A Rough Guide to crack BITSAT in one or two - three months.

      Folks, I am posting this up on my blog just so that everyone can avail the benefit of reading through my experience of taking a shot at BITSAT, the admission test to the integrated first degree programs at the Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses of the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS).



    BITSAT which was recently declared to be India’s most competitive entrance exam. The finer points of the guide will be mostly oriented towards Goan students but the post as a whole will be relevant to all. Firstly, let me brief you up on my preparations for the given exams so that you have a better perspective of how I geared up for the examination. I did not attend any JEE level coaching classes but primarily depended on the AIEEE level tuition center that I used to go to, the internet and my higher secondary school for my source of knowledge. Yes, I did top my higher secondary in the 11th but I did have my share of fun too. I used to read a lot on the sciences, do experiments but never overdosed on problem solving. As the test is based on the 11th and 12th standard NCERT syllabus, I had a jolly time.           As my 12th standard took over and the hectic preparations took kept me occupied for a major part of the day, I’d still not say that I was strictly serious with respect to my studies and I don’t regret it. Right since the 8th standard I wanted to do research in Physics and was mentally prepared to do only that. So, after checking out all the institutes in India, having interacted with many of the Physics faculty at the Goa campus of BITS and finding out that my research interests were on the same lines, I zeroed in on BITS. 
    Now here is the crazy part. Besides my boards, the only exam that I decided to give was BITSAT because I was singly focused and I knew what I wanted (not that I was over-confident). I did not answer the JEE, the AIEEE or even the CET. It was a risk that I took since I completely understood the implications of my actions, if I were to fail. I do NOT recommend you to do the same as you might not meet with the same fate as mine.      Goa board students please note that you are not supposed to neglect or downplay the board examinations if you are gunning for BITS. Believe me, the board examinations test essential skills required in science and leave the rest to be tested by the competitive exams. Take care not to mess up on your internals. If it wasn’t natural to you, please learn to maintain good relation with your teachers (that should have gone unsaid, but still) and prepare well for the Boards. One has to get an average of 75 marks out of 100 in PCM to be eligible to admission to any BITS campus. I started preparing for my BITSAT seriously right after my boards got over. In fact, I had a little less than 2 months time left for my BITSAT. But still, I crossed the line.
     I ended up getting a comfortable 304 marks on the examination. As of the 2011 cut-offs I can get any of the branches at the Goa campus (obviously Hyderabad too!) and all the MSc courses at the Pilani campus. But obviously, I shall go for the MSc Physics at Goa. Believe me folks, with efforts in the right direction, the task becomes easy. The best advice one can give is to tell you to stick to the prescribed syllabus.

     The exam is held on a computer for a duration of 3 hours. Be sure to select a decent date and time. The time of the day plays a very important role. You don’t want to be answering on a full or a completely empty stomach, do you? Goans, be prepared to face the AC chills while answering, dress accordingly.  
     The exams has 150 questions, divided as mentioned below. With a total duration of 180 minutes, you get 72 seconds per question, which is marginally less than what one would face at other exams. You get +3 for every correct answer and a –1 for every wrong answer. So keep in mind that the questions at BITSAT will be easy, but deceptively simple. They wish to make you panic and let you yourself do the damage while panicking. It is a race against time, to frame it in a better manner. Also remember that the questions are randomly generated and no two people will get the same set of questions. So, it does depend on your luck. But prepare so well that no luck can cause you harm!! That is the essence of the spirit. One needs to be mentally tough and have a good strategy!      Also, BITSAT has this unique feature of allowing a candidate to answer extra 12 questions to better his score even more. Below is a quote from the BITS website.

“If a candidate answers all the 150 questions (without skipping any question), the candidate will have an option of attempting 12 (twelve) extra questions, if there is still time left. These extra questions will be from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics only; four questions from each part. Further, once the candidate has opted for extra questions, he cannot go back for correction of any of the earlier answered 150 questions.”

Here is what I went in the time strategy! Adapt it to your strengths and weakness.

Subject	Questions	Time I thought of giving
English & Logical Reasoning	15+10=25	10 -15 minutes
Chemistry	40	20 - 30 minutes
Physics	40	30 - 40 minutes
Mathematics	45	60 - 90 minutes

 
    Now, I shall go on to the in-depth details regarding the preparation that I did in the given time-frame. You may mould it to your convenience. The more the time you have, the more the chances you have of turning the game in your favor!

Chemistry : Be thorough with your NCERT chemistry textbooks, be as perfect as you can with them. Research on the tiny details in inorganic chemistry as the questions obviously try to pick you on your knowledge of that part of the text that is less frequented.. The questions asked in Physical chemistry are of the textbook level and so are the questions asked under the organics section. Do the extra content given in the BITSAT syllabus. Stuff like dyes, petrochemicals might help you in scoring high. Especially stereochemistry and configurations (I had 3-4 of the questions on these topics). Questions on biomolecules, CEL, Polymers are asked frequently. You might hate inorganic chemistry like I did, but you can’t avoid the fact that it is real scoring once you put in regular efforts. Play cool at organics, I repeat. The questions are not difficult.  Others don’t and they loose out. Use that to your benefit. No pain, no gain. Chemistry if done well can change your fortunes. It always used to be a scorer for me.

