The year gone by

I guess there have been a sufficient number of abstraction intensive posts from me in the recent times. For a change, I try and attempt a breezy introspective write up, one that is in the moment.  Change has been the only thing constant during the last year. I no longer have those semester breaks where I am literally on a holiday; catching up with friends, doing nothing for a good 30 days or so. And not to mention the care-free devil may care routine in college life. Things are considerably different. The current post is a reflection on the year gone by; how a seemingly static period has changed my relations with friends, my work outlook etc.

The dull side

A sudden and substantial lull in your activity level changes your outlook on a lot of things, probably because you have the time to think about them. I do not get to meet my friends like I used to back in college. They seem to have (at least the majority) what is called the Vicinity Effect- you tend to be closer to the people you see daily. Some of them are pure utilitarian – they befriend people based on their utility. That does pinch me once in awhile, but hey, I am helpless in this regard. But, in this day and age of mass communication, I do not think staying in touch is so difficult, provided you have the intent. I am glad I have a couple of really close friends on whom I can blindly bank. I realise that most of the others barring this half a dozen, are my friends with in the limitations of time and space. I still talk to them because it makes me feel good. There is an unknown satisfaction in not expecting anything in return.

On the bright side

I became an uncle, so it’s pretty overwhelming currently. I have furthered my research on castes and eastern philosophy. People who converse with me upon on these topics will testify this. Not that money means a lot to me, but being independent is definitely a good feeling. No matter how clichéd it is, no amount of text book learning will make up for the practical part. I feel so much more confident after a couple of assignments at work. You have to visit the Taj Mahal or be in love to understand the respective feelings; no amount of talk will do. It is the same with practical exposure, I guess. For someone who is overly critical and always displeased with one’s own efforts, I am quite happy with the work I had accomplished during the last year. Frequent blogging (I have successfully completed 25 posts), attended a conference at IIT KGP during December, bug-free coding of a couple of simulators related to my Bachelor thesis, a suave website and an up to date linked in profile are the things I got done during the last year.  I am also excited to have zeroed in on two new research areas – Fracture Mechanics and Multi-Scale Methods. I have also developed interest in the musical works of Santana, Satriani, and Smashing Pumpkins etc. Finally, I have learnt to be satisfied and contented from within myself. A good dose of mental exercise, some fine music and some soul-searching make my day. Give me my books, laptop and a continuous electricity supply; I will be happy just about everywhere.