One year ago, I landed in the US on Oct 10th. I completed 1 year of my stay here. Today is oct 12th. My first year has been very safe and sound.

What has changed ? I am little more comfortable. Aditi has started going to school (it's been over a month now) and Ruchira has been busy with life in general. Looks like change is in the horizon. An unexpected change - Lots of things to think about.

November, we are off to India. We will be back on Decmber 4th. We are going to Rohit's wedding. Nothing more to say right now. Work is going on. I need to make some more - this seems less to me (at least from what I have heard or seen).

A lot has happened since I sat and wrote down. December 15th was my last entry. Let me browse through my mobile and write own the events since December 15th.

Firstly Ruchira and Bebo joined me - waited for 6 months for this day.

But let me go fwd chronologically:

1) Well December was in fact a month when bebo's bday happened and she posed like this real obedient girl in front of the cake. I loved the foto

2) I had been to Washington DC with Mayank and really enjoyed a nice walk in the capital. I remember walking a lot and finally going to a restaurant and eating a forgettable lunch and then taking a ride back in the bus.

3) The first snow hit Herndon in the middle of December and I was feeling the pinch of not having a car. I was sensing that it was getting tougher to ask colleagues to stop by my house everyday and ask for a drop. I was just plainly hesitant.

4) January was a month when Ruchira took up her GRE and TOEFL and one week went in filling up her forms and stuff like that. She was insanely busy both at work and at home but she did a good job at GRE and I am proud of her. Whether she is able to go to the Masons or not is a different thing to be addressed. Some days in January were unforgivingly cold and I had to wrap myself in the sheet. The last week of January, I made up my mind to buy a car. One saturday, I called up DCU ad Geico and with DCU I enquired about the loan and with Geico I got the insurance. I made the insurance purchase and then I went to Honda of Chantilly and brought back VED home on Jan31st. With Ved, most of my travel problems were solved. It was a relief to have a car.

5) I remember making a nice pongal and bisibele baaths every now and then and enjoying a nice lunch. My cooking skills improved especially when I started trying exotic stuff like a mexican style  chilly beans.

6) The Valentine's day and the next week after that were HARROWING to say the least. Snowing all day long and then shovelling the next morning to take inches of snow from a new car. Well, I was having the time of my life. But the best part was the workload was light in February. Which enabled me to have a more casual lifestyle rather than panic unnecessarily. As february was getting over Ruch and Bebe went to the showrooms and got themselves some good dresses and then there was Rohit's engagement. I remember amma inviting Rohit's fiancee to our house and then I speaking to her and her folks. The last week of february, I prepared a nice remix for Bebe and Richa to dance at Hyatt.

7) March was about a little more work and then Rohit's engagement and Bebo's dance for the zooby remix and then the birthday season and everyone whatsapping everybody else. I stopped cooking in March and started ordering Flying Curry. I finnaly got my driving license......I was tired to say the least.

Life has been pretty laidback at Herndon. Let's see what happens next....

There are days when I get really pissed off and this is one such day.

Note to self: You the know the reason.

I realize that I have to wait for more than a YEAR to get back to Bangalore. And that too for a short stay. This is not like my previous trips.

Am I doing this right ? Is this what I wanted ?

Finally last week I got my Social Security Number. There are 2 more big things to be completed. Get a Driver's License for the state of Virginia. Then get a car - without which it is impossible. I will most probably go for a used car. Don't know, let me see - what kind of APR I might get. If this visa thing had not happened, I would have been in Bangalore, and would have been thinking of maruti ciaz. Life changes so much - But I believe that's what makes life enriching.  Too much of change might be hazardous as well - Till now it's been good - rather I should say , it's not been bad. I hope it continues

Ruchira's parcel came yesterday with some books which I wanted and some clothes and some more pudis which I wanted. Felt great to see my stuff come all the way to me crossing the oceans!
Went with Mayank to Swagath, Indian restaurant for buffet lunch - It was ok.

I am waiting for the thanksgiving weekend - that's when I will buy a TV! I am keeping a budget of $500. Skype has become a day-in day-out activity occupying 1 hr. Hmmm.

If the night turned cold and the stars looked down
And you hug yourself on the cold cold ground

You wake the morning in a stranger's coat
No one would you see
You ask yourself, who's watched for me
My only friend, who could it be
It's hard to say it
I hate to say it, but it's probably me

When your belly's empty and the hunger's so real
And you're too proud to beg and too dumb to steal
You search the city for your only friend
No one would you see
You ask yourself, who could it be
A solitary voice to speak out and set me free
I hard to say it
I hate to say it, but it's probably me

-Sting, 'It's probably me'

With a little help from my friends I was able to move some cheap furniture into the second floor of my apartment. Now my apartment looks like a place where I can do something other than cooking and sleeping.

I feed the fish in the morning. I think there are about 15 fish in my aquarium. There are 16 of us in the apartment. 15 fish and 1 human being.

The cold weather has started. I will need to keep myself warm and active throughout the winter. Ruchira has couriered stuff from Bangalore.

