London Marathon, 2012

What a day!

It has been over 48 hours since the London marathon. My legs are still killing me. Can't walk properly and it feels like I went to an extra long gym session after 10 years. Despite this, part of me is saying that i have to do it again next year. Call me weird, crazy, psycho or whatever but It is difficult to put the feeling in words.

It was a surprise morning - the sun out in full glory with a gentle breeze blowing under the beautifully painted blue sky. Surprise because it had rained all through the week and we were told it could be rather depressing and cold on the race day. Waking up to such a lovely weather immediately lifted my spirits (and guess of the many other 38000 runners). I also sensed that I had slept well and my legs felt very fresh. While on the way to the starting point, the mood built up. The trains were packed with runners, their friends / family all in good spirits. Some of them getting ready in the weird outfits, long queues outside the bars to visit the washrooms, others continued to raise donations for their charity. As Rupi and I edged closer to the starting line, we finalised our meeting points again and again. It wasn't going to be easy to spot each other in such rush when the whole of London had descended either to run or to cheer up those who were running. Just before the starting line, I felt a bit uneasy - I should have trained more, I should not be running in the new trainers and I should have eaten one more banana an hour ago. And then, Go Gaurav.

The first mile itself took an eternity. It was difficult to run and speed ahead while rubbing shoulders with fellow runners. It is an unbelievable sight when 38000 people run on the same street at the same time. Belligerent! Bands, loud music, people chanting, egging on the runners, offering sweets, jelly beans, chocolates, biscuits (even beer). Not even a single inch of space was left unoccupied on either side of the road.

I met Rupi at the 6 mile mark - I gave her a flying kiss (which she accepted, I hope). Didn't stop as my legs were still going strong. In fact, I managed to run the next hour quite decently as well. Reaching Tower Bridge (12 miles+) was a moral victory - I had never seen so many people on the bridge at the same time. A couple of miles later was when the I felt my legs were giving up. I did the mental maths - 12 more miles to go, can't stop, no Gaurav - you can't stop just yet. The debate continued for another half a mile and then the devil won. I stopped running at a Lucozade station and started walking. It is always difficult to start running again after you have stopped once (simple law of momentum in physics). Still cursing myself that I shouldn't have stopped running, a guy came running from behind, patted my back and said 'Come On'. A couple of seconds later I was running again. And for the next 20 minutes, I thanked that guy whose one gentle push made me start running again in my moment of indecisiveness. I made it a point to push the other guys (who had started to walk) in a similar way. Wonderful gesture isn't it? 

At 17 miles, I met a big contingent from THT (the charity I supported) who made a loud noise as I ran past them. I was very close to Canary Wharf and knew that Rupi, along with Gyan, Aditya, Kinnary, is standing somewhere close. I was dead tired by now but wanted to stop only after I met them. Turned out that they were standing at Mile 19... uff, I was really angry 'coz I'd have liked them to stand a bit earlier so that I could have stopped earlier. This is the photo that Rupi clicked when I met her. I told all of them that I am now absolutely destroyed. And there were 7 more miles to go!

Between 19 and 23 miles, I walked a lot. At times, the only thought that crossed my mind was that I have to just finish the race so I should conserve my energy for a late boost. Guess it turned out to be a good plan. After the 35 km marker, I realised there were only 7km more to go and I mentally started eating away 100m by counting my steps. It kept my mind occupied and I could see the end very near. Quite frequently, I heard my name as the crowd kept cheering all the runners. The sound only got louder and louder. I met two of my office colleagues who egged me to carry on running. And then, not long after, I read '2 more miles to go and you will become part of the history'. What a thought at that stage. I ran and ran determined not to stop till I reach Big Ben. At this stage, I had run almost 2.5 miles without taking a break. Less than a mile to go, I stopped and decided to walk 100m. Somebody from the crowd shouted my name and said 'Go Gaurav'. I turned around to see an Indian guy waving his hand and angrily questioning why have I stopped - it is only 5 more minutes now, run! 

