Back

And I am back after a long break. I missed writing so much. Though I did have a secret blog, it is fun to share your views publicly as well.  There are a few themes I would like to write more upon especially things like philosophy, the meaning of life and the concepts of right and wrong, good and bad and so on. Let's see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Till then
Bye! 

The state of fitness at KGP

//This article is meant to act as a qualifier for the selections of Scholar's Avenue,the English fortnightly of the campus.

When I cleared JEE,I realized I had got it all wrong.I had neglected my fitness for the past two years and had turned a blind eye on my diet.As a result I had gained thirty kilos ,and the nickname golu.I promised myself I would take immediate and drastic steps to improve my fitness.What follows is the account of my year-old experience of trying to stay fit at KGP and the observations regarding the general state of affairs on matters involving health and fitness.

I was allotted the MMM Hall of Residence,which arguably serves the worst food in all of KGP.Being away from home for the first time and completely in shock at the Bengali culture,cuisine,habits(read laziness) and accent,it was an incredibly tough time and I used to stuff myself to make myself feel better.Then a fortnight later,our group discovered VS and its fried maggi and its masala coke.Within no-time it became the midnight hangout destination for our group.Not only us,it seemed the whole of KGP ,from frightened fachchas to gawdly seniors, would come there to have their fair share of maggi,which it seems no one could get enough of.

As a result,after two months I became among the highly selected group of people who have managed to increase their weight after coming to KGP.(For those of you trying to replicate me,sugary drinks and fried food have worked wonders for me.)I was devastated on watching the needle shoot up.While everyone else complained how they were losing weight fast,I looked on with a sore face and decided to join that club.After DP, I came well prepared with a strategy to lose weight as much as possible,as soon as possible.

Firstly,I stopped eating rice altogether.The Bengali rice is sticky as a gum and well known for its inflating effects on the stomach.I also tried to cut down on non-mess food and  to manage at the mess.The curriculum has a compulsory EAA(Extra Academic Activity) subject and offers three breadths;NSS,NCC,NSO.I was alloted NSO(Health and Fitness) by a process that automatically allotted this choice to anyone above a threshold weight.I made up my mind to get up at 6 am in the morning,thrice a week and attend the classes.While my mind was all but made up, the body tried the best it could to resist.The mind-body conflict stayed on but somehow I managed.I also started playing badminton and learning swimming.Here,I would like to add that there is a great mismatch in the number of students and the facilities available for them to play.We had to go to the Gymkhana to play badminton as the MMM court was non-functional and had to wait almost always for an hour or two before we got the chance to play.

There was another problem I had not anticipated that loomed large.After DP,I got my own laptop and discovered the enormous virtual world that KGP boasts of.The virtual 'crib' had everyone hooked to it.Each wing has its god in DOTA,CS,The Age of Empires,Assasin's Creed and lots of other games.I too got addicted to virtual gaming and within no time started spending all my time on it.However,I had the good brains to pull myself out of this habit and stopped it altogether.I have often wondered ,if even a tiny percentage of those playing these games decide to call it quits and to go out and play,the enormous pressure it would have on the already choked up infrastructure.

In spite of everything,the average KGPian is still fit, probably getting all the exercise he needs from cycling(or walking) to the institute,surviving on the mess food and running after the much cherished notes of the maggus.Despite everything, I myself have lost 15 Kg since last year and I am aiming for that again this year.Hopefully I would be able to achieve the goal and when everyone back home asks in amazement 'How?',I can just shrug and say "It's got something to do with KGP"

The 30-Day Challenge

/* This article is meant as a qualifier for the Scholar's Avenue.I didn't originally plan on publishing it but after I wrote it I realized there was something in here for everyone */

Is there something you've always meant to do,wanted to....but just....haven't?
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a rut?
Wanted to inculcate a new habit,but just haven't been around to doing that?

 If your answer is yes,then this article is just for you.Here I discuss 'The 30-Day Challenge',a methodology to try something new as suggested by 'Matt Cutts',a research scientist at Google.I will also discuss how I implemented it and what I learned from it.

The idea,really,is pretty simple.Think about something you've always wanted to do.Then try it.
For 30 days.An hour a day.

The real tricky part is being consistent.You take a break for even a day and you find that all the rhythm,all the momentum is gone.It's like you never did it in the first place.Once you stick to it,you will realize that instead of your time flying by,you will have an acute sense of it and much more remembrance of it.Setting a fixed time to do it also works wonders.Once you have a hard deadline,it means that that you are more productive,your priorities are better set,you procrastinate less and your mind and body are prepared in anticipation.The secret is not to go to sleep until you have finished your task of the day.You may be sleep-deprived but you would have a sense of accomplishment,worth every extra second you stayed up longer. The reason it works is that small changes are sustainable and if carried out over a reasonable period of time add up to make a big impact.

