Flashback

There are some images that we directly correlate with either events, people or momentous occurrences. I had one of those recently that took me into a double flashback of sorts.

I had just boarded my 6.30am train from Montreal Central Station to Ottawa. I removed my coat jacket and placed it onto the hangar, asked for a coffee and stared out the window. The train exited the platform and this beautiful sunrise dawned. The next few minutes made me wonder why I don't travel by train, especially in ones with such big ass windows. I looked down the alleyway of the Via rail Business Class compartment....

.... I asked myself, "When was the last time I was in an inter-city train?"

It was two years ago, Dec 2009, when I was travelling from Mumbai to Mangalore and back. The time before that was around Dec 2005 from Tver to St. Petersburg.

In all these flashbacks I noticed a stark contrast in my life status and maturity. Back in 2005, I was this clueless student three years into my Bachelors degree, not really sure what the next couple of years would bring. I felt like I was just tied down and following the path with the bread-crumbs all over it.

Alternatively, in 2009, I was almost done with my Masters degree in the USA, much more mature and street-smart (I would like to believe). I was looking forward to the challenges awaiting me in that trip, the semester after it, the the job-hunt eventually.

And now, I am working for one of the biggest companies in my industry, impacting daily airline operations and making a business trip in business class wearing a nice suit, sipping on nice coffee accompanied with a continental breakfast, just hungry for every opportunity I get to progress.

A flashing sequence of memories tied together by trigger cues. Quite a satisfying feeling of progression in life.

Bring it on

"I will not be beaten. You have yet to see me shining, shining... I won't take this lying down."

- Kristian Leontiou

A solid day at work..

Even though I am extremely tired after the day I have had, I'm making sure it stays in my memory through this post. I might forget details by tomorrow. Today has been one of the longest work days I have encountered at IATA.

Location, International Air Transportation Association, Montreal

Department - Infrastructure Strategy

8.30am - Arrived at work.

8.45am - Meeting with Assistant Director (AD) to discuss format of technical papers to be submitted at the ICAO General Assembly.

9.15am - Started working on the papers. No time for coffee.

10am - Meeting with Senior Manager (SM) about data analysis for the iFLEX project, particularly the Atlanta-Johannesburg and Dubai-Sao Paulo routes.

10.10am - Working on assembly papers and flight plans for iFLEX.

10.30am - Conference call with Head of Department - Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois and graduate coordinator to discuss my future semesters.

10.50am - Finally, coffee time. Director (D) notifies me of a 1.30-3 meeting, which means that the papers must be ready by then.

11.00am - Started filing, categorizing the papers based on Assembly timetable, Agenda and Working Paper number.

11.15am - I was told by SM that the State Gate review is on Thurs. Lots of prep left.

11.30am - Started running additional flight plans alongside.

12.00pm - Conference call with 7 more executives in 7 different countries for iFLEX implementation.

1.30pm - No time for lunch. Got done with the call and headed over to the meeting with the D and AD.

3.00pm - Concluded and finalized the papers. Started reading two last-minute technical paper additions.

3.30pm - Got a snickers bar from the vending machine as lunch and some coffee. Went downstairs to post a document to India.

4.00pm - Met with D and AD to discuss last two papers. Decided they were useless.

4.30pm - Statistical analysis and construction of tables, graphs, which is easier than it sounds.

5.30pm - Started reviewing the iFLEX Guidance Material (GM) with the data, analysis, tables, graphs, etc for the State-Gate review on Thurs. I had to use two different versions and combine them into one after adding my inputs, which is not as easy as it sounds considering it is a 50 page document.

7.30pm - I was officially the last one on the floor working.

8.40pm - I decided to leave before I got burned out.

I would have continued working had I decided to have a cup of coffee. But I didn't want to overwork myself. The next day was going to be an important one too. Lots of final drafts of the GM to write. Overall, it was a very fulfilling, productive work-day.

I can relax on Thursday evening at the ICAO Assembly drinks and dinner party. I'm pretty lucky to be attending it considering the Assembly takes place only once in three years.

Up and Running

Ladies and Gentlemen...

Presenting ...

After months of learning how to work this out....

And uploading files, folders and data...

A portal for all of my stuff...

A portal for me, of me, by me..

