Who am I?

To try and answer this in a way that will (hopefully) make you pause for a second before you close this page is a tedious job, to say the least. But I will do my best.

I am a distinct potpourri of seemingly random interests and abilities, which nonetheless tie together into a giant connected graph at some obscure level. Here’s a non-exhaustive list:

  • Music: I am a formally trained Indian classical vocalist and percussionist (trust me to start drumming on literally anything I find in my vicinity). Across the years, I’ve also picked up a motley assortment of other instruments including the guitar and flute. I love blues and rock from the 1970s and 80s.
  • Origami: My chosen form of meditation. You can see some of my works here. I also like to surprise people with a pocket-sized bookmark or tessellation when I meet them.
  • Climbing mountains: I’ve hiked across a sizeable chunk of the Alps in France, Switzerland, and Austria. I’ve also done multi-day treks in the western parts of the Himalayas.
  • Paragliding: I am a certified paraglider, and have done a number of flights in Bir Billing - a pair of quiet towns in the Himalayas at 2400m above sea level.
  • Cycling: I’ve had the pleasure of doing some long-distance cycling across the French and Swiss countryside near Geneva. I also cycle regularly in and around London.
  • Speedcubing: In my school and college days, you could spot me fiddling with a Rubik’s cube at all times. I can proudly claim a personal best of 6.63 seconds to solve the standard 3x3 cube. For anyone interested, my current main is the MoYu Super RS3M Maglev (past mains include the YuXin HuangLong and the GuoGuan YueXiao).

I can’t just do nothing. I have never been able to “waste time”, so as to speak, and am most adept at getting bored to death exceptionally quickly. This quirk, combined with an insatiable hunger to know more, makes me go out of my comfort zone and explore topics that have absolutely no relevance to my current life. I voraciously consoom information in all forms, but prefer written media as it lets me control the speed of processing the material (yes, I watch videos at 2x with subtitles, don’t judge). Naturally, I am a chronic reader, and always a carry a book with me lest I end up in a situation where I run out of things to do. On the rare occasion that I can afford the luxury of extended free time, you will find me unearthing nondescript movies, watching outlandish documentaries, or having an animated discussion about the previous two with one of my close friends. As an insufferable memelord, you can expect me to spice up conversations with witty puns, subtle jokes, and the occasional ridiculous meme from the depths of Reddit.

If you have taken the time to read this far, you have my gratitude. I am always interested in getting to know new people, and would love to hear from you, be it a simple “Hi” or an elaborate dissertation on your journey that miraculously brought you to this website. Given my lack of presence on social media, please feel free to shoot me an email! It’s the fastest way to get a response :)

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
– Dylan Thomas