Mamma's Baby - Part 3

Hi, all!

Continuing my account of Mamma's UK visit...

Mamma at London Bridge Underground Station

***

Food Paradise and Simple Pleasures

By evening, we returned to cozy Orpington. From then on, it was a series of days filled with earnest studies and lots and lots of fun times. Anu Maushi very graciously gave Mamma complete kitchen freedom. Together, they made me all the food preparations I could possibly think of... I was quite literally in food paradise! We also sang songs and had wonderful discussions on a variety of issues. I gleaned several pearls of wisdom from both ladies, beautiful on the inside and out.

A glimpse of my personal food paradise

Good times

Siddharth dada, despite his super-busy schedule, drove us to London one Sunday. We visited the uniquely splendid Science Museum and also drove past some cool London sights on the way back. We also visited his new house, currently under-renovation but still breathtaking and a beauty-in-the-making. Thanks to him, I also had the good fortune of tasting a delicious Irish cream liquor drink and those super-addictive lime-n-chilly tortilla chips. Our trip-concluding 2-a-team Antakshari session was also rather memorable.

Mamma & Anu Maushi; Us at the IMAX show at the Science Museum

***

Say Goodbye ... again!

Two weeks evaporated into thin air and it was time for Mamma to leave. It broke my heart to let her go. To my credit, I was not clingy or cranky and I did not childishly ask her to extend her stay for me, no matter how much I wanted it. On her part, by visiting me, she had already given me the strength and courage to continue my journey alone, without me even realising it.

And then she flew back home.

Through it all, this Mamma's Baby spent some precious and priceless time with her Mamma and is eternally grateful to her parents for giving her what she wanted most... her Mamma's company.


Signing off,

Kay

Mamma's Baby - Part 2

Hi, all!

Continuing my account of Mamma's UK visit...

***

Mamma at the University

Apart from the psychological comfort of Mamma being here with me, I was most excited to show her glimpses of my life here. We arrived at the University in the afternoon. We first went to my room. I was happy to see that she was happy and comfortable in my living space. She loved the view too (who wouldn't!). We shared a nice pizza for lunch, relaxed some, and then stepped out to visit the campus. I pointed at or took her to all the places I could possibly think of... the accommodation offices, the laundry, the campus squares, the library, the Ivor Crewe hall, the lecture theatre building, the places where I eat or hang out on campus, my department, the labs... we even met one of my lecturers... and some of my classmates. Then, we walked to my current shopping mecca, Tesco, taking in the budding greenery on the way and the cool, fresh evening air. We bought some groceries for the weekend and also shared a cappuccino : ) In the space of a few hours, I had taken her through six months worth of my life here. For the first time since coming here, I realised how good I had it here, and it was all thanks to my parents!

Mamma at the University

Meet the Friends

That evening was special too. I took Mamma to meet my family away from family ... Aparna and Abhilasha. They bonded so well that it seemed like they'd known each other since ages... and that was the icing on the delicious cake that was this day.

Mamma with Aparna & Abhilasha

Shopping Spreeeee!!!!!!!!!!

The next day, Mamma and I joined Abhilasha, Aparna, and her friend Yukti to a shopping visit to the retail village, Freeport, at Braintree. The visit was lots of fun. I hadn't shopped for the sake of shopping in a long time and having Mamma there made the experience even more enjoyable. Abhilasha and Aparna also gifted her a beautiful white purse. We capped off the visit with a coffee/hot chocolate visit to Starbucks and returned home.

Fun day at Freeport, Braintree, with Yukti, Aparna and Abhilasha

Meet the Flatmates

On Sunday, Mamma had the opportunity to meet my dear flatmates Nadia and Buthaina, who made us parathas and coffee respectively. She was even more relieved to see that I was in excellent company all around.

Mamma with Buthaina & Nadia

***

Continued in Part 3

Part 3

Mamma's Baby - Part 1

Hi, all!

