Hello everyone and welcome to The Balding Buddha - a personal blog/website/everything else for yours truly, Nikhil Menon. Speaking about myself a bit here, I was born on a balmy February night in the year 1989 in Kochi, Kerala. Though I have lived most of my life in Madras, India and am presently a permanent resident of the city.

I am currently enrolled in the MIT Portugal Program, Masters in Complex Transport Infrastructure Systems undergoing my dissertation at IST Lisbon. I am expected to graduate by December 2012. Prior to this, I have received my Bachelors in Civil Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Calicut India.

My research interests initially were in the field of Transport specifically Urban Mass Transit Systems with an eye for sustainable development. Exposure to Airlines and Airports was a turning point and I am currently researching on Airport terminals especially that of the low cost airlines and also on the variables that aid on the decision to convert a terminal into a low cost one from the strategic planning point of view. Teaching is something that interests me a lot and I have served in limited capacities as a volunteer for the Teach for India program and also as the Student Coordinator for Project PRISM, a government of Kerala initiative during my bachelors in Calicut.

Writing is another of my passions that I associate myself a lot with and I wish to turn full time some day. Other interests include travel, photography, sports, music and movies.

You can reach me via email at nikhilmenon2006(at)gmail(dot)com. I am also widely active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Academia.edu .