Are you a romantic?

The other day we had a professor from Auburn University visiting our lab. During a discussion with us students he said he thought of my Boss, their colleagues and himself and all those who started out their careers when quantum chemistry was not such a hot topic as romantics. He reminisced that in those days research was meant to advance the military operations while these men and women were working on simple molecules. No wonder they were laughed at by scientists from other fields. Yet they chose to continue in their pursuit.

I would not only call these quantum chemists romantics but courageous as well.

All through our lives our decisions whether they be about what third language to take in school, which college to join, what subjects to take, which course to go for, etc seem to be guided by the ultimate goal of securing us a job with a nice paycheck. We always tend to follow conventions, whatever is the norm. But in the process we also end up doing what everybody else does.

To do something different we not only need to dream but also have the conviction and mettle to venture on to paths yet uncharted and create our own trails. So let us this new year make a resolution to bring romance in our lives, albeit of a different kind.

HAPPY 2008 TO EVERYONE!!

Delhi again

The last twelve days I was in Delhi. I had gone for work but as usual it was simply a pleasure being there. The fact that it was winters added to the pleasure. I was put up in the same hostel where I had stayed two years back while attending a conference. It brought back some great memories. There is no better movie than the flashback that you see while lying down in a warm razaai or when having a walk in the pleasing winter sun.

Other than getting a lot of time for myself I also got a chance to catch up with old school friends. One I met after 4 years and another after nearly a decade. The ties made because of having gone to the same school can be really strong. Its reason enough to talk to someone years later from having been silent classmates who never said a word to each other.

On my final day in Delhi I got a precious half-an-hour with a very good friend of mine. In the midst of meeting a million people of because his newly changed status from committed to married, he managed to squeeze in some time for me. It was a joy seeing him and his better half. This was the first time I was seeing them together as we reside in different countries. It was simply lovely. I can't explain it but I had this big smile on my face as I left for my way back. I guess it was the realization that we've all grown up... we are no longer in school. Its just that I happen to remember many people exactly the way they looked years ago in our school uniform: a white shirt, a white pant/skirt with a green belt and a green tie and white socks with black gola shoes .