And I did run again. With my eyes focused on my feet, I decided not to look up again till I got very close to the finish line. My feet were hurting, legs trembling and I felt a persistent backache. '600m to go', the banner said when I looked up momentarily. I was shattered - how was I going to cover the remaining 600m? After a minute, '400m to go'.... And then 385 yards... I had reached Buckingham Palace.... the finishing line in sight... At that moment, a runner sprinted past me and several others. All of a sudden, the pain eased out and my legs had found renewed strength - the last 100m was the fastest that I had run during the whole 42 km journey. I had just experienced the Runner's High. 

26 miles had ended too quickly. 5 hours had gone by too soon. I wanted to run more!

Back Again! This time for Good.

It has been more than four years. Can't believe it. Time has flown, the world has changed, I have changed but old memories stay forever.

Having just read some posts on a friend's blog (she is a textile designer in London), I realised what a fantastic mode of communication this still is. In the world of Twitters & Facebooks, we risk losing all the details. And at times, I do feel like doing a bit more than the 15 seconds elevator pitch. So, here I am back in the days of detailed blogging.

And I am back to stay here for long (hopefully forever). And why not? It just feels so great to read through all my previous posts. Good old memories and I want to add more to these memories. 20 years down the road, this is what will keep me going.

There's lots to say. But hey, the most important thing. I am running the London Marathon tomorrow (22 April 2012). Last four months have been taxing - running, running and more running just to feel confident that I can grind myself towards the finishing line. There's a sinking nervous feeling that I should have trained more. But can't really think about that too much at this stage. I am EXCITED, ready to GO, soak myself in the SURROUNDINGS and achieve something which most people can only DREAM of.

And I know it will be 'Once in a lifetime' kindda achievement.

Thank you to all who have sponsored me whole heartedly. Here is the link.

http://www.justgiving.com/GauravChaudhary2012

This is what it looks like 24 hours before the race starts:

Guys, you are all amazing people. It takes a lot of courage to spare a few bucks and donate it for a good cause. And you all have done it. I will be running for all you tomorrow. Wherever you are, do root for me!

NRI brains power world

By Chidanand Rajghatta TNN

Of Raman Effect and Bose-Einstein Condensation, you might have an idea. But have you heard about the Chandrasekhar Limit, or Karmarkar’s Algorithm, or Viswanath’s Constant?

Long before Indians got into nuts and bolts, their contributions to the world of pure science was the stuff of legends — whether it was Aryabhata and Brahmagupta’s postulation of zero, or Buddhayana’s calculation of the value of Pi, or Shridhara’s rules for finding out the volume of a sphere.

The rich theoretical tradition continues to this day as Indian scientists, engineers and mathematicians traverse the world. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the legendary C V Raman’s equally famous nephew who taught at the University of Chicago, calculated the eponymous limit to describe the maximum non-rotating mass which can be supported against gravitational collapse, commonly given as being about 1.4 solar masses. Narendra Karmarkar, who taught at Caltech and UC Berkeley before returning to India, introduced the eponymous algorithm in 1984 to solve linear programming problems. In 1999, Diwakar Viswanath, a computer scientist at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley, California, arrived at the mathematical constant in number theory that carries his name.

While the Indian legacy in conceptual thinking has been kept alive by such advances in theory, the second half of the 20th century also saw Indian-born scientists and engineers in the west contribute substantially to discovery and innovation. In 1948, Yellapragada Subba Rao synthesized Aureomycrin, the first of the tetracycline antibiotics, and Methotrexate, used to alleviate several types of cancer, including childhood leukemia. ‘‘He lived, so that you could live longer,’’ it was said of him. In 1952, Narendra Singh Kapany, building on the work of Irish physicist John Tyndall that had shown that light could travel in a curve inside a material (water), conducted experiments that led to the invention of optical fibre. In 1956, underwhelmed by the performance of high-end stereo speaker systems, Amar Gopal Bose undertook experiments that paved the way for breakthrough technology in acoustics and led to the formation of Bose Corporation.

