Impressions

It's Been A While..

2009-10-11T18:44:00.002-04:00

- since I blogged. Reason- Mom and dad were visiting. It was a lovely 6 weeks. A full house, warm laughter, lots of affection and of course loads of amazing food. It is a little pathetic now to return to an empty house in the evening. But I am back to my old routine and keeping busy.

Meanwhile my favorite season -fall, is here. Every where I look, there are vibrant colors. It just makes me feel so happy. A trip to the White Mountains (New Hampshire) is coming up shortly and I should have really pretty pictures to put up.

Also I read the new Dan Brown novel. MIND BLOWING. I liked it so much, that even though I spend most of my time at work, and I am now a huge TV buff, I managed to finish this 504 page book in 3 days! So all you Dan Brown fans out there- get your hands on 'The Lost Symbol'. It;s totally worth it.

Among other things, I have also given up worrying about certain people who do not appreciate or value others. Seems to me that I wasted some very precious time concerned/worried about them. Look at me- all grown up :)

Shopping has been wonderful. My love for sweaters is undying and Fall is the best time for sweater buying. So, although my bank balance does not look so good, I am going slow, but steady.

TV has been a wonderful companion with all of my fav shows back on with their new seasons and of course some new ones too. Now I understand why my Dad always enjoyed watching TV in the evenings after he got back home from work. It is a stress buster :) and no I do not watch any soaps.

Well, now that I look back this post has become a random mish-mash of stuff. But it's alright. I shall be back soon with something that makes much more sense. Till then take care and a very HAPPY DIWALI.

2009 ..So Far...

2009-07-29T21:41:00.003-04:00

It's end of July already. 7 months gone, 5 more to go. I just realized there is so much I have done and so much I still need to do as per my 1 year plan. Here goes-

1. Kept Fit - YES!!!! Even ran that 5K, running another 5 K next month. Hey! Hey! Hey! Do not laugh..so what if its not 26 miles or even 13.5 miles. It is something.

2. Attended any friend's wedding- No :(. Disadvantage number one of living in the States. Almost all my best buddies got married or are getting married. Where are the weddings- back in India! And I am sure my employer would start pulling his hair out if I stated making 3-4 trips within one year( not that my bank balance would allow that either)

3. Lived Well- Yes! Very well indeed.

4. Got My Car - No..not yet.Khoj jaari hai.

5. Fell In Love- Yeah atleast 10 times :P

6. Got promoted - Kind of :)

7. Gave up my shopping obsession - No..It gets worse. Now I have moved on to other things (more expensive things - TV for instance) along with clothes.

8. Stopped Being Bitchy - Welllllll...considering the fact that I am mean and bitchy to very few people..I would have to say no.

9. Doubled my bank balance - Kaise!! (refer to 7.)

10. Acted sensibly on a number of occasions - Very proud to say YES. I am growing up , rather I have grown up after all.

And last but not the least -

Kept updating blog regularly- I started on a good note...slowed down..rather work made me slow down..But hey I am back and Here I go. 5 months is good enough time to keep the ball rolling..What Say!

Yet Another One :)

2009-05-30T19:41:00.005-04:00

Been arrested? No

Slept in until 5 PM? Yes

Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes

Held a snake? No

Been suspended from school? No...but came close to being thrown out.

Sang karaoke? Yes

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

Flown on a plane? Yes

Been on a cruise? Yes

Have any regrets in life? Yes

Sang in the shower? Yes

Sat on a rooftop? Yes

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? No

Broken a bone? Yes

Shaved your head? Yes..I was 2 :)

Blacked out from drinking? Yes

Played a prank on someone? Yes

Felt like killing someone? Yes

Been in a band? Yes..Rockband counts..and so does choir at school :)

Shot a gun? No

Donated Blood? Yes

Eaten alligator meat? No

Eaten cheesecake? Yes

Still love someone you shouldn't? Yes

Think about the future? Yes

Believe in love? Yes

Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Yes

S&TC and me..

2009-05-29T20:57:00.002-04:00

So I am back from yet another fantastic trip with my boys. It was the best time ever and I am sure to put up a detailed account of what it was like , once I get over my exhaustion from being over worked. In the meantime, it is yet another Friday night. One might wonder what a 26 year old "single" girl does to entertain herself..here is your answer- dressed in my very comfy pajamas, sitting (rather lying) in my very cozy bed, with a large pizza ordered and watching a marathon of Sex And The City...

And yes, let me just add, that this is by choice :)

Will be back very soon...

Changes...

2009-04-27T12:58:00.002-04:00

It’s been a wonderful past weekend. The temperate was up in the eighties and I had practically no work to do. Saturday, we decided to hit the casino and had a lot of fun... and well..I just lost 45 bucks..so I am not complaining. Sunday was a whole different story. The entire day was spent just sitting on the back deck with some good food, just chatting, relaxing and all those small little things that good weather brings out in you.

This got me thinking how much I love the change of seasons. I live in Boston, the city of a long harsh winter every year, but then seriously I just love it. I don’t think I would like to live in a place with the same weather the year round. I need change. Although I admit that a shorter winter wouldn’t hurt. Then again, the coming of spring makes me so happy. I like to see the winter give away to greenery, and lots of colors. Then comes the summer. Believe me, I haven’t seen a more gorgeous city in the summer. The summer months are such that every weekend brings with it some thing new to do, whether it’s going to the beach, canoeing, hiking and what not. It’s a lovely feeling to put the clothes away and get into shorts/skirts everyday. Fall never fails to disappoint me. Cool breezy days, beautiful colors which just make you happy and long drives…It’s a complete package. And then we are back to winter, and yes, I always love the first snow. There is no doubt about it. It makes me very happy and gets me all excited. Even the long harsh winter is something that I embrace and try to make the most of (all the hot soup, spicy food).
I think of places where its summer all year round, or just winter all year round and I am more and more sure of the fact that although they may be great places, they are really not for me. I need change. The changing seasons just make me appreciate the next one.

Soup Nazi!

2009-04-09T20:59:00.002-04:00

What is the one place where you do not want to have rude/mean people around? Think! It is a food place like a restaurant or a cafeteria. I certainly want friendly welcoming faces to greet me when I am buying food to eat. But no! It's me right, so something has to happen.

My office has a very good cafeteria with a vast variety of food to pick from.There are stations all across the cafe each serving different kind of food- salad bar, deli, grill, soup etc. There is also one station which serves the entree of the day. Now some of the entrees that the cafeteria has are simply delicious and I make sure I get them, like the burrito, noodle bowl and the taco salad. Also I like my burrito without the outer cover, my noodle bowl extra spicy and my taco salad without the outside shell (I simply cannot eat the whole shell and end up wasting it-something I hate to do). Anyways so there is this one man who is always there at the entree station who is in simple words- loud and angry! And poor me, everytime my turn comes up, I get this fellow to put together my entree. So when I try to tell him my selection, the man either does not hear, or hears incorrectly , or even if he hears, he decides to do what he wants leaving me no other choice than to correct him and then you should see his face! Its like a red tomato with irritation written all over it. A while back I used to be scared to go get my order if he was the server, but now its just a laughing matter. So now whenever I go up to the counter, before he can open his mouth, I almost yell out my order to him and repeat is atleast 2 times to make sure he knows. I guess this has worked well, because I haven't been yelled at much lately. This is not only my story but alot of people go through the same thing. The crabby old man - aptly named by my colleagues- is something else. If you are not careful, he just might take the pleasure of eating good food away from you.

But this is not it. After getting the food, we need to go to the counter to pay for it. That is where the real monster is! This old woman, who is so mean that she would put Cinderella's step mother to shame. She is just loud and rude, and if you miss out ontelling her that you got cheese added to your burger, then you are better dead, than in front of her. She will tell you that you have to inform her what you get correctly in such a way, that it will look like you were purposely trying to pay less for your food. I avoid her most of the times and go to some other counter with some other cashier. But today was heights. There was a single line at the counter and she was the only cashier. I had no other choice and there were a bunch of people behind me too. Here is my conversation-

Mean Old Witch - What do you have in there?

