Navarathri @ USA

surprised !! yes it is true... so let me tell u in detail.

29th evening, thats yesterday, i left my office around 6pm and my uncle picked me up. I met him probably after 10 years, that too during his marriage. He was telling that i havent changed a bit since i saw him lastime... :-) i am very happy to meet him. we drove for 25 minutes from mountain view to freemont.. thats whr he stays.. that was my first glance of america... no wonder its a land of love at first site.. it was just beautiful.. i liked the broad roads with multiple lanes, the orderly traffic... there wasnt much traffic then... everyone following the rules.. it was certainly a wonderful sight.. a sight which i have not seen in india.. and then i saw the bay (because of which it is called a bay area) and the valley (silicon valley).. cute and small houses.. ofcourse they were huge inside.. but it was not a multistoreid.. and many many things.. the neat roads.. etc etc.. and finally i reached his house.. whr his small and a cute son ganesh was eagerly awaiting for me.. so was my chitti (aunty).. they were very happy to see me.. and so i was .. i was extremely happy to see them...

they showed me the house and my room.. i freshened up.. just updated them about my travel and my work.. the typical questions like hows everyone at home.. how long were u thr.. how was college.. how was hostel life.. and off we went to one of the indian ppl 's home here.. it was really nice to see them speak a wonderful brahmin tamil.. first of all, mmmm i dont speak, second, it was v pure.. they had v cute baby girl.. we were playing with her. . and then we were generally talking about google products.. it was fun on the whole.. i had sundel and some payasam (This is v common during dasara in india).. it was v v good..

there is this one more thing which i noticed here.. when ppl invite others for home.. they make it pretty clear if they are inviting them just for some chit chat and some snacks or for dinner.. they are v open, thats how life here is.. its far more difficult to invite a family for dinner here unlike india.. it means a lot of work to the hosts... family management in itself is a bit difficult here.. life is hectic here dude!!

ya.. then the dinner at home in the night.. this was probably the first time after i reached america, that i had such good food.. however i realised the inherent problem ... its just that i dont eat vazhavazha kozhakozha things.. (sticky.. and noodlish food)... thats y i am finding it difficult to digest the fact that some of the items here are really veggie... ok.. i think i am digressing too much.. i have lots to write.. ok.. food here was great.. my chitti did dosais for me.. it was v good.. and i had some rice items.. we had a long discussion over dinner.. it was really long since we met.. so we shared some really good experiences that i had in college.. incidentally my chitappa also studied in hostel.. so was able to ask the appropriate questions.. genly ppl ask me whats a typical day in hostel.. they dont realize that life cant have a pattern in hostel.. every day is different.. i also told them about the miracle during the tsunami.. i also told him about my google interview exp.. we generally discussed about the work cultures.. he was pretty surprised about the flexibility at google.. i also got to knw how work in general is in america.. he is a manager.. so i asked him whats the kind of work he does.. and my chitti is informatica.. so the topic was a not a bore for anyone.. so was pretty relavent to everyone.

the next day i woke up early (8:30 am.. :-)).. i woke up really late. .. in my hotel rooms i generally wake up at 7:00 am.. i freshened up.. i had a nice kaapi.. (coffee..) it was really good...
and then.. i was generally chatting with them and my chitappa.. he configured my wireless network.. so that i can use my laptop everywhr.. and then i called up home from yahoo call service.. which i tried for the first time.. i would say the counter part is much better..
ok.. then i went to library... a small one here.. there are supposed to bigger ones here.. and this library was just say 15times the size of nit library.. we also get dvd movies here.. so we picked up a few kids movie for my cousin.. the library was good.. that was my first place of visit in america..
we came back, laziness prevented me from taking a bath.. so we watched a laurel and hardy movie.. it was so hilarious.. i laughed my heart out.. it was too good.. had lunch.. then started watching another laurel hardy movie.. it was more fun than the previous one.. we paused it in the middle.. then i visited shopping malls here.. its a freepark shopping mall.. and then went to mervyns, macys and so many others.. they bought some goods.. they also returned a few goods..
there is this nice funda here.. during the winter season, they put summer goods for sale at cheaper rates.. and vice versa.. so ppl shop for summer stuffs before winter and vice versa..
they can also return the stuffs withing 90 days.. so they generally purchase in bulk.. chk out if it fits at home and then return if they dont like it.. i had some variety of breads.. we went to a shop called as 1 dollar shop.. what ever u pick up its a dollar.. it was pretty big shop.. i just picked up a pouch.. just for the heck of it.. i dont knw whom i am going to give it too though..

we then reached home.. i had bath he he.. we left to another indian families house.. this time.. they really had a golu.. (arrangements of dolls during the dasara.. ) it was nice. .. and the best part was the bought the bommai golu items.. in america.. so u can find dashavathara.. (10 avatars.. not the avatars that u find in online forums).. ramayana, chettaiyar bommai.. and others.. it was really nice.. but the best part was.. the kids were so excited to see other kids.. they were running around.. and making so much noise.. i think they really need ppl and kids of their age.. its not like india.. whr neighbour's kids play with you.. its far more lonely here... they meet their friends only in school.. i was so surprised at their excitement.. we then came home..

