Musings of a Microbiologist

So I finally caved a couple of weeks ago and decided I had to watch Bahubali 2, the movie that India has been raving about. Of course, for that I had to first watch Bahubali 1. So I settled down, fully expecting to loathe it and ready to write a scathing review..but err..I loved it. And then, I watched the sequel, and I loved it more. The film has great casting and performances, amazing cinematography and stellar CGI, and has managed to garner over  INR  1500 crore in box office collections in a mere 3 weeks after release. Further away from home, Game of Thrones (also a personal favorite) is a TV series that has fast become one of the most popular TV shows worldwide - dubbed and watched in multiple languages. The commonality between these stories? Both chronicle life in an era long gone, both are set in historic times, and both have leading characters born into royalty. There are good kings who are protecting their subjects and fighting bad kings, and obviously in the end, good

Let me begin by saying the last 6 years of my life have been a roller-coaster ride, at the very least. Moving to Hyderabad and then Bangalore, I embarked on the most important and eye opening chapter of my life - the life of the single working woman in India. I can safely say, no formal education or parental advice had ever prepared me for this. At times liberating, at times frightening, at times grueling.. its been frustrating, tear-jerking, and soul-shattering but ultimately - empowering. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world though. It has taught me my self worth, it has taught me to question blind faith in others, and at the same time to trust my own instincts. It has shown me the worst in people, and also the best. I have learnt that I have the (apparently) unique capacity to make friends and connect with people regardless of age, background and culture- a fact I am unabashedly proud of. Bangalore in particular, while having dealt me the hard hand o