Monday, July 30, 2007

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/may/17rashmi.htm


well having been teaching my juniors in the labs as well as theory for the past few months , i am faced with a constant query ," why are there no placements for us sir??!!" and i am sure many among us too have this question in mind . infact most of those doing msc biotech or bmg or micro feel tat they are being unfairly discriminated by not having nt after msc like the IT graduates.

the link pasted above too speaks of a similar situation, and goes one step ahead in saying that biotech ( it uses the term as an epinomous all pervading name for entire gamut of life bio) is dead , the boom is over , there is no future in it anymore.
is it really so ?
first of all read th link above to get a clearer idea of wats written below!!!

well its true , and i am sure all of us who are now into phd as well as those who are not yet into it , have to agree, tat wen we got into this whole biotech life sciences thingy , at the bsc level, we did dream of the BTboom , like the IT. we didint get thru medicine( i am speaking for a generalised majority , pardon me if its not ure specific case!!) and chose instead for a bsc in biotech , the best topic then.

we dreamed of getting into a company later with a job earning us 25 to 30 k/month like the comp geeks around us . there was a talk of india being the next big BT hub. is it what has happend??

there was the IT boom. people earned , in some cases are still earning , 5 figure salaries perks and holidays abroad. but thats cause IT is a sector where u have instant results , where u reap benefits immediately. wats new NOW is old the next moment. the IT boom hit india, made a stir , and left us with a service sector incapable of innovation and Rand D. ( i do not wish to demean IT here , but then i guess the facts speak for themselves.) . what happened with BT then?

the article in the link mentions that the biotech boom promised jobs similar to IT. it makes it seem tat biotech promised us the moon and all we havegot is star-dust!

and yes from wat i always hearmy students complaining is , there are no jobs for an msc.
but guys , think for a moment! wen did one ever say that an msc will get u a job ?biotech and life science is no instant food, boil heat and serve! investment in the form of time , energy and years of life gives us a harvest of satisfying career. and cutting edge technical research in life scinces is only possible with patience and perseverance.

so the bottom line is if IT is fast food , biotech is good old mughlai restuarant! u need time patience to make a career out of research in this field. and with patience u need sacrifice. the willingness to earn 8000 rs for a major part of ure earning life! the determination to start from the lowest level in a govt institute after a phd and carve ure status right at the top.to be able to gothru the grinds of setting up a biotech start up and bringing it to teh league of biocon!

as for those who seek instant gratification , in the form of money and luxury , pure scince is not the field!

infact contrary to what many are saying , and as the article in the link qoutes, science and biotech in india has blossomed , into a field where the thrust is now on r and d instead of services. where companies and institutes are working towards basic fundamentally strong BT tat would not burst like the IT bubble did.
where we have seen thru the initial hype and hoopla and managed not to miss the bigger picture. we are right there , globally , on the path to making india a biotech and life sciences leader.( yes this is despite the red tapism and almost impossible means of entering good institutes , plagairism and nepotism,lathargy , irresponsible scientific bigotry and an education policy tat stiifles innovation and creativity out of our lives, we are growing guys!!)

so where does all this leave the thousands who vcry "sir no jobs after msc??" ! well we need to change our attitude ! get into science and bsc -msc rigmarole if u are dedicated enugh to spend ure life slogging it out for 6000 -8000 per month in a dingy yet hi fi lab. or else , the IT shop's still open at the corner dude!!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

a catastrophe hit me in the eye a few days back. i was taken unawares one fine monday morning by the severest form of disaster that man can face in the 21st century.i was all alone in the darkest lonliest hour of my life , wen morning six thirty , still trying to get up from a good nights sleep , i realise that my cell phone validity was over !

for the uninitiated ( where do u guys live ?? on mars ??) a cell phone works on a validity period beyond which i can neither sms nor make calls . forget the call making part - i never , and i repeat NEVER make calls - as a matter of policy. personal integrity and commitment to my resolutions have prevented me from bowing into the temptation of taking up those offers of free talk time or lesser call tarrif. i don make calls . period.