Poor Little Me- Taco salad

MOW - Open the box *as if I am trying to steal food*

I opened the box.

MOW- You are goign to eat all of that *with a super shocked expression*

Poor Lil Me- Yes, I am very hungry!

MOW - OH MY GOD! *so loudly that all the people turned around to look*

Trust me , it was so embarassing! I did not knwo what to do. If it was not work my reply would have been - " Yeah , I eat that much, maybe you eat half as much, but even then how are you double in size than me!!!"

There are a ton of other classic stories about this lady. If I start off with those, this post will go on endlessly. But in short, see the kind of samples I have to deal with! That too when I am getting my food-my love.

Anxiety..

2009-04-05T21:19:00.002-04:00

I am anxious, worried, nervous and all such things. I have been meaning to do this for a long time and never really had the guts to go ahead with it. I have done more scary and daring things in the past and compared to those, this one seems trivial, but then what can I say! I am very very scared.

I need someone to tell me it will all be ok. I need someone to stand by my side while I go through with this. I need someone to be there who I can look up to when this is not going as planned.

The day is going to be sometime this week , when I take upon myself this task that I am dreading-

Cooking Ginger Chicken :)

Have You?

2009-04-02T22:12:00.003-04:00

Have you...

..ever felt beautiful, just because that one person looked at you.
..ever felt like you could just stand up and reach the sky.
..ever felt that you made someone very proud.
..ever felt like being with someone no matter how impractical it is.
..ever felt like you are in another world while you read a book.
..ever felt like leaving it all behind and just walking off to some where new.
..ever felt like you were 16 all over again.
..ever felt like your heart made way more sense than your head.
..ever felt like you could love him/her, no matter what happened in the past.
..ever felt like nothing else mattered.
..ever felt like the only time you were free was when you were trapped.

If yes...then I am sure you have read "Twilight" :)

Cannot Wait..

2009-03-08T23:17:00.001-04:00

..For the good times that seem to be around the corner.

10 Things You Will Never Hear Me Say..

2009-03-07T19:20:00.002-05:00

So I am sick and sitting at home on this gorgeous Saturday evening. Its 55 degree Fahrenheit outside, a temperature that is rare for Boston in the first week of March, but me, I am all feverish with a running nose and a sore throat. So I was online and talking to one of my favorite gal pals, and we just ended up talking about some things we will never ever say, no matter what. Here are my 10 :-

1. Oh look at that girls makeup, I have to ask her how she does it.
2. That has too much fat and calories, I am not eating that.
3. I cannot take that trip, it will be tiring.
4. I wish I was as thin as she is, or as pretty as she is, or as tall as she is.
5. Let me play that video game where I can kill a ton of people.
6. I don't mind PMS.
7. Sorry I cannot dance because I have a swollen ankle, stomach cramps or any other physical injuries.
8. I am an awesome singer.
9. I only buy full price branded clothing, sales are for the poor.
10. I love Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

The Joy Of Photographs

2009-03-07T18:54:00.002-05:00

I have been someone who has always enjoyed photographs. Just looking through old photographs cheers me up immensely. The snapshots of all good times spent with friends and family make me very nostalgic and happy. At home I have prints of all the pictures taken from the time my parents got married, to me being born, to all the annual vacations we took. My mom has actually got each of these snaps arrange din albums according to dates and events. I remember when I used to come back from my boarding school, one day of my vacation would be spent in pulling out all the old albums, looking at the snaps and then changing all the pictures in all the photo frames around my house. Just doing that would make my day.

Over the years, there have been so many different gadgets that have become popular. My favorite out of these is the digital camera! The ease of taking a large number of snaps and not worrying about wasting the film is pure joy to me. I can just snap away and then later delete the ones I don't like or just keep them all. I have over 60-80 GB of snaps in my hard drive from the time I acquired a digital camera in my Grad school. any event or trip that we took, I made sure I had all the snaps with me. even to date, people who are looking for some pictures from some event in Rolla call me and confidently tell me to forward them certain pictures without even bothering to ask me if I have them. And their assumption is correct 99% of the time.

On any day when I am a little down and out, all I have to do is go through all the snaps that I have of my family and friends and I am cheerful again. I like to call it the photo therapy. If you haven't tried it, then I suggest sometime you should :)

Taste That Gets You Started Up..Taste That Gets You Going On...

2009-02-22T13:47:00.003-05:00

I love Coffee. I am an addict, even if I say so myself. I love the aroma, the taste the warm feeling, basically everything associated with a good cup of coffee. I have always been a coffee fan.. I remember, when I was a little girl, my Dad and Mom would have their cups of coffee once in a while and give me a sip out of it. And on the days that I was a good girl, my mom would give me my glass of milk with coffee added to it, rather than Bournvita (I have always hated milk). I loved those mornings. As I grew up, my love for coffee kept growing. Now it has reached a point where I cannot start thinking in the morning without my cup of coffee.

The way I like my coffee is simple- just black, strong, hot and sweet. No milk or cream added to it. Starbucks actually does an awesome job with their dark roasts like Sumatra or French Roast. One tall glass of either of those in the morning and my day is made. But do not get me wrong. Its not that I just like fancy Starbucks coffee. My all time favorite is the simple Nescafe. I have grown up with the Nescafe add jingle being one of my favourites. At home I always have my nescafe jar ready. The instant coffee just works for me.

I remember when I was in Grad school, the coffee front the gas station was my life. Everyday at least twice I visited Mobil to get my cup of coffee, be it summer, rain or snow. You see I was a poor grad student. I could not afford to drink expensive coffee from Cup o' Joes in the student center all the time. But the Mobil coffee never disappointed me. Alot of people have made faces when I told them I drank gas station coffee happily for two years, but i don't care. It was just very good. All you Rolla people will agree with me.

Now that I can afford to buy Starbucks everyday, I make it a point that I do. Just for the pure love of it. Now it's not that I can drink any coffee. Dunkin Donuts coffee makes me sick. I am not lying when I say that I throw up after having their brewed coffee. Another brand of cofee that I love is Barista coffee back in India. It's expensive as some might say but it was very good.

Again there are too many varieties like lattes, mocha, cappuccinos, espresso etc, but I for one like my plain regular black coffee. Give it to me any time of the day and I will drink it up happily. So for me to have a good day, the key ingredient is a good hot cup of coffee- as simple as that.

Random Trivia About ME :)

2009-02-22T11:16:00.004-05:00

So I was tagged by my best buddy on Facebook to write 25 random things about myself. I decided to do it here in this space rather than on facebook. So here are some lesser known random things about me:-

I am proud of the fact that I can speak in Hindi better than most of my friends.
I love non veg food. This includes all meat, and alot of fish.There is nothing better.
I hate people who use "GRE" words in their general talk. Come on. Be normal. This need to show off your super rich vocabulary is just stupid. It's nice to be simple. Also I hate people who try to be all intellectual. They simply bore me.
I am a coffee addict. My day does not being without it.
I love clothes, but I only started buying my own clothes my way after I started making money, i.e. during Grad school. Before that I just let my parents buy stuff for me. But now I love to shop and have a good wardrobe..and I am proud of it.
I love to read. I feel it is the best thing to do.
I hate the British accent.
I cannot understand how people categorize people based on their taste in music and movies. I think people who do that are stupid.
When I like something I try very hard at it. Otherwise I don't care. I know its a weakness, but I am ok with it.
I like to know stuff, but not necessarily use it or talk about it all the time.
I love my annual trips with my Rolla friends. Everytime we are ending one, I already start planning the next one in my head.
I love heights and water. I absolutely hate closed spaces though.
I love most my good friends unconditionally.If you are in that list you can get me to do anything for you.
I love birthdays, and Christmas, and Diwali and Valentine's...all of them have presents :)
I cannot leave unwashed dishes in the sink. It makes me sick.
I cannot eat Bhaturas at any place, other than the ones my mom makes. Rest of them make me pukish.
I have travelled almost all of India and now I am on my way doing the same with the United States. I love travelling.
Horror movies scare the shit out of me. Maybe not at that time, but later in the night. I even have nightmares after watching them, and for some reason I still end up watching a few.
I absolutely hate reptiles. No way can I go near one.
I do NOT forgive easily.
I have jumped out of windows to bunk classes in undergrad. I have also been caught once doing that.
I have very few close girl pals. But those girls are my best friends and I love them more than any of my other friends.
I hate the obsession with being stick thin. I think if you can make clothes look good on you, then you are doing just fine.
Most of the space on my hard drive is taken over by snaps. I love pictures. There is nothing better than pics to save your memories.
I don't ask unnecessary questions to people I am not concerned or interested in. If there is someone telling me something , I will just listen to it. And then later forget about it.

