Lake Tahoe

The Lake Tahoe Basin was formed by a geologic block faulting about 2 million years ago. Eruptions from the extinct volcano Mount Pluto formed a dam on the north side. Melting snow filled the southern and lowest part of the basin to form the ancestral Lake Tahoe. Rain and runoff added additional water.

Modern Lake Tahoe was shaped and landscaped by scouring glaciers during the Ice Ages, which began a million or more years ago. Many streams flow into Lake Tahoe, but the lake is drained only by the Truckee River, which flows northeast through Reno, Nevada and into Pyramid Lake, Nevada which has no outlet.

Much of the area surrounding Lake Tahoe is devoted to the tourism industry and there are many restaurants, ski slopes and casinos catering to visitors.

A drive around the lake, with pine-studded mountains on one side and water on the other, reveals it more fully. Under a blue handkerchief sky, the lake's color changes all day, flaunting infinite shades of blue. In many places, the mountains plunge steeply into the water, with no beach or shore. In others, a trail to the lake's edge leads to rocks in crystal water and aquamarine coves. In a few spots, the lake has created its own sandy beaches, popular with swimmers and families. In the distance a red-yellow-green parasail floats like a colorful dandelion seed over the lake's surface.

On a boat trip, surrounded by the lake's color, its clarity becomes more apparent. In fact, it's so clear that you can see a dinner plate 75 feet below its surface. Cruising around Fanette Island in Emerald Bay, where Lora Knight once served afternoon tea in the now-deserted tea house, the water changes from sapphire to emerald. Above, jet trails crisscross the sky. On the south shore, casinos spring up, marking the California-Nevada state line.

To visit my pictures of this wonderful trip click here or on the picture above.

DNB or MD/MS?

Over the past several years, many people have asked me whether they should join DNB or MD. Some days ago, one of my juniors in MBBS also called me up for advice – he wanted to join a DNB course in Nuclear Medicine, and he was apprehensive about the pass percentages after the three year course. I gave him a standard answer that I give almost anybody who asks me same question!

This incident gave me the idea to explore in my next blog. My thoughts here are good only for medicos in India. I have no idea what is the system elsewhere!

So here it is:

Doing an MD/MS is certainly better when

1. you get it in a single (or at most two) attempts at the PG entrance exams and
2. get it in an academically decent institution and
3. get the subject of your choice.

The biggest advantage that seems to be clearly visible to everyone is, the vast majority of guys doing an MD/MS clear their final exams in one go!

But how many people taking PG entrance exams satisfy all the three conditions above? I would say, only a handful!

Consider this –

Out of the thousands who appear for PG entrances, only a minority percentage qualifies in their first attempt. A first attempt could mean a preparation time for anywhere between a couple of months to a year. Another attempt could take the preparation time to two years!

Next, out of the minority who qualify in their first attempt, only a handful get into a good academic institution. The rest end up in places without enough facilities or patients or good teachers or good academic activities. Let us face it guys, even if you say that these type of institutes still produce good PGs, it is solely due to the hard work of the PGs; the institute doesn’t give them much! And most of such postgraduates do end up learning a lot of their subject during their senior residencies in better places, after completing their PGs. So, places which do not qualify as good institutes are as bad as places offering DNB but not qualifying as good institutes. Several of those joining these colleges do so because they have no other choice – not out of their own sweet will!!

Finally, a tiny miniscule of the people fall into the group that satisfy the above two conditions and also the third one – that is getting into a subject of their own choice!

The very vast majority either

1. doesn’t clear the PG entrances in its first attempt or
2. doesn’t get a good institution or
3. doesn’t get the subject of its choice!

So what is the scenario like for the vast majority?

The vast majority ends up toiling hard for two or more years, getting into a second hand college and compromises on its subject choice, settling down for the second or third choice!

What is the point that I want to make?

Well, let us take the instance of a regular PG entrance exam taker. He completes his internship, and then ends up preparing for the entrance exam on an average for 2 years, before he qualifies in any of them. All this time, he either works at a hospital part-time for a pittance, or doesn’t work or earn anything at all! For two years on an average he reads and re-reads all the subjects in medical science, many of which may not be relevant for the PG course he joins later. Then he finally clears an exam, but is still not happy as he couldn’t get the subject he wanted. He either decides to try again or join another subject, which was not there in his wish list earlier! He finishes the course in 3 years, finally. So now he is a postgraduate 5 years after his internship (average) in a subject he didn’t initially plan for, and likely from a college he hadn’t planned to join.

