DAUTYA- The Messenger (UH GISO)

Maitri 2011 Teaser Video

2011-04-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

You don't want to miss it :)

It's going to be LEGEN....wait for it....DARY

2011-04-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

Maitri 2011 is here - the countdown has begun :D . You have no business not going there :)

See you on April 9th, at 5:30 pm at the Cullen Performance Hall at University of Houston. You don't want to miss out on the fun - and well of course, there's gonna be food ;)

For tickets, visit http://www.tickets2events.com/maitri2011.asp

See you there

GISO

Are you doing what you really want to do in life??

2011-01-25T02:59:00.000-08:00

The other day, as I was just lazing around in my house, I just wondered, ‘If I had all the money in the world, what is it that I would truly want to do with my life?’To my horror, I did not have an answer. Then I tried, ‘What is it that would give me real happiness and satisfaction in my life?’ Again, no answer.
Then, I thought of trying this on others, just to figure out if it’s just me. I made a quick phone call to my friend back in India and asked her the same question. She replied ‘ummmm, good question. Let me think about it and call you back.’ She never called back with an answer.
I asked another friend. She went like ‘I really want to do something with my dancing. It’s my passion.’ I said to her ‘then why don’t you? I’ve seen you dancing. You’re awesome at it’. She replied ‘arre, nahi yaar. Dancing mein kuch future, kuch paisa nahi hai!! (no buddy, there’s no future, no money in the dancing).’
Another friend replied ‘I love photography, but I’m not a professional and I’m not very good either.’
This really got me thinking.
In my opinion, the reason for the unhappiness, the frustration and all the chaos around us is twofold-
1. We do not know what will lead us to happiness
2. We do not have the courage to pursue our dreams
Let’s look at them.
Steve jobs once said ‘You’ve got to find what you love.’
This is one of the greatest guiding principles ever. If we do not know what we enjoy doing, what gives us satisfaction or what is it that we want to do with our lives, how on earth are we going to be happy?
Try this exercise. Take a blank sheet of paper. On the front, pen down 10 things that you enjoy doing. It could range from poetry to algebra, from dancing to dissection or from social work to statistics.
Next, work by elimination. Cancel out things that are not as important as the others. Eventually the last one left is something that you truly enjoy doing, Take it up. Pursue it. It’ll take you places.
There may obstacles. Truckloads of them. Your passion may not fetch you enough money, may not sound ambitious to your friends and peers, may not go down well with your family. But, if you’re doing something that you really have your heart and soul in, trust me, you’ll be highly successful in the long run. For instance, if you take up gardening as your career, do not think, ‘what will others think of me? Will they think I’m a loser who has no ambition?’ It is not important what they think. They are not the ones who will live with it for the rest of their lives. It’s important how it makes you feel.
There may be failures in your way. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. You've got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
Think about it.
Ruchika Agrawal
Editor – Dautya (GISO)

The law of seeds

2011-01-25T02:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a close look at an apple tree? There might be around five hundred apples on the tree and each apple has ten seeds. That's a lot of seeds!
One might wonder, "Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more apple trees?"
Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: “Not all seeds grow. In life, most seeds never grow”.
So if you really want to make something happen, you had better try more than once."
This might mean:You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job. You'll interview forty people to find one good employee. You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, one car, one vacuum cleaner, one insurance policy, or a business idea. And you might meet a hundred acquaintances just to find one special friend.
When we understand the "Law of the Seeds", we don't get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. We learn how to deal with things that happen to us.
Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them - and work with them.
Successful people might be the ones who fail more often. But they plant more seeds.

When things are beyond your control, here's something that you must NOT DO so as to avoid misery in your life:
-You must not decide how you think the world SHOULD be.
-You must not make rules for how everyone SHOULD behave.
-Then, when the world doesn't obey your rules, you get angry!
-Because that's what miserable people do!

On the other hand, let's say you expect that:
-Friends SHOULD return favors.
-People SHOULD appreciate you.
-Planes SHOULD arrive on time.
-Everyone SHOULD be honest.
-Your best friend SHOULD remember your birthday.

These expectations may sound reasonable. But often, these things won't happen! So you end up frustrated and disappointed.

There's a better strategy:
Demand less, and instead, have preferences! For things that are beyond your control, tell yourself: "I would prefer this, but if that happens, it’s OK too!" This is really a change in mindset. It is a shift in attitude, and it gives you more peace of mind. You prefer that people are polite.. but when they are rude, it doesn't ruin your day. You prefer sunshine.. but if it rains, it is ok too!

To become happier, we either need to:
a) Change the world, or
b) Change our thinking.

It is easier to change our Thinking!

IN A Nutshell It is not the problem that is the issue, but rather it is your expectations and attitude attending to the problem that is the problem.
It's not what happens to you that determines your happiness. It's how you think about what happens to you that brings you peace of mind!
Think about it!

Ruchika
Editor - Dautya
Graduate Indian Student Organization

Inception for Dummies!

2010-07-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Christopher Nolan has done it again...after a string of hits, he’s come up with another fist thumping block-buster movie.

Made on the scale of his previous movie “The Dark Knight”, “Inception” has been shot in 8 cities dotting the globe from Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris and even relatively unheard Kenya’s second largest city Mombasa. The movie might not have an as taut and gripping plot as the director’s other movie “Momento” but it has his signature style storytelling that makes you jostle your brains to predict the next move or scene.

The plot is simple. You ask a “dream stealer” to reverse his act. Instead of stealing gold nuggets from a bank vault, you pay the thief to plant counterfeit money into the vault. Only here the vault is a person’s mind and the fake gold is a dream – an idea, an idea that is external to a person’s mind and an idea that could prove to be self destructive to the person in question!

Hmmm... The best way to enjoy a movie is to immerse yourself into it completely for two hours and imagine that you are the movie’s protagonist – the “hero”. In our case the lead actor is Leonardo DiCaprio who plays Cobb the dream stealer. Leo’s team, in other words, my team, comprises of Autur – my man friday, Ariadne – the young and Brilliant “dreams landscape” architect , Saito – the money monger , Eames – the impersonator and Yusuf - the chemist. Ellen Page plays Ariadne while Marion Cotillad plays Mal, a “projection” of Leo’s wife in the dream world.

Ellen’s job as an architect, is not easy. Designing landscapes in the “dream world” residing inside a person’s head involves architecting places that donot follow the laws of physics. Entire cities can fold over themselves as shown in the poster, with no calamities occurring what-so-ever. Staircases could be made to appear infinite in the dream world with the staircase neither having a beginning nor an ending.

However, “Time” does follow the constraints of physics though. Dreaming within a dream could prove to be a great time stretching act. It follows the pattern of an inverted pyramid where in five minutes of reality could seem to be a 10 hours long drive for the dreamer in the first “level” of the dream world. And if the dreamer begins to further dream within his dream, his 10 hr long dream in level one could stretch out to be six years in his higher dream level, level two. In short a person who thinks he is “living” a span of 50 yrs in his dream world level five could only be in the state of deep ( err, very deep in our case) sleep in the real world for about 5 minutes.

Uh I got distracted by the director’s slightly skewed logic …we were talking about the movie characters right? Characters! Speaking of characters, Ellen the architect is supposedly better than Leo himself according to Leo’s mentor. She proves this to the audience at a later stage.

As for my dear Marion Cotillad, who played such a lively character in “Jeux d'enfants” , she is reduced to a mere sleep walking demented character who cannot differentiate between the dream world and the real world. This is even more dangerous considering that in a dream , if you try to kill yourself , the worst that could happen is that you wake up – not so in reality!

Now consider the task on my hand – oops , the hero’s hand. I need to traverse from one dream level to the next higher dream level of certain person’s mind, and be able to come out of it by falling through each level.Failing at any stage would imply that the person would enter the state of “limbo” – a state similar to which my wife Marion Cotillad is in … ( Marion – my wife – ah – this dream feels so good! )

Ken is the character who wants to implant a self destructive dream/idea into his competitor business tycoon’s son’s head. He goes to great lengths to do so. As the quote goes:

Cobb: For this to work, we'd have to buy off the pilots...
Arthur: And we'd have to buy off the flight attendants...
Saito: I bought the airline.
[Everybody turns and stares at him. Saito just shrugs]
Saito: It seemed neater.

And another crucial member of the team is Eames – the forgery expert. Watch out for hilarious consequences as he sets out to impersonate characters inside someone else’s dream!

In all this madness of mine, I have my dear totem to hold on to ( see pic ) – which deserves the spot of a movie character in itself. If the totem spins wobbles and falls, I am in the real world .However, if it continues to spin endlessly, I am – you guessed it right – in a dream world.

Then there is the dangerous incursion into your memory areas while designing a dream. Watch the movie to know why the collision of memory area and the dream world could lead to disastrous results. The movie plot is exciting in the sense that you are in someone else’s mind and anything that you could possibly think could go wrong might go wrong! So what happens when a person in the 2nd dream level is interacting with a person in his 3rd dream level? In other words, how would it feel to interact with a same age friend who appears 50 yrs older to you in the dream world? How do you know whose dream are you in? As Ellen Page says at one point “is it his dream or her dream world that we are entering?” ( or something similar to that effect )

How do you make a person “fall down” and inturn wake him up from inside a dream if you cannot rely on non-existent gravity of the dream world?( to dimwits who watched the movie and can’t follow what I am saying - I am referring to the “lift” scene in the movie)

The highlights of the movie include the quick and quite convincingly logical transitioning from one dream level to another; the parallels drawn between a person’s real world and a dream word wherein water splashing on the lead actor’s face in the real world percolates to heavy rain in the dream world; liberal doses of CGI graphics blending seamlessly with real world locations and last but not the least, a well budgeted cinematography.

The part that I didn’t follow was how even after the billionaire’s son dies in the third dream level, he could continue on to accomplishing his mission. Ellen page explains this but apparently she and her thinking is beyond my league. The second half of the movie set in snow capped mountains turns out to be quite a drag at times.

Supposedly even a few of the movie actors didn’t understand the plot .However, pay close attention to the beginning and end of the movie. For, as in “Memento”, this movie’s end too is a jigsaw puzzle solution. It leaves your mind still tethered to your theater seat, even after you walk out of the movie hall.

Inception, the movie – one would either like it or hate it. I loved it! ( I played the lead character remember? )

-Sandeep Belure

Barish ki Boondein......

2010-07-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

बादलों में निकलो, घटाओं में नहाकर तो देखो..
दोस्तों, ज़िन्दगी क्या है छतरी हटाकर तो देखो!

[Walk under the clouds, drench in the rain..
throw away your umbrella, feel the life!]

-Ravi Goyal

San Antonio Trip!

2010-07-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing time with my friends on July 4 - The American Independence Day!! We were a group of 6 people and after lots of fancy plans, we decided to go to San Antonio!! A dream vacation spot with the most picturesque Riverwalk I have ever seen.

We arrived in San Antonio at 11am and the whole city was festive and colorful. I instantly fell in love with that place. It had the old European architecture with street lamps from Harry Potter movies and baskets of flowers hanging on each lamp post. Flowers blooming everywhere, narrow roads with lots of people walking on the streets in colorful summer dresses, buggy rides with flower decorated carriages, lush green trees and a cool breeze made this place a treat for the eyes & soul. The weather was perfect too for this wonderful day!

We headed first for the Alamo fort which is significant in the battle of Independence for Texas. It was in the middle of a park with a wishing fountain and a band playing patriotic music. There were people who were dressed as soldiers from the 19th century when the war took place. They made us sit on benches there and narrated the story of the Battle of Alamo. We next went to the museum which contained the weapons (bowie knife, rifles, pistols, cannon balls etc) used in the battle. The museum itself was in the fort, so it had raw granite walls and flooring. The striking part was that the list of the names of all the soldiers who participated in the battle was put up there.

We walked to the Riverwalk at 1pm and on the way, we saw the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium with all kinds of weird stuff and the Magic Mirror on the street which made u look like Johny Bravo - big body n short legs..hehe..

Atlast, The RIVERWALK!! yippiee..it was beautiful like Venice and a perfectly romantic place. The river flowed slowly in the middle with lots of restaurants, small stores and colorful umbrellas adorning the sides, arched stone bridges to cross sides, tall green trees, sunlight peeking through the leaves, colorful flowers on the sides, playful ducks in the river, small boats taking people on tours... oooooo.. so so perfect!

We clicked lots of photos and walked around a bit absorbing the beauty of the place. Soon we were hungry, ravishingly hunggry!!. So we headed to a Mexican restaurant and had a hearty meal of enchiladas, quesidilas etc. I loved the ambiance which was totally Mexican with the ceiling decorated with pinatas and paper lanterns.

After the heavy meal, we hurried up to see the Tower of Americas, a 750ft tall tower with an observation deck at the top from where you can see the whole city. We reached the tower, which had lots of water falls and fountains at the entrance. So we had a photo shoot again. We finally entered the tower and an elevator with glass on one side took us to the top. There was a restaurant at the top and the observation deck was beyond that. Gosh! It was open from the sides after a 6ft tall glass covering. The city was beautiful from the top. It was very windy at the top but it was not scary because we couldn’t see vertically down. We came down from the observation deck and watched a 4D movie about Texas and its attractions. It was superb. There was a scene of a snake coming near our faces and spitting on us with real water sprayed on us. Then it disappeared from the screen and we could feel something moving near our legs and we screamed.

We headed back home after this short & sweet trip. The drive was exotic, as if we had come in the middle of a forest. Tall pine tree forests on both sides of the road with patches of vast green grasslands and ranches, horses and cows grazing peacefully in the setting evening sun reminded us of the beauty of the simple village life. I dozed off in the back seat dreaming about this wonderful day spent with my buddies!!

-Rajatha

Things to do in Glorious Summer!

2010-06-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!! Yippiieee!! The heat and humidity ensures that you stay indoors for the entire day and venture out in the evenings. Lazy laid back days can hamper your thinking process & creativity and by the end of summer you will be one dumb bloke.

So kick-start your systems and have an active, productive summer.

1. Join a class -
Not the boring academic classes which is the only thing which pops up in a graduate student's mind. I'm talking about dance, music, aerobics or even workshops like Skillport for software classes (Photoshop, Dreamweaver etc.)
Look out for free classes, there are plenty offered on campus and in apartment complexes.

2. Become healthy -
Get a nice trendy dress for yourself and begin working out at the gym for the sake of looking great in that dress. This will provide a nice motivation specially for girls. The guys can hang out with their buddies and play a sport - tennis, football, cricket, swimming (please ask the girls to join too!!).
After sweating it out, make sure that you also eat healthy. Eat a colorful dinner - a portion of rice or roti, a generous helping of daal, sambar, curry or lentils, an egg or omelet, a bowl full of fresh fruits & veggies (grapes, strawberries, apples, oranges, baby carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce etc) topped with yogurt (add sum sugar for a delightful fruit dessert).

3. Be Creative -
A typical trait of Indians is shyness to experiment. But since we are living in America, shed your inhibitions and get creative. Go Stylish with your clothes, wear bright cool colors and mix & match them, try on new accessories!! Get a brand new hairstyle and let friends figure out who you are! (LOL)
Coming to food, try out exotic dishes - Italian, Mexican, Lebanese, Chinese - Houston offers world cuisine at an affordable price. Better still, try cooking them at home and involve your roommates. Its time to bond!

4. Attend parks and theaters -
There are plenty of parks across Houston - I would recommend Hermann park on any evening. It has a calming effect on you specially at the lake side. The Miller theater at Hermann park hosts lots of musical & dance shows for free during weekends (http://milleroutdoortheater.com/default.asp?id=1). Spend an evening there with close friends or a special person.

5. Visit Museums & Zoo -
Houston boasts of the Museum district which houses museums for every taste - Science, Arts, History etc. The Natural Science Museum has a free entry on Tuesdays from 2-8pm. (http://www.hmns.org/). It is truly marvelous with holographic displays and touchscreens for each exhibit. You will be fascinated by the wealth of knowledge you will accumulate about the world around you.
The Houston Zoo (http://www.houstonzoo.org/) offers to bring you close to a wide variety of Animals (rare ones like Red Panda too) in their natural habitat. And the Asian Elephant Shanthi recently gave birth to a playful little Baby Baylor. Check out the video here http://www.houstonzoo.org/baby-elephant-baylor/. If you are an animal lover like me, you will absolutely fall in love with this place.

6. Go Adventurous -
American culture involves a lot of outdoor activities. Camping or Hiking in the picturesque northern states will give you a respite from the heat and give you some quality time to explore Nature and enjoy with your buddies.

7. Plan your weekends -
Tired of working the whole week and wasting your weekend thinking what you can do?? Devote a small time before going to sleep during weekdays to plan for the weekend. This will also ensure you have nice dreams and keep you energetic for the next morning too.

8. Do Community Service -
Helping others brings in a sense of joy & satisfaction. Get some blessings by helping people. Search for children homes, old age homes or even cuddle up with the Abandoned pets.

9. Discover the City -
There are many nooks & corners in the city which you can visit. Try catching a bus which you have never boarded before and explore the places where it goes. Here are some free things to do in Houston - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1966360/25_free_things_to_do_in_houston_texas.html?cat=16

10. Develop your personality -
Okay this is a tough one!! To get out of the geeky, boring personality and becoming a charming, attractive person is not a overnight journey. It takes determination, efforts and a constant urge to sculpt yourself into a better person. Find a person you always wanted to be and try to integrate your personality with some of theirs. This blend will bring out a new flavor in you. Goodluck with that journey!

Hope you guys have an action-packed summer. If nothing works for you, don't worry, have a yummy cup of chocolate ice-cream topped with nuts and caramel sauce and Chill Out!!

-Rajatha

Yummmy Peanut Chutney

2010-06-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Perfect with Dosa, Idly or simply Licking it off from the bowl!!! This is a 5min mouth-watering Andhra recipe and you will end up wanting more and more! (Thanks to my roommate Tripura for this delicious receipe)

Ingredients
1/2 cup of Peanuts
3-4 Dry red chillies
2 Teaspoon of Tamarind paste
A pinch of Salt and Sugar
1 teaspoon oil
A pinch of Mustard seeds & Jeera

(All ingredients are readily available in Hillcroft grocery stores)

Method
Dry roast the peanuts and red chillies (5-8min) until the skin of the peanuts turn dark brown. Allow it to cool down a bit. Remove the dry skin of the peanuts by rubbing them with your hands. Now you have white peanuts and dry red chillies.

Put them in the mixer and grind. To this powder, add the tamarind paste, salt & sugar. Grind again until it forms a smooth paste. Add some water if it is too thick.

Pour out the paste in a bowl. Heat oil in a small bowl and add mustard and jeera seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle, pour it onto the paste. The Chutney is ready!!

Ready-to-pour dosa batter is available at Hillcroft. Invite your friends for a round of dosa & chutney and receive their compliments. Enjoy your summer with some native cooking and spruce up your creativity.

-Rajatha

Graduation!

2010-05-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

There is something very surreal about graduation - one day you are a student at the University and the next day you step out into the big corporate world. People tend to believe they will stay the same but this one day changes a lot of lives.

This year, I attended the Graduation Ceremony for my friends and trust me, it is one of the finest ceremonies I have attended. The stadium which housed the event was elegantly decorated and the moment you enter the hall, a feeling of pride surges inside you. The band from the Music School plays the most wonderful tunes for the occasion, giving the event the regalia it deserves. The event itself is conducted by a strict code of protocol which gives it an almost military style atmosphere of honoring the graduates.