Mathematics : Nothing can beat practice and we all know that. Try to attempt the easy questions on the test first. It is a very scoring strategy. Start revising XIth math content as soon as possible. Trigonometry, Cartesian geometry formulae can be easily forgotten. Hence, I beg of you to revise them from time to time. Knowing the general equations of anything and everything helps. Don't stick to formal solving. Use your brains and experience to squeeze the answer out of the question. Numerical substitution, trial and error methods work best in mathematics. Know the answers to common questions at the tip of your fingers. But always know how to obtain them too, for questions on BITSAT appear to be easy but are actually deceptive. Deceptively simple. When it comes to integration, try stuff like differentiating the options to get to the question as a back-up. As I didn’t have much practice, this was my weakest section overall. But such techniques saved my life.

Physics : Get your basics perfect. Yes, perfect. Also, your formulae. There is not much I can say besides that when it comes to Physics because almost any sort of question can be asked in this section.  Do go through NCERT texts once in your lifetime. I know that Goans tend to never ever touch them. But going by my experiences, these books are gems. And obviously, practice. I remember answering almost all of the questions in Physics on the test. Not many numerical questions, because of the time-frame hence you have to work out on the tricky conceptual questions. Use dimensional analysis and your common-sense to the maximum and also know where to stop using it.
English & Logical reasoning : Stuff that people tend to neglect the most and hence, suffer the most. One can’t pick up these skills in a day or two, sorry. So a lifetime of dedication might come in handy here. Higher secondary level English, please be good at it. There are some difficult vocabulary questions thrown in which you can’t deal with unless you are a voracious reader. Do regular practice on logical reasoning a few days before the test. Referring to the Arihant/MTG books on BITSAT should give you a clear idea on these topics.

      While test taking, DON'T Guess too much. ANSWER WHAT YOU KNOW. Leave what you do not know royally. Be confident and go for what you know. NEGATIVES KILL (remember deceptively simple?). Remember that. Don't even think of extra 12 questions, I say.  If there was one thing that saved my life at the end of the, it was this small tip.       Preferred order of answering to maximize marks : E&L>>C>>P>>M      Also, remember that this might not guarantee you success. Nothing besides efforts and sharpening brains can. Hope you know your plus points, limitations and goals. Dream, but only with firm feet. Don't take risks like I did. It might not always work. Start now. I'm not kidding. BITSAT isn't difficult if you know what to do.     Those Arihant/MTG BITSAT books are not so awesome, tend to confuse you on syllabus and level of questions asked. But try it if you want to, I used Arihant. It did help me when it came to Physics and inorganic chemistry. But was way out of line with its Organic Chemistry level just like MTG was with Math. Pearson's Guide to the AIEEE is cool. Again, concentrate only on what is in BITSAT syllabus (but as you'll be taking other exams,you'll have to stuff outside BITSAT anyways). Try tests from minglebox once done with preparations. The level is as good as that of the actual test. Also, download the official sample test from the site to be even more comfortable with the way of answering. What you do, will decide where you end up. Then no use repenting. Once your 12th standard is done and you make it to a good place, all the pain of efforts vanishes! Remember that there is no substitute for hard-work. It all depends on what efforts you put in as knowledge never goes waste! :)      Aha. I'd love to take questions over email or in the comments section. Do share for the benefit of all! I shall try to update it as soon as I remember any important detail. Do visit the BITS360 forum to get your queries sorted out!
Yours,
TheBiggerBang

Edit 1: I don't have much of a clue about which book to use for Maths because back in my time, I messed up in the same. If you have less time on hand, you probably should practice and pick up pace rather than run around trying to do something new. Also, it has been two years since I gave my exam. I do not posses the best of knowledge when it comes to books to be used. Edit 2 : I'm seriously happy that I am here. This is one of THE best places in India for pursuing theoretical physics. It's magical. Wishing you all the best! Let me know if this post helped you ace your BITSAT! Here is another article that I wrote on MSc. (Hons.) & duals.Edit 3 : I graduated :-)

(Special thanks to Kaushal Sahakari, Shambhavi Narvekar and Mihir Umarye for the valuable guidance that they provided me with!)

The New Patriot.

    He is 74. But he is young. Quoting a friend of mine, he is 16 years young and has 58 years of experience. He is Kisan Baburao Hazare. If Gandhi was the father of our nation, our beloved Anna is the guardian of our nation. He is the guardian of the Mahatma’s legacy and our future. You’d be a fool if you have no clue who he is. And I’d be a bigger fool trying to put down a man of such pristine virtues in my words. His deeds are for all to see! A man of our grandfather’s age fasting for days at stretch, for our future makes me get a lump in my throat! The fire that he stroke is as some call it, our 3^rd war of independence. Rightly so!

    I’m not here to educate you about how corruption affects us, or how unethical and shitty it is. We all have done it, haven’t we? Some have given money and the others have taken! To obtain driving licences, evade taxes,  grab tenders, pass projects. In our state, which was recently rocked my the Atala drug case, involvement of the police was suspected. Yet, we didn’t care. It was none of my business, I thought. So did we all. Corruption was treated as a part and parcel of life. It is an unspoken fundamental right granted by the constitution of bureaucracy and  politics. (note to self : replace ‘is’ with ‘was’ real soon)

    I was made to believe that I’m unpatriotic, although I had my opinion  on every national issue. Yes, the national anthem did give me goose-bumps, but I guess that was not enough. It does happen to every youth, doesn’t it? They call us brash, hooligans and people who just want to enjoy life. Or that we were just interested in studies and scoring at exams. They say that we have no love for the motherland, therefore we qualify in the ‘unpatriotic idiots’ bracket. Even I thought so, I guess so did many others! Allow me to share with you what happened today.

   Today, the 18th of August 2011, started with the day wherein Anna and the Civil Society were granted permission to fast on the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi for the Jan Lokpal bill to be brought into effect. And it was also the day of the ‘All India College Bandh’. When we heard about it yesterday, we were in two minds. To come to school, or to stay home. Little did we know that we would end up doing something else. We took to the streets and joined the protest. And oh boy, what a way to do it!