There are three or four big things which I must finish before March or April - I must be able to do it. DL, Credit Card with good credit history, Car loan and car, TV. Lot of kharcha is there.

I had been to Chutney's with Mayank.  Hot bhajji and capsicum bonda with onion nimbu and chat masala at a 0.5 km from my place. Tasted real good. So many people from Andhra.

I miss Bangalore badly. Miss everything about it. I would have gone to DVG on a weekend or some nice restaurant like Cafe Pascucci which I visited with my daughter. I would have relished tender coconut and the coconut flesh.

Here I am: In a new place knowing about 4 people in the whole city trying to start a new life.

Sometime ago, I read a phrase like "After you leave your hometown, things will NEVER be the same". I'll hate to see that happen to me when I am back to Bangalore.

Change happens in life and we, as animals should adapt to change. I understand it - I bloody well understand it. In that case, why do we have nostalgia ? How does it facilitate growth and development and facilitate change - from an evolution point of view ? Rather it makes us crave for the past - which is pointless.

Exactly one month ago, I was in the airport leaving India, I'm happy that one month is over. But still 5 more to go to Aditi and Ruchira to land here. Skype is such a blessing. I am able to talk to my near and dear ones. However, I feel video-conferencing to home should be more than seeing talking faces. I should be able to go to my room , my kitchen in India while talking. Should get the feeling I am in the Bangalore house, 

My second week in Herndon was quite more happening than the first week. I got a laptop at work and got some documents which I started to look at. I met a colleague from India who has worked in Bangalore a majority of his professional life and he is of my age. In my new workplace, the people are older compared to that of my Blr company. Many are married with kids and many of them are older than I am. I have realized that this helps professionally as well as people will be able to devote similar amounts of time to work and adhere to timings. Right now one colleague from office is dropping me to work and back - But I have to find a solution here asap. This won't work fr long time.

Mayank, who is a cousin of Ruchira is helping me set up the apartment and driving me through the city of Herndon / Reston / Sterling and Ashburn areas. I am so thankful to him. The only cousin of Ruchira whom I had never met for the past 7 years of marriage - I got to meet him here. He is here for the past 1.5 years.

Although the towns Herndon, Reston, Ashburn are nearby from a US point of view, I cannot say they are nearby. These places are kind of scattered with vast expanses of land. Land esp. unused land is so abundant here, that it would be a city planner's delight. There is a spa for dogs and cats in the middle of nowhere. With so much land, you can afford to make mistakes in a city plan and redo terrains and roads.

Yesterday morning was spent cooking of a bisibele baath which turned out to be a winner in all departments and banana/apple custard. Point to be noted is , never try to argue with women about cooking. Especially with social media like whatsapp, there is no point is showing your cooking skills - it becomes a "i-am-better-than-you" slugfest. Sunday has been the most boring Sunday I have had for quite sometime now.

There are still lot of things to be done here to setup - So many things to actually do : to say I am almost settled. Let's keep going.

It's been a while since I blogged on the adda. I changed the title of the blog - Dreamster. I  like the sound of it.

Now, that I think I have some time, I will try to blog.

Right now I am in the US. It's been a week. It's not been easy. It's not been very difficult either.
Hope the next few years while I stay here are beneficial both personally and professionally. There are some decisions which I have taken which have had no meaning economically at all. I hope this doesn't become one such decision.

Last week was abt applying my SSN and bank account - Hope all my time does not go away setting up stuff and cooking. I have a six month period which I will be a little free till Ruchira and Aditi join me here. I think I must buy a synth and just try to make some good music. Maybe a good time to explore creative horizons.

What kind of topics should I cover in the blog ? My thoughts / or my actions or a mixture of both.
Or plain history ?

As life goes on, Memories increases. Images/ moments / thoughts / tastes / pains , people places.

Going back to roots

"Understanding the root philosophy" is one of the main objectives which prevails among many people in this great nation of India.

Let us think about the "Root Philosophy" part first.....What could be the root philosopy for the hindus ?

When the whole of India was riding high on the Buddhist wave during the time of Buddha, a young unassuming saint from the Kerala, Adi Shankaracharya, reminded people about the Upanishads , Brahmasutras and the Gita, the most thought provoking part of the vedas. This was the core essence of Hindu philosophy. The Gita could also be adapted for a so called  "Hindu way of life".

Chronologically, the Upanishads and the Brahmasutras are older than any other philosophical thought as far as our country is concerned. They are so old, that they were written (or passed on) when religion had no political intention of expansion and conversion as well and thought was alone the supreme thing.

But the catch is, this kind of philosophical works are open to multiple interpretations.And these interpretations might also contain some original research as well - So finally what is root - When was more detail added ? What were the references - All these kinds of information is lost forever!

About the interpretations themselves, let me give you an example :

Now, I was really clueless about one more guru among the madhwas called Jayatheertha. He is extremely respected for his proficiency and almost a "champion scholar" and literally worshipped in the madhwa community - But what was the reason he is so popular even today, after almost 800 years ?..Ask any average guy from our community, he will not know it, most likely.....I came to know he had written some kind of synopsis: called Nyayasudha: Which was some kind of interpretation of Madhwacharya's work which was again an interpretation of Upanishads..... I tried to read the english translation of this book, it is extremely difficult to understand - WHY and HOW did he think about so much about these kind of things ?