Pretty -Not Pretty

2009-02-10T20:21:00.005-05:00

I have had this argument with almost all of my guy pals that according to then I just do not find any women pretty. I beg to disagree. So just to put a stop to this I decided to let you all know that these are the women I do find pretty/beautiful/hot.

1. Bipasha Basu
2. Catherine Zeta Jones
3. Madhuri Dixit
4. Sushmita Sen
5. Jeniffer Aniston
6. Audrey Hepburn
7. Drew Barrymore
8. Sonam Kapoor
9. Beyonce
10. Demi Moore
11. Jennifer Connelley

These are a few that came to my head now. So boys...anytime you say Aishwarya Rai/ Deepika Padukone..and I say yuck...remember I have my own standards :P

P.S- edited to add Charlize Theron to the list.

Ooh Yeah..Nah Not really...Yes! Maybe .

2009-02-01T22:59:00.007-05:00

After a very long time I am back, and I am starting off by flicking this fun post from Ravan :). It says 105 questions but they really aren't that many.

1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?

No.

2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?

26 years and counting...obviously my parents...

3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?

A pair of Levis (Daddy dearest).

4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE?

Yes

5. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT?

Well,before I went on my India trip :P

6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?

Clothes...is that even a question to ask me?

7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?

Mutton and rice

8. FIRST THINGS YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?

Butt :P

9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?

Iris- Goo Goo Dolls

10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

22 Chestnut Street , Apt 1 or 35 Crescent Street Apt 212, Waltham, MA

11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:

All Saints' College, Nainital

12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER:

AT&T

13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:

Ann Taylor and Banana Republic

14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD:

Past 1.5 years @ State Street

15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?

Yes

16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?

What Rubbish. No!

17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED:

28th December 2008 :)

18. FIRST FRIEND YOU’D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY:

Gerard.

19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Hmm...Amit- Thanksgiving 08', Pravin - Dec 08', Devang - July 08', Ravan - March 08, Moumita - Dec 08' and Gerard 2 minutes back in the living room.

20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT:

Mc Donalds :)

21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD:

"Didn't invite you as I did not have your email address"

23. WHERE’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?

At home :)

24. CAN YOU COOK?

Of course yes..I am a good cook, and my friends will vouch for that

25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?

None right now.Will have a Mini Copper very soon

26. BEST KISSER?

Hehehe..I am not telling. The person knows already

27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

This morning, I was in terrible pain.

28. MOST DISLIKED FOODS:

Pumpkin.

29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:

I am independent and I am very loyal to the people I love ( yeah..2 things)

30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:

Impatient.

32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?

2 Days straight for my Communications project. Come on I was a Grad Student.

33. FAVORITE MOVIE?

Too many but from the top of my head LOTR...

34. CAN YOU SING?

Yeah , in the shower and humanity should be glad for that

35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED?

Pearl Jam in Boston last year

36. LAST KISS?

Not too long ago :)

37. LAST MOVIE RENTED:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

38. THINGS YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT?

Keys.

39. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT:

Miami

43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?

Laptop.

44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?

Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing

45. DO YOU SMOKE?

Yuck..never

46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?

depends where I am , but mostly with clothes.

47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?

Me , myself and I

48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?

Yes they do! I have friends proving that.

49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?

Never

50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?

French Toast

51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?

Ooh, can't live without it. I am an addict

52 HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?

Any form..I love eggs.

53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?

No. But it sure is alot of fun.

54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Praveen Gk

55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?

Jerry.

56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED?

"Am Heading up to the cafeteria"- on Friday by a colleague.

58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?

Two

59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?

A black and white polka dotted night suit :)

60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC:

"who are you..who-ooh, who-ooh" - the CSI title track ( I just watched an episode)

61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?:

Blackberry

62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?

YES

63. CAN YOU SWIM?

I could when I was 6 years old. After that I havent really tied, I go in water with a bunch of people always who are so tall and I can hang onto them if it gets too deep.

64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Chocolate - Vanilla Combo.

65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS?

Yes. I love reading maps.

66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:

I do not ask too many questions.

68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?

Yes.

69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?

Fall In Rolla and Boston

70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID?

Today

71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING?

11 am

72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?

Sweaters.

73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?

Never.

75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?

Haven't had one, but want a pug who I will call "Dingo" or "Humpy" :P

76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?

Super Cool..Have you not seen Depp!

77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND?

Lazing and cooking.

78. BIRTH DATE?

24th Nov

79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE:

A total WTF question.

85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?

Yes.

87. ARE YOU SMILING?

No, I am alone in a room, I will be crazy if I am smiling for no reason.

89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW?

No.

90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU GO?

Home

92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Naah...

93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?

Yes.

94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME?

I like the names "Aditya" and "Tania". Common but nice.

95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR SWIMMING SUIT?

Black

96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?

No my school started in March!

97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?

OOH yeah..I was in India baby!!

8. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?

No

99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER?

No.

100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?

What upstairs? This is the ground floor..

101. ARE YOU IN LOVE?

Yes, with alot of things and people...

102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL?

Yes.But only once for myself.

103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW?

Yes

104. WHO IS IT?

All the people mentioned in Q 19.

105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS?

Put on an episode of friends and then sleep off.

Heights!!

2008-12-22T14:21:00.003-05:00

Ok, this is heights of dumbness! Read the interview...

Read the second and the third question.

A White City.

2008-12-21T20:04:00.003-05:00

I have had a crazy busy past week. Apparently work just decided to pile itself on me a week before my India trip is due. I worked and worked and managed to get most of it done. The came Friday.

Living in Boston, one has to be totally prepared for frigid winters and lots and lots of snow. So we had been hearing about the snow storm for the past few days. Because of this I even had to cancel my New York trip to see one of my best friends. But I just could not get myself to take chances with road travel with the kind of storms we have in this area.

So Friday morning came, and wit it came the sun and cold wind. Still it gave away nothing of what was in store for the rest of the weekend. As soon as I got to work, i saw that half the floor was empty. Either people were on leave or were working from home. Then at noon my boss came to all of us and just asked all of us to be gone before the snow starts.

So like everyone else, I left work around one when the snow started. By the time I had made it to Waltham, it was very heavy and everything around me seemed white! And then it started...storm or no storm..I was playing in the snow. After a long time, when i could barely see due to the heavy snow fall , I headed home.

From then on, it was just sitting at home, with hot food, hot drinks, and and alot of TV. I am not kidding when I tell you that I have watched around 10 episodes of Battlestar Galactica, about seven Friends' episodes, around 2 movies, in a period of 3 days! Due to all this snow, apparently I kept feeling hungry. And as a result, I also ended up cooking quite a few things over the weekend. So basically with the layers and layers of white snow outside, I have stayed warm indoors and my best pastime has been food and TV.

But now that the weekend is over, I have to get my ass back to work tomorrow on a freezing cold Monday morning. The only thing that looks bright now is three more working days until I fly off to India and say bye bye to this white city for three weeks.

Really Mr. Chopra!!!

2008-12-15T13:10:00.003-05:00

I am a huge Shahrukh Khan fan. I am also a big fan of movies in general and I love romantic movies. DDLJ is my all time favourite. Now that being said, all I can say about the latest offering from the Chopra house, "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi", is WTF!!!!! Seriously!

