I would rush back home from school at 1pm. My lunch was supplemented with 'the Traveller's' on Discovery Channel.
In my college days, I had moved on from 'Travelers' to 'Lonely Planet' (nowadays 'Globetrekker'). The host Ian Wright peppered his tours with his charming wit and thanks to him I developed a fantastic knowledge of cultures and places. Along with it, came a sense of acceptance of different cultures and traditions and an irresistible thirst for exploration. Imagining myself as a host during my treks and travels brings the over-optimistic freak in me.
I also love the Lonely Planet theme music. Listening to it when travelling to unknown places brings out the inquisitive teenager in me and raises my spirits.
You can download this theme music for free. I assure you, you'll love it!!!
Download the Lonely Planet theme music
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Trek to Tungareshwar
The day before the trek
Maria calls up and says she has to go to office and won’t be able to come. Raj isn't coming too. Texts fly over the place wailing that the trip is canceled. I couldn’t let my sister down. She has been longing to see a waterfall (She’s never seen one). I call up the folks and convince them that I have an idea of the route. The plan is still on...
We get going
We got down at Vasai road station at 7 a.m. The rest of the gang assembled by 7:30. From there we took a rickshaw to the Tungareshwar sanctuary. The roads were pretty bad and it took us around 30 minutes to get to the place. We started our trek on high-spirits. The group was palpably excited on seeing the first river crossing. We crossed a couple of rivers and came across a lovely mini-waterfall. We decided to go to the top and come back later to this place. (On our return, this place was crowded; so we gave it a miss)
Some of us had some hot corn spiced with lemon and masala for breakfast. It was filling.
We went up to a point where there were a few more corn shops and an entrance that said – ‘ Way to Babaji’s Ashram’ in Marathi. It had taken an hour to get to this point and a few were already exhausted. On enquiring a corn shop guy, we were told that a waterfall was just 10 minutes away. So, with eagerness we started uphill. There was nothing special at this point. No beautiful foliage or animals. We had just seen a couple of crabs. All of us walked for nearly an hour, but there was no sign of any waterfall.. and there was no rain. It was getting humid..
After dragging on for another 15-20 minutes, we managed to sight something that resembled a waterfall but nowhere close to an actual one. The group decided to catch up on some snacks. After recharging for 10 minutes, we started again and walked for another half an hour; again with no special sights and sounds. We chanced upon an old man who said that a Dab-daba was just 15 mins away. Again the gang eagerly pulled on. After nearly 1.5 hours, there was still no dab-daba around.
Fruits of labor
A few members weren’t eager to move ahead. But I managed to pull them on. And after 15 minutes, what we saw delighted us. The beautiful waterfalls were at a distance and a feast for our sore eyes. After spending some time here, the group thought that there must still be something more ahead. We ambled on..
After an hour’s trek, the clouds started converging and it began to rain. It was delightful.
On walking further uphill, the clouds descended on us and we couldn’t see more than a few metres away. We had reached a point where there was a narrow path to the right and a straight path ahead. We decided to go straight. After 10 minutes, as the gang was totally out of energy, they decided to rest for sometime and then return back.
I volunteered to scour for some nearby places that might interest the group. On walking straight ahead, I noticed that the slope was descending and would not excite the folks. On my way back uphill, I noticed a narrow road. The narrow slippery road led to a steep cliff with a beautiful panoramic view of Vasai and nearby areas. It was awe-inspiring. I went back to the gang and they agreed to come over and were pleasantly surprised by the beauty that beheld them.
We met the old guy on our way back down. The frustrated girls asked him with some degree of restraint, the reason he had told that the falls was just 15 minutes away. He said that had he told us the actual time it would take for us to go to the place, we would never have attempted in the first place. It set a smile on our tired eyes. The walk back to the base was comparatively easier and took nearly 3 hrs.
Getting back home
On reaching the sanctuary gate, we had hoped to find an auto that would transport our tired legs back home. To our dismay we were told that we would have to walk for 10 minutes to get to the nearest auto-stand. The very mention of 10 minutes frightened us. After 5 minutes, by the grace of Providence, we managed to get an auto. 7 of us crammed into the rickshaw and the machine cranked us back to Vasai road station.
Now for some rejuvenating slumber
The best part of any such jaunt is when you get back home safely, shower quick and throw yourself in bed.. good night!!!
