My ayamma and ayappa...
Took a giant,brave leap for all the future generations in our family when they moved from Perapatti(a village near Sattur) to Madurai to set up a business that has prospered - with it, the owners as well as the scores of employees.
Took a big share of my parents from me - but gave me back much more than that.
were another pair of parents - but sans all the expectations and with much more blind love to drench me with. I believe that they will still take care of me now even when they are in another realm so far away - perhaps with supernatural powers. ( Is this how faith is born?)
brought to our home scores of relatives as well as a lot of history and values that would have otherwise drifted away from the family.
lived the full circle of life. Can't thank my mom enough for taking good care of them, at the cost of her own desires and freedom - I have had the luxury of feeling carefree like a kid - till 26 years of age, near my ayamma.
I love them. I feel too small - I can only look up to my grandparents with gratitude for being with us for so long and with admiration for all that they did and have left behind.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Cultured
One of the most amazing perks of being a Biologist is to culture cells. It is like keeping a pet animal. The cells need to be passaged every 2 days - I call it washing and feeding them. They would die if I did not passage them. It is like a ritual. Every 2 days, I have to do it for my experiments - but I also feel good when I do it. It is a no-brainer - meditation-like. After meditating through the first few steps of passaging (PBS wash, Trypsinization, Centrifugation, Suspending pellet in medium), I would be focussed and clear in my head to think about how many plates and cells per plate I would need to seed for my experiments.
I love my cells (no pun!). I culture beautiful epithelial cells that grow in colonies and form a monolayer eventually. I remember the days when I first started culturing them - I loved making movies of them moving around - it was fascinating to me. Later, around my quals, I hated them a lot (quite natural,I guess) but now I'm back to loving them again.
One favorite pastime is to compare behaviour of single or collective cells to humans as individuals or society respectively....
Turnover, in Biology, refers to the cycle of depletion of a thing followed by something else replacing it. Turnover is very crucial and has to be happening continuously for most of the biological processes under normal conditions.
- Though there are several turnover phenomena needed for our body to survive and also for the society as a whole, I love musing upon the emotional subtleties of the humans - it is not only impossible but also detrimental to growth to remain in the same emotional state always. I think it pays off to go through the cycles of emotions - I feel more alive that way.
Contact inhibition - When a cell encounters another cell, its growth gets inhibited.
- I leave it to you to figure that one out.
Single cells move faster than collective cells but cells need to remain collective for tissue formation.
- That's an answer to what you might have ended thinking about in the previous concept. Alone, we can be fast but we need company to remain as a safe and sane society.
Every moving colony of cells has a leader cell. The leader cell is polarized - the front of the cell which explores the environment is distinct from the rear of the cell where it contacts the cells behind it and pulls them forward.
- Is that not the same for a leader in any group of humans as well? The leader needs to be sharp, intuitive and adventurous on one side to search for new avenues for the group to grow; on the other side, the leader needs to be down-to-earth, caring and patient with the rest of the group. In the quest for new pastures, the leader can never lose contact with the followers because that can decide the fate of the entire cohort.
These are a few of my idle thoughts while in the lab.
I love my cells (no pun!). I culture beautiful epithelial cells that grow in colonies and form a monolayer eventually. I remember the days when I first started culturing them - I loved making movies of them moving around - it was fascinating to me. Later, around my quals, I hated them a lot (quite natural,I guess) but now I'm back to loving them again.
One favorite pastime is to compare behaviour of single or collective cells to humans as individuals or society respectively....
Turnover, in Biology, refers to the cycle of depletion of a thing followed by something else replacing it. Turnover is very crucial and has to be happening continuously for most of the biological processes under normal conditions.
- Though there are several turnover phenomena needed for our body to survive and also for the society as a whole, I love musing upon the emotional subtleties of the humans - it is not only impossible but also detrimental to growth to remain in the same emotional state always. I think it pays off to go through the cycles of emotions - I feel more alive that way.
Contact inhibition - When a cell encounters another cell, its growth gets inhibited.
- I leave it to you to figure that one out.
Single cells move faster than collective cells but cells need to remain collective for tissue formation.
- That's an answer to what you might have ended thinking about in the previous concept. Alone, we can be fast but we need company to remain as a safe and sane society.
Every moving colony of cells has a leader cell. The leader cell is polarized - the front of the cell which explores the environment is distinct from the rear of the cell where it contacts the cells behind it and pulls them forward.
- Is that not the same for a leader in any group of humans as well? The leader needs to be sharp, intuitive and adventurous on one side to search for new avenues for the group to grow; on the other side, the leader needs to be down-to-earth, caring and patient with the rest of the group. In the quest for new pastures, the leader can never lose contact with the followers because that can decide the fate of the entire cohort.
These are a few of my idle thoughts while in the lab.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Mid-twenty
I feel...
