I am in Hyderabad now, and I thought I'd just pen down (type down is more appropriate, I suppose) some of the things I felt about the U.S. and being there.
Broken perceptions.
I really did not see it coming. The sheer beauty of the country. The U.S. has so much space, natural resources and it's planned so well, right from the roads to the burrows for owls/other endangered birds, to the lovely landscapes and national parks. It is unbelievable! The reason I didn't expect so much beauty is because the beauty is not what is spoken about when people talk about the U.S. People talk about it as a technology driven country, where everything is so easy to do, and it's a good life. While that's true - it's a very beautiful country. I was told though, that it's only California that's this beautiful. Hopefully I'll get to be the judge of that with another trip to the US soon! :)
Life is hard. It's not whether the place has more to offer or not, but living there has it's own problems, and it's not all hunky dory. I saw how Gapa struggled to find a place to stay, I saw all the homeless people on the streets, and realised that the reason some places are so unsafe and the crime rate, high is because things are rough. Even with all this, I guess, especially for us folk from India, the grass is a lot greener on the other side.
People.
Californians are hard to break the ice with, although they're all nice. I found that people seldom go out of their way to show you a good time, and it was only after over 2 months of my stay there that people warmed up a little and spoke to me a lot. You still need to sort of push yourself onto them. I'm kind of social, and I found it hard to make friends easily... so I feel bad for those who're sort of introvert-ish. I managed to make a few friends though, and I miss them!!! Smart, fun, super interesting people. The folks in the Ann Arbor office seemed a lot warmer in comparison to the Mountain View folks. Maybe I should go there next time. The MV people refer to that attitude as "so west coast!" :)
It's also funny - so many people in Google (Americans) spoke about Americans' stupidity... I didn't encounter that though, because Google doesn't (generally) hire stupid people. Haha. But then, there are umpteen videos and stuff that point out the stupid ones. :D There is a lot of freedom the place has to offer, but a lot of people in the US are very comfortable in their bubble and don't know about what's going on outside.
America is DIVERSE ! They don't tell you about it, usually. Although I suppose that's pretty obvious. There are people from all sorts of countries, and different walks of life. People who want to escape, people who think they fit in here better, people who come to America and then miss their home countries, people who strongly display something that's their own from the country of their origin. People here are very conscious about where they're from. The different types of food available in this country can speak for this! Yes, food speaks a zillion languages. So... something like racism isn't taken lightly, because everyone is so tuned in to their roots here. But, honestly. This is probably one of the few places where you'll possibly find people of EVERY nationality.
I'm also so glad I had all my friends there, and a lot of folks who used to be in the India offices but moved there... it was so good to see them all and talk to them after ages. It's a small world too, I found so many people I never, in my wildest dreams, assumed I would meet and hang out with!
This made me realise something about India. I think Indians are so very warm, and they involve you in everything when you're a stranger, as opposed to here. Indians are super trusting and will assume that you are a God until you prove otherwise, and you are treated with absolute hospitality all the way until then. I recall going out of my way a few times to accomodate visitors. Pin it to cultural differences. :)
The overall.
I could definitely get used to life there. It is so easy to be alone there, and I realised how much I love it, although back at home, I feel the need to constantly be around people. There's also always so much to DO! I love how you don't need to be dependent on anything in particular (except perhaps, a car because the public transport system is pretty darn terrible in the suburbs) because everything is so easy to do. And then there's the fact that men don't stare at you on the streets, you can wear pretty much anything you want and do anything you want, and because things can get so outrageous there, no one will give you a second glance even if you're wearing a cap made of feathers. SF is lovely! The weather is beautiful, the place inspires creativity... The availability of anything under the sun in the US is exceptional - I hope India will get there someday!
