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..
:-)