Happy to have controlled the flaring,out-of-hand,tempestuous feelings but numb to the point of missing them.
Nostalgic so rarely that when I do feel so, it surprises me.
Too old to appreciate masala movies and too young to like movies with a message.
Too old to wear frilly, fancy,colourful dresses and too young for the elegant,boring, plain ones.
Too old to remain single and too young to get committed forever.
Too old to not take a stand in any issue and too young to get opinionated.
Too old to start something new and too young to get settled into a routine.
I feel all that at the same time. I enjoy the confusion.
Happy to have controlled the flaring,out-of-hand,tempestuous feelings but numb to the point of missing them.
Nostalgic so rarely that when I do feel so, it surprises me.
Too old to appreciate masala movies and too young to like movies with a message.
Too old to wear frilly, fancy,colourful dresses and too young for the elegant,boring, plain ones.
Too old to remain single and too young to get committed forever.
Too old to not take a stand in any issue and too young to get opinionated.
Too old to start something new and too young to get settled into a routine.
I feel all that at the same time. I enjoy the confusion.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The smug smile
The smug smile when she fails
The loud gossip behind her back
The 'I told you so' that reinforces your patriarchal instinct
The patronizing look
You can wipe it off your face
If you can't protect her, you don't control her either.
The loud gossip behind her back
The 'I told you so' that reinforces your patriarchal instinct
The patronizing look
You can wipe it off your face
If you can't protect her, you don't control her either.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Madhubaanakkadai, Attakathi
While many fellow peehechdees follow American sitcoms, I am going local. The following para is dedicated to a Vijay tv programme. For the review of the movies, go down to the second.
It's not strange that almost everything that I read/watch nowadays stems from something that I hear on Neeya naana or Airtel supersinger. These, atleast, enhance my knowledge in some way. But the latest addition to this list is 'Saravanan Meenakshi' -- if anyone had not bestowed their ridicule on me before, now I know that I will definitely be honoured. But give me a chance. After those vetti school days watching 'Chithi', I have never watched any soap. And I started watching this one only after the lead pair got married - 10 episodes ago. It helps to have room-mates with different tastes - I would never have watched it if she had not watched that episode with the tv blasting in the hall at a high volume. Yes, I did ridicule her and everything about the episode. Later I youtubed for the earliest episodes of the serial - curious to know where this 'great love and chemistry' between the protagonists began. I was surprised by the story and screenplay - and impressed too. So now it's on my list of 'to be watched'. The best thing about the serial is it is so down to earth - the lead pair had not 'born and waited for each other' etc - both had ex-lovers, are very normal humans with their own whims and fancies - it's charming to see how they forgive each other and how their love carries them through - this is new for a Tamil serial - not the usual black or white character portrayal.
Getting to the movies - Madhubaanakkadai was mentioned on Neeya naana and Attakathi on airtel super singer :P ;).
Madhubanakkadai - What happens in a tasmac bar from morning till night... There is enough going on in this place to make a 2.5- hour movie! The characters that visit the place are so well sketched out - that you can instantly relate to them. Some of the dialogues pack such a punch. The curious students, the unemployed, the loser, the fraud, the ruffians - these are normal visitors to a bar. The mental farmer, the sewage-cleaners, the bar-workers who don't drink - they make the movie stand out. Watch it if you are one of those who like comic+cynical movies that might pique you on to some vetti contemplations upon India and her ppl. ;)
Attakathi - A thorough enjoyment. What a screenplay and what a hero! :) A special mention for 3 of my fav songs - vazhi paarthirundhen, aasai or pulveli and nadukkadalula.....Who would want to watch hollywood or bollywood when blessed with such home-made wonders :))))))))))))
It's not strange that almost everything that I read/watch nowadays stems from something that I hear on Neeya naana or Airtel supersinger. These, atleast, enhance my knowledge in some way. But the latest addition to this list is 'Saravanan Meenakshi' -- if anyone had not bestowed their ridicule on me before, now I know that I will definitely be honoured. But give me a chance. After those vetti school days watching 'Chithi', I have never watched any soap. And I started watching this one only after the lead pair got married - 10 episodes ago. It helps to have room-mates with different tastes - I would never have watched it if she had not watched that episode with the tv blasting in the hall at a high volume. Yes, I did ridicule her and everything about the episode. Later I youtubed for the earliest episodes of the serial - curious to know where this 'great love and chemistry' between the protagonists began. I was surprised by the story and screenplay - and impressed too. So now it's on my list of 'to be watched'. The best thing about the serial is it is so down to earth - the lead pair had not 'born and waited for each other' etc - both had ex-lovers, are very normal humans with their own whims and fancies - it's charming to see how they forgive each other and how their love carries them through - this is new for a Tamil serial - not the usual black or white character portrayal.