so then what was the prob with a dead cell phone ? i said i don make calls . i didint say i don sms. and that was the crux of my predicament ! i could no longer sms.

so while the feeling of misery sunk in and my spirits went down , i thot what the hell , lets try living a msg- less- day ! sadly , as i later found out , its not possible in this day and age.

the first salvo was by my friend, tat lil tormentor whom i beg daily to have breakfast wid me thru sms. i panicked , i was suddenly loosing control of my bearings, would i loose the battle at the very first hurdle? the ever -faithfull govt one rupee call booth came to my rescue , and i made a rare , and precious phone call.
the simple act of uttering a few words to solicit company for breakfast made me go thru a plethora of emotins . similar to what a child feels while uttering his first words! ? the rush of adrenaline , the tension at having to speak to someone than key in words, the shift from using my mouth rather than the thumb, all was an exercise my mind and soul fought till the last ATP was left in me! but finally i did the deed. call made , i was drained and exhausted , more emotionally than physical exertion.

as the day proceeded, i constantly avoided any means of communication with collegues. daily promises of "lunch three pm? will msg u wen me ready" were replaced by a terse, verbal," me having lunch alone" couldnt have risked being a social outcast by admitting that my cell is on grace peroid.

lonely , outcast, incommunicado, i was like left alone on an island. things and people seemed so far away. unreachable , unapproachable ! the only means of speaking to , reaching out to mankind was snatched away from me by the heartless service provider . did he ever not face a similar situation ? had he been thru what i bore that fateful day , validity wouldnt have been an issue anymore.

coming back to my resolve of a msg-less day , each passing our made me go weeker on the resolve , rethinking every other moment on wheher to backtrack or not, i finally decided on a compromise . borrow money to re charge the modern man's mothpiece. having decided thus , i hunted down for probable knights in shining armour 's who would help me out of this earthshattering disaster. and instantly i typed " cn u lend sum mone?" on my cell phone , only to reminded by the company that all msgs are barred on ure mobile! aaarrrghhhh life's so cruel.

recharge done (the story of how i got the money can make an epic , trust me !) i was back into the world of mortals. "back in circulation" as my freind put it . indeed i could feel my self esteem rise. i was able to face people boldly while speaking to them. there was an air of command and authority in my dealings with fellow mortals . i was "in" with the rest .i could proudly say "msg me wen u free". i had a mobile that worked! and what a world of difference it made to my life. did the makers of the first handset ever think that this annoying lil piece of electronic shit change man's life to this exent! i sure never did before that fateful monday morning.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Friday the 13th is unauspicious they say , and it indeed turned out nightmarish for me , cause i chose to watch naqaab, the disguised intentions.
abbas -mustaan, the dua in white are back with a pot boiler thriller, the most shocking thrilelr of the year says the promo! bobby and akshay out to repeat th humraaz charm , along with new comer urvashi, and the king of quikie thrillers abbas mustan, togehter have floundered on this one!
the movie is about a rich guy, bobby, in love with a poor gal urvashi , both ar engaged , wen in walks a struggling actor , akshaye, who makes her fall in love with him. The bride duly runs away on her wedding day from bobby to akshaye and alls well u think. was this not supposed to be a thriller???
yes of course , and the directors seem to have realised this fact as an afterthot , and thus while ripping off hollywood flop DOT THE I, decide to give it a thriller touch. wish they could hav copied the suspense too from the original. what follows is a bizzare twist of events that in true bollywood style , defy all logic and sense.
the characters in the film have no background , are irritating , nd shabbily sketched. particularly irritating is the camera fetish that every guy in the film seems to be addicted to. the biggest let down for the film is the non existant storyline. the proceedings of the first half of the film , we are told post interval, was actually a reality cinema that even goes on to win the cannes! innanity at its worse i would say!

as for the actors , the less said the better . booby looks like in need for a massive liposuction and tummy tuck surgery, ditto akshaye khanna! and the newcomer urvashi, its imposible to miss her striking resemblance both in terms of acting non-skills and looks , to amisha patel! sad but while amisha is still languishing for a foothold people have already started replacements with her lok alikes! doomsday nearing for bollywood!!