Many months ago (eight to be precise), I had planned to return home briefly in April for my best friend's wedding. As fate would have it, I was to have my evil final exams at that very time. My best friend, Trupta, was unbelievably calm about the whole thing. She understood that exams, evil as they may be, were important and entirely unavoidable. So we let the thing rest. But it saddened me to know that I wouldn't get to meet my parents, friends, or family for many more months. Then, my genius parents came up with a solution! My mum volunteered to come visit me for a few days... and then she did! : )

***

The unbearable wait

When she confirmed her two-week trip, I was beyond ecstatic. I went about grinning so broadly that people must've thought I'd lost my marbles. Our family friends in Orpington, Mrs Anupama Deshmukh (Anu Maushi) and her son Dr Siddharth, graciously agreed to host us for the duration of her trip. At my end, I also made arrangements for her visit to the University.

The stressful spring term ended on the 20th of March and Mamma was to arrive on the 1st of April. I had to also start exam preparations around that time... and trust me, that was not easy! I had to really push myself to focus and not drift off into sweet daydreams of all the fun I would have when Mamma would be here. When I would step out, I would make mental notes of all the things and places I wanted to show Mamma. The days could not go by quickly enough. But before I knew it, the 31st of March had arrived.

***

And there she was...

I travelled to Orpington that evening so as to go to Heathrow the next morning to pick up Mamma. Early next morning, I went to the airport. Her flight landed, and the wait was now unbearable. And then, I saw her... my mirror image... older, but far more beautiful. I ran to her like a little kid and hugged her tight. I felt like a weight had been lifted off me and I was filled with that warm feeling one gets when something wonderful happens.

We then made our way back to Orpington. Once we arrived, Anu Maushi welcomed us warmly and we spent the day catching up on this, that and everything, exchanging gifts, and enjoying delicious home-cooked food. That evening, Siddharth dada helped us plan our visits to my aunt's in Norbury, then to the University, and finally back to Orpington. It would be a slightly hectic beginning to her trip, but the latter half of the trip would be a relatively calm one.

So, as planned, we travelled to Norbury to visit my aunt and Mamma's cousin, Nirmal Mantri, whom I had visited in mid-January. We spent a nice day with her; we relaxed, reminised, went out for lunch, did some window-shopping, and then came back and relaxed some more. Early next morning, we made our way to the University.

Mamma at Victoria Station, then at the University

***

Continued in Parts 2 and 3

Part 2

The Other Sun

Hi, All!

During my first week here at the University, I did myself a huge favour by signing up with the Computer Society. I thus got the opportunity to attend several interesting seminars on a variety of tech topics and interact with different people in different capacities. But I was most pleased about the prospect of a visit to the main UK campus of Sun Microsystems.

Jenya, my enterprising friend and Computer Society founder, thought of and planned the whole trip. She was ably supported by the new president of the society, Bogdan Suvar, a dear friend of mine and a real genuine guy.

Early morning on 25th March, a bunch of us from the Computer Society set off for the Sun Microsystems campus at Camberley, Surrey. It was nice of our fellow society member David Snow to drive us there and back.

Welcome to the Sun

The campus was quite impressive... sleek orange-brown-silver buildings contrasting nicely with the lush greenery. We spent the day at one such cool location, Solaris House. After getting our visitor badges, Senior Staff Engineer Tim Graves welcomed us and explained to us our agenda for the day. Kim Austin, the university co-ordinator, also spoke to us about Sun's interaction and involvement with universities across the UK. Sustaining Engineer, John, told us about the workings of this particular Sun campus... attempting to fix significant errors in their clients' systems by reproducing their configurations and mimicking the systems' workings in real time. He also explained to us this awesome piece of smart card-based technology, Sun Ray, which allows Sun employees to work from anywhere without having to actually carry their work around. Pretty cool, eh?


The Future is here

Next, Services Lab Engineer David Cole showed us around the lab. Now, this place totally blew me away! To be honest, computer hardware is not exactly my strong point. But the moment we entered the lab, that didn't matter any more. It was like entering a futuristic science fiction movie... like being on a spaceship... blinking lights, miles of cables, walls and racks lined with shiny speedy machines ... an out-of-this-world experience indeed!

Sun Lunch

After that blast from the future, we all went to the cafeteria for lunch, complimentary from Sun. We got to choose our meals from a colourful array of foods and desserts. It sure was good fun.

Sun's colourful cafeteria

Expert Voices

We then spent a better part of the rainy afternoon listening to talks from experts. First up, Chief Technologist, David Levy, spoke to us about the power of open source software. Then, MySQL's Mark Baker told us about just how big this little database product had become. Next, Jarod Nash let us in on some secrets of the Solaris operating system. Finally, Dave Walker gave us an in-depth talk on a variety of security issues and how Solaris combats them.