A central executive for my research, blogs, publications, info about me....

http://www.ashwinjadhav.com/

Sigh of relief!! Maintaining it will be tougher than creating it... LOL. But it's all worth it!

Brick in the wall

I recently visited Orlando, FL for the Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC) and I took my first step into the conference-world. I probably wouldn't have gone if I hadn't been presenting a paper. But the experience was amazing. Never had I thought that just sitting all day attending presentations, with lunch and coffee breaks in the middle, then talking to the presenters and researchers at the end of the day would be so much fun. I really felt like I wanted to be a bigger part of this world and venture deeper into the rabbit hole. It also made me want to go to such an event even if I wasn't publishing. I also realized how I'm just another brick in the wall, how tiny I was when all the industry professionals got together under one roof.

I did successfully present my paper and defend a few questions thrown towards me, met many different people from all over: Boeing, NASA, FAA, MITRE (CAASD), Eurocontrol, Lockheed Martin etc. Most of the people who attended my presentation really liked it, mainly because it was so relevant to their papers and/or everyday travel. My paper was titled "Impact of Critical Hub Airport Configurations in the Next Generation Air Transportation System". When I started talking about Chicago's O'Hare airport, I asked a question that told me the audience was really interested. The question was, "Has any of you been delayed for a long period on the tarmac at O'Hare?" Everyone just smiled.

The whole AIAA/IEEE community is so dedicated to finding solutions to such problems related to Air Traffic Management, safety issues, etc. It is just amazing! After all said and done, my flight from ORD to CMI took 35 minutes to taxi. It was taxiing longer than the flight time. That is just ridiculous. The guy next to me was speechless when I told him what my presentation in Orlando was all about. I think he felt like choking me because he wanted to get to his girlfriend quicker and the Chicago ATC just wouldn't let him.

I decided to celebrate this momentous trip to Orlando by starting by new professional blog: http://turbulenttarmacs.wordpress.com/ It will be my wordpad for everything related to the industry. I hope to integrate everything into my own website someday, hopefully in the next month ;)

Make Chai Not War

It's been exactly a month since my last blog post. I've been busy and the perfect example of lethargy for a month now. Thankfully, I got some work done. The abstract for my research paper was submitted 5 hours before the deadline (on Friday, 24th April), after countless grammatical checks and chants. 

This Friday was special though. I was basking in the post-submission era (few hours) and the weekend had arrived. The Indian Graduate Students Association (IGSA) had collaborated with numerous other organizations to host a multi-ethnic stand-up comedy show called "Make Chai Not War". I would have attended this event even if I wasn't the president of IGSA and was living a few miles off-campus. 

The event brought together three big Indian stand-up comedians namely Azhar Usman, Rajiv Satyal and Paul Varghese. Each had their own style and approach towards race and humor. But they were hilarious entertainers. I haven't been at a comedy show in months, it almost made me forget my once-upon-a-time ambition of trying stand-up. 

Someone even tried to videotape the show on their mobile phone, but Azhar caught them. That was funny! She kept the camera fixated at what he was saying, she just wouldn't stop recording. That's when I wondered whether the fact that the show is being recorded or not has an impact on the performers. It's like U2 performing at Slane Castle or Rammstein recording the Volkerball. They made sure it was top notch, or did they decide to record it into a DVD after they had performed?

I noticed that all of them spoke to most of the audience after the show, asking them their names, including me. I wondered if they would really remember everybody. One part of me felt like it was a PR thingy, the other part said that it's normal human approach to want to know who you are talking to. I personally thanked all of them after the show and made sure that I had found a way to stay in touch with each of them personally. The other organizers shared my goal to bring them back next year along with some bigger names. If we manage to get Russell Peters, that would be something big. I even noticed that there were no comedy clubs on campus dedicated to stage-comedy. And so began my thoughts on founding one. 

Going Down

The recession is hitting every part of the world, every industry. But I hear that the public service industry is the least affected. Good times for them! 

One major industry is lying wounded is Aviation. The projected loss for aviation was x billion for this year. But yesterday the projection touched 2x billion for 2009. I've been closely watching the numbers rise and fall. Never seen them go so low. 

After 9/11, the aviation industry got divided into three groups financially. Today's economy is the ultimate test for them.