I am a HUGE fan of how clean and organized the place is. Right from the roads and the discipline with which people drive (although, if I ever move there, I'm buying a stick shift car - automatics are boring) to the meticulous care taken to keep things looking good... even a hedge on the street!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that California is so dog friendly! You can take your dog to work at Google!!! How many places do you know like that? A little ridiculous that you have to run after your dog and collect his/her poop, but it's absolutely awesome that it's such a dog friendly place. I really missed Pepper! :(
Oh, and everything needs to be planned in advance here. Minimum 2 weeks in advance. Impromptou = super expensive, if available! Whether it's meeting friends, traveling, doing something over the weekend -- planning in advance is the only way to make it work. That didn't always work out too well for me while I was there. :)
Travels.
All my traveling there got me pretty darn broke, but I am so glad I got to see a large part of California, although I missed some fun things like the Grand Canyon. Next time, I guess. :) I'll probably also muster the guts to go skydiving next time around. There is SO much to see, and the country is HUUUUGE. Being in the same country but in different time zones (Mrin, Ice and Nandu and the A2 office were in different time zones) makes you realise that!
Me?
Having gone there changed me for sure. I'm inspired to know more about my country so I can be a better ambassador next time around. I intend to do a lot more reading, develop more interests, and most importantly... take time out to do things other than work (not that I did that there) because there's SO much to do. In life. So much to see, SO MUCH. There's also no point cribbing about things, because... you're just wasting time. I hope I can live up to this little resolution though! :)
I will miss being in the US. So much.
Well, this I suppose, marks the end of this blog. I hope that you enjoyed reading about my everyday things. I already feel like it was unreal, like it was all a dream, and I've only been back two days. I'm still jetlagged!
Monday, September 12, 2011
The day I left
Megha woke up early and went back to her apartment. In the meanwhile, I woke up, finished up laundry, showered, put all my stuff together - last minute packing, and spoke to a few people on the phone to say bye :(
Family in the U.S.
I met Rama moushi at 10am – she picked me up. Megha came too. We went to her house, and I met Upen kaka and their daughter, Kasturi. We had awesome brunch – aolaki and fruits and banana bread. And tea ! :) (Thank you so much, moushi!) It was really great to meet her. So strange that someone I never met was so familiar and felt just like family because they were just family :). Good fun.
I came back, gave Megha all the things that she could use/to give to other people, and then called a cab. I left to the airport, and made calls all the way to say bye to people. I also made sure to say bye to my apartment, which I will dearly miss. Fond memories :)
I'm going to miss this place. :(
A long flight with a lot of movies and some alcohol later, I reached the Dubai airport.
I bought perfume and alcohol, and then boarded the flight, 4 hours away from Hyd :) Home sweet home.
Family in the U.S.
I met Rama moushi at 10am – she picked me up. Megha came too. We went to her house, and I met Upen kaka and their daughter, Kasturi. We had awesome brunch – aolaki and fruits and banana bread. And tea ! :) (Thank you so much, moushi!) It was really great to meet her. So strange that someone I never met was so familiar and felt just like family because they were just family :). Good fun.
I came back, gave Megha all the things that she could use/to give to other people, and then called a cab. I left to the airport, and made calls all the way to say bye to people. I also made sure to say bye to my apartment, which I will dearly miss. Fond memories :)
I'm going to miss this place. :(
A long flight with a lot of movies and some alcohol later, I reached the Dubai airport.
I bought perfume and alcohol, and then boarded the flight, 4 hours away from Hyd :) Home sweet home.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
0
Work.
Well, no work got done today. At all. Considering it was my last day at work, all I was doing was saying my goodbyes to people. I had a meeting with both Sales teams, where I introduced Megha, and the Retail team gave me a going away present!! :) So sweet! I had also stayed up till 4a.m. the previous day, because I just couldn't sleep, and so I wrote people notes. I wrote them notes to say g'bye. I think Megha was also pretty distracted thanks to me. Haha.
Gapa had collected my wallet from Ice the previous evening, and he gave it to me at work, when I was leaving on the shuttle. (Thank you Gapa!!)
Dinner.