I promised a very dear friend that I would write a review, but as I started writing this post, I could not come up with anything to review. The movie is so bad that I, who can sit through any SRK movie wanted to get up and walk out. The lamest storyline, bad direction, no class. I know people have always said that the Chopras and Johars should make something different. I didn't care much because I felt that atleast they make the love stories well. But movies like Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi have brought me to a point that I cannot simply trust these film makers with romantic movies ever again.

All I can say is, stop making junk! and stop wasting the talent of Shahrukh Khan with this crap.

Chick Flicks!

2008-12-04T15:09:00.004-05:00

Ok I admit it! I love chick flicks. I am a movie buff. I love all kinds of movies. Chick flicks are fun and always have happy endings. What's not to like? Alot of my male friends will disagree, but then I don't care. many have the opinion that only "serious" movies are good movies. I strongly disagree. In my view any thing that you enjoy while you watch it, or touches you in some way is a good movie. One does not become a smarter person by only watching documentaries, and similarly your intelligence will not decrease if you see some light fun chick flick.Here are a few of my favourite ones:-

1. Father of the Bride 1 & 2

2. Charlie's Angels

3. Never Been Kissed

4. Legally Blonde (the first one)

5. The Wedding Planner

6. My Best Friends' Wedding

7. Notting Hill

8. While you were sleeping

9. Sleepless in Seattle

10. Princess' Diaries

11. When Harry met Sally

12. Bridget Jones' Diary

13. Nine Months

14. Four Weddings and a Funeral

15. A Walk In the Clouds

Timepass!!

2008-12-03T11:03:00.004-05:00

Someone sent me this on my email as a forward and I decided to put in on my blog. Fun Fun ...
1. Name the one person who made you laugh last night?
Easy..Jerry
2. What were you doing at 0800?
Standing on the platform at Waltham station waiting for my train.
3. What were you doing 30 mins ago?
Working.
4. What happened in 2006?
I made a fool of myself several times, and even then got my Masters' Degree.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
Yes!!
6. How many beverages have you had today?
A tall Starbucks coffee. So 1.
7. What color is your hairbrush?
Black
8. What was the last thing you paid for?
My Coffee.
9. Where were you last night?
@home
10. What color is your front door?
White with a golden handle.
11. Where do you keep your change?
In the zipped pocket of my wallet and my desk at work.
12. What’s the weather like today?
Freezing..-6 degree Celsius.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
oooh..vanilla and chocolate mixed.
14. What excites you?
Surprises.
15. Do you want to cut your hair?
Yeah...isn't that obvious.
16. Are you over the age of 25?
Yup and I have no regrets.
17. Do you talk a lot?
yes..a little too much
18. Do you watch the O.C.?
No
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Yes
20. Do you make up your own words?
All the time!!
21. Are you a jealous person?
Yes, but very rarely.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.
Abhishek.
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.
Kriti
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
Sameer.
25. What does the last text message you received say?
"Check your email"
26. Do you chew on your straw?
Yuck..no
27. Do you have curly hair?
I have weird hair..and yes it is slightly curly.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
New York City.
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
I don not really care about such people to put it here.
30. What was the last thing you ate?
Noodles ..last night.
31. Will you get married in the future?
Lets hope I do!!
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
I watched Ice Age and loved it..yet again!
33. Is there anyone you like right now?
Yes!
34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Last Night.
35. Are you currently depressed?
No.
36. Did you cry today?
No.
37. Why did you answer this?
I am jobless for the next half hour till I go to lunch and this seemed like fun.

Just One Of Those Days...

2008-11-17T13:21:00.002-05:00

Day – Monday
Time- 1:16
Place- My cubicle.
Feeling – Pure frustration for something I really want and I still have to wait for it.

Miss Happy Days ….

Office Musings.

2008-11-06T13:58:00.004-05:00

I consider myself very very lucky because I have very like minded colleagues at work. They all LOVE food. All of them are willing to try new and different cuisines anytime and anywhere. Not only do we love to eat, but we also love to cook AND talk about food. And no..none of us are very fat or obese.

So this morning a very dear friend of mine pinged me on the office messenger with a link to this blog which was all about food!! Not only did it have recipes, it also has pictures of the step by step preparation of the dish and also the finished dish. I must give full credit to the person whose blog it was, the dishes looked so delicious that it made my mouth water. Not only that, my friend also forwarded the link to the usual gang at work and within the next 5 minutes there was a chain of email doing rounds. If anyone read those emails, they would surely think that none of us had eaten breakfast, or dinner the previous night (which btw is highly unlikely). We have no idea where the time flew after that and mail after mail with the funniest things kept filling our inbox.Eventually we got so hungry that we ended up going for lunch about 10 minutes earlier than usual.

And after we had finished lunch, we had very satisfied smiles and a very full stomach. Moral of the story- no work accomplished all morning.

My Wii!!!

2008-10-28T15:09:00.006-04:00

Yes! I am very very excited about my Wii. Those of you who know me, already know that this is very normal. I tend to get excited about small things, so receiving a wii is actually big enough to keep me jumping up and down 24x7.

On last Friday, when I opened the huge box, and pulled out my Wii, I was so excited. There were two boxes inside the huge big carton. One was the Wii Controller, with the Wii Sports games cd and the other the Wii Fit board and the fitness games cd. It was so clean and white, that I almost did not want Jerry to touch it (I tend to consider myself much cleaner, so obviously I was allowed to touch it). We were supposed to go over to a friend's place for dinner, and I always like to be on time, but then my excitement got the better of me. I started connecting it up by myself. Trsut me when I say that I can easily hook up any electronic good and make it work, but then I never do so now as I live with the god of techie stuff, and I let him handle all of it. So within 5 mins my wii was hooked up and ready to go. The first game I started with was bowling. Well when it comes to going to out for bowling, I suck!!! But here I was the queen. Strike after strike, and the score just kept increasing. I am sure all of you know how the wii is played so I am not going into the details of that at all. Then next i tried my hand at tennis. It was just so much fun. By then we were already so late for dinner, that Jerry literally had to drag me out of the house.

Fortunately the next day was Saturday, and Jerry was going to be at work all day. For the first time ever I did not even ask him why he has to go. I cleaned up the living room and hooked up my wii fit too. And after that, there was no looking back. I made my way through yoga, running, aerobics, balancing exercises etc. etc. for the next 4-5 hours along with the other games like baseball, golf, tennis, boxing !!!! I have to tell you, that one might think that the wii fit is all fun and games, but actually it gives a very very good workout. even spending about 45 mins everyday can improve anyone's fitness in a month's time. Also everything is so much more fun due to the animations and the music. I had a blast playing with it all day even though at the end of it, I had sore arms and painful calf muscles (which just shows that I have to work to improve my fitness level).

Now I play for an average for around 2 hours everyday, balancing between exercises and games. I actually have never been a video games enthusiast, but I am loving the wii and the games that I play on it. It does not have all the war games with all guns and blood in it. Instead, it has alot of real games which I used to play outdoors alot. So I just want to let the guys know how much I love the wii..and how much I love them.

My Very Latest Love!!

2008-10-26T01:44:00.002-04:00

Yoohoo!!!! I have been gifted (way in advance) the Nintendo Wii for my birthday!!! And I cannot get enough of it..I will be back soon with a detailed post once I have tried all possible games that I have as of now!!!

XOXO

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things.

2008-10-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

We generally do not realize how very simple things make us happy on an everyday basis. Again, we also fail to realize how very big things give us such little happiness. Anyways here are a few things, big or small, that make me very happy every once in a while.

