which the bicyclist is riding.

If you wish to find out more about the pioneering ideas in the field of Bicycle Transit Systems that have been coming up, you may visit the official site of the Bicycle Transportation Systems, Inc here

What do you think is the solution?

Sunday, July 5, 2009

5 Innovative Ways to Celebrate Your Victory

Wimbledon finals are around the corner & the winning party has been coming up with innovative ways to celebrate their victory.

A victory has always been celebrated with firecrackers & sweets. But the new mantra to celebrating a victory is ingenuity. So here are 5 ways to spice up your victory celebration.

Chest Thump

Unfortunately, the Bryan Brothers known lost in the Wimbledon finals to the Nestor/Zimonjic pair this year. Nevertheless, the pair has been known for its signature chest thump.
There you are. This is what I was talking of. This is a subtle variation of the chest thump we do with our fists when we are proud of ourselves. The Bryan Brothers are proud of each other.

Take off your Shirt

This was popularised by Sourav Ganguly aka Dada/Prince of Kolkata when he took off his shirt after India won in the Natwest Series final in 2002.

Tempo Shout

This must be new to non-Kgpians. Below is the video of the Tempo Shout of Nehru Hall. Nehru may be suitably replaced by one's own organisation.



Dance

Jiggle dance, booty dance - call it what you want to. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth is the thrilling face of bold new India. And he has shown all Indians how to celebrate - aggressively. The Huddle

This was a familiar sight during the 2003 edition of the world cup when the Indian Cricket team were runners up. After every wicket, the team would gather in a huddle and (discuss team strategy?) cow down the opposition.

The idea was supposedly touted by the veteran spin bowler of the Indian Cricket team Anil Kumble Sandy Gordon, a psychologist who was working with the Indian Cricket team. All the team members had supported the idea unequivocally.

Another innovative way to celebrate your victory.No matter how you big or how small your victory. A victory is always sweet.

So why not celebrate it with pomp and show?

How do you celebrate?

P.S. I have updated the post. The huddle it seems wasn't Anil Kumble's idea but Sandy Gordon's. Nevertheless, huddles have existed for some time. The reader who is more interested about it may read the wikipedia article on huddles.