ya forgot.. on the way.. we went to some more shops.. but the best one was the "THE INDIAN SHOPPING MALL"... you can guess what u get thr.. but there is a catch.. u also get more than what u get in india.. i have not see somany fruits and vegetables available thr.. there is also a tamil magazine.. which is a free pickup.. we bought a lot of stuffs.. theres ready to eats.. thrz chutney and samabars and curds and thengais and the fruits and the vegetables.. and what not.. u can see a "maxi" food world thr.. i am really surprised at whats u get and what u dont.. u get literally everything.. i mean everything...

we had nice dinner again.. i forgot to tell u we had vatta kolumbu.. its a special type of sambar made in south india.. it was great.. i really enjoyed the day.. we watched the remaining part of laurel and hardy to tickle my senses.. its was really good.. and off i went to sleep.. so here i am blogging.. after waking up v early (9:00 am)..
i will catch u later..
i returning to marriott tonight.. i have vacate tomo... i am moving to the park place..
so i blog todays experience from thre..
bye for now..
:-)

ok.... here i go.. again i am waiting for gws to come up.. u knw what.. one of the most difficult thing to do in mtv is sandhyavandhanam. Trust me.. I wake up and go out my suite.. only to find its cloudly.. I cant see sun at all.. I have nev seen sun in the morning or in the evening here.. so i dont knw which is east, and which is west.. so all my sandhyavandhanam is just facing the kitchen sink, both in the morning and in the even. I am waiting for my digital camera... It might take some more tme.. thanks to the weekend in between. So, I am waiting to take snaps after I get that.

And finally some good news, my uncle here in cal has invited me to his house.. (Or I dont knw.. If i forced him to invite :-) ) I off for the weekend.. hoping to speak some indian language.. i speak kannada when i chat with harsha in google talk.. for those who dont knw harsha, he is a frnd of mine.. and ofcourse... the yellow cab drivers have to bear my great hindi... they are all indians.. i especially like subchit.. he is such gentle and soft spoken indian.. i am planning to hire his taxi everytime i do. I have taken his personal number.. he he.. taxi problem solved..

ok.. catch u later..

So.. Here i am waiting for gws to start up. It seems to be taking more time. So let me blog my thoughts. Ya as I told, today is the third day I am here at office. The thoughts of the past 2 days.. I will try to put up some time. So, this is experience of the day. This is some thing which I have experienced for the first time in my life.

I called up the reception to book a cab to go to google plex. He asked at what time. I told 8:45 AM. I then went to bath and I was getting ready. It was 8:43 AM. I thought, I am pretty sure that guy is going to take some time, coz i informed the help desk only at 8:28AM. Then at 8:45 AM sharp, I get a call. "Sir, Your car has arrived...". Isnt it surprising. Probably the only other time I had booked cab was when I was in chennai and I had to go to GRE exam. This came to my mind. I reminded that guy the previous night and the next day I had to keep calling him 3 times, and he arrives strongly 15 minutes beyond schedule. I was just lost in thougths.. What a surprise, in US the cab driver comes in time.. I was literally thinking of the past and was almost lost for 2 minutes..

knock knock..
this is not my dream..
the cab driver comes to my room and says.. "Sir did u book a cab"
Me : "yes"
"I will be thr in a minute.. I am just wearing my shoes"
CD (Cab driver) : "I am waiting here for 3 mins. Please come fast."
Me : "Sure"

Surprise 2. I am waiting here for 3 minutes.. Man.. whats happening..

There I go into the car, I sit down
"Just wait a min, my collegue is coming."
CD : "Please ask him to come fast, I have waited for such a long time"
I get down, go and call him. He says, he will come in a minute.

But it was 3 mins and he didnt come. The cab wala incidentally is from India.
He starts speaking in hindi. He says, I have other customers. What do I tell them,
I was waiting for u guys.
It was already 8 mins.
"I cant wait anylonger...."
He starts the cab. Trust me. I thought he is going to park elsewhere.

I didnt .. He just zoomed off..
"Your collegue will find another cab."
"Ok, but let me inform him and come.."

He was silent..
He asks which building in google.. we were already half way through..
I was so shocked. I couldnt react.
Man whats happening.
He drops me at my lobby at office. He gives back the change.
"I am sorry, this is my profession. Every minute costs me. I waited there so long only because you are from India."
Me : "Thanks, I am sorry for the delay"

I get down from the car. He gives the bill.

I off he goes... zooooooooooooooooooooom...

I was telling myself.. "Welcome to America"

Hi all,

This is the first time i am writing a blog. I thought I will write down whatever experiences I have here at Mountain View, from now MTV at california. I am have here for a business visit. This is my third day at this place. And I already had some really nice (good, bad, shocking, strange.. dont knw) experiences.. so i plan to post it here.. once a day. The objective is just to keep a collection of my experience. It will might be some good time pass for u guys to read.. Plus u will learn quite a bit about life here at US of A. :-)

k..
i will keep posting..
bye for now..
got to mean business..