Compare with a person joining DNB. The DNB entrance is easy to clear – so our man gets through within 6 months. He gets to join in the subject of his choice – there are plenty available! Admitted, he may not get a good institution, but in most cases, the DNB institution cannot be worse than the MD/MS institution that he would have joined, if he had cleared his PG entrance. He spends three years in his DNB and then spends another two clearing the final exam. This is what people fear the most – not being able to clear the final exam in one attempt! I will come to it later. After his initial three years and before clearing DNB final exams, he studies only his own subject, and he works and earns in the meantime in his own specialty! So after 5 years he is a postgraduate, in a subject he wanted to, with the requisite work experience as well!

So, come on, let us list the relative strong points of DNB and MD/MS:

1. You spend about 5 years in both MD/MS and DNB (from start of preparation for entrance to clearing your final PG exam).
2. Out of those five years, 3 are spent in pursuing your course. In MD/MS, the other two years are spent in preparation for the entrances, with the subjects studied only distantly related to your postgraduate course activities or your job thereafter. In DNB, you spend the other two years preparing for the final exam of your own PG subject, which keeps making you better and better at theory till you pass!
3. In addition, the initial 2 years spent in preparation for MD/MS entrance are spent holed up in a library or a rented and shared apartment, sometimes shelling out money for the rent and for any coaching one might take. There are very few who can boast of getting through PG entrances while getting some work experience as well! On the other hand, the two extra years after a DNB course is usually spent working in the same specialty somewhere and gaining practical experience as well as earning some money.
4. You rarely get the subject of your choice in MD/MS, and if you do, you compromise on the college. You, more often than not, get a subject of your own choice in DNB, and the average DNB institution is never worse than the average MD/MS institution.
5. Getting through an MD/MS entrance is usually a fair and square game (not counting management quota donation seats and stray instances of question paper leaks). But with DNB, recommendations and connections work a lot along with donation/fees money.
6. The internal examiners in MD/MS know you very well! This, surely, is an advantage in your final exams. But the other side of the coin is that you might get to be at the receiving end of a long standing grudge from your examiner if you are not able to please him/her in all possible ways! In DNB, there is hardly any partiality as all the candidates are unknown to the examiners. Only your depth of knowledge of the subject and good luck count. The examination itself is considered more uniform all over the country as the candidates never know what possible cases might come in their exam, unlike in MD/MS. The downside of this is it takes a lot more to convince the examiner that you are good at your subject!

There can be a few more minor points in and out of favor of either DNB or MD/MS. But finally, if you ask me for my opinion, I think DNB is worth everyone’s try and in most cases joining a DNB program available at hand scores over further attempts at PG entrances!

Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management course

Hi,

This is the brief outline of the forthcoming Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management course in Orissa. Please circulate this info and let me know how many students you can refer for this course to be conducted for the first time in Orissa.

As discussed, I would like to have a Coordinator stationed in Bhubaneswar with the following requirements - Good Spoken English skills, Networking ability, Science background. Will be placed ASAP following interview. Nature of work: to take calls from prospective students and follow up with them for admission, Coordinate with various colleges in Orissa to get more visibility and get more candidates for subsequent courses, coordinate with renowned speakers and arrange for their visit to Bhubaneswar

In case this person wants to take the course too, he/she is eligible and can enroll too (the fees may be waived/reduced for this option).

Kindly respond ASAP with CV of suitable candidates for the above post.

Thanks & Regards

Sauren (Moonoo)

'Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management' (CRCDM)
Post Graduate Certification
6months (weekend course)

Introduction

New Pharmaceutical Drugs, biological, herbal and natural remedies, nutraceuticals and probiotic food products, and select cosmetics require drug safety and efficacy testing before they are introduced in the market. This testing for drugs on humans comprises Clinical Trials referred as Phase I, II, III trials prior to market launch of the product & Phase IV after market introduction. The data collected from these trials has to be submitted to the respective health authorities of the countries to seek marketing approval for introduction of the product.

