‘The Earth Hour’ and no buzz about it around the campus:

Yesterday the 26^th of March 2011 between 20:30 and 21:30 hours was celebrated as the ‘Earth Hour’ worldwide. The ‘Earth Hour’ began as a show of solidarity against climate change and today has evolved into a major global movement.  It brings together people from all walks of life from different parts of the world to unite together in a mission to save our dear ‘Mother Earth’.

 I received a number of emails from companies and organizations from India with whom I had acquaintance that they will be celebrating ‘Earth Hour’ by switching off all lights on their campus during that designated hour. I study ‘Sustainable Energy Technology’ at TU Delft and this is a highly reputed master program. There is so much buzz and talk around the campus for developing sustainable energy technologies, to make the campus more greener and to make it more sustainable but sadly there was neither a news feed on the blackboard about the ‘Earth Hour’ nor any posters around the campus shouting out loud that TU Delft will be celebrating ‘Earth Hour’ to show its commitment against Climate Change. I began to wonder how TU Delft could miss out on this major event.

Well celebrating ‘Earth Hour’ is not a compulsion but we all can make small contributions to protect our dear planet by engaging ourselves in activities such as this. TU Delft has a completely dedicated organization ‘Energy Club’ to help coordinate projects/activities related to sustainable energy and climate change. No mention of this global event was mentioned on its website too. That is quite disheartening.

I celebrated the event by turning off all lights in my home and putting my laptop in sleep mode for that designated one hour. This event which started off in the city of Sydney in Australia in the year 2007 has become a major event worldwide since then with many countries/organizations embracing it worldwide and celebrating it, to show their responsibility towards protecting the environment.

Celebrating and embracing events like these would showcase to the outside world the university’s total commitment towards sustainability and care for the environment and such events must receive more attention around the campus.

I am a marathoner

Marato de Barcelona (6 Mar 2011)

Well after completing 8 half marathons (including the recent Amsterdam half marathon) so far I felt I have to progress to the next level to test my physical endurance- to participate in a full marathon. The leaflets kept inside the envelope that I had received as part of my registration for the Amsterdam half marathon had one particular leaflet on the Barcelona marathon 2011 and that particular one caught my eye.

It was then that I decided that I will definitely run the Barcelona marathon in March 2011, mainly for two reasons. The first one being it was scheduled on a perfect day 6 Mar 2011 and that meant no exams, and other stuff coming my way and the second one being that the Barcelona is a lovely city to visit. I began my four month training program starting from November 2010 until February 2011 for this particular event.

The whole training program was a wonderful journey. The excitement and the desire to run 42.2 kms or 26.2 miles kept getting stronger day by day. The months of December and January were particularly tough as afar as training was concerned. This is because it was snowing heavily during these two months, not the ideal weather to just go out and practice your run. But I was determined, I had to get my weekly mileage so that my body gets tuned to the arduous long distance journey. I did not have the wind cheater jackets nor the skin tight full length track pants as the regular Dutch runners in Delft. So what did I do? I just wore three layers of clothing on top and pulled on my half running trousers and dashed out in the snow to do my weekly runs. I had spent my Christmas vacation, a full 11 days travelling across Paris and Switzerland and even during these times I made sure I had my running gear with me. I just could not afford to miss two weeks without doing my runs. Crazy isn't it? Thats what I am 'A Crazy Road Runner'.

Now there was slight twist in the story in the month of January, after completing one of my practice runs in the evening I had slight pain in my right knee. I just ignored it thinking that it just a muscle strain but it kept getting worse until I had to abandon my practice for a whole week in January. Complete rest was essential if I had to run in Barcelona. I experienced pain whenever I got down from the staircase, things were not looking well and I panicked. I feared that I might not be able to run in Barcelona and was also calculating the monetary loss that I would incur if I can't make the trip- The flights to and fro were booked, hostel accommodation reserved and other miscellaneous stuff confirmed. But by God's grace and some medication and stretching techniques my knee pain subsided a little, I could run once again but was averaging at a pace way below my normal speed. My normal speed is 6.2 mph but I was able to hover around 5.6 mph. So I though some running is better than no running. I kept practicing, running slowly and making sure not to strain my right knee.

Finally in the month of February I learnt some knee and lower back strengthening exercises. This helped me a lot in getting back on track with my usual running pace. I was convinced that I can complete the marathon in good condition but just to confirm my confidence I had to make sure that I had the stamina and the strength. So on the 20 Feb 2011 I did a 35 Km practice run and my dear friend Ershad played a major role in it. He was kind enough to carry all my bottles and other foodstuff and patrol me on his bike for the entire duration. I really owe him a lot for his kind hearted gesture.

So I finally departed for Barcelona on the 4 Mar 2011, taking the direct flight from Amsterdam-Schipol to Barcelona-El Prat. The plane landed safely and I comfortably made my way to the hostel. The next morning I woke up, had my breakfast and walked down the street to the 'marathon expo' from where I got my BIB (running) number and the runners goodie bag. There was a pasta party exclusively for the runners, to pump in some carbs into us so that we all run the marathon in good condition. I just roamed around the city in the evening and enjoyed the carnival that was happening that evening.