I left office early because I had invited people over for dinner, and I intended to cook. I invited about 15 people and about 8 actually made it. Good conversion rate, I should say. :) I asked Megha to come too, especially since she didn't have anything to do. It was so good to have her around though -- she at least managed to get to know a few people, so I'd say she didn't start at scratch like Aakanksha the guinea pig. :)
Liz, Rachel, Allan, Abhay, Carolyn, Gapa, Megha and I had dinner together. I had invited Paul too, and he was all set to come, except that unfortunately, his dogs had torn up stuff and eaten something toxic, so he was at the dog hospital taking care of them. They're alright though! (Phew!) and Paul called and told me that he was very sad he couldn't make it. :( I was very sad too.
Cooking.
Megha had come with me to buy all the veggies, and then helped me cook. (Thank you Megha!) As starters, I made palak raita as dip with carrots and some paneer (thanks again Gapa, for bringing it along!). For dinner, we had dal, rice and mushroom curry. It turned out alright.
Good time, everyone laughing and talking and drinking beer and wine, and then saying goodbyes. And Allan gave me a gift ! :O So sweet. He gave me something to give to Sas too.
Everyone left at around 1a.m. Megha stayed over, because it was too late to walk back.
I just cleaned up, and with no more energy left, I just fell into bed.
Well, no work got done today. At all. Considering it was my last day at work, all I was doing was saying my goodbyes to people. I had a meeting with both Sales teams, where I introduced Megha, and the Retail team gave me a going away present!! :) So sweet! I had also stayed up till 4a.m. the previous day, because I just couldn't sleep, and so I wrote people notes. I wrote them notes to say g'bye. I think Megha was also pretty distracted thanks to me. Haha.
Gapa had collected my wallet from Ice the previous evening, and he gave it to me at work, when I was leaving on the shuttle. (Thank you Gapa!!)
Dinner.
I left office early because I had invited people over for dinner, and I intended to cook. I invited about 15 people and about 8 actually made it. Good conversion rate, I should say. :) I asked Megha to come too, especially since she didn't have anything to do. It was so good to have her around though -- she at least managed to get to know a few people, so I'd say she didn't start at scratch like Aakanksha the guinea pig. :)
Liz, Rachel, Allan, Abhay, Carolyn, Gapa, Megha and I had dinner together. I had invited Paul too, and he was all set to come, except that unfortunately, his dogs had torn up stuff and eaten something toxic, so he was at the dog hospital taking care of them. They're alright though! (Phew!) and Paul called and told me that he was very sad he couldn't make it. :( I was very sad too.
Cooking.
Megha had come with me to buy all the veggies, and then helped me cook. (Thank you Megha!) As starters, I made palak raita as dip with carrots and some paneer (thanks again Gapa, for bringing it along!). For dinner, we had dal, rice and mushroom curry. It turned out alright.
Good time, everyone laughing and talking and drinking beer and wine, and then saying goodbyes. And Allan gave me a gift ! :O So sweet. He gave me something to give to Sas too.
Everyone left at around 1a.m. Megha stayed over, because it was too late to walk back.
I just cleaned up, and with no more energy left, I just fell into bed.
Friday, September 9, 2011
1
There's a zero and then the day I fly out, so this is not my last day here.
No work done.
Work was SOOOOO slow, I practically got no work done. I was a bit sleepy, and I was talking to Megha for a long time. I basically had a super unproductive day. Sigh :|
But, I met the teams that I worked with all this time and I said my goodbyes and introduced Megha. The retail team gave me a little gift; a t shirt, an android stuffed toy and a card! It was so sweet! :)
Funny story.
Iciri texted me to let me know that my wallet was at her place. I had forgotten it there. :| There's a first time for everything I guess! So I asked Gapa to coordinate with her and he picked it up so he could give it to me at work tomorrow. (Thank you SOOOOO much Gapa!) I feel like I have an identity now! Phew :)
No Sports Page, Tied House instead.
Michael had calendared about 5-6 folks from the general cube area to go out for drinks to Sport Page as a farewell to me. But at the last minute, Michael's manager, Matthew came by and invited everyone to Tied House. Michael told me that it was as a finale to a team summit they had had, and I wouldn't be crashing if I came. So Megha and I went - Michael was sweet enough to drive us to Tied House.
