This is the New Year!

Hello again at the end of another year! Too fast, way too fast. Too many good things happened this year, and too many things to be thankful for. 

Like every other year, there have been new experiences, new people, hellos and goodbyes and plans that worked and plans that didn't work out. But I know that He has been there through it all. 

I.Can.Guarantee.That.

So, I'm going to skip the retrospecting I usually do in my usual year end blog posts. Instead of the 2000 word essays on life, this year I'm sharing some motivating lyrics by Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino. Here's an exciting song to bring in the new year. :)

Another year you made a promise

Another chance to turn it all around
And do not save this for tomorrow
Embrace the past and you can live for now
And I will give the world to you

Speak louder than the words before you

And give them meaning no one else has found

The role we play is so important

We are the voices of the underground

And I will give the world to you

Say everything you've always wanted

Be not afraid of who you really are

'Cause in the end we have each other

And that's at least one thing worth living for

And I will give the world to you

Thanks for 2013

Thank you God for all the big things and small things this year:

for changes- new places, new people and new experiences.
for the warmest smiles I'd ever seen in Africa- smiles that overshadowed their misfortune.
for mountain peaks above the clouds.
for positive replies for job applications.
for second chances.
for cafes to catch up with old friends.
for aloe vera- nature's best healing balm.
for WhatsApp groups that make me feel back in a classroom or in a family field bed.
for time to think and time to do.
for frequent flyer miles that let me go home cheaper.
for friends that I can call family. 
for music that gets me through the day.
for an extra pair of socks for cold nights in tents.
for packages in the post.
for maps.
for new friends made in airports.
for smells from ovens with baking food.
for an extra camera memory card.
for Skype.
for packed lunches that stay upright after an hour of bus travelling. 
for the ocean- strength, beauty and serenity in equal measure.
for Poya days.
for cousins.
for mistakes to learn lessons from.
for Meftal Spas.
for Friday evening text messages from people I don't know.
for off-days and sadness and bad times that remind me that Earth is my temporary home.
for pine forests that don't have leeches.
for challenges.

for long commutes to contemplate life and research recipes.

for last minute plans that work out.

for a job that I enjoy.

for a December without exams.
for bus conductors who know where I am going without me saying anything.

for proof that I have a guardian angel.

for super glue and cello-tape that make up for clumsy fingers and carelessness.

for forgiveness.

for people who inspire me.

for cold showers on hot days.
for missed flights that gave me an extra stamp in my passport.

for auto drivers who know English.

for ticked off lists.

for cinnamon powder and almond essence.

for new days and beginnings.

for memories of good things.

for questions that have answers.

for contentment.

for life.

for grace.

for love.

Thank you.

:) 

To Travel is to Possess the World

Lunchtimes at work is reading time for me. I just finished Thomas Heatherwick's gigantic encyclopedia of all his crazy projects and today I picked up Burton Holmes' "Early Travel Photography"; a photologue of some of his early travelling. The prologue of the book is one of the truest and most apt travel pieces I've read. I just had to share it.




To Travel is to Possess the World

"These words I have set down in many an autograph collector’s book.

They are, I think, true words. I know that through travel I have possessed the world more completely, more satisfyingly than if I had acquired the whole earth by purchase or by conquest. There is no implication of selfishness in the kind of possession of which I speak. Whoever possesses the world through travel takes naught from any man. No one is the poorer because you have made the whole world yours.

You have gained everything, but you are no monopolist. The wealth is there for all to share. It is not yours alone. You may invite all men and women to travel with you in imagination and they too may feel that they, like you, are rich in vivid mental pictures of places worth going to, of people worth knowing, of things that are world famous.

I have tried to convey to others with the spoken word the enthusiasm for travel that has been mine. I have done my best to make my hearers SEE the things that have thrilled me in the course of my more than sixty years of travel.

Now I am asked to do this without the aid of pictures glowing on a screen, without the help of the spoken words which can be made to mean as much by a shading of a tone or the stress of an inflection. Now I am at work with nothing but a sheet of paper and a pen to help me re-create the atmosphere of “otherwhere,” to help me make real to those who have not seen, the things which I have seen and can still see so vividly with the mind’s eye.