- A long email from an All C’ friend who I haven’t talked to in years.
- Mom and Dad telling me they got me more Indian clothes..just like that.
- Seeing my friends actually enjoy the gifts I get for them.
- Getting calls from people who just want to check if I am doing ok, after seeing some kind of a sad status message on Facebook.
- Getting my favorite breakfast made for me on Sunday mornings (that is nothing but bread and eggs with a cup of black , strong and sweet coffee)
- Planning trips on the fly.
- My boss baking brownies and bringing them to work. (Trust me these are the world’s best brownies).
- Watching an episode of FRIENDS every day before going to bed.
- Going randomly to the mall and just finding the absolute right thing on sale.
- The watchman for the state Street Parking who says “Hi Sunshine” every time I pass by.
- Having very hot coffee on a very cold day.
- Getting good food in a small restaurant.
- Those rare laid back Friday nights at home with a good movie, Mc Donald’s’ quarter pounder and a bottle of beer.
- Looking at snaps on my laptop for hours.
- Cooking for a ton of people and seeing that they enjoy the food.
- Not cooking at all on a weekday and just sitting back on the couch and eating frozen pizza (this happens very rarely, but when it does I am happy).

Much Shopping...About Nothing!

2008-10-16T13:54:00.004-04:00

Being in America these days is scary. I am sure all you people out there working/not working will agree. With all this stuff happening, like job cuts, crashing markets etc, I am sure we are not in the best of times. So, a colleague/friend of mine and me decided to give a boost to the economy, and go shopping: P

So on this Monday evening, at 5 p.m. we left our office to go around the shops in Boston Downtown. These include Macys, H&M, Payless Shoe store, DSW Show Warehouse, TJ Maxx and Marshalls primarily. I was fully enthusiastic and was ready to shell out moolah to buy myself a super sexy pair of boots and some nice clothes. Now when we stepped out of office, we could tell something was different. Then the realization dawned upon us, that not only was it “Columbus Day” (it’s a day off for government offices and of course some other companies, but unfortunately we do not get this day off), there was also a red sox game that was on. So basically, downtown was not too crowded. I was very happy and told my friend-“don’t worry, this is good for us. We won’t have to run into hoards of people trying to buy clothes.”

Anyways, so the first place we went to was this jewelry shop which is one of my favorite places to satisfy this huge craze I have for earrings, and within 10 minutes I was out of the shop, very happy and satisfied with these beautiful pair of earrings that I found for 5 bucks!! So this seemed like a very good way to kick start my shopping. Little did I know I was in for a huge disappointment later. The next stop was at Payless show store. Already for some reason, they do not have too much variety in size 6, which unfortunately is my shoe size. After a lot of hunting I found this quite smart pair of knee high boots. I tried them on and my friend was like – “You absolutely must get them, they look so neat”. I was all happy until I checked the price. Now let me warn you before, the reason I go to payless is to buy cheap shoes. If I had to buy expensive shoes, I would head to Aldo or Nine West. These boots at payless were like 50 bucks! Why in God’s name am I going to spend 50 bucks on some random shoe brand? So that was the end of it there.

Next we went to TJ Maxx that is right across the road. Now both my friend and I were in the mood to get nice purses/office bags. And the moment we reached the bag section, we were greeted by this super bright array of red/yellow/green. And trust me when I say that not even one design was worth the price. A yellow hundred dollar bag! How can one go to office with that? Anyways so we moved to the clothing and shoe section. See, I love to shop. But it completely turns me off if the clothes and shoes in any store are just thrown together in a mess. This is exactly what TJ Maxx is all about. A huge big mess. If you have hours of free time and energy, it is a good idea to go there and hunt for a good bargain. Otherwise this place will leave you frustrated. We tried to be a little systematic in our hunt, but after about half an hour, we had given up. And there and then we decided we are not going to Marshalls! This was enough.

Finally, to feel good about our shopping skills, we made a stop in H&M. I love this store you know. Clothes, nice clothes and lots of them. We did a lot of browsing, a lot of trying on and everything. The only problem was that I got my heart set on this 99 dollars coat, and because I had not planned on spending so much money, I did not buy it. But anyways, I ended up buying this super cute winter hat and gloves for myself.

After that we made a pit stop at DSW, and obviously did not like anything. Then we headed over to south station at around 7 p.m, rewarded ourselves with jalapenos pretzels from Auntie Anne’s and headed back home.

Now, I do realize that this was not the best shopping for the 2 hours I spent in the stores. My cap fitted me well and fortunately looked pretty cute too. So I guess I did not do that bad. Now I am going again tonight, to get some clothes. Hopefully I have better luck!

Just Realised!!!

2008-10-08T11:09:00.003-04:00

I just realised what I am!!! A mumble -jumble of contradictions!
Fiercely independent, yet totally emotional. A total fighter, yet a silly escapist. A rebel to the core, yet strangely obedient. All for being single, yet hopelessly romantic. Defying all rules of a conventional society, yet mindlessly conventional. All for outdoors, yet love to stay at home.

This pretty much defines me. Seen anything this strange??

Nainital..My Home, Away From Home.

2008-10-05T19:46:00.010-04:00

This weekend I , with a bunch of friends went to White Mountains , New Hampshire for a day trip. It was a beautiful trip comprising of hiking along a beautiful river, some vibrant fall colors, and most importantly a cable car trip to the top of Cannon Mountains. The last bit of my trip reminded me of my days in one of the most beautiful towns in India- Nainital.

Nainital is a small town up in the state of Uttranchal (earlier Uttar Pradesh) , up in the Himalayas. It is a major tourist town, with the most beautiful places in and around it. I have been very very fortunate to spend most of my childhood and teenage life there. I went to All Saints' College, one of the famous boarding schools in North India, for my junior and senior school education. I have spent 7 years of my life in Nainital. It was always home away from home.

Nainital gets it's name from the 'taal' or lake that is situated in the center of the town surrounded by mountains on all sides.t is also believed that Naini Lake is one of the 64 religious sites where parts of the charred body of Parvati fell on earth while being carried by Shiva. The spot where her eyes (nain) fell is known to be Naini-tal.

The Naina Devi temple is on the western side of the lake and if always full of visitors. Along side the temple is this huge flat area called - 'The Flats'. The flats have a series of small shops, the Tibetan Market, the very famous momo shop, alot of places to sit and enjoy chai and bun tikki, noodles, and soup. There are also tons of vendors selling cotton candy and imli pachak that I have grown up eating. The beautiful boathouse club is along one bank and from there itself tons of boat rides are available for people to go boating in. One can chose from numerous brightly coloured paddle boats, or rowing boats which ofcourse have their own boatmen. You can take an hour long boating tour all along the lake. It is an amazing feeling.

On one side there is a point high up on the mountains called " Snow View Point" . One of the ways to get to the snow view point is the trolley cable car. This obviously is the most popular one for all the people who visit Nainital. after the 10 minute ride when you reach up, the view of the snow capped Himalayas is spectacular. Also spectacular is the hot bun tikkis and samosas you get there. Trust me when I say I haven't eaten any snack which is more delicious. In my 7 year stay in Nainital, I must have gone up to Snow View atleast 25 times, just for the bun tikkis.

Also there are numerous other places up in the hills like Tiffin Top, Naina Peak, Gurney House and the beautiful Governor House. Along the lake runs the Mall Road with numerous hotels , both cheap and expensive, lots of shops, restaurants, video game arcades etc etc. Any and everything that a tourist spot desires, Nainital has!! No wonder it attracts both Indians and foreigners in equal volumes.

Another very important thing about Nainital is that it is the home of some of the best schools in India. Four schools from the British persiod continue to exist there today. Sherwood College, All Saints' College (my Alma mater), St. Mary's Convent and St Joseph's College are some of the oldest schools in India. Also newer schools like Amtul's Public School and Birla Vidya Mandir add to the list of centers of excellent education. All these schools are primarily boarding schools with children form all over the country and a few from abroad. Many people say that other than its beauty, it's these schools and the students that make Naital what it is. The business of all taxi waalas and hotels shoot up when the schools are in session with breaks in between for the parents to come and visit the kids. All restaurants offer discounts to the school kids who come for town walks. It is a whole different feeling to be a hostler, that too in a boarding school, and only one who has had this experience will understand it.

All Saints' College, Nainital

The weather here is beautiful .The summers are short and cool . Most of the times its chilly or cold. Nainital gets a good amount of snowfall in peak winters. The average maximum temperature in the summer is 23-24 degree Celsius. In the winter it can drop down to -7 degree Celsius.

