Munching munching and more munching
My appetite has increased 2-fold. Thanks to vivek's nagging about my eating habits. I eat a lot of chocolates, brownies, juice and fruits. I know that it is not good food and keeeps my tummy filled. He too eats a lot of junk food - visible in his ever-increasing wasitline :). I can't seem to have enough of chocolates. I would love to taste all the icecreams here but there is no fridge!
Am feeling good today. Looking forward to a day's break for Vivek so that we can freak out before the 24-hour monster days start this sunday.

Jinxed Wednesdays
For years, Pravin and I have believed that Wednesdays are not meant for us. Thursday was what we have looked forward to. All the bad things await us on Wednesdays and good ones on Thursdays.
Today, yet another bad wednesday! Started with a phone call that went on for 1hr. The duration is of significance when you are talking to a spineless moron. Felt like swearing at him today. Criticising someone's work, maybe it happens in every profession. In software it goes a bit far, why is it that always what the developers develop ae proclaimed as the shittest pieces of code ever written. I wonder what everyone was doing when it was being designed, reviewed, approved and implemented. System that has been live for a year and won accolades is being criticised.
I could feel temperatures soaring and we being driven up the wall. People who i really admire for their patience, lost it today. So that is a reason unto itself. Gap is increasing. Technology wars don't have a solution. Neither do close-ended arguments. Almost every one i spoke to after the call was in my line of fire. I don't feel sorry about it because thats the only way i could get my frustration out. Else it would linger on for days.

Stuck at "stop and shop" with a pay phone that didn't work, i cursed myself. why did i have to go out on a bad day? Call it superstition or whatever but it happens. Stranded there with no one willing to help, no phone to call a taxi. Finally when i did call for a taxi it came after a sweet 40 mins.

Todays' timepass: Laundry. To top it all laundry machine hasn't been working for a week and it would take weeks to be up. So here i go washing by hand huge pile of clothes. There is no laundromat for miles nearby. Enuf of cribbing for the day.

Weekend Saga
This was the best weekend i have had since coming here.
Friday evening
Dinner followed by a movie - "Anger Management". Minitaure cinema halls, multitude movies, funny people.

Saturday
Drive to New Bedford The drive was glorious with breathtaking views of the New england landscape.
Trees wearing coats of crimson, scarlet red and greeen leaves was a feast to our eyes.
Beautiful houses surounded by neatly mowed green lawns is something you don't get to see in India.
For a minute, Vivek and I felt we should just stay back here.
Backyard sale along the villages bordering the Mass Pike was prevalent throughout.

Reached New Bedford at 11:00 a.m. New Bedford, a coastal town of Massachusetts is the No. ! commercial fishing town of the Uniteed States.
Jeff and Deb had invited Bill and the both of us. Jeff joined us at the flat. He stormed into the parking lot on his magnificent Harley Davidson.
I had never seen and touched a Harley..i understood why Vivek loved it so much. He went on a ride with Jeff that afternoon on Harley announcing to the entire enighbourhood that Harley was on a roll :). Deb just hates it.
Jeff and Deb were so hospitable that i really apprecitaed it.

BoatingFrom the flat we set out to the harbor to go on a boat ride like never before. It was my first ride. Jeff owns a 40 ft boat. He took out his boat for the first time this season. The sea was turbulent that morning and i rocked and rolled from one end to the other on the boat. John, Jeromy and Ashley - Jeff and Deb's kids along with their friends wnet on the ride with us.
Their parents felt helpless while they sweared, smoke and drank. My first up,close and personal encounter with a typical American family.
Slightly shocked initially, felt sorry for the parents.

Weddings Saw 3 weddings. Beautiful brides clad in crystal white flowing gowns with veins. I don't know what they call them perhaps the bride's party - all the girls dressed in lavender gowns.

Dinner at Davy's Locker - Famous for it sea food and the crowd that throng it. We waited for an hour and half before we got a table. After reserving the table we went to the fort nearby. No comparison to our Red fort or any of the smallest forts in India.
There was a woman wailing at the sea shore by fireside. I asked Jeff why she was crying. He told me "Lets go and fin out".
Jeff jokes a lot that i never took him seriously. But as he approached the lady i hada feeling he was going to ask her why she cried. And He DID.
She said she could feel the spirits. Her friend was dying. Jeff sat by her side for sometime and he was glad he wnet upto her.
We left the place after sometime to Davy's Locker - to find we had to wait another 30 mins before we got a table.
We had our first meal standing - candies candies and candies. They were good.
Vivek and I had leaves of all trees and plants for dinner, that we would never have touched in India. It had a fancy name - Caesar salad.
The others relished their sea food - salmons, shrimps, lobsters and voodoo special.

