FLIGHT DETAILS
Tue. Jan. 3 (Arriving Jan. 4) Bengaluru, India to Houston, TX
Bengaluru (BLR) to Frankfurt (Frankfurt Intl.)
Lufthansa 755
Economy / Coach Class (W) , Boeing 747-400
Depart 3:25am Arrive 8:50am
Duration: 9h 55m
Layover: Frankfurt (Frankfurt Intl.) 11h 15m
Frankfurt (Frankfurt Intl.) to London (LHR)
Lufthansa 920
Economy / Coach Class (W) , Airbus A321
Depart 8:05pm Arrive 8:45pm
Duration: 1h 40m
Layover: London (LHR) 12h 35m
London (LHR) to Houston (IAH)
Lufthansa 7623 operated by Continental
Economy / Coach Class (W) , Boeing 777
Depart 9:20am Arrive 1:45pm
Duration: 10h 25m
Total trip time: 45h 50m
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Running for a purpose
This past week I have been lobbying to raise money for my best friend's charity while he prepares for a marathon. It is his first and I have seen the change that the training has brought in him. But this blog isnt about how much I admire him for signing up for this, but focuses on how difficult it is to convince people to donate to his cause.
The people who raise money for charity through running do it for themselves.
I wanted to run all year long. 9 months into the year, and I cant run 2 miles without feeling that my heart will explode into a gooey mass. And here are amazing individuals who juggle classes, research while training to run a 26-mile marathon. They dont need 26 miles to stay healthy, they dont need to even run to be fit and have lean muscle. All of them might as well take up belly dancing!! But they choose to put themselves through this ordeal because they want to create awareness. They want to make a slight dent in the society with their contributions. We have been privileged to get our schooling from the top schools in our cities, but there are many who cant attend ANY school.
I dont believe that people can't spare $10 for his charity.
Did I mention that the ones who dint spare a penny are his classmates and friends. When I got frustrated and complained about it to my friend, he used the word 'intent'. It calmed me then but I couldn't help thinking how people work. Somehow money is more important than everything else while we continue to eloquently explain how 'money can't buy you happiness'. The reality is in this case, the money you donate will help children in India through school. These are students who cant finish school due to financial constraints, let alone take a loan of 20 lakhs to slog through grad school to eventually earn 70-100k per year. Remember this when you return to India as an NRI in 10 yrs, you cant complain about the 'uneducated masses' because you hesitated to help!
If time is money, cant find you something deep down in your heart to contribute a few small change for their time?
PS: You get tax exemption so technically this is a SALE!
The people who raise money for charity through running do it for themselves.
I wanted to run all year long. 9 months into the year, and I cant run 2 miles without feeling that my heart will explode into a gooey mass. And here are amazing individuals who juggle classes, research while training to run a 26-mile marathon. They dont need 26 miles to stay healthy, they dont need to even run to be fit and have lean muscle. All of them might as well take up belly dancing!! But they choose to put themselves through this ordeal because they want to create awareness. They want to make a slight dent in the society with their contributions. We have been privileged to get our schooling from the top schools in our cities, but there are many who cant attend ANY school.
I dont believe that people can't spare $10 for his charity.
Did I mention that the ones who dint spare a penny are his classmates and friends. When I got frustrated and complained about it to my friend, he used the word 'intent'. It calmed me then but I couldn't help thinking how people work. Somehow money is more important than everything else while we continue to eloquently explain how 'money can't buy you happiness'. The reality is in this case, the money you donate will help children in India through school. These are students who cant finish school due to financial constraints, let alone take a loan of 20 lakhs to slog through grad school to eventually earn 70-100k per year. Remember this when you return to India as an NRI in 10 yrs, you cant complain about the 'uneducated masses
If time is money, cant find you something deep down in your heart to contribute a few small change for their time?
PS: You get tax exemption so technically this is a SALE!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Cancer explained
Cancer is something close to my heart. For various reasons, it has for the longest time been the area that I wanted to study and do research in. And now that I am FINALLY in a cancer biology program, I realized how little I know. Not that I was ever arrogant in my knowledge of cancer, but I gladly admitted my ignorance about a disease that continues to kill so many people every year. The aspects of cancer are many, and to even explain everything is next to impossible. For a history of cancer and how current research stands from a clinical standpoint, there is an excellent book called 'The Emperor of All Maladies'. But for those who don't have the patience to read a 500 page book, here is a small explanation.
