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)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
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
***
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, JadeTawney 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
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