brain drain season

we have 3 seasons in india- summer, monsoon and winter. each season has some particular characteristics. everybody knows abt them quite properly having studied in geography throughout school life. but for me an engineer there is one more season to look forward to. it is the brain drain season.

every year lots of students decide to go abroad for higher studies. some of them for academic interest and further reasearch, some for earning lots of money, some beacause they dont like india. every year around 10 thousand students from various fields spread the indian diaspora all over the world. most of them prefer US of A but there are also people going to UK, Russia, Germany,Australia and so on.

its good to see people setting out to achieve their dreams and taking their indianness wherever they go. they will obviously bring prosperity and fame to India. but i dont want to go into those things- for they have been read over and over.

this season normally starts during the month of july and continues till the end of august. initially only a few students are seen at the airport but then u have many in the first 2 weeks of august and then it again drops down towards the latter part of the month. (like a bell) the month of june and july is used up for readying everything related to the visas and other necessary documents. then as soon as they are done, people become nostalgic and go to meet the ONE whose going to remain only for a few days now with them. so the parents become overburdened, especially mom who has to serve sweets for these occasions.

thats not all advance arrangements have to be made for staying over there in the unknown land. relatives if reside nearby in that land are of much needed help. however these are happy times for the ONE. he/she gets the oppurtunity to go on a shopping spree. ofcourse there are side effects- learning to do daily chores by urself, cooking, going to the doctor to take injections and other things, learning to drive. then there is also the dark truth that u have to stay with relatively unknown strangers.

finally vidaai happens. the entire family, relatives and few friends come with the ONE to bade the latter goodbye and luck. he goes away for a good no. of years and promising to come back as a better human being. u hope that ONE will remain the same as ever. thus the brain drain season comes to us every year. good brains from here go to improve the well being of other countries. and we in turn continue to churn out more good brain as ever.

idle thoughts

( this was penned by me before this deluge )


Looking at the blue sky
With the sun shining brightly
O God! Give this day everyday
For it is so beautiful

Sitting in the balcony
With nothing to do
Listen to the sounds of universe
The perfect chaos you hear

Dancing the plants are
With the wind teaching the steps
Look at the ballet they perform
The best synchronisation you see

Piercing through your eyes
With all the colours of the universe
Look all around you
the perfect mosaic you have

Glancing back through your mind
With all the thoughts you have
Remember every moment
the beautiful days they are

Looking now at the present
With each moment becoming a past
Live each moment to its fullest
Because time travels fast

tommorrow never comes

2 months into the vacation already and nothing worthwhile to do, i decided to do something useful so that i would not repent later. i decide loads of things to be done during my vacations. but as it happens everytime they are all thrown in the mind's dustbin.

this time i had sincerely made a to-do list- learning JAVA, preparing for CAT, driving lessons, regularly exercising etc. but then i dont know what spell the vacation puts u under - u just dont do anything. u become very lazy and always sit in front of the TV. u hope for some good TV program to enlighten u but then nothing good happens on TV these days as well.

i have just started to study JAVA today. the CAT in my house is still sleeping like 'kumbhakaran'. mom put the breaks on the learning car. exercises- what are those?

each night before sleeping soundly i decide to wake up early morning and do something about the to-do list but the plans are washed away because of the lateness in waking up. thereafter another 1 hr goes in searching and reading the newspaper. then i undergo thru the daily chores of bathing and brushing teeth. then for some breakfast. before u realise u already are into afternoon and then lunch again. ( i havent forgotten that- that it seems is at the top of the list). soon u start feeling drowsy and soon catch 40 winks.

it is evening now and then u come to the conclusion that u havent done anything from the to-do list. u again decide to look into them seriously tommorrow but till now that tommorrow hasnt came as yet. ( and i dont know when it is going to come either)