Word pictures are hard to paint. We are told that “words are the only things that last forever.” Therefore words should be the most durable pigments with which to paint pictures of the things that have seemed worthwhile, the things that have become one’s property, in the sense in which travel endows one with a title deed to the entire world.

One great advantage of possessing the world through travel is that one may enjoy all the satisfaction of possession without the responsibilities of ownership. Now, in days when our most valuable assets become or threaten to become our most crushing liabilities, it is good to contemplate property which cannot depreciate but must increase in value, property which cannot be taxed by federal government, or state or city authorities, property which calls for no repairs or alterations.

Everything from real estate to diamond tiaras has had its vaunted worth reduced to pitiful and sometimes complete inconsequence. Stocks, bonds, and all manner of gilt-edged, beautifully engraved certificates of value, to secure which we have slaved and saved and denied ourselves the joys of travel, may sink in worth to such a point that it will seem absurd to pay the rental charges on a safe deposit box.

The only things which are still worth what they have cost me are my travel memories, the mind-pictures of places which I have been hoarding like a happy miser for more than half a century.

I have done my best to convey with “word pictures” the things I have seen and can still see. I have been aided by all the increasing wonders and beauties of photography. I still recall with pleasure my first camera, a heavy clumsy box with six double holders for 4×5 glass plates purchased in 1883 with my life savings of $10.00.

In the past I have reproached myself for my extravagance, my lack of foresight, for my disregard of proper provision for the future. My wise friends saved and economised, went without things they wanted, denied themselves the costlier pleasures of the table, the bouquet of vintage wines and the, to me, supreme joy of going places and seeing things.

And now where are we? We, they and I, are all at the same dead-end of life’s highway. They are weighted down by all the leaden burdens of their golden hopes gone wrong. They have their memories, but these are memories of wise, dull and frugal days of piling up with hard earned dollars in safe places where those dollars would increase and multiply and be there to console for all the pleasures that their owners had denied themselves and all the fun that they had missed.

I, too, have nothing but my memories but I would not exchange my memories for theirs. I have a secret treasure upon which I can draw at will. I can bring forth, on the darkest day, bright diamonds of remembered joys, diamonds whose many facets reflect some happy dream come true, a small ambition gratified, a long-sought sensation, caught and savoured to the full, a little journey made, an expedition carried to success, several circumnavigations of the world accomplished.

Yes, it has been a good life. And it is good to rest, with nearly all of one’s dreams realized. Dreams of going, seeing and doing most of the things that seemed worthwhile – good to know that I have, in my own way, possessed the world."

- Burton Holmes 1953


I would have typed it out myself, but was lucky enough to find it on this blog- 'I Will See the World'- another inspiring traveller with tonnes of interesting stories.

New Family in Leratong

Here it is- an account of the highlight of my trip. I tried to make it as brief as I could without leaving out anything. 

Initial Road Bump

When I signed up for a week of community service, the attitude I had was very different to what it was when I actually started working there. I signed up for a project with some slightly selfish motives. I chose a construction project- one that would allow me to get some hands on experience on site. Besides actually wanting to use my knowledge of architecture in an act of service, I also figured that this opportunity would look great in my portfolio and would be a nice step for future career plans. 

When I arrived in South Africa, the news of my chosen project being cancelled completely annoyed me. My first thoughts were probably on the lines of, 'This trip is a complete waste now!' and I put myself in fault-finding mode. I frantically inquired about other similar construction projects and while I waited to be transferred, I joined a group of five from the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific and moved out of the city to the little town of Soshanguve for a project at the Leratong Early Learning Centre. 

It was only on the way there that I forced myself to alter my mindset. Waiting to be transferred would probably mean losing another day of work (I had already missed out on one day because I arrived late) and the very definition of community service meant doing whatever was needed without any self demands.

New Home and New Family

Day 1 at work took away all my initial irritation. We stayed at the home of the school principal- the most hospitable woman in South Africa, who we called 'Mama' for the rest of the week. It is rare to find someone who'd give up her own bed for two of us while she slept on the floor. 

I had come prepared to somehow 'manage' in terms of food because South Africa is a predominantly meat eating nation. You cannot possibly understand my relief when Mama said that she was a vegetarian and I got to thoroughly enjoy the vegetarian version of traditional South African food for that week.

