జనులారా, ఇచుట నుండి తెలుగులో కూడా పోస్ట్ చెయ్యగలమని తెలిసింది.
అందుచేత నేను ఒక experiment చేద్దామని ఇలా రాస్తున్నా.
అంతా క్షేమమే.
Friday, September 12, 2008
It's the end of the world as we know it
"Mom, the world is going to come to an end in 5 mins."
"Oh no, lunch isn't ready yet."
"Oh no, lunch isn't ready yet."
One thing that's been getting a lot of coverage on TV here is the CERN's LHC. At one point there were about 8 different stations with coverage of the first experiment. There was an actual panel discussion in Telugu, by Telugu speaking physicists explaining what the LHC is all about and the potentials dangers from it.
One network in particular was showing a countdown clock to the start of the experiment and I was drawn in like the idiot that I am. I called my mom's attention to this but she couldn't care less!
On a side note, thoughts and prayers with the good people of Texas and Houston in particular. Personally I'm glad I got out before the traffic and the hurricane hit the highways.
Monday, September 8, 2008
I hate European airlines
Why should I pay $2000 to be treated like a second-class citizen by some random racist European on a power trip? If I'm going to pay less, I'd rather get treated like crap by Indians (Air India). Or I'm just going to spring for Emirates.
Right off the bat, they made me comfortable. At the airport their representative helped me with the re-ordering of my stuff so that it complies with the luggage requirements of the airlines. She even gave me a bag to hold the excess luggage which I was told to carry in hand to avoid any hassle while boarding. And the aircraft it was totally classy, not to mention half-empty so it was a really comfortable flight. Too comfortable - I kept watching the shows and movies and didn't get enough sleep and so kept passing out while talking to my parents after arrival! The aircraft even had "stars" in the ceiling after they turned out the lights. They handed out toys and coloring books to the kids. Indeed, it was such that I didn't actually want to disembark after the flight landed.
Their movie selection included Yogi! And I got to watch the "Cougar" episode from "How I met your mother".
The Dubai airport was lousy though. It's technically non-smoking but you could smell smoke everywhere. People were passed out near the chairs or grouped up according to various ethnicities. There was a group of Asian Muslims (I assumed they were Indonesian) that slowly gathered adjacent to where I saw reading my newspaper and before I knew it they were passed out all around me! I had to pick up my carry-on bag and walk carefully so I avoid stepping on any of them.
Right off the bat, they made me comfortable. At the airport their representative helped me with the re-ordering of my stuff so that it complies with the luggage requirements of the airlines. She even gave me a bag to hold the excess luggage which I was told to carry in hand to avoid any hassle while boarding. And the aircraft it was totally classy, not to mention half-empty so it was a really comfortable flight. Too comfortable - I kept watching the shows and movies and didn't get enough sleep and so kept passing out while talking to my parents after arrival! The aircraft even had "stars" in the ceiling after they turned out the lights. They handed out toys and coloring books to the kids. Indeed, it was such that I didn't actually want to disembark after the flight landed.
Their movie selection included Yogi! And I got to watch the "Cougar" episode from "How I met your mother".
The Dubai airport was lousy though. It's technically non-smoking but you could smell smoke everywhere. People were passed out near the chairs or grouped up according to various ethnicities. There was a group of Asian Muslims (I assumed they were Indonesian) that slowly gathered adjacent to where I saw reading my newspaper and before I knew it they were passed out all around me! I had to pick up my carry-on bag and walk carefully so I avoid stepping on any of them.
I hang my head in shame
I am in Hyderabad for now, a week of being spoiled to look forward to. (doesn't matter how old I get, I will always regress at home)
But that's not why I'm ashamed. I bribed someone in India. Something I never wanted to do.
At the airport, I had two laptops with me. (BTW, the way the customs guys figure out about the laptops is by having someone mark LT on your suitcases with chalk. So a simple trick in theory is to take the suitcase to the bathroom and erase the mark. Someone should try this next time they're bringing in two laptops.) They send me to talk to this customs official and he busts out some calculations and asks me - The customs duty is Rs. 4500, are you comfortable paying that? I tried to explain that one is a company laptop and the other is a personal laptop, so I shouldn't have to pay. But after a lot of discussion he "offered" me a deal for Rs. 2000 which I paid as a combo of rupees and dollars.
I would have raised a bigger fuss if I was my laptop, but being as it was a present for dad, I didn't want any trouble. But it made me feel dirty all the same. And I have a feeling it won't be the first time I'll be bribing someone in India this year.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Buh-bye now, buh-bye
Well I don't really want to spend my last few hours writing blog posts so I think I'll say my o-blog-atory good-bye a little in advance.