Awkwardness.
It was actually a grand finale to a summit that the team had had and not just a get together for everyone on the team. There were managers there, and Megha and I felt so out of place that we didn't stay there longer than 20 minutes! Then we called a cab and went to Tulika's place.
Tulika's place.
The cab ride on the way to her house was great! The cab guy was listening to a Kenny Rogers CD and it made me think of and miss Pa so much! :(
Tulika's house is in Sunnyvale and it's like a little India out there. She shares her apartment with this girl called Emily who's on my floor and very sweet. Megha and I reached a little before time and waited for Tulika -- Emily let us in before Tulika got back to her apartment. Harsh, Ashlene, Sridevi, Ankesh, and Tulika's neighbours, Aditi and her boyfriend Sanketh (who also works for Google) also came there. We all ate, drank and made merry, and it was good fun.
I had a long phone conversation with Mommy :) :) :) :) :) I gave her all the updates and she gave me all the updates! It was soooo nice to talk to her after so long and get the inside information on everything. :)
Megha and I left with Ankesh at about 11.45 in a cranky cab to go back to the apartment. Megha called me a short while later because she wasn't able to enter her apartment, but she figured it out.
Tomorrow.
I have invited a few people over for dinner tomorrow, so the plan is to pick up a little wine and make some snacks and order dinner. Hope it goes well!
Off to stuff a few things into my suitcase and then sleep! :)
No work done.
Work was SOOOOO slow, I practically got no work done. I was a bit sleepy, and I was talking to Megha for a long time. I basically had a super unproductive day. Sigh :|
But, I met the teams that I worked with all this time and I said my goodbyes and introduced Megha. The retail team gave me a little gift; a t shirt, an android stuffed toy and a card! It was so sweet! :)
Funny story.
Iciri texted me to let me know that my wallet was at her place. I had forgotten it there. :| There's a first time for everything I guess! So I asked Gapa to coordinate with her and he picked it up so he could give it to me at work tomorrow. (Thank you SOOOOO much Gapa!) I feel like I have an identity now! Phew :)
No Sports Page, Tied House instead.
Michael had calendared about 5-6 folks from the general cube area to go out for drinks to Sport Page as a farewell to me. But at the last minute, Michael's manager, Matthew came by and invited everyone to Tied House. Michael told me that it was as a finale to a team summit they had had, and I wouldn't be crashing if I came. So Megha and I went - Michael was sweet enough to drive us to Tied House.
Awkwardness.
It was actually a grand finale to a summit that the team had had and not just a get together for everyone on the team. There were managers there, and Megha and I felt so out of place that we didn't stay there longer than 20 minutes! Then we called a cab and went to Tulika's place.
Tulika's place.
The cab ride on the way to her house was great! The cab guy was listening to a Kenny Rogers CD and it made me think of and miss Pa so much! :(
Tulika's house is in Sunnyvale and it's like a little India out there. She shares her apartment with this girl called Emily who's on my floor and very sweet. Megha and I reached a little before time and waited for Tulika -- Emily let us in before Tulika got back to her apartment. Harsh, Ashlene, Sridevi, Ankesh, and Tulika's neighbours, Aditi and her boyfriend Sanketh (who also works for Google) also came there. We all ate, drank and made merry, and it was good fun.
I had a long phone conversation with Mommy :) :) :) :) :) I gave her all the updates and she gave me all the updates! It was soooo nice to talk to her after so long and get the inside information on everything. :)
Megha and I left with Ankesh at about 11.45 in a cranky cab to go back to the apartment. Megha called me a short while later because she wasn't able to enter her apartment, but she figured it out.
Tomorrow.
I have invited a few people over for dinner tomorrow, so the plan is to pick up a little wine and make some snacks and order dinner. Hope it goes well!
Off to stuff a few things into my suitcase and then sleep! :)
2
Work-a-work.
It was a morning of work. I got so much work done, it was great!
Sharing is caring.
