Looking to the Skies – Forever Hobby

Not sure exactly when I got the interest in skies and the wonders out there. May be through the activities I had with Regional Science centre and Planetarium in Calicut in my school days, then through the science fairs and science Olympiads were my topics always had something to do with Astronomy and Space observation. Grown up later to joining the Amateur Astronomy Club participating in lots of sky observations, discussions, trips to observatories the interest was well maintained, rather I call it Enthusiasm about the wonders in Sky.

Joining Farook College for bachelors in Physics, which already had a group for Astronomy enthusiasts called ‘AstroFarook’. The group I later presided over to organise quiet few programs with support from the club members and teachers just kept the flame alive. We were successful in bringing the first digital magazine from the College campus along with a Print version of Articles by Students.

Video Link for few Astro Farook videos, prepared about the activities of the club


The Astronomy Club I started with colleagues in Infy, which I was presiding over till the time I was in Bangalore ‘Orion’, was quiet very active with programs at least one in two weeks. The members were very much enthusiastic which made our discussion session go beyond the planned durations. There were lot of people who had genuine interest in the topic of Astronomy and great deal of knowledge as well. This indeed was the most promising factor as it helped the members to get to know things from those who do things more on an amateur front. We had sessions in Introduction to Astronomy, Astronomy and Astrology, Night Sky observation, video screening on Telescope making, and series of talks on theoretical and observational astronomy. The team also ventured to attend few of the programs organised by Bangalore Astronomical Society. The Orion DL was growing in size very fast with people from other DC’s also joining in. Another group named ‘Vedh’ for Astronomy’ was also formed later by another Infoscion catering for those in Pune.

More here : http://orionastronomy.blogspot.com/

As I moved out overseas on for a company assignment, Vishak took over coordinating the group and did very well which was then handed over to Rakesh who is an active Astronomy enthusiast as Vishak went abroad for further studies. The group is quiet active with the mailing list, recently featured in the Infy TV and growing in Size.

Back here in Bedford, I was so happy to find that an active and well equipped Astronomy group is present here. Bedford Astronomical Society so good with an awesome observatory, active participants, rich knowledge base, small and cute planetarium and variety of discussions and happening almost every week with observation sessions on Wednesdays is a nice place an amateur astronomer would like to get along with. As I had logistic issue to reach there every time before I bought a car here, I was not able to go there often but now, Thank god it’s just a 10 minute drive from home.


Find one picture taken recently from Piazzy Smith Observatory (Planet Saturn - with visible rings).

I had bought a 6’’ reflecting telescope last year from a German manufacturer which I had taken to India (Flight Luggage), the bad part is that it has not even used for a single time till now. I wish soon I will, but not sure when I am going to be there and If am there when is that time without travel and tiredness?

Insha Allah, Praying for the best

3 Months in new place

Had found, in many times that I need to increase the frequency of blogging and also need to shift to public issue topics where I have a say. This was there for sometime now, but what’s bringing the confusion is ‘should I create a new blog for public issue blogs or should be merged with the current diary. Either way it’s getting late for me not doing it.

Back from India after marriage, I stayed in fearnley crescent for a month and then moved to Huntingdon road which is more close to my office. Had cool house mates and a completely new experience as there were 3 from Eastern Europe.
Autumn and trees shedding leaves to find really dry branches almost everywhere.
I bought my first car meanwhile which is a VW Polo, 1.4 petrol good runner. As the winter was approaching and I had in mind to buy at least a small one to be safe from the trouble of walking on the road to office. We have some area where there is no pavement and approaching a main road with some road works happening for sometime.

Joined the driving learning with BSM. I should say that I am finding it really different between driving and driving as per rules. Bedford also have got roads which can confuse you every time. The time in huntigdon had more time spent on sporting activities. I got active in the table tennis club in Elstow and the one which plays in Bedford Modern School. Recently won the doubles title at a tournament held at Elstow TT club. At Bedford Tennis Club, I had some sessions with a colleague at my workplace. Few Wednesday movies with friends at the Cineworld in town, and all I saw this season were the most terrible ones. I don’t have any clue how I went for them.

Meanwhile plans were underway to travel home for the Christmas holidays, booked tickets which came to be neck cutting expensive. The plan is for 11 days which include two days for travel, two in Dubai, two in Cochin and rest five days at home which obviously will be travel visiting relatives. On return, to be joined by my spouse.

Praying for the best

The Cricketing Time

There is always something which lies back and comes to you on a later stage and that might make you in real joy while doing in contrast to the past thoughts. In my childhood days in Chembaka Housing colony, there was a very good number of friends to play cricket in the evenings in the Club ground. The rules recalling now, are just so funny. Hit straight you can go for boundary or a Six. A little to the left (leg side for me) if the ball goes straight, you are out (there is a house there). The probability of getting the ball back if it goes there is a little less :-). I remember Thufail once asked to the lady in there ' Chillu pottiyalentha Paisa (peeesa) thanna pore' (Translation: 'Whats the problem even if if we break your glass, we will pay u naa' :-)) . And every time the ball goes out of the compound, there is an imminent threat of falling in the surrounding drainage The team was of a very good mix, me,Cristy, Anand, Joe, Manikkuttan, Shankar,Kutti shankar, suraj, ameen, nihal, nilu, thufail, kikki, manu, Vikki, Vinu, faheem, nadeemka etc etc.