The event started with all the graduate students taking a walk around the hall and being seated at their designated seats. Then the President of UH - Dr. Renu Khator and the Deans of the colleges, all dressed in the graduation attires lined with golden silk marched around the hall and took their places on the stage. Their attires reminded me of the cloaks worn by the professors in the Harry Potter movies. This followed by a brief speech by the President and other honorary dignitaries to open the ceremony.

Then began the actual process of hooding the graduates on stage and honoring them. It was a beautiful sight to watch with all friends & family members of the graduates cheering them up!! Its like a dream come true for them specially for parents who adore you the most. I could clearly see the twinkle in their eyes and a sense of pride, a sense of achievement that their son/daughter finally graduated.

I was dreaming about the day when I would graduate too..hehe..
Lots of pictures were taken to cherish this big day and when we joined our friends after the ceremony, it was one big joyful party!! I wish them good luck for their future endeavors and pray they make it big in their lives!

-Rajatha

Maitri 2010 - Report by the Daily Cougar

2010-04-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

http://thedailycougar.com/2010/04/12/khator-gives-fashion-show-grad-students-thumbs-up/

MAITRI 2010 Teaser Video!!

2010-04-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

MAITRI 2010.. The excitement begins!!!

2010-03-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Gear up for the biggest Indian cultural extravaganza - MAITRI 2010 organized by the Graduate Indian Student Organization at University of Houston. Join us for an evening of fun and frolic!! Bring along your friends and family to witness a colorful blend of Melodious Songs, Soulful Music, Exotic Dances, a Trendy Fashion Show & lots of other surprises in store, and end the evening with a delicious Indian dinner!! Come and enjoy the incredible performances of some of the finest talents in University of Houston!!

The Counselor General of India - Mr. Sanjeev Arora will be heading the proceedings of the event as the Chief Guest for the evening.

Also enjoy the Arts & Crafts Exhibition at the entrance of the event.

Date:     Saturday, April 10
Time:     5.30pm onwards
Venue: Cullen Performance Hall
             University of Houston
Ticket: $8   (Online)
             $10 (Box Office)

Hurry!! Follow this link & buy your online ticket today!!
http://www.tickets2events.com/maitri2010.asp

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

Its time to switch off you lights on Saturday March 27, 2010 and show your support for a better Earth!!

Climate change is the biggest cause of concern for the modern world. Please make your small contributions in saving Planet Earth!

Little Things..

2010-03-25T06:32:00.001-07:00

Chatting endlessly with friends helps you realize stuff, and then, of course like it were planned, we return to the routine we whine about. A routine in itself one might say.

Kartik was struggling to find a topic the other day for one of his articles. Of course, I am of no help, but did criticize him for writing something, for lack of a better word, oh so serious. Toyota recall something something it was.

Frankly, I am so tired of reading these things (sorry TK). We are so consumed by all of this, its plain ridiculous. Death here, corruption there. Recall here, bonus there. Granted these are important things. Granted these are things that are part of that happiness we all yearn for. But would it kill someone to write something, happy? Like how they spent the day on the porch drinking coffee, reading a book and enjoying that down time. I am sure the editor wouldn't like something like this, but you get the feel of it. I can't think good thoughts anymore, for fear of them being crumpled by future bad incidents. Must be prepared for anything, and thus ruin that little peace . Anil, was to say the least, frustrated with this line of thinking- "Can't you be happy for once- happy for no reason to add onto that?" I paused for a moment, in shock to add to that, cause I never thought that I was doing something wrong. It was natural, it was the way one should think. That what if was already in my line.

We are so consumed by these, at least I know I am, that we work towards avoiding something that might happen, versus working towards that simplicity we've been cribbing about since lord knows when.

Yours truly, will go back to the routine within a couple of time units(unspecified cause I don't want to give you false hope). But here's to at least trying....

-Shreyasee Das

Facebook

2010-03-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Simpler times - University of Houston was on the waiting list of schools to get access to Facebook. And when it did, we had to strictly use UH email. Imagine the number of people flocking to the IT dept to start using their UH email. Good times..

I used to be one of those fanatics who made sure they could tell everyone what was going on, finding every one of my friends on there, following them (no not stalking them). I liked facebook.

And then .... it got complicated. It became this myriad of quizzes, of farmville, of fishville (god give extra time to these people, since they know not that they have sinned), of mafiawars, of craziness. And I began to detest it. It is an addiction - an inelastic demand that I am trying to turn into an elastic one, if only that were possible, considering I am in grad school.

Facebook has A.D.D.- what happened to it being a social network place- now its so ANNOYING, to say the least. Everyday its layout changes. Everyday its privacy stuff changes. Everyday its new. Everyday I check it I go I miss the old facebook.

I really do. I used to hope for a better interface, and look what I got. Please Mark Zuckerberg , please don't make any more changes. Please. I am tired of hiding friends, and hiding quizzes and random smiles I get from people.

Please please please - pretty please

- Shreyasee Das

All is Well

2010-02-27T11:50:00.001-08:00

There is something very powerful in this phrase which has caught on with Indians like wildfire, thanks to movie- 3 Idiots. The very thought that "sab theek hojayega" gives you a sense of reassurance and a confidence that at the end of the day, no matter how messed up you are, there is always a good plan in store for you! So, if you feel miserable with your situation, just be patient, don't lose hope and say All is Well!! Trust me, it really works..

The movie also provides a hilarious but thought-provoking insights into discovering your true passions and pursuing them. The sense of satisfaction which comes from doing what you love, makes your work a playtime. Very few of us are lucky to pursue their dreams, most of us are satisfied with a job that gives you a name tag and a paycheck. A good example would be the life of Chetan Bhagat who gave up his hefty paying job to start off as a writer and he still ended up being a millionaire. Its all about being true to yourself which matters rather than agreeing to people around you. Don't be afraid to follow a different path. When you have the capability of pursuing that one goal, success automatically pursues you.

All said and done, I do believe that miracles happen in real life. When you truly want something, God shows you the path in his own silent ways. So never give up on your hope. Begin each day with a prayer to thank God for the wonderful life he has given you so far and a bright smile to let the world know that you are the best!! And meanwhile, don't forget to keep your true friends close to you. They are your support wherever you go, whatever you do, so make sure you always make them feel special! Be there for them when they need you, give them the love and care they deserve and you'll find that All is Well!!

Could a class be so much fun ?

2010-01-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

It was Fall 09 that I enrolled myself into a course called Engineering Administration taught by Dr.Zerda. The first day I entered the class, I saw this well dressed lady commanding enormous respect and exuding confidence. She has a very positive aura. She detailed us on coursework and plan for rest of the semester. I liked having one of my courses to be non-technical and value-adding in nature. This class delivered that and more. Have you felt that you don't want to miss the class not because you will not understand it later, but because you will miss out on learning, miss the wisdom sharing and most importantly miss out fun?

I looked forward every Monday and Wednesday to be there at the discussion. Time flew by and we hardly knew. Dr.Z never stopped anyone from speaking and never reacted to occasional class chatter. It was such an adult environment, she would encourage views from every single person plus she would treat everyone with respect and demonstrated professionalism in her interactions. That's a rare find in any school setting, rare especially for someone like me who comes from a country where teacher student relationship is sometimes more master-slave type even into graduate school years.

One of the important events in the course was to get Mr.Jonathan Moody to speak to us and share his experiences as Engineering-Manager. It was one of the kind experiences. Mr.Moody gave us an impromptu talk about his career and life. He talked about his subordinates, people he had interacted with and companies he worked for. For the first time after coming to this country I felt how similar all of us are, operating with similar needs, emotions, fears, expectations, insecurities and hopes. Also I saw how unbiased and welcoming Americans could be.

Another significant memory from the course was the book ' Leadership and Self Deception'. When it comes to books, unless it's a fiction, some of us need increased impetus to finish the book. Dr.Z planned a quiz in order to make us finish the book. This book transforms you. I learned lessons for life.

Further the Game Simulation simulating business environment was an experience which makes me look business news in CNBC in a more informed manner. I can finally understand terms and appreciate how businesses are built. The class coincided with CNBC's great shows like Executive Vision, Biographies, Stories of Walmart, Google, Interviews with Warren Buffet etc.

The final business presentation was a hit for our team. I got to work with wonderful team-mates with inspiring work ethics.To wind it all up nicely, Dr.Z planned a dinner potluck at her residence and most of us were there. Dr.Z was a warm host. She is young at heart and very active for someone of her age.

This class would be one of my important classes in my program and I would recommend it to anybody from any background. At personal level, EA would stay in my memories for days to come.

-Shrividya

Elephants and Dragons

2010-01-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

For me holidays mean resting, relaxing, reading and learning. I recently borrowed an audio book( audio books work best with me these days, given my 10 month old who would tear books to pieces. At our home the digital version of anything is more invincible than paper.) by Robyn Meredith called 'The elephant and the dragon. This was long overdue given that the book came out in 2006. It has been by far a very popular book in " India China Economy" domain.

I have just read 3 chapters amounting to 2 CDs in a set of 8 and loved it completely.
Ms.Meredith is a foreign correspondent for Forbes in India and China. She has managed to paint a realistic ( in my view) picture of what's happening to India and China and what it means to the world. This book is an absolute read for all Asians, Indians and Americans as well.

Since she is a news correspondent, through an audio book, she has taken us to the roads, airports and cities in India and I could also completely visualize her descriptions about Beijing, Shanghai and many other Chinese towns. You can relate the audio book to NPR broadcasts if you ever heard the public broadcasting station at 87.7 FM.

The verbiage excellently captures the actual feelings of post-globalization citizens and benefactors. Interestingly you do not get bogged down by statistics and appreciate what's happening in the East comprehensively and clearly. As a 20 or 30 something you may not have witnessed the reforms that were executed in both the countries ( 1978 - China 1991 - India) and how it changed the way things were done forever.

As a Easterner living in the West, this book led me to imagine the amount of opportunities these countries have in future and to sustain a 8% plus GDP growth given the enormous investments, labor and other resources going into the system.

A part of book tells why it has been easier in China to implement the infrastructure and not in India. Politician Kamalnath has attributed this to the Authoritarian rule in China where things happen at snap of the finger, as opposed to India where the government is decided by the people (Democracy) and thrown out of control if reforms are seen as some threat. Additionally corruption and red tapism slows down the process, making India an Elephant and not a tiger. Atleast it's progressing steadily like a druken man as the book quotes. China is ahead of the two and the Infrastructure is extremely modern and fast growing with newer technologies. A trip to China from India is like a trip to Singapore - a treat to eyes as I can conceive from Meredith's viewpoint.

Also this book is in sync with "my dreams for my country". Better roads, better facilities, better planning, less waiting and an Internet based living. Sitting in 2010 one can imagine more realistically about how India is going to change. A change that is inevitable, given that people are starting to believe in open competition, hence making voting decisions and older generations that are bein g replaced by better salaried young people who are receptive to new ways of living, giving rise to a less conservative and more modern culture.

A farmer's son is no more a farmer, he is sitting in air conditioned rooms with coffee machines and other amenities beside him at work. This boy wants to build a bigger life for his parents, wants to buy a microwave, AC or Flat screen TV, things unimaginable in his father's days.
Or take a girl, who if she was out of college ( provided she even made it to college) looking for jobs before 1990 would have landed on a clerical post, irrespective of her skills, but now is capable of supporting a whole family because she is a part of 2010 India. This has happened within my family.

Elephants and dragons were created when the east opened it's doors to the prosperous westerners. Suddenly East is a fertile land for young, energetic entrepreneurs.

Undoubtedly there is more to happen, newer challenges with free market, but it's all exciting and promising ! !

-Shrividya

Diwali

2009-10-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Diwali - The festival which is revered as the most sacred as well as the most fun-filled one in India. The festival signifies the beginning of a prosperous year, the victory of good over evil, the spreading of light to disperse the darkness in our lives and who can forget the delicious food and delicacies prepared by our moms.
Before nostalgia sets in, let me tell you guys about the Diwali Puja which took place on campus.

This year GISO hosted the Diwali puja along with ISA to bring together all Indian students and celebrate Diwali, thanks to the kindness & generosity of Dr.Durga Agarwal who came forward with the idea of a Diwali puja. Equally enthusiastic was Dr.Suresh Khator who, along with President Renu Khator ensured that the event was one of the finest in recent times.

Legend says that the Goddess of wealth Lakshmi visits Earth on Diwali and brings prosperity to her worshipers. So people clean their houses and adorn it with flowers, lights and rangoli. A traditionally decorated hall greeted the guests and adding to the festive spirit was the wide array of colors displayed in the Indian ethnic clothes worn by the students. The beautiful Rangoli at the entrance captured everybody's attention thanks to the efforts of the girls who made it. The function started with the Lakshmi puja. The sacred hymns and chants lent a peaceful, holy ambiance which rekindled the feeling of being in a temple. It transports you to a different world where you get spiritual peace.

As guests started pouring in, there was a profusion of joyful greetings. The curiosity and interest which the foreigners showed in the puja amazed me. They were eager to know about each of the rituals performed during the puja. They were all ears to hear the stories and legends associated with Diwali which we were happy to share. A delicious Indian lunch which followed the puja offered a perfect respite to the cravings for Indian food.

This Diwali gave me the satisfaction of celebrating it in the authentic Indian style (with only the firecrackers missing, i guess). I hope the others had the same feel- good factor lingering in them. Wish you all a very Happy Diwali!!

P.S. Our excited web administrator could not contain his joy and uploaded the photos and videos of the event the very next day. Check them out at our website's gallery.

PARICHAY 2009!!

2009-10-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Parichay – the time of the year when fun, frolic & masti was high in the air and everybody had a rocking time. This year, Parichay attained a new height with the event going Housefull. The tickets were completely sold out before the event and we were overwhelmed by the response of the crowd. Thanks a million for your support!!!

The show started with the best moves of Shantanu & Shreyasee. They are the dance legends at UH and no show can be complete without them. Okay, it was a show for the freshers, so stealing away the limelight from the legends, the freshers jumped onto the stage and danced to foot tapping numbers. Boy, I must say we have got a very talented & energetic bunch of new students who gave spectacular performances on stage.

Remember the song “Dil hai chota sa” from the movie Roja?? It always makes me nostalgic of my childhood and it was made more beautiful by Deepthi who sang the song in an amazing mix of Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. It was soulful and captured the true essence of India - the diverse culture. Rohan and Shaunak also captivated the audience with their songs and got the audience singing to their tunes.

The real fun was the games round. Tribal Queen game was where the audience had to choose one person from their table and dress him up with newspaper and other decorations. The winner was the Statue of Uday who was dressed up with a crown on his head and even a torch in his hand. The other game was Longest Chain where the team had to make a chain with whatever was available with them. (I could even see a pair of socks in the chain..lol). The group from Houston Bridges made a chain which went half way around the hall and they bagged the prize!

The Mr & Miss Parichay contest was all about being smart and witty on stage where the participants had to introduce themselves in a hatke way & were asked naughty questions by the judges – Shilpa, Raashi and Vijay. And we got some really smart and hilarious answers. Rohan & Katha were crowned the Mr & Miss Parichay for their cool attitude and talents.

And Oh! Who could forget the Mismatch contest which was held at the beginning of the show? The people who turned up at the contest were extremely creative. A shoe on one foot, a heeled sandal on the other, a necktie around the head, a colorful beach shirt coupled with formal boots, it was fashion at its mismatched best.

Adding to the fun were the anchors – Saumitra, Fabian, Spoorthi and Madhura who were taking a dig at the “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” phrase. Finally there was the Jam session when people let their hair down and danced to the best of Bollywood songs. Had a gala time dancing with the enthusiastic crowd. It was a refreshing change to party hard in the middle of a semester. And to cherish this memorable time, we took lots of pictures. Check them out at the photo gallery of our website!!

-Rajatha

Orientation & Independence Day!!

2009-08-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

As the 63^rd Indian Independence Day unfolds, India emerges as a young nation whose dreams and aspirations are recognized by the world over. Be it politics, movies, fashion or food, India is creating waves in the International circuit and is being appreciated everywhere for its unique appeal. The attitude of India is changing too. As Amitabh Bachchan’s Lead India campaign rightly points out that the new India does not boycott foreign made goods anymore, it buys out those companies instead. The world is holding its breath and watching the show.

This year, the GISO team not only decided to celebrate the spirit of the new India but also make the people aware of the grass root level problems which have been plaguing India. There is a shining India living in the cities but there is also an India without three square meals to eat. The time has come to bridge the gap between the two.

Starting off the Independence Day celebrations was an inspiring speech by none other than the President of UH – Dr. Renu Khator. The motivational videos shown after that made the audience realize the importance of an individual’s responsibility towards our motherland. A powerful presentation by Vikram Shete on the true potential of a united India added an interesting flavor to the show. A short play highlighting the problems of India and the ignorance of people towards these problems was brilliantly presented in a simple yet effective way.

We, as students in the U.S.A. , get a firsthand experience of what U.S. offers us and what India lacks. So we are the people who are responsible to take that one small step that would make a big change in India. Several organizations like Pratham and A.I.D. serve the country by funding projects to help the kids and the needy in India. Insights into their work were presented by their volunteers and it was great to see the response from the crowd who signed up with these organizations after the show.

Well, well, there were several interesting things before the show too. Hats off to the GISO volunteers who made the tricolor come out alive with their face painting stall. The very sight of the Indian flag adorning the hands & faces of the audience instilled a proud feeling of being an Indian. Also, the thumb printing of the Indian flag at the entrance took the patriotic fervor to a new high.

This Independence Day proved to be special for GISO because it was the first time that there were two events conducted on the same day. We welcomed the new students with the Orientation program which equipped them with the basic information required to kick start their new life in the U.S.A. The curious, eager look on their faces reminded me of my days as a fresher here when everything is new and you spend your time exploring the city, culture and the people around you.

A word of advice to the new students – be highly adaptive to any situation, keep your learning spirits high and absorb the good features of the American culture in your life. I guess Time = Money seems to be good lesson to start with. There are several more which you need to discover and make them part of your life.

Last but not the least, the time and efforts of the GISO team in putting together these events are praise-worthy. Three cheers to the team and the volunteers for their hard-work and brilliance!!!

Editor's Note

2009-07-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

The exhilarating feeling of actually becoming the Editor of Dautya has sunk in finally and I'm ready to launch this year's newsletter with a humble note of thanks to all the people who support me always and of course GISO for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

On a happy note, let me introduce you to bright new members of the GISO committee. Omkar is the President who is currently holidaying in India. (I envy him). Watch out for his talents right from sand-animation to poetry to drama. (P.S. He also makes excellent chai, so his home has become our official meeting place!!). We have also got an amazing trio of Vice Presidents. Bhushan -The logistics guy. A true philosopher who will make you see the world from a different perspective everytime. (His favorite line- I have got an idea!), Vishnu - He is in incharge of finance and a member of Pratham (Oh boy, i can hear the jingle of the money already), and Tejas - the PR and publicity guy who gets to know a million people wherever he goes.

The gorgeous Gauri is the Cultural Secretary who is also a great dancer. She provides the insights in the planning of the events and will make sure that the crowd is never disappointed. The ever-smiling Ravi is the Sports Secretary who wishes to take sports to a new high. So get ready to play your best game. Not to forget Sandeep- the Webmaster, whose efforts in putting up an attractive website and posters will earn him scores of brownie points.

