Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Celebrating 10,000 hits!

Its been four years. And my blog has survived through multiple lean periods of both writing and reading.

I spent some of my densely packed time to read all of my previous posts. And i could see the evolution in these stages:
1. geek blogging pointelss stuff
2. semi-geek(phy) [meaning, that i got more social] + traveller + lovestruck
3. semi-geek(bio) + trekker + heartbroken > lovestruck > heartbroken
4. semi-geek + amateur athelete

Amidst all this was strewn poetry authored with passion. I felt the passion pinch me as i re-read them!

And i hope that i keep blogging. Years later it'll serve as a crystal ball to the past.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Cycling from Bangalore to Mysore (Aug 2 2008)

Was a friend's wedding in Mysore..... Took this as an excuse to take a long weekend ride, plus have a pseudo-support-car with the rest of the friends coming there by car. (Pseudo as they wouldn't be going along with me, but would pick me up if anything goes wrong)

Started off on a fine Saturday morning at 6:15 am, with a slight threat of rain..... Went at a decent pace of 20 kmph for the first 30 km, until i hit the Bangalore-Mysore Highway close to Kengeri...... Clean pleasant ride till I reached my first pitstop - Kamat Lokaruchi at 64.5 km (speed 19 point chillar kmph)...... Had the breakfast buffet..... mmmm the Vadas were Yummy! Had loads of 'em..... Hit the road again half an hour to 45 mins later.....

.... when the odometer was in the vicinities of 90km, I felt a sudden decrease in my speed. Earlier i was conveniently doing ups at around 14-18 kmph and downs at 28-37 kmph. But at around the 90 km mark, my ups were reduced to 8-12 kmph and downs to 16-20 kmph. And the transition was quite abrupt.... I had now experienced what in proffesional cycling terminology is called "Bonking".... I had an inkling that i had bonked, and was wondering how i could have bonked inspite of eating so well...

A few moments and a few hundred metres later, I got the answer..... I puked...... there goes all the nutrition along with the Vadas..... Soon, I feel drowsy.... (Do not sleep n drive).... saw a desolate bus-stop.... Locked cycle and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...... Woke up, saw cycle still there, zzzzzzzz..... One hour's siesta made me fresh. Had some juice and set off again...... Had more pit stops just to be cautious.... An uneventful pleasant ride until I reached Mysore at 5:30 ish, with a ride time of close to 8.5-9.5 hrs (Thanks to a little kid at a shop who got a bit curious with the red button on the cyclometer, i have lost the exact distance and ride time).... And after getting there, took me 7 o clock to find the destination.

And i enter the reception hall in cycling shorts and a stinky tee, my change of clothes still crawling its way to Mysore along with my friends..... Got the looks from all around, until i quickly made a dash and locked myself up in the choultry room, until my clothes arrived!

Well, had an interview session with kids, later on. Many asked what cause was i cycling for..... Hmm.... I cycle to run away from the world, and myself too.... Too far fetched to explain to even adults, let alone these sweet kids..... "I cycled just like that. I just needed an excuse"......

Current mood : Sleepy
Currently listening to : Zombie - Cranberries

p.s: I had originally planned to ride back to bangalore. But, had to get back soon as i had to make my presentation for rehearsals of the sympotein

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Thoughts running in my head

- Experiments to distinguish Central Pattern Generators(CPGs) vs Chain-of-Reflexes networks for larvae and adult drosophila
- Which is the best sport that India should train in to increase its Olympic gold tally the maximum in the next Olympics?
- A biomechanical theory on the adoption of different gaits in going up and coming down a vertical in Drosophila
- If both the trot and gallop of horses are to be explained by the pogo-stick model, how does just the phase difference between the legs, create different natural frequencies?
- Oh! that girl, mmmm,...... who was she, dammit.... she was so..... nice
- When will i get a girl?!
- I think its better off being single... no pressures
- CPGs! CPGs! What was it about CPGs?
- oh Shit! Have forgotten about writing the Sympotein review
- Opamps!...... Have to build neurons! Will have to design the dendrites and synapses
- I need a girl, who would go cycling with me long distances, then we'll snuggle up all tired (not sweaty though) in some picturesque spot somewhere far far away......
- I need to cycle somewhere around 500 km away
- I need to find keys to my locker which have my cycle keys locked inside
- I haven't updated my comic for ages now
- I need a girl!
- I need new results to give Boss before the end of the month
- How do I train for winning a marathon?
- How long does it take to train to win an olympic medal?
- Chuck it all, I need a girl
- First publish paper, then worry abt everything else
- But still..... need a girl

Current mood : Lost in thought
Currently listening to : Taare Zameen Par - Shankar Mahadevan et al

Monday, August 11, 2008

Sympotein 8/8/8

Read lots of papers... Collect relevant info.... Mock presentation....... Corrections...... Bloody videos not working, thanks to the zillion codecs an avi can be of.... Screwed up rehearsals..... More suggestions.... Certain ppl not happy..... bigger issues with others' presentations..... Busy getting others' stuff ready..... Making animations...... Getting everyone's videos to work..... D-DAY ARRIVES!....... D-HOUR ARRIVES!..... Nervous, but fluent enuf delivery..... Answer questions to the audience well..... Satisfied.... done with it!......

Unintended jokes that got laughter rippling through the audience:
".... if you'd compare a T.Rex to a chick......"
".... at an orgasmic level..." instead of saying "at an organism level..."

Overall, the talk was well recieved...... and i could get the ideas across

Current mood: Relieved
Currently listening to: In my head - Don Davis