Firstly, the companies that suffered a minor loss after 9/11, they are still managing to survive today's abyss. They have found a way around the dollars and are waiting for the high tide to wash their tears away.

The second group got hit bad after 9/11. These companies have started panicking today. They are laying off employees, deferring aircraft orders and reducing capacity. They have made tough decisions and found a way to cling on. 

The third group faced a crisis the moment those planes crashed into the world trade center and it's sad to say that they were in crisis up until a few months ago. It just never stopped. Most of these companies have gone bankrupt, Eclipse aviation is the best example, and the rest are heading towards bankruptsy as the months go by. 

Overall, the North American market is better placed if compared to the European market. This is solely due to the stability of the oil prices in USA. 

The way I see it, either the recession will end first or the oil prices will erupt due to volatility. Either way there will be a huge shift in numbers from east to west. How this affects and bothers me is as follows. Three months ago I set out to collect as much data as possible. I read articles, papers, airport data, predictions, projections etc. I had my facts right and numbers circled. But the timing of the recession and my thesis are a work of Murphy. These numbers and projections can be thrown out the window now. There will be new shit everyday and that could potentially harm my research. Approximately 367 papers have been written on the increase in air traffic over the next 15 years. Suddenly, they don't make sense. What happens this year will define the next 15 years of air travel. 

Parity

This is one of the posts that I'd only hoped I would write one day. It was an If..Then scenario. And writing such a post is never easy.

When I got admitted to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, I was so elated. Little did I know what was in store for me as a grad student. In this country, a grad student is supposed to work twice-thrice as much as an undergrad. A grad student is supposed to sleep for less than 8 hours a night. Every department computer lab and study hall will have at least one grad student in it even at 3am. This post describes it really well. 

The transition from Russia to USA was made really easy by all my friends here and I never really had any problems with food, shelter. I was so used to just showing up for classes and doing research in Russia, that I forgot that there are more things to being a student. 

My first semester was a disaster. Thanks to lots of mistakes on my end. A grad student in my (Aerospace) department needs to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Mine was a 2.22. Yes, pathetic, screwed up, lowly,... 

Probation, was the word that I became familiar with in May 2008 after the results came out. I started asking myself serious questions and understanding what is required to succeed in a particular course. Each course has its own demands and rituals. Some require you to just present 3 presentations in the span of 4 months and you get your grade. Some have 2 midterms plus homework plus a final exam. What I realized is that every course, every professor, every chapter has to be aproached in a different way. I was still on Russian time. 

For the next months, I started understanding what academic probation really means and the different petitions associated with it. I had to get my GPA back up to 3.0. For that, I would need excellent grades in all my courses to get the average back to the required. Failure to obtain the GPA would mean removal from the university.

I decided to take 4 courses, one more than needed, just in case. I have to admit there were many instances where I thought that there is absolutely no chance I could make it. I was against all odds. The person betting hundred dollars on me would actually become a millionaire. Even the look in my academic advisors eyes told me that he wasn't confident enough. Yet, he recommended a few courses. I took two of them but the other two I changed. Little did I know that at the end of the semester I would be looking back at the choice of my courses and the addition of the fourth course with absolute marvel. 

I had a lot at stake and I knew it. I loved this place, the people, the university. My friends had become my family and I had no backup plan in place. I was even the president of the Indian Graduate Students Association. I really didn't feel like losing all of that. 

Hardwork and dedication are mandatory. But even sacrifices have to be made. That's what I did different from the previous semester. Trying to tackle 4 courses along with 2 part-time on-campus jobs became a routine and weekdays became my workout. I just hoped that at the end of the semester I had something to show for.

23rd December came quick. The grades were out and my blood pressure was over the roof. As I checked them with Pragni, Omkar and Pallavi trying to calm me down, I realized that none of what I had done throughout the semester would matter if this didn't work out. And I knew that Pinky too was thinking whether I made it or not while vacationing in India.

3.73 and my cumulative was up to 3.06 

Parity was restored.

It's amazing how the smallest things people say make the biggest of difference, the way they stand by you defines your relationship with them. They affect your confidence and give you added incentive. And every word has made the difference in the past months.