The kindergarten school is situated in a lower middle class residential area with a small staff of 8 teachers, 2 cooks and 2 caretakers for 100+ kids. I got an exciting tour of all the little details in the classrooms, kitchen and playground by the very enthusiastic teachers. We got things ready for the little bunch of toddlers who arrived shortly after (school holidays meant that we'd only meet about 20 of them).

I guess all things work out perfectly in the end. Mama had some ideas for an extension to the building and wanted me to draw it out for her. With no AutoCAD or even a laptop, no draughting board, set squares or a t-scale, it was back to architectural stone age. A table was set up for me outside and once in a while a little head would peep over the table.

A Bunch of Fabulous Kids!

The following days at Leratong were nothing short of amazing. The kids were the cutest, brightest bunch I've met. We told them stories and taught them many songs, some that had them on their feet with plenty of actions. It was especially rewarding that they learnt so fast. 

September 17, 1986-2011

I wasn't going to post this. But changed my mind.


My parents celebrated 25 years of their marriage. They didn't want a big celebration so just the four of us celebrated it. This is what I wrote for them.


Click here.

Now is our time.

When I saw this for the first time, I was awed. Such beautiful words, so simply said, and then it ended with Levis, and I was like, 'Huh?' 


I read this to learn more about the campaign and this being one of them. Quite an step for a clothing brand.


But it's the poem by Charles Bukowski, 'The Laughing Heart' which made me stop and think. Like seriously. 


Your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
Be on the watch.
There are ways out.
There is a light somewhere.
It may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
Be on the watch.
(The) God(s) will offer you chances.
Know them.
Take them.
You can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
And the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
Your life is your life.
Know it while you have it.
You are marvelous
(the) God(s) wait to delight
in you.

From my Grandparents.

One of the best letters I've ever got.


April 29, 2011


Dearest Tanisha, 


What better occasion than your twenty-first birthday to write a letter to you, to share the thoughts and hopes we've carried with us through the years. What a precious gift you have been to our family!


We earnestly wish you the best as you attempt to reach those goals you have set for yourself, as well as in your endeavor to reach your highest potential spiritually in Jesus Christ. We also want to share things that we have learned over a lifetime of growing up, marrying, and raising our own family and watching as they leave home- one by one- to begin their own lives. Here are some of those things:


No matter how hard you try, not everyone will like you or be nice to you. So love your family and friends even more and thank God for each of them. We can never know another's heart or mind, and everyone has feelings that can be hurt.


God has given you an attractive face and pleasing personality. You don't have to keep up the latest dictates of fashion to look nice and be comfortable.


Try to include at least one kindness in every day. The blessings are enormous! Many people will forget your name but few will forget a kindness shown.


Don't jump into friendships, or relationships, blindly. Learn to talk things out with a trusted confidant. Not a peer, but someone with insight and wisdom you can trust. Weigh any advice carefully in the light of God's word. Pray about each new encounter, and ask the Lord's guidance. He will lead you in the way you should go. You are still young, but one day you will want to marry and start your own family.
Be absolutely certain you have picked the right person; marriage is the most rewarding relationship you will ever have, but it takes work, prayer and compromise.


Never forget that you are here by the grace of God, and as a much-loved child of His, you are an heir to the Kingdom. Whatever you do, in college or at work, do the very best you can. Always attend church, and pay your rightful tithe. It belongs to the Father anyway, so pay part of it back. Whenever you return a favour, always try to pay back more than you were given.


Take time frequently to just have fun; it needn't be costly. Remember too, that as long as you have family and friends plus a right relationship with the Lord, you are rich beyond measure.


With much love and prayer,
Papa and Nana

Shakespeare got it right.

I googled 'love' and the first result was The Love Calculator. How much more trivial can it get?! Shocking. And as expected the images results were hearts and roses. No surprises.


I came across this and I thought that as far as worldly love goes, this is a pretty perfect definition.

SONNET 116
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved. 

Tangential Progress

Wrote this for Zonal NASA 2010 Competition. I was told I won, but there was no certificate given. I like to believe I still did win. :)


TANGENTIAL PROGRESS

What is time?