I've got a lot of Goodwill/Half-Price Books trips to make. Junk to throw out and everything else to pack. Most importantly I have to ship out a couple of boxes by Fri evening and then make it out to the concert on Friday evening. I'm glad I'll be making it to the SPB concert (if everything goes according to plan). Take off is scheduled for 6:50pm on Saturday.
Once I get to Pune I should have a guesthouse waiting for me. It's only for a week but I don't imagine it would take me more than that to find a place. What I'm looking for - low rent, internet access, good view and decent locality (safe and close to work).
But before that I'll be spending some time, including my *ahem* Birthday, with my parents. First Birthday with them in about 14 years. I know my Parents are very excited about it. I am too.
I've got a lot of Goodwill/Half-Price Books trips to make. Junk to throw out and everything else to pack. Most importantly I have to ship out a couple of boxes by Fri evening and then make it out to the concert on Friday evening. I'm glad I'll be making it to the SPB concert (if everything goes according to plan). Take off is scheduled for 6:50pm on Saturday.
Once I get to Pune I should have a guesthouse waiting for me. It's only for a week but I don't imagine it would take me more than that to find a place. What I'm looking for - low rent, internet access, good view and decent locality (safe and close to work).
But before that I'll be spending some time, including my *ahem* Birthday, with my parents. First Birthday with them in about 14 years. I know my Parents are very excited about it. I am too.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Boys 2 Men
As we were chilling at Agora, in one of my favorite spots - the big couch upstairs and I realized that three of us would be turning 30 in the next few months. The next time we all hang out, we'll be a bunch of 30-somethings. It was an odd realization.
It was a fun evening, tried out Cuban food for the first time ever. And then Agora. On one hand I'll be missing all the excitement of hanging with my friends, but truth be said, I've got a lot of stuff on my mind regarding the departure. The packing, the termination of some services, shipping stuff that is not coming with me on the flight to India or some where local.
It's going to hit me in a couple of weeks that I won't be seeing my boys for an year. I'm hope I'll be drowning my sorrows in some sorry Bollywood movies by that time.
It was a fun evening, tried out Cuban food for the first time ever. And then Agora. On one hand I'll be missing all the excitement of hanging with my friends, but truth be said, I've got a lot of stuff on my mind regarding the departure. The packing, the termination of some services, shipping stuff that is not coming with me on the flight to India or some where local.
It's going to hit me in a couple of weeks that I won't be seeing my boys for an year. I'm hope I'll be drowning my sorrows in some sorry Bollywood movies by that time.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The kindness of friends
Sure, strangers are SUPPOSED to help you (unless pithy expressions are wrong!) But it's my friends that came through guns blazing this weekend.
It was a spectacular weekend from start to finish. Started with a shindig in my apt in Houston. My Houston boys showed up and so did Srujana from Austin. Did nothing but talk, but it was as memorable a night as ever. Vikrant and I topped it off with a couple of stogies while the bored prisoners of our conversation (where by the way, I totally schooled Vikrant!) busted out the Wii.
Then it was off to Austin where I managed to meet almost everyone I wanted to see with the exception of Raja who wasn't in town. Trudy's and Hula Hut. Campus. A ring. Comic stores. A starlit night on a wooden deck. Car sale. Thoughtful but more importantly small gifts. A photo viewer and a gift card. Animal Farm. And then the big gifts.
Madhavi offering me the use of her FedEx account number to ship stuff at a huge discount.
Vikrant driving me from downtown to my apt and then to the rental place to get my car.
But the biggest of all, Srujana, after helping me with my boxes in Houston, driving me all over Austin after the sale of my car and getting me some tasty papaya bubble tea before dropping me off at the bus stop.
Of course, it was only fitting that the guys and I ended the weekend by busting each other and by going so, so much over the line. "Remember the line?"
It was a spectacular weekend from start to finish. Started with a shindig in my apt in Houston. My Houston boys showed up and so did Srujana from Austin. Did nothing but talk, but it was as memorable a night as ever. Vikrant and I topped it off with a couple of stogies while the bored prisoners of our conversation (where by the way, I totally schooled Vikrant!) busted out the Wii.
Then it was off to Austin where I managed to meet almost everyone I wanted to see with the exception of Raja who wasn't in town. Trudy's and Hula Hut. Campus. A ring. Comic stores. A starlit night on a wooden deck. Car sale. Thoughtful but more importantly small gifts. A photo viewer and a gift card. Animal Farm. And then the big gifts.
Madhavi offering me the use of her FedEx account number to ship stuff at a huge discount.
Vikrant driving me from downtown to my apt and then to the rental place to get my car.
But the biggest of all, Srujana, after helping me with my boxes in Houston, driving me all over Austin after the sale of my car and getting me some tasty papaya bubble tea before dropping me off at the bus stop.
Of course, it was only fitting that the guys and I ended the weekend by busting each other and by going so, so much over the line. "Remember the line?"
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