Yoo Vee Ay

I like UVA. There is lots to like. The lush lawns (at least in the summer), the friendly students, the corner (a group of coffee shops and restaurants near the centre), the libraries.....the list goes on. Now, I must qualify this opinion with the confession that I haven't really attended any other US schools. But I feel I have some basis for comparison - having attended 3 other Universities in India and the UK (seems like I've lived my entire life inside Univs!).

For the sake of argument though - let us assume that UVA is just like any other american University and I would like those too. Extending this a bit further - let us assume that what is good about UVA represents, at least in some way, what is good about America (hmm...this is becoming a bit of a stretch). What are these qualities then?

For instance, one of the things that I really like about UVA is the way it encourages its students to think.Something that is conspicuous at UVA is a passion for free speech. The kind of debate I have seen around issues like war, terrorism, racism, minimum wage etc. is vigorous, free and open. Even when people disagree violently – they passionately defend the right of their opponent right to express his opinion. What is especially notable is the presence of romanticism – a strong desire to change things; to imagine what could be and argue that we strive towards it rather than accept ‘reality’ and ‘let things be’. Perhaps this is just a function of our age - the young are always idealistic yes? :-)

However, sometimes excessive romanticism can impede objectivity. Strong opinions coupled with insularity and a power to impose ones will, can lead to a dictatorial attitude. It is easy to see how American foreign policy in the last 50 years has suffered from some of these pitfalls. More recently, the effects of extreme romatisicim can also be seen reflected in the actions of jehadis or islamic fundamentalists. Idealism and Extremism - sounds like the same thing innit? Sigh...some questions even Nirvana Bhai must leave for the Guru to answer…

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

-George Bernard Shaw

Peck, Peck, Peck....

The other morning when Nirvana bhai heard a strange knock-knock sound emanating from the woods outside his house - he was spooked. For a second, Nirvana bhai thought that his slave bretheren had finally woken up. On closer inspection though he discovered a wood-pecker of some description pecking away at a large tree in the woods. It was quite hard to spot the pecker - especially given the fact that it is only 5 cm in size and was perched on a 50 foot tree (in a entire forest full of them).

However, thanks to Nirvana bhai's 'uber-zoomex-digital camera' - we have a picture of the bird pecking away. The strange thing was though - that the bird didn't just peck that morning. It was pecking away in the evening when Nirvana bhai came back from school. And then pecking away again the next morning as Nirvana bhai awoke and went for breakfast. Its been pecking for days now - making a steady 'knock knock knock....' sound which provides a constant reminder that the bird is there and at work. The second picture shows that our humble birdie has made quite a bit of progress! Indeed, its made a sizeable 'dent' in the tree - large enough to house a nest during the imminent spring. But of course! The birdie is making a home for the kiddies! Quite an achievement that - making a dent in the timber thats large enough to house the entire nest. And armed with nothing else but a soft beak? Nirvana bhai is impressed.

Hmmm....Nirvana bhai is glad that he's solved this mystery. But he's also inspired by the little birdie. He's heard sanskrit shlokas about the hallmarks of a karmayogi. He has also paid for expensive yoga lessons, listened to tikle-tinkle music and nodded knowingly when someone cites Krishna from the Gita. Nirvana bhai knows that many great men have devoted their entire lives trying to discover the path of Niskam Karma. But now Nirvana bhai is forced to think - perhaps all they had to do was to ask the little birdie?

When it pours - it snows

Woke up in the morning, opened the window and found that it had snowed the night before.

Ok - time to test the new digital camera. So I went out and took some pictures of Dillard. Apparently it snowed quite heavily across NE USA yesterday and NY and Boston have seen disruption of traffic and cancellation of flights.

No such trouble for Nirvana bhai as he sits is his room thinking about what he wants to eat for dinner (at 3 p.m. in the afternoon).

Here is a view of the famed woodlands that Nirvana bhai has written about before here. Nirvana bhai wonders if its cold under all that snow? :-)

However - it was quite bright today morning and the snow is starting to melt. Nirvana bhai wonders if there will be more snow to come?

Nirvana bhai flies to Hyderabad soon and he hopes that the flight will be able to take off on time and without any trouble. The thought of trouble reminds him - it is time for prayer and thinking about dinner again.

Not for The Faint Hearted

Nirvana bhai's life is eventful. In his latest adventure - he describes how moving to a new country has created unique new challenges - such as the search for the perfect hair styling product range. The description below is of a graphic nature (and a tad self-obsessed?) - so reader discretion is advised.

