Theory of relativity

It has been a month since I first cribbed about cold here. It is 14 degrees again at 2 pm today (and would continue to be so or even lower this month.) However I am finding it ok. My officemate at the RA office was telling me that in March when I see 5 degree C, I will be calling it nice and warm. I nodded my head and thought that's the power of relativity.

On your marks

Get set and go.. I am all set to fly out of India tomorrow and I have in me a lot of mixed feelings. I am apprehensive about the new place, harsh climate, sub zero temperatures, grad studies, staying away from family for longer, interacting with a batch much much younger than me and unsettling myself when I should have long settled down and not to mention with kids. At the same time I am excited about doing full fledged research and more importantly with Adi by my side. I am excited about writing papers and studying and learning all that I thought I missed during my college days. I have decided not to set very high goals for myself or push myself but to just be sincere in my efforts and enjoy the moment.

Brinjal fry

I learned this today (yeah I am in Delhi!). It looked absolutely yummy and I thought I should note it down lest I forget.

Ingredients - (for 2 people)
Small brinjals - 6
Amchur powder - 2 tblsp
Dhaniya powder - 3 tblsp
Souf powder - 3 tblsp
Sarso oil
Turmeric powder
Salt
Jeera - 1 tsp


Recipe 1 - Bharma Baigan
Make 4 vertical cuts in brinjals without removing the lower stem so that the brinjal is still a single piece. Mix dhaniya powder, souf powder (souf grinded), amchur powder, salt, turmeric powder, 1 tblsp sarso oil in a bowl. Fill the masala in brinjals without spilling it over. Put 2 big spoons oil in a frying pan. Put jeera in the oil when heated. Add 1 tsp dhaniya powder to it. Put the brinjals in the oil and cover it until they get cooked. Point to be noted do not put water in the brinjals, the brinjals need to be cooked in oil. If needed put water on a plate with which the brinjals are covered.

Recipe 2 - Aaloo baigan
Take 2 tblsp oil in kadai. When the oil gets heated put 1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp souf powder, 1 tsp dhaniya powder in it. Add the brinjals and potato. Add salt and turmeric. Add already fried and cut onion. Cover the kadai with a plate of water. You can sprinkle water in this one. After the brinjals are done add 1 tsp of amchur powder to it and cook for 2 mins.

Singapore

Here we come :-)

http://www.sigir2008.org/workshops.html

Of Marbles, Jars and Life

You are a prisoner in a foreign land. Your fate will be determined by a little game. There are two jars, one with 50 white marbles, and one with 50 black marbles. At this point, you are allowed to redistribute the marbles however you wish (e.g. swap a black marble with a white marble, etc.): the only requirement is that after you are done with the redistribution, every marble must be in one of the two jars. afterwards, both jars will be shaken up, and you will be blindfolded and presented with one of the jars at random. then you pick one marble out of the jar given to you. If the marble you pull out is white, you live; if black, you die. how should you redistribute the marbles to maximize the probability that you live; what is this maximum probability (roughly)

Ans - Put one white marble in one jar and put all the other white marbles in the other jar.
Probability of white getting selected - 1/2(1) + 1/2(49/99) roughly = 3/4

Height of absent mindedness

Ravi pings me - "Hi jaya"
I ping back - "Hi jaya"

After 2 mins I realize what I wrote :D

One year of togetherness

It still feels like our first night together
Feels like the first kiss and
It's gettin' better baby
No one can better this
I'm still hold on and you're still the one
The first time our eyes met it's the same feelin' I get
Only feels much stronger and I wanna love ya longer
You still turn the fire on

And finally Dilwale dulhaniya le jaayenge

No, nothing else matters....

Hmm....

Are we responsible for what we do ? responsible for what happens ? When is it that things slip out of our hands and reach a point of no return ? Or are they always in our hands ? I fail to answer this right now.

New additions to our house...