ICE and Cologne

I had to go to Cologne the other day. Naidu(a parthi classmate of mine) lives there and I met him after almost two years. Incidentally, it was also the 80th birthday of Sai Baba and we both went to the Sai Organisation in Bonn for bhajans in the evening. For the first time I travelled at a speed of 320 Kms/hr on ground. The Inter-City Express International going from Frankfurt till Amsterdam covered the distance between Frankfurt Airport and Cologne(197 Kms) in 57 minutes. The breath-taking speed and the picturesque landscape made for a heavenly combination that left me thrilled. Normally the ICEs touch a speed of 160 Kms an hour, but this one was an exception! 

Abdul Kalam

These were some of the questions that children asked our President on children's day. I feel we are very fortunate to have Abdul Kalam as the president of our country. For a full list please see rediff or Indian President's website

Ragamala Rahi Datta : Respected Sir, Mahatma Gandhi loved India, Subhash Bose loved India, They fought for freedom of India. How I love my India?
President APJ Abdul Kalam: When you are a student, acquire as much knowledge as possible. Work hard and have a mission in your life

M.S.Adityan : Respected Rashtrapatiji, You are a great man and a national hero. I am keen to know one strong reason that makes you a great person. I am asking this as I don't know how to idolize you. As a Nuclear Scientist, As President of India or as a humble down to earth person who likes children. Namaskarams
President APJ Abdul Kalam: My dream is to have a thought that "I should known for being a good human being".

Radhakrishnan: Respected Our President what is your highness message for children on children's day, November 14,2005 with love and god bless you
President APJ Abdul Kalam: Dear children, I have got the following message: Dream, Dream transforms into thoughts, Thoughts results into action, action results into achieving the mission. I suggest you to have a purposeful d ream in your life.

S.Arun Venkat Krishna : Sir: If God appears before you, what request will you make at HIM ?
President APJ Abdul Kalam: I will pray: Almighty God bless my nation with people of hardworking and knowledge and thereby make the nation economically developed nation.

Surbhi Jain : I am a student of class ix. In our School's report card, there are two items where grades are provided - "Concentration" and General Efforts". My father says if I have Grade A in both, I will always have good marks in all subjects. Is he right?
President APJ Abdul Kalam: Normally, father should be right. My father, used to tell me, the highest education is the acquisition of knowledge continuously.

G.Uday Kiran : Dear sir,Kalam, how can you manage to build a dynamic India in the conditions of unemployment,poverty and corruption?
President APJ Abdul Kalam: Problems gives challenge. Challenge leads to achievements with knowledge and work.

D N Joshi : Sir, how much time one should dovote for becoming a good student?
President APJ Abdul Kalam: A good student arrives when his learning process takes care of two aspects. One is knowledge acquisition, another acquisition of a good value system.

NITESH SONI : Mr. President, What's your first priority for the nation?
President APJ Abdul Kalam: Lifting the 260 million people from below the poverty line.

Tushar Wadhwa : Sir, I want something new and I work new experiment. my parents and my friend laugh me
President APJ Abdul Kalam: Don't get disheartened. The people who have a dream and worked hard and didn't deviate from the aim have all succeeded.

President APJ Abdul Kalam: In Conclusion: Friends, I have a message for you. Can you send me a mail in a quarter page for the following question? "What will I be remembered for?" The "I" stands for you friends. Each one of you can answer to my question through my website: www.presidentofindia.gov.in. In short, you may share your dreams with me. I will respond to the interesting mission of yours with a book of mine. May God bless you

Poster Presentation

Imagine being marooned on a land with plenty of good food surrounded by sea on all sides. Also imagine being lucky to share the same plight with some beautiful people. Would you grumble? Not necessarily! I experienced the same feeling today when I attended a conference in which almost every presentation was in German. I understood some presentations that had more pictures and less text. I also made a poster for the first time in my life and notoriously I am penning down here almost everything that I did for the first time.

Interviews

Today for the first time I interviewed students to hire research assistants for myself and for our group. My heart wanted to ensure that the students feel comfortable and relaxed. Possibly I was imagining myself being there in their shoes or I was behaving the way I wished someone interviewed me. We humans are undeniably sensitive to the fact that we have many things in common.

Being on the uncommon side of the table, I could gauge the minds of people whom it seperated. One mind concious of opportunity, the other looking for a productive colleague. One trying to impress, the other making judgement about the impressions. Each attempting to explore the other and the possiblity of profitable fructification from a potential wedlock. Few minutes, intricate yet simple questions, insightful answers, 'biased or unbaised' opinions that lead to decisions.

Might is Right?

Does a nation have a right to impose its principles and convictions on another? In twenty first century when the meaning of 'sovereignty of state' is clearly understood, what on earth could justify a nation teaching another the concept of Democracy? History stands testimony to the fact that mounting civilian casualties is the only fruit of such misadventures. Is the value of human life so insignificant that world leaders could afford sacrificing it in such huge magnitudes?

The fact that democratic nations are waging this war, makes me question if democracy could be considered synonymous with civilization. Whether war is breaking terror networks or creating them has become a simple question with an obvious answer. Unfortunately even today, the world doesn’t dare to contest the actions of mighty! Unable to appreciate this war, I feel either they are deluded or they wish to delude the world into an improbable safe and heavenly order.