Various thoughts

On Writing

I have not written in a while. I had thought if I did not write for a long time I would have a lot to say, that I would be flooding in thoughts and lines will flow out. But that doesn't happen.

I am flooding with thoughts, but lines are not flowing out. Thoughts are bumping into each other, honking: blocking all the flow and kicking up a ruckus.

On Inhibitions Or On Bouldering

Children remain my favourite people, 8 - 15 my favourite age group. 

I go to this indoor rock climbing gym. For those who may not be familiar with such a setting: in an indoor rock climbing gym, there are tall walls of different slants and angles, on which creative and experienced climbers set interesting routes as challenges for the patrons. Each of these challenge routes is then color coded using tapes and assigned a difficulty level. All this is a system to encourage learning to use the body in specific ways and it is a lot of fun.

People like me, older and too serious about what they do, do not like to break rules or "cheat" - step on a "hold" that is not on the "route". And that is why with my limited abilities the toughest routes I have ever finishes is V4.

At my stage of learning a break of a few weeks, and I need to build up my muscle, body positioning, memory, and confidence from V0 up. On one such day, I was making progress and doing my first V2 in quite some time. When I take a break I watch others do the same route, appreciating how scary it all looks from the non-climber's perspective, and feeling great about the feats my body is now capable of.


 

Enter a bustling 12 year old girl with a shock of bleached white hair, and a surprising outfit.

There are many children in this gym who are much better than me at climbing or I would be even if I was given six more years - and one such person is a six year old. Since there are children who are much better than me I have learnt to sit and watch and learn when I see children climb.

But this girl was not doing it right. She was not following any route or even difficulty level. All the routes on this wall were V2 and above and she just came in and did many moves which took her some way up, and she would climb down. And then she would do another set of moves up and climb down. At one point she got stuck and was unable to move up or down. She asked over her shoulder "what should I do?"

Being the only person around, I jumped in and gave some pointers on an easy climb down.

When she was down and safe, I asked her if she had climbed before. She said that she has been climbing for many years on and off, but never in a gym. So she does not know or recognize the color codes. I explained the system of color codes to her. Then I shower and helped her on her first V0 climb in the gym. She was good at it.

She looked happy and satisfied, and then she went straight on doing what she was doing before: no codes, no routes, no rules!

On my first day in the gym I had figured out what these codes are and since then I have been a straight arrow. I have never done what this girl was doing, ever! And I often credit myself with being the adventurous type.

I am inspired to spend a lot of time in the gym doing non-routes and having random fun!

On Signage and Informal Advertisement

Santa Cruz likes to think of itself as a very organic city. There is quite a lot of informality in the small spots in the middle of all the observed rules that is USA. 

There are many yard sales and other informal events that people want to share the news of. Usually they put up a cardboard with a sign. For example, "Yard Sale, 121 California St., Sat and Sun all day".

Now more than once I have showed up to places and events only to discover that there was nothing going on. Helpful neighbors told me the sale was a month ago perhaps. 

Ideally people who go around posting signs, would also go around removing them with the same diligence in the interest of the city and its beauty. But that maybe asking too much of mere humans. So how about when one posts something in the way of an advert, specify dates with month of the event, so that more people can trust the advert. I, for one, have decided to not pay any attention to such signs that do not have such details, learning from bad experiences.

Statement of Purpose, PhD - Econ

Mz Personal - Applicant Ph.D. Economics - Fall 2013

SoP Page 1/1
draft  2

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

1\6 [opening]

The area of my interest is anything that has a lot of Greek symbols and makes me feel like I know more than anyone about a subject no one cares about. If selected for a PhD at the Great American University, I want to start understanding what these symbols stand for. In the short term my career goal is to make a stipend which is more than my salary in INR. In a few years' time I want to earn a title of doctor which will justify my claim that I had a plan in my mind all the many years that I did not have a consistent career. In the long term, everyone will leave me alone.

2\6 [education]

Throughout my education I have taken many courses in linear algebra, matrix algebra, methods of induction, conics, proof based calculus, multivariate differential and integral calculus and differential equations, 3-D calculus and thus have constantly been wondering if I was inside one of those never-ending nightmares where you keep falling. In preparation for a doctoral study I am in conversation with Professor Semiponnu of the Indian Statistical Institute who has agreed to write to you to say that I understand the title of the book he published, if I clean his motorcycle every day for six months.

In course of my dual master's degree from The School Indulged in Parties and Affair (TSIPA), Bigapple University and The Asian Version, Some University Notaversetoidiots (SUN), I studied International Economic and Monetary Finance with esteemed academics such as Prof. Bigshot Prezadvisor and Prof Eximf Economist.


Two experiences influenced my understanding of Monetary Finance greatly.

I was sitting in an exciting class on International Financial Markets at SUN and was dozing when I suddenly understood that the Greek Letters are not a language but stand as symbols for something else like bread and noodles. Consequently I unregistered myself from the class in Classic Greek.