It's been a week since I saw the grades and I still am wondering what I would have done if they had let me down. I started receiving quite some praise which I hadn't heard for at least a year. One of my professors even called it "A terrific achievement" which sounded really flattering, but made me proud. All Pinky asked me online was "In or Out?" and all Pragni said to me was "I never doubted you one bit. Never."

:)

Weekend

It's hard to say no to someone you love. When they have that smile on their face or that look in their eyes. My heart melts. Even when she asked me to post this (just because), I couldn't say no, even though it was through a chat window. It becomes harder after you've just met her a few minutes ago and she has looked the best you've ever seen her look. Beauty redefined. Seriously. It's hard to not sound flattery, but sometimes you are stunned by the beauty around you.

I can't dance for nuts. I know that. But I also know that there are very few things and very few people in the world that could get me dancing (alcohol included). Today I danced like no one was watching. All I could see was my friends in front of me, and none of them were judging me. We all were just super-elated to be with each other and enjoy that moment, even though I know everyone missed Pinky in some way or the other. Dandia Raas, Garba and Bhangra.... awesome!

It's hard to find time for these things when you are a grad-student. The weekend comes in a jiffy and goes even quicker. You never know what hit you. I am sitting here in the comp lab on a Saturday night trying to do my research. Yes, it's a Saturday night, I've just returned from the Garba party and I intend to finish my quota for today in this secluded lab while listening to loud music. Well, being a grad student, I'm happy that I have the keys to the department building. I wish sometimes though, that I would be joined by her, who wouldn't join me here (for various reasons).

It's been a while since I'm written about current affairs. I'm happy about the effort I'm putting in all around. But I can always do better.

LOL

I worked as an instructor over the summer and I could not have been happier. I love teaching and always will. It's something I always want to continue doing. My students are seniors in high school and unfortunately, or fortunately, I was teaching them anatomy. Here are some recapped moments.

Me: In which sport are the muscles of the arm used the most?
Student: Chess!

--------------------------

Student: So, Mr.AJ, what did you do over the weekend?
Me: I was grading your papers and I also spent some time with friends.
Student: What kind of friends?
Me: Ummm.... the good kind.
Student: I mean, do you have a girlfriend?
Me: Let's get back to the lecture, shall we?
Student: That's a "yes"!

-------------------------------

Me: What do you want to become after you graduate college?
Student: A stripper!
Me: I'm serious.
Student: So am I. It's going to be my night job. I don't know what I want to do during the day yet.

------------------------------------

Student: (answers to a written question) Babies have 300 bones because they haven't fused together yet, while humans have 206 after fusion occurs.
Me: I underline babies and humans.

--------------

Me: (written) What are the muscles that surround your heart called?
Student: (written) Cardeyack muscles.

----------------------


Me: Did she give you the notes?
Student: She said she hadn't written nothing.
Me: That's a negative negative. You can't use a negative negative. It implies the positive.
Student: That ain't true!

Need for speed

I have loved driving all my life. There was a time when I would have given anything to become a professional racing driver. Even today, there are some people in my life who still encourage me to take it up professionally. I used to be amazed at the street races happening around Mumbai. The ones at Marine Lines and the Western Express Highway interested me the most. Quite a few early-morning walkers have been killed over the years because of this so-called sport.

You have to know the right people, be at the right places and have the right attitude to even be considered for the races, I was told once.

On May 25th, 2008 I was offered a seat in a race. I was given instructions and details. Everything felt real. In fact, it was as real as can be. Suddenly, I remembered all the accidents of the past that I had read about. Now, even though I would be racing on the Western Express highway on certian undisclosible nights at certian undisclosable times when people do not venture out to stroll, I was reluctant to say yes. This is something that surprised me. I just couldnt say yes. It isn't gambling, it isn't. No money involved. Only your car, your skills, your pride and your life.

I have been thinking of the hit-and-runs. Haven't even started to think about what would happen at speeds of 120-150kmph. What would happen if I lost control for a split second at those speeds. Newton would laugh in his grave while pointing out to his second law. Others would just point at the picture below in horror.

I have never doubted my skills as a driver. Never been scared.

I still have been given the option to mull it over and say yes after a year.

It happens only in Kurla...