Well well, I'm proud of the new team and wanted to give them a boost before they get to work. Coming to me, this is my first summer in Houston and it has been a fulfilling one too. Thought I would be bored with my dreadful research but thankfully I'm still excited about it. Weekends are packed with novels, movie nights and masti with friends. Started discovering new dance styles at the Miller theatre which hosts some great performances from around the world. Tried some new cuisines but cannot let go of the taste of the chatpata Indian food. That reminds me, I need to grab my lunch before my stomach starts yelling!!

So, before signing off, a note to the incoming new students - We welcome you to your new life and hope that you have a great time here. We need your cooperation and participation in all our activities to make them truly wonderful. Goodluck and have fun!!!

-Rajatha

Maitri 2009

2009-07-09T21:51:00.001-07:00

The Path of Philanthrophy

2009-07-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ah Ha!! So it’s that time of the year again. Hoards of new faces would be streaming into the campus - the bus stops, the subway, the library , the parking lot and even the red route bus. Experience having made me wiser, I thought I could afford to dole out a little advice to the new-bies. (Who doesn’t love “giving” advise : )? ).

I recently came across an article which listed out the top 20 ways to stay happy. Getting richer than your peers was one of them – ah – if only things were that simple! However, philanthropy and “trying out new things” also figured on the list. I have always regretted not having had enough time for both philanthropy and experimenting. If you are a new-comer, here is something you could do at U of H - to - you guessed it right – to stay happy! I have done some of them myself- with – should I say – “resounding success” :)

Enroll for free Salsa dance classes. They are held both at the recreation center and the cougar den once a week.
Join “Cougar for kids”. I saw a guy sporting the “Cougar for kids” T-shirt. Trust me. From the look ron his face, I am sure it was worth the volunteering efforts.
Buy a 35 dollar guitar or any other musical instrument of your choice and enroll for a course. At the end of six months, you would be a ‘certified’ and also ahmmm… hopefully a good entertainer. The catch here being that, you would also be poorer by 1000$ – 1500$.
Join AID – Association for India’s development.
Participate in marathons – the regular rush of fresh oxygenated blood to you head might do you some good in the long run :P
‘Pratham’ holds small fund raising events every 3 months or so. Volunteer in it.
Register for donating your Bone marrow – you will be surprised how simple the process is.
Learn Turkish for free for 3 hrs on Tuesdays – for all you know, you might one day see yourself at an Indian restaurant with a Turkish date. ( ‘Kind old lady experience’ tells me that’s a far-fetched idea though…)
And last but not the least, Houston – it seems, has a separate season set aside for it – the hurricane season! Pray for a few hurricanes...and when the hurricane arrives, stop, take a deep breath and then move around effortlessly as the world around you comes to a mesmerizing stand-still.

Anyways, here’s the original article that I referred to earlier:

Ok, so how about starting your philanthropy sessions by advising the next person you come across? If you look closely, I just did that : )

-Sandeep Bellure

A Maitri to remember!!

2009-04-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

“Aankhon mein sapne liye,
Ghar se hum chal toh diye…”

Shaan crooned in my ears. My MP3 enabled phone showed there were at least ten more Shaan songs to come and I smiled. Tea and songs go together better than Vodka and Sprite.

A roommate suddenly crashed into my room,

“Maitri’s coming up in a month. Dude, you have to be in it.”
“What am I going to do in it?” I knew what he had in mind.
“Err, mimicry!!”
“Yeah, right!”, I mumbled and continued in silence.

I entered the University next day on what should have been like any other day. Doing nothing but looking at the girls, eating, attending a lecture; or not attending anything at all and coming home later in the evening. But as that awaited evening approached I found myself amidst a group of fired up enthusiasts, all my age talking animatedly about “I am in a dance”, “Main dance aur fashion show”, “Ok, folks, gather around…”. Stuff that made little or no sense to me. And then,
“What are you here for?”
“Mimicry”
“Mimicry? That’s difficult to adjust in the show”, said a girl, who introduced herself as Shilpa later.
For no reason at all, I was disappointed. I should have been happy. Chalo, I'm free
But a girl sitting on the sofa opposite me, looked and said, “Why don’t you audition for compering?”
Uh oh!

I couldn’t stand on stage for more than 10 minutes, throat would, for sure, go dry not to mention a lingering feeling of 3rd degree interrogation. My heart races beyond time and everything blanks out. Urghghgh

“Ok.... I am Saumitra, and you are?”
“Mayuri”. (Nods at both ends)

Audition time: The President of GISO, Graduate Indian Students Org., for the uninitiated, introduced himself, with a small pep-talk about how good he wanted the show to be, and I was blank all the while. After an audition that had me and two others and a half hour later, I was told that I would be contacted.
Hmm...it seemed to be bigger than I thought.

***********************************************************************************

After almost a month of not practicing at all and hardly meeting the co-host twice, who had a major role to play later, I was confident that we could pull this off.

April 3rd, 12:00 PM…

Roshiny, the co-host, calls me,

“Saumitra, there’s a problem”

I suddenly felt like a bolder hit me, straight at my heart. Even before I could hear her next words I concluded that I was going to be alone on stage, facing the crowd, thinking what do I say, looking puzzled, shivering, and may being pulled away by someone from backstage.

“My advisor is not letting me go, I am going to be horribly late” (Urghghgh Advisors!!)

I let the biggest sigh ever. It was bad, but at least I wouldn't be alone. So what if we were the least practiced of all, I was confident before and I was at least breathing now.

The stage was ready; it looked grand; just like the last time I had stepped on one. Nine years had gone by in ultra-zipped mode. I looked at Roshiny, thought she looked perfect for the occasion. ‘What if I goof-up?’, ’what if I blank out?’, ‘what if….’

The prayer was sung, the speech delivered, and the hosts were called upon.

Moment of truth!! Roshiny looked at me, “All the best”, “Same to you.”

***********************************************************************************

Five minutes later I was back in the wings, banging my head. I had goofed up. Blanked out and all the other ‘what ifs’… Okay, I am not doing it again, I told myself; and five minutes later I was almost in sweat and shivering from the second goof-up, and all the spoonerisms.

Roshiny gave me a small pep-talk and all I heard was, “what the heck was that? What are you doing?” although that was not what she was saying.

We went up again, after a near perfect performance by Dhun. I remembered all my lines, and Roshiny took care of the rest. Making fun, involving the crowd, making them laugh, making them clap, basking in those claps… all the perks of being on stage.

Backstage was a totally different story.
“Vishal, I want the next group ready.”
“They are”
“Great, I need them in the wings in one minute”
“Arey, don’t worry about that, concentrate on your compering”
“Saumitra, look at me, concentrate on our job. Don’t look at what’s going on”
‘I can’t, we cannot put fillers for everything’
“yeah, yeah”, I muttered
“So, the next part, we will use this filler…”
‘Everything’s so blurry…’

How in the world was I hearing Puddle of Mudd out of nowhere? But it was what it was – blurry.
The crowd in one section was getting unruly by the minute. Backstage, everyone was starting to get worried, some were getting fired up. Something had to be done. ‘You cannot do that’, I heard someone say. Many were visibly irked by that particular pocket of audience.

“I am going to tell them to be quiet” – Roshiny
“No, please don’t do anything rash” – me

***********************************************************************************

It was my turn to go back stage for the skit. Thankfully, after all the well covered goof-up and near perfect impromptu stuff, with people laughing we left the stage and I was back on… in the half naked Ravana out-fit, I played in the skit.

Dance.

Singing by Dhwani, another round of fashion show, ‘The Dark side of moon’, and all were waiting for the next event. At least everyone back stage and everyone who knew what was coming up.

Sand-animation was announced. It took a while for the set-up. I let Roshiny go to see it. I had had my share of choking in the noon. Vishal asked me to put in a filler as the set-up was taking a while. But something in me stopped from going up. I did not want the mood to change. It was somber after the exploring the ‘dark-side’, it was about to go up to an emotional high now.

Lights… stage… silence… music… Gandhi… the charismatic Bapu enthralled the audience in sand-form on a white screen. The story-telling was perfect. Many must’ve chocked on one image after other. I saw the show from behind the screen, and the effect was same. With tears in my eyes, nostalgia in mind. The crew went up for what seemed to be an endless round of applause. Omkar later told me that he was very emotional while receiving that applause. They deserved every single bit of it. No more words spoken, everyone rushed towards food in pure desi shtyle. A perfect end to a perfect event. Smiles, congratulatory remarks, hugs, flying kisses, more hugs, hand-shakes, smiles, some more hugs, and food.

It is difficult to put all that went by in words, but Maitri will remain.

‘Mitti ki khusbu aaye, palkon pe aansu laaye,
Palkon pe reh jayega, yaadon ka jahaan’

~Saumitra Vaidya

For Real?

2009-04-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

It wasn't supposed to turn out this way, however we half hoped for it. Going in, none of us had predicted the impact it would have on each of us. Cliched, but true. We couldn't deny it, we couldn't verbalize it. The night before, we were struggling, in every sense of the word. Dances weren't set, ticket sales were frighteningly low, every possible quarrel was surfacing, I for one was ready to give up. It wasn't like me, but that was it. I couldn't take it anymore.

I went back home thinking about all the work that we had put in for Maitri 2009 to be a success- the publicity and sponsorships Mayuri and Ravi worked for, Saravanan going through what every President goes through handling an organization, Manny trying to keep up with us with our extravagant demands regarding videos and website updates, Karthik and I still in a conundrum on dances, Prashanth trying to figure out why half of us were screaming at each other, Shilpa going out of her mind handling all the events and then Vishal, poor Vishal handling all of us- who was handling him remains an unanswered question. Chaotic right? How we pulled it off, will remain in the enigmatic books of unknown history.

There was no pressure(all pun intended). Srinath's team had pulled off one the best Maitri's in GISO's history, we had to top it. We had to cut down performances cause there were so many of them emerging, it was hard to do that. It was our reputation on the line. Friday evening was do or die, for me-do and die .

And then it happened, everything fell in its place. A three hour event, all with its glitches, hidden carefully and professionally. New records surfacing, every participant in everything. We couldn't suppress too much talent, yours truly guilty of this as well. Dances were an instant hit, the UH band pulled off their spirits, fashion show living up to last year's side effect, Ram-Leela- hmm I am sure we can keep that off the list given the impact it had on us, phenomenal to say the least and then Sand Animation. That one event we were counting on to make our Maitri better than the rest, our savior from all possible criticism, our messiah. There was not one glitch when it took place- nostalgia filled up the air like never before. Omkar and his team pulled off something none of us had even dared to predict.

The aftermath of Maitri, like generations before had faced, still is the same. An oft heard phrase around the UH campus amongst the Indian crowd - "Let's go practice". Kranti teased me the following weekend, asking me if I had gotten out of the Maitri fever. The answer is a little too obvious. Its one of those things that leaves something on you- be it missing deadlines, be it not caring about homework, be it time management skills (that we dutifully forget later on), be it anything- it keeps us talking of the good times.

To all who helped us make Maitri 09 a success, a sincere Thank You from the Editor. I shall now stop writing since my labmates are wondering what I am doing and let you off the misery this write up has brought about.

~Shreyasee Das

Circle of Life

2009-04-18T09:46:00.001-07:00

Last evening was a trip down nostalgia lane. About twenty years ago, I said goodbye to my own college campus in India and since then never had the opportunity to attend any college function. However, the Circle of Life is such it leads you back sometimes to moments that you have long forgotten. Now that my oldest daughter is a teenager who dances to Indian classical and Bollywood songs, we are revisiting some of those situations that we once experienced, this time around as amused parents.

So it was an interesting evening yesterday, as we attended a cultural function at the University of Houston, organized by the UH graduate Indian students’ organization. The function was held at the beautiful Cullen performance hall, CPH as students call it. As yet, this has been one of the nicest venues that my daughter has performed at. The CPH auditorium was impressive and I was surprised at the large number of Indian college students at the University of Houston. My husband noted that comparatively very few Indians had been students when he had gone to graduate school at the University of Florida.

Being among this Indian college crowd, here in Houston, for a short while, was an energizing experience. It was almost like we were back in India and only the presence of the American security personnel around reminded us otherwise. I could not help reminiscing about my own college days and functions. Everything seemed familiar, the expressions on the young college students faces, their enthusiasm, their energy and vitality, their accent, their silly jokes, the Bollywood songs and tunes that occasionally the audience would chime in with. Life changes and yet it remains the same in so many ways.

The audience seemed like any other college crowd in India, in fact not even that different from the college crowd I knew years ago. With a typical Desi college crowd, which behaved quite well overall, there was the usual howling, whistling, noisy expressions of approval or disapproval depending on what was happening on stage. It takes a bit of courage, I think, to host a college function, so I thought the two young comperes for the evening, Saumitra and Roshiny, did a nice job of keeping things together in a light-hearted manner.

The programs presented by the UH college students were quite entertaining. There was the usual mix of singers and dancers and even a funny version of a Ram-Leela. We liked the ‘hum dum suniyo re’ dance. The audience seemed to enjoy the semi-classical dance that the six girls including my daughter performed, on behalf of Pratham @ UH – a non-profit organization. The audience was quiet during their performance, clapping to the beat when the Taal song played and cheering the youngest performers of the evening, in a nice way; none of the hooting or whistling for our young teens, fortunately.

My daughter was rather intimidated at first, walking into a college campus for the first time in her life. She and her friends stuck together, feeling rather uncomfortable about being stared at, all dressed up as they were in their dance finery. But they enjoyed the evening and in typical American style did a little hooting on their own when they really liked something on stage, while I laughed sitting behind them. When they got a little too loud, I had to step in and ask them to tone it down a bit but it was with a smile on my face. (By the way, it took me a couple of years in this country to realize that this is one difference between Indian and American culture; that Indians hoot as a sign of disapproval whereas American children seem to hoot as a sign of approval or enjoyment.)

So to all you young college students, enjoy those few college years and make them really memorable. Well, hopefully without being foolish or ending up with any destructive life-time bad habits. (Sorry, that’s the mom in me.) And talking of the Circle of Life reminds me of the Elton John song in the Lion King movie, from where this phrase came and stayed in my mind.

The lyrics of the song are to some extent, quite representative of life, I feel, and they read;

“From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There's more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

There's far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high

Through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round

It's the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the Circle

The Circle of Life”

~Mrs. Ansu Abraham

Un Humilde Comienzo, Un Magnífico Acabado!!

2009-04-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

He called them on stage and some 500 odd joined their hands to honor the efforts of these good fellas! It was the final moment on 3^rd April, 2009 when The President-GISO, delivered the vote of thanks, closing Maitri 2009 formally.

The evening was packed with total entertainment. Performances brought back retro-memories, portrayed the finesse of the modern, and flaunted the grace-gait of the otherwise academic human. While melodious rhythms spanned the auditorium, the elegance of kids had the audience in awe! As the people thought about dinner they were served food-for-thought by the organizers. The event unfolded gradually and all were glued to their chairs. The chief guest decided to put his phone on hold and wait an hour beyond his commitment. The Khators, opined that, this was no less than any other professional event on the block. Simply put, if you missed this… you’ve missed something. Un impresionante evento..!!

Why am I all praise for this… am I biased? I am not… what I saw, I am writing! (Don’t crib about the grammar.. get the idea… don’t go guessing my grades in school… !). Yeah, some say that a lot of improvements are needed. Some dances were not upto the mark, some songs were out of tune, the lights were on during animation, fashion show lost sync at one instance, they could have got a better script for the skit, the MC’s were not confident blah blah blah……. Ok… give em a break!!! These are a bunch of students who have sacrificed a lot, put a lot at stake and yes, don’t forget the ever demanding professors with their home-works and exams. By the way, these fellas are few thousand miles away from their comfort zones and with minimum resources, with little or no knowledge where to find those! In such hostile conditions and at such low cost, they provide a total fun filled, for-family, entertainment package with dinner… dare we criticize?

To put up an apparently flawless event of three hours it takes atleast couple of months of planning, tremendous practices (improvisations…!) and debates. The entire process revolves around eliminating and weeding out the deficiencies. It is a grueling task since there are few dozen people involved. The complexity lies not in the gigantic proportions of the task, but the nature of the task itself. There are multi-thronged issues like, multiple -participation due to over enthusiasm, different time commitments of individuals at different times, availability of participants, place and props and funds for those. The list just goes on. It’s the committee that has to deal with it and without letting it percolate to the participants who work religiously towards the goal.

To add to all this potpourri of issues is the fact that the organization is voluntary by nature and no one “has” to do anything. It’s the passion to do what needs to be done or the passion to excel that fuels the volunteers. Amazing things happen when this passion is at its peak. The mind stretches beyond its limits to find simple solutions to almost any problem. Some classics were seen this time too. Sand animation needed sand. Galveston grounds offered plenty and plenty was brought. No one gave a thought that it would be damp then. On the first day of practice, the sand didn’t move an inch, leave alone drawing a sketch. The VP- Finance decides to use a microwave at around 1 am somewhere in the school. On the day of the event, while two over-head-projectors were required, only one was available! Some bright mind thought of using a flexible lamp and the day was saved. A well trained couple decides to walk off the ramp for reasons best known to them. Hours of practice helps the other couples to follow them as if it were a part of the fashion show! It’s just amazing to see people being innovative and doing things impromptu.

What seems to be an awesome event to the audience is slightly less than what the performers are actually capable of putting up. If ever their best is to be seen, it is the practice before the event day. All is at stake, there is no audience pressure but the pressure of a performance is enough to bring out the best without messing around. All these efforts, stress, sacrifice and endurance culminate in an eventful evening like that of Maitri 2009 on the 3^rd of April, 2009. Every year, for those who have been around long enough to see a change, there is something new, something better and it’s a sight to enjoy! A lot more can be written but its 2 am and I need to let the eyes drop down else it will be yet another lecture lost ‘morrow!

~Vikram Shete

A Content President

2009-04-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

“You reap what you sow”… a phrase which is apt for Maitri 2009. The participants and the organizing committee put in a lot of hard work and were dedicated to make Maitri 2009 a huge success. Kudos to their efforts, for Maitri this year saw a record turnout of 517 people from all over Houston.

Amidst much pomp and grandeur the night was made special by several dance acts. A riot of colorful dresses with an excellent theme for the fashion show plus the vigorous dance movements to Rahman’s tunes got the crowd excited. The band from UH cast a spell on the audience with their melodious songs while the hilarious skit on “Ram Leela” by apna drama troupe 'Berozgaar Mandali’ got the audience in splits. Adding to the variety was the final event ‘ Sand Animation’ which probably(at least according to me ) was hosted for the First time in Houston. This was the cherry on of the cake, for the participants got four standing ovations during their 15- minute presentation.

Cheers to the entire team for pulling off one of the biggest and successful events of the year –Maitri 2009 and that too with ishtyle :)

Maitri 2009- a red letter day in the lives of the GISO committee 2008-2009 , an event full of memories which probably would accompany us till the very end.

~ Saravanan Srinivasan, President

Maitri- A Biased View

2009-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

What a night it was!!! Aug 3^rd “Friday night” - Maitri 2009 – Ah!! What started off as just another day involving the drudgery of my every day grad life, proved to be something quite different. Well, if you are still clueless about what I am referring to, then you need to flip through GISO’s calendar – I am talking about the performance at the aptly titled annual Indian graduate students’ fest – Maitri. The event turned out to be overwhelming, mesmerizing, fantabolous, marvelous, fascinating, enthralling, spellbinding, riveting, absorbing, engrossing, and most of all - invigorating. Hold on! Did you just say that the words mentioned above all mean the same? Hmmm – on second thoughts, may be you are right – however, when you need to describe the profound impact of a mere 3 hour show on your mind, you need the support of these words!

The show started at 5: 30 pm as per schedule. The invitees were treated to an art display at the hall entrance near the ticket counter. Arnika, Shantanu, Gauri and Trupti had put up their art creations and managed to draw the attention of a few who had a keen eye for art. I don’t intend to provide an all encompassing account of the whole fest here and I may skip mentioning a few events and the names of the participants involved. I missed a first few shows myself and wouldn’t be able to do justice to them by writing about them here. That’s the reason I have titled it a biased view – as these are solely my views J

Of the shows I missed was GISO president Sarvananan’s Welcome speech. Well I don’t regret having missed it much since I get to hear a lot from him on a frequent basis anyways :D ( jokes apart , it’s probably his high energy, non – stop Hindi oratory skills with liberal doses of a heavy south Indian accent that made him the GISO President in the first place.) Next came the invocation prayer and the songs, followed by the much awaited dance shows. Dance is said to be ‘art in motion’ and the performers proved it. The efforts that they had put in were evident in the splendid choreography, smooth synchronization and the neat performance for the ‘Desi-Girl’ song. Quoting from ‘The economist’ - “When Chiranjeevi entered the stage (during a political rally) the crowd threatened to boil and burst”. When, Kartik entered the stage to perform the mega-star Chiranjeevi’s song, the crowd response was no different. His performance could only be matched by his co-performer Shreyasee’s village belle act – complete with the appropriate histrionics and facial expression. Amidst deafening noise, Kartik danced to the tune of another popular Telugu song. The crowds went hysterical when he performed the “The veena step” during the Jalsa performance. The smoke screen effect for the dance brought in a new dimension to the performance. NGO Pratham had sponsored a dance show of its own – titled the ‘Kathak Swing’. This was followed by Shantanu and his group slicing the air with their slick dance moves. The rubber-like body twists and gravity defying ‘balancing on the toe’ acts were also impressive. The crowd was electrified. Hmmm, now did I forget something? Ah yes! There was of course the nostalgic 1960s dance song and the evergreen “Dhagala lagli kala” dance performce by “Sita” and group. Having lived in Pune myself, I couldn’t help lift a leg or two for this quintessential Marathi song while I was backstage. Now what was I doing backstage? Well, I was eagerly waiting for Sita to finish “his” dance show, rush backstage, wrap around a sari at the speed of rolling a chappati and get ready for our next show – a short skit titled “Ram-leela”

.“Ram-leela” proved to be quite a disaster – well almost. Sita’s ‘collar mike’ had slid down her sari and had managed to find its way to the ground. Ram’s arrow was supposed to strike Ravan at the 4^th attempt but it pierced the center of ravan’s heart at the very 1^st attempt. The ‘Berozgar’ drama company manager (myself) was so engrossed in enacting his dialogues that he barely noticed that he held his mike a meter away from his body – the clamorous crowd didn’t hear a word of what he said. In all the mayhem - Hanuman never got to know when his tail got detached. Hanuman’s weapon - Gadha, stubbornly refused to give-in to the physical force of the mighty Ravan and did not break as preplanned. The play’s director – Sarvanan , who sat in the front row with the chief guest , struggled to hide the surprised look on his face when the very same actors whom he had directed a few days ago, mouthed dialogues he had never heard before. But was anyone complaining? Not the crowd at least. When Ravan did his famous intimidating laughing act, the crowd played along with him and laughed too – this time even louder. When Ram entered the stage, the din of the crowd soared. Hmmm, there were a few jeers too such as a clearly audible loud and sarcastic “Wow!! What ye comedy” and “yeek-celle-ant” –as in ‘excellent’.

There was even an irrelevant but infamous kadigesta ninnu shout in Telugu– roughly translating to “I will teach you a lesson” that YSR had uttered to Chandra Babu. However, the fact remains, that no-one stood up, turned around , showed their backs to the stage or started clapping in the opposite direction - to demean the participants as it routinely happens in a few unfortunate fests that I have attended. The fact remains that a majority of the crowd lapped it up and had a hearty laugh.

The fashion show by Arnika was a bit of a show stopper. There was the ethnic round with the girls resplendent in their ethnic dress and the guys strutting their traditional wear. It was hard to not notice that two non – Indian couples also took part in the show, beaming in their sarees and kurthas. The tattoos - be it a well drawn swastika symbol on the arm or a complete back covering design on one of the male participants – all were in line with the dark theme of the fashion show. A few things that I still remember from the fashion show: Bhushan’s hat, Shantanu’s semi painted face and his robot like act, Atul strumming his guitar in the middle of the stage, the ‘Kaante’ Hindi movie act where a string of actors walk to the front of the stage at once – only this time, it was the ladies doing the act -all these added to the captivating experience. And who could forget that it was not the facial paint but the trade-mark gait and “slurp-slurp” act of Gangadhar that infused life into the villainous character of the infamous Joker. The lead girl couldn’t stop flaunting her cardboard wings –even after the show got over! My only regret is that Tejas should have been allowed to unmasked and reveal himself towards the end of the show, which he didn’t.

But it was the sand animation that stole everyone’s hearts. This was proven by the fact that it received four – I repeat – four standing ovations. A surge of patriotism rippled through the crowd when the Indian map was drawn impromptu, in sand. Be it the cute little toy train with "only Europeans" written on it or the more abstract figurine drawing of the Mahatma Gandhi himself – lean, clad in inexpensive dhoti and clutching a walking stick in one hand - the drawings brought new life to the story that Omkar narrated in a soothing voice. He ended the story by thanking GISO and calling it the ‘kalpataru’ – or the coconut tree symbolizing the ‘eternal giver’. Everything ended with a sumptuous dinner from Balaji Bhavan.

So did the whole three hour even unfold without any hick-ups? A day before the event only about 250 tickets had been sold. Minutes before the start of the fashion show, two participants realized that they had either lost or forgotten their costume at home. And , comparisons with the previous event – Maitri 2008 were inevitable. Whatever happened to post-event much awaited free for all dance party? It was held during Parichay. Last year too, it had been held all the way upto 11 pm in the night. I for one, distinctly remember that a few guys had pounced on poor Sarvanana (who was not yet the GISO President then ) during the post event jam session and had given him “birthday bumps”- even though it was not his birthday :D . Sarvananan had pushed me accidentally in the process, and I ended up completely drenched in the University Center’s underground fountain water!! We missed that fun this time. On a more serious note, a lot of guys did wait impatiently to show off-their amateur dance moves on the dance floor during the post-event jam session. It was only later that I became cognizant of the fact that committee had actually tried have one. The space for dance-floor, however, was not available at the University Center – as was the case last year. (The cougar den had been occupied for another event on the same night and this could have been the probable reason). In spite of all these difficulties, the fact remains that a record setting 514 tickets were sold as against the mere 400 plus sold the previous Maitri. This clearly indicates the new level of playing field that Maitri has forayed into!

As Mr Khator said, the chemistry between the lead comperes was commendable. A prize was given to the Anubhav cup winners – Team Ike team and also to the runners – up team. Navneeth, Prasahanth (Majithia) and Rahul were the extra helping hands at the ticket counter.

Hmmm - Aug 3^rd “Friday night” - Maitri 2009 … Once again I recoil back in my cozy seat and say - What a night it was!!!

~Sandeep Bellure

Maitri 2009 Trailers!!!

2009-04-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

MAITRI 2009

2009-03-25T13:01:00.001-07:00

Drumrolls!! Maitri is back! And this time, its gonna be bigger than ever. There's all sorts of stuff going on for Maitri- dances, songs, fashion shows, a skit, and sand animation. And yes of course, MAYHEM at this point.

Be there on April 3rd, 5:30 pm at the Cullen Performance Hall. You don't want to miss it. It is going to be an awesome show followed by some delicious food from Balaji Bhavan.

Tickets are $8. Visit uh.edu/giso to get your tickets.

See you in ten days!

~Shreyasee

Dreams Come True

2009-03-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Please find a song that I wrote and composed a few days back for an article entry in Dautya. In the song, the "you" is a fresh incoming Indian student and the "I" is GISO. I guess you can make out the meaning of the song from that ;)

PS: I have put some random pictures of my friends and myself in the video - just to create it, 'cos Picasa would'nt let me create it otherwise. And please tolerate the vocal quality and since I am not good at mixing and mastering the track, it might not sound that professional.

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Dreams Come True

------------------

By Girish Nandagudi

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Far away from home

In a strange new world you are

With all the hopes you brew

To see your dreams come true

Fear not 'cos I am here

To help you fare

Fear not 'cos I am here

To help you win the race

'N to see your dreams come true

To see your dreams come true

Guide me through this gale

To the glory we shall sail

'Cos You have dreams to chase

'N I have hopes to brace

You are here

To help me survive

And you are here

To help me thrive

You are here

To make me strong

And you are here

To seek your strength

'N to see my dreams come true

To see my dreams come true

~Girish Nandagudi

A Collection of Thoughts.....

2009-03-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

These are some random thoughts that went across my mind over a period of time. Most of them flew between the ears during graduate school classes and possibly are partially responsible for my grades. It’s amazing that the brain has power to think on such issues involuntarily. Please read them, enjoy them if you can and feel free to add more. I will keep adding more as and when they traverse the brain space.

1. What is to be an Indian (if asked to mention in 3 words)?
a. Diversity, Education and Peace

2. Traveling, crossing large water bodies or spanning the skies just for the heck of pleasure is imperative. There lies humility, respect and austerity.

3. God does not exist, belief does. Imposing a belief or an attempt to change one was and will be a violent conflict.

4. Law books of all nations taken together enlist or indicate half the number of directions in which civilized humans can think. Remaining half are left for the crooks.

5. In war let humans perish, but not their creations. For when, some see those, they would realize that indeed war is not a good solution after all.

6. History is created by the best or by the worst. Rest of them are just the text that fall under these rubrics.

7. In school I learned to believe, “I can achieve the impossible.” At work I did the impossible!

8. An education that required a student to show the will and give full dedication for a lifetime
now requires just the bill and 90 minutes of dedication!

9. White is a combination of different colors. Take one off and white exists to cease.

10. Let appreciation precede criticism. Creation is always dear to the creator.

11. To reverse a system of levers that operate in unison one has few options:
a. Be the largest lever in the system
b. Be outside the system and wielding the right tools
c. Breakdown in the process

12. “In this country let a man be judged by what he does and not by who his father was”, Col. Chamberlain.

13. “Love is not gazing at each other, but is looking in the same direction” Source Unknown

14. “An unjust law is not a law at all, and it is my right, infact duty to resist it. I have two options violence or civil disobedience. You should pray that I chose the latter.” ~ Dialogue from The Great Debaters

15. Its human to colonize, consume and leave to decay. It's just a matter of time and methods used.

16. We are more passionate about borders, than the person standing next to us. Only the brave (soldiers) can think of both passionately.

17. Credit history can be rebuilt, not credibility!

~Vikram Shete

Anubhav Cup 2009

2009-03-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

The winners- Team Ike

Our annual, very popular tape-ball cricket tournament- Anubhav Cup was a huge success this year. 14 teams registered, compared to 9 last year, and showed an abundance of enthusiasm than any other year GISO has seen. The teams made professional use of make shift cricket fields- the very useful parking lots - with no problems at all. After all, long hours of practice in the narrow gullies in India had to be useful some day.

The matches were held in the parking lots opposite Cambridge Oaks. After the initial elimination of teams, it was time for the finals. 1913 United Won the toss and elected to bat, scoring 85 runs in 12 overs. Team IKE got the runs loosing 5 wickets in 11.3 overs to win the Anubhav Cup 2009

Congratulations to team IKE once again. Hopefully, they will retain their title next year.

1913 United

New Links

2009-02-12T09:15:00.001-08:00

Please check the links to the right for current news in UH and The Daily Cougar, its a fun read

Movies- New and Upcoming

2009-02-11T20:22:00.001-08:00

Bollywood

Here is a list of movies that are worth looking out for- that's what some of us think :D

Dev-D....the less said, the better. Definitely worth giving a shot.

Delhi-6..Yeh dilli hai yeh dilli hai yeh dilli hai mere yaar ;) I am sure some of you have already learnt the Abhishek move in Genda Phool. The movie releases on February 20th.

Slumdog Millionaire...I was sorta confused to brand it under Hollywood or Bollywood...decided to put it in Bollywood since B could stand for Britain as well...bad joke, flow with it :P. If you haven't watched this movie yet, hmm....Watch it! It's awesome. And of course the soundtrack is brilliant. Get ready for AR Rahman and Sukhwinder Singh to perform on stage on Oscar night (Feb 22nd).

Billu Barber...

The Sky

2009-02-11T20:11:00.001-08:00

Lesser Known icons and Famous Indian battles-1

2009-02-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Since the time "Dautya" was started, I have always wanted a dedicated page for lesser known Indian icons and glorious Indian battles. So here goes....

Vanchinathan, the brave son of the soil (1886 - June 17, 1911)

Popularly known as Vanchi, was an Indian Independence activist. He is best remembered for having assassinated Ashe, the Collector of Thirunelveli. Vanchinathan was born in 1886 in Shenkottai to Raghupathy Iyer and Rukmani Ammal. His actual name was Shankaran. He did his schooling in Shenkottai and graduated in M.A. from Moolam Thirunal Maharaja College in Thiruvananthapuram. While in college, he married Ponnammal and got into a lucrative government job. On June 17, 1911, Vanchi assassinated Ashe, the district collector of Tirunelveli, who was also known as Collector Dorai. He shot Ashe at point-blank range when the latter's train stopped at the Maniyachi station, en route to Madras. He committed suicide thereafter. The railway station has since been renamed Vanchi Maniyachi. Vanchi was a close collaborator of Varahaneri Venkatesa Subrahmanya Iyer (normally shortened to V.V.S.Aiyar), another freedom fighter who sought arms to defeat the British.

Vanchinathan's letter before the assasination of Collector Ashe (translated to English)
“ I dedicate my life as a small contribution to my motherland. I am alone responsible for this. 3000 youths of this brave country have taken an oath before mother Kali to send King George to hell once he sets his foot on our motherland. I will kill Ashe, whose arrival here is to celebrate the crowning of King George in this glorious land which was once ruled by great samrats. This I do to make them understand the fate of those who cherish the thought of enslaving this sacred land. I, as the youngest of them, wish to warn George by killing Ashe who is his sole representative and has destroyed the Swadeshi shipping company and several other freedom fighters by subjecting them to severe torture.

Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram"

Kanhoji Angre, the undefeated Admiral (?? - June 4, 1729)

Khanoji Angre or Kanoji Angria was an Admiral in the Maratha Navy and the only Indian to have waged a successful sea-battle against the British. Between 1698 and 1729, he completely routed the navies of the Portuguese,Dutch and British East India Companies. As a result of this, the Portuguese and the Dutch admitted defeat and signed a peace treaty with him agreeing to pay trade and custom duties. The British dreaded him and regarded him as a "pirate", purposely forgetting that he was the appointed admiral of the Maratha Navy. His exploits have been described in detail in the book "Pirates of the Malabar".

Born in the town of Alibag, little is known about his early life except that his father was Tanoji Angre, a commander under Maratha Chhatrapati Shivaji. He spent much of his childhood in the fort at Suvarnadurg Fort, of which he would later become governor. Kanhoji initially started by attacking merchant ships of the British East India Company and slowly gained respect from the sovereign and notoriety with the colonial powers. When Maratha Chattrapati Shahu ascended the leadership of the Maratha kingdom, he appointed Balaji Viswanath Bhatt as his Senakarta ('Commander'), and negotiated an agreement with Angre around 1707. This was partly to appease Angre who supported the other ruler who claimed the Maratha throne, Tarabai. Under the agreement, Angre became head of the Maratha navy. He was born into the Agri tribes of northern Konkan, which is one of Adivasi tribes of the Deccan.

Kanhoji is credited with the foresight that a Blue Water Navy's role is to keep the enemy engaged away from the shores of the land. At one time, he was so successful that he even employed certain Europeans in his fleet, including making one Dutchman his Commodore. At the height of power, Kanhoji's commanded hundreds of warships and the British Navy could do little to combat the Maratha Navy.Kanhoji's harassment of British commercial interests and the Battle of Swally led them to establish a small naval force that eventually became the modern Indian Navy.

The Headquarters of Indian Western Naval Command is called INS Angre (Indian Naval Station Angre).

Battle of Basantar (December 4 - December 16, 1971)

The Battle of Basantar or the Battle of Barapind was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 in the western sector of India. Despite being outnumbered, the Indian troops won a hard fought battle that secured this vital area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. The result was that more than 1000 square kilometers of Pakistani territory was occupied by Indian forces. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector. Basantar river is a tributary of the Ravi River that flows in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. This battle took place in the Shakargarh Sector or the Shakargarh Bulge. The bulge is a protrusion of Pakistan boundary into the Indian territory. It was a strategic area for both sides as it comprised road links to Jammu from Punjab, which could be cut off by Pakistan if it wished to launch an offensive. It was also economically vital for both sides as it straddled the fertile area of the Indus river belt.

As the war began on the eastern front, Pakistan decided to open up the western sector to divert Indian troops from the Eastern front in Bangladesh and prolong the war. Shakargarh buldge was a key strategic area for India as it comprised road links between Jammu and Punjab. Therefore, securing the region was crucial for India as Pakistan had a military base nearby in Sialkot and therefore could have easily launched a massive invasion of the Shakargarh region, cutting Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. The Indian Army maintained a base at Pathankot, couple of hundred miles away from Shakargarh and quickly mobilized forces to defend the region. In an attempt to gain advantage through the element of surprise, the Indian Army, though outnumbered, attacked Pakistani positions in Jarpal area, triggering the Battle of Basantar.

The battle plan

Both the opposing sides were led by their army's I Corps. Pakistan's I Corp included three infantry divisions, one armored division, an armored brigade backed up by an unknown number of artillery and support units. Furthermore, Pakistan had the advantage of bringing in the reserve troops stationed nearby. The Reserves totaled 5 divisions, commanded by none other than Lt. General Irshad Hassan Khan, who as DMI (Director Military Intelligence) had failed to act in the 1965 War despite intercepting Indian war plans. The Indian I Corps had three infantry divisions, 2 Armoured Brigades, two independent artillery brigades and an engineer brigade. The aim of the Indian Army was to bridge the Basantar river - the entry to which was fully land mined - and take control of the Shakargarh bulge. It was reasoned that such an offensive would also secure the Pathankot army base from any attacks from Pakistan.

The battle

The offensive in this sector was launched a few days after war broke out between the two nations. The Indian I Corps moved into the sector to capture the key areas. The 54 Infantry Division and 16 Armoured Brigade moved towards the area. As they advanced they were met by stiff Pakistani resistance. Meanwhile, the Indian division was bogged down as they had not cleared all the mines or bridged the river. However, in a daring counter attack by the 17 Poona Horse, 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal led his 3 tanks headlong into the mined area. A fierce tank battle ensued where a Pakistan tank was taken down. After suffering initial setbacks, the 8th Armoured Brigade of Pakistan was called-in to help the Pakistani resistance in the area. However, the Indian Army continued the assault and Lt. Arun Khetarpal with his 2 remaining tanks fought off and gunned down 10 tanks before he was killed in action. Following the defeat in the battle, Pakistan launched a massive counter-attack which was planned into five phases.
After days of intense fighting that saw both sides gaining and losing territory, the battle was turning into a stalemate. However, despite being at a quantitative and qualitative disadvantage, Indian troops made massive gains during the final days of the battle and also repelled the Pakistani thrust. Towards the tail end of the battle, Pakistan Army's Lieutenant Colonel Akram Raja made a frantic attempt to counter-attack the Indian stronghold near Shakargarh by jumping into an old-style cavalry charge with his tanks. Launched in broad daylight in view of the Indian defensive positions which were well secured, the campaign was a disaster. The Indians continued their military thrust deep inside Pakistan and came threateningly close to the Pakistan Army base at Sialkot. Because of being outnumbered by the advancing Indian Army, the Pakistan Army called-in the Pakistan Air Force to repel the Indian attack on the base. Expecting another massive assault by the Indian Army, this time backed by Indian Air Force-support, and in no position to launch any counter-offensive operations in the region, Pakistan offered unconditional surrender which led to ceasefire. India had gained control of more than thousand square miles before finally settling down to 350 mi² - 1000 km² of Pakistan territory that included approximately 500 villages.

Conclusion
Invading Shakargarh bulge was one of the most crucial components of Pakistan's war strategy in the western sector. Pakistan hoped that by occupying the bulge, the main link between Indian Army positions in Kashmir and Pathankot would be cut-off, following which, it could easily invade Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani military forces stationed in Sialkot base would keep Pathankot at bay, thwarting any Indian attempts to recapture Shakargarh. However, Pakistan's battle plans were jeopardized because of the ingenuity of a bold attack by the Indians. The Indian Army attacked Pakistani positions in the region within four days of the declaration of the state of war, catching the Pakistanis by complete surprise. After a few days of intense fighting, the Indians had not only pushed the Pakistanis back, but had also come close to capturing Sialkot.

In this battle alone, India had destroyed close to 70 tanks losing only a few in the process. Pakistan's Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report recommended that the Commander 1 Corps, who "surrendered to the enemy without a fight" should "be tried for criminal and wilful neglect of duty" and poor conduct of operations, that "seriously jeopardized the Army offensive in the south.The Indian Army, on the other hand, was criticized for their somewhat timid handling of the attack on Sialkot. The army, however, in its defense stated that it was planning another assault on Sialkot with assistance from the Indian Air Force, when the cease-fire was declared.
This and other battles put paid to any hopes of bargaining for territory lost in East Pakistan, by capturing Indian territory; in fact Pakistan had lost sizeable portions of land on both sides of the border.

Reference:
1.http://defencejournal.com/oct99/barapind.htm
2.http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/1971/Dec16/Art03.htm

-Srinath Iyer

Lecture

2009-02-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

Masses of Hundreds in a hall,
Minds to be Ignited, Not one but all,
Masses no matter which tribe or creed,
Minds to be, a scientific breed.

Still masses may gleam,
Or minds ignited seem,
Only few burn bright to the past,
Some in reality they never last...

Just wondering which one I might be?

- Javits

At a loss for....

2009-02-11T18:49:00.001-08:00

Originally on my blog, copy pasted here for more readers :P
~Shreyasee

Delhi-6 promises to be a good movie, inspiring as well. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra after all. You start with one video, and proceed to another one; you know that vicious chain of videos you get sucked into on Youtube. So my next video "happened" to be the trailer for Rang de Basanti- that movie that was thought provoking, that was off-beat, that made you think who you were as part of a country, of any country for that matter.

Of course my immediate reaction was to start blogging from what I saw in the RDB trailer- "A Generation Awakens". Myth I say it is. When 26/11 took place, when India was in shock, it seemed it would be the trigger to do something different, and not sit back. Sure we aren't sitting back, but ask yourself if we have in fact done something. Pakistan has not yet accepted involvement in the massacre. The dossier has had no significant impact on either government, it literally is a dossier. Plans were made in Bangladesh, now in Europe...apparently. In all of this, we have the Satyam scandal. The defining fall of India's IT sector in the world. Merryll Lynch backing out, so many clients insulted.

And in the heart of the country, that of the citizens- nothing has changed. We sit back and analyze; rage against those responsible, rage against the government has known no bounds for a while, but all in the coziness of the chair at home, in front of the TV. A two year old is raped in Bombay. Common, what can we do. Mangalore assaults. Horrendous. Let's send Pink Chaddis to the guy, Hindu Talibanization. Conduct certificates for single girls if they want to rent an apartment in Bangalore. Brilliant. Dawood trying to kill Qasab. We have all the news, we do zilch. It will all die out. I am waiting for it.

Half of us are sitting here in the US hoping things are better back home. In the mean time, we can take advantage of the exchange rate while it lasts and make fun of the falling capitalism. Job search isn't going the right way....well there's always India to go back to. And the other half in India too scared to change the status-quo. True you can't blame them because anti-social elements have taken the best of their thinking abilities. For that matter, non anti-social elements as well. Barkha Dutt pulled a brilliant stunt on a blogger, since she didn't like what was said. And she calls herself a journalist. A journalist who prides herself in the quality of work she has put forth over the years. Tell me this Barkha, wouldn't it have been easier for you to write something about that instead of pulling all the legal logistics, asking the blogger to apologise. So much for the freedom of speech you so dearly cherish and you so dearly derive your living out of.

Why has this gotten easier for us to accept? Thomas Friedman had written that our generation is Generation Q- Q for Quiet. We shout, we write, we debate, we blog, but in the end we are quiet, its better that way, we are in that infinite loop of leisure and ease that gets us nowhere.

Yours truly takes full responsibility of being in Gen Q. What will it take to change us in reality?

Editor's Note: A Sneak Peek

2008-10-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

Never in a million years would I have thought that being editor of a graduate students’ newsletter would be this hard. Why? Simply put, it’s beyond hard to come up with an issue; the main conundrum - what to put in it. We wanted to introduce ourselves with Parichay but Ike spoiled our plans. Ike came and went, and we thought about releasing the issue focusing on that dreadful hurricane (a welcome break though), but minimal responses to articles about Ike got me paranoid if the newsletter could get started in any way or fashion. But Parichay did happen, and we did take that leap to get out Dautya to you.

And so we bring to you our first edition of Dautya for this academic year. Late, but here it is. We’ve got all Parichay in this issue. The popular Vikram Shete puts in his dilemma about judging, the president goes through his schedule packed experience with the presidency, Vishnu tells you what the freshers’ thought, Hemantha brings to you something you all are going to love, and Aritra takes a stab at giving you ideas for your Thanksgiving break (you should ask him his). But most of all, you will find a few photos and links to the entire list, thanks to Javits for going all the way when it came to pictures.

Dautya is trying hard this year to be a regular with you guys, and so we are going to need all the help we can get. A team is a team, but we’d love for anyone and everyone to send in your inputs. We’d love to see you a part of Dautya as well. We need all the writers we can get- humor, satire, political- in short- ANYTHING. We are going to expand this newsletter, bring out all the important news a grad student needs, a student away from home wants to read. You are going to be our thought process. So help us out! Also, please do subscribe to the Dautya channel on Youtube. We need all the fan following we can get.

Here is a slideshow of the photos

Also feel free to look at the playlist for the Parichay videos

Sit back and enjoy. Have a laugh, and have a blast

-Shreyasee Das

Cook's Corner: Gaajar Halwa

2008-10-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Carrots 2 lb
Butter Sticks 2
Milk
Sugar 1 lb
Dry Fruits (Cashew, Almonds, Raisins)
Cardamom Powder 1 tbs

Method

Wash and peel the carrots.
Grate the carrots.
Add 1 ½ Butter stick in a non-stick frying pan. Add grated carrot.
Fry it for 3 mins. Add Milk such that the carrot soaks completely. Keep cooking the carrot in milk.
Add sugar and cardamom powder and stir the mixture. Fry dry fruits with ½ butter stick.
Add the dry fruits and cook for 10-15 mins. Serve hot.

- Hemantha Mangalampalli (Image Courtesy : Mstephens7 )

Travel: Fix your travel plans

2008-10-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Midterms, assignments, deadlines!!! If you are looking forward to that Thanksgiving break- you are on the right track. Yes, some of you are going to show off by going to exotic places for the break, but for those of you who are considering some place that could leave some money in your pocket, why not explore Texas. Two distinct Texas regions pop into the picture- Gulf Coast and the Hill Country.

The Hill County region, heart of the Lone Star State, is home to rolling hills, a breathtaking display of wildflowers found along roadsides in springtime, year-round lush green landscapes and plenty of splendid lakes and rivers. This region begins in west Texas in Crockett County, and stretches east to Austin. History buffs can quench their desire for knowledge at places like the granite dome of the State Capitol building, the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum or the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Of course, while you’re here, don’t miss the famous UT- Austin campus. Down the road in Fredericksburg, you’ll find the region filled with historical museums, amazing underground caverns, historic structures providing a glimpse into the lives of early Texas settlers, wineries, wildflower and nature attractions, and plenty of venues to enjoy some quintessential Hill Country cuisine and music.

But if that’s not what you want, then why not explore the Gulf Coast? The coast along the Gulf of Mexico- a 624-mile stretch, beckons visitors to swim, fish, sail, sunbathe, build sand castles, surf or just take a relaxing stroll on the beach. Searching for some solitude? Look no further than the North Padre National Seashore – which has the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier-island beach in the world. If you enjoy wildlife, this is your place. The Rio Grande Valley is the nation’s number one bird-watching destination, and most of the Texas Coastal Birding Trail stops fall within this portion of the state. For history buffs, travel back to a different time in Texas with a visit to one of many sites of profound historical importance. Visit the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in Deer Park, where Texas avenged its Alamo defeat and won its independence from Mexico. See Spindletop in Beaumont, the place that set off the oil boom in Texas in 1901 and brought in the modern era of petroleum production.

With so much to see and do, it might be hard to decide where to start, and where to end. So, be sure to review the following pages to learn more about the cities and attractions found within the area, and use the information to plan your adventure.

-Aritra Sur

Parichay 2008 : A Different View

2008-10-18T15:28:00.001-07:00

It is always a different experience to leave one’s homeland and fly to a foreign land, usually it is filled with questions of the unknown. But amplifying this emotion along with a heartwarming welcome creates waves and lifts the spirits in each of us, providing us with the much-needed inspiration to reach our goals. This is exactly what took place in PARICHAY 2008! Parichay, GISO’s first communal party for a “Desi “ fresher, needs multiple adjectives for us to applaud it. Our sincere thanks to GISO for organizing an event like this, more so, providing freshers a chance to interact with seniors. Every event deserves a page in the newsletter. The energy shown by every newbie was phenomenal.

To say the least, we had a lot of fun, enjoying every moment of Parichay; after all we were numb from midterms, assignments and other academic dragons, standing ready to fume the next morning. Drubbed by the load of coursework at school, the wide range of “Parichay entertainment capsules” came to us at the right time. The JAM session at the end of the party was really amazing, with the music creating ripples in the crowd. The dance floor saw some jaw-dropping moves; be it break, shake, folk or any move that fit the definition of dance. It was nice of GISO to give the non-profit organizations a chance to showcase their work as well.

Every fresher is proud to be a part of University of Houston and we thank each member of GISO whose efforts have made our initial stay so pleasant. Parichay will be close to everyone’s heart, what with the memories it has left in our lives.

- Sri Vishnu Varada

Shete on Judging

2008-10-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Parichay is the time for freshers to come forward and introduce themselves to all, by means of performance or personal interaction and 2008’s was certainly a special one. Most importantly, the enthusiasm was evident in numbers and the talent set the stage ablaze. I must appreciate the efforts of the committee for pulling off such an event. The committee set a new trend by awarding the best performers (male and female). Personally I feel it was a great idea, as it was a transparent and precise way to attract and retain talent.

I would like to thank and appreciate the efforts of the entire team of performers, who despite natural calamities (Ike, assignments, classes, jobs and so on), put up a show of high standards. Each one made their mark!!! We were disappointed as there were only 2 prizes to give out. I want to assure all the participants that the competition was fierce and extremely close. Well, you may have lost the 500 minutes (calling cards awarded as prize) but am sure you have won a lot of friends!

Over the past few years GISO has increasingly set higher standards. It started with Pick Ups, then Maitri, followed by the Anubhav Cup and now Parichay. I am eagerly waiting for Maitri 09, as it is the mother of all events!! With you all managing and performing, it promises to be a great evening!

Parichay '08 was truly "An Experience To Live By!!!"
All the best fellas!

-Vikram Shete

The President Speaks

2008-10-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Taking up the presidency of an association, however small, however big is always a challenging task. GISO is no exception to it. But then I thought how bad could it get- only to realize that even thinking that was a grave mistake. It seemed like a never-ending pile up of events, all with a lot of fun and responsibility involved though. Pick ups, Independence day, Orientation, and then IKE!!! Parichay was the much-needed change in the routine we students were following (or at least trying to).

Parichay, GISO’s Fresher's party, was nothing short of a Post Ike party this year. Initially planned for September 20th, it got pushed to the 5th of October due to Hurricane
Ike. In spite of that, the enthusiasm was evergreen and it was evident with the huge turnout and with the way the show went. There were a variety of songs, dances and also poetry. The new students put up a brilliant performance- the songs had a lasting effect on the audience while the dance performances set the stage on fire. It was certainly hard to differentiate between the performances and pick the best. If the tune from 'Bombay’ melted the audience, then the dance performance for ‘Dil mein baji Guitar’ pepped them up, even demanding for an encore. One thing was evident from Parichay 2008 - there is no dearth for talent in GISO, it keeps increasing every year.

I thank each and everyone who was involved in Parichay 2008 and for making it a grand success. Kudos to Shreyasee and Shilpa for coordinating with the participants and ensuring that the show was a BLAST!!! I am sure it would have been a tough task for the judges to select two winners from the different performers. I would like to thank all the judges for their unflinching support. Congratulations to the winners - Shantanu Mujumdar and Medha. The day also turned out to be Shreyasee's birthday -the editor of Dautya and the sole reason for me to come up with this write-up.

Thank you once again everyone!

-Saravanan Srinivasan

DESI GRAD LIFE- sab maya hai!!! - THE GISO MOVIE

2008-05-23T02:01:00.000-07:00

PART 1

PART 2

Desi Grad life Promo

2008-03-28T01:29:00.000-07:00

Please subscribe to "DAUTYA" in youtube.

Dont forget to RATE the videos and comment.

Dautya (March 2008)

2008-03-26T11:46:00.001-07:00

Welcoming the Khators

By Srinath Sathyamurthy

Maitri 2008

Poster unveiled(view)

Tickets available at http://uh.edu/giso/maitri08.htm

Let the jabbing begin

By Shreyasee Das

Anubhav Cup

Dear friends,
We are pleased to inform you that Anubhav Cup 2008 has been completed with Sarang's "Go Coogs" beating Srinath's Chennai Veerans in the Finals.

Congrats Go Coogs.

Rajakumar's "Cheateerz" finished 3rd ahead of Mihir's Param Ashta which finished 4th. Hard Luck to Holly Rockers who missed out a birth in the semi finals due to a difference in(more)

By Srinath Sathyamurthy

Jodha Akbar

Ok. Let me generalize here. Most of us are engineers who have always hated history classes (not me though). Most of us probably never cared about what happened in 1556 AD. Even when it comes to films, we prefer Matrix to Gladiator. But Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodha Akbar had a mix that most of us couldn’t resist. He was aiming for his hattrick ( after Lagaan and Swadesh) with the batsman ( the audience) being surrounded by close-in fielders like Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, AR Rahman, stunning Cinematography, and of course(more)

By Kranti Kumar

Big Bang in a Lab

By Anupam Prakash

Spicy potato for the beginner!!

Serving:
Dinner for 4 (for those who hog mercilessly. May be scaled down as per requirement)

Time:
Approximately 20 mins

Ingredients (marked with * are mandatory, rest is optional but its better to add those or more, for taste)(more)

By Vikram Shete

My Space

VISIT US AT:

www.dautya.blogspot.com

Please comment!

DAUTYA EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:

Kranti Kumar (Editor),

Shreyasee Das

Navneeth Ramalingam

Srinath Sathyamurthy

Anupam Prakash

Aritra Sur

My Space

2008-03-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yes. This is your space in the newsletter. We start by inviting everyone to send us their memorable photos taken in India or during the more recent Spring Break. Share your experience and emotions with us and get featured on Dautya!!

We are starting off by posting some pictures from Girish's picture library. We hope to get tons and tons of pics from you.

Maitri 2008

2008-03-25T16:07:00.001-07:00

Anubhav Cup 2008

2008-03-25T14:31:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

We are pleased to inform you that Anubhav Cup 2008 has been completed with Sarang's "Go Coogs" beating Srinath's Chennai Veerans in the Finals today.

Congrats Go Coogs.

Rajakumar's "Cheateerz" finished 3rd ahead of Mihir's Param Ashta which finished 4th. Hard Luck to Holly Rockers who missed out a birth in the semi finals due to a difference in the 3rd decimal place when it came to net run rate.

GISO was happy to see the talent displayed by all the 10 teams (each one of which deserved a place in the Finals)

We will be announcing the Man of the Series after carefully analyzing all the games and performances and after consent from all the Anubhav Cup Organizing Committee.We thank each of the participants and request the Captain's of each team to convey GISO's wishes to their players.

Srinath Iyer,
President GISO

Welcoming the Khators

2008-03-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

On behalf of the Graduate Indian Student Organization, it gives me great pleasure in welcoming Dr.Renu Khator and Dr.Suresh Khator.
Dr Renu Khator, an India-born US citizen, has been endorsed as the new president of the University of Houston (UH) and chancellor of the UH System chosen from a field of roughly 200 candidates. In her capacity as chancellor, Dr.Khator will be overseeing a system with an annual operating budget that exceeds $1 billion, that serves more than 57,000 students and one that has an overall economic impact of $3 billion on the Greater Houston area each year. As president of the University of Houston, she is the chief executive officer of the largest and the oldest of the four UH System universities. The University of Houston offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduate programs and awards 7,000 degrees each year. It is the most ethnically diverse urban research university in the country.
Born in Uttar Pradesh, India, Dr. Khator earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Kanpur. She received her Master's degree and her Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University. A noted scholar in the field of global environmental policy, President Khator has published five books and several articles on various aspects of this subject. Her Farukkhabad to Florida, Kanpur-to-Houston journey; was being milked by the media.
The story goes that when Dr. Khator first came to the United States in 1974 as a young bride following an arranged marriage, her English was so dodgy that her husband, Dr. Suresh Khator, then an engineering student at Purdue University, translated for her while she was being interviewed by the dean for school admission. She made the cut, earned high grades while learning the language from re-runs of I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show, and has never looked back since. The couple moved to Florida in 1983, when Suresh Khator received a teaching offer from the University of Southern Florida. Renu Khator took up a temporary position, but in two decades worked her way to become provost at the University, where her success in attracting funds and top notch faculty drew UH's attention.
In January 2007, she and her husband - now a faculty member in the UH Cullen College of Engineering - were awarded the prestigious Hind Rattan, given to nonresident Indians for making outstanding contributions in their field. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services included her among its 2006 Outstanding Americans by Choice awardees. The award recognizes achievements of naturalized U.S. citizens. Also in 2006, Khator received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Purdue University's College of Liberal Arts and the Outstanding Educator Award from the American Foundation for Greek Language and Culture for Enhancing Hellenic studies.
Having had the pleasure of meeting the first family of the University of Houston, I feel so happy to know a really down to earth "one among us" desi president and the ever so friendly Dr.Suresh Khator.