But before Nirvana bhai describes the tale of the hair-care treasure hunt - he does have an update on his room lighting (see right and previous post). Nirvana bhai has gone with the advice that 'bigger is always better' and 'if you can't beat em - you must top em'. Hence and therefore - he proudly reports that he has gone ahead and installed a lighting fixture worth a glance. And he has been enjoying his new improved surroundings with much aplomb. Many thanks are communicated henceforth and thereby to all friends who were kind enough to send in their useful remarks.


Moving on to his latest adventure. Now, Nirvana bhai has always found it chalenging to provide his hair with the high standard of care that it demands. Being of extremely sensitive nature, his hair has been known to react very badly if treated the wrong way. Moving is taxing for Nirvana bhai for this very reason. It takes him a very long time to find products that are ideally suited to his hair type.


First, Nirvana bhai was tasked with finding an appropriate supermarket. There aren't too many options on UVA campus and the biggest supermarket here is called Harris Teeter. Nirvana bhai finds the name most strange. Apart from the name though - the supermarket is quite ok and Nirvana bhai found quite a well stocked hair care section at HT. Almost too well stocked...

Now you see, I've (yes Prof Proper English - I realise I'm changing 'person' here...) come across some studies recently that say that when presented with too much choice - for e.g. when staring at 250 new flavours of Potato Chips (or in this case hair conditioners) - the multitude of choices available actually impedes the process of making a choice. I found this to be very true. I've never tried any of these products and they're all quite expensive too. What do I do?
What did I do? Well I looked hard and tried to read the ingredients list on the back of each product but soon I got sick of this process. So I purchased the tried and tested name - a product from P&G's Pantene Range - that hopefully would provide the much needed leave-in conditioning that I was looking for. Problem solved? Not so fast...

This gel did little else besides turning my hair into a lump of mush and provided no conditioning whatsoever. My scalp was just getting drier by the minute.

What do I do? I go back to the supermarket and decide to go experimental. I wasn't going to find a P&G version of my favourite Ayurvedic hair oil here so I had to try something new. I thought I had found what I was looking for when I saw a 'petrolatum' based leave-in Hair Condidtioner. Now I should have used my head a bit more - but then again - how was I supposed to know that petrolatum is just another name for Vaseline! Damn these marketing guys are smart (but not honest eh?). I discovered the truth soon enough when I tried to apply the thing to my hair when I got home. What happened? Yes yes, I can hear you launghing... Why don't you try and rub a handful of vaseline into your head tomorrow morning. Cruel I tell you...

A subsequent internet search soon informed me that the product I was holding in my hand was a derivative of petroleum jelly called Pomade that was much in vogue in WW-II europe but something that no normal person has used for the last half century. Well let me correct myself - Pomade is still used by "...subculture groups such as punk, goth, and rockabilly" and "...in the United States [it] can still be found in stores or sections of stores containing hair products marketed to African-Americans". Let me double check now...no - I don't belong to any of these groups.

So was it all pain? Ummm...almost but not completely. I think this kind of experimentation is typical of the kind done by any immigrant who travels away from a land and people he knows well to a place that he doesen't. The new life is hard and full of unknowns. But then why do people do it? I guess most do it in search of a better life. Some do it to gain access to work or study that could not have been carried out at home. Some do it to come closer to people they love (could be a religious or social group etc. or a specific person). Either way - I think immigration is a painful process. Especially for the first generation of immigrants.

They always (at some level) yearn for the language, the music, the food, the bazaars ...etc etc that they have left behind. For e.g. one only has to walk through the streets of Delhi and talk to people forced to migrate to India during partition (the largest recorded human migration ever) to see the love that lives on in their hearts for the dusty streets they played in as children. I come from a family that moved to Delhi in 1947 and grew up hearing stories of 'our lands' that were left behind.

Immigration is painful. At the same time - I think immigration is a process that has always been, and still is, vital for the rapid progress of the human race. Both for the immigrants and the new land that they choose to make their home.

Now - if only they labelled bottles of hair products more clearly - wouldn't it be just so much easier?

Bulbs Vs Fluoroscent Lights

I've never liked bulbs. I much prefer tube-lights (or other fluoroscent lights). I find bulbs far too dim and entirely unsuitable for task like reading or working on the computer.

Whats more, bulbs are inefficient as far as power consumption is concerned. Why then, does the US insist on using bulbs in almost all domestic settings? Its not like the nation can't afford fluoroscent lights (which is an important factor in developing countries like India).

