Constructionism and the guiding compass

Throughout school, I remember being told repeatedly of the importance of reading newspapers and magazines. General knowledge , an awareness of the latest major world and national events and the ability to cultivate a curious mind that kept pace with all things novel and new were qualities whose importance was drilled deep into our heads. I was blessed to have a set of remarkable human beings who taught me at school. It is hard for me to even begin to contemplate where or what I would have been without my teachers. My dear, dear teachers, several of whom are in touch with me even today, remain everlasting symbols of everything that is pristine in my world.…

Proportion and the city

That persistence yields results that are strong and permanent is well known, and yet proven a thousand times over. Yet again. Three magnificent human beings that are my close friends will start the next phase of their lives in magical New York. Not only have they maneuvered through what seemed like a quagmire of diffidence, they have done it with uncommon grace. I cannot but be in admiration of their quiet sense of resolve and their unhindered capacity for hard work. Being a witness of this almost empirical proof has brought with it lessons of its own for me, and as fortunate as I feel to count them as my friends, I also feel a sense of gratitude.…

A new Renaissance

Underneath a clear star-strewn sky lies a most astonishing scene. A stretch of giant mountains, waiting in patience for what is about to happen. Unperturbed by the scarcity of light, they lie as quietly as the stillness of sound. Neither the harshness of the storms nor the bitterness of the biting cold seem to hold any sway over them. A gentle mist of clouds hover above them, in anticipation of the sight that will be.

What was a sight mired in the shadow of the night begins to dissipate as the first rays of light appear. A pencil of soft rays to an elegant beam – heralding a spectacular event.…

Framework of the Twin Pillars

A glance at the window shows a light snow shower outside.  A typicality of winter, a consequence of chilly air descending from the snow belt surrounding the great lakes. The festive season is in full gusto, candles and dishes, gifts and hugs. The warmth of people at this time contrasts starkly with the cold and the snow outside. It is this contrast that makes the warmth even more special. And it makes even the snow seemingly graceful.

It is a time to reflect on things that have been, that are, and those that have not yet come to pass. Even as the learning machine keeps pace with the multitude of experiences, there are some tenets that cannot change.…

Lessons from the field

It has been an eventful month and a half. Taxing, draining and testing. Perhaps there has been no other time when I have had to control so many pressing parameters of demands and desire. It is as though one is thrown into a rough sea and asked to surf a way to calmer waters, even if the fury of the waves tosses you frequently into the bitterly cold air. Yes, you cannot control extraneous factors beyond your command. The icy blast of the gusty winds and waves cannot be controlled. But perhaps you can fashion your reactions the right way, landing on both feet every time you are tossed and hurled.…

The Flower of the Sun

sunflower fieldI think it’s time for me to tell you something. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently. It follows me everywhere I go. While I’m jogging. While listening to Howard Shore and Hans Zimmer. Even when I’m taking a warm shower or turning over in my bed. I sometimes can’t explain why it insists on following me, and why I can’t seem to stop it. All rationale simply eludes me, and I don’t know what name to call it. But one thing that I do know is that I feel good whenever I think about it. It hardly feels like an obsession, but it still occupies me so completely and so effortlessly.…

An ode to persistence

butterfly Charlie Munger said it best when he talked about his set of tenets in life. There are few things that matter more than the five principles that he talks about. There are few other differentiating patterns in success stories all over the world. Yes, lady luck will shine on some occasionally, but she shines even brighter on those that deserve it. And those that deserve it don’t make things happen by chance, and neither are they so full of themselves that they stop deserving it.

I was walking towards my advisor’s office last week, and read a remarkable quotation pasted on the office door.…

Everlasting exemplars

Restored 1There are many forces competing for the attention of children today. It must be difficult to grow up as a child and to still remain a child in the world today.The variety of influences and situational complexities that children find themselves in today is not nearly the same as what it was just seven or right years ago. Only yesterday, I was watching a webcast of one of my heroes participating in a discussion on building a solid educational framework in India. The importance of family support in the educational life of a child was underscored – that the successful education of a child is primarily a function of the importance parents attach to it.…

The North Star Rises

sky2Amidst the backdrop of a clear and handsome sky is a magnificent sight. A sparkling constellation of stars lie strewn from end of the eye to the other. The arc of the sky is overwhelming, spherical and all encompassing. The stars glitter so beautifully with such effortless ease, as if to say that  all earthly matters are of tiny significance compared to the grand order of the cosmic race. A countless array of brilliance, covering the vastness of the nightly sky. Amongst this noble array rises a most spectacular star. A massive body of plasma, pulled together the gravity of all forces noble and pure. …

Pristine blossoms

There are some things that cannot be forecasted. There are others which can. And there are those things that defy the most accurate of predictions. I sit and wonder – will the future be the past or will it outshine all others? Challenges line up one after the other, seemingly daunting, occasionally herculean. Opportunities present themselves, bringing with them ideas and hope. There is a choice to be made. Either one can be swallowed by the challenges and be lost in their self-pity or one can seize the opportunities and bring forth the brightest and noblest in themselves.

Spring 2009 has been such a magical ride.…