You may say "Yeah,well.I have heard that kind of stuff a lot.", "Who are you kidding?Its the kind of thing that looks good on paper only.", "Come on dude,go take a run outside." ,"Blimey,I didn't knew you were such a nutcase".This was pretty much my reaction when I heard about it for the first time.But since the holidays were on and I was bored to death,I decided to give it a shot.Here is how it worked out.

On June 1,I decided to challenge myself to work out for an hour daily.Now given my waistline,it was an obvious thing to do,but the whole month of May had passed by and I realized that I had been trolled by time.Not anymore,I thought.And so,the challenge begin.
The first few days were really tough and I had to really use all my will to stop abandoning the whole plan altogether.But after a week or so,I started to look forward to it.I even added another task on the list: learning to play the guitar during the cooling off period.Looking back I think I did fairly well.I completed the gym challenge successfully and probably managed to cancel off the effects of gorging on Punjabi food .Though I left the guitar challenge after a fortnight ,the best part about the whole exercise was the way my mind programmed itself.Every morning,when I would be up,my mind would be ready to exercise and would gently nudge me towards it.After the training was over,I would automatically start thinking about fret positions and strings and (let's be honest) about food.
This I think is the real power of this challenge.The psychological aspect of the whole exercise must be the single greatest thing about it.
July came,and I took up a new challenge.I decided to refrain myself from reading or watching any kind of news.Honestly, Indian media is addicted with glorifying and exaggerating all gory and unhappy news.Besides all the prime spots are taken up by political discussion and after two months of reading two newspapers a day and watching everything from BBC to India TV,I really had enough.I figured I would get the important headlines anyway and I was right.The word of mouth did the trick reasonably well and I don't think (though I can't be possibly sure) that I missed anything important.
For August,I didn't have anything particular in mind,partly because being a second year at KGP is no easy task.Suddenly after the quiet of the first year,you are thrown into this whirlpool of activities,trying to balance academics,sports,Hall Funda and what not.But I did notice that ,thanks to my early morning classes (7.30 am,4 days a week) and morning exercise sessions,I have woken up each day by 8 am.This is really incredible for a late riser like me.I have decided to simply follow this up for the remaining part of the month.I do hope it goes well.

I would like to believe that,by this time. the reader is willing to try out a similar experiment and notice the change in them.
Either way,the next 30 days are going to pass,no matter what.So you might as well want to add some value to it,do something you've always wanted to try.Do it.Give it a shot.Believe me,it is worth your time.

Less is More.

Listen to other's opinions,respect them,accept that they can have their own views,and don't be judgmental.

Perfect Recipe to Harmony and peace.

Less is More.

A bit on Binary.

I thought I understood binary well,but I read about 2 properties of binary numbers which convinced me I had almost zero intuition about them.

1)  a) What happens when you remove the last bit of a binary number.
      1001 >> 100
      1000  >> 100
    This behavior is just the same as dividing the number by 2. It is pretty much the same as what happens in decimal numbers,but I must mention that I couldn't realize this simple property on my own.
     In decimal system :-
     3142 >> 314
     7654 >> 765

    b) What happens when you add  a bit to a binary number
          1001>>10010
          1001>>10011
        Again,thinking about decimal numbers and seeing the following example :-
           335>>3350
           335>>3357
     Now it becomes clear,basically adding 0 at the end of any n-th base number means multiplying that number by n.I was so used to doing that for base 10,but again base 2 succeeded in confusing me.
    So 1001>>10010 means we are doubling the number.Not so obvious.Not to me atleast.
      And adding any other bit at the end at the end of a  base n number means,multiplying that number by n and adding that bit.


2) What does the number of 1's in a binary number represent?
    When I learned binary numbers the basic philosophy behind using binary was that there were only two states.Either the switch was on or off.Now the question I read was "What is the significance of the number of on or off switches there are in the number"
Again,I was clueless (and by now convinced I only had a very superficial understanding of binary system).
111011- what about the number of 0's and 1's here?
So as it turns out,any 0 or 1 at any position simply is the remainder on dividing the number,till that position ,by 2.The quotient on dividing the number by 2 is simply the number minus-the-last-digit.
Hmmm.
suppose there is a loop like
while(n){
if(n%2==1)      //Do something
n=n/2
}
Now the number of times the if condition is evaluated true is precisely the number of 1's in the binary representation of n.
I am still vague about this post.Maybe it's lame.Maybe it isn't.IDK.

UPDATE:I am very clear about this post now.I was very very foolish when I wrote it.I am not saying that I was foolish to write it.It made me clear up my mind and ask some genuine questions.To anyone,who would like to really understand bits to their lowest form,I would highly recommend reading about Bitwise Operators.I studied them for a week and now would like to believe I know how computers work,a lot better :)

Plans.

