The Canal and the Canoe

Today was the day for a canoe trip down the princeton canal. Oh, wait a minute... When I say canal, are you thinking about a dull and ugly brown water body carrying all the grime and grimaces of poor people and industrial waste let into it by powerful businessmen blended into a homogenious poison eating everything that came it's way like a boa constrictor let loose (Well even it won't eat everything). Then think again... Because this is the Delaware & Raritan canal running through the rich (both economically and ecologically) neighbourhood between (obviously) Raritan and Delaware with a tow path walking beside it like a boyfriend with an arm around his girlfriend's waist. A perfect place (and today a pefect weather too) for Canoeing, Kayaking and Rafting.. We entered it from the Alexander street entry and went all the way down (it's down steam but it's towards north) till lake carnigie and the Route 27 entry/exit and back. It was great fun. History tells me that it was built in 1834 for no recreational purpose but as a means of transport and mules used to pull the rafts floating on the canal with big loads on It walking along the tow path. (Now you know why it's called the Tow path, hmm) But now it would make a really romantic date to go with your girl canoeing through the fall colours, savoring blue nun (it's a wine you pervert !) and talking about colors and water and photographs and painting and violin and flute and moonlight and many other things...

Surely, you are all criminals Mr. Feynman!

I have discussed this with friends so many times - How could the great scientists like Feynman and others live with the burden of an atomic bomb weighing on their conscience or was it that they realized how horrible the effects were only after the bomb was dropped ? This email from Prof. Shivshankar of Chennai Math. Institute answers it quite aptly. (The excerpt is from another book)

Life Cycle of a theoretical physicist

This is funny. And quite close to the truth, if you have ever studied Quantum Field Theory. Read it till the end even if you don't understand what the person is talking about...

On Bhel, Samosa, Wada Pav, Cutting Chai etc.

What is the first thing one feels like doing, after months of starvation and undernutrition at the hands of university food services ? Of course, you feel like having a nice hot and spicy wada pav with a cutting tea at a bus drivers' canteen. So that's what Hoga and I did as soon as we got the chance. So here we were, eating samosa and wada pav and sipping a cutting chai (although slurping would be a more closer description of the way you are supposed to drink boiling tea making those "phluuurrrrrr" sounds) at the foodmall (well not quite a busdrivers' canteen but close enough) at 3 am in the morning. I followed this up with a session of Kanda bhaji (Onion Dumplings) and Mirchi bhaji (Green Chilli dumplings).

And while eating all these snacks we were discussing what else we are going to eat once we reach Pune - Things like Bhel, Sabudana Khichadi, Bedekar Misal, etc. And I did eat all these things on the same day that I landed in India. It was just great. Although, it must have been a tough job for my stomach to digest everything that was being pushed into it.

Do I appear to be a gluton ? I have become one after going to the US... NO NO. It's not "The american food" that's made me a gluton. It's the almost complete and forced abstenance from Indian food that has done it. Do you find this weird ? Then I am sure you are not from a family where your mom and dad cook all sorts of wonderful things for you and you just don't understand how great chefs they are and you eat Bhel, pani puri, samosa chat and Kachhi dabeli almost every evening, complaining about how it is becoming more and more expensive (from Rs. 3/- per Dabeli to Rs. 4/- per Dabeli) till one day you find yourself standing in front of a food counter in the Frist campus Center in Princeton, trying to figure out what would taste less boring now that you have consumed everything on the menu at least 10 times already, day after day. Then you will know what I am talking about...

The Surprise that was Home!

I don't know what was more heartening.

Was it the brightest expression on Amya's face with eyes popping out like lemons and mouth agape, dumbstruck with surprise, as he came arround the garden fence to give me a rib-crunching hug and damned me with some of the most creative explatives that I have ever heard in "Amchi Marathi"

Or the speachless happiness with which Aai and Baba looked upon me, as I stood at the door of our house with my luggage, as if they didn't want to reduce the intensity of the moment by saying silly things...

Or the frenzied cry of hamma followed by "I knew you would come, I knew you would never miss my wedding no matter what...I knew it." as she collapsed in my arms crying her happiness out.

Or the most beatiful laughter of recongition and appreciation granted by Shama Tai, Ashwini and bakul to the biggest surprise they had ever received.

Or the colourful beads of pearl revealing anger, surprise, betrayal, love, relief, satisfaction, pleasure and end of struggle, and, and, and I don't know what. Those were the teardrops in Shweta's eyes. The only thing she could say the whole of that afternoon that we spent together was, "You are evil! That's what you are you know..."

Truely, to be loved and missed, and to be able to know it so intensely gives you an intoxication better than any narcotic.

I knew it would be a great experience but I never would have imagined that the surprise that I had planned to give to my friends and family in India, by coming home without announcement, would be a memory so satisfying and ego-boosting...

Drink Cognac !

If you're frustru and you know it, drink Cognac.


If you could not watch THE GURU, drink Cognac
If frustration starts to accrue, drink Cognac.
If the graphs are highly random,
You're stuck with a conundrum,
just sign ONE memorandum,
drink Cognac !

If your tax refund is pending, drink cognac.
If you have no bucks for spending, drink cognac.
If nervous breakdown is near,
and torment is severe,
no vodka and no beer,
drink cognac !

If you feel highly nostalgic, Drink Cognac.
you need a strong antalgic, Drink Cognac.
If the generals are at hand,
and you don't understand,
what's NOR gate and what's NAND,
drink cognac !

If you know prisoner's dilemma, drink cognac.
if you can't prove Fatau's lemma, drink cognac.
If you're fined for a book,
that you never took,
don't give me that "f*** y**" look,
drink cognac !

If your paunch is quickly growing, drink cognac.
If your love handles are showing, drink cognac.
You feel the need for slimming,
you do a lot of gymming,
after that tiring swimming,
drink cognac !

If you're happy and you know it, drink cognac.
If you know you're not then show it, drink cognac.
If you don't have any sorrow,
I have some you can borrow,
So see you today or tomorrow,
drink cognac !

If the night is clear and warm, drink cognac.
if you're stuck in a thunderstorm, drink cognac.
if it's spring or autumn season,
the trees are pink or crimson,
you don't have one good reason ?
drink cognac !

Spring or Fall ?

The spring has started in Princeton (the spring break is over) and it seems it's the Fall season for girls, as many of them have started shading their clothes and showing their colours. The campus suddenly looks full of smooth legs and bare shoulders !