Its amazing; my dorm shower and toilet have fluoroscent lights, but the 'interior designer' in all her infinite wisdom, has chosen to light all living areas with bulbs. The lighting in the toilet is far more suitable for reading than my study table. Sheeesh....

Some things I will never understand.

Investor Behaviour and Imperfect Markets

One of the courses that I'm taking this term (with the same title as above) explores cognitive limitations of human beings and how these can affect investing behaviour. The course is taught by Michael Schill and Ron Wilcox. We've performed some fascinating experiments 'live' in class that always have me nodding and thinking "yup - I do that too!".

For e.g. one of the things we talked about is Mental Accounting which is (apparently) a well-established area of research. We studied all kinds of interesting effects - like how people feel much happier if they win $5 once, $5 again and then $10 as a grand finale rather than winning $20 all at once.

A great example Prof. Wilcox gave was about those cheesy infomercials on late night TV that try to sell us a set of 6 "Ginsu-Knives" knives for $24.99. The presenter will first talk, at length, about how the knives (probably chepo imports) are the best thing since sliced bread and how they're really worth $5,000 but for a limited time only are being offered at a special price of 24.99. And then:

"But if you order in the next 20 minutes - we will include this magic wiper-duster-gizmo absolutely FREE!"

(and you're thinking, 'hey - this is cool. I get more stuff!')

"...and we will also include this looks-like-real-wood chopping board completely FREE!"

(now you're thinking - wow even more stuff!)

"...and last, but not least, we will also send you this booklet on 'How to cut onions without tears' by HoshiHoshi Kishimura absolutely FREE"

(...ok - you're reaching for the phone now)

In essence - studies show that once we're given the price (24.99) we've accounted for it and taken note of it as a negative experience we must undergo to buy the knives. But when we're shown each of the addional gains separately - it leads to an exaggerated belief about the attractiveness of the bargain. So for e.g. if the announcer had said all in one breath:

"Buy these knives, with a dusting cloth, fake wood block and paper pamphlet - for 24.99"

you'd probably think - 'this is crap'. But if they separate out the gains - it leads to the deal sounding more attractive.

It all appeared very credible & intuitive to me. It also reminded me of an interview I had seen once on TV. It was an interview of Gonzalo "Goni" Sanchez de Lozada, who is from Bolivia and had played a key role as finance minister in stopping hyperinflation in Bolivia in 1985. I reproduce part of his interview below (full interview text is available here):

"Every two or three days I would take it to the president to show how we'd advanced, and get his criteria.

And he would direct us with a great deal of wisdom, saying, "Look, boys, you've got one chance, and remember, as Machiavelli said, 'It's all the bad news at once, and the good news little by little.'"

My Humble Abode: 389 Dillard

I arrived in Charlottesville by train from New York (technically, a connecting bus brought me from Washington D.C. to Charlottesville, but it was all Amtrak).

Took a taxi from the station to Dillard. A single room had been already been assigned to me. And whats the first thing I notice while climbing up the stairs to me room? A sign (see right) that states:

"Graveyard Site: This area contains unmarked graves believed to be those of slaves of the Maury Family, owners of Piedmont in the Nineteenth Century".

Whoa!!! :-o

There aren't any conspicous graves in the woodland. The official version says that there are "faint depressions" in some places (I haven't gone and checked). Nevertheless, what reaction is poor Nirvana Bhai supposed to have when he sees such a sign right opposite his room? I guess most of all, I was intrigued. Intrigued by the fact that the spot I was standing on was a part of history. I was moderately freaked too - but when you think about it - what inhabited land doesen't contain a grave or two?

Having grown up in India I was never taught (and therefore know very little) about the details of slave trade and how it formed an integral part of american society in the 18th/19th century. What I do see is the fact that America continues to be a deeply segregated society. Of course, the US is not the only society in which segregation exists. Changing the law is certainly the first step, but is it sufficient? Will the course of time erase the scars left by history?

Perhaps racism is in-built into all of us? Perhaps there is an evolutionary basis for it? Pop-science books like Blink talk about this. I've also come across some papers by famous political scientist Bob Axelrod in the past that talk about how even the slightest amount of bias (specifically, preference for those who look like ourself) can lead to ghetto-isation. Does this mean integrated societies (like the Carribean?) will always be the exception rather than the rule?

Nirvana bhai does not have the answers. He only has qustions. But he does think this - recognising, understanding & accepting our cognitive limitations could help us in overcoming them.

Hmmm....wonder what habbu-habbu is up to right now...