I also sent out a lot of pictures that I've taken recently. Paul loved the pictures I'd taken at their house. Billy is not in town, so I won't see him again before I leave :( I feel sad to be leaving this place! After work, I stopped by at Paul and Jenna's desk just before I left to SF.
SF with Iciri and Natasha.
Ice and I had decided to hang out on Wednesday. And so I took the shuttle to SF and walked to Natasha's place.
Ice and I walked around the streets of SF, looking for a store that sold a purple dress for me, but we didn't find one. We eventually walked back to the house, picked up Natasha, and we all went to this Thai place for dinner. Good food!!
I also spoke to Rama moushi and we decided to meet on Saturday - the day I take off.
Meeting Maggie.
Yes, Maggie and I finally met in SF.
After dinner we went to this place called Smuggler's cove where I met Maggie and her roomies. It was nice to see Maggie outside of work, and I had a good time hanging out with her. We were laughing at this girl in the restaurant who was dressed as a mermaid. We weren't sure if she had been hired to be a mermaid or she was just being a mermaid. Good fun!
Alfy.
We took a cab back to Natasha's. We walked into the house to find Alfy had pooped and peed, and was super excited to see us.
Natasha quickly cleaned up, and then we all got ready for bed. I have to say, Natasha and Iciri are very entertaining to be around, because they kind of fight, and Natasha sort of bullies Iciri around, and it's so ridiculously funny! :) I wish I could videotape it for you :D
Considering the next day was a workday, we all just slept. It was just past midnight when we slept.
It was a morning of work. I got so much work done, it was great!
Sharing is caring.
I also sent out a lot of pictures that I've taken recently. Paul loved the pictures I'd taken at their house. Billy is not in town, so I won't see him again before I leave :( I feel sad to be leaving this place! After work, I stopped by at Paul and Jenna's desk just before I left to SF.
SF with Iciri and Natasha.
Ice and I had decided to hang out on Wednesday. And so I took the shuttle to SF and walked to Natasha's place.
Ice and I walked around the streets of SF, looking for a store that sold a purple dress for me, but we didn't find one. We eventually walked back to the house, picked up Natasha, and we all went to this Thai place for dinner. Good food!!
I also spoke to Rama moushi and we decided to meet on Saturday - the day I take off.
Meeting Maggie.
Yes, Maggie and I finally met in SF.
After dinner we went to this place called Smuggler's cove where I met Maggie and her roomies. It was nice to see Maggie outside of work, and I had a good time hanging out with her. We were laughing at this girl in the restaurant who was dressed as a mermaid. We weren't sure if she had been hired to be a mermaid or she was just being a mermaid. Good fun!
Alfy.
We took a cab back to Natasha's. We walked into the house to find Alfy had pooped and peed, and was super excited to see us.
Natasha quickly cleaned up, and then we all got ready for bed. I have to say, Natasha and Iciri are very entertaining to be around, because they kind of fight, and Natasha sort of bullies Iciri around, and it's so ridiculously funny! :) I wish I could videotape it for you :D
Considering the next day was a workday, we all just slept. It was just past midnight when we slept.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
3
Work.
It was super crazy today. I conducted a presentation/training thing, I introduced Megha to the entire sales team, I did a lot of my regular work, and I also made one mistake that has me slightly worried. I hope it can be fixed. Poor Megha had to register so much in a jetlagged state!
Shop-ping!
Megha and I went out shopping in the evening after work. I went to Marshalls looking for a purple dress to wear at Rem's wedding. Found one that was not my size and one that was yucky. Left there after the failed attempt. We picked up Tanya, and the three of us went to Michaels. Yes, I FINALLY went there. I LOVED the place ! SOOOOOO much ! I wish they had a similar store in India! Well, since they don't, I stocked up! :) Hehe. I could spend hours there.
Megha was really tired though, and so was Tanya, so we came back pretty quickly, although we had a long wait for a cab. Megha took the cab back to Carlyle. Tanya and I walked to Rivermark, I picked up sushi for dinner, and we came back. We talked a bit, it was nice to talk to her. :) And then we worked, and I continued to work even after she finished, so she went and took a shower. And then to entertain herself, Tanya straightened my hair while I kept working. She slept off on the floor next to me while she was waiting for me to finish work, and I asked her to go sleep on the bed.
