Shanghai calling.....

Very low Internet connectivity .... sedentary life ... delicious food .... poetry .... Ulysses .... south gallery in academy ..... abstract art ..... nandan chottore aar kicchu dariwala modernist aNatel ...dhora jaak serokom ekjon er naam holo Holden dedalus....

Me: What are you up to these days, Mr. Dedalus?
HD: I am now doing the most seminal artwork of all time, that is, painting on a canvas with semen.

Social and cultural ethos of good old Calcutta are all over me, now ... in the mean time leaving for Shanghai the day after tomorrow ....

4 days to go

I'm just four days away to obtain the highest formal degree that any academic institution can offer in today's world. Note that I used the word formal, as, by no means, my intention is to claim any special distinction in the degree. The copies of the thesis in a book form will be delivered from the printer today; which means that all works are complete and I should be all set to participate in the final showdown, i.e., to present the works in a publicly announced lecture, immediately after which, according to rules, I should be handed over the certificate by the chairman of the jury. Theoretically, anybody can be present at the lecture to voice his/her approval or disapproval of the claims in the dissertation. However, there was no instance in the history of the university that a student was refused the degree on the very day of public defence; therefore, this event has more or less become ceremonial.

... Around three decades ago, another young man, restless and nervous and excited and full of enthusiasm, perhaps, tasted similar kind of experiences to become the first one in his family to obtain a Ph.D. and to subsequently engage in an academic profession. Yes, that young chap was my father.