Beautiful, Fun, Interesting, AWESOME

AMAZING DAY TODAY.
AND AMAZING MEETING.
Over the last three days, I've met some absolutely amazing people -- the people in the Indian committee (which I was the director of), and other people from the conference PICSim 2010.
It has been an amazing, stunning amount of fun - I don't remember having had this much fun for some time now. I'm going to keep in touch with each of the members of my committee, and the other people I met (mostly from Germany and Singapore).
It has been a beautiful weekend. Thank You.

Phew

sigh.
WRI draft -- due yesterday by midnight. Submitted : 11.59 pm.
COS Assignment -- due yesterday night at 11pm (or 2 am). Submitted : 1:57 am
MAT hw - due 5 pm today. Submitted - 4.55 pm

FRS Assignment - due 1.30 tomorrow
Starting - 1.50 am right now.

Stuff -
Econ readings tomorrow to do econ hw
Econ HW for day after
Math HW for Monday
CS Exercises for Monday
CS HW for Tuesday
Econ Readings
Mat quiz on Wednesday (for which I haven't studied at all yet)
FRS assignments for Thursday
Econ HW for next Friday
FINAL PAPER of writing seminar (WRI) due by 6pm on Friday.

PICSim next Thursday through Sunday.
Adlai Debate this Friday - Saturday.

Writing seminar appointment tom at 8.

Long Day!

SUCH a long day!!

Math class in the morning.. bike accident in the morning (slipped in the snow in the tricky region near the sides of paths), COS lecture - a big one and a half hours, but it was interesting and understandable today, going to McCosh - getting the wound washed and dressed, meeting with Ms.Satomi, having late meal, going back to McCosh (to have knee and elbow shown to doctor), having late meal before going back to McCosh, then attending EGR lecture (the professor today was SOOOO good man), then going for the OPT info session by Dean Baldwin, then going for dinner, then going for the Global Seminars info session, then going back to the room , then going to my writing seminar and forgetting my bag with just five minutes for it to start, then going back to my room to get my back and rushing (on my bike) back to class, then the writing seminar - which was awesome. Then going to frist for late meal - meeting friends and playing pool too. Coming back by 11. Then checking facebook, email. Then writing this entry. Now I’m supposed to do the groundwork for my freshman seminar for tomorrow. And call home.

AHHHH.. such a long day!! And it’s still not over.

Indian Premier League - My View

(This article was written when the league was in it's half-way stage)

The Indian Premier League was kicked off in April with great fanfare. Starting off with eight teams, the IPL consisted of a series of T20 (twenty-twenty) cricket matches to be played by each side. The top four sides at the end of two rounds would reach the semi-finals. It was touted to be the cricketing world's own multi-billion dollar baby, it's own Premier League, baseball and football style.

It had its fair share of criticism, but I have to admit, it turned out to be a success.
After all, where else could entertainment-hungry cricket fans (which includes me!) find McGrath, one of cricket's all-time greats, bowling to Gilchrist, another iconic player in world cricket? Where else could they see Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasurya - two of the world's most experienced and talented batsmen - opening the batting for a team together? Where else could Rahul Dravid be captaining a side to fight against a side led by Saurav Ganguly? Where else would the Under-19s and the local players get a chance to play alongside cricketers they only ever dreamed of meeting, leave alone playing with. Where else could the viewers see sixes and fours being hit in every over, leaving the bowlers red-faced?

TRPs soared, with the initial matches garnering as much viewership as the FINAL of the T20 World Cup. Newspapers and media channels wasted no time in praising the BCCI for coming up with such a concept. The players were happy, the fans were happy.

The League was supposed to invoke interest of the Western audiences, especially the people of America, as it was thought that the T20 format, being exciting and short, could rival even baseball and football matches in popularity.
But my basic hesitation in welcoming this concept with open arms lies in the name of the league itself. Indian Premier League. INDIAN. Hey I'm a very patriotic person.
But I'm only saying, couldn't the organisers have made a couple of other teams, say the Sydney Dynamos or the England Giants or the African Fighters, with some teams going for a certain period of time to Sydney, London and South Africa and playing a few matches there, and then those teams coming and playing in India? Wouldn't that have made the event truly global? Instead, what we've is a bunch of teams, each team consisting of a handful of international players, the rest being local players.

Secondly, many of the players, like those in the playing XI of the Australian and the New Zealand Teams, had to leave even before the Championship reached the half-way stage, which was a big dampener. Couldn't the organisers have coordinated the timing and positioning of the League such that maximum number of international players would be available for the maximum amount of time?

Thirdly, I myself fancy ESPN Star's stylish and very smooth coverage of cricket matches. Compare their footage to that of other sports channels, and you can clearly see the difference in the quality of the camera angles and the telecast. But that is something purely commercial and we, as viewers, cannot have any say in it.

But all things said and done, the League has been a big success (at least till now), drawing thousands of people to the stadia and attracting millions others to their television sets all across the globe. Some aspects about it could have been better planned, but I would only like to say - Great Concept, Great Going.

P.S. May the Delhi Daredevils or the Kings XI Punjab win. Best of Luck guys!

My Favorite Fantasy Book - Eragon

I have read numerous books in the fantasy genre, written by various authors – J.K.Rowling, Jonathan Stroud, K.A.Applegate and Christopher Paolini to name a few.