I finally finished work, and I am going to sleep now.
It was super crazy today. I conducted a presentation/training thing, I introduced Megha to the entire sales team, I did a lot of my regular work, and I also made one mistake that has me slightly worried. I hope it can be fixed. Poor Megha had to register so much in a jetlagged state!
Shop-ping!
Megha and I went out shopping in the evening after work. I went to Marshalls looking for a purple dress to wear at Rem's wedding. Found one that was not my size and one that was yucky. Left there after the failed attempt. We picked up Tanya, and the three of us went to Michaels. Yes, I FINALLY went there. I LOVED the place ! SOOOOOO much ! I wish they had a similar store in India! Well, since they don't, I stocked up! :) Hehe. I could spend hours there.
Megha was really tired though, and so was Tanya, so we came back pretty quickly, although we had a long wait for a cab. Megha took the cab back to Carlyle. Tanya and I walked to Rivermark, I picked up sushi for dinner, and we came back. We talked a bit, it was nice to talk to her. :) And then we worked, and I continued to work even after she finished, so she went and took a shower. And then to entertain herself, Tanya straightened my hair while I kept working. She slept off on the floor next to me while she was waiting for me to finish work, and I asked her to go sleep on the bed.
I finally finished work, and I am going to sleep now.
Monday, September 5, 2011
4
Thank goodness for the holiday!
A Monday as a holiday is the best thing in the world. I updated my blog - fully, yes! And you can all read what I've been doing all this time, right until TODAY! I spent all morning doing this. Haha. I also watched BBC news (I haven't been in the loop of what's going on in the world for so long, eep! :| And then I watched back to back episodes of How I Met Your Mother).
I need to pack and I need to do a little work too. Megha is in the U.S. now, and she called me a little earlier. I'm meeting her in a bit for an early dinner. I'll come back and pack. I cannot believe I have only 5 days left in the U.S. :(
Later in the day...
Dinner.
I walked to Carlyle court where Megha is staying and kind of picked her up. We walked to Rivermark and ate at Premier Pizza :) That was the restaurant I went to the day I landed, lol. :) Megha and I talked for a while about how things are here, what to expect, work, and all the things to see here. She was already feeling homesick, and I'm still not homesick, although I miss a few things back home! I hope she does alright in terms of that these three months. I'm sure she will though, she is super! :) Tanya called and said she'd be coming and staying over tomorrow. We'll head out to buy some stuff - I really need to go to Michaels! :D
Packing.
After dinner with Megha I came back and packed. I packed and packed, and I made sure to keep some space for all the things in the bathroom - the jewellery and all that, and all the clothes in the wash. I've taken out clothes that I'm going to be wearing this week, and I'm in all readiness :)
Found Gol online just before I retired to bed. Yay! :) He gave me some crazy pieces of news. I will be talking to Vishruth very soon! :D
Sleepy time, bye bye! :)
A Monday as a holiday is the best thing in the world. I updated my blog - fully, yes! And you can all read what I've been doing all this time, right until TODAY! I spent all morning doing this. Haha. I also watched BBC news (I haven't been in the loop of what's going on in the world for so long, eep! :| And then I watched back to back episodes of How I Met Your Mother).
I need to pack and I need to do a little work too. Megha is in the U.S. now, and she called me a little earlier. I'm meeting her in a bit for an early dinner. I'll come back and pack. I cannot believe I have only 5 days left in the U.S. :(
Later in the day...
Dinner.
I walked to Carlyle court where Megha is staying and kind of picked her up. We walked to Rivermark and ate at Premier Pizza :) That was the restaurant I went to the day I landed, lol. :) Megha and I talked for a while about how things are here, what to expect, work, and all the things to see here. She was already feeling homesick, and I'm still not homesick, although I miss a few things back home! I hope she does alright in terms of that these three months. I'm sure she will though, she is super! :) Tanya called and said she'd be coming and staying over tomorrow. We'll head out to buy some stuff - I really need to go to Michaels! :D
Packing.