I start to think about having dinner, when the phone rings and I am told that the train arrives in an hour. I get ready and leave. Me and Jigar somehow find the Kurla Terminus which is located in some "khopchi" of Mumbai. At the Terminus, the first thing that I see is millions of people. At least it looked like millions. There was no road. There were people walking, people spitting, people sleeping, rickshaws parked, rickshaw drivers arguing, taxiwalas abusing each other left and right. There was a hint of a terminus, and five platforms. People camping on the floors, the toilets looking like gutters, the stalls looking like toilets, the telephone booths looking like stalls. From Illinois Terminal to Kurla Terminus. Wah!

I see an old man walking in the middle of the 'road' with a stick. I put an arm around him and took him to the side, saying, "Uncle, side mein aa jao. Gaadi lag jayegi." (Uncle, please come aside. You might get hit by a car). His smile was worth millions.

We tired to look for the ticket office. Supposedly we needed a platform ticket. The queue went on for miles. There were approximately 235 people standing in the line. It would have taken us about an hour to get to the counter and purchase the 2 rupee ticket. The train was scheduled to arrive in 25 mins.

Jigar said, "Ab kya?" (What now?)

"We'll go without the ticket onto the platform, what else?" was my answer.

"Paagal hai kya?" (Are you mad?)

"No other option, boss. We'll pay the fine. Whatever it is. 100-120 rupees."

Suddenly I had a wild idea. I told him to wait while I bugged the station master. I knocked and entered. He was on the phone but entertained me. "Yes?"

"Sir. Yahaan par ek hi ticket office hai platform ticket ke liye?" (Is there only one platform ticket office here?)

After his affirmative answer, I asked, "Kitna fine bharna padega ticket officer ne pakda toh?" (How much fine will I have to pay if caught by the ticket officer?)

He smiled. Kept the phone down. "Usko bolna ke Mishraji se baat hui hai. Mai hoon Mishra. Batai do usko", he said in his Bihari accent. (I am Mr.Mishra. Tell him that you have spoken to me)

Problem one solved.

Then the train arrives. My sister jumps on me, literally. She hadn't seen me for 5 months. We decide to hire some help for the bags. The coolie starts loading the bags and when he is almost done he names a price near 120 rupees. We all look at him in bewilderment and instruct him to unload the bags. We keep negotiating. Another man arrives on my right. He asks, "Taxi?"

I start negotiating with him about the taxi price which he thinks should be 250 rupees.

Typical bhendi bazaar scenario. Dus ka beees, dus ka beees.

Finally, after some hilarious numbers are thrown around, I manage to get the services of the coolie for 80 rupees and the taxi for whatever the taxi meter says plus 70 rupees(baggage). I ended up paying the taxi driver a total of 200 rupees. Money well saved I'd say.

God, I love bargaining. Just love it. Mumbai rocks!

303, W Green St. Apt B203, Champaign IL 61820

I walk to a place that is empty. I look at the ground and see millions of my footsteps on the footpath as I have walked to and fro from there. I know that I am going to nobody. To nothing. But I want to go none-the-less.

I open the door and turn on the lights. Emptiness everywhere. I walk through the apartment just to catch a glimpse of unexpectedness, but nothing surprises me. I sit on the couch and look around. Sigh. I see Dhum frying the onion rings in the kitchen. Pal sitting on her comp and making us listen to some new song. Pinky working all night on his comp while making sure everyone is doing their work too. Dream Catcher watching "Sex and the City" and getting yelled at. I see RM coming and going, ignoring everyone.

I breathe the air of a place where I have spent more time than my lab. A place that I imagined even before I had set foot into it. It had come to be my home. Our home.

They say that change is good. Change must be welcome. But what if I don't want change?

What if I want to turn back time? What if I want you to come back?

What if I want us, all of us, to be there..... just be there.

Uniqueness

I have taken a course in Electric Propulsion this semester. My instructor, Prof. Burton, has approximately 30 years of experience in this area. He has even visited Russia (I think) during the good-old USSR days when exchange of material and technology was permitted.

Today during our class, he pulls out this sheet of paper with a picture of an Ion Thruster. While he was showing it to the class, I noticed that the paper was in Russian. I immediately asked him. He didn't know who had asked the question so he said, "Yes, it's in Russian. Does anybody know to read Russian?" That was my cue. He handed the paper to me and told me to translate. I started roughly translating most of it. He then interrupted me and told me to read just the title. It read "Electric Rocket Thruster", roughly, and it had a picture of it.