Rock n roll
Jeff coaxes Bill into sleeping on the boat. Deb jokes he would be rocking and rolling the next week.
We sleep at the flat.

Sunday
Breakfast at Mary's - mmmmmm. Experience was good. Ate something i haven't had for 20 years :) Will remember Jeff flagging the waitress for jelly and she ignoring him :)
Whaling museum - Has the largest ship model in the world. also houses the biggest blue whale's bones. Got gifts for Jeff and Deb.
Drive to Newport - Seeing the mansions - summer houses of the RICH from New York was worth the 45 minute drive.
Dinner at JOE's - Great.

Just another day!
Not feeling great about myself of late. Maybe it has to do something with my health.
I slept most of the day yesterday or lazed around seeing T.V. As he says, its just "me ,myself and I".
Liked these lyrics of "The wedding story" show on TLC. It goes like this:
and when the spark of youth someday surrenders
i'll have your hand to see me through
tears may come and go
but there's one thing i know
love is all there is when i'm with you

What a perfect song for the wedding..I just love it and i can still hear the sweet music playing in my ears.

Today's timepass:Sleep contd. Perhaps a small sketch for Bill uncle, sometime late afternoon.

How to convince a moron?
Covincing a moron drains my energy. This vacation has drawn me much more closer to one person i admire for his understanding about human nature. I am learning. I don't know how well i'm faring. But doesn't matter, i know i'm trying. He has taught me to be more receptive to "shades of grey". Not everything can be viewed in black and white. Makes sense.
Logical, factual arguments comes naturally to me. It might be a perfect legitimate case but they don't convince a moron.
Such people follow a simple policy: "No, you're either with us, and good, or against us, and evil... you're against us, so you must be evil!".
To get such people to look in the same dircetion as you are is going to be difficult. If i cannot do so, then i thought i must stop them from asking more questions. Question them in reverse and it shuts them for a while. It worked today, i don't know if it will in the future.

Today's timepass: Glass painting

May 6, 2003 - Dad turns 53 today.
Since the time i can recollect, this day has been of very high significance in my life. Partly because i have not lived 75% of my life with him. Childhood memories come back to me - We would be at granny's place every year for summer vacation (April-May) during dad's birthday. And dad at his work place. So i used to make hand-made greeting cards and post it across.

If i were to describe my dad in one line, i would say - "a smart engineer, a dedicated son, a loving husband and an affectionate father" - though not in the same order :). Well now that sounds like the definition for a perfect man. You are right. Thats what he is to me.

26 years of marriage, 11 years in an alien land, 1 year hiatus from everything, 5 years of separation from family and 53 years of dedication to his family - parents, wife and kids. He is a role model for me. I look upto him for everything and subconsciously look for the father-like image in Vivek. Thanks dad for everything - we are what because of yours and mom's sacrifices and dreams of seeing us make it good in life.

Gossips - who doesn't like it ?
Source : "Cubicle culture" section in "The Wall Street Journal"
Subject : A gossip eavesdropper
Quote: Yet like it or not, our ears seem to snatch certain tones and emotions from the air like an omnidirectional antenna: If the person speaks quietly, you'll tune in.

How does it feel when a 25 year old gets treated like a 10 month old? I feel good when he says drink water, look before you cross the road, don't hurt others, tuck in and sleep. I do make faces to pretend am angry for being scolded but i feel good internally for being pampered so much all the day.

Today's timepass: This section appears after a gap of 5 days in my blog. I had a great time in the morning in the downtown area of Framingham. Visit to the Danforth museum's spring sale and Framingham public library was good.

Sweet Weekend Memories
The Boston image is still fresh in my mind. Commonly known as the "Walking city", it did test our walking ability. It had its share of highs and lows and excitement and disappointment!
Here are a few snapshots:
Fun moments:
Location : South station.
A 20-something gal clad in a white t-shirt had these words "Today is my bday. Give me a hug." clipped to the back of her shoulder.

