Some of us recently got an email from a higher up at work. It set me off for a bit. I thought it was a disgrace to a profession such as mine, where driven people strive for years and years to a get relatively low paying jobs that mostly offer freedoms and security. Rather than shoot back a bilious outrage of an email, I decided I'd take the reductio ad absurdum route. Because my feelings affect no one and nothing, I might as well have a bit of fun with the source of consternation. The email says things like " I completely understand academic freedom... but logging in and off with biometrics is mandatory... ". I have NEVER experienced this in the twenty years that I have been in different research and academic organisations in India and abroad, nor have I heard of it from my father. Having to log in is usually for people who come in to work for only for a pay-check, who would rather not come in at all if that was an option, like it is on the weekends or holidays. At least
Because no one reads this blog, these thoughts are safe here. This is a bit of venting, because no one will read it. I need this outlet. I right this infinitely more secure in life than I was a few months ago. There aren't questions of a pay check hanging over my head in the near future at the very least. The value of such security is inestimable from the other side. I am an experimental biologist. My research needs equipment. My institute has most of the large equipment I need for my research. I was allotted space and an office at the time of joining. The leadership and my colleagues are very supportive of any sort of procurement of small equipment. As soon as I joined the institute I put in indents for a string of things that I know I will need. It has been five months. I have a microwave (gift), a centrifuge and pipette set. I had hoped to get going in two months. Most of the things I need can reasonably be expected to be kept in stores at a Biology institution. But you follow
Calling 0091... I wanted the next article on this blog to be an analytical comparison between the UTSW grad school and TIFR. The article is on its way guys... Someday! But then I want to beat my chest in public. I want to shout out how much I miss India. It isn't just about missing home. It's a LOT more. Somehow evry sense feels deprived I miss being in an Indian environment. The people speaking a familiar language (Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Bangla...). Discussing a familiar sport : Cricket! (People I've met here think that cricket is still a five day game). People in a bustling hurry to get to work. Chatting up with the sweeper about how his kids are doing at school. Randomly conversing with passengers in a train about how Manmohan Singh is Mrs Gandhi's puppet; the virtues Rabindra sangeet; (in Marathi) about how the Bhaiyyas (which includes me, I guess they didn't realise) are the canker of Mumbai; to North Indians about how this a free country and merit gets rewar
Comments
:)
but sometimes I think we dont realise that giving somthing that may not be perfect a shot, might ultimately lead to somthin perfect :-P