So i return....

Its been 4 days in Tuebingen..n i don't feel that i have come to a new place at all. ITs like a second home to me. And i have already found such a good company, atleast with the indians here....

Erica was out for the weekend....so i had invited isabelle to accompany us for the trekking trip. For the uninitiated ones, I had proposed that all of us go to Wurmlinger Kapelle this weekend. Its this beautiful little chapel on the top of a hill around 7 kms away from Tuebingen. I knew the way and I just wanted to have a little exercise on a sunday...so i decided to give it a try. And it definitely was a great trip.

Tanmay arrived here today. The guy has just finished his B.Sc Chemistry from St. Stephen's. Going to Oxford for his Masters in Biology. And he is coming on a short internship. I must say that high point in the day was not the amazing trip, but the fact that I met this wonderful person called Tanmay.

To start with, he looks just like Nawal. He talks like him, gestures like him, smiles like him and is about the same physique and height. And the amazing thing which i learnt on our way back is that he is a Rhodes Scholar. This 20 year old extremely polite guy is among the 5 indians to win the rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford. And he is the grandson of Shri Bharat bhushan Agarwal- the great hindi writer.

I spent so much time with him today- talking about the roles of IITians and we scientists in general, and our contributions to the society. It was so refreshing to talk to him, and finally i found someone who shared my views about life to some extent.

This is what i have been thinking for some time now. About what i am doing here....what all of us are doing here. My lab mate indro is working on beta propellers. His research work is pure science...sometimes i feel all basic research is just like that-pure science, just to satisfy the curiousty of humans. There is very little impact it has on mankind.

Lupas is giving me 700 euros per month. Besides that I would be using a no. of enzymes, chemicals....every morning when i have my shower I think this. In short, the government of germany is spending a few lakhs rupees on me this summer. Only if they could have given this money to some poor developing country.

Right now, I am too young and too sentimental to understand world economics. But i understand human behaviour, and i can only surmise that this is the way the world functions. There are a few fortunate ones and a few really unfortunate ones.

Thoughts like these strengthen my resolve to come back to my country one day and serve people. Civil services sounds so meaningful. With one good decision,one can bring happiness to the lives of thousands of people. And even i achieve a technological breakthrough with my research, it will only bring more comfort to the already comfortable life of so many people in these developed countries.

Am i sounding too crazy now?? I know i shouldn't be like KK in Hazaron khawashien aisi, who sacrificed everything for his pseudo cpaitlaist- marxist ideas and went to some bhopal village. But atleast i can try to change my attitude to think about others around me as well, not just work to earn fat salaries or make lifestyle drugs.

I don't know..i am just too confused. MAybe i just need to do whatever i am doing. MAybe i am too small to think of such things. Maybe i should go to sleep right now..

more about Tanmay and my thoughts later....good night for now!!