Winter Parka Reviews: Fjallraven Nuuk v/s Marmot Chelsea 2.0 v/s North Face Arctic Parka v/s Patagonia Frozen Range v/s Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 v/s REI Stormhenge Jacket

Winter Parka Reviews: Fjallraven Nuuk v/s Marmot Chelsea 2.0 v/s North Face Arctic Parka v/s Patagonia Frozen Range v/s Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 v/s REI Stormhenge Jacket

Firstly, I found these coats to be the most popularly recommended when you search for the warmest winter parkas (except for REI Stormhenge, for a strange reason). They are also under 300 dollars when they’re on sale  (except for the Pataguccis). I was also looking for coats that could last me through whatever the winter put me through, hence my selection of waterproof parkas. 

I am discussing them on four criteria: Warmth, Comfort, Style, and Weather Resistance. At the testing condition of 6C/43F (windchill 4C/39F), I was leisurely walking and reading comics on my phone. I had only a half-sleeve cotton T-shirt on. I generally run very cold and keep my A/C temperature set at 22C/72F at home while wearing a light sweatshirt.

Warmth:

Fjallraven Nuuk was the warmest of all of these. It came as a surprise since it has all synthetic insulation. I was comfortable wearing just a half-sleeve cotton T-shirt underneath. The parka reached mid-thigh on my 5’4” frame. I would survive much lower temperatures if I had mid-layers on. 

Fjallraven Nuuk

Marmot Chelsea 2.0, despite its 700 down fill, wasn’t warm enough by itself like Fjallraven Nuuk was. I could feel the chill on my back in the testing conditions. I would need a mid-layer with this parka.

Marmot Chelsea 2.0

North Face Arctic Parka was similar. I could feel the chill through the coat. I am unsure if I would do well wearing this parka if I were outside in sub-freezing temperatures in a snowstorm.  When I was in Chicago for a few days in February, I saw many women wearing the Arctic Parka, so take my word with a pinch of salt.

North Face Arctic Parka

Patagonia Frozen Range 3-in-1 is toasty, and unlike Fjallraven Nuuk, it is also quite light due to its 700 down fill. I did very well wearing just the t-shirt underneath it under the testing conditions.

Patagonia Frozen Range 

Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 is also 700 down fill but not as warm as Frozen Range. I felt similarly chilly in the parka as I did with the North Face Arctic Parka and Marmot Chelsea 2.0. 

Patagonia Tres 3-in-1

My REI Stormhenge jacket (not the parka) has been in my possession for two seasons now, and I couldn’t love it more. It has an 800 down fill with synthetic insulation in the sides where sweat is most easily produced. While I was not as warm in it as in Fjallraven Nuuk, it performed similarly to Patagonia Frozen Range. You would be right in asking, why did I not buy the parka 

version itself? At the time, I needed a jacket that I could wear while hiking and the parka length would not have been ideal in such a situation. 

REI Stormhenge Parka

Comfort:

I typically wear a Small or Medium size in jackets if it is a slim fit. I could have easily gone down to an extra-small. This is with a heavy middle layer on. I loved how much freedom of movement I had in the Fjallraven Nuuk.

I preferred to wear a medium size in the Marmot Chelsea 2.0 to allow for mid-layers. It felt bulky around my chest and shoulders, and the collar felt stiff around my jaw. I have a longer neck, so I am unsure how comfortable I would be with that collar for extended periods.

I wore a small size in the North Face Arctic Parka. I had enough space for a thick fleece as a mid-layer. The parka went down to my knees, which says good things about how much of my body would stay covered.

I wore a size small in the Patagonia Frozen Range is a strange one. Unlike other 3-in-1 coats, the outer waterproof shell doesn’t zip to the inner down jacket. And yes, the inner layer is a down jacket, not a parka. It covered my hips like my REI Stormhenge, and that was about it. With the outer shell, it came close to mid-thigh. The cuffs cannot be tightened, which would let the cold air in.

The Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 is slim-fit in shape. I needed to wear a medium. Due to the fit, I am unsure if I could wear a thick sweater underneath it. 

I wear a small size in my REI Stormhenge with enough space for a mid-layer. This is the most comfortable to wear amongst all the mentioned coats, all thanks to its low weight and roomy shape.

