Big Sur

Whenever I visit any new place, I always feel I was destined to see it. Somehow. But I always feel so. Like for example, growing up, the only things I associated with SFO was the city of Golden Gate. And until very late, never knew that Golden gate is infact a bridge. So when I actually came to CA and visited the Golden gate bridge, for the first time and then many times to follow, I realized that, you are somewhere meant to see a place. Maktub maybe. Like every person you meet in life, you meet for a reason.

On the other hand, you get attached to a place. You fall in love with some place almost instantly. For the beauty of it, for the look and feel or the way you spend your time while at that place. And unknowingly you get emotionally attached to a place.  

When you read about a place you just know where they lie on the map but after seeing it when you take a moment, close your eyes and think of it, you realize that every single place has been associated with a feeling inside of your head. Like now , when I close my eyes and think of Aurangabad , Hyderabad , Pune  or Chicago , SFO , San Diego , Las Vegas , Seattle, Boston or Newyork I get one particular flash of picture in front of me. Does it happen to you?

Okay, philosophy apart, I thought of starting the picture post of the places I have been to so far. What I liked about it and what memories I carry from there.

Hope you guys like it.

I am going to start with Big Sur. It’s a place I have been to at least 5 times so far and absolutely love it. It has and will always have a special place in my heart. It’s a wonderful getaway for those who love the beaches and also for those who love the mountains.  The splendid view of the cascades rising from the ocean is breathtaking.  Its ideal for a long drive if that’s all you want. Or for camping near a campsite either overlooking the ocean or in the dark woods besides the Big Sur River. Hiking, whale watching, biking are some of the activities you can engage yourself in.  That’s just few aspects of it.

But in spite of all these activities going around, it’s also an ideal place for a romantic getaway for those sweet nothings. You will find ample of options for resorts and spas without compromising the beauty of the place.

And that’s what I love about his place. You can choose to be in all the hustle and bustle but at the same get all the solitude you need, if that’s what you want. This place has an amazing calming effect. Go for it, if you are looking for a stress free, relaxing weekend / vacation!

How to get there: It’s about 150 Miles down south of San Francisco (US 101 Hwy) – an absolutely scenic drive. 

Bridge on 101 

This is Pfieffer  Beach 

Sunset captured through it

This is the famous 17 Mile Monterey Drive 

Snapshot of our vacation , literally !!

Still not out of my Vacation mode , I am dedicating this post to the sporadic pictures of the trip. After all , a picture is worth a thousand words !

The view near Hoover Dam - our first stop. 

The picture says it all :) 

 The bridge joining the two states - Arizona and Nevada.

The Hoover Dam : 

 A closer look :

 The clear skies on our way to The Grand Canyon. You can see the Mohave Desert / Forest on either side :

 In the Canyon - very close to the Colorado River. They say touching the River brings in the good luck :)

The mighty muddy River says it all. The story of the Grand Canyon.

 The Sky Walk :)

 The Eagle Point :

 Guano Point - My favorite View.

 The Sun and Shadow play hide and seek creating the wonderful colors.

 Las Vegas - First Look !

 The city view from the Stratosphere Observatory.

 

You can see the "Strip" Street. Well , it doesn't look that glamorous in the day , I know !!

We had a wonderful trip. Hope you like the pics :)

Stratosphere

Yes, I am a certified insane now !! Last time, when we visited Stratosphere, Vegas, I took the Big Shot and the X-scream ride. (Well, I still believe that X-scream is one of the scariest rides I have ever been on so far). Since M loves all the roller coaster and adventure rides and I don’t want him to be alone on them...I invariably get on them.  To begin with, I used to be very very scared. Sometimes the nausea and sometimes the fear – of course what if something goes wrong.

The reason for not taking insanity then was only because it was closed which made me think, doubt all the more about that ride.

But this around, the ride was open, working and I saw many kids taking that too. So I was all geared up.

Me along with M, AB and AG all dared and got into it.  We did it successfully while K3 was recording us and K1 with her hands on her ears, trying to watch us. So they get the bravery award for seeing us take it and of course we become the “certified insane “lot.

Wiki information about Insanity Ride and other Rides on Stratosphere (which mind you, we have already taken except the Sky Jump):  

• Big Shot at 1,081 ft (329 m) is the highest thrill ride in the world.
• Insanity, opened in 2005, at 900 ft (270 m) is the second highest thrill ride in the world; it dangles riders over the edge of the tower and then spins in a circular pattern at approximately forty miles per hour
• Sky Jump Las Vegas, a controlled descent, Bungee jumping-like ride that will allow riders to plummet 855 ft (261 m) attached to a high speed, descent wire.^[6] Sky Jump opened on April 20, 2010.
• X-Scream at 866 ft (264 m) is the third highest thrill ride in the world

 Watch out for the video here:  

The Video is taken by K3 (Queenie as we all know her :) )

When your neck / back / ankle pains

When do you know that you have become the perfect example of staying alone independently ?

