Moving on....

Hurrah!! I am now in my motherland, where cows have a stature which expresses ‘sacredness’. Oops! I did try beef when in US, too chewy and not easily edible, and tasty for the millions (not for me), but then American cows aren’t necessarily sacred. So I need not repent.

Now, why am I here…back in India? From the day of returning to base I have often asked the very same question in addition to many of my friends who are also inquisitive of my return policy at this time. A simple answer: Obama’s governance and the so called ‘prophecy of change’ would be inflicted a little too late for the convenience of international students like me and the many other Asians. Fortunately the only transition I have to make is the re-acceptance of metric units.

A few hours more into Obama’s swearing in as president of the United States…. ‘Change’ in the ‘white house’, change in ‘international’ leadership…. An outright ‘change’ in the economical statistics is a questionable objective, considering the presidential term duration, unless re-elected.

Hence, 'moving' on….

Sitting in a dimly lit cybercafé and a server that keeps breaking (note: reliance is also facing recession); I am writing my first blog after returning to India, from Kochi. A glance out of the window and the activity as always is picturesque, a befitting tribute to R.K Laxman’s caricature. Scores of vehicles throng the streets, racing neck and neck for stamping their authority over every inch of space, while its masters are sputtering and gasping for air. One wrong move and a window would roll down, and people would clearly express their ‘right’ to mow down others in their path. Desolate traffic cells at intersections are a delight for traffic rule violators. Cars neither follow the lanes nor the lines, overcrowded buses and bulging trucks loom in and scare the wits out of the merc owners. Bikes weave in and out of the moving congestion similar to a rivulet, autorickshaws acknowledge the 'less is more' philosophy and the cyclists form the icing on the borders of this irregular chocolate truffle, without a strawberry. Pedestrians are the outcastes.

This is the India I had been familiar with and still am. Amidst all the chaos if I were to pick out the biggest positive, it’s called LIFE (diversity) even though it moves at speeds of 15km ph. Slower the better....

Adieu to the American Dream...

Majority of the people who leave their home country and come to the United States, either for work or for studies, prefer to spend a few years in order to live the 'American Dream'. And what exactly is the american dream? - personal car/'s', home ownership and living in debt in order to afford anything and everything, tops the list - end result as is seen in stages of the ongoing recession which started with the credit and mortgage crisis. What we see now on a day to day basis with the general public, airlines, insurance companies all filing bankruptcy is nothing but a fission reaction.

It does not come easy for all though, and certain circumstances pave an indifferent path. This time around its the Global Recession, thus making it even tougher for international students to create an impact in professional market (as if there wasn't enough said and done with H1 regulations). Business Management graduates seemed to be raking in the moolah until yester year. Now there is a 'change'. Market fluctuation, declining stocks and a deteriorating economy have hit the financial sector the worst and the henceforth the chain reaction. 'Layoffs' and 'Hiring Freeze' are the inevitable but magic words which are shattering the dreams of millions across the country and worldwide. A Failure of the Capitalist Economy.....

The booming economies of India and China aren't doing well either at this point of time and especially when the sectors have international tie ups. Lucky for some, unlucky for others. The IT sector is on the verge of facing the biggest threat, already triggered by the SATYAM scam. A funny story, impending; but having innumerable consequences. Debt is not a new phenomenon in India with banks ready to provide loans for anything these days. Hence it would not be a difficult to live an Indian Dream....whatever that is, I would have to experience it now!! As I bid adieu to the once called 'land of opportunities' indefinitely, I believe the road ahead has much more to offer.....Call me an optimist! Nothing to lose, but everything to gain.....experiences away from home, exposure to newer technology, education in a highly ranked institution, and the best of all - new friends and times spent with them which will be treasured for a lifetime.

Farewell my dear fellow planners, batchmates and others.....Its been a very memorable two and a half year journey and I thank you all for playing host !

Way to go TEXANS & AGGIES.............!!! Gig Em!

2 OH OH 9.....

Life blossoms every minute
Math complicates with infinite

Two led to a billion
A story inscribed on a medallion

Past is a mere reflection
Future is a speculation

Oh!Creator of the mystery
A new year for thee

A new year for me.......... 2 o o 9!!

What we all hope for is that every new year is better than the previous. Ahem!!...well with the current g-lobal and g-local scenario, all would be wishing it was atleast the same as the previous year. Unfortunately, that isnt so!
Oh!bama....where r thou?? Of recent, change is observed by the hour which was unprecedented and not what was envisioned! One after the other sectors are falling like a pack of cards; the end result being rising unemployment rate. Population rate isnt going down either in India.
The ongoing situation is said to be worse than the great depression of 1929. It took about ten years then for countries world wide to make a U-Turn. I wonder what is in store now.... Mathematicians seem to live in their own little world of sigmas, logarithms and other scary characters. A scene in the movie 'the day the earth stood still' where the so called human alien (K.Reeves) rewrites a formula on the blackboard, originally written by some scholar who was in the end dumbfounded....and he exclaims aghast..."...its not possible". Keanue had his usual flat expression less face which started with MATRIX. I wished someone explained the whole sequence to me.... Maybe Nostradamus made a mistake using his archaic symbology....but 'numbers' sure are a wonder!! Who invented them is still a debate, believed to be arabs and indians....but the incorrigible chinese also made their mark here!! Everything is made in China these days, hence no point in arguing over cheap technology that delivers....

2009 is here!! No mysteries unravelled at this point of time.....So as long as the earth continues to rotate I might as well make my new year resolutions....The list is long, hence I dont want to bore myself....but for the BIG 3 -

Traveling and Photography - 'YES' !
Keeping in touch with family/relatives and friends frequently - 'YES' !
Cooking & maintaining a healthy routine - 'YES' !

The first one is easy enough provided my new employer understands the need to combine it with 'work'. Oh yeah!! I never did mention. I am back in good ol' gujju land...same work...same atmo....familiar faces....but a different employer. Never really took it that seriously when friends predicted even before i came to texas, that I would end up coming back to Amdavaad. I will have to brush up my Gujarati once again and 'spehllings'...

Ex-Cited ?? To be part of Navratri celebrations once again - 'YESsssssssssss'!!