Expert Voices: (Clockwise, from top left)
Tim Graves, John, David Levy, Mark Baker, Jarod Nash, Dave Walker

CSoc, Sun, and Rainbow

In the span of a single day, we had seen and heard very many cool and interesting things... about Sun as a company, and also about its technologies in general. But above and beyond that, we bonded as a group and had a really nice time hanging out. All too soon, it was time for us to head home... and on the drive back, as if to top off the day, we saw a rainbow!



***

It's been a fair few years since I've been associated with the field of IT and computers. It's been just as many years that I've known of and been fascinated by Java and Sun. To then be able to visit the Sun campus, that too, one in the UK was a very big deal to me. This day will thus go down as one of the more significant days of my professional life. A big thank you to Jenya, to Bogdan, to David, and all the CSoc members for adding another memorable day to my growing collection.

Signing off,

Kay

Spring Sunshine

Hi, all!

Here's a recap of the ten weeks that made up my very interesting Spring term here...

The Spring term began in the second half of a fairly chilly, snowy winter. The term was to comprise of two study modules, one group project, and the all-important MSc project proposal. I knew from the outset that it was going to be a heavy term, and I have never been proven more right!

***

Project matters

Preparing the project proposal was a very important part of this term. Not only would it form the basis of my MSc dissertation project, but it was also excellent preparation for formal report writing.

***

Go, G7!!!!!

One of the most significant things that happened this term was the group project. It is what made my Spring term very special. There are eight of us here at the Uni of Essex who have undertaken MSc in Advanced Web Application Programming (AWAP as we call it), and we were banded together for the purpose of the group project. We were to work on developing a web-based nursing staff allocation system. For this purpose, we held official (and inofficial) meetings, did all the required groundwork, spent endless hours in the lab working on the application, put together all the required documentation, and did our best to submit everything on time. Finally, we presented the application to our assessors and gave them what I think was an unbelievably good demonstration of the system.

In a matter of a few weeks, we went from being mere acquaintances and classmates to becoming colleagues and finally, friends. Initially, it was a challenge coordinating eight different mindsets and work styles, not to mention, timetables! But somehow, over time, everything came together rather nicely. So evident was the positive chemistry and camaraderie in the group that even the assessors and our fellow classmates could not miss it.

As for me personally, I had spent about three years working by myself before this. So, the prospect of a 'group' project made me apprehensive initially. But then as we started on this journey together, everything fell into place so perfectly that the apprehension melted away before I knew it. The whole experience was made up of these little and big moments... burning the midnight oil with Tony over scheduling algorithms... working with Laurence for hours and hours on the scheduling code... Ali bringing us piping hot evening tea as we struggled through some tricky bits of the system... Jane managing work, family, kids et al to make a contribution to the system... brainstorming with Andreas, Maria and Demetra over a million issues we came across ... Andreas' trademark opening statement "Tell me, Kay..." ... Demetra and Maria saying "Kay, breathe!" and randomly checking on me to make sure I wasn't in a state of utter panic :D

It was a pleasure working with this group of wonderful people, getting to know them better, sharing those 'eureka' moments, laughing and joking around with them, and also learning from them. Life will probably take us in different directions from here on. But we will always have this incredible experience that binds us.

***

Spring Sunshine

As the spring term progressed, the weather changed too. While we were all toiling away indoors, lush sunshine fell on the campus, and the greenery that had disappeared in winter began to return ever so quietly. Pretty daffodils sprung up all over the place, as did tiny white and yellow flowers all over the lawns. By the end of March, the spring term came to a close, but it seemed like the spring season was only just getting started.

***

Sleep deprivation, anxiety, utter exhaustion, and complete satisfaction... these terms characterised my spring term. I learned a host of new things and made a bunch of new friends. Towards the end, there were moments of sheer desperation as the submission deadlines grew closer and closer. I was more than satisfied with how it all turned out eventually. Also, thanks to the concluding group project presentation, my spring term ended on an excellent, unforgettable, heartwarming high.

Thus, in the honour of our amazing G7 Group Project..... my dear team members - Ali, Laurence, Jane, Maria, Tony, Andreas, and Demetra - I dedicate this blog post to you!!!