While these were the early pioneers, Indian contributions to the world of technology breakthroughs in the last quarter century are just too many to chronicle in a short article. From Lasik eye surgery, which is built on the work of University of California scientist Mani Lal Bhaumik and IBM engineer Rangaswamy Srinivasan (whose grand-nephew Krishna Bharat gave the world Google News), to advances in catalytic convertors in automobile engines (credited to Ford’s Haren Gandhi), Indian contributions span the spectrum of science, medicine and engineering.

In fact, many of the Indian-engineered or -inspired inventions are so much a part of our life now that they don’t even stand out. How often do you associate Windows, whose early versions were largely wrought by desi heads, with Indians? Or the rewritable CD, which was based on the work of Dr Praveen Chaudhuri, who now heads the Brookhaven National Laboratory?

There’s no better place to get a sense of how deep the Indian contribution runs than the legendary Bell Labs, the 84-year-old institution whose inventions and discoveries crowd every part of our homes. This is where a young scientist named Mohan Sondhi invented the echo canceller, which made phone conversations clear; where Bishnu Atal’s digital speech coding innovations dramatically expanded the benefits of cellular phone technology to millions of users; where C Kumar Patel invented the carbon dioxide laser; and where Arun Netravali’s work led to the development of the High-Definition Television.

But all this would seem like skimming the surface if one considers the past decade. Each year, since 2000, desis are present in greater numbers in every major annual list recognizing innovative work — from MIT’s young tech innovators list to the National Academy of Sciences recognition for distinguished scientists, to science talent searches conducted by Intel, Lucent and Westinghouse. Next only to the US, which remains the world leader in modern advances despite its relative decline, India seems all geed up to make the world a better place.

Break from the past

By SWAPAN DASGUPTA

Times of India, 27 Jan 2008

There are two interesting facets of a state visit to India by a British dignitary, be it royal or commoner. The first is the sight of the Union Jack fluttering all along Rajpath — a sight fairly uncommon in England and an absolute rarity in Scotland. The second is the dreary question a lazy media loves asking: Is India still inflicted by a colonial hangover?

The term ‘‘hangover’’ is a misnomer since it denotes an unpleasant morning after a pleasurable night-before. Regardless of the awe and veneration with which Britons were regarded by those who, ironically, fought for freedom, most young Indians have flushed colonialism out of their system. There remains a keen interest, even fascination, for the West, particularly the US. Some of us even see London as the perfect home away from home, a comfort zone in alien Europe. But, as prime minister Gordon Brown should have gauged during his brief visit, there is no meaningful special relationship any more with the erstwhile ‘‘mother country’’. Even the remaining ‘‘coconut’’ enclaves face extinction.

To those who view the 190 years between Plassey and Independence as the Dark Ages, this exorcism was inevitable. Yet, despite all the tripe that the history text books dish out, Indians have shown no extreme antipathy for the colonial experience. Compared to the deep hatred in the popular Hindu imagination for, say, Mahmud of Ghazni and Aurangzeb, posterity has been relatively kind to British rule. There was always an innate respect for British-moulded institutions; in recent times this has extended to an appreciation for colonial aesthetics.

Why hasn’t this sneaking admiration translated into a love for what today’s Britain stands for?

Indians who have been out on the town on a Friday night in a British city often ask: are these the same people who just 60 years ago presided over the largest empire in history? It is not merely the public show of loutish drunkenness that conflict with our mental stereotype of the British. Almost every virtue we associated with our former rulers — exemplary restraint; commitment to hard work, thrift and enterprise; a level-headed approach to adversity; and unflinching national pride — has been thrown into the dustbin of history.