Finally the D day approached. I woke up at 6:00 hrs brushed my teeth, washed myself and changed into my running gear. I packed all my stuff and kept it in the luggage room of my hostel and walked down the road toward the starting point. There was a sea of runners pouring in from all directions to converge at the starting point 'Placa Esapanya'. I felt great and excited that I was finally going to do my maiden full marathon. The whistle was blown and the elite runners kicked off in the blazing speed. I was positioned in the four hour plus runners category so I crossed the starting line 10 minutes after the official start time. I kept treading along with my usual pace, enjoying the city also. The route was almost flat and covered almost the entire city. The marathon organizing committee had done a wonderful job, water stations, fruit points, sponge points all were perfectly organized. I had no worries about nutrition and drinks along my way, they were in plenty. After the 30 km mark I slowed down a little. It was more of a mental game now rather than the physical one. My body was strong enough to got he distance but my mind was plying games. But I had trained for that too I kept my composure and took one mile at a time after mile 19. Finally I reached the finish line in a time of 5 hours 4 minutes and 4 seconds (5:04:04). Wow that was amazing I had actually completed my maiden full marathon, there were tears of joy in my eyes. I had actually run 42.2 Kms, Oh My GOD!!

After the run I went back to my hostel, had my shower and headed back to the airport to travel back to Amsterdam and to Delft from there. Oh man, this was one wonderful experience I will never forget.

The 'Design Challenge' that we won

Well, it all began when I registered for the 'Design Challenge' in August. This particular course is a 12 credit course spread over the whole semester. I was in a team of six students out of which two were Indians, three Chinese and an African. The project given to us was on 'Intelligent Street lighting'. Our client was another Indian who had graduated from TU Delft about 4 years ago.

This being a 12 credit course involved a lot of work and took most of the time during the week. The challenge was to come up with the live working prototype of 'intelligent street lighting', which till that time was just a concept on paper. We as a team gelled in very quickly and made up a timetable and schedule to which we adhered ourselves. We also had minor team clashes (which team doesn't); it was great fun and a learning experience to solve all those minor hurdles, meet deadlines, complete weekly tasks and update our progress with the coach.

The project began taking shape during the final two months (later half of the first semester). We believed that to come up with a great product extensive testing of the same was a must. We spent considerable amount of time doing field trials and carrying out tests of different permutations and combinations. Finally we were ready with the product and the system as a whole was working in exactly the same way as we had visualized.

But to get the credit points we not only had to make the live working demo but also a poster, a report and a final presentation in hall filled with people from various disciplines and potential investors. There were two Chinese girls in my team and both were from the Faculty of Industrial Design. So they could make really cool animations and visualizations. One of the Chinese girls made the poster for our project and mind you in was awesome. I took on the responsibility of doing the final presentation. There are two reasons for it first I am not afraid to speak in front of a large audience and second my three years of work experience has made a quite a good public speaker.

The final D day was about a week ahead and I still had not finalized the presentation. I revised it completely just the day before the D day and practiced it just once in front of my room mate ( he being a Chinese too). On the D day I was the last one to give the presentation, competing against the other four rival teams for a prize and possibly for a trophy too. I was dressed in plain grey trousers and normal white half shirt. I started off quite well and I kept on improvising with the flow. At the end of my 15 minute talk I was given a thunderous applause and congratulated by many for such a lucid and simple presentation.

Later during the drinks party our team was announced the winner, with the most investments. My joy knew no bounds. All hard work that we put in finally paid off and I was on cloud nine, dopamine levels shooting in my brain.

How to make 'Addai'

Ingredients Required:

Rice - 1 Cup
Urad dal+Moong Dal+Tuar Dal- 1 Cup
Green chillies
Big Red chillies
Salt

Procedure:

1. Soak the rice and the dal mixture in water for minimum one and half hours.
2. Drain the water from the rice and dal mixture and grind the whole mixture along with green chillies and big red chillies in the blender (mixie). Add water accordingly while grinding, depending on how thick the paste should be. Add more water if you want thinner 'addais'.
3. Add salt according to ones taste.
4. Heat a flat pan and grease it with oil. Use a ladle to spread the 'addai batter'. Allow it to get cooked and turn it upside down, allow this side also to get cooked. Spread little oil around the periphery of the addai, while it gets cooked.
5. Repeat the step 4 for 'n' number of addais.
6. Your addais are ready to eat. Enjoy it with either 'avviyal' or 'onion chutney'.

Liverpool muscles out Chelsea

Liverpool vs Chelsea (7 Nov 2010)

Two big giants of English football took to the field on Sunday evening for one of the important games in the Barclays Premier League. Chelsea, the league leaders with 25 points in their bag travelled to Anfield, Liverpool to take on the merseysiders. Liverpool's form this season has been disappointing, losing home games to Blackpool and the one in the league cup. But with back to back wins against Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers the mood in the team was quite upbeat.