Srinath Iyer,

President GISO

Review: Jodha Akbar Review

2008-03-15T01:13:00.000-07:00

As far as history is concerned, Akbar ranks as the second best emperor India ever had (after Asoka the Great). He was obsessed with India and everything Indian. He called himself Hindustani though everyone else he knew called themselves Afghani or Persian. He had people like Birbal (his Military advisor), Todar Mal(Finance minister) and Tansen (Hindustani music composer) in his court who were a part of the famous Navratnas or the nine gems. He was of course the first Muslim king to marry a Hindu Rajput girl and form an alliance of mutual respect and trust with the Rajputhana.

Ashutosh Gowarikar has tried to highlight most of the secular actions of Akbar. The transition from Jalalludin, the child to Akbar, the emperor of India who took strong decisions on his own, some of which were considered to be blasphemous by many in his court, was beautifully portrayed in the film. Keeping in mind the fact that the director that only Akbarnama and a few other sources as references, it was tough for him to get all the variables in Akbar’s life. But unbelievably the director has made a masterpiece without going in for clichéd filmy screenplay.

Aishwarya did what was expected of her. She was totally hot as usual but she completely blended as a Rajput princess. But Hrithik just blew me off with his great acting. He effortlessly portrayed the role of an emperor who sometimes behaved like a ruthless monarch, sometimes like a lover and a flirt, sometimes like a benevolent king and sometimes like a confused child sharing his thoughts with his mother. If only he had that royal grace in his walk (like Prithviraj Kapoor in Mughal-e-Azam) and also looked 10 years older.

The cinematography was breathtaking, to say the least. AR Rahman just breathes life into the film. The spiritual content in Khwaja mere Khwaja was just awesome. The choreography was simple, beautiful and apt. But what I personally loved was the dialogues. On one side, we had Akbar speaking in Urdu with heavy usage of Arabic and Persian words and on the other side we had Jodha chirping away in pure Hindi. Of course the English subtitles spoiled the whole fun but hey … but I can’t claim to have understood every line that was being said.

But the same can’t be said about the war scenes though. Too much inspiration was drawn from LOTR and Troy. Sadly we have seen these films like a billion times. And why AR Rahman chose to go for a western BGM for the last fight scene is a mystery.

Was anything I was expecting to see missing in the film? Yes. I must say a few scenes with Birbal would have added to the message of the movie. And also I didn’t see any peacock in the whole movie which was something strange as I always thought they were raised in palaces to increase its scenic beauty. Ah … I think I am being a bit too harsh here. But Ashutosh Gowarikar has taken Bollywood to such great heights in this film that I think we can start asking such stupid questions and criticize the movie because it had no peacock.

P.S.

Gowarikar played it safe when he started the film with the disclaimer: “Jodha Bai, Queen of Hindustan and wife of the greatest of Mughal emperors, Akbar, may not have ever existed, claim some historians. Others claim that she was his daughter in law and not his wife.” But it was not safe enough as the film got banned in Rajasthan, UP, MP, and Haryana. Fortunately, we are in US where such unnecessary controversies can never arise.

Kranti Kumar V.

Travel: Spring Break Destinations

2008-03-15T01:10:00.000-07:00

Winter is over and spring has started to set in. SPRING break is here guys. And all of us are looking forward to go out somewhere, explore and have fun to break the monotonous life at school. So here are a few places that you might want to visit without taxing your pockets heavily and without putting in a lot of time for it. Texas is what I have in my mind.

Typically, there are two distinct regions Spring Breakers gravitate to in Texas – one is the Gulf Coast and the other is the Hill Country. Both of these regions offer a host of activities, with most of the fun being focused in or around the water. Indeed, water sports and activities dominate the time Spring Breakers aren’t spending drinking or in clubs.

Hill county region is the heart of the Lone Star State. Here, you’re not only in the middle of Texas, but you’re also at the center of everything Texas has to offer. You’ll find beauty all around you. The Hill Country is home to rolling hills that dominate the region, a breathtaking display of wildflowers found along roadsides in springtime, year-round lush green landscapes and plenty of splendid lakes and rivers beckoning you to take a dip or cast your line. This region begins in west Texas in Crockett County, and stretches east to Austin, the state’s capital in Travis County. Mills County is the region’s northern point, and Kinney, Medina and Uvalde counties make up the southern border. , the jewel of the region, is host to many outstanding attractions and points of interest. History buffs can state their desire for knowledge at places like the granite dome of the State Capitol building, which is taller than our nation’s capitol, the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum or the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. While you’re here, don’t miss the University of Texas at Austin campus (one of the largest in the country) and Zilker Park with its famous spring-fed Barton Springs pool. Do a little browsing at the eclectic shops found along South Congress Avenue.There is, of course, no shortage of shopping opportunities everywhere you turn. Starting in San Marcos, you’ll find Prime Outlets and Tanger Outlet Center, which is the largest factory outlet complex in the state. Just north of San Marcos in the town of Buda, you’ll find Cabela’s, the eye-popping outdoor recreation mega-store that’s so large there’s a two-story mountain and gigantic fresh-water aquarium inside its two-story layout. There are also great antique stores found in cities like Burnet, Wimberley, Dripping Springs and more. If water sports are more to your liking, you’ll find plenty of opportunities here. There are almost two dozen magnificent state parks here, most of which are located along lakes or rivers. So, if you like to fish, swim, water-ski, pitch a tent and camp near a lake or river bank, you’re definitely in the right region. But there’s so much more, beginning with the exciting Schlitterbahn water park in New Braunfels. Located alongside the spring-fed Comal River, Schlitterbahn features all kinds of water rides and activities for the whole family. It has been recognized as the top water park in the country for seven consecutive years. There’s also the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park in Stonewall, which features the reconstructed childhood home and final resting place of the President. Down the road in Fredericksburg, you’ll find the National Museum of the Pacific War, which tells the story of Admiral Chester Nimitz and features displays and exhibits detailing the American and Japanese battles in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The region is also filled with heritage and historical museums, amazing underground caverns, historic structures providing a glimpse into the lives of early Texas settlers, wineries offering tours of their vineyards and wine-making facilities, wildflower and nature attractions, dude ranches that allow guests to relax or have a true cowboy experience, and plenty of venues to enjoy some quintessential Hill Country cuisine and music. Be sure to read thoroughly through each city’s listing within the Hill Country region to learn about the wide array of destinations that await you. Enjoy the heart of Texas and have a great time in the Hill Country!

The first thing that comes to mind about the Gulf Coast region is precisely that; the coast along the Gulf of Mexico. And no wonder, since there are more than 624 miles of coastline stretching southward from the Louisiana border to the Mexican border near Brownsville. The warm water of the Gulf beckons visitors who want to swim, fish, sail, sunbathe, build sand castles, surf or just take a relaxing stroll on the beach.

Searching for some solitude? Look no further than the[[ North Padre National Seashore – which has the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier-island beach in the world – or, if you prefer to be where the action is, join the crowds and party-like atmosphere up and down the coast during Spring Break, or in Galveston and Port Arthur during Mardi Gras.

Get up early in the morning to cast lines off a pier or head into the Gulf for some deep-sea fishing. Spend the afternoon lying on a beach enjoying the warmth of the sun and listening to the lulling sound of the waves breaking on the sand. Take a walk along the sand as the sun sets, enjoying the peace of day’s end as sunbeams make their final plays across the water. In the evening, head out to a local waterside restaurant to enjoy fresh seafood and the dark ripple of the waves at night.

However, the Gulf Coast is not just about the sand and surf. From the dsun-kissed valley near the Texas-Mexico border to the swamps in Orange, and everything in between, the region has something that appeals to every kind of traveler.

If you enjoy wildlife watching, you’ve definitely come to the right place. The Rio Grande Valley is the nation’s number one bird-watching destination, and most of the Texas Coastal Birding Trail stops fall within this portion of the state. Some of the birding opportunities include seeing tropical birds in Harlingen, stopping at the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center, Paradise Pond Birding Habitat or Los Ebanos Nature Preserve, catching glimpses of the endangered whooping crane that winter at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, and visiting Rockport-Fulton in September for the Hummer/Bird Celebration to see the migrating hummingbirds.

For history buffs, travel back to a different time in Texas with a visit to one of many sites of profound historical importance. Visit the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in Deer Park, where Texas avenged its Alamo defeat and won its independence from Mexico. See Spindletop in Beaumont, which set off the oil boom in Texas in 1901 and brought in the modern era of petroleum production.

For museum lovers, the region is rich with art museums, heritage museums, and historic homes and buildings that preserve history. Tour homes, mansions and plantations, and see examples of everyday life and culture in the 1800s and early 1900s. Houston’s museum district is ranked among the five best in the nation, and its Museum of Fine Arts is the sixth largest in the country.

With Texas’ largest city, Houston, and its surrounding metropolitan area, along with Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Harlingen, Port Arthur, Beaumont, the Brazosport Area and Bay Area Houston, there are plenty of opportunities for people who want for modern day activities like shopping, visiting art museums, attending theatrical performances, splashing around at water parks, and enjoying rides at amusement parks. For a truly out-of-this world experience, visit NASA/Space Center Houston and have some fun learning about our nation’s space program.

With so much to see and do here, it might be hard to decide where to start, but you don’t want to miss a thing. So, be sure to review the following pages to learn more about the cities and attractions found within the area, and use the information to plan your adventure.

Whether you are a beach or water fan, history buff or living for the present, urbanite or nature-lover, the Gulf Coast has something for you to enjoy!

Sources: -

1) www.about.com

2) www.traveltex.com

Aritra Sur

Big Bang in a Lab

2008-03-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Aeons before humans started to gaze into the star studded sky and tried to gauge the depths and mysteries hidden in the gigantic universe and reasoning the most basic philosophical questions of our existence. Who are we? Why are we on Earth? Is there more than one Earth? What are the basic laws governing the universe? What are we made of? And many more fascinating questions to ponder upon.

We have come a long way from that age, and as we make progress into the future, we still gaze with the same excitement and awe into the deep wells of the Universe, trying to unravel new worlds and knowledge. The naked eye has been substituted with the Hubble Telescope, taking us to the beautiful galleries of the Universe beaming back at earth, pictures of the new born Universe, star births and deaths, galaxies, and the wonderful workings of the universe. Moreover, as physicists and astronomers try to stitch a working model of universe with theories and experiments, they take humanity to a new level of comprehending our surroundings and our universe.

Hubble Telescope

It all started with the Big Bang theory. The term was framed by Sir Fred Hoyle on a 1950 BBC Radio Show, a British Astronomer, in derision of the theory, which he never acknowledged and rejected it completely. Big Bang Theory came into existence by the works of Georges Lemaitre, George Gamow, Ralph Alpher and Robert Herman. But, the most important consitituent of these works was Hubble’s law. Hubble’s law states that the recessional velocity of the galaxies and distance between galaxies are linearly related. He discovered the law observing the red shifts in the spectrum of the lights received from distant galaxies, meaning the light was shifting to longer wavelengths. Plainly speaking, it meant that either we are the center of the universe and everything is receding from us, or that the universe is expanding. But we cannot be at the centre of universe, since it violates the Copernican Principle. Big Bang theory worked upon this analysis that the universe started from a singular point of infinite mass and density and an explosion started the expansion of the universe, which explained the expansion of the universe. And as we gained further knowledge, we got many more clues that Big Bang might be the right explanation of the existence of the Universe. The accidental discovery of the Cosmic Microwave background noise in 1964 by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, while working on a new microwave receiver at Bell Laboratries, increased credibility to the Big Bang Theory. They both were awarded Nobel Prize for their discovery. Findings by Cosmic Background Explorer satellite(COBE) launched by NASA in 1989, also reported findings which were consistent with the Big Bang Theory.

The theory of Big Bang raised many more questions for humans to ponder upon, leading to more theories that tried to better define our fundamental understanding. Particle Physics is that field of physics that looks into the fundamental constitutents of matter and radiation and their interactions. Its like answering the question- if the Universe were indeed created by a huge explosion, were there particles formed in that explosion which were the fundamental ones which changed into us and everything around us. It‘s trying to go into the realm of sub-atomic particles which are the building blocks of protons, neutrons and electrons of which atoms are made of, the building block of everything in existence. It’s not easy to study these fundamental particles in nature as they do not exist in normal conditions, i.e. absence of astronomical pressures and temperatures. To create such conditions, in lab, we need to build a device which can somehow accelerate these particles to the velocities of light(3 × 108m/sec) and in temperatures near absolute zero(-273 ‰). When the atomic particles are accelerated at such high speeds and collide , they fragment into sub-atomic particles releasing huge levels of energy and a glimpse of their world. Particle Physicists try to capture such subatomic particles and study them in detail (if they can capture them) or confirm their presence (if they can’t capture the particles), thus validating or refuting the existing theories or try to modify them.

A paper published in 1905, On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light, by a young physicist, Albert Einstein, changed the whole dynamics of our fundamental understanding of the world. He described a particle, namely photon, in this paper. This led to an important contribution to the evolution of quantum physics, winning him his Noble Prize for this discovery and not for General Relativity, as most people falsely associate him with. After decades of hard work and toil, physicists have found till date, 24 fundamental particles according to the Standard Model theory as the fundamental or elementary particles. The theory tries to create a model by merging three of the fundamental forces in nature, namely, Weak-Nuclear, Strong-Nuclear and Electromagnetic. There has been on going research for the last 30 years to include the last fundamental force of gravity to create a Grand Unified Theory, which will be able to provide answers to all the fundamental forces at work. All the fundamental particles can be classified into either fermions or bosons, depending on the spin. The particles associated with the matter are fermions and particles which generate forces are bosons. That means fermions’ interactions are mediated by bosons. All of the particles hypothesized in the Standard Model have been empirically observed in the laboratory conditions. However, one particle called the Higgs Boson has been providing researchers with difficulty to be studied in the lab conditions because the energy required to produce it is enormous, making it impossible for scientists. Why is the Higgs Boson, so important a cog in the wheel of the Standard Model? The answer to this question lies in the unique relation of the Higgs Boson with other elementary particles. Higgs Boson can explain the mass origins of the other fundamental particles, there by helping scientists to compare the masses of heavy bosons with photons and other elementary particles.

The search of this elusive particle, Higgs Boson, led one of the major research organizations, The European Organization for Nuclear Research, more commonly known as the CERN to come up with an innovative design experiment called as LHC1. This lab is a state of the art research lab located at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, under final stages of construction, LHC is one of the most awaited ambition of man to quantify the inner most workings of the Universe, etched in tonnes of steel. This lab is in a 27 km, 1Large Hadron Collider circumferential length circle, ranging from 50m to 175m in depth, covering two nations, Switzerland and France, with the major part of tunnel being in France. Once it is commissioned, it will be the World‘s largest and highest energy particle accelerator. The lab consists of a plethora of equipments. But, the most critical ones are the Supermagnets and the pipe assembly in which the protons will finally travel before the small big bang in the lab. To allow for the Supermagnets to work and for simulating the right conditions before accelerating the protons, the whole assembly has to be chilled to a temperature of 1.9 K (-271 ‰) making it the coolest place in the whole universe. This cooling is achieved by first cooling with Nitrogen(-196 ‰Boiling Point) and then with special freezing units and pumps, liquid Helium is used to achieve the required temperature at a pressure of 15 millibar. At this temperature, the liquid Helium becomes superfluid, i.e. it has no viscosity, hence achieving high heat transfer rates. The gargantuan effort for realizing this dream can be gauged in the numbers, which say a story for themselves. The whole assembly contains 1700 Magnets with 40,000 leak-tight welds (if converted to length would amount to 10 km!) and 65,000 splices of superconducting cables. The lab is divided into eight sections, each of which were commissioned separately and will be cooled to the absolute zero. Once all the ingredients are put in place, the proton beams will be accelerated using powerful SuperMagnets to upto 7 Tev (each proton) resulting in total 14 Tev2. Also, special measures have been taken to make the generated data (it will produce roughly 15 petabytes (15 million gigabytes) of data annually enough to fill 100 000 DVDs a year! ) widely accessible for the scientists all over the world for analysis. For this, a powerful data streaming architecture has been put in place, namely GRID, which will be able to stream around 1800 Megabytes/sec. Around 7000 scientists from eighty countries will have access to the LHC, with the largest contingent of 700 scientists from US. The project of LHC was conceived in the early 1980’s and the project was approved in 1994. The total project cost has been estimated to be about 6 billion US dollars.

There has also been some speculations about the risk associated with the experiment. There can be a possibility of producing micro black holes inside the assembly, which some claim can lead to catastrophic results. But scientists at CERN have dismissed these fears, stating these fears are not genuine, 2Tev stands for Tera electron volts and very strict measures have been installed for the safety. LHC As May 2008 approaches, the whole scientific community and the world waits with bated breath for a spectacle which can lead us to a new future of understanding and a new level to man’s eternal quest for answers…

Vittoria Vetra:
Religion is like language or dress. We gravitate toward the practices with which we were raised. In the end, though we are all proclaiming the same thing. That life has meaning. That we are grateful for that created us.
Robert Langdon:
So you‘r saying that whether you are a Christian or a Muslim simply depends on where you were born?
Vittoria Vetra:
Isn‘t it obvious? Look at the diffusion of religion around the globe.
Robert Langdon:
So faith is random?
Vittoria Vetra:
Hardly. Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than
ourselves. (Angels and Demons, Dan Brown)

Let the jabbing begin

2008-03-15T01:05:00.000-07:00

Let the Jabbing Begin?

Come election year, a lot of us eagerly wait for the various Jib Jab election videos; parodies of the differences amongst the two presidential candidates, including them going at each other. Hilarious as they are, some of them do carry important information. http://www.jibjab.com/originals/this_land. Given the amount of election publicity Houston has had the last two weeks, what with Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, accompanied by their better halves, making pit stops in our city and at the University, you might be wondering how I could make such a mistake, thinking that it is time for the videos to come out already.

Well I am not. Ever since Sen. Obama went on the chopping block right before the Texas and Ohio primaries, and soon after the results were announced, the political scenario hasn’t been the same ever since. It’s a fight to the finish like never before. Sen. Clinton has won the primaries in Texas, while Sen. Obama the caucus. Taking these into consideration, both of them are executing their last resort for a comeback- to criticize each other to the maximum [I am beginning to wonder if their statements have a second derivative that is less than zero; bad joke]. The point being that we have started having Jib Jab videos not between Sen. Obama/Sen. Clinton vs. Sen. McCain, but between Obama and Clinton itself. The perfect timing for a full throttle attack between the two sides. Their Jib Jab’s are ludicrous, forehead smashing, truly satirical; personally this is the best one out of all of them, http://www.jibjab.com/view/196288. To say the least, the election has spewed so much bad talk; you wait for the media to highlight the day’s best.