In just six decades, Britain has redefined its national character. Britishness is now personified in the ‘‘democratic’’ culture of the pub, the football stands, the tabloids and binge holidays on the Costa del Sol. No wonder the British home secretary has admitted that it is dangerous for a woman to go out late at night in London. In 60 years, Britain has moved from Caesar to Caligula.

The decline has rubbed off in strange ways. Suffering from post-colonial guilt, Britain is now in a tearing hurry to reject every aspect of its past. Apologising for past excesses has been presented as a way to make the country more ‘‘inclusive’’ and ‘‘multicultural’’. From being a strong and somewhat arrogant power, Britain has sought to refashion itself as a good power, committed to noble ideals like fighting greenhouse emissions, downgrading excellence and promoting curry. The result is unintended: it is perceived as cringing, grovelling and, at the same time, patronising.

In India, this image makeover has been ridiculed. Britain had been associated with smooth talking hard-headedness. In packaging itself as the benefactor of self-empowered women’s groups, pesky NGOs and environmental activists, it has adopted a role associated with pious but irrelevant Scandinavians.

If Pakistan is an example of a failed state, Britain is a curious example of a faltering society. There is a lesson in it for us. Unless political liberalism is supplemented by robust and rooted social values, a nation can easily lose its head.

Emerging India: Where is it?

The last five minutes I have been thinking on what shall I talk about - My experiences at work, India's win over Pak in the first test, stupid UK Home Office regulations, and the list could be endless.

Suddenly, today's news at IBNLive replayed at the back of my mind. And I am left with so many questions unanswered.

We talk about secular India - where is the equality when people like Modi still bank on their fortunes by dividing the different religious sects of the society. You can still listen to the horror stories of Godhra and how this God-like figure of Modi has been able to over power all the wrongs that were done not so long ago.

We talk about security in India - what does security mean when women are harrassed publicly in full daylight and no one has the courage to revolt against it. I am talking about what happened in Assam when the tribals were in a procession to seek ST status. The event leaves me horrified and deep in shame to learn about the mental sickness some of the citizens are suffering from. Yet again, like so many times before, I donot expect the Govt. or the law to provide justice to the victim and the issue to die down in the FIRs of some unknown police station.

We talk about young India - what will happen to the youth if the future doctors have to take to streets and clean cars in order to protest against the ruling which requires them to spend an year extra in studies. Media calls it 'Gandhigiri' - the word probably coined for the firm time by Sanjay Dutt in 'Munnabhai' - but its so unfortunate to know about how decisions at the top level (in this case, our wise old politicians) are taken without really considering all facets of the issue from various persepctives.

We talk about mass welfare in India - the BIG question really is whether the GDP growth of 8-9% is having any significant impact on the lives of people living in rural India. The benefits haven't trickled down to the people at the bottom of the pyramid. The divide between rich and poor is widening as ever. It doesn't require deep thinking to realize that India really has two stark personalities today. One, of growing India, where you see an average young Indian - graduate from any engineering/arts/ commerce college - earning his living without any problems (courtesy, largely the dotcom/BPO boom). The second, and completely opposite, is that section of society which still finds it difficult to earn daily bread. What is still very unfortunate is the fact that the latter section outnumbers the former and represents the country true face.

There are so many reasons which hamper India's progress to becoming a truely democratic, secular, emerging India where people's rights are respected. And when I say people, I include people from all castes/religions/sections/states of the country. To my belief, the biggest roadblock is the very nature of the present government - The Coalition Politics. Despite having one of the finest economist the world has seen in recent times at the helm, the government has failed to deliver much of what it promised in the Common Minimum Programme. Dr. Singh has repeatedly been called a lame-duck over the past few months. I don't pity that old man but I salute his honesty, his work-ethic, his sense of responsibility that he has displayed over the last three and a half years at that position. I pity the Karat & Co who have done no good to the nation and are responsible for the havoc they have caused in Nandigram. Moreover, it doesnot take big brains to understand that for India to continue developing at a growth rate of 8-10% annually, the country needs energy to fuel this growth. And, nuclear energy is the only solution to the issue unless you want to prevent Delhi/Mumbai/Kolkata/Chennai and other big cities to go the Shanghai and Beijing way.