Style

Fjallraven Nuuk is cute and has a casual feel. I like to look sleek on most occasions, and considering how I would wear this to work also, I wanted something that looked well-cut and professional. Ultimately, I decided that I could look cute, and that would also be a look. This is especially because I would be toasty warm in this.

Marmot Chelsea 2.0 looks bulky around the bust and shoulders. It just looks odd on my body shape. If you have a pear shape or an hourglass figure, you should try it to see if it looks better on you.

The North Face Arctic Parka has a stream-lined shape and drapes well like a traditional coat over the body. You wouldn’t go wrong with this parka.

Many people have described Patagonia’s Frozen Range as a cloud in their review, and I agree. However, it is a flattering cloud.

The Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 wins hands-down in the style department. I looked so sharp in it that I was heartbroken that it wasn’t warm enough for me.

The Red Stormhenge has a straight silhouette. My only gripe on certain days is that it is baggy around the chest and doesn’t contour the torso. This is my personal opinion. Many people would absolutely love its shape and I would agree with them on most days.

Weather Resistance

All of the parkas that I have mentioned, perform very well in windy and rainy conditions. Patagonia’s Tres 3-in-1 performs the best among them in heavier rain. The others wouldn’t perform very well if it was pouring.

Final Opinion

I love the Fjallraven Nuuk and REI Stormhenge the best among these coats based on how much warmth and features I get for the price. If I was able to compromise on the warmth, I would probably go for the Patagonia Tres 3-in-1 or the North Face Arctic Parka.

Designing the right Inductor for your circuit

For my final year engineering project, I needed to make an inductor. Now that the context is provided, let's jump straight into some tips for designing.

There are a lot of sites that will tell you about how to choose an inductor core. While they are helpful, if you already have an idea about things, but if you're completely new to hardware designing they can be incredibly confusing, and frankly a waste of time.

1. First of all, decide the value of inductance that you need. Take it as your nominal value. Next, decide the range of inductance that you will be okay with. Designing your own inductor, especially if you're new to the game like I am, getting the perfect value is too perfect a coincidence to occur.
The requirement of nominal value and the range of inductance will come in handy later on.

2. You can choose a variety of shapes for your inductor core like toroidal, EI, EE etc. What I learnt that making a toroid is risky business. This is because, in the toroidal shape, the wire turns will be closely packed along the inner diameter of the toroid, and will have spaces between the turns along the outside. This space can introduce stray capacitance. But don't let this bog you down. If you're ready to experiment, don't hesitate to make your toroidal inductor and share your observations on it.

3. Since you're designing the circuit, you already know what voltage value you're using. This is known as the DC Bias. You will also know the value the current that is going to flow in the circuit and through the inductor. You can use this information (as stated in multiple sites) and make a preliminary choice of core shape.

4. Once you have done this, choose the kind of core that you want. Make a list of cores designs you're okay with. Eg. EE65-13 (That's what I have used) etc. Once you have done this, visit the website you will be buying the core from, or the shop you're going to purchase it from. Look at the available choices and take one that is one or two sizes smaller. This is because you can make multiple layers of turns but making an incomplete layer of turns wouldn't be the ideal case. 

Goodbye

Blessed are they who had the chance to say Goodbye,
For it is a pain worse than death itself
To think they will return as always,
But only to be left with unfulfilled resolutions.

Crazy eyes

Crazy eyes, I see crazy eyes.
eyes livid enough to burn someone down.

She prowls around her prey.
Noticing each and every chick in its armour.
One by one she prepares her attacks,
Waiting only for the slightest provocation.

Crazy eyes, I see crazy eyes.
Eyes livid enough to burn anyone down.

The prey, the fool, gets too close.
Says to much, unthinking and inconsiderate.
She's seen all and there's no stopping her.
It's her against her prey now.

Crazy eyes, I see crazy eyes.
Eyes livid enough to burn everyone down.

She takes out her guns and begins her furore.
There is no running away for the fool.
All that she has heard, everything she's borne,
Will now burst out and decimate everything.

Crazy eyes, I saw crazy eyes.
Eyes livid enough to burn everything down.