-        When you can very tactfully swoosh the big flying cockroach away from a wall in your apartment .. Trust me ..it wasn’t that easy.  

Sorry I digressed.  

Well .. I am back after a short break from the blogoshere :)

Reason for the break ? Well –Did you ever suffer from a neck sprain ? What about back pain ? How about a pain in the ankle and toe ? Now add that all together – that’s what had happened L unfortunately to me. I was pretty sure that I might have broken something up – inside of me – bones / discs I mean !

A couple of sittings with a  chiropractor and a Docs appointment resolved my queries though. Its due to excessive computer usage – well in obviously a not so good posture.

The lessons learnt for the entire experience :

1.      Take breaks often if you are on your computer / laptop all the time.

2.      Stretch regularly.

And most importantly -

3.      Don’t draw conclusions after searching for symptoms on the internet.

I know they all sound quite obvious but we do tend to ignore them.

Also, here are few easy tips to know how you have / don’t have the following  ( as per my doc)

1.      Cervical spondylosis : Rotate your neck from left to right  (and the other way round) and if you feel as if some current is passing down your arm – you should definitely see a doc as it might be one of the very strong symptoms.

2.      Lumbar spondylosis / Herniated disc :  Lie down flat on your back. Swing one leg up in the air slowly. If this motion causes an excruciating pain in the back –know that there is something you need to worry about.

3.      plantar fasciitis: When you get up in the morning and feel immense pain in the heel when you put down your feet on the floor. The pain is too bad and you cannot really walk but subsides as you keep on walking as the day progresses then buckle up for the ankle exercises.

4.      Sciatica :  If you have unbearable pain / pinching point in your buttocks and can feel the current / tickling sensation passing down your feet , you should go and get it checked.

Some minor lifestyle alterations should go a long way.

These are just the quick points for reference. You should anyway always see a doctor and not delay if you are in any sort of pain or discomfort which is unusual or unbearable.

As they say, prevention is always better than cure.

Stay healthy, Stay happy.

Blame it on my Masters !!!

What does studying in the US (especially MS) does to you –

I stopped drinking tea after coming to the US after first 15 days or so. Reason – Who would get up , make the tea and then wash the utensil ? And then the cup? Isnt drinking coffee or milk much less painful ? So goes tea out of the routine and in comes coffee (very bad for health I know, and now I have stopped drinking it ) and Bournvita. Pour the milk in the cup, Keep the cup in the Microwave . Done ! Afterwork –Just wash the cup. Or which you need not until next day morning. *wink*

Well , now after being married for about year and a half .. (yes though me and M meet only on the weekends)and one more heads up -  M really needs his tea. Our usual Saturday morning conversation would be :

Me : Do you need tea really ? ..(still in the bed )

M : yes ..!!

Me : Cant you make it this time ? (As if I make it everytime)

M : I have to make it daily when I am staying alone on the weekdays (emotional blackmail) ..

Me : (I really don’t buy that ) Ok fine. But you have to make it next time and tomorrow !!

After about 10 minutes :

M: Are you still sleeping ?

Me : Do you really need tea ?? …

Height of Laziness … ??? I know :) 

From 2009 !!

The month is close to getting over and I have barely posted just half of what I promised. Irrespective of that I am still going to try making another resolution next month :)

Since this week , we all celebrated Krishna Janmashtami , I am posting this painting of Lord Sri Krishna which I did somewhere in the April of 2009.

Its water colors on the medium-thick French-made Paper.  Sorry for the not so clear picture as its taken from my Iphone.

Beyond Time !!

You meet people in every walk of life, at every turn, diversion and exit but out of all of those, just few remain with you no matter what how and where. F.R.I.E.N.D.S.  They share joys, sorrows, success and failures – in a way they become a part of your journey of life and unknowingly a part of you – your quintessential existence. And the best part is, unlike family, they are strangers when you meet them for the first time. But you know what, when I first met S, I always knew we would hit it off. His eyes though very naughty gave me that comfort – well, in the most embarrassing and uncomfortable first interaction. S and his group were ragging me and a friend of mine. No, we weren’t juniors (and that’s why the word “embarrassing”) we had just joined the class in the second year from Electrical to EXTC. 

But, with A..Though we knew each other through common friends, it took us a while to actually get started. But anyway, it was meant to be.

