My Journey to US: Part I

   I've been intending to write about all the things I did to come to US for higher studies as soon I reached here. However it is only now, after 2 weeks that I've found the mind to do it. 

  I want to start with a warning to all those who aspire to continue their studies in the US whether for bachelor's, master's or PhD. Think about you decision over and over again with regard to all  aspects. The entire process from taking the tests to finally boarding your flight can take at least 6 months and may even go up to a couple of years. In addition to time the costs involved are also phenomenal. By the time you board your flight you might have been set back a few lakhs of rupees even. Of course the expenses that will occur once you reach there are another matter.

 Comparatively getting into a good Indian institution like an IIT or an NIT is much simpler and less harsher on you and your families pocket. Of course if you have already your bachelors in a good Indian institution then none of this post applies because they are in great demand anyway abroad.

   After deciding to go for higher studies in the US, the first thing I did was to convince my parents about the greatness of going to US and of all the wonderful things I could do over there. Understandably they were not so enthusiastic about it since I already had a master's degree and a good paying job. However I was able to win them over. But now as I look back I wonder how many of the arguments I made stand valid now or would prove valid in the future.

Within a month I  took my GRE test. Then started a period of finding the right professor and University and emailing them. A few replied positively and negatively. Also I got my recommendations which was surprisingly the easier part. The transcripts took their time but mostly due to my fault. I took my TOEFL in December determined to send my application before the summer deadline.

  Finally in January I sent out a grand total of 2 applications. Why I only sent two still puzzles me but this may have been one of the most foolish mistakes I did. The only good thing was that I could save a few thousand on the application fees. This was small change compared to the fact that I had spent nearly 25000 rupees till then on the expenses related to GRE, TOEFL, application fees, transcript fees etc. This is despite the fact that I did everything by my own or through family without the help of any payed consultants.

  I thought the hardest part would be over once the applications were sent. I was  full of hope and dreaming of all the research I would do. However what followed made me realize that sending applications was the easier part.

The coming Middle East War and its Consequences for Europe

    I am writing this article despite the fact that you might find it crazy and think that I am merely fear mongering. Well I am not afraid of a situation where the events in future prove me wrong, however I am certainly afraid of the consequences should I be proved right.

  What I am writing about has a lot to do with what is happening in the middle east now. No intelligence agency or global think tank had predicted (as far as I know) even as late as 2010 that civil unrest and armed insurrection would engulf the countries of the middle east. However one person who studies eschatology had predicted this a couple of years prior and  this is what makes me confident to write a few words of my own on this.

 It started with Tunisia, spread to Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and now it has fully evolved into what is now the situation  in Syria. What started out as genuine call for freedom has been mutilated and hijacked into a bloody armed struggle to the death.

  However the unfortunate fact is that this may just be the start. The Syrian civil war is in reality a war by proxy with Iran on one side and Saudi Arabia and Gulf states on the other. Russia is providing arms for the former side while the Western Countries fund the latter side. The Syrians (government and rebels) are almost completely dependent on these outside powers. The situation despite its simple barbarity is also very 

complex and the aim of this article is not to delve into that.

  This war now confined more or less within Syria's borders is however spreading beyond it. Unless something dramatic happens within a year or two the entire middle east will be at war. A bloody conflict between the Shiaites and Sunnis. I am not speculating who will win the war but I am speculating what will be its effects.

   The was would leave middle east ruined economically on the one hand and create a thoroughly militarized population. If you look back at history, whenever the above two factors combined they always lead to one thing - Invasion. The warlords who command the militarized population would find that invading Europe would be the most logical thing to do and they would seize the opportunity. 

 I am not speculating on what the outcome of the invasion would be but I fear it will go badly for Europe.

The world grew terrified of a few 2nd rate threats from an obviously spoilt North Korean leader a few weeks back. I was least surprised when they ramped down the rhetoric just as spontaneously as it had started. In fact down the line we may even discover that even North Korea was playing out its part in a game of deception being played by another entity.

   However what is happening in Syria is all too real and it is just the start of a painful period in World History. The west could have done something before (like bomb the Syrian government leadership out of existence when they started mass murdering Syrians), but now it is too late and they will regret it later.

  Well that's it, I have given a warning based on what I've read and deduced. Hopefully I'm wrong for all our sakes.