Tiring moments: The 2 mile walk along the "Freedom Trail" . Covering over 9 historic moments over a span of 3 hours, we were amazed at how much hype is cretaed about so little. Felt like a fool paying $10 to go inside the Old south Meeting house. This is where the Boston tea Party began. All that one can see inside is a couple of benches with torn covers and the history of what happenned when. We wondered at what a rich culture India has and what little is being done to preserve them.

Wild moments: Red Sox fans disembarking at Yawkey Way all geared up to cheer for the Saturday match.

Serene moment:
Location: Harvard Square
Vivek enjoying the street performers play some overwhleming numbers.
Speechless. I sat in silence gazing at him. We knew what we were thinking as memories of the past flashed back. His promise fulfilled of getting me to this place one day! 1 line- "Love means never having to say you're sorry" and 2 characters (Ollie and Jen) changed our lives 3 years back.

Silent places:
Location: MASSACHVSETTS INSTITVTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Intelligent look. Deserted. Kids skateblading or rollerskating all over. Beautiful trees lining the streets. Nice view of the Charles river along the Memorial drive. Breathtaking medieval architecture with buildings christened "Aristotle", "Darwin", "Newton". Boston and Cambridge - stark opposites.

The "T" moment:
Transportation made easy in Boston with the "T - the subway. I'm a big fan of the "T" now bccos of its frequency.
My favourite : RED line because it goes to the Harvard Square and MIT.

Day's worrk : Second round of Design review

Ideas
I dream, plan and have ideas. Today, yet again, i proposed something that i have been doing for the past 3 months.
But someone said "Dreams, ideas, and plans not only are an escape, they give me a purpose, a reason to hang on."
Everyone thinks his/her idea is an innovation. Feels dejected when it is not implemented. There is a resistance because every new idea is perceived to upset an established system. Many of my ideas have not taken shape. But am trying hard because i believe in them.


Spaces
Ever had an argument at home over silly things like "why did you leave the wet towel on the bed?" or "why didn't you switch off the heater" and got replies such as "even you didn't do it yesterday..so why are you pointing it out to me?". If you have not had one, then you are not leading a normal life. Unspoken accusations, blames pent up inside and blast one fine day doing permanent damage. I have come to understand its i better said than unsaid - they give you a reason to laugh later during the day. Don't you think so ?

Am i aging too fast?
I'm experiencing "Senior moments" very often these days - memory lapse at the most crucial times. My memory fails me just when i think i can win over someone! I tend to forget things like why was i so happy last night.

My eyes are heavy with sleep after a filling lunch.
Junk food has been a "no-no" for lunch for sometime. Today i started it again - pasta dipped in hot salsa with yoghurt consituted my lunch. Oh you wondering how pasta qualifies as junk...any meal that doesn't constitute roti/rice is defined "junk" at home :(.

Forcing myself to stay awake, i tune on the TV. My fingers inadvertently press the combination "24" to play the channel "TLC- Life unscripted". When i started viewing this channel 2 weeks back , i was a big critic, now i just love it. All programs shown are essentially true stories of common people. To name a few are "a dating story", "a baby story", " a wedding story". The one i like the most is the "the makeover story". What i like most is that its so natural, no inhibitions. I guess "life unscripted" says it all.

My mood swings have been very high today. After reading a story in today's tabloid i cried. It was about a 12 year old kid who died in a freak accident during one of his ice-hockey practice sessions. I guess each one of us who is alive and hasn't lost their dear ones is lucky to be so.
Everything happens for a reason. There is no coincidence.

Day's work: Design review

Sheer coincidence. Today's Wall Street Journal has an article titled "Managing your career". It talks about how college students make job-hunting tougher with weak resumes. I also got my statistics wrong in my earlier post. The article states that employers scan a resume in about 15 seconds. Now thats FAST. So beware when you write a 2 page resume next!

A face in an ad in today's "USA today" caught my eyes.
This is what i think everytime i see these faces :
AH - Devil
Pol Pot - Gruesome
OBL - Dangerous for mankind
SH - Merciless Dictator
Now imagine a face whose forehead is that of Pol Pot, eyes those of SH, mush of AH and beard of OBL. Result : Evil staring right in your face leashing out a reign of terror. Check out the video.