It is times like these when you feel unique. One of a kind. Like you know something that nobody else does. Like people will listen to what you have to say, and trust your word. That's the power a parent has, a teacher has. That's the power I wish politicians in India could have. Maybe once upon a time they did.

The first thing I did when I got home was checked whether what I had told them was right. I started hoping that I didn't create some techno-babble bullshit because I had a hunch. Fortunately, it was right. I realized that it was right all along. It couldn't have been anything else.

Be it the simplest of things, when you pass on knowledge or information to others from the top of the pyramid, you better be right, or at least correct the error as soon as possible.

My Russian Language Certificate (which I haven't got yet) means much more to me suddenly. Uniqueness is present in everyone of us. You will know when unleashed at the opportuned moment.

Write here, write now

I was having a discussion a few days back with a friend about reading and writing. There is nobody in the world who likes both equally. We all like one more than the other. Some of us prefer reading, while some prefer writing.

I like to read. Some tales are better told in words than on screen. But writing is my passion. If someone told me to choose, I would tend to bend more towards writing. It's not only my blog, but the other stuff that I write. I normally don't show people everything. It's just such a beautiful way of venting.

I've written poems, scripts, even short stories. Some friends have witnessed a few of my short stories. They were well-appreciated. My fear is and will always be the same, that someone will duplicate my material. That's the reason I never post any of those stories on my blog. Some genius jackass siting in Swaziland can easily translate my story and make a movie out of it which might win a Raspberry award. This is the reason why I sometimes think about a good subject but never put pen to paper. I once thought about an excellent sequel to "Main Khiladi Tu Anadi" - a 90s hit hindi movie. I had planned out the entire plot in my head, continued with most of the characters from the first film and given it a decent ending. And yes, this would have been a film without any songs. But those would find their way into the film anyway, as they always do in hindi cinema. Most of the script involved incidents that had happened in the past few years with me and my friends, and everything made sense. I had the stunts, the thrills, the romance, all in my head, but for some reason I decided to think more and never wrote it. I've forgotten most of it now. But still remember the story, at least the gist of it.

Another story that I've been working on is my own. It's been three years since I first started writing the script for that one. Still don't have a name for it, but I'd named it "The Amateur" temporarily. It's a drama-thriller about a young CIA agent. I never got a chance to continue it. Same case with this story. I have the whole plot in my head, but don't have the time to sit and write it down exactly the way it is.

I've decided that I'm going to devote a certian amount of time every week to my stories and scripts. Now that it's Spring Break, I can make such a decision. After a month, when I'm swamped with studies for my final exams, I won't even remember that I ever thought about this resolution, and my stories will once again be mummified waiting for the next excavation trip.

The University of Illinois

When I got into the U of I at Urbana Champaign, I knew that no other university would interest me. After that I got accepted into 6 other universities, but none of them could live up to the name of U of I. I had heard a lot about it for many years now, about the department, the location, the faculty, the perfect study atmosphere, about everything.
Now that I am on campus, I feel that this university has lived up to it's name and reputation. I am proud to be a part of this esteemed institution.


The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign began in the year 1867. The University is in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana (total population 180,000) in east-central Illinois. Situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of Indianapolis, and 180 miles northeast of St. Louis.
It boasts of :
37 campus libraries
130 buildings with wireless access
70,000 computer connections on campus
The college of engineering is ranked 5th in the USA while my department of Aerospace Engineering is ranked 7th in 2008.
Facilities - 286 main campus buildings, 2.3 square miles (1468 acres)
559 total buildings, 7.7 sqyare miles (4938 acres)

Sports
10 & 11 Number of men's and women's (NCAA) teams (respectively) with 14 major facilities including Memorial Stadium (62,000 seating), the Assembly Hall (17,200 seating), Atkins Tennis Center, Huff Hall (4,000 seating), Illinois Field (3,000 seats for baseball), Eichelberger Field (1,500 seats for softball), the Illini Track and Soccer Stadium, two 18-hole championship golf courses with driving range and the newly opened Demirjian Golf Practice Facility.