Signing off,

Kay

Back to the Blog

Hi, all!

Time for me to come out of hibernation : )

The last time I blogged was at the start of my spring term, some time at the beginning of this year... and lo and behold, half the year has disappeared already! So let me start by briefly listing my goings-on here since then:

• Spring term was super-hectic, tiring, and very special
• I visited the Sun Microsystems campus with the Computer Society
  
• My mum visited me for two weeks!!!!! (woohoo!!!!)
• My best friend Trupta got married!!!! (woohoo!!!!)
• My exams came and went in a whirlwind
• I am now embarking on my final MSc project
• Also, my friends and I took a trip to Norwich in December, which I never blogged about
  

So there... that's what I have been up to in all these past months.

In my subsequent blog entries, I will elaborate on these goings-on. Rather than cram everything into one giant, endless blog post (that puts my cousin Akshay to sleep :D), I'm putting up multiple, relatively small posts this time.

Till then, adios!

Signing off,
Kay

CSoc

Hi,

Sometimes, we go to far away places to give ourselves a better education and a better future. But it is a challenge like no other. It is thus important to develop a sense of belonging in the new place, which could come in many shapes and colours. For me, it came in the form of the Computer Society.

When I first came to the University of Essex, I found it very welcoming. But I was particularly pleased with the idea of being a member of the Computer Society here. It is my field of study after all... and after the very first meeting of the same, I knew I belonged.

The Computer Society (CSoc as I like to call it) was set up singlehandedly by Jenya Kovalchuk, a charming and enterprising PhD student from the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. While it is still in its first year, it is already flourishing.

We, members of CSoc, gather on Wednesdays to attend seminars on very interesting topics by experts in the field. So far, I've had the privilege of attending the following seminars: Glassfish by Jenya Kovalchuk, Sun SPOTs by Bernard Horan, Wonderland by Bernard Horan, and OpenSolaris by David Cole. Some of the technology presented in these seminars is quite cutting-edge and left me very impressed indeed. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to get a first-hand taste of such concepts that are changing the world around us.

As members, we also have the opportunity to give presentations/demos on tech topics of our choice. So far, Bogdan Suvar, one of our society's most active members, has presented the much talked-about topic of Web 2 to us. I have been wanting to make use of this wonderful chance myself, but have been unable to, due to the frantic pace of my post-graduate academic commitments.

CSoc also backs the concept of Open Source. It has enabled people all over the world to not only access different kinds of technology but also contribute to them and make them better. Some of the coolest new innovations in the tech world are open source. One of the trailblazers of this concept is Sun Microsystems (which has proven to be a source of excellent speakers for us). In fact, when Bernard Horan demonstrated the awesome technology of Sun SPOTs to us, he emphasised the fact that it was accessible as open source and students could also make a difference and help take the technology forward with their contributions!

We are therefore also associated with the Essex Open Source University Meetup community i.e. Essex OSUM (pronounced "awesome", as says the website : D) Becoming a member here is quite simple, very beneficial, and totally FREE!!! For one thing, it provides us with means to keep track of new ideas emerging in the open source world. We can also attend web seminars (smartly called webinars), interact with other members (from Essex and other tech schools all over the world), keep track of upcoming events, read blogs, view relevant photos and videos, and so many other cool things. Here's how you get there:

http://osum.sun.com/group/essexuniversityosum

Another CSoc advantage is SAI. As members of CSoc, we gain FREE access to the Sun Academic Initiative portal. Here, we can undertake various online courses and there is plenty to choose from! I must also mention that members who do these courses would be in the running for an iPod touch! Not just that, we also get a 50% discount for getting certification; so also, members who obtain these certificates would be in the running for a trip to Sun ONE in California!!! To access SAI, here's the link:

https://sailearningconnection.skillport.com/

(You would need login details which you can easily obtain from Jenya - yvkova@essex.ac.uk)

The positives don't stop there. One of the coolest things about CSoc is the excellent goodies we get thanks to Sun and Jenya! Installation CDs, other freebies, free giveaways during seminars... too cool, I say!

CSoc and OSUM are here to stay... and it's time you joined the party!

CSoc: http://www.essexstudent.com/organisation/6490/

Essex OSUM: http://osum.sun.com/group/essexuniversityosum


Kshitija Rane (Secretary, CSoc)

Past, Future, Present

Hi, all!