But for all of you who are remotely interested in who’s going to win the Democratic nomination, here is where we are stalled right now [as of results after the Texas and Ohio Primaries, (10th March)]. Both candidates need 2025 delegates to secure the nomination

Obama has a total of 1,500.5 delegates, making it 74.1% of the 2,025 delegates. Even though he lost the popular vote in Texas, he did win the caucus.
Clinton, on the other hand from her initial lead, has moved down second to 1,394 delegates, 68.8% of the 2,025 delegates. Though, I do have to add that she is leading the superdelegate count with a 188.5 vs. Obama’s 159.5 [Data courtesy of the New York Times]

All I can say is, it's time for them to stop bickering about each other and get to the end result. I can’t wait for the Jib Jab videos between the Democratic nominee and John McCain. Hands rubbing in glee….

Cook's Corner: Spicy potato for the beginner!!

2008-03-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

Serving :
Dinner for 4 (for those who hog mercilessly. May be scaled down as per requirement)

Time :
Approximately 20 mins

Ingredients (marked with * are mandatory, rest is optional but its better to add those or more, for taste)

* Potatoes : 6 medium size (as required)
* Onions : 1 large (or 2 small)
Kadipatta (Curry leaves) : for taste
Kothimbeer/dhaniya (Corriander or cilantro) : for garnishing and aroma
Green Chilies : 3 – 4 as per “hot” requirement
* Red chilli powder : 3-4 teaspoons for color and taste as well
Rai/Mohri (Mustard seeds) : For “Tadka”
Jeera (Cummin) : For “Tadka”
* Oil : For “Tadka” and frying onions and potato
* Salt : For “Taste"

Procedure:

Cut potatoes in small n thin SLICES. Thin slices cook quickly. But please refrain from transparent slices as those will break off while stirring. Have (You are the Chief Chef… ask your roomies to do the adjunct work!!!) the onion, cilantro and chilies chopped finely. That’s it!! More than half the work is done !!

Pour (as in few teaspoons not a barrel!! It’s an expensive commodity. Use discretion!) some oil in a pan with a large base. It helps in frying and cooking the potato slices evenly. Add some mustard and then some cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds start popping throw in the chopped onion and chilies in the oil. Let the onion fry for some time. Throw in some (half of the chopped) cilantro and curry leaves (fresh leaves add more taste as compared to dried ones!) As the cilantro gets fried the aroma will be awesome!! Throw in some salt for taste. Salt helps to soften the onion.

Feel the mixture and when your 7^th sense forces throw in the chili powder as per taste (hotness!!!). Stir for some time and throw in the potato slices in the “gravy”. Mix well such that the “gravy” covers all slices and the potatoes are fried equally well. You may chose to cover the vessel and chat with a friend or for better result keep stirring frequently. Once done, spread the remaining cilantro for garnishing!

Best with dal rice or you may even try sandwich toast for lunch!!

Cheers!

Interesting Links of the Month

2008-02-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

1. http://www.kurzweilai.net/

2. http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/

3. http://irazoo.com/

4. http://www.linkedin.com

5. http://www.indoamerican-news.com/

6. http://houston.aidindia.org

7. http://www.uh.edu/pratham/

8. http://www.indiahousehouston.org/

Quotable Quotes (Nov 07)

2008-02-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won’t change the subject

-Anonymous

“There is neither this world nor the world beyond nor happiness for the one who doubts.

- Baghavat Gita

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on.

– Robert Frost

Good judgment comes from experience... and a lot of that comes from bad judgment!

-Will Rogers

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

-Aristotle

Ancient Indian greats - 2 Brahmagupta (Nov 07)

2008-02-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

Brahmagupta Theorem

Brahmagupta was an Indian astronomer and mathematician. He was the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain. His main, but not sole, achievements in the field of mathematics were the introduction of zero and negative numbers.

Like many Indian mathematicians of this and later periods, Brahmagupta was producing work that was many centuries ahead of the equivalent work being carried out in the western world. Brahmagupta wrote two main texts, both of which deal with arithmetic and astronomy. His first work in 628 was Brahmasphuta siddhanta (The Opening of the Universe) (catchy name, ain’t it?), and in 665 he published Khandakhadyaka. Both of these texts are actually written in verse!!! It is hard to imagine a book written on advanced mathematics without mathematical variables but totally in verse!

Undoubtedly, he must have been a very influential person. The astronomical observatory at Ujjain was the best in the world at that point of time. His school, which was a rival to that of Aryabhata, was very influential in western and northern India. He made his presence at an age when Indians were brimming with mathematicians. Brahmagupta had a plethora of criticism directed towards the work of rival astronomers. In fact he wrote a whole chapter disagreeing choice of astronomical parameters and theories put forward by other Indian mathematicians.

But let’s get back to his contribution. The fact that he introduced the concept of zero and negative numbers is probably known by all. But did you know that one of his chief contributions is the solution of a certain second order indeterminate equation which is of great significance in number theory? Or that he knew that both Earth and the universe are round? Or that he knew about gravitation force? Or that he was the first to make a sine table. This "or" sequence could actually go on for hours ... oh and yeah ... he also contributed a lot in the field of progressions. He has contributed so much that it makes me wonder if he had any Grad students working under him.

Under the Gurukul system which was prevalent then, it is very much possible. But unfortunately all his books just state the results and does not give the proof. Infact it would have been impossible for him to give the proof for every theorem that he put forward. That was because books were to be written only in

To give a glimpse of how difficult it was for him, let me quote a few lines from his books.

Diminish by the middle [number] the square-root of the rupas multiplied by four times the square and increased by the square of the middle [number]; divide the remainder by twice the square. [The result is] the middle [number].

Guessed what that was all about? Stop forcing your already-exploited brain, the above verse was about the solution to a quadratic equation. Or get a load of this: The sines: The Progenitors, twins; Ursa Major, twins, the Vedas; the gods, fires, six; flavors, dice, the gods; the moon, five, the sky, the moon the moon, arrows, suns .....

That’s sine table for you. Yes, you guessed right. He used names of objects to represent the digits of place-value numerals. The only red mark on his report card is this definition of division of zero by zero: A positive divided by a positive or a negative divided by a negative is positive; a zero divided by a zero is zero; a positive divided by a negative is negative; a negative divided by a positive is negative.

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Brahmagupta's mathematical talents is that his book was used to introduce the basic ideas of algebra to Islamic mathematicians, who were later given credit for its invention. Brahmagupta died between 660 and 670. At the time of his death he was widely acknowledged as the greatest mathematician of this period of Indian history, and one of the greatest Indian mathematicians of any time.

-V.Kranti Kumar

Macgregor Masala, Upma (Nov 07)

2008-02-21T21:32:00.001-08:00

(how to cook for hungry bachelor’s in ten minutes)

By Srinath Sathyamurthy

Upma

Upma (Malayalam, Tamil), also known as Uppindi in Telugu, Upeet in (Marathi) and Uppittu or Kharabath in Kannada, and "Roolong" in Konkani, is a wholesome Indian dish made of Wheat Rava

Ingredients Required

(quantity based on number of people and availability of resources)

Wheat Rava (Semolina)

Cooking oil

Mustard seeds

Cumin

Ginger

Green chillies

Chopped onions (1 med, chopped) (some people may omit this for cultural reasons)

Salt to taste

Vegetables of choice: Peas, carrots, eggplant, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes

Grated coconut

Lemon juice

Method

Dry-roast rava until it just begins to turn brown, then keep aside.

In a large saucepan/wok, heat the cooking oil.

Add mustard seeds and wait for them to sputter. Then add cumin, ginger, green chillies and chopped onions and fry until onions caramelise.

Add vegetables, salt and 1.5 cups of water, and bring to boil.

Add the roasted rava, turn down the heat, and mix quickly to avoid lumps forming.

The upma is done when all the water is absorbed by the rava.

Garnish with grated coconut and lemon juice.

GANESH CHATHURTHI CELEBRATIONS (NOV 07)

2008-02-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

F for FASHION By Barath Lakshmanan (Nov 07)

2008-02-21T21:23:00.000-08:00

DISCLAIMER: This article WILL NOT improve your vocabulary or increase your penchant for the literature. It will not have words that can be used among the “hip” crowd to make you popular. This will just be an impromptu attempt to share whatever I know and also to beat my stress (Yeahhh Rrrite). Oops and more importantly, this is primarily because I am expected to contribute something to GISO, being the roommate of its president (read “Dada”).

SPL DISCLAIMER: Here F is only for Fashion and not for “....” for all you perverts reading this and this picture is not that shady as you think!!!

Just when you think assignments and exams are eating away your time, why would you even want to waste your time thinking about how you well you dress??. Uhhhh common! Then why on earth are you reading the third line of something you don’t even wanna know??? Yeahhh, so this is for all the non- hypocrites who believe in the adage that looking the part is very important. Naaaahh I am not talking about being a Jlo’s in“Love don’t cost a thing” or having the most talked about Shahrukh Rukh Khanistic 6 packs in “Om Shanti Om” but just someone who will not be mocked at.

With the summers heat just fading away and heaven’s gentle showers pouring (Damn!!!! Why am I not able to coin a proper season or a definite weather condition? CURSE TEXAS!!!), I will not be able to typecast with any set style.

Well anyway, being a desi doesn’t help, does it? We will not be able to wear our very own “desi styled clothes”. If you are dreaming about Kajol in a white mini in the rainy “Mere Khwabon mein jo ” in DDLJ (See the embedded video), GISO is condemning it! Why dint I agree to write about fashion in movies instead? I could have a lot more to write about like” Hrithik’s and Aamir’s “Dhoom 2” and “DCH” style, the doe eyed Shriya’s “Sivaji-The Boss” clothes or Surya’s “Ghajini” look, Nagarjuna’s awesome style sense in “Super” and so on. (Did you notice that I was diplomatic in catering to all the audiences of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu???). Why is that we always restrict ourselves with this regional divide??? Why can’t we all say “Chak De India” even we are not watching the 20-20 world cup??? Noooo I am digressing!

Ok, you must have been really disappointed with the fact that the first two paras were not productive in terms of the tips. Don’t worry; you will be fortunate enough to read all my articles in the coming issues.

F for GIRLS: It is always thought that you are relatively more creative than guys. The premier dogma is the willingness to experiment. Be creative and having a penchant to try something different. We are here in a country where the person sitting next to you gives a rat’s ass. So just be you and try out different things (not just clothes, even professionally). You may want to experiment with the magic of the most celebrated color of the blondes, yeah you guessed it right. It is indeed pink. Another color that is being termed as the next black for this season is the shine. The silverish shade is what I am talking about. But for obvious reasons, it is not plausible for the school use. For the serene women, try green. You may want to get “V” necked tops and complement it with some earthly colored tanks.

You might also want to experiment white with the green. It is fresh and gives a very pleasant look. Don’t worry about the brands here; you will not have snobs sniffing around you. But for the brand conscious few, you will definitely want to own a few of Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F), Guess, Prada, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, DKNY and a lot more. Common dudes, they are ambitious and distant dreams for graduate students like us.

F for GUYS: We are relatively more creative than the girls though they are thought to be so. Hahaha( A wicked one!). So lets use some of our creativity and move ourselves forward. Since this is the early stages of the semester, most of you will tend to get interview calls. So for pete’s sake, dress up for the occasion. It will not be apt for you to go in your normal pair of denim with and an unkempt tee. Please make an attempt to look decent. You will know your strengths. So if can carry it off, you may want to wear a normal denim with a polo. Shoes are a must! It will look extremely unprofessional otherwise. How many of you guys see men who work in the school with sandals??? I haven’t seen that many. I will strongly recommend you against it. If you think formals are a better option, you are wise and playing it safe. Who knows you might just end up getting that job. (Obviously not because of your clothes). I will definitely write about the comfortable school wear later in the coming articles. Since a lot more girls seem to have gotten the GATF jobs, I just thought that this is an important issue now.

I sign off here. N yeah before I forget, be creative for Parichay. The Mr. and Ms. Parichay will be crowned. As I had mentioned, you don’t have to really look like models but you could just pull it off with élan with your dress sense and attitude.

- Barath Lakshmanan

Over a cup of Tea

2008-02-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

Before you all read this article please take some time out to appreciate the newsletter team to have come up with this concept of Dautya! A lot goes into compiling such a wonderful issue. Please read and contribute whole heartedly. Your contribution is imperative for the success of Dautya! All the best Team Dautya!

~ Vikram V. Shete

Over a cup of Tea

On an evening when I sit on the patio with a cup of tea, gazing at the skies painted in the finest colors of nature, I simply cannot stop the chain of thoughts, which inevitably throw me back in the past. A past which I cherish and wish it was the future! Someone has wisely put “Memories always make you sad: For if those were good, it’s the sorrow of having lost those moments and if those were sad the thought itself makes you unhappy!” So true…

The chain of thoughts is as simple as “So beautiful is the sky.

I can see it as far as Galveston! In Mumbai I did not see the sky across the street. So many buildings…. My friends stay across the street! We played cricket and had wada-pav (bondas) at Mahesh thela (stall)” so and so forth it goes on. Then there is no stopping till the tea hits bottom! At the end, on the final note the fundamental question is posed, “Why did I come to USA?” A couple of years back the answer was simple, “Learn and Earn”! Now, there is a different dimension to the question and the answer as well. It’s more philosophical than practical. For me philosophy flows smoothly with a cup of tea! Even now as I write, most of the time

I am wandering on the streets of Mumbai, waiting for the auto, the odd bus 210, the 7.44 train from Borivali! The nostalgia is sweet even if it eats away two valuable hours!

Today the realization dawns, why “baba” (father) wanted me to have my clothes ready to be sent for ironing, why “aai” (mother) pleaded to keep food stored and refrigerated and not to mention the care, with which “aaji” (grandmother) made “batatychya kachrya” (spiced potato chips). All comes back when its late in the morning and I must squeeze in 5 minutes to get that darned shirt ironed, when the roaches attack, when hunger hits and there is no motivation whatsoever to cook or head to the kitchen!

Little did I know before applying for the program, that there is more to it than just studying and having fun in The US of A! The first semester demanded a heavy premium!! Everything that I had to do was a new venture, including banking, cooking, utensils, setting up electricity and on top of that, the Honesty Policy which turned out to be a nightmare (although that is one thing that I will cherish for long!). We have been used to making multiple copies from a couple of original versions.

I remember that, more than often the ratio of original to the last edited version was 10:4, a whopping 60 % reduction! The original copy would have 10 pages and the final version would be close to just 4! With that background, how could I solve a double integral of a partial differential of the Bessel function of the third order, all by myself!!

This was the least of all pains that I have endured so far. There were higher degree pains of funding, GATF, the graduate co-ordinator, the ever pushing boss, the course selection, finding a parking place.

I had to reach university before 9 am just to get a place near Cullen Engineering. How demanding can life be !! Oh how could I forget the apartment management and their weird

rules and regulations!! Gosh !! Life is that bad, is it ? I almost believed “Life is Beautiful”!

But I must agree and trust that the readers will also, that these are the experiences that go a long way in shaping us and making a strong character out of us! I strongly believe that the past 2 years have had a huge influence on my life. I have met some of the best people while working on projects, concerts, events and even team assignments! For the first time I witnessed the Indian diversity in its full blossom! Little did I know that there were more than one “South Indian” languages and that Oriya was as sweet as Bengali and there were distinctions in Punjabis, Sikhs and Sardars. The festivals, food habits, the slang, the mannerisms, so fine yet so distinct and unique! Please forgive if I have got it wrong! There is a lot more to it than what can be said or understood.

Most of my learning has come from the organizations that I have worked for and the people I have worked with. The prime ones being GISO and AID! Each having a purpose and a unique way to function! Houston has taught me a mantra, the mantra of Networking!

F.Y.I. The gurus of this course are right here in Houston, who are willing to help with it!! As a matter of fact a lot of my classmates from the 2005 batch have changed! Their outlook towards life, their ways of attacking a problem, not to mention the dressing, the accent as well! The k’s have changed to khey’s and p’s to phee’s !

Sometimes it is frustrating to be a graduate student and there is this urge, to tell all my miseries to someone! But, when the eyes roll around searching for someone to talk about it, every other person I see is trying to find someone for obvious reasons!

It’s sad that I can’t vent out my frustration but then, the very fact that this is a commonplace makes me feel better.

Everyone is facing it and dealing with it so why not me ?? It’s really amazing that we’ve learnt ways to deal with it without succumbing to the pressure. Some find solace in music, some enjoy wine n dine whilst some spend time with near and dear ones in person or telecommunication! This deserves a round of applause! Some have discovered latent qualities that they wish to pursue! Every individual I see is tomes of experience, a legend by itself. Each one of us has seen things in a different perspective and it would be wrong to compare each other. It’s like comparing oranges to limes on the premise that they have the same shape! Let’s not pit against each other, the victory may not be sweet! Beat your past, race against the “Me” within! Now that would be a triumph of the mind over matter. That’s got to be sweet!!

Well as my cup of tea is about to hit bottom, the thoughts of future seep in and that’s when I realize that it’s time to get back to the “Prima Meta”. There are many more cups of tea to be thought over, but I do realize that such fundamental discussion in such or higher depth is definitely not my cup of tea!

I rest my case………………

-Vikram Shete

HARRY N ME By Ankur Shukla (Nov 07)

2008-02-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

When I look back, it seems not long ago when I graduated. It was the year 2005. The year when the dream of a peaceful and cheerful student life came to an end. Well not exactly end, but sure a changeover. 2005: there are so many things that are associated with the year. Friends, good friends, best friends, parting friends. 2005 was the year when I stepped out from the shadows of my protective family. It happens to be the year when I stepped in my first professional shoes. 2005 was the year when a slowly fading animosity ultimately blossomed to a great and cherished friendship.

It was the year when I got my first ever salary. It happens to be the year when after a long and dreadful time I felt so good. 2005 also happens to be the year when Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (HBP) was released.

Now don’t jump to conclusions!! This write-up is not a review of the great epic and cult which I follow and revere. Writing about Harry Potter will take pages from my side. I remember when my graduation was nearing, how I felt. There was a feeling of anxiety and trepidation around. I had chosen to stay in India for an eon of experience in spite of some really good academic offerings from USA. Some of my friends were going abroad and I often felt weather I made the correct decision? It was during that time I started reading Harry Potter. The amazing story of the boy wizard held me captivated. I remember 16^th July 2005 very clearly. I woke up early in the morning (having already graduated, sleep was much extended and a great alternative to kill time those days until I join for my job). I dressed in anxiety and took half breakfast. I just rushed to the book store to get my hands on the first day copy of HBP. I was thrilled to have it. It took just three days to finish the 750 page novel. I used to read it all day long very meticulously as if I was a part of the plot and was trying hard to solve the well woven mystery. Harry has been part of my life since that time and my ultimate refuge from the mundane world (of muggles!!). The book ended at a cusp. I just couldn’t wait for the next book. I still remember that I made a pledge to my friend that I will read the next book in USA. He laughed at it and so did I.

It was then I decided that I will apply again in the US University. Well I cannot say that Harry is the sole reason I decide to come to US (I wanted it since long) but definitely a big turnover in decision making.