470,000 square feet of recreational space between two newly expanded campus recreation and wellness centers. Includes indoor tracks, leisure pool with slide, climbing wall, basketball and racquetball courts, indoor and outdoor 50-meter pools, and much more; other recreational facilities include an ice arena, outdoor adventures center, inline skating rink, and several play fields.

Population
6,450 Undergraduate students living in 15 Private certified housing units and 63 Greek Houses.
1,700 Single graduate students or students with families living in two University-owned apartment complexes; two residence halls are home for 720 graduate students.

1,000+ Registered student organisations, coalitions, honorary societies, and teams.

5,378 international students in 2007 from 123 countries; ranked #4 in the nation’s “top 20 Research Institutions” in number of international students.

42,326 Total students: 30,895 undergraduate and 11,431 graduate and professional students, 53% men, 47% women, 6.0% African-American, 6.0% Latino/a, 11.0% Asian-American, 0.26% Native American, and 12.7% International.

Faculty
2,971 Members; 1,402 tenured, 570 tenure track, and 1000 other faculty.
22 Nobel Prize faculty and alumni winners; many noted scholars, including one Crafoord Prize and 19 Pulitzer Prize winners; others recognized with memberships in prominent national and international societies, academies, and foundations.

Campus
The campus is one of a kind, really beautiful. Soon, I'll write about the campus in detail, the places I hangout, the amazing transport system and the sheer efficiency of everything that is done on campus.

Go Illini!!!!!

I realize that I am here now..... it's been a month..... I just stood in front of the Alma Mater(photo above).... just like I did on the first day when I got here....... I've changed the time on my blog from St.Petersburg time to Central Standard Time....

..............times have indeed changed!

Rush Hour

Kestrel, the friend that I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, has finally started his blog. I'll be posting a permanent link to his blog soon. Akshata, on the other hand, has completely stopped posting. She tells me that she writes regularly, just not on her blog. Should I remove the link to her blog just because she has stopped writing?

Moving along...
Ever since I arrived in Champaign, I've been swamped. Busy with assignments, busy with classes, busy with household chores, busy with my friends. The sheer pace by which things are moving is alarming, almost unbelievable. I never knew that being a graduate student is such a demanding affair. This is where my diligence and meticulousness will come into question.

I was so into convincing people that I won't be going to Champaign, that I started believing it myself. I wish someone had adviced me before, "Ashwin, don't graduate and start your post-graduation in the same week, you might not believe it."

Sometimes, pursuit is better than possession. You sometimes realize that when you really really want something, and you finally get it, you don't feel like keeping it. Not me! I have wanted to come to UIUC for a long time. And now that I am here, I will cling on to these moments with whatever I can muster.

Still, why is it so hard for me to believe that I am here? I think I need to change the clock on the top right-hand side of my blog to Champaign time. Somebody pinch me!

The Transition

This is the longest break I have taken from blogging so far. In the past three weeks, I have thought about blogging almost everyday, but didn't have the time, didn't have access to the internet and couldn't find the words, at times. The week between 20th January and 27th January could be described as one of the most crucial I have ever had. I divided my plans into three stages.

Stage 1: Graduation
I finally graduated! I had been waiting for "Graduation Day" for a while, had worked very hard to present my project well. All my effort, all my prayers, all my energy was being utilized. This was something I just had to do, something that I couldn't screw up. If this went wrong, then I wouldn't go to USA for my masters. This was something that was always on my mind.

My thesis was ready, and so was my presentation speech. The only thing that bothered me on the morning of the 22nd of January was the question-answer session that followed my speech.

As I walked onto the podium with a nervous smile, the curator had trouble pronouncing my name. With the cane in my hand and my speech in my head, I began. I was confident and sharp, I paused when necessary and took my time. The speech went well.

I was bombarded with three questions, two of them were expected. The third, I answered out of nowhere. My asnwer came out of the back of my head as a result of the extra research and long hours at the library. I even explained parts of that answer that weren't needed. "Relief" was the first word that came to my mind, "graduate" was the second.