To make it more relatable, we will use India's current political situation as an analogy.
The day you were born is like India getting independence. The cells are the millions of people who saw our country celebrate its first independence day. There were the good people, the young, the old, the restless and that is exactly how a new born baby is too. As time progressed, there were new people, new ideas, new developments and progress very similar to a new-born growing up.
Much like India in the its infancy, there was a clear demaracation of power in the country. There were some families which were more powerful than the others. Ditto with cells, that some are more robust and can divide and take over the tissue. Like India learning its lesson after the emergency and not electing Mrs. Gandhi, sometimes the immune system wakes up and takes care of the cancerous cells and destroys them. However, just like we failed to eliminate corruption of power completely way back then, some cells escape this process.
Life seems normal again, and we get on with life. In the meantime, a corrupt politician is gathering his forces silently without grabbing too much attention much like a cancer that has formed. One fine day, we wake up to see another extremely corrupt person as our PM and that is pretty much how we will realize we have rogue tissue too. A scar that we ignored, a lump that dint matter, an infection we dint care about etc etc. We get the devastating news that person has cancer, and it is taking over more than just the primary organ.
Exactly how we bring an RTI or a Lokayukta to combat corruption, we seek our first line of defense by chemotherapy and other suitable treatments.Sometimes, this fixes the problem and the politician is sent to jail aka the cancer is controlled.
Control isn't elimination and there is always a chance that the politico gets bail, and comes out stronger and cleverer but most importantly with a hungrier appetitie for money. In cancer, the tissue metastasizes to other parts and shows more resistance and becomes that much more devastating. Like a politico finding other means to make money when one method lands him in jail, cancer cells seek other tissue to derive nutrition and grow incessantly.
When this goes out of hand, much like Anna Hazare, more radical treatments will be required. For those who followed the crazy circus that was the Lokpal, sometimes the corrupt government (like a metastasized resistant tumor) will not yield to any call for normalcy (treatments will fail).
In India's case, the Govt agreed to the terms, but tumor cells dont buckle as easily, and the result sadly is the demise of the person.
Note: 1. As a patriotic Indian, I would never wish harm to the country even from a scumbag politico, but this was the best analogy I could think of.
2. Not all cancer cells kill, just like not all politicos are corrupt.
To make it more relatable, we will use India's current political situation as an analogy.
The day you were born is like India getting independence. The cells are the millions of people who saw our country celebrate its first independence day. There were the good people, the young, the old, the restless and that is exactly how a new born baby is too. As time progressed, there were new people, new ideas, new developments and progress very similar to a new-born growing up.
Much like India in the its infancy, there was a clear demaracation of power in the country. There were some families which were more powerful than the others. Ditto with cells, that some are more robust and can divide and take over the tissue. Like India learning its lesson after the emergency and not electing Mrs. Gandhi, sometimes the immune system wakes up and takes care of the cancerous cells and destroys them. However, just like we failed to eliminate corruption of power completely way back then, some cells escape this process.
Life seems normal again, and we get on with life. In the meantime, a corrupt politician is gathering his forces silently without grabbing too much attention much like a cancer that has formed. One fine day, we wake up to see another extremely corrupt person as our PM and that is pretty much how we will realize we have rogue tissue too. A scar that we ignored, a lump that dint matter, an infection we dint care about etc etc. We get the devastating news that person has cancer, and it is taking over more than just the primary organ.
Exactly how we bring an RTI or a Lokayukta to combat corruption, we seek our first line of defense by chemotherapy and other suitable treatments.Sometimes, this fixes the problem and the politician is sent to jail aka the cancer is controlled.
Control isn't elimination and there is always a chance that the politico gets bail, and comes out stronger and cleverer but most importantly with a hungrier appetitie for money. In cancer, the tissue metastasizes to other parts and shows more resistance and becomes that much more devastating. Like a politico finding other means to make money when one method lands him in jail, cancer cells seek other tissue to derive nutrition and grow incessantly.