   During the assembly that we attended itself, me and many colleagues of mine went around spreading the message that we should leave our classes immediately and pitch in! And we did manage to round up a crowd of about 60 people from our higher secondary school itself, out of the total strength of around 250. The rest, they either didn’t turn up in the first place, or went home. All of the juniors did that. Yes, all! A few showed that they were more concerned for the fact that they will get wet in the rain than for their country’s future. I still don’t understand why girls tend to do that. But at the same time, I salute all the girls who came down to carry out the peaceful protest.

   Once we reached at Azad Maidan, being the first institution to do so, we just stuck around for a while, listening to older citizens speak to us and stuff. The new found patriotism was wearing off everyone. We didn’t believe in the fact that shouting out slogans when we were the lone people there would change the way things were, besides keeping our spirits high. Many wanted to decay off quietly from the congregation, but in the end, they were all happy that they didn’t. Things grew better as the crowd began to pour in. The intensity of the slogans increased.

Here are the few pro-Anna Hazare slogans that we used.:

“Anna Hazare tum aagey bado, hum tumhare saath hai!”

“Brashtachaari ho saavdhaan, jaag utha hai Hindusataan”

“Ek do, ek do, brashtachaar ko fek do!”

   My personal favourite was the following. With the policemen smiling at us, we just shouted

“Yeh andar ki baat hai, Police hamare saath hai!”

   A friend of mine talked to the police and found out that if allowed, they too wanted to join the cause, but as they were in uniform, they couldn’t! Whether they meant it or not is not the question. well at least they managed to give us a positive gesture, and that was great!

   We took out a small peaceful march, shouting slogans. People peeping out of the window, wondering what the hell was on was a sad sight. Sad sight because besides a single couple on the streets (who didn’t look to be Goans) no one joined us in the naarebaazi. We screamed out throats out, and I’m sure mine will go hoarse real soon. But who cares? As much as we were frustrated with the amount people had to suffer, we were equally fed up with the power money possessed. Our state alone is touted to have a few shady public personalities who together have a sum of Rs. 49,000 crore in Swiss Banks. And our concern genuinely showed! It was a day where we all grew up! Where transformed from people who just live a life to people who live a life for a purpose worth living for! And yeah, If it was not for Anna Hazare and his hunger strike, I don’t know how long we would have had to wait for our awakening and eradication of corruption. We all felt intense satisfaction over what we had done this day! It is an indescribable feeling!

    Yes, the government is acting sour over the issue, but I truly appreciate the fact that nothing has been set on fire till date, nor has the issue taken a political detour. It’s really heartening to know that the whole of Delhi and the nation has taken to the streets. The issue has united India like never before!Why only India? I listened to a Afghan who said that he hated the corruption going on! And thanks to every news channel besides DD News, we can fight back even better! I will not single out any political party, as I know that people who are bad will take bribes and who are pure will never, irrespective of which side they belong to! While we the youth protest, they refuse to do so. They still go to work when the nation needs them. And they call us unpatriotic.

    We are the new patriots. We might not know about the people who gave up their lives for the nation’s independence or how many died fighting in the battle of Panipat. But we truly appreciate it.We walk up to a smoker and tell him to stop smoking, without fearing public ridicule. We might not protest everyday against the system,but want to focus on the task at hand. That is, freedom from all the evils. We don’t look at religion, caste or creed while making friends. We want a better education so that we can serve our motherland and the world in a better way, but we do care. We don’t look at politicians as our role models, but instead look up to those who change the way we live! We might be the Facebook generation, but yes, we do pass on our message effectively without bloodshed. We are true patriots at heart.

   JAI HIND!

    MidasTouch.

Songs to listen to in the rains…

               As my favourite season is already on the way, I’d like to share with you my playlist-to-be so that you also can pick and choose songs. Songs that you can play on while sipping a hot cup of coffee, while you stare and revel in nature’s spectacle, stuff that we call the rains!

This collection includes many songs that you might have never come across or are classical favourites. So try to be open to each and every song. As one would not listen to Sheila ki Jawani or Eminem rapping in the rains (Definitely not ‘Friday’!), expect to find an overwhelming number of mellow songs in here! I’m still expanding the playlist so keep a lookout for new songs!
To listen to the songs, please click on the song title. To download the required song, just right click it and select ‘save link as…’ option.

                         Suggestions for inclusion in this playlist are welcome!

 

            

 

                                                                      English

Constellations -  Jack Johnson
Believe me, this has got nothing to do with it’s astronomical title that gets it on top of the list. I have literally danced on my terrace to this song a few nights ago (danced all alone, mind you!), walked innumerable distances listening to only one song and thus it makes it to the top of the list.  I have absolutely no words for this song, I say just give it a listen! Jack Johnson, Salaam to your surf rock!

The Call – Regina Spektor
To not love this song, you’d have to be really deaf. This would be the one song I’d choose to define this playlist. It’s a song of ultimate hope, the first track that people ever hear when it comes to Regina Spektor. No need to say goodbye to this song!

32 Flavors – Ani DiFranco
This is one song that can be heard anytime to lift up your mood. One of the best in my collection, I value it a lot as it was my window to the world of alternative music. It is rumoured that the song’s title is meant to be a parody of Baskin-Robbin’s, but do check out this gorgeous track!

Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else…

If you do not fin the chorus of this song really familiar, I bet you are not having your recommended dose of television watching! Soul-pumping and mind-blowing are the only the two phrases that can describe this song. I bet you’d get hooked onto the beats in no time at all! If you know where you have heard this song, do post it in the comments section!