As the midnight approached this July 20^th, I got ready and went to the book store. I was there enjoying a Harry Potter party. After all it was the release of the Last book (next after HBP) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am here in Houston and when I bought the book roughly after 27 mins of its worldwide release (0001Hrs 21^st July 2007), I felt the goose bumps and it reminded me the pledge and a smile ran across my cheeks. Well I am in USA ( and so is my friend). As I fulfilled my pledge, so did Harry in giving me an amazing story and a beautiful ending to the epic series. It took my about 2 days to finish off the book (780 Pages). Well I m not being pompous but J K Rowling actually thanked “me” in the opening credits of the book. Seriously you can see it for yourself!! It does make me feel good. I know that Harry is not coming back again but these 7 books have changed things around me magically. Thanks for sticking by Harry!!!

- Ankur Shukla

INDIAN SPORTS – WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

2008-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

September, as Wikipedia informs me, is not a special month. No country got its independence in this month. No big events took place except for the infamous 911 which changed everyone’s world. But as they say life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. And we had our mouths full this month. At the point of our life (as a grad student) where all the interest in sports we love becomes the last priority, we had to stop whatever we were doing, create time out of thin air and spend it on refreshing certain websites that report on Indian sport.

Indian sports? You must be thinking I am talking ONLY about what happened in T20 World Cup. No. September fortunately has been great for all the major sport events that India participates in. The month started off with much optimism in the air. We had just won the Nehru cup in soccer where we had beaten a much higher ranked Syria in a high-voltage final in New Delhi. The whole nation was shouted “Chak De India” when we easily won the Asia Cup where we overwhelmed Korea in finals. South Korea actually is the World cup runners up. So lifting Asia Cup was no small matter.

Then out of no where Indian cricket, as if sensing that it was lagging behind in performing at world events, lifted the inaugural Twenty 20 World Cup! Damn it, the Indian crickets choose the worst moment. Mid-term exams almost spilled water on the fun. But knowing desis mentality, I am sure no one missed anything. Worst of all were those who were participating in Parichay. But now that we have won it who is complaining?

As a grad student, I thought I have seen enough thrills and frills in my life. But I was wrong as each and every T20 match passed a high frequency sine wave through everyone’s hearts.

I have already started to cherish a few moments that will probably bring a smile on my lips forever. The fear that a “Chak De” type situation had come up for Pakistan during the Bowl-out against us. The time when I was sitting in my Lab in COT and refreshing cricinfo and watching in disbelief when Yuvraj was hitting those historical 6 Sixes. Priceless. And to go back home and find that this video was the day’s most popular video in Youtube? Priceless. And when Rohit Sharma flung himself to run-out Boucher in the crucial match against RSA. Priceless. And how about Sreesanth’s reaction when he took the wicket of Hayden? Priceless. Priceless. Priceless.

But the best moment that I cherish probably was when Mishab-ul-haq skied the ball in the last over just after he had hit Joginder for a six. That was the perfect moment when God for fun could have slowed the time for everyone. Wait ... I think he actually did that. What followed that can’t be described in words. Chak De had suddenly become Chak Diya ! We had won the World Cup !! All the effort we put in by watching those matches finally paid off.

-V.Kranti Kumar

THE USUAL, FORMAL, MUNDANE OBLIGATORY ARTICLE (November Issue)

2008-02-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

I start this article by requesting all of you to forget the title of this article. That's the result of a marketing tactic that I am trying to implement to attract attention. If you are still reading it, it means that it worked. If you are thinking of stopping to read this article, read on for some very insightful thoughts that will help you in the long run. Parichay has always been the informal traditional welcome that we in GISO give to our new members. No matter how easy and casual it seems, there is a lot of time and effort put into it. I take this opportunity to thank all those hardworking souls who really wanted a smooth show to go through. Well, now that I have seen through the formal first few lines, let me brief all the dear readers as to what really went on behind the scenes.

We had to see to it that the least number of students were busy and finalize a date based on that. Then we realized that we are all grad students (and typically grad students make there generally free times look busy, which made us realize that the date was irrespective! After long discussions, we came up with September 22nd (actually we did not have a long discussion, Houston room was available on that date).

We had a tough time in assigning roles and responsibilities to everyone as everyone was interested in taking responsibility for food. Especially when they came to know that Udipi was providing the food. ?“ Just kidding!! Girish was assigned the lovely task of listening to people sing!! Kranti and Raashi were responsible for the 2 dance performances. Mihir and I were really busy with the sponsorship part and selling of food coupons. We therefore were in the oblivion when it came to the actual show (well…that does not matter as I have full faith in my team…and
they proved my faith right with the lovely performances that they displayed on such a short practice duration. Credit especially goes to Kranti who kept people motivated and to make them dance all night. He for a change burnt the midnight oil for something non-academic and was also helping out people who were preparing for the skit (unfortunately that did not work out due to lack of time). Mihir and I were meeting people, inviting students who were not aware of the time and date. It was great to see Mr.Ramesh Anand being with us on such a short notice and sharing a few words. I need to thank him (and Satish Rao of Udipi) a lot for making sure that Udipi gave us great food for a really good deal. I was extremely pleased to see such active participation and involvement from the new students, which makes me believe that I will be handing over responsibilities of GISO to a really deserving team next year. Such an event has given the team further encouragement to conduct lots of interesting events that were not there previously. Once such testimony is the presence of this very newsletter. I am happy to see so many articles and requests from people (many of which we were not able to provide in this issue). I know that I have not thanked many people who deserve it, but try to adhere to the famous saying ..."There were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit, try to be in the first group; there is much less competition there" Now that you have read the whole article, I can happily say that I fooled you when I said that I would be giving some very insightful thoughts that will help you in the long run. That is another marketing strategy that has worked!!! Actually, you can try this marketing strategy somewhere in the near future, but not on me!!!!

-Srinath Sathyamurthy

Quotable Quotes

2008-02-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to him. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal
-Anonymous

Ancient Indian greats Series - Aryabhata (August 15th, 2007)

2008-02-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

Most of you all are probably the 1st generation in your family to come to US for higher studies. Most of you all are probably the 2nd generation in your family to dwell deep into the field of
Science. But ironically and unknowingly we are just yet another generation in this field because we have been preceded by mathematicians and scientists from thousands of years. Right from the invention of Zero to the development of Calculus our ancestors have preceded everyone in the world to discover the magic behind numbers and nature. Sadly we were not exposed
to this in our history textbooks. And "Dautya" has taken it as a challenge to bring out information on the endeavors of the great Indian Mathematicians which would make you proud of the linage you are representing.

Aryabhata- the first Astronomer
The classical age of Indian mathematics and is probably the best known. His most famous work, Aryabhatiya, was the most referred book in Indian mathematical circles. The importance of Aryabhata in India's identity as a science superpower can be gauged by the fact that it’s first ever satellite was named after him.

Before we proceed to discuss the various discoveries and theories of Aryabhata, let us first try to understand the epoch to which he belonged. He was born in 476 A.D. , a period which is seen as the golden period of Indian history as a whole. The Indian civilization was nearing its peak. There were tremendous improvement in all field of life be it in music or economic prosperity of the country as such. He studied in Nalanda University, the best university of the world at that time. Conditions were ripe for someone like Aryabhata to enter uncharted waters in the field of his choice. His contributions to mathematics and astronomy are staggering.
- He laid the foundations for the development of the decimal system. He did develop a place value system but it had a base of 100 not 10.
- He gave the value of pi correct to five digits and also knew that it was irrational. Irrationality of pi was proved in Europe only in 1761 by Lambert.
- He is one of the first to develop an algorithm for solving Diophantine Equations.
- His defined and made sine and cosine tables thus paving the development of a new field of mathematics i.e. Trigonometry.
- He appears to have believed that the earth is round and rotates about its axis. Infact he calculated the circumference of earth with an error of just 0.2%.
- His calculation of the length of a year is only 3 minutes 20 seconds longer than the true value. Here it is important to note that he believed in geocentric model i.e. Sun revolving around Earth they have been referred to by later mathematicians. Imagine yourself trying to find out all that he has You would surely want some good accurate measurements to help you.

But take a look at what Aryabhata used for all his discoveries : the gnomon (shanku-yantra), a shadow instrument (chhAyA-yantra), possibly angle-measuring devices, semi-circle and circle shaped (dhanur-yantra / chakra-yantra), a cylindrical stick yasti-yantra, an umbrella-shaped device called chhatra-yantra, and water clocks of at least two types, bow-shaped and cylindrical! And just imagine how he would react to the scientific advances that have taken place in the past 3 centuries. He would be surprised surely but he would also be the most satisfied. After all mankind has not stopped thinking about thinks that intrigued him.

Source : Google and Wikipedia.

New Committee takes over (August 15th, 2007)

2008-02-21T20:24:00.000-08:00

GISO Committee July 2007 to July 2008 : from left to right, Anil Avadhanulla, Ankur Rawat,Mihir Surve, Rajakumar Koduru, Srinath S Iyer and Raashi Chawla

Committee Members are as follows:

Executive Committee
Srinath Sathyamurthy, President
Mihir Surve, VP- Finance
Raja Kumar Koduru- VP- Public Relations
Ankur Rawat, VP-Logistics
Raashi Chawla- Secretary
Ankur Shukla- Publicity and Promotion
Anil Avadhanula- Sports secretary
V Kranti Kumar – Newsletter Editor

Web Team
Girish Nandagudi
Vishal Naik
Sravan Manogna Joshi Vinjamuri

Pick Up Committee
Vijay Jaina
Anup J P
Akshay Swamisetty
Saravanan Srinivasan
Prashanth Vishwanath

FRESHER PICK UP AND TEMP STAY, August 15th, 2007

2008-02-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

A Humorous anecdote by Kranti Kumar
Come fall and students enter UH in thousands. Nothing changed in that statistic even this year. But this time students from India decided to enter UH in hunderds.160 to be exact. Not impressed? Considering the fact that last year the total of 75 itself was a record high and that GISO provides free pick up from the airport and also free accommodation to almost anyone who has the common sense of filling out a simple pick-up request form on GISO's website. Or don’t consider my consideration .Go and meet Vijay Jaina and Anup. Poor guys who probably have stared more into the Excel sheets ,containing the pick-up list, than the developers of MS Office ever did.( How Vijay Jaina and Anup got sucked into this is not entirely known. But before they were assigned the job, the president was seen roaming around looking for members who have experience working on MS Excel, for a simple task.)

Jokes apart, the whole pick-up event has literally drained all the energy out of everyone who have been involved right from the Excel sheet managers to the pick-up men (couldn’t find a better word ) and to those who accommodated the newbies in their apartments. Everyone did their bit by pushing themselves to their limits. At one point of time, many member's apartments
were "filled" with at least 3 temps. But strangely, not all wanted to let go of the temps. Because that would only mean new temps would just barge in. GISO was grateful to its alumni, for the alumni played its part in picking up the newcomers from the airport. The same cant be said about the present members who participated in the pick-ups. Because rumors were rife that some of them were actually practicing driving on the freeway by making the newcomers’ bakras. But one thing did not change. Even this year the pick-ups were full of drama, action and emotion. Right from the pick-up man who was afraid that more parts of his brand new 2nd hand car would "fall down" during the pickups to the scene in one of the apartments went all the temps went to bath by pulling the curtain out of the bath-tub (which almostflooded the restroom ).But the worst of all was that of the loudly announced and celebrated "Last pick up of Fall 2007" which proved to be a dud as that student didn’t actually belong to our school but to UH, Clear Lake. A small lapse by the Excel sheet managers left the pick-up man stranded in the airport for more than 3 hours. He apparently ran from pillar to post at the airport trying to unearth the elusive Mr.Lastpickup. So what would be the situation next year? I think it would have been a simpler task this year itself if Mr. President would have listened to loud noises from some quarter of the GISO members. Rent a bus, make everyone come on the same date to Houston. Install a tent out side the International arrivals where the Excel sheet guys would be sitting and confirming the arrival of everyone. Surely this would have made the pick-ups a picture event

And this article would have made it to The Houston Chronicle instead of only "Dautya". Is the next would be president noting down this point ?

Macgregor Masala, TOMATO RICE August 15th, 2007

2008-02-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

(how to cook for hungry bachelor’s in ten minutes) By Barath Lakshmanan
Ingredients Required
(quantity based on number of people and availability of resources)
Tomatoes medium size
Rice
Onion
Ginger
Salt Acc To Taste
Chilli Powder
Garam Masla Powder
Mustard seeds
Method:
Cook the Rice & let it Cool.
Heat the Oil in the Pan & add mustard seeds.
When it starts spluttering add Onions , fry till translucent.
Add ginger ,tomatoes , salt,tumeric & keep stirring.
When Everything is mixed together add all the dry masala powders.
Let it cook; keep stirring frequently. When the tomatoes are cooked add the Rice & combine.
Eat it before all the hungry bachelors of macgregor invade your kitchen.

Sivaji Film Review, August 15th, 2007

2008-02-21T16:34:00.001-08:00

(Telugu version) By Kranti Kumar

What would motivate 5 students to drive 144 miles all the way from Lake Charles to watch a dubbed telugu film on the first day of its release? It is because of Superstar Rajnikanth's charisma? Or is it the theme of Shankar’s stories? Or is it the captivating music of AR Rahman ? Or is it really the hype that has been surrounding this film? Whatever it was, it forced them to drive for more than 2 and half hours just to watch a 3 hour 20 mins cinema. The look on the
audience’s faces told it all. They were ready to get impressed. They were here to get entertained (read watch Rajnikanth) and get inspired to do something good (read Shankar's story). And the movie started , in a rather amusing way , by showing a masked handcuffed Rajni been taken away by the police to a jail. It was rather a let down because all the fans were desperate to explode when they see Rajni's face on the 70 mm screen. After 3 mins or so into the film, Rajni finally shows his face and from there on it was a treat for both Rajni fans and non-Rajni fans.

Sivaji ( Rajni ) is a software professional and returns from US with Rs 250 crores with an ambition of starting a hospitalcum- medical college for providing free education and medical help to the poor people in India. His ambition is foiled by a local kingpin Adikesava Reddy(Suman). Sivaji gets questioned by the authorities and dragged onto the street because of the ruthless political system.Adikesava Reddy taunts Sivaji by giving him a rupee coin and advices him to beg on the road. Sivaji ,with that very 1 rupee coin, robs the black money from rich people and converts it into white money via hawala transactions and sets up a parallel "private" government in the state.

The rest of the story is all about how he evades the cops, eliminates the kingpin and continues serving the society. But out and out, this is Rajnikanth's film. Whether he is romancing Shreya in the first half or he is devising plans to rob the black money in the 2nd half, he virtually rules the film. The first half has all the general Rajni commercial elements such as comedy. He teams up with Vivek to do some memorable stomachcrunching scenes. Vivek is as sarcastic as ever in his role and complements Rajni throughout the film.Shreya surely made everyone’s jaws drop. She sizzled in the songs and does well as the female lead. AR Rahman's songs are already chartbusters but as usual he follows it up with great background music. The rap number during the introduction of "gundu" boss is just mind-boggling.( I wont tell who gundu" boss is , " you have to watch the film for that).
Choreography is good. Especially the Style and Adharani song would leave anyone spellbound. On the whole Sivaji is not as gripping as other Shankar's previous film like Oke Okkadu ( Nayak in Hindi ) and Bharateeyudu.First half doesnt contribute much to the main story.

The main concept is compressed tightly in the second half and doesnt make you sit on the edge of the seat like films like Oke Okkadu orAparichitudu.Fight scenes are long and tend to become meaningless.Shankar somehow loose the grip on the screenplay and fails to blow you away with his revolutionary ideas. But is this because we were too impressed by Rajnikanth that we failed to register the message of the film ?This question is tempting me to watch the movie for the second time ! Thank God I stay in Houston and not in Lake Charles.

Verdict :
A treat for Rajni fans.

Things to watch out for :
- Rajni's style.
- Comedy sequence ( especially in the one where Shreya says she will not marry him because of his color )
- Vivek's sarcastic one-liners.
- AR Rahman's songs and good choreography.

Interesting Snippets :
-Director S. Shankar teaming up with Rajnikanth for the first time.
-Costliest India film ever to be made with a budget of Rs.80 crores.
-Released worldwide in 27 countries on same day.
-The films release was delayed , when A. R. Rahman , claimed he was disappointed of his background score and planned to re-do it.

Independence Day Poem, August 15th , 2007

2008-02-21T16:32:00.000-08:00

The smell of earth remains in our minds,
The chirping of the birds flitters around our heads,
Of morning prayers and aged soldiers walking brisk,
The pay respect without a flinch,
Dogs, cows and goats sniff the air,
Our land is home for these to bear,
Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati sparkle thou abode of our Gods.
Our fathers fought bringing us liberty,
This mother of ours remains unconditional to our love,
Our love must grant we to thee,
Stopped by none must be we,
Hold our heads up high and salute,
For none other will give us retreat.

Bless our Kashmir for its courage,
Bow before our waters,
Raise our heads in respect for the Taj,
Spread our wings and fly like the Himalayas,
Stand undefeated like the earth.

Its bountiful states, languages and cultures,
They hold together teeming with billions,
We still stay strong with best of all worlds,
Maintaining our identity stronger than most,
From food to music, there's not one that can surpass.

I wish you on your 60th,
Go on forever and crumble all obstacles,
Combine the ways of our fathers fight,
To help our children live in peace,
Maintain your elegance with no chagrin.
God bless you mother and by none be humbled.

Jai Hind

Message from the editor, August 15th , 2007

2008-02-21T16:31:00.000-08:00

Why does GISO need a newsletter? It’s because GISO as an organization has successfully planted itself as an umbrella for all Indian students in UH. Because now a platform was needed where an Indian Graduate student could share his American experience with everyone. Because its is high time every GISO member stays in sync with the activities that are taking place
under GISO. Due to these compelling reasons, the newly elected GISO committee ,under the leadership of Srinath Iyer, has decide to throw the hat into the ring and come up with " Dautya " in such short notice. And no better day to launch it than India's 60th Independence day. A day which instills a profound feeling of love towards India because we , here in US , miss it more than anyone else even though Houston and especially UH has become our home away from home.

"Dautya" is going to be a monthly edition so that we grad students will be able to squeeze out some time and come up with some interesting articles for our readers. As an editor, I am going to cajole all members of GISO to contribute and I am not ruling out harassment to get the job done. The newsletter would include articles which are of importance to all Graduate students in UH. From general GISO news to interesting articles like "Ancient Indian Mathematicians" and to more usable fashion and cooking tips, "Dautya" would soon surely gain acceptance from GISO members and would actually help in making GISO more active and responsible.

The first ever copy of "Dautya" is a paper print-out but further editions would be in a much friendlier PDF format. So guys, buckle up and watch out for this space !
-V.Kranti Kumar

Message from the GISO President, AUGUST 15th , 2007

2008-02-21T16:30:00.001-08:00

Namaskar,

GISO is turning a new leaf, organization is getting bigger. I feel this is the right time for GISO as an organization
to have its own mouthpiece for interaction, information and most of all fun. Dautya in Sanskrit means the “messenger” and
hence we felt this title is apt for our newsletter. As this is going to be a monthly issue, there will not be page limit for issues.
We plan to integrate local news and news from India, for-sale column and other useful columns as this newsletter grows. So
join us in this endeavor by emailing your articles, thought, suggestions and comments at uh_giso@yahoo.com.

P.S: This will be a highly casual platform for communication.

So the latest gossips most welcome!!!

-Srinath