Time is defined as ‘one-dimensional quantity used to sequence events, to quantify the durations of events and the intervals between them.’ [1]

In modern physics, time is often referred to as the fourth dimension in accordance with the theory of special relativity proposed by Einstein. But how do you classify time as a dimension? Well, in the simplest terms, it is the addition of movement to an object in the three spacial dimensions. But the difference between time and the other dimensions is that time can only be positive. A body cannot be going backwards in time. [2]

How can time and thought be connected?

The word ‘thought’ when coupled with the word ‘process’ automatically adds the dimension of time to the activity of the mind.

How does the term ‘tangent’ connect to thought?

Have you ever wondered how in a span of a few minutes, your mind wanders through a vast variety of subjects, with no recognisable break in flow? That is tangential thought.

At one moment you may be thinking of chocolate ice-cream, and a few minutes later you’re thinking about owning an Aston Martin. How did that happen?

Chocolate ice cream-Italian gelato-gondolas-Titanic-Celine Dion-Canada-C N Tower-acrophobia-bungee jumping-Golden Eye-James Bond-Aston Martin

One thought moving onto another subject which has one point of connection. It is thought that is progressing in tangential planes to each other- Tangential thought.

How can tangential thought be applied?

The importance of idea and invention is proof enough that tangential thought is a necessity. What is progress without the initiative to progress? Where is the initiative to progress without the need to progress? And progress is the transition from past to present and present to future.

Does tangentially progressing thought need a tangentially changing environment?

They say, ‘What we think makes who we are.’ They also say, ‘What surrounds us influences our thought.’ So, if we are to believe that what they say is true, we can conclude that since people are changing, the environment is also changing.

How does the built environment change over time?

Change in terms of the built environment is over a large scale of time. It is change over years. Change due to styles, change due to function and change due to urban expansion. Change is grouped into era time frames: the Prehistoric era to the Neolithic era, Romanesque to Gothic era, the Modernistic to the Post-Modernistic.

Why does the built environment need to change along with the change in time?

Vitruvius emphasizes the relationship of a building not only to its site, but also to the users as they change from past, present to future. Don’t buildings live only as long as they serve a function? And how long is that? 

What is the difference between the paces of changes in thought progress and in the built environment?

There is no doubt about which is moving faster. Is the pace of change in the built environment able to keep up to the pace of thought progress? As the inhabitants change in mindset and lifestyle, is the habitat able to provide satisfactory change?

How can we minimise this difference in pace?

Can we immortalise a structure in such a way that it always serves to provide for the need(s) of its inhabitants?  If this can be achieved, is this tangential progress of the built environment?

Has this kind of immortality of a structure been done before?

Terms like multi-functionality, adaptability, dynamism, polyvalancy, flexibility, etc. have been used to inspire spaces to morph into the changes of its inhabitants.

~Strassgang housing project by architects Riegler and Riewe- ‘“Our intention when we designed was to have a room that would be too large to be an entrance and too small to be a living or bedroom, with a service area in the middle of the apartment, leaving the occupier free to choose how to use the series of rooms lying behind the facade.”’ [3]

~The Hague, designed by Michael Graves- ‘Here, the building to prolong its life, sheds its skin when the urban environment changes. The curtain wall facade almost acquires autonomy; it may be a part of the building but it may also help shape the urban fabric.’ [4]

~The Amsterdam canal- ‘These houses are able to keep accepting changes of function because of their oversized load bearing structure and floor area. In the 17^th century, they were large dwelling houses with reception areas and rooms for domestic staff. In the 20^th century, these were converted into offices and recently they were again converted into apartment buildings.’ [5]

~The Emotive house, Kas Oosterhuis. This house was designed incorporating virtual reality into the house. Sensors record changes in movement, weather, etc and translate them into particular actions: changing colours, light, textures, alignment of walls, position of windows, etc. [6]

~Army School, Kamaraj Road, Bangalore served as a barrack when it was initially built. Over the years, it functioned as a prison, a hospital and is at present an educational institution.