The Drug Controller of India in 2003 introduced GOOD CLINICAL RESEARCH PRACTICES wherein it is mandatory that all the clinical trials conducted in India follow these practices in design, approval collection of subject data. Complete compliance of GCP guidelines in India is required for conduct of clinical trials.

India has one of the largest patient populations for most of the diseases with genetic diversity. Availability of highly qualified medical practitioners is attracting conduct of global clinical trials in Indian hospitals and clinical sites since India has implemented GCP as per ICH global standards. It is now possible that the data from conduct of trials in India as per GCP guidelines maybe submitted for approval of the drug in USA, Europe, Japan, etc along with submission to authorities in India. The clinical trial industry is doubling in revenue every 2years and as per Mckinsey estimate India has the potential to become one billion dollar revenue industry.

This high growth has created the mandatory need for more clinical research professionals in GCP for conduct Management of the trials.

Eight batches of this course have been successfully completed by December 2008 and most of the students are now working in pharmaceutical, biopharmaceuticals Clinical Research organizations.

Genesis of the course (Workshops)

Series of workshops had been designed by Bioinformatics center, University of Pune, together with Synergy Network (I) Pvt ltd. Renowned experts form industry and academics were invited for workshop and curriculum development meeting. Dr R. A. Mashelkar (DG CSIR), Dr. N. K. Ganguly (DG ICMR), Dr. Vasantha Muthuswamy (SDDG ICMR) and Dr M. K. Bhan (DBT) have appreciated the past three workshops on Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management and the syllabus for certificate courses developed by University of Pune, Bioinformatics center.

Eligibility

Any one of the following minimum qualifications is required (mandatory) to be eligible:

MBBS / B.D.S / B.A.M.S / B.H.M.S / B.E. / B. Tech/ B. Pharmacy / BVSC/ B.Sc. (Nursing)/ MCA/ MBA/ M.Sc. / M.Pharm/ MA (Maths or Statistics)/ B.Sc (with minimum one year relevant industry/ academic research work experience )

Preference will be given to those who have work experience in a medical institution, pharmaceutical company, or Clinical/Research unit. Students applying for the course should note the eligibility criteria, as they will be responsible if they do not fulfill the eligibility criteria. Postgraduate degree as given above is required to be eligible for the course. Please note that graduates from medical, pharmacy, engineering, veterinary and nursing professions and B.Sc with minimum one-year relevant industry experience are eligible. But preferences will be given to the Postgraduate degree holders.

Eligible students list will be announced online and they will be registered only on receipt of completed registration form accompanied by the required bank draft Admissions will be done on the basis of merit in educational qualification and experience in the field of medical sciences, life sciences, data management, & clinical research. Candidates not selected for current course will be given preference for the next semester course.

Career Prospects

Career prospects include a professional career in Clinical Research industry either as a clinical investigator, site coordinator in at a hospital conducting clinical investigations or CRO (Clinical Research Organization).Jobs are also available in pharmaceutical industry, drug development, medical writing, biostatistics or as a Manager of Clinical Project, Clinical Research Business Development, Clinical Operations, Data Management, Regulatory Affairs and Auditing of Clinical Trials.

The CRCDM 6 month weekend course is useful for:

• Doctors – Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, Medical Advisor, Drug Developers, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Clinical Research Physician.
• Pharmacists, Life Science graduates, Science postgraduates in Biochemistry- Medical writers, Clinical Research Associate, Site Coordinator, Clinical Research Manager and Drug Development Associate, Biostatistician, Quality assurance
• Management Graduates (MBA) – Business Development, Clinical Project Management, Clinical Research Management, Regulatory Affair Management.
• IT professionals, Biostatistician, Engineers, postgraduates in Math, Applied Math, operational Research, Statistics – Clinical Data Manager, Drug Development Associate.