However, my favourite book, particularly in the fantasy genre, will have to be ‘Eragon’, by Christopher Paolini, the environment and settings for which are perceived to be slightly more believable by me ('slightly'), then the others.
Eragon is the first book in the ‘Inheritance Trilogy’, and was started by Christopher at the tender age of just fifteen years.

Set in the backdrop of a fictitious land of Alagaesia, ‘Eragon’ tells us about the seven ‘Dragon Riders’, how one among them betrayed the others and rose to power as the dictator known as ‘King Galbatorix’. The story begins with an account of how Durza, a shade (evil sorcerer) ambushes a party of elves moving through the forest, carrying a dragon egg stolen from the King. In the ambush, the lead elf called Arya, transfers the egg to a place nearby with the help of magic, thereby preventing it from being seized.
At the same moment, a young farm boy called ‘Eragon’ discovers the egg while hunting in the forest. And his life changes. Forever.

Then begins an arduous journey for him, a journey he hadn’t expected in the wildest of dreams. His father had been killed, his brother’s life was in danger, he himself was now a legendary Rider of a deceivingly beautiful dragon called Saphira, and was having to trust a complete stranger called ‘Brom’, to help him flee his hometown and reach the Elves or the ‘Warden’, who were rebels and had resisted the King’s autocratic might.

The author takes us on a roller coaster ride. The descriptions of the surroundings were so vivid I couldn’t believe I wasn’t actually there. Every time the confused, young, but determined Eragon faced an obstacle, one couldn’t help but urge him on, wanting to be there to assist him in fighting the ‘Urgals’ (soldiers). The author tells us of his visions of the captured elf and how she was rescued, and also of the rapidly strengthening bond between Eragon and Saphira.

I liked this book because of the fact that Eragon didn’t crumble but accepted responsibility on knowing himself to be a rider. He was accepting of change and determined to work hard.
The Book inspires us in the sense that it tells us that as long as one has good intentions, is determined to work hard to reach the destination, is willing to take guidance from the people one trusts, no mountain is insurmountable, no river is un-crossable, and no goal is un-attainable, in the daily gamble we play in this game of life.

At the end of the book, there’s an epic battle between the Urgals on one side and the Warden and Eragon on the other, where the Warden eventually win when Eragon somehow manages to slay Durza, the shade.
I was, however, a little disappointed with the movie rendition of the book, where at least 70% of the story was left out or changed.

In all, I would say that Christopher captivated me in this enchanting world of Dragon Riders and Demons, of faith and hope, of undying love and the power of trust, and ultimately, of the victory of good over evil, which makes it one of my all-time favourite fantasy books.

What Makes People Change?

It has been rightly said,"The only thing constant in this world, is Change".
In today's competitive world, the ability to change and adapt is of major significance. Different people perceive various situations differently. but what everyone has realized today is the need for changing with the times, and changing in time.

One of the major factors which motivates people to change is the sheer fact that if they don't, they'll be left behind! That if they don't, the situation might go out of control!People have come to realize that whenever they face a difficult situation, they must not only fight valiantly, but in the process, also change to face the different facets of the problem.

A case in point would be India's Great struggle for independence. For decades, Indians had been living under oppression. But one man, one man realized the need to change the outlook of the people, to change their attitude. One man changed their perception of freedom, and subsequently, changed the country.

People who have been through many ecperiences of love and hate, passion and crime, justice and injustice, success and failure, realize that change is very important to survive through life. People change because they know that changing with the situation can only help them face challenges and difficulties in a better manner. People change because they know that lock of change can have disastrous consequences.

We've not been able to find an effective vaccine for the HIV virus. Why? Change. Adaptability. Apparently the virus adapts itself to the conditions in which it is present, rendering the vaccines and medication useless.

Everyone knows that to be able to move forward in life, change is inevitable. Change is necessary. And change for the good, is one key to success!

Procrastination

“If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done.”

PROCRASTINATION is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow.

Edwin Markum said and I quote,
“When opportunity comes a-knocking at your gate, Welcome him in; for if you make him wait,
He’ll depart only to come once more,
And bring seven other duties to your door.”

Sir Josiah Stamp said, “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities!”

What you put off until tomorrow, you’ll probably put off tomorrow too. Success comes to the person who does today what others were thinking of doing tomorrow. Lazy people who brag about what they’re going to do tomorrow probably did the same thing yesterday. The lazier a person is, the more he or she is going to do the ‘next day’. Hard work is usually an accumulation of easy things that should have been done last week.

William Halsey said, “All problems become smaller if you don’t dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly; and its spines crumble.”

“Someday” is not a day of the week. When you won’t start, your difficulties won’t stop. Tackle any difficulty now. Procrastinators never have small problems because they always wait until their problems grow up!

The first step to overcoming procrastination is to eliminate all excuses for not taking action. The second step is not to be so busy! Everyone is always on the move. People are moving forward, backward, and sometimes nowhere at all, as though they were on a treadmill. The mistake most people make is in thinking that the main goal of life is to stay busy. This is a trap. What is important is not whether you’re busy but whether you’re progressing.

Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Two things rob people of their peace of mind: Work unfinished, and work not yet begun. Remember, killing time is not murder, it’s suicide.

E.R.Collcord said

“A man with nothing to do does far more strenuous labor than any other form of work. But my greatest pity is for the man who dodges a job he knows he should do. He is a shirker, and boy! What punishment he takes...from himself!

So do the job when you get it. Do it NOW!

In the End, I’d like to quote Pink Floyd,

“One day you find, 10 years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.”

-- Some parts adapted from "The Impossible is Possible" by John Mason.