The people of Nainital are simply wonderful, friendly and welcoming. even if you meet a poor rickshaw puller, he will greet you with a smile and will have a nice thing to say about this town. People are simple and hardworking. Seeing them automatically brings a smile to your face.

People always asked me, what it was like to live in a tourist spot...and my answer has always been- Nainital was home away from home!!!

images: Courtesy Google Images

The character called GK!!!

2008-10-02T10:08:00.003-04:00

The funny thing is that I seem to know alot of people who I can actually blog about!!! I have tons of friends but out of them a few simply are unique samples. One such sample is one of my dearest (also my 1st friend in the U.S.A) Praveen GK! Alright for all those of you who know this creature, this is like reading about what you already know and laughing , and for all those who do not know the fool, I think you will get a good idea after you read this.

Ok so about 3 years ago, on the fateful day of 20th August 2005, on a trip organised for all international grad students, I went to this state park called Ha Ha Tonka. I was new in Rolla and was obviously looking for people who I could be friends with...and then I run into this thin (and i really mean malnutritioned) person. I introduced myself to him and he is like -' Oh!! You are shubhika_engg? I am praveen_1981 !!!' Well these were our yahoo ids that we had used to chat while we were in India. So there it began!!!

Considering that in Rolla, everyone smart goes electrical engineering ( I should actually say , the craziest people who are totally jobless), the two of us were in the same department , under the same advisor and taking same courses. Its thanks to him that I enrolled myself for that self suicide Control Systems course and as expected ended up in the bottom 3 ( do not worry, he was there with me too).

We have spent some wonderful times together. We have chatted about everything under the roof,and i really mean everything!!! People have been amazed, scandalised, worried amused by the variety of topics we start talking about. Someone actually said that if both of us were put in a car , the others would die due to the volume of noise.

This person , very surprisingly, is quite smart and intelligent. If you see him you will never believe that this guy is brainy, but yeah looks deceive!! Also add to the list very dedicated, and yet very confused. A brilliant writer, who is my inspiration when it comes to blogging. Don't believe me, check it out for yourself right here. He lives India!!! He can talk non stop about any damn thing without ever getting tired!! has the weirdest walk and I have a video to prove it!

If Rolla was not enough, we ended up being together for more than one year in Boston! Trust me when I say that I have had most fun in Boston when this guy was around.

Oh and yes!! the funniest thing , he shares his birthday with none other than Mahatma Gandhi!! Although he is not a Gandhi fan :) . Another reason why I get along so well with him.

Although this post has turned out to be more of a testimonial for Praveen, I do not care..This is just a small way of saying Happy Birthday to you Praveen!!! and I hope you realise how much you mean to me !!!!

Cough and Cold...Ugh!!!

2008-09-26T22:23:00.002-04:00

I can get through a fever easily. I can handle back aches, stomach aches..but there is one thing that bugs me more than anyting else....cough and cold. Blocked nose, heavy head, itchy dry throat and then cough with flem. I mean this is the meanest virus to hit my body. My dad was amazed as to how i managed to get a cough and cold every now and then when I was back in India. Once I came to the U.S. this reduced considerably. But once again , for the past 10 days I have been sinffing and coughing through out the days and trying to sleep while i get into fits of dry coughs!!!
AAaaaaarrrg...

Fortunately I think the horrid phase is ending and I will be getting the flavors of food again :)

Come On Now PETA..Back Off !

2008-09-24T20:52:00.004-04:00

Hey don't get me wrong here!! I am all for no cruelty to animals. I really admire the work they do for animal care and everything, but today I read this bit of news that bugged me. There was an article on CNN that said that PETA has requested Ben & Jerry's to use human breast milk for their products instead of cow's milk.
Are the freakkin kidding us!!! It seems they have been inspired by some company in Switzerland that has been using human milk.

Doing good service is one thing, insanity , on the other hand is another!!!!

I am...

2008-09-22T21:01:00.005-04:00

I love Mom Dad.
I love food.
I love colors especially red.
I love my friends.
I love F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
I love my independence.
I love talking.
I love shopping.
I love small surprises.
I love hugs.
I love Diwali.
I love birthdays.
I love presents.
I love to sing.
I love to dance.
I love to watch my favorite movies again and again.
I love to ride a scooty.
I love to run.
I love look good.
I love to make people happy.
I love to be naughty.
I love Boston.
I love snow.
I love the stage.
I love books.
I love music.
I love comforters.
I love lights.
I love the dark.
I love water.
I love heights.

I hate politicians.
I hate "oh I am so innocent" girls.
I hate people who think they are very mature and intelligent.
I hate heat.
I hate car heaters.
I hate muck.
I hate meddlers.
I hate uncomfortable silences.
I hate guys who think they are god's gift to women.
I hate people who are bothered about what others think of them.
I hate poverty.
I hate the fact that i cannot afford all of Ann Taylor's clothes.
I hate being so far away from home.
I hate people who want to see me married NOW.
I hate people who think they are smart because they do not watch romantic movies.
I hate smoking.
I hate girls who can think of nothing but their figure.
I hate makeup.
I hate cowards.
....

This is who I am!!

A fun filled weekend and a very sore me!!

2008-09-21T22:06:00.005-04:00

I love to be the host! I have realized it over a number of occasions and I realized it yet again over this past weekend when I planned this party. I was in high spirits because there were about 15 people who I had invited and I had planned the whole thing in my head like 10 times before. But alas...3 days before saturday I was infected by the much dreaded cough cold virus ! But with the help of Nyquil and advil, I was able to host the party well eventhough at the end of it I have ended up with a sore throat so bad that even a croaking frog will sound better in front of me.

But in the end it was totally worth it because:-

everyone had a great time.
People met totally new people and gelled very well
Ipsita visited me yet again

So all said and done , a very fun filled weekend even though I was not at my best energy wise ;)

Busy Month August!!!

2008-09-10T15:56:00.010-04:00

I love to travel. I mean literally...I have known this for a long time and I believe in it even more strongly for the past one month. So August began on a very pleasant note. I visited one of my closest undergrad friends', Ipsita, in the city I know so well- New York. Other than the high of meeting my bud after a long period of 3 years, the other high was in knowing that this time ( the first time ever) I will not be standing in lines to visit any of the touristy places like the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and so forth. Now do not get me wrong, I love these places but then I have seen them like what..10 times already!! So this time my visit was entirely different. It consisted of staying up late night chatting in Ippo's hotel room while looking at the streets below, going around Manhattan shopping like crazy, eating all we could find and getting drunk with every single meal (doesn't make us sound so good..does it). We painted Manhattan red (not that it needs any more painting..and I mean it literally). So yes, it was a wonderful fun filled weekend , in the city that never ever disappoints me.

The following weekend Ippo was over in Boston and yet again like a very good host I made her tour the entire length of Boston and Cambridge showing her all the little places and the big places with equal enthusiasm. And the wonderful person that she is, no matter how much I made her walk, she never complained. The thing about living in Boston is that one ends up taking pride in it. Yes I love Boston. Everything about this city is beautiful!! And classy..and I am sure anyone who has been here will agree.

The weekend after that was one of the most fun times I have had in years!!! A weekend out with my girls!! my pals, my soul mates....Ruchi, Ipsita and Kamalika (ofcourse we missed Kriti and Anne like hell). Any guesses as to where we decided to meet??? The Windy City- Chicago..I have been to Chicago twice before and yet this time it was most fun.I went to all the places I had already been to , but just because it was "us" it was way better than going with anyone else. We did crazy things, drunken things, stupid things, wise things, shopping things and so on...there was never a shortage of things to talk about, whether it was random gossip about the lamest people form college, or discussing each other's love lives as we went from place to place in the greatest city of the midwest. How those 3 days flew by..we will never know..The only thing I know is it was awesome!!!!