***

Reminiscing

Between my last post and this one, a new year has come upon us. Would I look back on 2008 fondly? Yes and no. It was a roller-coaster year with some sweet highs and a fair few bitter lows. Two significant positive things for which I will remember 2008...

1. I learnt a whole lot of French... ah, what divine fun!
2. I finally took up my MSc ... that too in the UK!!!

***

Crystal Ball

2009 could well be a watershed year for me. Hopefully, in ten months' time, I will have completed my post-graduation. Needless to say, they are going to be, possibly, the most challenging ten months of my life. But the accomplishment and peace of mind that awaits me at the end of this journey makes it all worthwhile.

***

My Cool New Life

I have recently realised that in all that I have written to you, I have never given you an account of "My Cool New Life"! The "cool" factor sort of comes and goes depending on my mood. Also, given that I've been here 4 months, it's not exactly "new" anymore. But of course, it is my life now... and I believe that I am making the most of it. Here's a glimpse...

Humble Abode

I live in a small perfectly square room with a bunch of furniture, a brand new mini-fridge, an antique black radiator, two large windows and the most magnificent view I could ask for. One of my walls is plastered with posters. My bookshelf and desk are cluttered with things all the time. I use my easy-chair as extra storage space. My big grey suitcase doubles up as a bedside table. My duvet is cuddly and warm.

Kitchen Karma

The kitchen here is large, bright and the best place to run into and hang out with my flatmates. Each one of us owns a kitchen cupboard. Mine is full of some things I use and a lot of things that I don't but I wish I did. I also have a shelf in the fridge. Until recently, I didn't do much cooking. Now, with the new fridge, I have new motivation and I recently had a marathon cooking session where I made mixed vegetables (with Aparna's help) and daal. I also make instant noodles from time to time. My diet generally consists of (some) veggies, (some) fruits (actually, only bananas and apples), soup, bread/toast, naan, cereal bars, orange juice, biscuits and sandwiches. I also indulge in flavoured yogurt for dessert.


Bathroom Break

We have 2 bathrooms and 3 toilets to be shared among 14 of us. So far, no queuing has been necessary : )

My little flat family

The ladies: Tomona, Buthaina, Nerys, Jade, Nadia, Ardak, and me
The gentlemen: Ajmal, Mohammad, Asai, Aditya, Adam, Zackaria, and Alan.

Some of us are post-grad students, others are under-grad students, and a special mention to Buthaina, who has just started her PhD and to Alan, who is almost finished with his. I'm happy to say that we are a well-behaved bunch of people who, despite several inherent differences, coexist in excellent spirit.

(L-R) Zack, Mohammad, Nadia, Buthaina, Tomona, Jade

Tawney and the Fire Alarm

I live on the 12th floor in a 14-storey building called Tawney Tower, in the university's North Campus; hence the spectacular view! The building itself is quite nice. It also has a reputation for fire alarms going off a bit too often. When that does happen, we drop everything, climb down the stairs (takes forever to reach the ground floor!) and wait outside the building (in the freezing cold, most of the times) till the authorities give us the all-clear to go back in (which takes about 15-20 minutes). The upside is we get to socialise with our building-mates in the meanwhile : )


Washing Powder and Weekly Weight-lifting

Of all the things I do in everyday life, laundry is my least favourite and grocery shopping is my most favourite. Every Monday, I do my laundry in between lectures. Then when the day is done, I set out (usually with friends) to do my grocery shopping at Tesco supermarket. Its great fun and I always follow the same aisle routine... yogurt, milk, cheese, veggies and fruits, bread, soup, cereals, etc. I love being in colourful places and this is one of them. While the shopping itself is supremely enjoyable, having to carry all the groceries home is a little spirit-killer. But a little pain for a little pleasure is only fair : )

Speed-dial the Weatherman

The weather here is pretty fickle. Rain, sun, sleet, clouds, fog... they all come and go at their own whim. It could be pouring one morning, spic-and-span dry with bright sunshine the following afternoon and freezing cold that same night. It can also be crazy windy sometimes, so much so that I feel like I'm going to get blown off course.

Snowfall... you little beauty!

