My great grand mother used to work at field, get wheat from there during harvest, grind it at home, make chapati and eat. My grand mother used to purchase wheat from market grind at home and make chapati before serving us. In mothers' time, we used to purchase wheat from market, mother (or maid servant later) used to carry wheat to flour mill and get the flour and prepare chapatis. Now we get packed flour ('Atta?') and that's the source of roti/chapati we eat. Slowly we are moving or atworst during my daughter's/son's time, we may get ready made bread from super market and eat it. Is this progression called development ....?

Some tips for travel out of my own experience, 1. Planning : It is very important to know well in advance the place you are visiting -- geography, weather, etiquette of place, correct time/season to visit, must see/do things, etc. But leave some space for ignorance, to make visit more lively. Learn a few words/sentences/greeting styles of places you are visiting. But be careful while using them and donot show any disrespect to those words and not use in a derogatory way. 2. What to carry : I would like to be a back-pack traveler. My suggestion would be to carry as little as possible -- essentials, a few pair of dresses, camera, etc.Donot stuff your bag with multiple pairs of shoes, slippers, etc. Instead of one big suite case, better to split the goods into two medium sized ones. Handling one Jumbo bag becomes troublesome all along during journey. 3. The travel : Plan onward journey well. If onward journey becomes tiring, whole travel is get affected. Keep good amount of money for o...

Was talking to Manoj(my brother) the other day and came to know that in France, salary of 5k Euro per month is a luxury. Where as in India, a guy who earns even its equivalent converted amount, vouch for more salary. Why is it so? Are we Indians so much greedy ? The answer lies in how French (and many other developed) society work. The state takes care of your health and children education. Your income will continue almost the same way, even after you retire ! Essentially you needn't worry for future. Once you are in that state of mind, you do not need more money to survive. Your salary is mainly to feed your pocket money. Just imagine, when you were kid or college going young -- all your expenses taken care by your parents and additionally you used to get some pocket money (mainly for entertainment or fun with your friends). How nice it will be if some one do the same for us for lifelong !!!! This will make young ones to choose a profession of passion rather than a money chaser. ...

Unlike last year, have made more solid, reasonably achievable and fresh/interesting resolutions for this year 2011. These are on health, wealth and hobby -- not in any order though. 1. Health : Keep my weight same as 2010 or preferably reduce by 1 kg -- not heavy target. Should continue diet practice and exercise, including Yoga as did last year. Pretty much well on target last time. Control blood sugar level, cholesterol and BP. Last year should be a good inspiration. Additionally, start cycling (with my/Suki's new FF Cosmic Bike). Target 2 days in a week to office and 40 km per week. Get ready for more serious biking next year. 2. Hobby : Write a blog atleast once in month. Preferred -- 20 blogs during this year. Started some what blogging last year. Target an exam on flute or history (history of sciences preferably). 3. Wealth : Health and Hobby can take care of wealth (?!). Reduce debt as much as possible. Atleast by 20% and preferably by 30%. More leaner economy. Hindu r...

Cup and Coffee Narrating an incident with a hope that, this will be bring atleast a small change in you. If not, forget this as a normal incidence. Once old students of a college decided to meet their professor. All those students occupy good positions in various big MNCs. When the meeting started, they were all describing what kind of high pressure situation they undergo and how much stress they face in their work, etc. In between the professor got up and went to kitchen to prepare coffee for all his students. He brought coffee pot and cups and kept them on the table. Some of the coffee cups were expensive and rest were very ordinary. Professor requested his students serve themselves. All of them picked up expensive cups and no one selected normal, worn-out kind of cups. " When I said serve yourself, all of you selected only expensive/good-looking cups. None of you picked up normal ones. All your attention was on expensive and high quality cups; none of you seems to be enthusia...

Attended a workshop on " Career in Planetary Science " organized by Bangalore Astronomical Society. Even though number of enthusiastic attendees was very less, but the speaker himself and insight I got into US PhD/Research Program was of great interest. Main speaker was Dr.Vishnu Reddy , who is Research Professor in North Dakota University. His life story (so far) from Bollywood association to journalist in Asian Age to a Research Professor in Planetary Science is amazing. Looks like a Bollywood film story itself. He gave insight into different fields of Planetary sciences, interdisciplinary concept, etc. I was a little bit damped after hearing path to get PhD in US and struggle involved during post doc period. Routine work involved writing as much as paper for publication and do more of networking, etc didnot hit me well. But nothing is bed of roses. You can do what you want once you pass that hurdle, that's too in the field of your interest. No one else will decide y...

When I was in ISRO, I thought making satellites was greatest thing and no one in India was doing as great work as I was. When moved away of ISRO, came to know there was whole lot of world out there, doing small or big -- contributing to the country and taking pride in that achievement. I was humbled. I was elated to see the picture of earth from Satellite camera, whose electronics I had designed (apparently after 3-4 years of work). Eventhough I take pride to see the output of my first work at ISRO -- it is more of souvenir now. When I look back the work/process, I feel -- o sh**, it could have been done so smartly, without spending so much money and effort and more importantly could have done better end product considering the whole eco system in place. The Camera I designed had resolution of 1km (for Geosyn. sat) and was done to beat then existing camera with 2km resolution (designed by another group), where as end user had capacity to handle only 8 km resolution !!! It was just a dr...