Maria calls up and says she has to go to office and won’t be able to come. Raj isn't coming too. Texts fly over the place wailing that the trip is canceled. I couldn’t let my sister down. She has been longing to see a waterfall (She’s never seen one). I call up the folks and convince them that I have an idea of the route. The plan is still on...
We get going
We got down at Vasai road station at 7 a.m. The rest of the gang assembled by 7:30. From there we took a rickshaw to the Tungareshwar sanctuary. The roads were pretty bad and it took us around 30 minutes to get to the place. We started our trek on high-spirits. The group was palpably excited on seeing the first river crossing. We crossed a couple of rivers and came across a lovely mini-waterfall. We decided to go to the top and come back later to this place. (On our return, this place was crowded; so we gave it a miss)
Some of us had some hot corn spiced with lemon and masala for breakfast. It was filling.
We went up to a point where there were a few more corn shops and an entrance that said – ‘ Way to Babaji’s Ashram’ in Marathi. It had taken an hour to get to this point and a few were already exhausted. On enquiring a corn shop guy, we were told that a waterfall was just 10 minutes away. So, with eagerness we started uphill. There was nothing special at this point. No beautiful foliage or animals. We had just seen a couple of crabs. All of us walked for nearly an hour, but there was no sign of any waterfall.. and there was no rain. It was getting humid..
After dragging on for another 15-20 minutes, we managed to sight something that resembled a waterfall but nowhere close to an actual one. The group decided to catch up on some snacks. After recharging for 10 minutes, we started again and walked for another half an hour; again with no special sights and sounds. We chanced upon an old man who said that a Dab-daba was just 15 mins away. Again the gang eagerly pulled on. After nearly 1.5 hours, there was still no dab-daba around.
Fruits of labor
A few members weren’t eager to move ahead. But I managed to pull them on. And after 15 minutes, what we saw delighted us. The beautiful waterfalls were at a distance and a feast for our sore eyes. After spending some time here, the group thought that there must still be something more ahead. We ambled on..
After an hour’s trek, the clouds started converging and it began to rain. It was delightful.
On walking further uphill, the clouds descended on us and we couldn’t see more than a few metres away. We had reached a point where there was a narrow path to the right and a straight path ahead. We decided to go straight. After 10 minutes, as the gang was totally out of energy, they decided to rest for sometime and then return back.
I volunteered to scour for some nearby places that might interest the group. On walking straight ahead, I noticed that the slope was descending and would not excite the folks. On my way back uphill, I noticed a narrow road. The narrow slippery road led to a steep cliff with a beautiful panoramic view of Vasai and nearby areas. It was awe-inspiring. I went back to the gang and they agreed to come over and were pleasantly surprised by the beauty that beheld them.
We met the old guy on our way back down. The frustrated girls asked him with some degree of restraint, the reason he had told that the falls was just 15 minutes away. He said that had he told us the actual time it would take for us to go to the place, we would never have attempted in the first place. It set a smile on our tired eyes. The walk back to the base was comparatively easier and took nearly 3 hrs.
Getting back home
On reaching the sanctuary gate, we had hoped to find an auto that would transport our tired legs back home. To our dismay we were told that we would have to walk for 10 minutes to get to the nearest auto-stand. The very mention of 10 minutes frightened us. After 5 minutes, by the grace of Providence, we managed to get an auto. 7 of us crammed into the rickshaw and the machine cranked us back to Vasai road station.
Now for some rejuvenating slumber
The best part of any such jaunt is when you get back home safely, shower quick and throw yourself in bed.. good night!!!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Biotech sector in India. Undergraduation in biotechnology.
"Biotechnology is the buzzword", "biotech booms","biotech-the future" ; scream the headlines in all the newspapers. But is Biotech really booming? If so, why are biotech undergrads like me reluctant to take up a masters in biotech?
Firstly, it is the age of instant gratification. And I confess I have materialistic needs too.
When freshers get 2.5-5 lacs per annum in a software company, why on earth would someone enter a biotech co where you get paid peanuts in comparison?(irrespective of whether you are a B.tech, masters or pHd) .
And scientific jobs are not abundant in the biotech sector. They are highly competitive.
Besides, in which sector of engineering are you required to pay for your internship.
The biotech boom is an illusion. So its better to chill your heels and not jump the gun in taking up a specialized course like biotech in your undergrads. A Bachelors in science would be better as it would give you an idea about your research capabilities; then you can jump into specialization and research in an area of choice.
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