~XX Office, designed by Jouke Post- This office building is constructed out of dismantable reusable materials with demountable connections to change the frame of the building that can be adapted according to function. [7]

The above examples clearly show that there is a rising need for buildings of this sort: Buildings that morph, buildings that adapt, buildings that are flexible, buildings that are multifunctional and polyvalent.

What is the significance of such Architecture in time?

Time is not static. Neither is it backward. Architecture should withstand the test of time. Only time can tell change. Only change can tell architecture: change that moves from past to present, from present to future. It is a process that takes the good from one and connects it to a creation of something new. This change is a tangential process.

References:

1. "Eric Weisstein's World of Science"

2. ‘Does the Fourth (4th) Dimension of Time Exist’, Gray Pilgrim

3. ‘Has architecture lost its use?’ S. Riegler (excerpt from Time-Based Architecture)

4. ‘Change and the Distribution of Design’, N. John Habraken

5. Excerpt from ‘Time-Based Architecture’

6. & 7. `Towards Time-Based Architecture’ Bernard Leupen  

Camp Documentary

We had the most amazing youth camp at Coonoor. 


Thought I'd share our team documentary.

My favourite picture from camp

Hyperactive Minds

For all those with hyperactive minds...


  Often the world moves way too fast for you to sit and just think. And even if occasion does call for it or if you do make time for it, it is often that the thoughts that your mind drifts towards are much more exciting and fulfilling than what you intended to 'think' about.

  I'm sure we've all experienced that. We open a book intending to study and over a course of time, find ourselves having not studied a thing but have accomplished something else. Our mind wanders, but not necessarily aimlessly.

  I sit in class prepared to learn, but my mind, unwilling to be leashed, escapes the walls of the ALR. At the end of the class, having paid little or no attention to the working of air conditioners, or the welding of plates, or the characteristics of brutal architecture, or whatever, I have instead planned my weekend schedule, come up with new fonts for my building construction sheet, made a list of study tour destinations and have discussed alternate career options (for just in case). It is totally besides the point of sitting in class, but not exactly a complete waste of my time.

  This semester has taught me that architecture is only fulfilling if it becomes one of those places of refuge for my mind. It cannot be understood by force. I've have tried, in vain to sit and force myself to think. It just doesn't happen. And the result of forced work brings satisfaction only because it’s done. I'm speaking for myself here, because if you can make your mind think when you want it too, you are unlike me and I envy you greatly.

  For me, coming up with a concept for design is like asking me for the lyrics of a song. It’s there somewhere inside my head, refusing to budge from that corner out of reach. But it most definitely will, when I least expect it to, on the bus, in the shower or in estimation class and suddenly I'll find myself singing the whole song, beginning to end.

  It’s not an excuse. No one else will understand. It’s a disability that I've learned to deal with. I'm learning to make design my destination of wandering thought. It’s not that hard, once you put your mind to it. But that is just not possible consciously. Subconsciously, you tend to think of things that are of some interest or importance to you. Make design that subconscious thought. I don’t know of any way to do that. But I do know that when it does happen, it comes with a multiplied force. Suddenly, out of the blue, I have a concept that I absolutely love, a design that appeals to me and that immense feeling of satisfaction that I can move forward and achieve, especially because I've been able to move away from almost giving up.

  What I can say to you, who understands what I've talked about. Free your mind. Let it wander. Let it uncover those ideas which you know are hiding somewhere in your mind. Don’t lose that creative spark that you have by holding too tightly to your minds reins. Be a daydreamer. Be a mind traveller. Just map out your route.

WORLD PEACE!

I was one of those girls who loved dressing up and parading up and down my imaginary catwalk pretending to be competing for a crown, and then smiling at myself in the mirror as I placed the sparkliest hairband I could find, on my head.

I still watch those pageants, but its not the gowns, the gaits, the smiles or the hairstyles that grab my attention. No, what catches my eye, or lets say my ear are their SPEECHES! (or whatever you call them- the part where they open their mouths and a sound comes out which is not a giggle)

I was watching Miss. World 2007 last month. When speaking about their "Beauty with a purpose" project, Miss. Hong Kong China, Kayi Cheung said with the sweetest smile ever, "It makes me very very happy, when I make old people very very happy." She is representing her country, for crying out loud. Did she honestly think that that would warm people's hearts? She's 23, not some 6 year old who helped an old lady cross the road!

