Goodbye Carriage Hill :(

Sitting here amidst all the things that need to be shifted to another apartment I feel so heavy at heart to leave from this apartment. This is not the first time I have shifted a house/apartment, but I feel the same every time. This time it is difficult to leave the apartment in which I have lived for two years, with fond good, bad, ugly and sweet memories. I booked this apartment walking up the hill to the leasing center with the aura freshness and newness (I don't know if there is such a word in English :P) all around me when I had just arrived in the US. Its hard to believe that it is already 2 years. The memories are so fresh. Spent early days with so many friends all the time coming home. I can remember me giving so many curses to the up hill every time I walked up. No more cursing :(
The little arguments with roomies (the usual thing for gals),  making new friends, enjoying the arrival of juniors, helping them with accommodation and studies. The Indian students association ..... hmm ... it was good and ugly ... :P
Now I can't stop mentioning about the breezing thought that went by .... two of my dearest friends and I sat atop the carriage hill and ate icreams bought from the speedway which is located just opposite to Carriage Hill ... Most wonderful moments, i don't even know if they are going to return ever in my life again :(
I can't forget the first winter, when I slipped and fell close to the apartment when it was too icy to walk on the road. All the eat outs all around the apartment, taco, pizza hut, purple chopstix, McHappys. Oh, not to forget the walk to the school all the way from home. Some times with friends and sometimes just me! Every moment is just so fresh and worth treasuring. How I wish someone would come and tell me "you don't have to leave this right away!!". I know I am going to miss Carriage Hill ...... I am gonna live away form my favorite place and favorite people too .... :(

But I realize that life is always like this .... bring a big U turn when you are all cozy and comfortable with life. But we move on hoping that the U turn gets us to a much greener grass place!!!

Goodbye Carriage Hill :(

The eye!

The genius!!

Yesterday I was in a meeting with couple of guys from NASA, Boeing and Rockwell Collins. I happened to meet my advisors first PhD student. He works for NASA now. He is such a brilliant guy. I saw him speak in the meeting. He was so so calm, composed and spoke absolutely sense though he spoke less. I was astonished to see how great people behave!
He looked so simple. He was not wearing very fancy formal shirts like few others. He was just wearing a white shirt which had a NASA logo. He also brought a few NASA cufflinks for all of us and distributed it to us. It felt so good. Probably all great people are like this, simple and composed. I did not have a chance to talk to him but I think just sitting with him in the meeting itself is an opportunity.
Later when I told my professor about my respect for him, he was telling that he was a brilliant guy. Extraordinary!

So, guys, brilliant and extraordinary people are around you! Watch out :)

Two years!!

It's been two years since I've been living in US of A. I left India on Aug 15th 2008 from Bangalore airport. I should have probably written a separate write up on the journey itself which was such an experience.
If I have to comprehend my experiences in these two years, I should say, I have had good, very good, bad and very bad experiences. Met a lot of people. I met a lot of people who are so different from my usual group of friends. Had some good times with them. The good is always accompanies with bad too ... like the other side of a coin. They are like twins :)
Yes, the point I had to make was, I had bad times too .... Some sweet and some stressful events.
All in all .... I am seeing another shade of life.

Ambigram :)

Another label got added into my list!! :) ... "Ambigrams".

I am not sure if I am going to have any more posts added on to this label though.

My friend made this for me. And I am proudly and gladly posting this here :)

Thank you!! :)

Meter pe pandrah rupaya ...

If you live in Bangalore for a few days you would know what I am referring to. I am not sure if this is the case with other cities too in India. I have not lived in other cities for too many days.
When I had been to India last time, I had to take an auto from Jayanagar to Rajarajeshwari Nagar. After I reached home, I paid the auto driver .... I paid exactly the amount the meter was reading. He grabbed the money from me and said .... Pandrah rapaya aur do. Rudely..... Curtly .... As if it was his birth right. I was so astonished at his behavior and demand. I asked him why I had to pay extra. He had no reason for it. He justs wants Rs. 15 more. Thats it. I don't know what was that confidence in him that made him to just demand. Does he think he is the lord?
I was boiling with anger. But as usual no words to speak. I just told him that I wont pay anything extra and walked away. He kept shouting "hello madam .... hello madam ..... "
How I wish I had the courage to say just get lost ... go to hell!!!
Most of these autos don't have the digital meter readers though the law was imposed. All the non-digital meters are biased. They just jump so fast.
I used to travel to my company pretty often by auto. It usually costs around Rs.45. But some times .... the auto meter used to read Rs. 60 or so. After I reach my office I paid the guy only 45!!!
As expected the guy would shout at him. I used tell them ... I travel everyday and it costs just 45 ... and his meter is faulty. I would tell them lets walk to the police .... the next sentence they would utter is "pay how much ever you want madam" .... Which means they know their meter is faulty.

I know they are not from well to do family ..... they need money .... and people who have money should be generous. I agree with this. But when I give money by myself it is a different scene, if they demand so rudely nobody would like to donate money. Rs. 15 looks like Rs. 150.
I don't understand where these auto drivers started learning to behave so curtly and rudely.
Is this fair to try to loot money from public like this?

These days they have started another saga. They will be ready hire only if you ask them to some area they like. They like .... I mean to say if it is around evening they will look only for those people who ask for hire close to their house. If your area does not match with the auto driver he wouldn't even respond to you telling that he is not ready to drive for you. He will just drive away from you very fast without talking a word as if he never heard to you. If you are new to Bangalore it would take you few seconds or mins to understand the auto driver rejected your admission into the auto :P
Ridiculous!!

Dearest one ...

The dearessst ones in your life .... have you ever thought how you treat them when you are in a atrocious mood? Most of us are so rude to the most dearest relationships in our lives at such times. I don't know what we get by venting out all our frustration or irritating feelings on them.
They take all of it calmly without a question. Without a mumble. After a while you realize the truth.
Is this because we have the right to behave that way with them or is it because we have taken them for granted? If these are not the reasons, is it because of ego? Have you ever thought about it?