BACK!

BACK!!!

I am back to blogging after a considerable amount of time. I finally gave my PhD qualifier exam in November and am now qualified to do PhD research. Though, it was smooth sailing all way during the presentation and question session (was there one?), it was indeed a testing time for me!
Done with the qualifier, I proceeded to make a trip to India. I got my tickets on December 1st, when my trip was on the December 5th. I did some hurried but good shopping and left for a vacation of 6 weeks. Surprised my parents by landing a day earlier :)

Was on travel most of December, apart from working on a couple of workshop papers. Places that I traveled to were:

Dec 9-11th: Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Namakkal, Nagayanallur (family deity), Pillayarpatti, Kunrakudi and Pudhukottai

Dec 16th Chandravana (near Srirangapatna, Mysore) - Dec 16th (after working on a workshop paper due 15th)

Another workshop paper was due Dec 22nd but got shifted to Jan 5th, thus paving way for a long-awaited trip to South Canara

Dec 21 - 25 - Horanadu, Kudremukh, Shringeri, Agumbe, Kollur, Murudeshwar, Gokarna, Katilu, Idugunji, Udupi, Ujire, Subramanya, Coorg, Virajpet, Kushalnagar, Mysore... phew long list :)

Dec 28- 30 - Vellore Golden temple, Chennai, Pondicherry, Melmaruvattur

And ended 2007 with style with dinner in Roti Ghar.

I was home all January till Jan 20th, except on Jan 9-10 when I made a trip to Coimbatore and Mettupalayam again to enjoy a ride on the Inter-City express (now Ernakulam express). A blog on that coming up soon.

Got back to Tempe on Jan 21st, MLK day, and back on schedule :)

I traveled by Singapore Air, and by far I feel its services are the best any airline could offer. It was a nice trip both ways with me watching Kireedam, Partner, Sivaji, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom apart from a few French and Italian movies. Amazing food too!

I couldn't have asked for a better reward than a vacation of 6 weeks :)

With my pocket lighter by several thousands (of $$$$'s , of course), a prospective trip during Spring break seems to be on cards. Let's see how things shape up.

Lots of food during the India trip and got back a lot here too..... Plus a lot of exta pounds on me (really?)....

Taking two courses this semester, apart from a seminar and the usual teaching :)

Need to go a long long way into the semester.......... Just 4 weeks of class over!

Got a DVD player :), to watch the zillion movies I got on VCD/DVD's in India, Thanks to Moserbaer for making the VCD/DVD prices hit rock bottom. However, piracy is still so rampant.

Tempe has been very cold, but the sun has begun to surface out.... Stay there sun, atleast until Spring break... or till May (like last year!).....

Should, I retitle the blog as "Back to the grind!" ????