Bioinnovat Research Services will provide assistance to the students in finding suitable placement

Learning outcomes

After completion of course the Participants should be able to:

• Have better understanding of Good Clinical Practice and Standard Operating Procedure for Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management .
• 
  
• Contribute more effectively in their profession pharmaceutical/ biopharmaceutical companies in drug development, CROs offering clinical research and clinical data management services, in bio-IT life science industry, or academic research institution or as clinical investigators at hospitals/ medical sites conducting trials on subjects.
• 
  
• Support overall clinical trial process electronically by implementing Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system and Project Monitoring.
• 
  
• Participate in design, conduct and management of global clinical trials conducted at Multicentric sites in India and Overseas.
• 
  
• Have an understanding of evolving regulatory process standards and practices of ICH GCP in conduct of different therapeutic trials for preparing the submissions made to the regulatory authorities for seeking market authorization in India, US, EU, Japan etc

Course Duration

Post Graduate Certificate course in Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management will be covered in two modules within six months beginning with a foundation in clinical research and followed by data management. Medium of instruction will be English. The course is designed for postgraduates and those working in industry or hospital / clinical sites and is scheduled on weekends i.e. Saturday and Sunday only.

Please Note:

• The course does not include any direct trials / experimentation on human or animal subjects.
• The practical work will be done by students as assignments during the weekdays at their workplaces. Limited number of computer access will be available at the learning centers.
• The students in addition should have their own personal access to internet for assignments, projects and communication.

Fee Structure

The fee structure is as follows:



Total Course Fees payable in 2/3 installments:

1. Rs. 25,000 with application (Mandatory)
2. Rs. 25,000 with in 4 weeks after start of course
3. Rs. 20,000 within 12 weeks after start of course

Note: Registration fees will be refunded after deducting Rs. 500/- only if cancellation is made in writing / by email to Bioinnovat within one week.
No refund will be done after that of starting of the course.


--
Sauren
Dr.Saurendra Das
Country Head and Director of Operations
Excel Life Sciences Pvt Ltd
B -155, Sector 63
Noida - 201301
U.P
91 99710 99950
sauren@excellifesciences.com

Love this kid

Driving in India

For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar , where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows: Do we drive on the left or right of the road? The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right,unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the generally intended direction.

Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation; the other drivers are not in any better position. Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back.

Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts),or just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar. Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwater to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.

Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.

Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton 's laws of motion enroute to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type.

Least I sound hypercritical, I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience for those with the mental make up of Genghis Khan. In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.

Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill.

Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously.

Of course, all this occurs at night, on the trunk roads. During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers never show any signal. (And you must watch for the absent signals; they are the greater threat). Also, you might often observe that the cleaner who sits next to the driver, projects his hand and waves hysterically. This is definitely not to be construed as a signal for a left turn. The waving is just a statement of physical relief on a hot day.

If, after all this, you still want to drive in India, have your lessons between 8 pm and 11 am when the police have gone home and the citizen is then free to enjoy the 'FREEDOM OF SPEED' enshrined in the constitution.

Note:This hilarious article was written by a Dutchman who spent two years in Bangalore , India , as a visiting expert.

Cracking the PG Nut...

Dear friends...

Guys, we are no less brilliant than anyone else, so there is no reason why we cannot crack the almost fabled pathways to a PG, DNB, USMLE, or any other such stupid stuff. Many of us lack focus and try to grab on to every bit of information that we can squeeze into our heads. There is a minute portion of the total information that is high-yield - which means, about 30% of the information can give us about 80% of the marks. If we master this 30%, which should be quite easy, we are at least assured of 80%. We are, of course, always welcome to learn beyond the 30%, in an attempt to score higher. But in an attempt to grab on to everything at the same time, most of us lose focus on the very important 30%.

Also, there is no reason why so few of Oriya doctors should go the USMLE way. The only place that we lack is any precedence - the fear of the unknown keeps us away. In the recent past there have been a few who have tried to tread the unbeaten path with some good successes. Do give this a try, if you can, and with increasing awareness, in the next few years we might see more and more people from Orissa cracking USMLE.

Please attempt any PG preparation in a group, if possible. A group should have at least 4 or more people. Discussions catapult your understanding, assimilation and retention of the topic.

Please do not restrict yourself to memorizing facts only in the form of tables and charts. A structured memorizing such as tables and charts are easy to remember, but also are very easy to forget or very difficult to recall in a situation of application, which is different from the primary environment in which a given fact was memorized. The best way to retain facts is to memorize them in a structured way but to assimilate and understand the concepts by repeated use and reuse in various situations. This does not entail any extra effort, but just reorganization of the current effort.

Any help, in the form of advice and resources for USMLE, can be asked of me, and I will try my best to provide the same, even in my limited capacity.

