Rant + Something special… :)

It’s been quite some time since I came to blogosphere. I had a few good reasons for taking the break. To start with, I was quite busy. And I won’t bore you with the details of my busy-ness.

But before I get into the normal blogging, a little bit of rant. If you don’t want the RANT part, skip the next 4-5 paragraphs.

Why do some people want others to want something? Why are people supposed to do some things? Why does the society expect people to follow specific paths? Why don’t many people have the courage to stand up and say “I do this, for I want this”?

Now, I don’t have anything against parents. In fact, my parents have always given me enough freedom and whenever I thought I wasn’t given enough, I’ve simply taken it. (of course it has hurt them sometimes, but in the long run they’ve figured that my decisions have only made me (and in turn them) happy)

But, many parents create a restrictive atmosphere. And guess what? many a time, the reasoning is “what would others think?”. Who gives a damn about what others think? (As you can see, it’s the society which controls parents’ minds)

My dear fellows, when you want something in life and someone else says that you are not supposed to want it, but you are supposed to want something else, just know that there is NO SUPPOSED TO crap. Just stand up and claim what you want. Claim your freedom and personal space and independence. And feel good, in fact, great about it. [read PS]

After all, there are only two types of people – the ones who care about you and the ones who don’t. The ones who care about you will be happy when you do what you want and are happy. The others, they don’t care about you and why should you care about what they think?

It seriously hurts when people just don’t realise this and make their own lives miserable! :(

But as I always have said, there are so many GREAT people on this planet to compensate for the idiots who make life miserable for others (and themselves). And I am glad to have such friends to whom I can rant after I see/talk-to the aforementioned idiots.

Now, what kept me busy all this while? I won’t tell you about all those.

But I can definitely tell you what is keeping me busy NOW.

I bought a bike – a pretty good strong lovely one – Honda CBF 600 (S). It’s been named “Rudra” (the name is being disputed though).

(600 CC, 77 BHP, 4 cylinder engine. Max speed 220, I’ve clocked only up to 155)

And this bike is my response to my own old post “Green with envy”, which itself was a response to a post in Necker Cubicle. Many thanks to Daniela who is the motivation/inspiration and who is worried that my mom would hate her for  making me a biker! :P

And here is the stereotypical rider on his bike. (picture taken in front of the computer-science/mathematics department building)

Of course, I am extra careful about riding. As my professor said today - “he is an adventurous fellow”. While loving the adventure part, I know I shall not cross the line separating adventure and stupidity.

Signing off, Sands.

PS: There are people who stop your from what you want because they can see the risks involved. That is reasonable. But “what others think” is never a good enough reason.

Yahooooooooooooooo! and Pony Tail.

Last Saturday, in the morning, I received an email from a bachelor student – asking whether I am offering the course I did last summer. I didn’t reply immediately.

In the afternoon, an email from another student. And I started wondering!

On Sunday morning, I had an email from Professor, asking whether I wanted to offer the course. It seems he also received a few emails requesting my course.

Sunday being a busy day for me, I couldn’t do anything about it. I just said, I would LOVE to… for I love teaching.

We did the paperwork to get the course approved – on Monday; and published the details on the webpage – on Tuesday.

Now a word about it. The course is “Python for fine Programmers”, a simplistic course. An elective course. No one needs to take it, and it won’t fill anyone’s credit requirements.

And still, I have 12 students… and only two of them are there for credits. The rest came because they want to learn, they heard about me.  (And it is going to be some work.)

• Preparing the lecture (material + presentation)
• Finding out reasonable problems. I want a new set of them… no reusing of last years problems
• Solving and coding them before I give them to students
• Evaluating the code they all submit. (12 evaluations could take quite some time)

I went to professor to report and he told me “Sandeep, you’ve become famous. Students are asking specifically for your course”.

Isn’t it great? What more can I ask for?

And another dream is coming true as well – I’ve always taught Algorithms/Programming kind of courses. This semester, I am tutoring Theoretical Computer Science – the core thing. Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

Hailing from a small normal village in Kerala, I am offering a course in one of the BEST universities in Germany (Europe). I feel good, very good indeed. :) :)

As the icing of the cake, now, I may even look like a solid geeky, useless, crazy, academic, for I have a little pony tail – very short indeed.

Now, to add the rough edge to it, I am going to get something next week. And something else the week after that.

I’m all excited! Yahooooooooooooo! Juhuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Signing off, Sands.

