My dear friend, lab mate and colleague: Sachin

Since I've been in US, the only person who was always with me is my friend, lab mate and colleague Sachin Dhingra. Both of us worked as Research Assistants under Dr. Stroud in Auburn University. My RA was approved a week after his and from then on we worked in the same lab for almost two years and also shared same office room for over 6 months. We've took the same courses from start to end and we've attended all the conferences together - International Test Conference (ITC) in Oct 2004 and North Atlantic Test Conference (NATW) in May 2005. And finally we did our Master's defense on the same day with same professors in the defense committee. Ohhhhh! so many things together :)

While we were doing our Master's we've been interview by Altera Corp. (Thanks to Srinivas) and we've got our offer letters within a week's difference. After our defense, we've both joined Altera in June 2006. As you would expect, we've both joined in the same team (but different groups) under a single director and the most interesting thing is that our cubicles were next to each other.... wowwww... what a coincidence!!! We were sitting together in the same lab and office in the school and now our cubicles were next to each other .... simply perfect.

The first day I met Sachin, I still remember the way he looked. The look I thought was very weired, he was sporting a goatee, had spiked air, was wearing a formal shirt and a khaki short. His look was kind of surprise for me but he greeted me very well unlike others and that was a warm welcome. Sachin is a very good guy and he helped every person he knows in one way or the other, I can guarantee that. In these 4 years, he helped in many different ways on different occasions. He helped me understand things in research and studies, acclimatize with some of my American friends, gave me rides in his car and in many other ways, the best of all being that I've never felt lonely working in the lab or in the office because of his presence.

After working for 2 years in Test Development, Sachin has decided to move to Applications Dept. as he felt that this job might be a better match for his skills. I too think the same and am sure that he will have more success.

Hey Sachin, thanks a lot for all the help you have provided me and dude I've learned a lot from you. I wish you all the success and good luck with the new job....... I will miss you dude!!! Hope we can meet and spend time together often. Take care and enjoy your new job.

Nippatlu (Crunchy chips)

Main Ingredients

• Biyyam Pindi (Rice Flour) - 4 cups
• Powdered Ground nut - 2 cups
• Powdered Putnala pappu - 1 cup

Mix the above mentioned ingredients and add some salt, red chilli powder, jeera and nuvvulu (If available). Add 1 scoop of heated oil per cup and mix it with the above mentioned ingredients (It is better to be on the lower limit of the oil). Add some water and knead the mixture. Make small balls of dough and press using a pressing machine. Fry the pressed dough in oil to make crunchy, spicy and tasty Nippatlu.

Maddhur vada

Ingredients:

• Biyyam Pindi (Rice Flour) - 1 Cup
• Maida - 1 Cup
  
• Bombay Ravva (Suji ravva coarse) - 1 Cup
• Green Chilli

Grind green chilli's and mix with all three flours. Add some jeera, salt and oil and knead the dough. Make small round balls of dough and press them using pressing machine. Fry the pressed dough in oil to make crunchy tasty Maddhur vada.