December Diaries :)

Twilight Loner

Making dreams come true!

"An engineer, a doctor, an astronaut, a historian, a lawyer, a singer - If I learn I can become anything! "

That's the spirit a lot of kids have - especially those who don't get the pampered life and access to opportunities that came my way right from 15th June 1988! It's a cause that's close to my heart - kids who have ambitions, dreams and perseverance must have opportunities. Having worked closely teaching these kids at Vidya, I've grown stonger in my conviction.

Recently, Rahul and I organized a visit for these to IIT and its state of the art facilities. The kids were amazed at the possibilities of studying here. A girl stopped outside the Aerospace Department and breathed in the holy air promising herself she'd come back there in 2 years! I certainly hope she does. We had a critical thinking and science experiment session and the nascent minds just left me awestruck. There is so much potential that goes untapped and for the most unfair reason - birth into an economically disadvantaged family.

So, a Mess Worker came to me and asked me to meet her daughter and inspire her when I was in Second Year at IIT. I went, met her and was actually saddened to have discovered that she could not afford JEE Coaching so is going for HSC tuitions only. She was from the Campus School in IIT and wanted to study in IIT where she'd spent her whole life! Unfortunately, I could not do much back then and just helped her reach out for what was within her means. She is now studying Electical Engineering in interior Maharashtra.

But, there is a solution now, Avanti Fellows - a startup which helps underprivileged students study at India's best universities. It's very satisfying to work with driven and motivated people passionate about the same cause - and convert a lot of children's dreams into reality! Rahul, Vaibhav, Akshay, Krishna, Rohit - you guys amaze me with your passion and hard work!

The Avanti Fellows program supports underprivileged students with coaching for competitive exams, mentorship and financial aid through their high school and undergraduate education.

Do visit our Facebook page and spread the word about this cause! Make a difference to several children's lives! Visit our webpage and sign up to be a Mentor -

http://www.avantifellows.org

We need all the help we can get! Please get involved and make every Avanti Fellow learn so he/she can become anything - "An engineer, a doctor, an astronaut, a historian, a lawyer, a singer!"

Don't Touch Me!

It's nice that in Maharashtra - the instruction on the meter is for passengers and not the drivers. In Chennai, no auto runs by meter. Haggling is the only way out of a situation.

Though it is amusing to watch the haggling iff you understand Tamil and know you don't need to catch an auto rickshaw! :)

Puppy Dog Face

I ain't posing for you, Ma'am! :)

Colours on wheels :)

And there were more!

Flamingoes were not the only attraction at Sewri!

A seagull cruising towards the city that never sleeps!

I'm not having a great feather day!

Flamingo Fiesta!

Enjoyed an interesting afternoon with Dad capturing Flamingoes with the new SLR at Sewri (in Mumbai). At least 3000 'Lesser Flamingoes' were enjoying their holiday in Mumbai. They migrate to Sewri from the Rann of Kutch from January to March every year.

Web of Fortune

Canon EOS 500D
Sigma Lens 18-200 mm

Aal Izz Well

Dabbling with my new camera - we all make mistakes. Used the wrong combination of lenses but all's well that ends well! Isn't this pic surreal?

Bird's Eye View

One of my first photos with my new Camera
Canon EOS 500D

Sigma Lens 18-200 mm

Owl in the Bathroom!

I walk into the bathroom with a bucket and towel
And I'm greeted by Mr or Ms Owl
His or Her red eyes glow in the dark
And he or she treats the shower rod as a bark!

Technologically Advanced Monkeys

Monkeys monopolizing the Academic Infinite Corridor at IIT Bombay

Family of Monkeys enjoying a 2 pm Siesta on the Infinite Corridor of IIT Bombay

Lakeside Silhouettes

Ace photographer at work!

Metallurgy and Materials Science

I'm a Metallurgist or at least going to be one when I graduate in April.

That's me in Casting Lab. Geared to pour and cast 18kilos of molten steel!!

A steel bar rolled till it failed. We wanted a flat thin bar, we got a sickle!!

Code Red!

My entries for a Photography Competition - Theme: Red

A Bloody Eve

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

Red Riding Hood

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Srinagar's Mughal Gardens - no words to describe the beauty

Shikara on Dal Lake

The beauty of Kashmir was overpowering. It's a memory I'll cherish forever. The sheer untouched beauty has proudly come out of the militancy and repression. It redefines beauty! Here is a vegetable seller on a Shikara in Dal Lake.

The fading line between dark and light

It amazes me how Sunset manifests in so many forms whether it is the shimmering orange sky reflecting on the lake as in many of my other posts or as in this sight, casting a shadow on the earth and making one go philosophical about life, the universe and everything.

Life is good :)

A visit to my native village Kodimangalam was an eye opener. Life is extremely luxurious in Mumbai.

Blogging after a very long time...I'm happy to be back :)