I don’t really remember when did we , AKS, become the kind of friends that we are today. Maybe the Bharat Darshan (where I was playing a tourist and A a RishiMuni) or Insearch (when me and S compered the event) or the two-wheeler race we had once (I was wearing a saree). Or maybe it was the phone calls. The endless and meaningless conversations over the landlines (we dint have cell phones back then). Somewhere between the studying for the exams (over phone, mind you (I remember once A help me reproduce one very complicated circuit diagram over phone since I dint have that book)) or helping figure out the syllabus to study, or writing those record books for each other (I wrote one entire course’s record book for S, with index), helping out in the practical exams (A would help with the procedure and I would mug up all the observation tables… God, we were crazy then).

May be it was all of that. But luckily, it dint end with college.

Helping each other finding jobs, celebrating the success, caring –sharing and worrying for each other, being possessive, we did start growing up together – unknowingly. We learnt sharing the silences. Understanding without words.  Accepted each other with all the flaws. We have seen our most beautiful side and the ugliest side without being judgmental. A one point, A and S created a fictitious situation and discussed how I would react to it..And they experimented that on me and I behaved exactly the way they thought I would.

We once made a pact, sitting on a bus stop – that we will, no matter what end up settling in the same city – and we all did sign it.

I remember once S asking me the question “Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? “ And we had discussed it at length without being aware of even how long or fast these years go. I don’t remember the answer honestly. And I don’t care anymore even if I am not even close to what I thought I would want to become. But I do know that it’s been 10 years now. A decade!! And we are all together. And at a happy place.

And from the gawky, awkward, confused, directionless but full of enthusiasm, curiosity, full of life 20s, we are now transitioning to the 30s..Well, all of that but in a toned down version still holds true but, but it’s just that we are a lot more comfortable in our own skin today.

We have all got wonderful life partners now who are generous and huge – hearted enough to understand this bond. Yes, we have had our share of misunderstandings, hurt feelings, questions and complaints – but we have grown out of it beautifully knowing and understanding each other better. 

S turned 30 today. And whenever he celebrates his birthday, he very cleverly induces his age on to and into us. So, I always live a life a year older than what I am – always. So, in a way, we all somewhere turned 30 this week.  These 10 years were legen.. Wait a minute..dary !!

And here’s to the coming decade!!!!

Dear S,

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday!!

3 things I wish for you:

Wishing you a lovely life with your lovely wife / all the professional success which you absolutely deserve / and a lifetime of Salsa :) 

Bonus Wish – You come out with your “J-N” book :) 

3 things which I absolutely adore / admire about you : Your crystal clear heart and straight forwardness , your temper (I don’t remember having  a single fight with you in the last 10 years ) – disagreements yes , but fights – never ! , the brightness and happiness  in your eyes when you dance J

3 things I am thankful for –

The cake and the teddy on my otherwise boring and sad 25^th Birthday / for all the support , encouragement and confidence that you gave me (be it for compering / dancing / learning how to take the escalator or  my visa interview / wedding .

A small milestone

One year went by, just like that! Of innumerable days and uncountable memories. Some significant, others not so much. You make resolutions of which, again you meet some and wish had not made the others. Well, the point is, you do remember certain days and dates sometimes the significant ones and sometimes the not so significant ones too.  I completed one year of work after my Masters this 9^th of August.

I remember this day last year so vividly. Saying bye to M was so tough that I cannot even start to explain. So during this entire year , I got a job , moved to San Diego , changed 3 apartments , made friends, worked on 3 projects , took almost 70 flights (I counted them yesterday) , went to India for K3’s wedding (nopes, this number is not included in that ‘70’), travelled back on OPT (the worst 26 hours of my life ever – well almost !) , M’s parents were here with us for few months so travelled around with them to different places (like Lake Tahoe , SFO , LA , San Diego , Orange County, Seattle , Half Moon Bay etc…. ) .Travelled to Boston and Newyork for K3’s Graduation ceremony. Took another job, moved to a new place. Stayed there for a couple of months, moved to another apartment in the same city. Got a car, learnt how to drive on my own (as in sitting all alone in the car).

All this happened in one year. No, it dint just fly by. It was way too hectic. This year, I actually plan to concentrate on my work. Sleep more, worry less, read and write more, travel less too – yes, I definitely need a break from that.

As a child, I always wanted to grow up to be independent enough to have the freedom of making my own decisions. Little did I know then that with it, comes the responsibility of owing it up. No matter what the outcome is. Yes, after growing up, I wish, I so much wish at times, that why can’t somebody really  decide things for us and own them too. When I took the decision of joining this job, I badly wanted a job. So any job, anywhere on the planet would have sufficed. Probably after that, I have asked this question to M every time before saying a bye, catching that darn flight, whether it was a right decision or not. He always smiles and owns up for it. 