Somewhere over the rainbow/What a wonderful world – Aselin Debison
As if the name didn’t indicate it to you, this song has got the feel of the rains written all over it! This melodious medley by Aselin Debison combines two of my most loved tracks. I am sure you must have heard the classic ‘What a wonderful world’ in the Aircel Wifi advert, but this is the same song with a unique ukulele twist! Go ahead, float in the air!

Let go – Cover by Boys like Girls
Yeah, It’s from the same band that gave us the romantic hit ‘Two is Better Than One’. Just that I prefer this one as it really helps you let go from everything that holds back form being yourself! It was just meant to be a cover song to get a contract which is now going to steal your heart! 

Across the universe – The Beatles
This song by the most rocking band in the history of music, is a marvellous piece of music which just flows and flows down the way to your heart. Check out if you can find out the very much Indian/Hindu influence in the song! One of the best pick to get lost in the gloomy atmosphere of the rains!

Hey there Delilah – Plain White Tee’s
Being a song that is one of the most popular amongst today’s college going youth, one can’t just avoid listening to this classic tale of struggle for love the ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’ style! It soothes you, it gets you addicted to it. A more than perfect song to listen to during the monsoons! And mind you, this song is inspired by a real life girl named Delilah DeCrescenzo! Isn’t that great?

Annie’s song – John Denver
For those inclined towards Western music from the last few decades, this song will always linger in your ears. A must have song on every love song collection,  it really ends up filling up your senses like a walk in the rain, so much so that you'll hit the repeat button!

The Best Day – Taylor Swift
Being such a huge fan of TS, it might come as a pleasant shock that I have included only one song of hers. But the one that I have included is justified. An ode to her father, who she describes as very supportive in the song, this song perfectly fits in the progressive mood of the rains and will surely will make its way to your heart!

1,2,3,4 - Plain White T’s
Their second listing in this playlists comes with a magical song that is an ode to love. Written with one of the best lyrics possible in the recent times, it’s another song that you are unlikely to forget very soon! (Last minute inclusion, thanks to Shubhankar!)

In my heart – Moby
I was introduced to this song from the Nokia adverts a few years ago, and has been one of those songs that you listen to while walking alone in the streets at night! (unless you are Amitabh Bacchan in Shehenshah!). Besides Owl City’s Adam Young, Moby is one of the best in the Electronica genre!

Here I am – Bryan Adams
Here is a guy who has been known to deliver hits all the time, hits that make you want to live life at the edge! Here I am is another such track which perfectly suits the mood at the onset of the monsoons! It’s just magical.

Come away with me – Norah Jones
One can’t make a playlist for the rains by excluding jazz, one of my favourite genres. A song from the Grammy nominated singer, which trickles down your heart and makes you feel at ease like no other. Music runs in her blood, she being Pt. Ravi Shankar’s daughter and Anoushkar Shankar’s half sister! Come away with me does manage to take you away to dreamland!

Against the wind – Bob Seger
A song as old as I am doesn’t mean that it is out-dated. This song is from the OST of Forest Gump, a top rated movie. A classic number on the guitar, it is his recollection of the past gone by.

Sovay – Andrew Bird
A truly alternative track, with a pinch of much required salt. Have a go at it!

You're Beautiful – James Blunt
Blunt, who started off as a second lieutenant in the British Army delivered this hit song in 2005 and from then on, has never looked back. I remember me and a friend of mine requesting this song on the radio every weekend for quite a long time! Such is its appeal, that it deserves a listing in this playlist.

The Reason – Hoobastank
“I’m not a perfect person, there are many things I wish I didn’t do”. This song is dedicated to people who want to break open, at the end of a frustrated walk down the street in heavy rains! If you are the kind of person who is going through a roller coaster called life, you’d better give this a listen!

Rhythm of Love – Plain White T’s
This chartbuster has everything in it to get you swaying in a trance, a song so beautifully played out that you’ll be left humming it for days to come. It’s Plain White T’s third listing on the playlist, and they totally deserve it for the number of peaceful nights they have given me!

21 guns – Green Day
If you have got into a sad mood, or have reasons to make your mood sad and pay a tribute to yourself, give the lyrics a listen. Or, try to not focus on the lyrics and go, enjoy the pumping track! Slightly on the rocking side, but it helps to break the monotone!

Hindi
Iktara – Wake Up Sid (Album)
Simple. Think rains, think Iktara! When it comes to the recent hits in Bollywood, Iktara is one song that has already carved its niche in the hearts of millions, no questions asked! I doubt whether you’ll have any need to download it, as you must be already having it! It’s still the king!

Sham -  Aisha (Album)
Personally, I consider this to be the best bolly track of the year 2010 especially because I won a Bru mug supposedly signed by Sonam Kapoor herself, all thanks to this song! Nothing can match the serenity that this song brings to you, the crisp voice and guitar chords make you really want to enjoy a cozy night out with the best of your pals! 

Dil Mein Jaagi – Dev D (Album)
When I first listened to the intro of this song, I was blown off to listen to Hindi lyrics to such a marvellous piano background, a thing that is completely unheard of in Bollywood. If you think you have traversed the length and breadth of Bollywood soundtracks, wait till this song changes your notion! Three cheers to Anusha Mani and Amit Trivedi!

Zara Zara – Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mey (Album)
For the romantics, here is one of the most suiting songs that one can find to listen to with your loved one, during the rains!

Kya Karoon – Wake Up Sid (Album)
A perfect addition for predictably, a long drive or so. Consider yourself lucky if you get to do this thru a sun-roof!