When this goes out of hand, much like Anna Hazare, more radical treatments will be required. For those who followed the crazy circus that was the Lokpal, sometimes the corrupt government (like a metastasized resistant tumor) will not yield to any call for normalcy (treatments will fail).
In India's case, the Govt agreed to the terms, but tumor cells dont buckle as easily, and the result sadly is the demise of the person.
Note: 1. As a patriotic Indian, I would never wish harm to the country even from a scumbag politico, but this was the best analogy I could think of.
2. Not all cancer cells kill, just like not all politicos are corrupt.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Burrito in 10 min.. :) Grad-glad cooking
Ingredients:
Rice (brown or white, good recipe to finish leftovers)
Beans (soak and pressure cook or canned)
Salsa (store bought: Newmann's $2.49)
Sour cream (store bought $0.99)
Cheese (store bought)
Cilantro (optional)
Lemon juice (bottled $0.99)
Wraps (optional)
Salt
Paprika
Prep:
1. Mix rice, lemon juice, salt and cilantro. Keep aside.
2. Strain beans and add salt, paprika/pepper.
3. Arrange BURRITO!!
4. Bake wraps for 10 min at 325F (optional).
Makes 6-8 GIANT burritos in 10 min (under 10 bucks too!!)
Rice (brown or white, good recipe to finish leftovers)
Beans (soak and pressure cook or canned)
Salsa (store bought: Newmann's $2.49)
Sour cream (store bought $0.99)
Cheese (store bought)
Cilantro (optional)
Lemon juice (bottled $0.99)
Wraps (optional)
Salt
Paprika
Prep:
1. Mix rice, lemon juice, salt and cilantro. Keep aside.
2. Strain beans and add salt, paprika/pepper.
3. Arrange BURRITO!!
4. Bake wraps for 10 min at 325F (optional).
Makes 6-8 GIANT burritos in 10 min (under 10 bucks too!!)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Smokin'
I am currently reading a book about the history of cancer. A good 10% if the book is dedicated to explaining how tobacco increases risk of cancer and how difficult it was to convince the Govt to take preventive action. One of the ways to deal with this was to have a 'warning' on the packs. One can see this on Indian cigarette packs too. But here is the difference: Knowing something is harmful is not good enough! Check what an American company needs to print by law. Mention loud and clear that you can get cancer, you can cause harm to a fetus, DIE from smoking. THAT needs to be done! Statutory warning saying 'Smoking is injurious to health' does NOTHING!!
Oh well, looks like there has been a LAW to include 'Smoking causes cancer' on packs in India in 2008. But, read this..!!
Oh well, looks like there has been a LAW to include 'Smoking causes cancer' on packs in India in 2008. But, read this..!!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Why I dont follow IPL
Cricket is a religion that everyone follows in India.. And Sachin is everyone's God.. Although everyone worships one cricketer more than the other, Sachin is the God-Supreme.. The God of Gods.. The creator of interest, the sustainer of the love of the game and the destroyer of the opposition ALL in one tiny, smiling piece of man.. That said, he unites the country when we play the WC.. The whole country comes together to watch a game that is in our DNA to love and follow..
So when the concept of IPL was thrown in, cities playing cities in the shortest, most aggressive and probably the most entertaining form of cricket, the Twenty20 version I was supposed to be intrigued.. But NOPE!! Never happened.. Somehow, the thought of cities playing each other did not work for me.. I watched EPL every year since 2001 and was hooked to it.. As a big ManUtd fan, I also could not stand a Chelsea/Arsenal/Liverpool supporter and could spend endless hours trash-talking..
Why was cricket different for me?? As a sport that brought the nation together, cricket would divide the country into 'city' supporters.. The sport that made everyone proud of being Indian (when we win), would start a rivalry based on which city you were born in and where you lived.. I did not care less than very few native Bloreans were part of Royal Challengers Bangalore..