if 36 china town was a dissapointment , naqaab disguised intentions is a total no-show!
the most shocking thriller of the year it said, i am still recovering from the rudest shock of my life!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

they are at it again. sullying the highest democratic office in the country that is . as if the opposition had nt slung enough goabr and mud on patil , the congress too has joined in the free for all! gosh these people. they will never learn decency.
one fact though , that hits me right in the head is that neither patil now shekhawat look prez-material. u know, like mallika does look item bopmbish , but not neha dhupia ? got my point?

kalam , though not my ideal prez ( sorry rest of the smsing indians, i beg to disagree with my brtheren on this one at least) , was kinda cute! that impish walk, that loony hair do, that toothy smile , and that hell of a brain on the shoulders of a frailing old frame made for some bombastic electic presidentential imagery. never did my generation ( pardon me if i forget to include a few in to this ) get such a role model . his ways were emulated by all. his sermons from the ramparts of our democratic institutions were people frendly , mass-centric and spoke a lingo that many understood. indeed kalam's legacy would be his charm, his accessibility and his receptiveness.

what will his successor have in store for us? judging by the way things are turning up in the race to the first address of the nation,, all my hopes are down .

lets get to it case wise. what do we learn from patil? that mughals spoilt indian wmone by putting a cloth on their heads??? mughals are long gone ms. patil, so why then is ure pallu still on ure head?!! yes, she cam teach us how to open a bank, go bankrupt and yet not fall down on to the streets. and ofcourse , considering she belongs to the party of the faithfull's , she will teach us undying loyalty to madame M.

as for the other candidate, the ageing old willy shekhawat ji, his affiliations to the party of insane crazy fanatics are enough to keep him at eons away from the top job. sadly that aint gonna be the case. in a classic choice between the devil and the dark sea, our colliegiate ( themselves no less crooked) is gonna choose the next prez of our country.
the choice is between a lady , poker faced , crooked toothed , and with a mindset of the fifties, and a guy equally evil faced tainted with communal blood of his country men .
but what the hell, its just a ceremonial post , i am told. unlike the US indian prez has no major role than being a rubber stamp. does that mean any one will do for the top job ?
why not the beggar outside my house here? he doesnt steal, doesn ask his wife to do purdah cause the mughals taught us so, nor does he bother that his fellow begging mates are muslim or hindu . for that matter , why not me? at least they wil have a smarter english educated guy out there. !!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