After I reached back to Boston from Chicago, I was sleep deprived and tired yet one day later I was busy planning my forthcoming long weekend trip to Las Vegas! When I finally landed in Vegas after all the hype and the zillion advices from people who had been to Vegas before, I forgot what anyone had said to me. It was a different world altogether and I was loving it! Along with me were Amit, Devang , Mihir and Jerry , and oh..how can I forget Gaurang! I can count on my fingers the number of hours I slept for in those 3 nights there. The lights, the sounds, the sights..all are something that you might have heard of a million times, but all description falls short when you are actually there!! The best hotels, the most lively casinos, the best dressed people, the finest food....all make up the strip of Vegas. People say life in Vegas is all about gambling and casinos. They could not be more wrong. Vegas has so much more to offer to anyone who decides to look beyond the blackjack tables and the slot machines. The best shows, amazing shopping, fun theme rides....everything is there. Yes and of course the night life is amazing..the sexiest clubs, pubs restaurants all are open till wee hours of the morning . We being we...made it a point to enjoy every bit of Vegas!!! The strip is a 4 mile stretch and we walked down almost all of it. Vegas was an experience of a lifetime and I am ready to experience more of it..soon.

So you see I was on the road..oh well..not exactly on he road but in the air..most of the times to meet my friends and explore some of the best cities of USA. Now I am back, I have spent 3 quiet weekends at home.
And you know what I am bored...so I guess I have to start planning my next trip really soon....

"I Do..."

2008-03-18T20:13:00.007-04:00

"I do.." the two words that change a person's life forever. After the saat pheras or the saying the words I do, the best thing that happens to a person is - the presents!!! Tons and tons of them...plus the lovely clothes and jewelery etc etc. But with that also comes the responsibility of sharing your life with another person!!! Now that does not appeal to me very much.

Over the past one year all I have heard is that some friend of mine is getting married. Almost 85% of my classmates from school are married. My undergrad friends are either married or engaged and here I don't only mean the girls..guys are not far behind either. And if that is not enough, some of them are even having babies. Then comes me!!!! Whenever I think of marriage, 1001 questions come into my head, the first one being- am I mature enough!!! Anyways that doubt quickly goes away because I assure myself that I am one smart and mature girl..even though the people around me might not think so!! Everyone around me seems to be asking me as to when they are hearing my wedding bells!!! And I answer with a big smile- " Not anytime soon!". Some even ask me if there is something wrong with me because I am not even close to getting engaged!!!!

Anyways then I start thinking that if I am to get married then what would I want in the guy. Well the biggest problem with me and some of my very close friends is that we are super independent girls. When you grow up in a boarding school, you tend to be one. And then going to an engineering college makes you bolder. And if that was not enough , coming to states right after Bachelor's made it even worse. I have reached a point where I make almost all..infact all my decisions myself. They are not always right, but then I don't end up blaming others if I mess things up.

So anyways, I also think that what if the guy I end up marrying is not as social as I am. What if he does not like my friends...and asks me to not be friends with them. What if he does not like to read. What of he does not like the kind of music I do. What if his mental wavelength is not like mine!!!! So you see all these questions put me in a deeper doubt whether I even wan tot get married or not!!! It is very difficult for a person to handle me the way I am...I wouldn't want to put a person through that much torture!! And know what!! I know that some of my best gal pals will agree to what I have just said.

Well don't get me wrong. I am not dead against the idea of getting married. As I said earlier, I love the idea of a nice big wedding. And I am sure I'd be quite ok with the marriage too, if I find the kind of guy who would give me my independence and let me be ME!! So any takers out there??

Two and a Half Years Later...

2008-03-05T19:39:00.003-05:00

I came to USA in August 2005. Seems like a long long time ago. And of all people in my batch , I didnt get a chance to get to go to India in the past two and a half years. So after I went form being on F1 visa to OPT to finally getting the much desired H1-B..it was my chance to finally go to the place which I call HOME.

My adorable boss approved my 3 and a half week vacation in just a minute, even though the rule in my company is that at a time one can only go for 3 weeks at a time. I was going to be at home for the entire month of February. My shopping began from September itself. Well if i was going home after 2 and a half years I wasn't going to make anyone sad or disappointed. So finally on 31st of January 2008 I was at the Boston Logan International Airport with all my luggage ready to fly home.

The journey was long and tiring but nothing on earth could dampen my enthusiasm. Alot of people told me 10000 do's and dont's. "Don't eat from the roadside thelas...Drink Aquafina....You will be all jetlagged..so take care...You are sure to fall sick" etc etc..As my flight began its descent in Mumbai..I felt a strange feeling...I was incredibly happy yet at the same time I was wondering what my country would be like after such a long time. As soon as i landed and stepped out of the plane..a very familiar scent hit me..it was liek being back home..seriously...and when i saw the roads..the people..the chaotic traffic of Mumbai...I got a strange kind of high!! The feeling I got cannot be explained in words. I am sure all those who have been to India after living in the States for long periods feel the same way...Mumbai was not my final destination. After a 1 day stopover with my relatives in Mumbai I flew to my Patna..the city I was born it.

The moment I saw my parents waiting for me at the airport..my Dad with a big smile and Mom with that bright smile she always has and her eyes glistening with tears of joy..I felt a lump in my throat. I knew I was home among people who love me truly for who I am. When I met the rest of my family, it was like magic. I don't think I have felt this happy in years. My big suitcases emptied out within 15 minutes because they only contained presents for my family and friends. Every one was on top of th e world as I (the only daughter in the family) had bought gifts for everyone with my own salary. And I tell you that feeling is better than any other feeling, when the whole family looks at you with pride in their eyes.

After that began the saga of never ending good food, sweets, pani puris, bhel ,chicken(even though there was bird flu all over ), lassi, jalebis e.t.c. e.t.c.Food in India is the best food in the whole wide world. And for some really strange reason even after eating like a hog for one more month I did not even gain 1 kg of weight!!!! That is how wonderful home food is. During this trip I also went for a couple of days to Kolkata for my H1 B stamping. My Dad had a surprise planned for me there. He took me for dinner to 'Saurav's' , the signature restaurant of the Pride of Kolkata- Sourav Ganguly. The food there was phenomenal along with the ambiance and the price.

The funny part was I wa snot jetlagged for even a day. I ate from all possible places on the streets without falling sick. I had no trouble with the so called dust reactions (except for maybe some rashes on my face). I did not drink even a single drop of mineral water...I was drinking the usual water in my house. And I was as fit and fine as ever. As my dad always says:- "It's all in the head Beta."

The entire 3 weeks I did not go anywhere. Just stayed at home, ate good food, spent quality time with my family, watched cricket matches like any normal Indian, and cheered for India, abused the politicians, and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Now that I am back in Boston and once again pretty much settled back in my usual routine, I miss India...I miss home..and though I had gone back after 2 and a half years, my desire to return back to my land has only become stronger.

My own little world!

2007-08-26T11:55:00.000-04:00

Ever had a group of friends who meant the world to you? Ever had people who you cared for more than yourself at all times and wanted to be with them more than anything else? Well I was fortunate enough to have people like that in my life. When I came to the U.S.A about 2 years ago, I didn't know that I would find a group of people who would become so close to me that they would be more like family to me. I am goign to try and put what I feel for them in the least number of words, else I can just go on and on about each of them.

When I came to University of Missouri - Rolla in August of 2005 , I was very much looking forward to making new friends and having a good time . I am a people's person. I love to make friends and then keep them for always. So as always I had a good start in Rolla, as I made friends with some wonderful people to begin with. People in my batch seemed very friendly and nice. They were quite helpful and full of fun. Most of the people in EE ( Electrical Engineering) were taking the same classes as I was, so it was quite easy to get to know them and then hang around with them. There was this one course called Linear Control Systems (which like an idiot I signed up for) that changed my life forever. After the first class, Gk, who I had made friends with on the first day itself, and me were standing outside the classroom. So that was when Gk introduced me to these two tall lanky guys as- " Hey Shubhika, this is Pravin and this is Gerard". So there was a quick series oh his and byes and that was it. Then after that I would always give them a smile and just a quick hello. Jerry very soon dropped the course, but whenever we met on campus, we would always stand and chat for like 5 minutes. Pravin, was a different story. How him and me became close is a very very funny story. I just got a call on my cell phone one day from him asking me for the LCS notes as he thought I was the only person who took notes. Thats how we actually started talking. I asked him to help me with the course as I sucked at it , only to realize later that he was no better. But we started going around together all the time. After numerous lunches, dinners and study sessions in the library, I realized that this was one guy who I would love to call my best friend and I am sure he felt the same. It was through him that i got to know Jerry well, and believe me these two people have been my support system from that time.