Talent and Person- A question for morality

Have you seen The Carmichael Show? You should. For a comedy series in today's age, it is surprisingly insightful and entertaining.

I am particularly impressed by the second episode of Season 2 in the series. The protagonist of the show, Jerrod gets tickets to a live show by Bill Cosby for his family on his parents' anniversary following which there's intense and comedic discussion over whether they should attend the show or not, given the recent news of Cosby's scandals.

Jerrod's girlfriend is the first to put up her argument. She tells him categorically that there's no way she attending one of his shows. She even goes on to joke about how ironic it is that the only way she would go is if she were taken there unconscious.

Jerrod's father puts up a diplomatic front where he believes that until proven guilty in a court, he's not going to openly judge Cosby. While talking to Maxine, Jerrod's girl-friend, he even asks whether we should pass judgments based on what people are saying on the internet.

During all this the matriarch of the house and Jerrod's mother, keeps switching in her opinions. She's got fond memories of her and her husband laughing and enjoying Bill Cosby's stand up acts and shows. So she's torn between going or not and keeps looking at Maxine for validation.
Jerrod's brother doesn't have much to say and keeps talking of random stuff, all indirectly related to the topic at hand but never really anywhere close to the real point.

With Nekeisha's arrival (Jerrod's brother's ex wife), the women seem to have firmly decided that they will not go and hence show any kind of support to the tainted comedian.

Jerrod frustrated, puts up a beautiful point that I don't even want to rephrase. Read it for yourself. Facing Maxine he says, "You're being hypocritical, Maxine. Aren't you the same person who saw Blue Jasmine during the height of the Woody Allen scandal? Just putting money directly into his pockets? Fine, if you don't go see Bill Cosby, then I will never go see a Woody Allen film again. I'm not judging you for seeing his movies. You should see them. He's a great artist. I'm just saying you need to separate people's personal life from their work. I mean, anybody's capable of doing something violent or disgusting, but the list of people with genuine talent is limited. So, talent trumps morals."

Even if I don't support the last statement, I have to say, Jerrod makes a very valid point.
We as human beings are very selective in the moral principles that we follow. Just taking the entertainment industry into account, we listen to Michael Jackson despite the alleged reports of him being a pedophile. 
While we slam Chris Brown for what he did to Rihanna, we are still grooving to his music.
We coo at Woody Allen's movies, openly acknowledging them as masterpieces despite his relationship and marriage to his former step-daughter, that began while he was still in relationship with the adoptive mother Mia Farrow. I myself carried a backpack with his face's impression on it for a year at college. And these three examples are just from the top of my head. There are so many more celebrities and artists and famous personalities whom we have supported despite their grave moral transgressions.

So why such double standards when it comes to judging them? We don't directly interact with the person because of his/her misdeeds. But sitting at home or elsewhere, protected by our anonymity, we continue to indulge in the fruits of these people's talents. Isn't that also a form of support, even if indirect. Every time we go watch their movie or buy their CD or even illegally download their work, aren't we appreciating them?

One might say that we're enjoying their talent and not them. But that is the question. Is a person the same as his/her talent? We conveniently detach the two when it suits us and when it comes to passing judgments from the comfort of our couches, we no longer remember the distinction. 

I am not writing this to pass off my opinion. Not because I don't have one but because I know I will, however unknowingly, commit the act of hypocrisy. I cannot swear on my morality because I am humble enough to accept my imperfect humanity. 

The important question is- What is your opinion? 

Debating and other dangerous stuff on the Internet

When you're confronted with an incident or issue, it is natural to have an opinion. It is also natural not to have any strong opinion because you don't know the whole case. "Fortunately" the age of social networking sites has raised armchair activism to a whole new level. A single fb status, comment or tweet can create a domino effect, whose result isn't always what we intended.

The only "right" action to take would probably be to understand the situation before passing a judgement. Realise that just as you have the incredible power to change things, also have the humility to understand that you are not a judge and executioner and that you have the duty to wield your power with responsibility. Practice due diligence. What you see on your screen or on paper was written by a human, therefore undoubtedly plagued with bias, however little. So pause and reflect. And then act. Or don't. No one needs to go blaring horns and being militant in their views just to be visible.

