Hmm... i see we meet again... by the looks of things, it seems this blog is going to die a slow painful death, i cant find the time to blog, yet I keep pestering myself to update. So with nothing new to talk about, let me describe where i am and what i'm doing. Im doing a one year diploma in bioinformatics in an institute in the international tech park, bangalore (ITPB). The tech park is one of those places in india where most of the IT jobs that go missing abroad turn up, all in the name of outsourcing. So here we are, a small group of biologists, bang in the middle of this massive aggregation of software professionals.
The ITPB, was never designed to bew like anything else we have in India, like most 'modern' ventures being concieved in india, it has been ctrl+c and ctrl+v'd right out of something that upto a few years ago, we would have expected to find only somewhere very far west of india.
But now it is here. It has been a bit of a culture shock for me, coming from grotty school and college buildings into swank centrally airconditioned structures, gone are the dirty (and cheap) roadside stalls and equally filthy cafeterias, here we have food courts.
Looking around, I can see I am not the only one taken aback. My favourite observation is how people use the trash cans here. Where we would normally expect rusted and infrequently emptied bins, there are pairs of green bins, one for recycleable and one for non-recycleable. Every one is confused, and as a result people basically use them based on which one is more convenient at that particular time. However the impressive fact is that they are being used, trash more often than not finds it's way into their gaping mouths' rather than somewhere on the ground in their vicinity.
Now a bit about bioinformatics, it is mainly discipline that involves using computers in biology, particualrly in molecular modelling and in determining structures and stuff like that. Like all this suggests, the subject involves an inordinate amount of mathematics, something I was never comfortable with, which is why I took up biology. Unfortunatley for me, a significant portion of biology is in the process of being reduced to chemistry and physics which rely heavily on math . In college I was never comfortable attempting anything vaguley mathematical without my trusty scientific calculator by my side, honestly this really amounted to cheating because this way I could get along without really understanding how a lot of things worked. Now, I fear this approach is not going to work and I am going to have to atone for neglecting math.
The only thig that compensates for all this is that most of our work is at computers, something I fell in love with a long time ago.
A lot of our classes here (for the time being at least) are on general professional skills, that's where the institute differs from conventional colleges, here they are geared to producing competent professionals who will succeed in a typical workplace as opposed to conventional academically oriented college graduates. I am not sure how well their point of view relates in terms of my own goals, which are still a bit idealistic. I'm still thinking in terms of getting into the research line, I don't know why, maybe it was drilled into me at college, maybe I'm to lazy to work to get a job and then face the pressure or maybe I am just being stupid.
I really dont know, but it's one of things that's embedded into my head, to work on my ideas, to be able to call something my own, rather than slaving away for interests other than my own, for someone elses' profit. I have an aversion to the typical 9-5 work routine that would require me to ignore my own impulses and my own creativity and subvert them to achieving what someone else thought up. I know that a good employee would be able to channel his/her own interests into achieving something that eventually contributes to the greater good. I on the other hand am too stubborn, too fixed in what I like and what I want to do and what I need to do to ever be any good at a job like that.
Crap I'm confused.
The ITPB, was never designed to bew like anything else we have in India, like most 'modern' ventures being concieved in india, it has been ctrl+c and ctrl+v'd right out of something that upto a few years ago, we would have expected to find only somewhere very far west of india.
But now it is here. It has been a bit of a culture shock for me, coming from grotty school and college buildings into swank centrally airconditioned structures, gone are the dirty (and cheap) roadside stalls and equally filthy cafeterias, here we have food courts.
Looking around, I can see I am not the only one taken aback. My favourite observation is how people use the trash cans here. Where we would normally expect rusted and infrequently emptied bins, there are pairs of green bins, one for recycleable and one for non-recycleable. Every one is confused, and as a result people basically use them based on which one is more convenient at that particular time. However the impressive fact is that they are being used, trash more often than not finds it's way into their gaping mouths' rather than somewhere on the ground in their vicinity.
Now a bit about bioinformatics, it is mainly discipline that involves using computers in biology, particualrly in molecular modelling and in determining structures and stuff like that. Like all this suggests, the subject involves an inordinate amount of mathematics, something I was never comfortable with, which is why I took up biology. Unfortunatley for me, a significant portion of biology is in the process of being reduced to chemistry and physics which rely heavily on math . In college I was never comfortable attempting anything vaguley mathematical without my trusty scientific calculator by my side, honestly this really amounted to cheating because this way I could get along without really understanding how a lot of things worked. Now, I fear this approach is not going to work and I am going to have to atone for neglecting math.
The only thig that compensates for all this is that most of our work is at computers, something I fell in love with a long time ago.
A lot of our classes here (for the time being at least) are on general professional skills, that's where the institute differs from conventional colleges, here they are geared to producing competent professionals who will succeed in a typical workplace as opposed to conventional academically oriented college graduates. I am not sure how well their point of view relates in terms of my own goals, which are still a bit idealistic. I'm still thinking in terms of getting into the research line, I don't know why, maybe it was drilled into me at college, maybe I'm to lazy to work to get a job and then face the pressure or maybe I am just being stupid.
I really dont know, but it's one of things that's embedded into my head, to work on my ideas, to be able to call something my own, rather than slaving away for interests other than my own, for someone elses' profit. I have an aversion to the typical 9-5 work routine that would require me to ignore my own impulses and my own creativity and subvert them to achieving what someone else thought up. I know that a good employee would be able to channel his/her own interests into achieving something that eventually contributes to the greater good. I on the other hand am too stubborn, too fixed in what I like and what I want to do and what I need to do to ever be any good at a job like that.
Crap I'm confused.
6 comments:
bhai Kartik hang in there yaar maths is scary but there are worse things in life than that and the concept of recyclable and non recyclable garbage...almost funny if it wasn't so sad....keep it cool mate;)
Actually, you are in the same predicament as both myself and Lucky. I think that you should do what your heart/soul tells you...but the tricky part if finding a way to get what you want out of life. That's where I think you should focus most of your thoughts/energy. I think working for the man from 9-5, getting married, having some kids, and then you die is the "rat race". I mean so you only live once...right? So I think that more people have to believe it's possible that there is more to life than this and they need to use their minds to think of ways to break away and I think this will lead to a more productive, fufilled life and in turn lead to the greater good. Go for it man. Easier said than done, I know, but you have to start somewhere.
nothingman, thanks man actually i had realised that i need to learn math, hence the decision to enrol into a course that will help me do this.
confusion, i couldn't agree with you more. the 'rat race' is so prevalent in india, the moment you are born, you have your life already planned out. Everyone does esentially the same things with a little variation here and there, i had so many people telling me not to take this course because it wasn't the accepted way to do things. They forgot that in the end its me who has to be happy doing what i'm doing.
your agitation on "why do work for other's profit" was no different than mine.. a while ago.. but then painfully i had to shove it down to my throat for the money.(as every2 else does)..i was even more gloomy about working at the first place though :p
Kartik, mon ami, I hope you haven't abandoned this blog.
I wandered in here and noticed that your pic with a lighted cigarette has been replaced with one of a lighted candle. Cheers!
(I know this change must have happened long back. I just noticed it now)
been waiting to read something from you man...just say hi if you read this...hope you are having fun there in banglore....
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