My Support System

I started hanging out with both of them in the CLC and they used to be fun times. That's when I met Amit. The first time I met Amit, I got the impression that he was one very serious and focussed person. I thought he was quite a reserved guy and spoke little. It was only later after a couple of parties that I realised that Amit was every thing that I thought he was, and also alot of fun, full of life and an amazing person. After all those parties 1300 Apt 5 became like a second home to me. I was always seen there. They became a part f o my everyday life.

Pravin and me are so close that we can tell each other anything without the trouble of worrying what the other person will think. Ya, we end up upsetting each other alot, but then that's the way we are. We have seen everything together. Good times, bad times, really rotten times, but somehow through everything we have stuck together as best friends. I guess out of everyone I know, him and me are the 2 people who have got screwed up in every possible way. But that has only made us better friends. God had his own crazy way of doing things, and he gave me my best friend in the form of Pravin Dhake. That itself is a big joke!!! He cracks all his horrible Pj's on me and Yes I do end up laughing even though I give me atleast 2 whacks for each. We somehow never get bored in each other's company. The language we talk is beyond anyone else's comprehension. There were times when we went for walks at as late as 2 in the night to get donuts, or simply sat at the lake while talking about absolutely nothing. But then it was all wonderful. People sure wondered how we were such good friends and my answer to them was that there haven't been friends like him and me are and there will never be...am I not right Pravin! He is my everything for me..a friend, my daddy, my punching bag and I will always be his chota baby no matter what. I simply adore him and I am never ever going to let him go.

Amit and me got close after sometime. I used to hang around at their apartment and when ever Amit cooked I made sure I ate. That was the best food you could find in any kitchen in Rolla. I realised that this was one person who I could talk to whenever I wanted the right advice. He has always been a person who knows what he wants keeps his focus, and achieves it. That is something the rest of us lack and I really admire and respect him for it. I realised that if I had an elder brother, it would be someone exactly like Amit, and from then on he was my brother in every way. He cares for me like anything. Always tells me what si the right thing to do and if I am faltering somewhere. And yes, he is the only guy I actually listen to when I am angry or getting out of control. He has a way of calming me down and making me see the point. God alone knows how he manages that! I simply love him and respect him in every single way.

Amit....Everything a brother can be!

Then in Fall 06' two people came into my life and have stayed as a part of it forever. My little baby Devang and the crazy Ravan! When I met Devang for the first time, I felt a sense of caring and affection for him. He had come to Rolla to do his undergrad and to me he seemed like a chota bachcha. Some how I always felt that I had to take care of this kid and I always have. He is my little brother, and he loves me just like an elder sister.Both of us had some wonderful times together.
Ravan was different story. When I first met him I thought he was crazy, and boy was I right! One hell of a junglee and a complete nut case. Totally out of control. That's Ravan for you. But somehow in sometime he was a part of Apt 5 as much as any of us. Since then he has always been a good friend. Always helping and caring.
That brings me to Jerry....What he means to me and what I am to him, no words can define. We are everything for each other. I don't know which one of us cares for the other more, or which or of us misses the other more. A robot freak all the way. I have stayed nights in his lab where he has worked and worked on his circuit boards without getting bored or tired. A brilliant engineer..that's what he is. A person full of passion for his work ......and his friends. He is someone you will notice no matter what.He is someone you will respect no matter what. All I can say is I am so glad he is who he is to me. I am sure anyone who knows us knows what I feel.

This is my own little world. These guys are my family. I love each one of them and I have had the best times of my life in Rolla with them. Life was wonderful there. We were there for each other all the time. And I was the pampered one! I guess I always will be. Even though we are all apart now, it gives a sense of comfort to know that these people are my friends for life. I just need to talk to anyone of them and my day gets brighter, my troubles seem to fade away. They are my lifeline. If any one was taken away from me, I'd be lost. I consider my self so damn lucky to have met and made friends like them. Trust me !!! if you knew them, you'd feel the same.
As I sit miles away from all of you, I just wan to let you know that I miss you every single minute and wish that you willget what you want ..today and always...love you guys more than you will ever imagine!!!

The 8:08

2007-08-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

My all time favourite mode of transport has always been 'trains'. When I was back in India, The only reason why I enjoyed my journey back and forth from my undergrad to college in Nagpur, to my Hometown in Patna, was that it was a 24 hour long journey by the train. I am sure, all of us Indians can also vouch for the fact that if the Indian Railways gives the travel time of a journey as 24 hours , then it is bound to be atleast 26-28 hours. Anyways, me being me, I enjoyed every minute of my train travels back in India.

When I came to USA, I was very disappointed by the fact that I would be missing out on train travels as I was in a small town called Rolla (which I absolutely love by the way!), which had no public transport at all. But very fortunately, when I started working I moved to New Jersey, and then to Boston where the main mode of transport to get to work is Trains. In Jersey, the NJ transit trains took 15 mins to get me to my workplace. The speed at which these move really amazed me as they seem to be faster than some of the express trains back home! Then once I moved to Boston, and presently I stay in a suburb called Woburn, and the only way I can reach work on time is by taking the 8:08 a.m. commuter rail, very popularly known as the 'T'. It is the express train that stops at very limited stations , and after I board it in Woburn its a 25 mins non stop ride to Boston downtown.

Those 25 mins on the 8:08 are so interesting that I decided to dedicate a post exclusively to it and the people riding on it. Because it is an express tarin, it is jam packed with the office goers in the morning. It is most interesting to see very well dressed men and women filling into the coaches and then just trying to catch a 25 min nap.The smell of coffee floats in the coaches. The things that I admire most is the way the people of this country read! almost 90% of the people have some kind of a book that they are reading. These past few days I have seen 1 book that is there in most hands- "Harry Potter and the deathly hallows". It gave me a silly sense of pride though, that I had read it on day 1 itself. If it is not a book, then people are busy reading newspapers , or doing some sudoku or crossword puzzles. And then there are young ladies trying to put on some make up and getting all set for work. Another thing that definitely catches ones eye is that almost everyone, no matter what they are doing ( sleeping, reading or just sitting) have i-pods, and are constantly listening to some music. That made me think of the way Apple has taken over the market with this device. Every single person, no matter what the age group is, has the i-pod . Even though I am an anti mac person ( i always get raised eyebrows for this...I have some family working in Apple), I love the i-pod. But now thanks to Jerry, I have my own tiny little mizeu player and I too like all the others go to work listening to all my favourite tunes.

The view from Woburn to Downtown is very very pleasant. One comes across small suburbs which look like they are out of some book, some very English looking houses and lots of greenery, and then as the T starts nearing the station, it starts to slow down, and then the buildings of downtown come into picture. Its a beautiful view. The Charles river flows alongside with beautiful boats. It is then that the whole coach stirs up. people get ready to get up and run, either to buses or the subways to reach their office. Suddenly the whole quite mood of the train is charged up. As soon as it stops on the platform, people just rush out and literally run, and I am one of them too.....

Today......

2007-08-15T12:35:00.000-04:00

15th August 2007, 60th year of Indian Independence is the day I have chosen to start writing...again. I had tried my hand at this quite sometime back, but due to the lack of time (that's the best excuse I can think of) i could not really continue it with enthusiasm. Now that I am working, I seem to have ample time on my hands and alot going on in my head. So what better way to let your thoughts out, but to put them into words.

I have some very good freinds who are amazing writers and I am a regular follower of their blogs. It is through them that I gain inspiration to write. I may be not as good or structured as they are but I sure am a straightforward person, and I hope I let that come across in what I write.

Cheers to whacky thoughts!!!!