Then to Miss. Peoples Republic of China, Zhang Zilin, the question, "What is your aim in life?" "My aim in life is to carry the torch at the Olympics next year."Perhaps she's received a vision that her life will end at 23 and that the only thing she can possibly do to leave a mark on the world is to be the one to carry the torch at the Olympics next year. Poor thing! Lets all hope she gets to fulfil her dream and manages not to trip as runs with her 4" heels. (She won the title of Miss. World 2007 by the way, well obviously with such an innovative goal!!)

Now, what was that phrase that resonates through these pageants? Oh yes- WORLD PEACE. What do you wish for in this world? World Peace. What do you want the world to pray for? World Peace. If you could bring about a change in this world, what would it be? World Peace. If the first 14 finalists don't say it, you can count on the 15th one to say it.

So, they wish for World Peace- what do they aim for?- eradicating poverty???!!! Yes, I'm not joking, that's what they say. But that's the most brilliant aim, so whats wrong with that?

Well, I would think, if that was really their aim in life, they would be working their toes off studying economics or sociology or working as a missionary in some third world country and not wasting the past year filing their toe nails and curling their eyelashes on a low-carb diet posing in front of a camera and practicing their speeches. (yes, I'm rolling my eyes)

Ok, fine. Say, they want to work on their aims after they win. I mean, they have certain responsibilities when they are in possession of the crown. But, (inhale) for that they have to win and to win they have to beat 80 other contestants and to get to the finals in the first place, they would have to win the Miss. (country's name) crown and to get that they would have to beat 30 odd finalists in their own country and to be in their country's final, they would have had to be shortlisted from the thousands who sent in their picture and bio data!(that was a long sentence, inhale) So, when considering the options available to achieve this dream, Miss. (World/Universe/Earth.... whatever else there is) is not the most promising one.

BUT, what if you do actually win? Then yes, you actually do get to do something. I've seen those pictures- Miss.World cutting the ribbon to inaugurate some health centre, Miss.World carrying a poor malnourished Indian child while she is wearing a pair of Gucci sun-glasses and carrying a Chanel handbag, Miss.World holding hands with an AIDS infected woman before being whisked off in her private jet to attend a fashion show at Milan.

Hmmmmmm.. how do I end this article? I'm not usually so negative. They are very beautiful women. Their fashion artists definitely have good taste in colours and style and their personal trainers do excellent jobs in perfecting their stride and postures and I've always wondered how those judges narrow it down to one!

adios!

p.s. I still love dressing up!!!! ;)

On being lazy....

It seemed like the rain was blurring my vision and it felt like I was slowly disappearing into a pit of sinking sand. My feet were like bricks and i felt almost incapable of lifting them off the ground. My fingers like ice- stiff and numb.

The cogs in my brain needed to be oiled or they would soon stop turning. My arms were stunted by time, so much that they couldn't reach the coffers of my mind to unearth thoughts. Why was I becoming like this? Why was I burying myself? and why was I blaming the rain, ice, time and sinking sand for my own laziness?

Self-Esteem

5 tips for boosting your self-esteem.

The only person who can help you boost your self-esteem is-YOU.

 1. Appreciate Yourself: Respecting yourself is one good way to develop a strong sense of contentment. Pamper yourself to things you enjoy and tell yourself that you are appreciated!

2. Avoid Negative Self-talk: Focus on the things you like about yourself and talk only about those things. Self-deprecating words are damaging and tend to cause dissatisfaction with oneself.

3. Focus On Your Good Qualities: What makes me unique? What do I love about myself? What are my talents? Keep reviewing the answers to these questions and avoid criticizing yourself!

4. Praise yourself: Negative self-talk can prevent you from acknowledging your success. Admire your accomplishments and be proud of your achievements. Telling other people about them will help build up your confidence.

5. Do The Best You Can: Your 100% effort is the most you can ask of yourself. Doing your best will save you the problem of regret. Remember that your best will vary from situation to situation. Knowing that you did your best will allow you to be happy with your own achievements.

Spend time with yourself. Discover yourself. Be positive and always remember that you are a Child of the most powerful King!

(wrote this for the Clarence Pulse)