Nonetheless, these things are really interesting - I wish I had the time and energy to continue looking into these kind of works....

I love this wandering kind of life.

Something which I have never done EVER.....Just get up in the morning, pack your bags and start travelling....

Does it require lots of money --- NO! At least, that's what this guy says 

Read this and hopefully enjoy 

www.wanderingearl.com/how-i-can-afford-my-life-of-constant-travel/

About things that matter

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” 


― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World

What a quote ! A profound thought only a great leader can think about.
A very good one to begin a day with. I just begin to wonder : "What are the things that matter to me ?"

I can get on my mind a few things which matter to me. But what it means is: Worry about the right things and start acting on them.

That's too heavy a topic.....Let me change the topic ....

A few days ago, I saw the movie (in parts) "Apocalypto". I did not see the whole movie, but i saw it during the end. I heard from a friend, that some parts of the movie are deeply disturbing, but I missed those parts , but the ending was really  nice.

The hero smears poison on the dart and shoots the villain by blowing the dart. Something which reminded me of "Tintin and the Broken Ear".  I kind of did more R&D on these poisoned darts and I found that the poison is present on the skin of the Golden Yellow Frog found in Central America and Amazon basin parts.

The poison is the most venomous substance known to man and a few micrograms of the posion can kill an adult human being. And the best part is , the frog does not secrete the poison. It gets the poison from its diet, some kind of beetles. 

These days I have a strange feeling....A feeling that alienates me from the world. I am not feeling ambitious , angry, aggressive, interested or materialistic - There is a sense of resignation in any work I take up. There is a listless feeling. Wish that I go through this phase soon.

Objective right now is to live a happy life...Don't worry be happy seems to be the mantra these days. I very well know what I am NOT and especially these days I really envy those kind of guys. Guys who are care-free, lazy and basically man-about-town kind of guys. I am really tired of

Everyone in this world should get happiness and peace when they need it the most. Happiness could be anything. Even throwing a stone on a pond and hearing the gentle splash could be happiness.

This is for the bookmark:-

http://www.highexistence.com/life-secrets-and-tips/

Hmm ... A new look , a new beginning to this inactive log. I have grown older as I browse through the blog. 

These days taking an interview to find the right candidate is not an easy job. Initially when I was the interviewer, I used to concentrate only on the problem solving ability and domain knowledge. But now I have realized that it is also very important to know how much inspired he is to work and also how much eager and enthusiastic he is. This is really difficult to actually get from a single meeting....but I am getting closer to get the intention of the applicant.

Other news is that I am on a facebook exile. I really do not want to get into a social network : It is addictive and is a waste of time. I have changed my password to some random alphabet soup and my exiled myself. These days I want to check all the rare piano chords. It is a fun thing to do.

Suppose you have nothing to lose, suppose you have complete freedom, dear reader - what would you do ?

How would you picture yourself ?

Visualize.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sC9b-15cL0

The beatles sang to use happiness as a defense (a gun) to all the sorrows in the world: I do not subscribe to the idea completely, but one way of looking at things.

"Happiness is a warm gun

When I hold you in my arms
When I feel my finger on your trigger
I know nobody can do me no harm"

My personal opinion is, that,  happiness and sorrow complement each other. Bevu + Bella.

Life is such a complex journey. 

hangzhou bye

it has been one helluva roller coaster ride.....i go back to dear bangalore sunday....phew!

Opposites

make x break
secure x insecure
gain x loss
love x hate
innocent x guilt
great x miserable

Hmmm....Good lord....

How does pi sound like

Pi is 3.1415blah blah

So, assigning 1 = Sa, 2= Re, 3  = Ga , 4 = Ma, just check out how 3.1415 sounds like

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6446891/what-pi-sounds-like

Oniondaga

Today morning I was cutting some onions and they were those organically farmed onions. I remembered this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsp_8Lm1eSk

After watching the video, (which maybe 6 or 7 years) , I was wondering why I remembered only the onion scene.

Good old song and good old memory....

Four principles of spirituality 


The First Principle states:

"Whomsoever you encounter is the right one"

This means that no one comes into our life by chance. Everyone who is around us, anyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether to teach us something or to help us improve a current situation.


The Second Principle states:

"Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened"

Nothing, absolutely nothing of that which we experienced could have been any other way. Not even in the least important detail. There is no "If only I had done that differently…, then it would have been different…". No. What happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward. Every single situation in life which we encounter is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.


The Third Principle states:

"Each moment in which something begins is the right moment"

Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier nor later. When we are ready for it, for that something new in our life, it is there, ready to begin.


The Fourth Principle states:

"What is over, is over"

It is that simple. When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution. That is why, enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move on.


Think it is no coincidence that you're here reading this.

If these words strike a chord, it's because you meet the requirements and understand that not one single snowflake falls accidentally in the wrong place!

Be good to yourself.

Love with your whole being.

Always be happy.