past week my mobs been raided , and this is a catastrophe in addition to my friends mail id 's being hacked. either this , or all my frends have turned full time marketing executives ( wat a solution to global unemployment! ) for nothing else can explain the uninhibited surge of msgs and mails to vote .
VOTE for the TAJ, vote for who is the next prez vote whether india can rub off tis dark days from its cricketing slates. vote vote and again vote.
frankly i have nt yet excersised my adult franchise in this democracy of ours. and already i feel fatigues , after voting for everything possible under the sun! and jus as voting for the electuions yeilds resultstat i don want, voting on my mob gives me outcomes tat i abhor. whats more they cost me too!
television news channels and the omnipresent media is to be blamed for this atack on my grey cells and thumbs , is wat i learn from experience. on an overdrive these days about anything that is worth mentioning on national tv ( trust me that list includes everything , even what u do behind closed doors in a loo , if u own a mobile with a camera) . good , seems like people are actually trying to think , ponder over weighty issues and cast a vote , or rather voice an opinion. but are htese issues worth the mass mobilisation being enacted?
shilpa shettys disgrace and eventual repositioning as an idol didnt find india a permanent seat at the un. taj being left out of a bogus l;ist of new seven wonders doesnt diminish its value as a marvel of mankind's creativity. and any number of msgs to get kalam back at raisina hills will not stop patil from sullying it with her past baggage of constitutional undoings. so whats the point?
why cant we channelise all this public support in form of mails and sms towards causes like helping fight injustice to victims of dam projects and SEZ'z? why cant the smae mobile and email be used to fight corruptionj ? why cant the national media think of better issues to tackle and play the role of a communicator between the masses and their deaf govt.?
may be the media can . may be we can force them to resume their role of a public watchdog keeping an eye on the govt. and not on the people. may be we can. lets vote and see . wat say u ??
wow! i feel like i have achived an elephantine task! accomplished wat few others have managed to in the past few weeks! there i am , one among the lucky few , the fortunate minority that , after crossing numerous hurdles , with indomitable spirit, have managed to watch sivaji , the boss!
and wat makes me savour the taste of this sweet achivement even more is the fact that i saw the film , not opnce , not twice , but thrice already! man , i feel like alexander would have after he conquered half the planet!
yes , the task set out was tough . i indeed needed hell lot of courage to go past those long serpentine ques outside theatres screening the biggest movie to come out of kollywood ( as crappy as it sounds, it definitely churns better stuff than the other woody cousin tats bollywood), the costliest movie ever made in India (where did they spend all tat moolah ?? ) , and the much awaited rajni extravaganza. friends told me rani mukherjee was in a cameo. then it was mallika sherawat for a song . two rajni's , no wait that was three it seems, the roumours flew thick and fast , appetising my undying yearn for an experience of a lifetime!
ok now a confession, i am addicted to the first day first show syndrome, my world kind of stops doing the revolutions it should be doing , if i miss the friday morning show for such huge mega potential block busters. so the thought that i will not be the one watching rajni belt out another superhit on friday morning , was earth shatteringly dippressing. but then looking at the crowds , and understanding the affection and adulation that pours out in theatres in the form of pickpocketing , people thrashing , and near death experience that i would have had to go thru for the first show, i decided to save my part of the fun for a later day. ofcourse the zooming ticket prices were another factor too.
peers informed me , dutifully that tamil nadu aint half as enchanting , without the mandatory rajni release. i was indeed "blessed" that lady luck smiled on me and made rajni return with a shnakar film , and ar rehman music for me to see it in the theatres . hero worshipping is common this side of the vindhya's , but rajni and his fans are a league ahead.
so finally , three days after the release , and after much pushing and pulling, i wrangled those elusive pieces of glossy overdone pieces of paper that would allow me entry into rajni land! i had the tickets in hand! i must confess ehre that weekdays early morning show is the best time to ease into the theatre, guys who still have not seen THE MOVIE of hte year , ( i pity u really!!) take this tip from me!
having a fair amount of idea wat a rajni film usually contains , i put my logical thinking process on hibernation mode . theres no point trying to think and analyze while watching a 54 year old raise ten grown up rotund pot bellied goons single handedly to the ground anyways. i tried to imbibe in the energy , the vivacity and the spunk (??) that the audience round me seemed to be relishing. was i missing something ? or was it mass hsyteria after the torturous path onto the coveted theatre seats, that made the people go clapping hooting as soon as rajni appeared onscreen?
sweet packets with the ticket , disco lights in the theatre for punch lines and a mersmerised local audience apart , the movie had nothing good about it. an innane oft-repeated story libne, juvenile acting by the superstar, jokes that wouls make a moron squirm in the seat with embarrasment, sivaji the boss was utterly disapointing.
but what the hell, who am i to complain ? or so say me frends , who seem alls et to make this a bigger hit than the previuos rajni capper chandramukhi (apparently still running at a theatre in the land of the faithfull , chennai). thank you very much , but i cant share the same enthusiasm about a three hourish piece of senseless reel , that splashes money at all the wrong places . "suspension of disbelief ", is an essential accessory while watching the movie.
yet , i saw it thrice. why one may ask . well , for the sheer love of cinema! to see the crowds go mad every time rajni spouts irreprissably insane dialogues, to see the guy beside me jump in his seat wen the shaven head rajni returnsin the extended climax, and to see the beautiful shreya saran serenade in awesomely done sets , is a treat for all the five senses.
great cinema it certainly aint, but watch sivaji for the impact factor. watch sivaji cause national news wants u to. watch it if u don wanna be an outcast , as the country gets divided into those who have not and those who have seen Sivaji The Boss!!