I won't share famous quotes on taking sides. Because for each quote I put up, there will be one that disagrees with it. I also understand that just because a famous person put up an argument, doesn't make it the truth. And to expect to be right, armed with only these sayings is not just foolish but also dangerous.

Shout! Shout! Shout!

Shout! Shout! Shout!

I cry in surprise. I bleed in hurt.

I fear your hands and words that erupt.

Shout! Shout! Shout!

I wail in confusion. I break at your insult.

I diminish into the nothing that you had had me built.

Shout! Shout! Shout!

I feel no more. I see you no more. 

I hear only the silence now that I suffer you no more.

A terribly tiny tale.

A surprisingly great picture, some lonely and sad time and voila!

The Breeze

The most wonderful breeze is blowing outside. It's the kind that makes one feel like a character in a movie. The softness of it, the cool temperature and the slight rustling of the winds. With the atrocious heat that we've had to suffer lately, the cool winds are a welcome change. By welcome I mean- Give me more of the winds or I'll die by melting into a skin coloured puddle on the floor.

The beautiful weather and the quiet night time charged some of my creative neurons and here's a poem, plus fraîche.

Softly she waves around me
as if she's dancing to a lullaby.
She makes the leaves dance with her.
Her only shape is the blowing dust on the streets and look how beautiful it is.

Brushing past my cheeks, she leaves her coolness behind.
In the silence of the night
I'm the only one standing here with her.
It is almost as if she does this all for me.

I hate to say goodbye and go inside.
She might not be there in the morning.
I never know when she might come next.
She's tempestuous like that but I can't wait to have her back.

Might Say No (Song Lyrics)

The following writing piece may seem peculiar in its flow but it is supposed to be the lyrics for a song. I was listening to some Amy Winehouse and some oldies recently and coupled with this cheeky idea I had about a certain book, this came up.

So I forbid anyone from over analysing my recent writing. It is a fictional piece and doesn't have any resemblance to anyone or any incident whatsoever. And if in case it does remind you of yourself, kudos! I had great fun writing it. Also, it is obviously not some excellent piece of literature so no criticism invited on that.

I've waited for you since so long
Never thought you'd ask me
But now you're propped on one knee
Saying you want to marry me
But all I think is I'm being too easy.

It all started years ago
I'd been all sad and morose
Just waiting for that someone
Thinking for me there was no one
But there you were with all that charm of yours.

You made me want to give you all
With no conditions and regard
I guess it got too easy
Time passed, you got too lazy
Kept forgetting cause you knew I'll still be home.


I've waited for you since so long
Never thought you'd ask me
But now you're propped on one knee
Saying you want to marry me
But I guess it'll be no from me.

Anger

My anger is a shy thing

It hides in the shadows of my brain

simmering and hissing from there.

It flares up every now and then,

just waiting to pounce, if it is allowed.

Allow it, I don’t, because really…

What is the use?

Obstinate mules won’t ever bend,

And why would they?

Have I ever ever really bent?

I’d like to think so, but i hear no ayes.

So i bend down in front of human nature.

Oh, the irony, I know,

but I see no other choice.

It is either peace or letting loose the reins 

to the angry madness in me.

And one would rather choose the first one?

Dear Two Face

To
Ms/Mr Two Face
(Ya all got the Batman reference right?)

Subject:- Politely and formally expressing my distaste for you. (I am nothing if not polite.)

Dear Madam/Sir
I, Ahana Bose, of Female Complicated! would sincerely like to inform you of my antipathy towards you. Please pay careful attention to the following words. If you correct yourself, you may make more friends. (I highly doubt it though.)

First of all, do not say something to me and the exact opposite to someone else. You'll get caught and it ain't pretty. I've seen better people with their mugshots in black and white striped pajamas.

Second, you are still a human (I'm still doubtful). You may be tossing and turning all night in your bed, over-thinking your immense contribution to our humble human race while we're just ordinary people who are dreaming high and doing nigh, but that doesn't make you any more superior to us.

Your swagger is not like Jagger so stop acting like it is you and not Levine singing his song about our dear old Micky. You must be great at many things but humility is obviously not one of them.