And finally guys, do help each other - you will only rise, never fall. Do not help each other and you may slip a footing and sustain a fall!

Two cups of coffee

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly, and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full; they agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions, things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter--like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else: The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just filler.”

One of the students raised his hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

The Stock Market...

Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for Rs10. The villagers seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest and started catching them.

The man bought thousands at Rs10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.

He further announced that he would now buy at Rs20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms.

The offer rate increased to Rs25 and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey let alone catch it.

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at Rs50! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him.

In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers, "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at Rs35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell it to him for Rs50."

The villagers squeezed up with all their savings to buy the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant, only monkeys everywhere!! !!

Welcome to the Stock Market!!!!!

Odds and Ends!

Two doctors, a psychiatrist and a proctologist, opened an office in a small town and put up a sign reading:

"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors."

The town council was not happy with the sign, so the doctors changed it to read, "Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."

This was not acceptable either, so in an effort to satisfy the council, they changed the sign to "Catatonics and High Colonics." No go.

Next, they tried "Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives." Thumbs down again.

Then came "Minds and Behinds." Still no good.

Another attempt resulted in "Lost Souls and Butt Holes." Unacceptable again!

So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts." Not a chance.

"Nuts and Butts?" No way.

"Freaks and Cheeks?" Still no go.

"Loons and Moons?" Forget it.

Almost at their wit's end, the doctors finally came up with:
"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends."

Everyone loved it!

MIPS Retreat

Asilomar...
That is the name of the place... Beautiful white beaches, winding drives, cold ocean breeze, black cats, gazelles, and us!

Spent a couple of wonderful days getting to know about a hundred people working in the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS).

Big deal?
Yeah, seen most of them, met a lot fewer, knew still fewer. And this was a time when everyone bared themselves as persons and as scientists.

Wanna see some pictures? Click here or on my picture above...

Las Vegas

This is one place where you need atleast a week to walk through most of its attractions which are all within just a few miles!

The Strip or the Las Vegas Boulevard is the stretch of road on which most of LV's high and mighty dollar guzzling attractions stand! Huge flamboyant hotels, each with a supersized gambling area, rooms running into hundreds, multiple swimming pools, theme based construction... and they all throw in several eating and drinking joints, shows and rides, shops... anything to tempt your senses and let your purse fall loose!

A throbbing night time street, the Strip can be fully enjoyed only when you are loaded with dollars!

Although most of LV can only be felt and not captured in the small lens, I have tried to share with you some of the pretty sights that I came across... Click Here or on the Flamingo Picture above.

Get to know some history of Las Vegas - Click Here.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls - a massive flow of water at the border of the US and Canada.

One has to be there to appreciate the insignificance of the human size and the power of water!

For those who plan to visit this place, some must do recommendations:

1. Do ride the Maid of the Mist boat - it takes you right to the middle of the horse-shoe falls, where you are surrounded by the massive waterfalls on three sides, churning up the water into fine sprays and mist! It is ethereal!

2. Do take the Whirl Pool Jet Boat ride, which is about 10 miles away from the actual waterfalls, and try to get a front seat aboard the Jet boat. Be prepared to get really really wet! They take you on some of the roughest white water rapids!

3. At night, the Canadian side is the one which has the best view. The falls are mostly on the American side, so the view is from the opposite side (Canadian side)! Beautiful interplay of colors give a painter's touch to the diving waters!

There are many more things to do - just have fun! And don't be afraid to get wet; it is real fun!

Go to my album - click here.

Get some interesting information - click here.

Yosemite National Park

That's a cute squirrel, isn't it?

Well, it is just one of the attractions from Yosemite National Park, a witness to the colossal power of nature. Large deep flat-bottomed valleys formed by huge ice-age glaciers grinding through the flesh of earth - you have to see it to believe it!

A night's camping with barbecued food and a day of admiring the beauty of chasms filled with emptiness, and the long winding drives with pleasant sunsets round up the description of this memorable trip in short! Not to forget the relics of some earliest excursions of the civilized world into this region at Wawona.

Want to go to the album? - Click Here or click on the squirrel!

Hungry for more information? - Click Here.