It has been nearly 19 years since I was born.It has been roughly a decade since I began making plans.

Specifically,in the initial half of the decade,these were the good plans.The easy ones.To go to a friend's house,play a game,watch a movie,eat some dish.They were easy to follow through.They had the property of wholeness.Either you did them or you didn't.Simple.

Then as the years passed I became more responsible.I had to.As a kid my mum used to teach me.I always got excellent grades.Really excellent.Like too good,I tell you.Then I took charge.In class 8th , I rebelled and got to study on my own.It's been 5 years since I started planning my own schedule and accordingly executing it.

I haven't really been bothered about how good the execution step of the schedule was.As I recall,my plans used to be grand,optimized,Utopian in nature.They still pretty much are.I would be the world's most well balanced and diligent worker, focused,determined and motivated.Of course this used to be the planning stage.The execution stage saw a lazy,non-serious,immature,unfocused,uncontrolled,irritable me.The adjectives really are too less to properly describe me but let me carry on anyway.

Lately,however I have been concerned about my productivity.It is too bad.I barely do 20% of the work I am supposed to do.The plans are still grand,the vision still visionary,the dreams still enough to conquer the world.However this time there is a difference.The patience wears thin.I have had too many failed plans,too many unfulfilled plans,a lot of unfinished ones.Too many things I thought I would do,too few done,far too many lying in dusty recesses of my mind,many simply forgotten.

I have tried to narrow done the reasons for my dismal record in following my plans.The ones I am sure are the main culprits are-lack of self-discipline,frequent mood swings,procrastination,stress etc etc.
The whole philosophy I am following seems too me now useless.Its good to be be hopeful,good to imagine,good to be a dreamer.But only up to a point.And now I plainly believe being theoretical is just bad.Its far more critical to be practical.So as you might have figured by now,the new philosophy I'm following is Pragmatism.

Google Dictionary defines Pragmatism as "Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations"
Yes,perfect.Suits me just well.

So basically there are three things I have decided on.
One >>  Don't make plans.If you do,start their execution within next 5 minutes.Otherwise peace maar yaar.Why to waste uselessly your precious mental resources.This blog post is the first result of this plan.I got the idea while taking a bath 5 minutes ago,and here it is.I am writing about,doing something  about it.It doesn't matter how good it s.It doesn't need to be perfect.Just go ahead and do it.Stop being a perfectionist.It is better to be very good instead.Satisfy yourself with it.Seriously,trying too hard is one of the reason I tend to be slow at doing things.Get over it.Move fast,act swift.

Two >>  Focus on the present.There is no better future.Nopes,nothing there.All that is there is here,right now.Stop dreaming,start living in the present.Don't analyze the past too critically,don't make castles in the air for the future.They haven't materialized in the past.They wouldn't in the future.Get over it. If you think you are going to do something tomorrow,do it now.Tomorrow would be just like today,you would postpone it again.Believe me,you would.  

Three >> Do anything and everything with utmost concentration.Just think you don't have a say in deciding what is important or not.If you are doing something,if you are devoting time to it you might as well do with your full focus and concentration.Too many times,it has happened I haven't paid full attention to the thing at the time and had to come back to it multiple times to sort it out.I read somewhere-

"I have found the shortcut to success,it involves doing everything all right the first time around.".I have to agree with it,this makes so much sense,now I look at it.

There are so much more I would like to write,but that's for now.No promises,no plans.Otherwise I will have to follow up in 5 minutes.The problem with us is we think too much,but do too less(Thats point no 4 ;)

Still if you like,here are some links I would recommend :-

http://playingwithpointers.com/archives/407

" I realize that my life will not start five years from now, and that this is *it*, as good as it gets."

http://www.brepettis.com/blog/2009/3/3/the-cult-of-done-manifesto.html

http://www.quora.com/Life-Advice/How-can-one-make-the-most-of-his-or-her-youth/answer/Feross-Aboukhadijeh

Excerpts from Sal Khan's brilliant graduation speech.

I' m posting here some of my favorite bits of a truly amazing speech given by Khan Academy founder Salman Khan at the MIT convocation.I especially recommend the parts about building better relations.Seems I had forgotten most of it :(

"Many of you will soon enter the outside world and be somewhat taken aback. It will be far less efficient, far less fair, far less productive, and far more political than what you may have imagined it to be. There will be pessimism and cynicism everywhere. It is easy to succumb to this, to become cynical or negative yourself. If you do, you with the potential that you have, it would be a loss for yourself and for humanity. 


To fight these forces of negativity, to increase the net positivity in the world, to optimize the happiness of yourself and the people you love, here are some tips and tools that I like to return to. 