Phir Dekhiye – Rock On!! (Album)
This is just another song from an already power-packed album which is truly rocking! The wonderful guitar and Caralisa Monteiro’s crisp voice make it even good to listen to. The most suitable song to play back while you get nostalgic about the way you spent your monsoons making paper boats! (Thanks again to Shubhnakar!)

O Meri Jaan – Life in a... Metro (Album)
You might call Pritam a chorr but you can’t deny him the right to one of the most amazing pieces of music that people still tend to carry around in our country (unless he has done it again, without my knowledge!). A pure feel-good song, give it a listen if you have not heard it as of now!

Dhoop Ke Makaan Sa (Acoustic) – Break Ke Baad (Album)
Although the title reads ‘Dhoop’, no need to take it so literally! There are a lot of ‘boonds’ and ‘tapkofying chhats’ that keep you tuned in to this song. For more beats, listen to the original version.

Still writing descriptions and getting links for ‘Kahi toh Hogi Woh’ – JTYJN , ‘Is this Love?’ – Kismat Konnection, ‘Roobaroo’ and ‘Lukka Chuppi’ – RDB. Blame it on my bad memory that I forget these songs and thank Shubhankar for reminding me back!

Others
Rylynn – Andy McKee
The only instrumental piece on the playlist, that too coming from the person touted to be one of the best living guitarists ever, this song is nothing less than magic. If you ever wished to visit heaven on Earth itself, this is the song to listen to!

Le Festin – Camille
It’s a French track that I fell into love with, and is picked right from the OST of Disney’s Ratatouille. As they say, music has no no borders, no language to bar the feelings! This song is a testimony of the very same fact!

On this note, I take your leave.
Mid@$ Touch

Me, Astrobuff!

   The story of my love. How it all began, and how my love for it manages to go strong with each passing day….

    It has been a long time since I blogged, the last post being a story that I wrote just as an experiment. Right now, I’m in the middle of my final school holidays (read boring) undergoing a strong dose of coaching classes and school – ah yeah! The ground reality is that we ain’t have any ‘summer vacation’! Anyways allow me to go ahead and indulge into the details about my love-life!

     Well if you didn’t manage to pick up the hint in the title that spoke my heart out, this post is on me and my love ASTRONOMY! The one word that defines me. The one word that drives me! The word that makes me, me! You can say it binds every quark within my body (in reality, a gluon is assigned that job!) and keeps me alive. The emphatic expressions aside, I’d like to share with you how I got interested in astronomy and how my relation with it has been and lastly, how I managed to benefit from it!
    Flashback. It was a hot March afternoon, in the year 2003 when I was enjoying being fed by mother before being packed off to school (Mushtifund Primary is in the evening). The TV was on and I was just another odd kid who was interested in watching the news (DD News to make it more odd!) and it was nothing other than love at first sight. Unfortunately, the start of my story was the end of another saga. It was the end of my hero’s life.
    March 1, 2003. Let me take you back in time when the folks of our country were awaiting the return of this lady, the lady who dreamt of soaring high. And yes she did that and much more. Kalpana Chawla was destined to be a true citizen of the universe and never set foot again on this planet. Here is an extract that i grabbed online that encapsulates the whole episode.

When the space shuttle Columbia blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter's left wing was damaged by a piece of insulating foam falling off the orbiter's external fuel tank. That proved fatal for the seven astronauts when they re-entered the Earth's atmosphere days later. The world watched as the shuttle disintegrated as hot atmospheric gases blasted inside the breach, melting the ship's structure.

     Incidentally, the very morning this happened, the members of the Association of Friends of Astronomy (AFA-Goa ; will elaborate later) were returning from a star party the very same day as this incident. If this unfortunate event did not get me palpitating with the shock, it at-least got me glued to what was going to be my passion till date.
    From what I can recollect, it did not have any immediate effect on me, but it rather got me thinking about all the stuff that man was literally up-to in this modern era. I was just in the 3rd grade and had a keen interest in science and all the stuff around me. Although I did not open up toy cars like Einstein (I preferred whamming them on the ground instead), I had a fair share of  what I called ‘chemicals’. I used to go around mixing dish washing liquids, random ointments, tables, syrups and even that brand of sweater wool washing liquid. The worst (to my joy) that I managed with the mixture was to remove the polish from the bed. Not bad, I think! It was better then loosing my radio to constant water dunking. I just loved to mess around. Still do!

    As I already posted on the AFA-Goa wall on FB, One of the book that I awaited the most was not a Harry Potter, nor a Chetan Bhagat. It was a Amar Chitra Katha on Kalpana Chawla's life. I still think it is one of the best gifts that I got from my parents till date. The one book made a huge difference as in it brought me closer to what she was like and how hard she worked. Years on, I opened up the book yesterday and was almost in tears as it was an emotional moment for me. In fact, that was the reason behind me making this particular post!