I am now at the end of my tirade and I would have liked to end the show with some witty one liner but I am still dependent on others to provide me with that. So I am leaving you with Marilyn Monroe's apt words- "If you're gonna be two faced, at least make one of them pretty."

Yours not so lovingly
Ahana Bose

Joys of being in Electrical Engineering at DTU

DISCLAIMER

The following articles is only for the eyes of EE department students of DTU. If you don't happen to be one of us, keep the secrets to just yourselves or know the we have a surprisingly good knowledge of electricity's various cool uses. Just Kidding! Enjoy.

If you're in DTU and you're in the Electrical Engineering Department, chances are you're probably, either complaining about how demanding this stream is and playing the martyr card in-front of your friends or regaling the horrors of the stream to scare off your juniors. I haven't even completed a month yet, and I know it is going to be a tough ride. Yet, our lives are far from a lost cause! There are certain things that appear to be special only for the EE and EEE department students. Lets go through them, shall we?

1)  You can get out of commitments by the merely mentioning your stream. If you're a part of any society and you're being asked to do some work, use this fact as your trump card. It works like a charm every time. Taking advantage of people's sympathy for us is so easy! 

2) Plenty of streams will taunt you about your workload and lack of a "life". These mostly include production, automotive et al. I've found the perfect response to such jabs. Their branch is simply not CORE enough to be comparing with us. Get it, get it?! No offense to my friends in those branches!

In case the person in-front does happen to be from a core branch, just leave it. You don't need to reply to everybody. We are simply too busy to care. 

3) Shared experience of burden and torturously long study hours makes us thick buddies with our classmates. Which other stream boasts of that?

4)Unrelenting teachers makes us the most clever people. Our brain develops an uncanny ability to make up excuses to get out of work or ask for seemingly legit bunks.

To Please Others

If you go through my articles carefully, you might observe my annoying habit of constantly trying to please others and caring about what others think of me. I am telling you on the outset, keep your purty lips zipped if you’re going to tell me that it is good to have a pleasing personality. (See, I am already on the path of redemption!)

If the Great Indian Series special on Chamchas (sycophants) by the Times of India, shows us anything, it is not really in our best interest to be boot lickers. It leaves you exactly in that position: the boot, perennially open to the whims and fancies of others, never knowing when you might be kicked by the same boot you’re kneeling in front of.

Nobody needs to tell me that I tend to make better decisions when I make them completely on my own and for my own sake. I know that. And I also know the reason why. I can’t show anybody that my decision was wrong. Even though I am not crazy enough to believe that I’ll always make the right decision, but one thing that I can be sure of is that, I’ll automatically work harder to ensure that I don’t fail at it. Elementary, my dear Watson.

I am pretty sure I am not going to change overnight. Who knows, I might never change at all. But note my words people because I am going to try.

What makes me happy?

Here I am sitting, sulking over all the things that are wrong and unfair in my life and all of a sudden a question pops into my head; What makes me happy?
For a moment I simply tried to collect my bearings. Questions like these are so simple but we never really settle down and actually think about them and answer them.
So here I am, typing out the list of things I find pleasure in:-
1)Appreciation- I like both giving and receiving them. I know I sound as if I am in constant need of others' approval but I am being honest here. So take it or leave it.
2)Taking walks alone. I find my own company often comforting. I don't need to carry on a conversation, and I definitely don't need to tiptoe around people. You get what I mean?
3)The adrenaline rush of doing something new.
4)Reading romantic comedies.
5)Just being with my best friends. They are not plenty in number but somehow they know me and accept me the way I am, which is saying a lot.
6)Swimming- The feel of water all around can be both scary and exhilarating at times. I fear swimming in anything other than a pool. The fact that I can't see what is underneath and that it is possible for me to give myself up to the surrounding water to swallow me up, is fodder for one of my worst nightmares. Yet, whenever I dive into a pool, all I sense is peace. Odd isn't it?
7)Day Dreaming- Who doesn't like to dream? Since you, my reader, probably do, I find it a pointless exercise to explain this point.

For now, I can only come up with these things. As and when I think of something new, I might add to this list.