PS: And pony tail reminds me of Tony. He’s getting married in less than 2 weeks from now! Happy for him. :)

Some little nothings

• To explain the principle of relativity – that, time is subjective –  a friend gave this example. Relativity can be explained by the way two people perceive time – two people standing on both the sides of a toilet door – one waiting for the toilet, one using the toilet.  [thanks to Vivek]
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  (When I was very young, my mom had told me that time flies when you speak to a lovely person, and time drags when the conversation is boring – and that is the crux of the thing. And I seem to like the toilet example now) 
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• If I were a chemistry teacher at high school, I would teach “irreversible process” with an example of toothpaste. Once you squeeze it out, there is no way to get it back – that is an (almost) irreversible process. Right?
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• If I am were math/computer-science teacher, I’d use the same example to explain One-way functions which are easy to do one side, the other way around is not so easy! :)
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• I recently read a small passage in a (malayalam) blog where the author says he envies some groups of people. So do I, envy such people …
  • who can sleep when mosquitoes are attacking
  • who can talk while watching TV
  • who can work[@computer] while listening to songs
  • who can read while having lunch/dinner/food
  • who can telephone while driving
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• The Easter/Vishu celebration is on this Sunday and as usual I’ve invited 4 friends – Jo, GrübMäd, Lud and a MuggleGirl. But this time I’ll be busy compering and I hope they’ll take care of themselves. I’ve always wanted to take RG for this function, but never could make it. Anyway, I am looking forward to Sunday.
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• My apartment mate from Greece: I like that chap. He’s intelligent, knowledgeable, arrogant and aggressive. If I look at him and say “if you’re looking for trouble, you’ve come to the right place”, he’d easily say - “oh yes, I am looking for trouble”. Nice confident chap… but I cannot help foreseeing the chances of we having clash of titans. :)

Well, that’s all for now. And I’ll get back to my work.

You all have a wonderful time, a great weekend.

Signing off, Sands.

A disappointing post.

This is a post which I had been wanting to write with all the time it takes. It’s a book-review post – of three books I finished recently and which I very much liked.

But in these times of time-crunch, I am not sure whether I can do enough justice to the books, not sure whether I can give due respect to them. (Having not enough time guarantees that I won’t be satisfied with the post, and hence the title).

• Pygmalion: George Bernard Shaw.
• The lady of the Camellias: Alexandre Dumas, Fils (Junior).

PYGMALION: About a phonetic expert in London (1910s) and how he changes the life of a girl and his own. I shall not reveal the plot, for I hope – at least one of my loyal readers would read the book.

A wonderful play – witty and thought provoking. How can you not like a book which this in the preface?

The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it. They spell it so abominably that no man can teach himself what it sounds like. It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him.

While reading it, I found myself, during breaks, taking the book and going to Johannes to read some dialogues to him. (I hope, he wasn’t much bored ).

The heroine’s dad gives some of the funny and thought provoking ideas. He does question the status of the society. On asking why he (the dad) doesn’t marry his missus, he goes:

DOOLITTLE: Tell her [missus] so, tell her so. I’m willing. It’s me that suffers by it. I’ve no hold on her. I got to be agreeable to her. I got to give her presents. I got to buy her clothes something sinful. I’m a slave to that woman, Governor, just because I’m not her lawful husband. And she knows it too. Catch her marrying me! Take my advice, marry Eliza while she’s young and don’t know no better. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry for it after. If you do, she’ll be sorry for it after; but better you than her, because you’re a man, and she’s only a woman and don’t know how to be happy anyhow.

Doesn’t it so well show the ‘hardships’ of a man before, and of women after, the marriage? ;)

I can go on and quote more. But I better get to the next book. I humbly request you to read this book. It’s a short one and won’t take more than 3 hours.

THE LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS: A tragic story of a courtesan (and her liaison with a young bloke) set in mid 19th century Paris. If you have watched “Moulin Rouge”, then you have seen a VERY loosely related version of the original.

The book surpasses the movie by all means. I would recommend the book at least all my male readers.

Have you ever written a letter to your beloved and regretted for having (or not having) written something?  (I have)

Have you ever refused to accept that some of her actions hurt you? just because your ego won’t let you admit that you, the super-human, were hurt?  (I have)

And a thousand similar things happen while you are in love. Many a time I felt that the author had seen my mind when I’ve been through the pains of love.

Have you been “possessive”? (I haven’t)

He: "You are right," I said, letting my head sink on her knees ; "but I love you madly."
She: "Well, my friend, you must either love me a little less or understand me a little better."

I went “wow” for the reply. If you don’t get the feel when it is out of context, I am sorry! :(

It’s a beautiful book. It won’t change your life or anything. But there are some profound thoughts here and there. I think, it is more about the style and speed of narration which makes it nicer.

Life is pleasant, my dear fellow; it all depends on the colour of the glass through which one sees it.

Even though I insist my male readers to read the book, female readers would definitely like it too. Won’t you want to know why we men are sometimes so stupid (especially when in love? ;) )

Third book : JANE EYRE – this would (could/should) take a whole post. Being too late, I shall go to bed, postponing Jane Eyre.

The loyal readers who reached here, who cared to read the non-proof-read, non-structured post, are special to me. :)

Signing off, Sands.