    In 2004, NASA launched the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions to Mars.  Discovery Channel started their Mission Mars series which was thrilling! I was compelled to buy the interactive CDs so as to quench thirst. Despite not having cable TV access at home, I managed not to miss any of the episodes (I’d like to thank my dad for all the troubles taken). I admit, like every child I also wanted to become an astronaut, a fact that I smile upon even today. I even had this plan of joining PEC (Punjab Engineering College) just like Madam Chawla did! Yeah, you can laugh on it, but I was too tiny at that time to give it a second thought! I started out all excited about aeronautics and aerospace engineering and it remained so until the 7th standard.
    The next few years past by without any drastic happening. It was steady climb uphill. I’d like to mention a few important things in here. Firstly, there was this computer course at Boston’s Cyberkids that I used to attend. This was the place where I was introduced to a lot of nature related activities and yeah, AFA. We had a lecture held over there by the members of AFA and I was also taken to the Panaji observatory where I had my first shot at constellations and yeah the sexy Saturn! It was moment worth treasuring for life. If you have yet not have had a peep at the Moon or Saturn through a telescope, you better do very soon!
   Never the less, there were many other people whom I shared my passion with. Riya Borkar was the one with whom I used to swap books with on the topic. I made a exhibit for my school science exhibition in the 7th grade titled ‘Search for ET – Is there anybody out there?” along with Viresh Vazirani, Sarvang Bandodkar and Prasad Usapkar. I still remember the hectic last minute work that we did to take part! The project still lies besides my bed. Don’t want to boast, but I ended up cooking something very close to the Drake’s Equation in a Hindi class. There came a phase in the 8th when my likings were shifting from astrobiology and aerospace to astrophysics and general physics. But I guess, things happen for the good! It was a tough shift to make, as I was determined to choose a career right then to make things easier for myself in the future. Alas, it was hard luck for aerospace from my side.
      The next big thing was AFA itself (no prizes for guessing that!). I was a AFA member in the year 2003 itself. I used to visit the observatory sparingly and by that I mean once or twice a season! Well, I was of the point that I could gain nothing by going there daily as the sky was almost the same every time I went there. Actually, the sky for me at that point of time was nothing other than the constellation of Orion itself! Hah, I used to hate constellations just because I could never figure them out on my own! Then came the big change. It was the end of my 8th standard when AFA started their flagship, the Astro-Kids club. Funnily, I found no reason to join, too lethargic perhaps. But when I saw my friend Suyash Kamat go there every week, you can say I was kind of jealous. That brought about a new era in my life.
   The day I (re)entered into AFA, I was hooked forever! Till date, I call it my second home. It is responsible for the person who I am. People like Rakesh Rao, Satish Nayak and our own Videsh Khandeparkar (Vidu) have been really good in guiding every young mind that steps in. Today, I can say that I have visited the most remote parts of our state just because of AFA alone. The school programmes that we hold all over help one to interact with people from all backgrounds. Going to temple fairs, beaches and schools to show the public the wonders of the sky with/without invitation is what we love to do! I’d be doing a big blunder if I forget to mention Jayant Karn (JK) and Omkar Borkar, the people who I bonded with more than very well besides indulging in fun via astronomy! Ah, how can I describe to you how it is for three people under their 18s to go to the other end of Goa and put up a telescope in the middle of a Ramnavmi fair! I guess Omkar, me and Suyash did a very good job!
     Then came along the best trip of my life. That was the tour to watch the Total Solar Eclipse of July 22nd, 2009. It was such an amazing and lucky that we were all left asking for more! It was one of the most memorable experience one can ever have. If I go to write on it, it will take me at least two posts. I insist that you check out Suyash’s here and here. Some of my trip photos are here. If you ever plan a back-packing trip to Varanasi, count me in!
    AFA is not only about astronomy or science. At the end of the day, we are a one big family thanks to our ever-young 89 year old master of all trades president Percival Noronha! Yeah, we are one big ‘association’, we are all good ‘friends’ and not to forget, we all take up ‘astronomy’ vigorously! Today, if I’m open to talk to anyone on any topic under the sun, AFA has a hand behind it! Hope we prosper forever!! I’ve been kind of able to drag my very close friends Anmol Naik, Kirit Ayya and Shubhankar Kundaikar to the observatory and they are actually hooked to it! Combining my photography skills along with astronomy, I have been able to get some self satisfying photos which will always remind me of my time here! And with talented people like Atharv Joshi and Akshay Rege pouring into the gang, we at AFA make no mention of every slowing down our expansion (just like the universe is doing it a cause de la dark energy)

    My future lies ahead of me, and I am looking forward to rock it! Certain plans are underway, and I hope that the outcome is in my favour. Till then, I have decided that I’m never ever going to compromise with my passion and dedication towards astronomy. For if there is anything left to support me when everyone in this world deserts me, there will be only astronomy with me. Only astronomy!

Yours Truly,
Midas Touch

And he laughed back….

   (The first in the series of my thought provoking writings, stuff that is inevitable for one and all!)

WARNING : a little PHILOSOPHICAL and ABSTRACT CONTENT.

     It has been long since I sat down with a calm mind to muse over something that strikes or interests me. The growing agony within and the strong urge to vomit out my thoughts was uncontrollable, today being a very grumpy day! It is not very often that I start thinking whether despite having all the luxuries in life, I fall behind in life. When I do, I reach to the brink of tearing myself apart mentally, a self destruction drive via the process of obsessive thinking with the only cure being a good night’s sleep or a readymade ‘drive the sadness away’ Beatles playlist!

“ They're gonna put me in the movies
They're gonna make a big star out of me
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely
And all I gotta do is act naturally”

I will write some sense I say to myself. I got lost in my memories pertaining to the time when I used to prepare intensely for my 10th standard examinations. This time around, I had taken a much needed break at Poinguinim which is my mother’s native place and also my summer hideout. Being here was a natural choice, as I definitely needed a break for the mind churning sessions which I was reluctant to undergo. And there I was, along with my elder cousin who was in the middle of answering her 12th examinations. And as for you, you must have also gone through this ritual of squeezing in hours for the preparations for exams, haven’t you? So, you will know how volatile studies turn when two talkative people preparing for one of the most important exams of their lives decide to visit the terrace of their house which overlooks a calm and peaceful evening road (Yes, we did carry texts just for the sake of it). Unexpectedly, we decided to settle down on the steps and study till it darkened up. What happened next, made me loose my sleep that day, I guess you will see no such potential in such stuff to give you sleepless nights, but here here it goes. *Sigh*