Whatever's written above are all random bits clubbed together. But there's one common thread amongst all these thoughts - India still has a long way to go before it emerges as a nation where its citizens are proud of what they have achieved. Still a long way to go!

Om Shanti Om - Cam Something Be Worse?

An utter waste of a Saturday evening! I am left thinking that there's something grossly wrong with the Indian media which has hyped the movie to such an extent.

The movie has the worst storyline amongst all the movies I have ever seen. There are so many loose ends and you keep wondering how the sequence of events keep unfolding one after the other without any connections. Did I hear somebody (Farah Khan?) say that it is a tribute to the 70s!!! It is like making a mockery of good old Indian cinema. Just how cheap people can become in order to market/sell something. I feel I will support Manoj Kumar in his criticism - just because everything about the movie is so bad that I want to criticise this supposedly 'Biggest Hollywood Movie of 2007' as much as I can. Can I PLEAD to everyone not to waste time and money to watch this utter crap of 3 hours. Please also spread this word to everyone else you meet - I genuinly believe that this will be a kind service to our brethren.

One thing which has stood out while I am sharing my anger is how easy it is to fool people by promoting something which is total crap. People like Rajiv Massand (IBN Live critic) should be fired for laying out an inappropriate and false review of this movie.

Sunil says its half baked - For me, the movie doens't even have the right ingredients at all. Amidst all this, I feel that Bhansali's Saanwariya has suffered unnecessarily because all the attention has been wrongly give to Om Shanti Om. I will sleep today pondering over my question - 'Can Something be Worse than Om Shanti Om?'

Pak: Emergency Rule

All the news channels flashed that emergency rule/martial rule was imposed in Pakistan yesterday. For a moment, I couldn't help thinking whats going on in our neighbourhood and what's likely to be the immediate impact of martial rule on the country's economy. But then, just then, a sense of security engulfed me. Afterall, everyone in India has this impression (largely media creation) that all terrorist activities in India are Pak state sponsored and to an extent, the emergency rule may just help curb some of these activities in my home country for some time. I wish good for Pak and its people.

On the same topic, the headline today is 'Imran Khan escapes arrest, flees home in Pak'. Khan has his own small political party but what took my attention was the fact that he studies in Oxford as well. He was here between 1972-1975. I just searched a blog that details about all his experience. No doubt, he was a great cricketer in his time, but to be studying in Oxford and then becoming a legend in sport is a double achievement. Here, you can read more about some of his experiences in Oxford.

http://www.oxfordstudent.com/tt1999wk5/news/the_interview:_anything_he_khan

Taking a step back, I realize that this is my first posting on the blog for almost two months. Its not that I have been busy; on the contrary, I have been relatively free during this time barring a week in-between when the Capstone (final one week assignment at the business school) was running. The course ended on 14th September with a MBA farewell reception hosted by the school. It was a gala evening (Black Tie Dinner - just that i didn't have a black tie!). People drank a lot and they had good reasons for it - They drank because they wanted to get drunk.

I spent the next three weeks at home with mom n dad. It was so good to have a lot of time back home and do things which I had missed for the last whole one year - like having paranthas n lassi in the breakfast, talking to dad about so many things, riding in our very own dhanno and just being in chandigarh gives me that feeling which is difficult to describe. But like all good things, my stay at Chandigarh came to an end - I felt I should have had more time a home.

Things have settled down quickly in London, though. I joined Oliver Wyman on 15th October. It has been a steady going till now. As my advisor suggested, I have been focusing on keeping the basics right - not really trying to do anything very smart - just going on with the flow. The first project is kindda OK... not really great but its giving me valuable time to settle down and learn some tricks before taking on increased roles. Weekend's been busy - managing the move and getting stuff in the new place. Below are some pics - enjoy!