Being Detached

As I was about to leave for home, I had heard my friend calling out to me. Knowing that I still had some time to kill before I just had to leave, I had decided to stay back and hang out with him. As we had been talking, he told me how he did not expect me to stay in contact with him after college. He told me that I am very detached and that I don't really form any deep bonds with people. The revelation, though sudden, was not surprising for me. I actually felt really glad that someone had finally pointed my exact behaviour.

Puzzled by my reaction? Don't be. I have been giving all this a thought for quite a while. I have often thought about my unwillingness to talk on phones, avoiding being alone in conversation with another person, rarely being the initiator of chats on Whatsapp or simple SMSes etc. In isolation, these habits seem simple quirks, but together they make me look eccentric and definitely point out my detached nature.

I wonder why am i like this? I wasn't so much before. I reason that it must be because I have often seen people whom I care for most, move away (just geographically; life isn't so dramatic) and I end up feeling terrible. I suppose it is just my coping mechanism. It might even be because I am subconsciously trying to keep people from coming too near my intensely convoluted and complicated inside. I don't know but I would like to know.

I am told not to obsess so much about myself, so I am leaving you with just this much to think about for now. Until next time, toodles!

A Dictionary of Cute and Stupid

I have a friend who developed a habit of calling anything and everything "cute" in our last year of high school. She's in the same college as me but not in the same class so you would think that her influence would have minimized over time. But no! Friends, especially good friends, change you and not always for the saner. So now I go around, generously spreading the word “cute” and “stupid” (well that is my addition) everywhere.

If somebody is idiotic, I say cute. If somebody is peculiar, I say cute. If people infuriate me, they are definitely “stupid”. And it goes on and on. Can you imagine someone using the same two words all the time as if they never really attended their English classes after the age of six? I do because I am that person.

You would think that my habit might have rubbed on people around me but it is not so. Their response to me every time is a combination of choice words, aptly showing their annoyance. Guess habits are not that contagious except for the time when I am there.

So I am making a sort of resolution to expand my vocabulary. If you don’t believe me, check my phone. I downloaded a dictionary app last week. So now I’ll be going around saying adorable and bonkers and other cool words. :)

The Emotional Drama

It is dangerous to be stuck in an emotional drama.

Take for example an accounting balance sheet. According to the accounting equation, your assets are the sum of your liabilities and capital. So if you take emotional drama to be your liabilities and your mental health as your capital, then your resulting emotional well being (your assets) is really low.

The above analogy may seem irritating to a few because of the comparison between human emotions and money but come to think of it, isn’t the above statement quite true? How long can you subject yourself to repeated onslaught of someone’s moods? How long can you withstand a fight that doesn’t involve you directly but affects you because of your proximity to the parties involved? And most importantly, how long can we continue to allow our anger or hurt to fester? Till the time our mind suppurates from the wound and we end up disfigured from its effects?

Within a week, I had a fight with a friend (which has thankfully been solved), I’ve seen two of my close-ones fighting continuously (and man does it annoy me like anything!) and I have unknowingly acted as an emotional Guru (now don’t we all hate such emotional-high-and-mighty-know-it-all-gurus like me?!). And on top of it, somebody suggested that I tend to sadden people around me by complaining and whining too much (which I suppose may be true but I was nevertheless hurt by it).

I am telling you people, we need to get rid of unnecessary emotional baggage. It weighs us down tremendously. I refuse to be the slave of my emotions. Easier said than done, but I am going to try like anything. I may run the risk of appearing cold at times, but hey! I do not need the tension man!

Memories

I go forward into the past,

Touching upon things that I lived through.

Old memories and feelings gush into me,

Almost throwing me down with their force.

I love what happened them,

So much so that I feel pain in shaking hands with them again.

As I flip through the pages of the wonderful years gone by,

I remember the faces that changed me.

I can see the incidents floating in front of my eyes,

Reminding me of what had been,

And that it will never be the same.

What an ingeniously cruel thing to do,

To hurt me without a finger raised,

With only my fond memories.

A Photo Map Through DTU

Keep a look at this space people. In a week's time hopefully, you would see a photo journey through the campus of Delhi Technological University.