Trust me on the sunscreen...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…

I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh! never mind, you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked…. You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future... or keep worrying, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re left behind… the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life… The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can… don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance… even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. Live in New Delhi once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Goa once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths - prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

(Taken from Manas Sarangi with his permission and posted with minor variations)

Fun Begins at Stanford

Here I am, in a different country, eating alien food (like it though!), meeting strangers, driving the wrong way, switching the lights off instead of on, using paper instead of water for my daily morning duties.... and did I feel it at all?

Oh! No! The first few days after coming to Stanford were filled with fun-filled discovery, love-filled moments with wifey dearest, playful adorable kid sisters, and a wonderful family!! These are a few moments, captured by the lens, of the trance that I was in in the first few days...

CLICK HERE or click on the picture to go to the album!

Dharmagraha - Ashwin's Blogs: Don't Touch Rama's Bridge

Dharmagraha - Ashwin's Blogs: Don't Touch Rama's Bridge

It is a huge bridge like structure between India and and Sri Lanka, joining the two land masses otherwise separated by sea water. Legend says that Lord Shri Rama, with the help of excellent architectural skills of his army, had brought this bridge into existence, to facilitate his huge army's smooth passage, to fight Ravana and rescue his wife Sita from the demon's clutches.

Excerpts from Ashwin's blogs....

The bridge should be easily 40-50 feet wide (the visible part) and made of huge stones. For a normal logical mind it certainly does not seem to be a geographical phenomenon. It certainly looks like a huge man made structure. At least that is was the structure of the bridge suggests.

In the wake of Sethu Samudram Project, it is a known fact that the historically and religiously important Rama’s Bridge would be demolished to make way for a new shipping canal between India and Sri Lanka.

It is highly surprising how the said project was approved and cleared by various departments (especially geology and archeological departments). It is understandable that the said project has not gone to their purview because no archeological activity or geological research is happening in the current site. However, in the wake of said allegations by various political parties, non-governmental organizations and religious institutions, these departments could have made a suo moto response to the Union Ministry of Shipping & Transport to halt the project till a research is commenced and concluded in the said site. The ministry in a self-confession in the parliament has come out with a statement saying that ‘no archeological work has been done in the said Rama’s Bridge site’. In that case, it is highly inappropriate to demolish a structure which has a historical and religious importance without a proper justified research backing the decision.

Relevant to this case, there are a few questions that are still unaddressed, say,

1) First and foremost question is that whether the said bridge is man-made or a geological phenomenon.

2) If it were a geological phenomenon it would assume a great importance for geologists and scientists, making it very important for us to preserve it. It would probably become the oldest natural rock formation in India and the biggest and oldest natural rock formation of the world and the only one under the sea.

3) If it were man-made but not built by Rama, still it is of extreme importance as an archaeological site. Probably it would classify as one of the man-made wonders of the world and the oldest ever man-made bridge to exist.

4) If archaeologists and theologists can prove it to be anywhere closer related to Shri Rama, the importance would be the greatest, since it has a religious connotation and probably the biggest find relating the religion (especially Dharmic) and also of archaeological importance attached with religion.

Answers to these questions would certainly direct us to only one conclusion – the Rama’s Bridge should not be touched for demolition. It might/might not be a religious site, but it is certainly beyond even what we call as “precious”. It is a natural phenomenon which has surprised scientists and geologists by its sheer existence.

The magic words!!

Do I have the time to say 'please' and 'thank you' to everyone whenever I talk or e mail? Hell no! Don't I sound old fashioned by using these words very frequently? Anyway, what purpose does it solve to say such words? Will the salesgirl stop showing me the product if I don't say please? We don't always use 'please' and 'thank you' with our friends and loved ones, do we?

Well, that is the point. We start taking our loved ones and friends, and our daily routine conversations and interactions for granted so much that we forget the minute but important difference a magic word can make.

I came across this article and I thought you might like it too. So here goes......

Recently, while watching a group of toddlers, I was amazed at the courteousness they displayed. When asking for their sippy-cups, they lined up and asked the teacher "Milk please?" Ok, most of them said something along the lines of "Mmlk peas," but the intent was clearly there. Here was an age-group known developmentally to be self-centered, yet they were exhibiting the correct behaviors. Now, if toddlers can be taught to wait their turn and to say "please" and "thank you," certainly can we reintroduce these phrases back into the adult vernacular?