I've been to places before where there's been snow. I've walked in it, played around with it, and heck, even fallen in it! But I had never seen snowfall... until November 23rd, 2008. And what a sight it was! Watching the snowflakes literally dance past my window has to be one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen. At first, it was barely noticeable, then a bit more, and then it really came down. It was incredible. In no time, the campus had turned into a beautiful, pristine white Winter Wonderland. This part of the UK does not get much snow. But this year, it has snowed thrice. The last snowfall was particularly heavy, record-breaking some say. Despite the mess, disruption in services, and the fear of slipping in the snow and breaking a bone or two, I have concluded that snowfall is an extraordinary experience that I recommend to everyone.


Keepers of my sanity

In my first week here, I wanted to quit. My parents made sure that I didn't, thus keeping me from making the worst mistake of my life. From then on, they have been my long-distance support system. Through their actions and words, they have kept me comfortable and motivated. I owe all this to them.

My friends here are my second tier of support. Aparna and Abhilasha are my pillars of strength and have seen me through some of my darkest days here. Most of my happiest moments here have been spent in their company... whether it's our unbelievably awesome trips to London and Norwich (coming up in another blog entry), our ritual of hanging out on alternate Tuesday evenings, or our random visits to Colchester, just to name a few. I love the fact that we are in sync with each others thoughts, sensitive to each others problems, and that we can unabashedly rejoice each others successes. I'm happy to have them in my life.

Another friend of mine who deserves special mention is Somiya. I must admit that, as classmates, we didn't exactly get off to the best start. But we saw a potential of friendship in each other and that has led to us becoming close friends. We are drastically different people and that means we have to sometimes work a bit harder at our friendship. But the upside is that we do share several ideas and interests... British humour for one! She has loads of experience behind her and she has given me invaluable help and guidance on several occasions. We also have nice conversations about a variety of subjects. All in all, its nice to be friends with someone as unique as her.


Just because I have new friends does not mean I've forgotten the ones I already had! I've met most of them online at some time or another, and I've spoken to them all at least once on the phone. In particular, I've had the good fortune of being in regular touch with Reema (in Vancouver), Prashant (in Mumbai) and Akshay (in Ahmedabad). I must also mention that my two relatively not-so-techno-savvy friends, (bride-to-be) Trupta and Sumedh, have both written emails to me!!! All in all, writing to all my friends, talking to them, and occasionally cribbing to them gives me inexpressible comfort.

Home away from home

Around Christmas eve, I paid another visit to Orpington. Even as the happy memories of my (post-birthday) visit were still fresh in my mind, I made even more happy memories spending time with Anu maushi and Siddharth dada. They also gave me excellent UK-relevant advice on both occasions. I spent two days in their glorious company and time just seemed to fly. It really broke my heart to leave.

I also paid a weekend visit to my aunt (my mum's cousin), Nirmal Mantri, who lives in Norbury. Having spent nearly 40 years in the UK, she also gave me precious advice on living here and beyond and gave me some nice goodies too... the Milano mint cookies were especially to die for! Visiting her felt good and was also a welcome change from the regular scenery.

Here and now

So what is it that I do here? Well, I regularly attend lectures, labs, and classes. I do some reading and studying. There's assignment work from time to time. There is also tons of project work looming on the horizon. I also attend seminars of the Computer Society (of which I'm Secretary). The campus is always buzzing and full of people (during term-time anyways). The infrastructure here is excellent. It is the sort of setup that I have always wanted to be part of... and now I am!


Ballerina

Every week, I also make a weak attempt at fighting the flab by going to a fun exercise and stretching class run by my friend, Jenya. She's a PhD student here and founder of the Computer Society. She is one of the most enterprising people I have come across. In the class she runs, she incorporates some ballerina-like dance moves as well, as she is trained in all kinds of dances and martial art. It's quite an experience!


OK, I'll shut up now...

Its been a while since I last blogged, which is why this one is soooooo long. Hope you are still awake :D I actually started this blog entry three weeks ago. Since then, I have chopped and changed, started and stopped, added and scrapped... this blog post has almost been a journey in itself! In the end, I hope it has turned out to be an interesting read : )

One last special mention... Siddharth dada was the one who suggested that I should buy myself a mini-fridge; then, Reema helped me find the right one... so a special "thank you" to both of them.

OK then... signing off!

Kay