Roy Hodgson had put out his best team to take on Chelsea. Chelsea kick started the first half and were control of the game till the eleventh minute. Liverpool's best striker, Torres struck form at the right time. A superb pass by Dirk Kuyt was neatly put into the back of the net by Torres. Terry was beaten for pace and so was the Chelsea goalkeeper, Petr Cech. Twelve minutes gones Liverpool were in the lead, to the surprise and astonishment of the players and spectators alike.

The Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelloti had kept his best striker Drogba on the bench. Chelsea looked dangerous even though they were a goal behind. Just before half time superman Torres gave the merseysiders another delight with a sublime curl, the ball gradually curving into the back of the net. Liverpool were up by two goals and the mood in the bench was upbeat.

Anfield erupted.

At half time Drogba was brought in for Kalou because the Chelsea manager felt that being two goals behind to Liverpool at their home turf was not to be taken lightly. Lucas, Mereilles and Gerrard all played their roles well, passing and moving forward and trying to score another goal to put the game beyond the reach of the Blues. Young boy Martin Kelly was plying his first major game of the season for Liverpool in the right fullback position. Carragher and Skrtel taking care of the central defence.

Chelsea were unlucky when Anelka's shot scrapped Reina's gloves and hit the crossbar. The ball was till open for Drogba to put it into the net but Jamie Carragher ensured that Liverpool maintained a clean sheet. Just 15 minutes before half Kuyt made a good run with the ball before passing it to Rodriguez who almost finished the game for Liverpool but Cech's outstretched leg denied them the third goal. Full time gone Liverpool could hold off Chelsea with a two goal margin.

The Barclay's premier league is still wide open for anyone to win. Chelsea weren't allowed to run away with the points. Liverpool's classic performance on Sunday will definitely be an eye opener for them and other teams as well. They now sit at the ninth place with 15 points in their kitty.

Liverpool leaps out of 'Relegation Zone'

Bolton Wanderers vs Liverpool (31 Oct 2010)

Liverpool's season has not brought out the usual cheers for its fans. Until last week the English giant was lingering in the bottom of the table with just 9 points in the bag. This poor performance by Liverpool can partly be attributed to the ownership and financial worries at the merseyside club. But yesterday's match against Bolton Wanderers brought some respite for the fans and the manager.

Putting up a strong squad Roy Hodgson wanted to get an easy 3 points at the Reebok stadium but was given stiff resistance by the Wanderers. Bolton started off the first half with more confidence than Liverpool and almost over 50% of the on field action was happening at Liverpool's end. Holden tested the Liverpool goalie with a flash kick but Reina was quick to spot the ball and punch it away. Bolton looked more and more aggressive as the game progressed. Liverpool's upfront attack looked meek and non threatening. Big names like Torres and Joe Cole looked impressive on paper but couldn't deliver.

Bolton on the other hand had a couple of good opportunities to take an early lead but failed to capitalize on any. With skipper Kevin Davies and defender Matt Taylor playing some good football. First half gone the scores were tied at 0-0.

Kevin Davies was just centimeters away from giving Bolton the lead in the second half from a free kick. He headed the ball perfectly but just shy of the goal. Liverpool improved its opportunities and played more attacking football in the second half of the game. Steven Gerrard, Rodriguez and Torres playing some good pass and move football. However neither of the teams could break the deadlock until the 85th minute. Joe Cole had to be substituted with Ngog because Cole had pulled a hamstring. The Chelsea midfielder has not yet delivered the quality he possesses to get Liverpool the victories much needed in the Premier League.

There is saying in football 'Never judge too quickly in football, wait until the last minute'. The same came true. Some superb skills by Torres and diligent passing to maxi Rodriguez ensured Liverpool that they left the Reebok stadium with full three points. Rodriguez was quick to latch on to the pass from Torres and slot it into the net past the Bolton keeper. This victory even got Liverpool out of the bottom three and now they sit at #12 in the table with 12 points, 13 points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Liverpool needs to ensure that they continue winning and not drop points from their future games to secure a place in the top 6 else next season the hope for a Europa qualification will seem bleak. Manager Roy Hodgson says' this victory might be the catalyst for his side's revival this season'.

How to make masala 'Brussel Sprouts'

Ingredients Required:

Brussel Sprouts- approx 7 for each person

Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons

Salt- 1 teaspoon (can be more as per one's taste)

Chat/ Garam masala - 2 tablespoons

Cooking oil- 3 tablespoons

Procedure:

1. Cut the 'Brussel Sprouts' in 4 halves but only till a certain level. Meaning you must be able to hold the sprout in your hand and still see the 4 halves. See the picture.
2. 

   Mix the chilli powder,salt and chat/garam masala together. The spice mixture is ready.
3. Stuff the spice mixture into the above cut 'Brussel Spouts'. Stuff more if you need it more spicier.
4. Pour the oil in a pan and wait until the oil heats up.
5. Put the stuffed 'Brussel Sprouts' into the pan and fry it in oil till they are cooked properly. This will take around 15 minutes.

Your 'Brussel Sprouts' are now ready for eating. Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves.