Becoming Multitudes

 Every so often a name stops being fitting. I started this blog with the name  Sometimes Insightful. But now my writings have outgrown it. On this day, I rename it Becoming Multitudes . Why? Because writing like life is not one dimensional. Somedays it is about tools and work. Other days, it could be about travel, food, some distant memory, or an odd reflection that insists on being written. I want this blog to be a place that could hold it all together! I see this blog as that place - not just polished essays on technology or deep reflections on everyday life, but a weave of both. Notes on tools, travels and the threads of everyday life. Here's to the new chapter!

  It was my childhood dream to learn to play the guitar. But well, at some turn of events, I ended up taking piano classes when I was 10 years old. I kept at it for about 5 years until I expressed my desire to learn to play the guitar to my piano teacher - who happened to also play the guitar and took guitar classes. For the first few months, he took basic guitar lessons for me, and given my interest and curiosity, he suggested I take lessons directly from his own guitar teacher. And he lobbied for me to his guitar teacher - Mr Peter, for admitting me into his class, Mr. Peter finally agreed after much convincing, as he preferred having a small class with few students. Peter sir had two groups, the beginner class mostly for students who took grade 1 lessons and the advanced class for those who were at a higher grade. Though I was a grade 1 student, sir moved me to the advanced group after a few lessons. And well I was thrilled to be sitting with all these more experienced musicians...

 I’m a huge Linkin Park fan. Chester Bennington’s untimely death is a huge lose. Whenever I have times of self-doubt or low points there are some specific songs I listen to, to find solace, that are part of my playlist. It’s an emotional loss.  LP is on a hiatus now, and there multiple reports of band members planning a come back. Multiple reports of them. writing and practicing new material. The way things are going, I guess they’re not seeking to replace Chester but planning for what we in startup lingo call “pivot”. I don’t know what they’re pivoting to but for all I have listened to, all the while for years, I know it’d be for the best.  There’s one guy who’s still out there, who’s still productive, who still has things going on for him in this time for pivot - Mike Shinoda. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and also an illustrator. If Linkin Park is a company, he’s a generalist. He could do whatever you want him to do and is a band on his own.  Being a gene...

 After a gap of 1.5 years, physical meetings started to get more and more common place. I find myself visiting customers more often to assess plant conditions, discuss on retrofitting and greenfield projects. Given the number of online trainings and meetings I had sat through during the pandemic, I got more serious about note taking. Meeting in person got me to take more notes on the little diary I carry around. I guess it was in 2021, for the first time I finished my diary - full of notes, observations and sketches. Whenever I sit down and review the notes for design or to mail an MoM, I think to myself, “Hey, this felt good, the notes look good too! I should write stuff outside of work more often.” Then I’d think to myself of getting a better pen than the ₹10 Roritos I carry around. Maybe a Uniball or a Lamy. For how neat they look and smooth they write. Given my day to day work, I could not find time to journal and well the thought of getting a better writing instrument gets pus...