The curator started calling out the results and my name was last. "Ashwin Jadhav, excellent!" said the curator, (A=Excellent, B=Good, C=Satisfactory) then he added "I congratulate you all on behalf of the university and the department upon completion of your undergraduate studies. I hereby pronounce you "graduates". "Phase One complete", I said to myself.

Stage 2: The journey and the beginning

Exactly 12 hours after my graduation, I was sitting at the St.Petersburg International Airport waiting to board my flight to Chicago via Munich. My friends were all with me till the very end. After paying for my excess baggage, I saw the very last exit stamp being put on my russian visa. The flight was delayed due to excessive ice on the wings and tail. But I had to wait in Munich for a couple of hours anyway.

Munich was great! I would place it's airport in the league with Heathrow and Charles De Gaule. Everyone spoke english, I suddenly missed russian.

I slept during the 10 hour flight to Chicago. The flight landed on time and I was excited to meet one of my closest friends. I hadn't seen him for almost 16 months. Since I had to catch the bus to my university from the airport itself, we didn't exit. We enjoyed a burger and a drink accompanied with a lot of catch-up talk. We were so engrossed that I even missed a bus, but that gave me an extra hour with him.

The three hour drive to Champaign was comfortable. I suddenly felt alone. I felt the need to be alert to this new beginning.

My apartment was just how I wanted it to be. The department was just two blocks away. Most of the people I knew were very friendly, very helpful and went an extra mile for me. The next two days were dedicated to registering for classes and making sure I became a certified student of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Stage two was completed.

Stage 3: The surprise

I was in Champaign, I had graduated, I had settled down. But the one person that deserved to know all of this was kept in the dark by me. Reason: To surprise her. She had planned a lot for me, looked at apartments for me, answered hundreds of questions for me, had been my closest friend for the previous six months. I didn't want her to run around anymore.

She was scheduled to return from Philadelphia four days after my arrival in Champaign. I met her online after she landed and told her to go to the Illini Union on campus if she wanted to receive a surprise left by me. Something told me that I had given away too much, but I had to see her on that day itself.

Late that evening, she entered the Union and walked along the it's longest corridor. As she drew closer, she realized that I was standing at the end. She hugged me and said, "I knew it, I so knew it". Well, she was surprised, she didn't care how or when I got there, just seeing me there made her happy. Later we dove into the details of how much had happened so fast and how I had planned it all.


One of the most important weeks of my life, probably. Everything went well, thankfully.

I'd like to thank the following people:
Rohit for his support and help all the way.
Pragni for her support, help and commitment all the way.
Pallavi, Omkar and Pinky for their company, help and for keeping the surprise a surprise.

2008

A new day, a new month, a new year! Every year I hope that the upcoming 12 months will be better than the previous ones. Every year I make a mockery of people's resolutions, saying that they will never last, nobody ever follows them for an entire year, or even remembers about them after January goes by. Every year I look back and let the lessons that I have learnt in the past year get imprinted onto my memory. Every year I work out, stay in shape and then ruin the hardwork by overeating in India.

January promises to be one of the most important months of 2008 for me. I'll defend my project and will finally graduate, I'll make the transition across the ocean to do my masters without any sort of break, I'll embark on a new journey into the wilderness that is USA, the chapter called "Russia" will be over after five years. January holds the key to the next two years of my life, and the next two years of my life will shape up the rest of them, I'm told.

The past year was eventful. Memorable moments include my mom and sister visiting me in St.Petersburg and us touring in Moscow, me celebrating my birthday at home after five years, me getting my US visa, me witnessing an ILS crosswind approach at Helsinki while landing at night through my window and finally, me running around the university trying to convince my department that I can graduate.

Years come and go, I don't even see 1st January as a big deal anymore, it's just another day to me. People say that whatever you do on the first day of the year, you end up doing all year long. Well, I don't know how true that is. Resolutions, though, have to be made. People make them every year, including me. It doesn't matter if you follow them or not, but you need to make them. My resolutions for 2008 include more tonic from last year, more of the same, more hardwork, more determination, more leadership, more responsibility, more ambition, more friends. But something needs to be added every year, something should be new, they say. So, this year I'll add work and blogging. I will try my best to blog as often as I can, as sincerely as I can and will try my best to get an on-campus job or assistantship of some kind. Now that I have written it down, I'll check at the end of the year how much I tried.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!