Good bye

Today I got news that I lost a dear one. For a child that grows up alone, every relative is a precious. Each and everyone in my generation is someone to be cherished as I know no other. I lost my beautiful sister today after she fought valiantly against Cancer.

The thing about Sangeetha is that when we had time to be together back in my school and college days, I did not know her at all. Partly because I would see her once in two years and partly because she was just not my wavelength. I used to irritate her to no end and she used to get irritated. So it worked out well. All I can say is that she was drop dead gorgeous, affectionate and silly girl. Then after a gap of many years I got a call one evening when I was in Cincinnati. It was Sangu and she was calling me from San Francisco. I was like, what the hell! And then I remembered my father telling me that she had been selected as an Air Hostess for Singapore Airlines. I remember thinking what is this bacchu going to do as an air hostess, a job that requires a lot of patience!

But the girl on line had the same voice but there was a click, a connect that I never had with Sangeetha. It was something that I realized and I think she also did. From nowhere, I had this amazing sis that I could talk almost anything on. Every time she came to the US she would call me and we would chat. Those were interesting times and we were growing up together talking to each other. We had our highs and lows, but she could call me anytime knowing I was there for her. Likewise, I can really really talk to someone of my generation in my family. Friends are good but with family especially when it comes to a conservative south indian brahmin family there is a lot more to share as they are carrying the same baggage as you are. I can count the times I actually saw her over the last 12 years since we connected. May be 4 times! But she was always there that the previous 25 did not have.

Then we found out last year that she was fighting brain cancer. The doctors said no chance. I mustered courage to go and see her hoping that was not the last time. There was trepidation and my own inability to know how to react. There I saw Sangeetha who was ravaged by a malicious disease eating her alive but with the poise that was unbelievable. She kept me at such ease and we spent time together that I will cherish. While I was choking she assured me that she will meet me next year to do a road trip.

And then I got a call that she has left us today with promises not kept. Sangu played unfair by not being there for a good brother-sister fight. I know I will miss my sis, her poise, her presence, her generosity and her affection. Life is not always fair. And in this case it was bloody unfair.

Rest in peace little sister. You will always be there with Big Bro...

Season for Intolerance

Is it just me or are we entering a phase of pseudo machoism and total intolerance. The heights (pun unintended) is the fight over Pakistan on an Air India flight. Imagine the plight of the passengers. Then there is this Bom..Ooops Mumbai affair! Can you believe that goondas who could care less whether you call it Mumbai or Bombay were out ruining someone's Friday! All because they called Mumbai as Bombay. I am sure the Tamil Kudimagans are waiting for people to call Chennai as Madras. It would be the day when they launch a protest in Bangalore to rename Old Madras Road as Old Chennai Road! As ridiculous as it sounds, I actually feel there is an idiot waiting to do just this. It seems that everyone is waiting to pounce on what the other guy seems to be doing!

Can we collectively take a break as a nation and just chill!

Slumdog or Cat...I am not the Millionaire!

Can people stop talking about it. Big B has to say something and others have to agree or disagree. How can they show India like that say some. We are like that only say the others.

I am bugged with all of this! This is a movie and yeah it has been shot in India. If you like the story watch it. If you dont like it, move on! Yes this happens in India and no, the Indian Poverty is not a secret. Everyone knows about this. 

So puhleeze! Let us move on. If it is wins an Oscar great! If not, great! The producer of the movie is the real millionaire...not you...not me!

Who pays for the Doosra?

I was in the car and made to wait. The head honcho of the land was crossing. I had a ring-side seat for this. All cars were stopped. No traffic on the road, not even a dog managed to come out.

Then silence

Then the came the cavalcade. At least 20 cars. Ambassadors that were packed with Machine gun wielding security folks. I was half worried that in the crowd, one of them would accidentally press the gun.  Then there were cars with plain clothes men looking at suspicious people. One of them made eye contact with me! 

Then came the radio jammers! My first experience. I was listening to the radio and then came the sound 'hissssss' 

Then came a bunch of cars. One of them must have had the man.

And I find out that he is going from House number one which has family number one to house number two which has family number two. So these 100 people are all on the road and putting their lives at risk so that we can protect the supreme leader to go from one wife to another!

Just wondering, who pays for all of this? If it is the govenment, then have we started official patronage of polygamy?

Cancel Christmas - The Terrorists Are Coming!

By now all of us are in the absolutely jingositic mode and serious faced when we talk about the 'War on Terror'. We have done our bit beating down the inept politicians, shedding a tear for the martyrs and joined the usenet groups for Saving India and Fighting terror. Few of us may have stepped out the e-world and joined protest marches and lit a candle!

All that till the next 'Intelligence Information' that comes in from your newspaper or your news channel. Of course the other reliable information is from 'I heard from an army source..'type of stuff that comes on an SMS. WE JUST GO BONKERS after that! We will stop breathing if we get a warning that terrorists are planning to attack the nose!

My city has a once a year'habba'. For what it is worth it has been happening for a few years now. But I believe that terrorists have planned to have a party in the time frame and hence we have accommodated them. We have cancelled the 'Habba'. Wonder what we will cancel next, Christmas? How about New Year? We should continue with 2008 because the terrorists might attack us on New Year's Day! So we can trick them by not having 2009 at all.

Now that sounds like a plan!

Nobler Intentions

IT CANNOT GET BETTER THAN THIS . The nobel press release actually refered to the core of my thesis work in it description of the nobel prize as one of the applications of GFP. As close as it gets!!! WOO HOO!!!

Nobel Intentions!

In one of the rare moments two different friends from the 'research' past reached out and shared with me the headlines on the Nobel Prize for Chemistry (link is to the NYT article) for 2008. Typically when they announce the Nobel prize in chemistry, I look at atleast that day with dread. As a 'chemist' I am supposed to know all of this amazing work. And to be honest, I have no clue almost all the time. These amazing guys do such incredible stuff that it goes so overhead!

But not this time! Of all things this time the prize went to a group that worked on Green Fluorescent Protein from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. I feel that I know this protein coz this and its brother protein Aequorin was what I spent most of the 7 years of research that I ever did. My group has been working on this and as crazy as it may seem I actually was one of the first to begin this work. I never ever thought I would be so close to a Nobel! Probably the closest I will ever get!! 

I was walking around this evening with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. As my friend assured me, I am entitiled to have this 'feeling' today