“Well, I'll bet you I'm gonna be a big star
Might win an Oscar you can never tell
The movies gonna make me a big star
'Cause I can play the part so well ”

Being a place where traditional agriculture is still practised and at a comfortable distance of about 80 kilometres from Panaji, expecting an odd vehicle to pass down the road once in a while keeps you on a hunt. But, this time around while in the midst of a geography chapter, I sighted something unusual. There was a man, an old man who was walking at his own pace down the road. Unusual to me because he the only piece of clothing he had on his body, was a loin cloth covering his parts. Quite natural in such parts considering that the vast majority living there had their roots in farming. And definitely a thing to be laughed upon. But, this was one of those few moments that I will both regret and not regret laughing (more of a ‘says it aloud’ smile) at. Regret it because I know one should never make fun of others for absolutely no reason. But I do not regret it because of what happened next. As the blog-post title reads, he did laugh back at me.  Laughed louder then I did. He shook his head and laughed. And went down the road, his reaction completely knocking the senses out of me for quite a while.

“We'll make the scene about a man that's sad and lonely
And beggin down upon his bended knee
I'll play the part but I won't need rehearsin’
All I have to do is act naturally”

   Why was his reaction so? What compelled him to smirk back at me at that very instant? I have a habit of trying to reason out things that do not matter, so I would have never lost out on such an opportunity. I suppose I came close to the answer. Simple! Yes, the answer was simplicity. How simple are we when it comes to our living? Does our style of living or those glittering saris and ironed suits have any advantage over a simple loin cloth?  He laugh was his answer to my shameful instance of laughing at me. He mocked my complicated city life in his laugh, he told me that he, being less hipper was as good as a person as me. He had peace his side, I had ‘technology’…. but how does that matter?

What do you feel, what was the reason for his laugh? I'd be happy to know! And no, he wasn't drunk, as someone suggested!

Yours always,
RRSK

(P.S. – The Beatles song cited above is titled ‘Act Naturally’)

Trek Ahoy !

 

My musing on the Biodiversity trek to Keri, Sattari on the 31/10/2010  as published on the AFA blog

 

  The exams ended without much ado, the lazy mood was waiting to set in this vacations when, the sudden call of adventure struck me. Thus when Videsh called me up, and the dialog that ensued convinced me that this would be the the perfect way to start off my vacations, and have a much awaited and deserved ‘break-free’ trip.

 

Sunday morning blues couldn’t pose a hurdle when it came to the lucrative prospect of snapping photos and having a good time with my second family. And so, I landed down on the steps of Junta House fully loaded with the 500D. From almost falling asleep on the stairs to checking to Suyash’s new camera, i had an indication of what kind of day it would turn out to be! We got onto our usual trip bus, Glaksha (wish it was promptly named as ‘Galaxy’) and the 25-odd people fit in snuggly. Govind Potekar, the Editor of Via Lactea, our magazine was more than willing to share historical insight on the various structures that we saw on the way. The trip was steadily gaining tempo like an A.R. Rahman song….

 

  After usual discussions on Indian politics, discipline in our society and the new organisational structure of AFA, I was truly amazed by a monocular that Atharv had got from his visit to S. Korea. And funnily, I when I was starting to find the locality we were traveling through to be pretty striking and familiar (not a deja-vu), I realised that this was the same route that we used to take on our star parties to the Sakhli Surla Plateau… We were already in Keri before we knew it!! As people got down and stretched their arms, I could smell the air, the cool climate was sinking in. And as our tradition goes, we had a truly lip smacking breakfast at a local adda. Sniffing the aroma of the tea and the bhaaji aroused all our senses! After that, we were welcomed by our dedicated nature guides who were to lead us into the trek.

  After getting a heady dose of what to expect that day, and the regulations to be followed i was floored by the fact that here, people still bothered to keep aside land spaces as self-declared sanctuaries (God’s cove). This was followed by a ear pooping journey up a

mountain pass to an altitude of about 600m above mean sea level. At the sight of a distant waterfall, we stopped to have a glance. The sight of the distant mountains made us feel that we had done the right thing by coming here. Oh boy! This was gonna be exiting! And thus an unexpected surprise followed. And that got all of us hooked. The various stones and minerals that we saw around us suddenly started to speak out to us, in the sense that we being Geology students, could understand the language of the rocks! And yeah. After taking the guide’s consent, we bagged whatever we could for our studies. Later on, we were told that the locality that we were present in was unique in an ecological sense. The Western ghats being a Biological hotspot, promised us a lot of glimpses today.

  Finally,  we reached our final destination and were raring to go and explore the vast wilderness around us. Partly promised the sights of a few (dangerous) snakes, we were in high spirits!! making our way on the trail proved to be a constant hurdle as we, the photographers (who tend to get attracted to anything and everything) were

moving ahead at a snail’s pace. That is a good thing, isn’t it?  Well the brisk climb up to the plateau was physically and mentally demanding too, as I had to keep a watch-out for interesting things (and snakes, perhaps) on the path! On the way, thanks to my trained eye after all hours of ‘flat-on-the-ground’ style photography, I managed to sight a caterpillar who had fallen down from its resting place. Promptly, with the satisfaction of saving it, we all placed it back on a tree.

  Finally, we reached the plateau, and it was a sight to behold!! Lush green meadows, water pools at every footstep, grasshoppers jumping in delight and of-course, we the exited people who treaded all the way from the city to see this spectacle…Standing

tall amongst the tallest peaks of Goa was a good feeling, and having the guide explain to us about the flora & fauna of this region was an enthralling experience. On the way, we together collected about a kilogram or two of various curious looking rocks for identification… A challenge of sighting tree-frogs was put forth to us by the guide, but we were unsuccessful. But, that lead us to the sight of buffaloes who had come to a water-hole to drink to their heart’s delight.