August

August is here :)  not that I was waiting for it.  But, yes, there is a goal for this month. I am aiming for 10 posts this month. Let’s see how it goes. Easy right? But not anymore since whatever free time I get, I am spending it with my new found love – Kindle :) . Reading Little Women after about 15 years. And loving it.

Anyway, so looks like my weight is kind of stuck at one point and I really need some more motivation to go about it now. So anyone wants to rub theirs on to me?  Today was my first day in the gym. Like mentioned before I was jogging on the trail. But now I need some change from that routine so enter “GYM”.  A little background here – I was never very comfortable working out at the gym. Do feel conscious maybe. But it turns out that I am not the only one. So I have got this motivation from M ad AB to work out in a gym and my initial discomfort should go within a week. Let’s see. Will keep you updated on it. And if I do this regularly for the rest of August, I am going to treat myself with a beautiful dress :) !!

So, I have already made two resolutions for this month. Do you want to join me and make some?

On a side note, thanks for your response and feedback for my previous post “Beyond Distance”.

Beyond Distance !!

Back in 2004 – I had enrolled myself for a Post Graduate Certificate Program from the Pune University. After our first class of Digital Design was over everybody left the classroom hurriedly except me and her. We both continued working on a problem although separately , sitting on different benches. After about 15- 20 minutes, we exchanged a “Hello” and that’s how our conversation started – about analyzing and solving the problem. And that’s how it all started. Our Friendship I mean. From that day we started studying together which involved Solving our assignments, studying for the examinations etc. We were sincere, hardworking and determined. I was then staying as a PG and she was staying with her relatives.

We usually met at Pataleshwar or Chatushringi and studied for hours together. On weekends, our study day started at around 7:30 am in the mornings and we would study until sunset. No gossips, no un-necessary talks. Purely studies. I remember discussing complex concepts of Advanced Digital Subsystem Design / VLSI fundamentals and VHDL / Verilog code snippets with her.

Eventually we both did well in the exams and co-incidentally found jobs in the same company within the same team. And probably that’s when we actually started to bond beyond studies. We shared an apartment. She taught me many things and helped me become a better person, honestly. She ingrained in me the quality of cleanliness – trust me.. ! Every Friday we cleaned our apartment by sweeping and wiping the floors/ arranging the piles of clothes neatly / cleaning the kitchen / washrooms. I used to tell her every Friday – that it’s Friday and we should instead be watching a movie or dine out but no we had to clean the apartment on Fridays. I started maintaining a diary writing in every detail of expenses I made which again I learnt from her. Now don’t get me wrong. My parents had taught me all of that. But I was just too lazy and used to do it as a task because I have been instructed to do that and not willingly. She forced me to wake up early and accompany her for morning walks and watching sunrises. Every night I slept promising her that I would and then every morning would wake up to be the crankiest person and come up with different reasons for not getting up. But she won’t buy any of that and drag me literally out of bed.

At work, we had cubes right besides each other. We learnt the same things at work / had more or less similar assignments and would discuss it back home until midnight. Our Manager started calling us “Changu-Mangu” . I remember M telling me once then – “You know, you and her fall in Varan Bhaat category”. (So there are apparently three categories- Pizza / Pavbhaaji and Sadha varan Bhaat i.e plain Dal and Rice) Yes, and it was true indeed. Eventually S (her hubby) told her “You know what – you and K fall in BaavLat category” (Apparently anybody can fool you category) which also was sadly true. We took Rangoli , yoga and Naturopathy classes together. We also tried taking an unsuccessful Beautician class.

Anyway, with time gradually we started discussing about books / philosophy / yoga and Life! And each one of us started having an enormous amount of influence on the other in every aspect unknowingly. We became each other’s dumping bags (no –not punching bags!). Like venting out our worries / fears / problems / concerns / negativities – and the other would provide an unwavering support , patient ear and comfort no matter what. We were there for each other either mending the broken hearts or spirits.

Time flew. Circumstances changed. The journey continued. Studies brought me here and I left my job. With our busy schedules we did manage to update each other through emails and phone calls. I got her emails before my exams wishing me good luck and I talked to her in all her sleepless nights when she was expecting.

Be it the precious moments of getting married / buying homes / having babies (she has one now  ) we made sure that the other is a part of the process.

She was with me holding my hand (literally) on the toughest day of my life – sharing the silence and the pain. Yesterday, I got an email from her. She had lost someone close – very close to her. I felt bad that I couldn’t be with her physically at this point in life. All I was going to do was offer my condolences over phone. For which I had no words. With shivering hands , watery eyes and a very heavy heart I did manage to call her. And we talked. Knowing that I was struggling for words she did all the talking – answering all my unasked questions , assuring me that she was doing much better now after 15 days.Pouring her heart out . And making me realize that between friends distance doesn’t really matter . What matters is being there !!!

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