Digressing a little here, what is with the name?? Royal Challengers?? So meh!! As part of popular culture, 'Royal' in Karnataka is almost always referred to Mysore.. Challengers?? The way we played in IPL 1.0, yeah RRRRIGHT!! More cricket-challenged than challengers.. Royal-challengers together does not even make sense.. The color of the team.. I wish I were colorblind (although technically, I can never be colorblind).. I remember some famous designed conceptualized the barf-inducing combination of reddish-pink and gold (or dirty yellow)..!! I am still confused whether it is Bengaluru or Bangalore.. But the Anglicized name stuck with the team..
Back to IPL.. So, auctioning of the players resulted in insane amounts of money poured into the 'league' and players selected to play for a team like toy being sold on eBay.. The buildup to the game was a heady mix of cricket, Bollywood, models, cheer-girls and politics.. And while the cricket was good, everything else also became equally important.. The team had its song/dance, foreign cheer-girls (fully clad in some cases to appease all the naysayers of skin-showin the country), numerous after-parties to celebrate 'cricket'.. Eessssh!! I would have punched anyone who compared IPL with EPL.. EPL is serious football.. And NOTHING else..!!
My BIGGEST pet peeve of IPL.. It does not breed healthy competition.. What started as a battle between cities for cricket soon transcended to an open war of your culture v my culture, your language v my language.. Cricket used to unite.. But I guess that news is soooooo last week when we won the WC.. Alright folks, get the war paint out.. Looks like my city is better than yours..
So when the concept of IPL was thrown in, cities playing cities in the shortest, most aggressive and probably the most entertaining form of cricket, the Twenty20 version I was supposed to be intrigued.. But NOPE!! Never happened.. Somehow, the thought of cities playing each other did not work for me.. I watched EPL every year since 2001 and was hooked to it.. As a big ManUtd fan, I also could not stand a Chelsea/Arsenal/Liverpool supporter and could spend endless hours trash-talking..
Why was cricket different for me?? As a sport that brought the nation together, cricket would divide the country into 'city' supporters.. The sport that made everyone proud of being Indian (when we win), would start a rivalry based on which city you were born in and where you lived.. I did not care less than very few native Bloreans were part of Royal Challengers Bangalore..
Digressing a little here, what is with the name?? Royal Challengers?? So meh!! As part of popular culture, 'Royal' in Karnataka is almost always referred to Mysore.. Challengers?? The way we played in IPL 1.0, yeah RRRRIGHT!! More cricket-challenged than challengers.. Royal-challengers together does not even make sense.. The color of the team.. I wish I were colorblind (although technically, I can never be colorblind).. I remember some famous designed conceptualized the barf-inducing combination of reddish-pink and gold (or dirty yellow)..!! I am still confused whether it is Bengaluru or Bangalore.. But the Anglicized name stuck with the team..
Back to IPL.. So, auctioning of the players resulted in insane amounts of money poured into the 'league' and players selected to play for a team like toy being sold on eBay.. The buildup to the game was a heady mix of cricket, Bollywood, models, cheer-girls and politics.. And while the cricket was good, everything else also became equally important.. The team had its song/dance, foreign cheer-girls (fully clad in some cases to appease all the naysayers of skin-showin the country), numerous after-parties to celebrate 'cricket'.. Eessssh!! I would have punched anyone who compared IPL with EPL.. EPL is serious football.. And NOTHING else..!!
My BIGGEST pet peeve of IPL.. It does not breed healthy competition.. What started as a battle between cities for cricket soon transcended to an open war of your culture v my culture, your language v my language.. Cricket used to unite.. But I guess that news is soooooo last week when we won the WC.. Alright folks, get the war paint out.. Looks like my city is better than yours..
Monday, February 21, 2011
You know your lab has a sense of humor when...
...this little note is prominently displayed on the bulletin board meant for research papers!!
"Life is all about ass;
You’re either covering it,
Laughing it off,
Kicking it,
Kissing it,
Busting it,
Trying to get a piece of it,
Behaving likeone,
Or you live with one!!!"
"Life is all about ass;
You’re either covering it,
Laughing it off,
Kicking it,
Kissing it,
Busting it,
Trying to get a piece of it,
Behaving likeone,
Or you live with one!!!"
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