Getting to the movies - Madhubaanakkadai was mentioned on Neeya naana and Attakathi on airtel super singer :P ;).
Madhubanakkadai - What happens in a tasmac bar from morning till night... There is enough going on in this place to make a 2.5- hour movie! The characters that visit the place are so well sketched out - that you can instantly relate to them. Some of the dialogues pack such a punch. The curious students, the unemployed, the loser, the fraud, the ruffians - these are normal visitors to a bar. The mental farmer, the sewage-cleaners, the bar-workers who don't drink - they make the movie stand out. Watch it if you are one of those who like comic+cynical movies that might pique you on to some vetti contemplations upon India and her ppl. ;)
Attakathi - A thorough enjoyment. What a screenplay and what a hero! :) A special mention for 3 of my fav songs - vazhi paarthirundhen, aasai or pulveli and nadukkadalula.....Who would want to watch hollywood or bollywood when blessed with such home-made wonders :))))))))))))
Monday, July 16, 2012
Once a chicken...
I chickened out of scuba diving. With all my gear on. 12 metres underwater. I refused to do the 2 basic, very crucial exercises that would have opened the door to an amazing world. The regulator recovery and the mask clearing.
I am still the chicken that developed a fever just thinking about the next day's swimming lesson; ran around the swimming pool, being chased by the instructor. I closed myself, refusing to let the sea water seep anywhere near my mouth or nose. I was mortified - forgot the basic swimming skills. I gulped in the water like an ignorant,panicky fool. My first hour in the sea - 6 metres deep - holding on to the rope - I let panic set in heavily to the point of feeling like throwing up. Even the few, cute fish swimming around failed to distract me from my inside war. I had passed the test in the confined swimming pool - why could I not do it in the huge, endless expanse of salt water? I tried thrice. Every time I got out of the water, I felt so terribly ashamed at my inability. But when I got back in the sea to try again, my phobia-clogged brain failed me. The sea overwhelmed me - scoffing at my attempts to conquer my fear.
The rest of the trip I spent snorkeling - enjoying the unpolluted beauty of Pulao Dayang- I even caught sight of the humphead parrotfish,solemnly lurking near the coral (fringing) reefs close to the shore - a rare sight,even for divers. Those were the most beautiful moments of my life - to be floating above the corals close enough to touch - looking in awe at the little fishes swimming in and out of the corals. It reinforced in me what I was missing by not diving. But I felt thankful for whatever that kept those fringing reefs undamaged and the visibility so good in the deeper places. And that is why I would not recommend you to visit Pulao Dayang - let it stay unpopular. Let the corals flourish. Let the huge schools of jack fish stay under the jetty. Let the halfbeaks,jellyfish pay occasional visits close to the shore. Let me snorkel to enjoy their beauty. May be that way I can forgive myself for not diving.
I am still the chicken that developed a fever just thinking about the next day's swimming lesson; ran around the swimming pool, being chased by the instructor. I closed myself, refusing to let the sea water seep anywhere near my mouth or nose. I was mortified - forgot the basic swimming skills. I gulped in the water like an ignorant,panicky fool. My first hour in the sea - 6 metres deep - holding on to the rope - I let panic set in heavily to the point of feeling like throwing up. Even the few, cute fish swimming around failed to distract me from my inside war. I had passed the test in the confined swimming pool - why could I not do it in the huge, endless expanse of salt water? I tried thrice. Every time I got out of the water, I felt so terribly ashamed at my inability. But when I got back in the sea to try again, my phobia-clogged brain failed me. The sea overwhelmed me - scoffing at my attempts to conquer my fear.
The rest of the trip I spent snorkeling - enjoying the unpolluted beauty of Pulao Dayang- I even caught sight of the humphead parrotfish,solemnly lurking near the coral (fringing) reefs close to the shore - a rare sight,even for divers. Those were the most beautiful moments of my life - to be floating above the corals close enough to touch - looking in awe at the little fishes swimming in and out of the corals. It reinforced in me what I was missing by not diving. But I felt thankful for whatever that kept those fringing reefs undamaged and the visibility so good in the deeper places. And that is why I would not recommend you to visit Pulao Dayang - let it stay unpopular. Let the corals flourish. Let the huge schools of jack fish stay under the jetty. Let the halfbeaks,jellyfish pay occasional visits close to the shore. Let me snorkel to enjoy their beauty. May be that way I can forgive myself for not diving.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Nothing to write
Once in a blue moon something comes up,confuses me and makes the question marks,bulbs etc dance over my head. The period in between- I just wait to be confused.The question marks go to sleep frequently. I pretend to know all the answers. Sometimes I hate growing old. What used to enlighten me before, now only boringly reinforces. What must be done to stop age tainting the mind with 'answers'? Why are there so many 'answers' out there to put the mind to peace?
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