I use to be the extra player (job is to carry the kit and write the scores :-) ) when elders go playing matches. I do remember at times I use to pad up to go batting, but by the time the match would have got over. We had a team and used to play matches with other teams in the locality. Sometimes for money - 20, 30 Rupee like that. All those are the few in the many of the cherished memories.

Now in Bedford,UK playing for Kempston Hammers for the 2nd division county league and in to serious cricket those memories brings vibrancy while being in the field or pavilion. Last season, I was quiet late to start playing here.In fact I played just one match and that too the last of the season. Now in the current season, having plenty of time to get engaged with the game, am almost full time here. May be cause I have almost done with the traveling in UK and now preferring to spend more for cricket, though most of the times we have away matches and are traveling. Once in to it after getting the full kit couriered from India, i had to be quiet careful about game styles and foot work which the learning is from Nasweeph who is playing in Cambridge team, but yes end of the day the performance in matches counts and so far am Ok, with lot of scope for Improvement :-). But yes its good time spend on field with lot of learning and socializing

Prayers

Living the small life here in Bedford

Writing - 55 days after reaching in UK and almost 45 days being in Bedford, Since the project team have moved to Bedford where we work from the client location I had moved to this place along with other team mates. I and Ninad in Elstow road and other team mates in a house at Williamson road, see the snaps of our living area.

The place is nice, ya in fact a very cool residential area. I had met a friend some two days back through orkut and that’s when we found the world so small that her house is next door to mine. So got a good neighbor there, met the family and had the dinner there, that was on the first day at Fearnley Cresent. They had came here since some 6 years and Amal had a lot to talk about the places and the culture and for me good time of learning. John have taken me to the surrounding supermarkets in his cab in the first day itself, so am just fine with finding the supermarkets and all, in fact they were pretty close to the house too. Apart from us another family was there in the house. I can call it’s a really new era in my life where I am actually starting to eat what I cook. Though I was staying in an independent apartment at Bangalore I rarely did the cooking since lunch and dinner was at office or mess and weekends were for travel. Here there is no other go as I understood that I cannot survive with the food I get in the canteen. I had some utensils good enough for my preparations, beginning was with rice and tomato curry and omlets, the easy one, but I should say that I was very happy and proud when I saw the food I prepared at the dining table with awesome smell and when eating I felt, wow wow. Ninad joined the house in the next week, basically it was an addition of lot of cooking expertise and utensils to the list.

Life at milton keynes hotel, thats the first week, was also very cool.Walking through the Boulevards to the office and having the lunch from students curry or from sunils house. Some evenings, walking with sunil and rahul to the area near to the willien lake..awesome and superb places. Serene and green beuty all around and nice landscapes

From normal rice and tomato curries we advanced to vegetable curries and dry vegetable along with various rice preparations. Ninad had lot of Indian spices which he bought from India and I had got many which I bought from the nearby sainsbury’s so together we prepared and had it comfortably all the time. We use to say this always and thank god that we never had even a small problem with the food we prepared and always it was too tasty . Seemed like we were born chefs. It was like this for the first three weeks in fearnly I was walking to office and return just 30 mins one-way. First of its kind of commute for me to office. Felt nice as it gave a good walk in the morning and evening. Hareesh gave me cycle, sorry pedal bike (that’s how its called) so the commute was on it, and yes its nice. Ansar joined us after some 4 weeks and now we are three there and happily going. Ansar and ninad also bough the bikes from the auction now we have three bikes with us (Two of them are in punctured state now :p)

Weekends were all meant for travel and roaming around. Till now spend only one weekend at home. Traveled to stonehenches, Cambridge, Scotland, oxford, Edinburgh etc. the travel tales will be updated soon. I don’t know why the blogs got so delayed to 55 days as mentioned, even when I got the connectivity at room. Further advancements happened in Kitchen, we cooked fish which was so tasty and considered as an awesome achievement. The success made us to think further ahead and go for the chicken. If you believe, again a small step, but a giant leap in our cooking ear. Chicken experiment turned out to be a tremendous success. We prepared twice and completed the entire chicken. Now with added confidence in Kitchen we are well off and another milestone meanwhile – carrying tiffin to the office and that too prepared by own hands, if I can tell you this is happening after 8 years (I remember I carried Tiffin to school at 7^th Std). You may think that we are forced to do all this, of course yes – “necessity is the father of …… everything” ha ha. Now we are up with prawns and fishes in kitchen

Bedford being a historical city is a small but a very beautiful one. The river Ouse and the town center areas are just very nice and will give good comfort and relaxing time. The place is just 2 miles away from the home area. Work and life going very well. Had started driving in the roads of UK some one month back itself, learned the systems and the rules pretty well and now a good driver for the roads here. Already made some long drives while travelling to stonehenches and all. The team is just doping awesome, Sunil, Rahul, Abhishek, Sharath, Ansar, Ninad all well and rocking. Yesterday went to the wind mill near to Kempston, name of the place is Bromham, it si the only windmill present ion the Bedfordshire county which was made in 1771 and just took me to a very nice time seeing the place and the mill taking my mind back to the pictures in my early school texts. Need to recapture the travel tales and scribble them too. Over from this texts now..

Ramzan is approaching, may the best be showered upon all of us. Prayers.