After going snapping pictures all over the place, we went to the e

dge of the cliff and sighted the tallest peak in Goa, Sonsogad. We were in a state of awe comprehending the fact that we were standing so tall. The best part was that the weather that day was just the way we all prefer it. While the sun was playing hide and seek behind the clouds, my friends were busy racing down the flat lands! Never the less, we decided to leave all the grasshoppers and minerals in peace and walk down. The walk down was as a bit confusing as I was held behind because of the never-ending discussion on Quantum Mechanics that a few of us had indulged into!

 

Back in the bus, we were driven toward the Anjunem dam that provides water to some parts of Goa. But, it wasn’t much of a spectacle as we had already experienced the mammoth Selaulim Dam this year! We let go off the clamour and seated ourselves besides the dam for a few moments of piece. As the guide explained to us that a nearby tree was said to possess a ghost or a spirit, I pitied the scientific temper of the villager folk. But, I guess they turn out to know more than us in the field of conservation of nature!! When we went down for a ‘ghar-guti’ lunch to a village, besides the food being worth the journey itself, we felicitated our guides who were the lads from a local conservational group. Aaah! This reminds me of the food, pickle and the papads once again!

 

This was not it. The journey back was as eventful as the whole trip had been! The moment we stepped in, our scientific instincts were not left far behind… And thus, ensued a debate on ‘How would people’s belief in God change is science cracks the mystery of the universe’ . A lot of views followed and before drawing a conclusion, we dropped by the Harvalem waterfalls… This was a refresher for a tired party who needed sleep! The vapours of the waterfalls refreshed us all and most of us got wonderful photographs. On the way back, after the derivational mysteries of ‘De Broglie mass wavelength’ formula we settled down for ice-creams at Marcel and this soothed our spirits. As our final destination drew near, a lull was present throughout the bus, but the excitement of the Science picinic to ‘undisclosed – secret locations’ on the 3rd left us wondering… Thus ended our journey when we returned back to our second home, the observatory.

The trip left me wanting more of mother nature and such treks. hop our wishes are fulfilled soon!

The Guns are Silenced (Freakonomics?)...

My recent observations during the Chaturthi Vacations-

The guns are silenced, So is my childhood...
The shor-sharaba is dead, So is my cousins childhood...
The firecrackers aren't getting any louder, So is that the end of the Indian 'child' ?

Or is it that we all have grown up, so have our baccha-party? Are the becoming more aware of nature's call for salvation (salvation mind you, not relief!) ? Or is it just that what I used to crave for in my bachpanna, no longer appeals to the kids of the today's world? Let me try to reason out why all of this might be happening...

I have just realised that the toy guns that used to go boom boom-tho tho in my

hands are no longer audible.This has lead me to ponder what lies at the root of this paradox, Arre bhai, India has a growing population, the number of childern on the street should be exponentially increasing, rightly so would be the number of guns! And perhaps, so would be the number of child labour involved in the fireworks factories!! But what the numbers show is not what the reality speaks to me....

When I was young, I would long for the Ganesh Vacations, just so that I could run wild on the road, with the roll caps, creating a racket all over (and take pleasure in scarring the hell out of my younger cousin)...Perhaps, the joy of triggering might have died down with the advent of the 'Faraday's Law' & the 'Sin-Cosine Rule' . Yes, the literally came in as 'Rulers' and the 'laws' that they establised benumed my mind, sucking out all of the drops of baccpana that were left within me!

Well, that is definately not the case with the younger generation...but can it be so that they are becoming more aware, aware about the ghastly effects that the fireworks have on our environment? All that I can say is that, there was absolutely no one who would tell me about these ill effects (all my people were ever-willing to stop me if i had got a petty common cold though!). So is it that the citizens of tomorrow want to show that they are ever willing to make sacrifices, so much so that they can give up their crackers and fountains for Mother Earth? Looks far-fetched, I agree!



Have a 'crack' at it!



Perhaps, the techno-age has taken a heavy toll on them. On the exteme end, perhaps because they are obese and can't see any way that they could escape from a ticking time bomb that they have just lit... With the advent of the internet and e-greetings, todays kids have the choice & comfort to burst crackers and light sparklers at the click of a button... perhaps putting mothers in a dilema, from wheighing the disadvantages of tech-addiction over those of the firecracker accidents! Or others might just be like 'Dude, been there, done more than that!', that too ofcourse, in the virtual gun-wielding world of CS and other games.

It is a fact that in todays world and the exposure that the kids get, gives rise to matuarity arising out of experiences at such a young age. Such type of kids (read 'I consider myself an adult') have a fixation towards literature, they ponder over things instead of suckling their thumbs crying over a stolen toffee.

And with the IIT-JEE craze driving the whole nation, yes there are a few exta zealous parents i presume, who would if given a chance, like to enroll their kids at coaching classes at a tender age of 10! And then comes the very rare species of rutters who are busy preparing in the midst of Chaturthi.

To conclude, I must say that what turned out to be a bakwass attempt to emulate the feat of freakonomics type solutions for problems has turned out to be good 'diversified thinking' session for me!

Ponder On, Waiting for your suggestions and solutions in the comments!!

And I wish tomorrow, on the 5th day I will see atlest a few bachhas crying for crackers, if not bursting them...(And they shouldn't be, SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT!!)

Eh..I am confused!!!
;-) :-P