A Simple Skill: Ask any child "What is the magic word?" and they will likely respond "please." Why is something that was so engrained in our early vocabulary so quickly forgotten? Some would say it is a feeling of entitlement. That we deserve to have want we want and we do not need to ask nicely for anything. Others would argue that society on a whole is on a downward spiral. I have a slightly more positive view. I believe that as with any skill, we need to practice our "pleases" and "thank you's." Occasionally, we need a reminder. As children, we were asked for the magic word, but this is not the best prompting for adults. Here are some alternative ideas.

Fight Fire With Flowers: Despite sometimes feeling otherwise, I do not condone responding to bad behavior with more bad behavior. So what is a gentleperson to do in today's society? During a telephone conversation with my doctor's office, the woman at the other end told me that if I was really that ill I should "go to the emergency room." Of course, it was not just the uncaring words, but her snide tone that truly bothered me. Instead of escalating the interaction, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. We all have bad days every now and then. When I visited the office a week later, I brought her flowers with a note saying that I hoped this week would be better than the last. In return I received a sincere phone call with her thanks for being so understanding. (As it was, she had been at the hospital on-call for over 48 hours immediately prior to our initial conversation.)

Courtesy Is Contagious: Years ago, when I lived in the city, I would have a bit of fun while riding the subway during rush hour. Anyone who has worked all day and then squeezed on to a subway to fight their way home has seen tempers run high. Since I boarded the train at an early stop, there were almost always seats. I would sit, until I saw someone who needed the seat more than I did. Then in a firm tone, I would offer my seat. The tone was more for those around me than the seat recipient. It was interesting to notice that on the days that I offered my seat, those around me, at subsequent stops, would also offer their seats to those in need. However, on days when I sat with my nose in a book, rarely would any seats be offered. Remember, your good example can set off a positive chain reaction.

In our fast-paced world, it is not uncommon to hear those who are anti-etiquette complain that being nice just takes too long. Or worse, they insist that the "please" and "thank you" are implied. But it is precisely because we live in a fast-paced world that those small niceties become so much more important. As Judith Martin (a.k.a. Miss Manners) advocates, common courtesy is the oil that greases the wheels of society. So remember, when you meet those squeaky wheels, please be sure to give them extra grease. Thank you.

A glass of water...

Once A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.

He held it up for all to see; asked the students, "How much do you think this glass weighs?"

"50gms!"...."100gms!"....."125gms"......the students answered.

"I really don't know unless I weigh it", said the professor, "but, my question is: what would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?" "Nothing" the students said.

"OK, what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?", the professor asked.

"Your arm would begin to ache", said one of the students.

"You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?" "Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis; have to go to hospital for sure!" ventured another student; all the students laughed.

"Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?" asked the professor.

"No!" replied the students.

"Then what caused the arm ache?"

"The muscle stress!"

"Instead what should I do?"

The students were puzzled. "Put the glass down!" said one of the
students.

"Exactly!" said the professor.

Life's problems are something like this.

Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK. Think of them for a long time; they begin to ache. Hold it even longer; they begin to paralyze you.

You will not be able to do anything.

It's important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to 'put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep.

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh; strong; can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

Remember friend- PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!

That's life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two worn pieces of notebook paper...

Today I was digging out old emails from my inbox and deleting those that I thought were no longer of any consequence. That is when I found this forward among several others. It doesn't matter who sent it. What matters is this was one of the select few emails that touched my heart. Needless to say, I had to share this with all of those who care to read further.

Here goes the story...

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest
thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling.

"Really?" she heard whispered.
"I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and,
"I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents,but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another.

That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.

"Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked.
She nodded: "yes."
Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket.
"They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said.
"As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former class mates started to gather around.

Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."
Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."
"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late....

KBR Park

One morning, under the pretext of going for jogging/a morning walk, we ended up doing a photo shoot!! With the fine sunshine, cool breeze, chirping birds and nothing to do the rest of the day, we felt too lazy to actually exercise our muscles. Instead we decided on capturing our happy faces on film!!

A small collection of these pictures are here for your viewing pleasure.

KBR Park

Click on the link above or the picture to take you to the album.