The other was a class on Latin American crises taught jointly by Professors Raremoneymakingeconomist Whorunsahedgefund and Prof Thelawyerwho Knowshowtomakemoney. Like other professor who have ever taught me anything, they also listened to my questions and observation patiently, smiled at me and each other, and patted me on my back. I think they think I am smart.

I studied econometrics with Prof. Yetanother Greateconomist at SUN, for which I received an A+. It took inviting him to eight dinners and 20 hours of listening to his family woes. I also studied econometrics with Prof. Thirdauthorof Thetextbook at TSIPA who once openly expressed his complete shock and dismay about my being in his course.* I think he thinks I deserved much better. Both these teachers were very smart and made a course curriculum that I can send to Economics schools like yours. If you read it you will think I know a lot, but in reality, with people like me in their class, they were not able to go past page 2 of any of the readings.

3\6 [work and research experience]

In Aug 2011 I finished an internship in Investment Banking with a leading infrastructure finance company in India where I found out that some people, who have studied only till high school, make many times more money than you make. Precisely because they are good at typing very fast without making errors and they don't know or care too much about the problems of this world. They call them traders and worship them. Did you know this before you chose your career?

Since February 2012 I am working as a Research Associate with a Small Research Center Funded by an Ivyleague Prof. (SRCFIP) for a project funded by the Gatesandwindows Foundation, that studies something no one else will. Or should. I am working under the guidance of Prof. Whofundsthis Centre, Ivy League University.

At SRCFIP for the first time I came to know that graphs can also have numbers on the straight up and the sideways lines. At TSIPA and SUN we never had any numbers on the graphs.

My work at SRCFIP has directly inspired my interest in PhD. It took me three months to figure out what the project is about and five more to figure out that I cannot do it. So I needed to leave before they caught up. I also realized that at my current saving rate it will take me 102 year and 11 months to repay the loans I took to study at the Bigapple University.  Around the same time I also realized that universities are big and old and thus good places to hide.


4\6 [why Great American Uni?]

Through graduate education and work, I realized the need for more training in Economics and Mathematics to reveal my true potential and reach my goals. Of the places I am considering for my doctoral studies in Economics, Great American University is my first choice for many reasons.

At Great American University, I will learn from, and perhaps collaborate with researchers like Professor Ohmyhe Iscute and Prof. Ohmyshe Ishot.
Professor Ohmyhe Iscute the nobel laureate once gave a talk at SUN and during this talk he spoke looking in my direction. Of course he realized how smart I am. I went up to ask him some questions after the talk. He smiled at me and patted me on my back. I think he thinks I am very intelligent. Now that I think of it he never actually said anything to me.

Prof. Ohmyshe Ishot has been my goddess for many years since I saw a pic. of her on your university website. I can easily say she is the best looking professor in America. I know she also does some Economics research.^

At Great American University, I will have some of the brightest people from around the world as classmates and colleagues. In company of such colleagues, my superpower of invisibility becomes overcharged. These bright people seem to never be able to see that I am standing near, even in front of them. Or hear what I am saying for that matter. I do even better than Bilbo Baggins who could be heard when he was invisible.

The courses at Great American University are geared toward a strong base needed for rigorous research. Such as Math Camp. I think I will take it for a whole semester. The special focus on workshops and seminars in Monetary Economics/ Macroeconomics make the PhD at Great American University an ideal place for me. No home work.

And above all, you guys may actually pay me a stipend to live in your beautiful city for many years. If I was to try and look for jobs on my own, no one will give me even a janitor's job in that place.

5\6 [why me?]

I have demonstrated at every opportunity that I am a self-motivated, organized and disciplined individual (...not! If I had been I would not) have worked as a Research Associate/Assistant for two years. From 2004 to 2009 I was a school teacher. That was the only time I was in a roomful of people who knew less than me. But then they asked me to teach higher grades. Like 5 and 6. There were some moments in teaching higher and complicated grade 6 Math when I started wishing for powers of invisibility. As I mentioned earlier I have acquired these powers now. Which proves my point about being disciplined and finishing what I start.


6\6 [closing]

My zeal and acumen for Economics research, work with esteemed professors, an excellent graduate education and power of invisibility make me a highly qualified candidate for a PhD in Economics. Add to that, my other attributes that render me utterly unable to work at anything else, you have someone that you can bet will finish the PhD program even if it takes him ten years. I have nowhere else to go.

I look forward to a favorable response from the admissions committee of the Great American University.

THE END

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* This one is factual. Not that other things are not, but this prof actually asked me to explain the z- test to him and after listening to my response said, "I think you should not be in this course. All your colleagues are at a different level of learning. But since this is 6 weeks into the course, I will pretend this meeting never happened."

^ I must apologize for this joke, really! It does reflect some people's (and presidents') attitude towards women, not mine.