Life's Onward Journey...

दो दिन, दो शहर। बीस से ज़्यादा बम धमाके, कितने घायल हुए? गिनती नहीं। कितने मरे? मालूम नहीं। हाँ ये ज़रूर मालूम है, की मरने वालों की तादाद, अख़बारों में लिखी संख्याओं से कहीं ज़्यादा है। बम लगाने वाले, उनसे मरने वालों से पहले मरे। ग़म है मुझे उन लाशों के पैदा होने का जो बेगुनाह थे, और नफरत है उन लाशों से, जो कफ़न के बाहर जिंदा घूम रही हैं ऐसे हालात पैदा करने के लिए।

The major cytokine which signals helper T cells to proliferate is Interleukin 2 (IL-2). This cytokine is released by helper T cells themselves and these cells also bear the receptors for IL-2. It is remarkable that to some extent, helper T cells themselves control their own proliferation rate. The more IL-2 they produce, more of it binds to their surface and the downstream signaling causes them to proliferate and produce more IL-2. I love Immunology. However, the purpose of writing the above lines was not to give a lesson on T cell biology. The power to drive our lives, lies within ourselves. May be not always, but often. (I should be saying all this to myself.) :) Next time I am feeling low, I will read my own blog for inspiration. I remember discussing with a friend about one of our common friends, " ABC is the person i turn to when i need some advice. He/She makes all my problems seem so small. But, when it comes to dealing with his/her own problems, he/she behaves impu...

Dil hai to dhadakne ka bahaana koi dhoonde, Patthar ki tarah behis-o-bejaan sa kyun hai... Kya koi nayi baat nazar aati hai hum mein, Aaina humein dekh kar hairaan sa kyun hai... Seene mein jalan, aankhon mein toofan sa kyun hai. Don't know what is happening to me. Whole of last week I hardly did anything constructive. Oh yes, I spent some time in analysing the data on wednesday and thursday. And on friday i did finish the sketch i had been making since past few days. But still I dont feel enthusiasm in myself. Or may be I have been like this forever. And since I am required to be 'highly motivated' and 'competent' at this juncture of life, I am realizing my own shortcomings. Or may be I am not enthusiastic about the current work and current state of my life. The present is full of disappointments and depression. And there is hardly anything to look forward to. Its high time that I become my own inspiration. How long can one wait for an "external source of insp...

Chappa chappa charkha chale Courtyard- Bapu's cottage Khus and a squirrel Sabarmati Ashram Bapu said... The entire group (with me behind the camera) Chalo re doli uthao kahaar... Framed Pair 1: Khus and me Pair 2: Sudarsan and me Pair 3: Kapil and me Pair 4: Binny and me Now, lets all pair up... Kathputliyan... Gujju Thaali...Khao khao Arey itna khaane ko kisne bola tha? To each his own... Vau-Adalaj Kidhar jaana hai bhai? Sarkhej Roza- The corridor ye kya jagah hain doston... Agle janam mohe bitiya hi keejo Who's that girl? Bachcha-log

Rockstar--Mumble-bee and his first fan DJ Hari Lal and DJ reading their fav column in Mumbai Mirror :) Hari and DJ: comparatively sober DJ and me Hari and me

In one of the earlier posts I had mentioned a review article published in Science recently (Emily Pronin et al ). The paper discusses ongoing research in Human Psychology about how differently we think about ourselves compared to how we think about others. The approach we take while judging others is completely different from the approach we take to understand ourselves. When it is about others, we lay more stress on the inputs we get from our senses (visual and hearing) and we are completely unaware of the other person's inner thoughts. And when it comes to judging ourselves we have access to our innermost thoughts and at the same time we forget about our actual actions (as seen by others). In the former it is an extrospective approach whereas in the latter it is introsepctive. In both the situations we do not have access to the complete information which might explain an action or decision or a situation. It is this incomplete information which becomes the basis of our inter-per...

Yoonhi nahi dil lubhata koi! Saw Jaane Tu... last friday. I was quite enthusiastic to see this movie. Two most important reasons were the producer of the movie and the claim made by publicists that this movie is the new-age Dil Chahta Hai . I didn't have unrealistic expectation from the movie when it began. But as the first half progressed I became more and more curious to see the problem-solving second half of the movie. It was then that I felt disappointed. The second half was too silly for several reasons. The "Ranjhore ke Rathore" thing was overdone. The dream and the interpretation will be seen in any or all spoofs directed towards this movie. The transport strike and the compulsion to ride a horse and reach the airport. And the innovative route to go to the airport via Asiatic library and Flora fountain. The end was so predictable. We have seen so many movies ending in similar fashion at the airport. Why add one more to that list? It was a pleasant surprise to see...

Recently I got to know the list of things which stimulate me most and turn on the sneeze-button. My mast cells start releasing loads of histamine when they come across any form of dust, which includes the Rice grain dust and Wheat grain dust. Another of their favourite is spider cobwebs. And there are a few things which are abundant on TIFR campus e.g. Pigeon droppings (the pigeons happily venture in my room and leave their mark once in a while) and the pollen of Casuarina equisetifolia. I think these are the true culprits which have made my life difficult since the day I joined TIFR. I cannot touch rice. I am not allowed to do dusting. The bedsheets have to be changed twice every week. Avoidance is the cure in this case. And actually it is helping.