Start every morning with a smile — even a forced one — it will make you happier. Replace the words “I have to” with “I get to” in your vocabulary. Smile with your mouth, your eyes, your ears, your face, your body at every living thing you see. Be a source of energy and optimism. Surround yourself with people that make you better. Realize or even rationalize that the grass is truly greener on your side of the fence. Just the belief that it is becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

View stressful, political interactions as nothing more than a deeply immersive strategy game. One that can be won if you stay focused on what matters most and your emotions and ego are not tied to your argument. 
If you find yourself arguing with someone whom you respect and love, try to surrender your own ego to the shared identity you have with that person. In the heat of an argument, do the opposite of what your pride tells you to do. If you have the self-control, stop talking and give your opponent a random, intense minute-long hug.

Make people feel that you care about them. And here’s, a well, a little secret, the best way to do this is to actually care about them.

Make people feel that you are listening to them. Another little secret, the best way to do this is to actually listen.

When you gain or lose material things, remember how silly they really are. How little they mean relative to your health and relationships.

When you feel stressed, look up at the night sky and ponder the distance to the next star and the age of the universe. Think of all the other stressed sentient creatures from other star systems and galaxies looking out in the vastness of space in wonder and awe and take comfort in your shared experience. 

When you feel overwhelmed, walk alone through the woods and forget your name, your title, your education and view yourself for what you really are — another mammal wondering why it is here but appreciating the fact that your civilization has not as yet been evaporated by a supernova. 

Try to build true empathy. Regardless of your actual spiritual beliefs, it is sometimes helpful to imagine that time is not linear; that in past or future, or I guess parallel life, you literally are, have been or will be every person. That after this life, you will go back in time and be reincarnated as the person you are arguing with, or passing judgment on (and will then have to put up with the current version of you). 

Remember that real success is maximizing your internally derived happiness. It will not come from external status or money or praise. It will come from a feeling of contribution. A feeling that you are using your gifts in the best way possible.  

Also remember that whom you choose as a life partner is a far more important decision than what career you choose to pursue. If you are lucky enough to have a true equal, someone who fills you with joy and emotional contentment, with whom you have deep shared values, who respects you and loves you for your innate you-ness; no superficial, external failure or conflict can faze you. 

But keep in mind that if you care about someone, but not enough to commit to them, the most selfish thing you can do is not let them move on.


One of my roommates when I was two years out of college, who had formerly been a bit of a track star at MIT, and I had finished watching Chariots of Fire one night at 2 a.m. I told him that it made me feel like running. He simply told me “Don’t waste inspiration.” I reminded him that it is 2 a.m. He said “so what; don’t waste inspiration.” I looked at him for a few seconds and realized that he was dead serious. I jumped off the couch, threw on my running shoes and took to the streets. 

If you ever feel inspired, take action with it. Don’t let anyone tell you why you shouldn’t; at least lace up and give it a try. 

On a similar vain, inertia, pride or fear should never be the reason why you close your mind to opportunity. 


So go forth with your careers, but leave space for your passions. Remember that you are much, much more than a title or a bank account. You are dancers and poets, inventors and athletes, musicians and innovators. If you give your passions room to breathe, you might find that is all they need to help you move the dial forward for everyone. 


So with all that said, let me leave you with a thought experiment I use to help keep my priorities in check.

Imagine yourself in 50 years. You’re in your early 70s, near the end of your career. You’re sitting on your couch, having just watched the State of the Union holographic address by President Kardashian.

You begin to ponder your life. The career successes, how you’ve been able to provide for your family. You’ll think of all the great moments with your family and friends. But then you start to think about all of the things you wished you had done just a little differently, your regrets. I can guess at what they might be.

Sitting in 2062, you wish that you had spent more time with your children. That you had told your spouse how much you loved them more frequently. That you could have even one more chance to hug your parents and tell them how much you appreciate them before they passed. That you could have smiled more, laughed more, danced more and created more. That you better used the gifts you were given to empower others and make the world better.

Just as you’re thinking this, a genie appears from nowhere and says, “I have been eavesdropping on your regrets. They are valid ones. I can tell you are a good person so I am willing to give you a second chance if you really want one.” You say “Sure” and the genie snaps his fingers.

All of a sudden you find yourself right where you are sitting today. It is June 8, 2012, at Killian Court. You are in your shockingly fit and pain-free 20-something body and begin to realize that it has really happened. You really do have the chance to do it over again. To have the same career successes and deep relationships. But, now you can optimize. You can laugh more, dance more and love more. Your parents are here again so it is your chance to love them like you wished you had done the first time. You can be the source of positivity that you wished you had been the first time around."




To read the full transcript go to this link -->>
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/commencement-khan-address-0608.html