The 30-List

Attributes of Life are perceived differently in various cultures. However, the social structure and customs do vary within the same region over time. Not so long ago in India, a lifetime was divided into 4 ashramas or categories - Brahmacharya, Grihasta, Vaanaprastha and Sanyaasa - phases respectively of education, marriage and family responsibilities; transfer of these duties to generation next with partial guidance; and finally giving up all worldy desires to meditate upon the supreme force of energy. Ofcourse things have changed considerably these days - a person without even a faint trace of a psuedo-capitalist view is looked upon as a social outcast!

The Western world has a different set of checkpoints. The three major phases can be roughly classified as ) when you believe in Santa, b) when you don’t believe in Santa and finally c) when you are Santa :) The upsurge in foot-loose adventures of the childhood peaks as a teenager and plateaus at the age of thirty….after which its usually considered going down the hill ;) After one such long discussion with my fellow PhD student Albena, I decided to make a list of 30 things that I had to absolutely finish before I hit that all-distressing 30 year-conundrum. This list should have ideally contained 30 achievements, each of which could be grouped in 3 or a multiple of it. This gave a full three years to satiate my false sense of accomplishment. However, amongst many, I realized to my horror that I had overestimated my abilities to complete a PhD as well as in the breeding efficiency of my mice :) Before I knew I had hit that thick stone wall, I had only managed to…

1) Learn to say “Hello, I am Sridhara. I am 30 years” in 13 languages – Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Frisian and Arabic

2) Travel 3 continents – Asia, Europe, North America

3) Visit 17 countries – India, Switzerland (3), Germany (4), France (2), UAE (1), Netherlands (8), England (2), Belgium (2), Spain (1), Czech Republic (1), USA (2), Mexico (1), Lichtenstein (1), Austria (1), Italy (1), Vatican City (1) and Luxembourg (1).

4) Visit 3 wonders of the world – Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Eiffel Tower

5) See 3 oceans – Atlantic, Indian and Pacific; and 5 major seas - Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, North Sea, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea

6) Learn how to swim

7) Direct music for 6 songs for a teleserial

8) Compose music in 33 ragas (scales)

9) Write 21 songs in three languages – Sanskrit, Kannada and English

10) Publish 2 scientific papers and a Thesis

11) Meet and interact with 3 Nobel Laureates – James D. Watson, Eric Kandel, Seymour Benzer

12) Start learning Yajur Veda from scratch

13) Skydive - from 3 kms (9000 ft)….and stay alive!!! (Teuge, Netherlands)

14) Sea/River raft (IJmuiden, Netherlands)

15) Fly kite on the beach (IJmuiden, Netherlands)

16) Rock climb (Melukote, India)

17) Wall climb (Amsterdam, Netherlands and Lucerne, Switzerland)

With Martijn, Lonneke, Bart, Arne and Jamilja

18) Scale 4 peaks – Tadiyandamol (Coorg, India); Jungfrau Joch and Mount Titlis (Switzerland); Ugrastambham (Ahobila, India)

19) Learn to Ski (Winterberg, Germany)

20) Go-Kart (Amsterdam)

NIN Co-PhDs

21) Work at an orphanage and old age home

22) Cook 24 Indian dishes

23) Visit the three Ranganatha Temples along Kaveri on bike the same day (450 kms)

24) Start writing a treatise on the three branches of Indian philosophy propounded by Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa Acharyas.

25) Publish a photograph (of Gross Munster Church at Zurich) in the International Library of Photography

26) Learn Salsa dancing

27) Play the coolie

Bangalore Railway Station

28) Appear on Television both as a singer as well as a judge

29) Take part in 2 Flash mobs in Amsterdam.

Outside ALBERT HEIJN

30) Build a bird house

All said and done, that does not look like a bad list :) Life is too short and extremely precious! So, make your lists, be you 18 or 60 and realize your dreams. Many a time, you may not get what you want, but that should not stop you from dreaming. If you aim for the stars and get the Moon, that's no less a feat :)

Go get them, Tiger!!

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