After dinner with Megha I came back and packed. I packed and packed, and I made sure to keep some space for all the things in the bathroom - the jewellery and all that, and all the clothes in the wash. I've taken out clothes that I'm going to be wearing this week, and I'm in all readiness :)
Found Gol online just before I retired to bed. Yay! :) He gave me some crazy pieces of news. I will be talking to Vishruth very soon! :D
Sleepy time, bye bye! :)
5
Beautiful Sunday.
I woke up around 9a.m. and brushed my teeth, and met Billy at the bathroom door while I was brushing. :)
Billy cooked bacon and eggs for me for breakfast. He ate with me, and then Paul woke up and ate some bacon too. I took a quick shower while the two of them were reading the paper, and then they walked me to the train stop. I said bye to Athena and Nala before I left. While Billy and Paul were walking with me on the pretty street, we saw this house that had a mural on the wall of Saint Francisco. Gosh, I loved hanging out with Billy and Paul.
Public transport.
The train in front of the one I was supposed to take was stationery because it broke down, so we started a little late, and I was already running late to meet Iciri and Natasha. I was supposed to meet them at 10.30 and I was still on the train at 11. Ice called, and we decided to meet directly at Dolores park.
So I got off the train on Market street and walked around for 20 minutes looking for a cab. Didn't find one, so eventually ended up taking a bus to Dolores and 18th. The bus driver was really nice, I didn't have more change than a dollar and some change, and he gave me a $2 ticket anyway. And then told me which direction Dolores Park was in. Thank you bus driver guy! :)
So it was that I walked to Dolores park, and I spotted Ice playing with a little dog. Alfy, Natasha's dog. Cute, soooooft little thing :) And we spent the entire day there, with Natasha and her friends, sunning ourselves, drinking, laughing, eating, napping on the grass. Ice and I went to Natasha's house after that, and we picked up Ice's cousin who also went to VNS and was a year junior, who I didn't remember, but surprisingly, he remembered me. I charged my phone there because it had died in the middle of the morning.
At 6.15, Pushkal (Ice's cousin), Ice and I walked to the Caltrain station, and then I took the Caltrain back in to Sunnyvale. I wanted to stop at the Michaels there, but it was shut. So I came back, disappointed. I spoke to Gapa who was at Niranjan, who asked if I'd join them for dinner, but I just wanted to stay home, so I got myself some sushi and came back home to eat. I ate, talked to friends back home for a bit, updated my blog, and then went to sleep early.
I woke up around 9a.m. and brushed my teeth, and met Billy at the bathroom door while I was brushing. :)
Billy cooked bacon and eggs for me for breakfast. He ate with me, and then Paul woke up and ate some bacon too. I took a quick shower while the two of them were reading the paper, and then they walked me to the train stop. I said bye to Athena and Nala before I left. While Billy and Paul were walking with me on the pretty street, we saw this house that had a mural on the wall of Saint Francisco. Gosh, I loved hanging out with Billy and Paul.
Public transport.
The train in front of the one I was supposed to take was stationery because it broke down, so we started a little late, and I was already running late to meet Iciri and Natasha. I was supposed to meet them at 10.30 and I was still on the train at 11. Ice called, and we decided to meet directly at Dolores park.
So I got off the train on Market street and walked around for 20 minutes looking for a cab. Didn't find one, so eventually ended up taking a bus to Dolores and 18th. The bus driver was really nice, I didn't have more change than a dollar and some change, and he gave me a $2 ticket anyway. And then told me which direction Dolores Park was in. Thank you bus driver guy! :)
So it was that I walked to Dolores park, and I spotted Ice playing with a little dog. Alfy, Natasha's dog. Cute, soooooft little thing :) And we spent the entire day there, with Natasha and her friends, sunning ourselves, drinking, laughing, eating, napping on the grass. Ice and I went to Natasha's house after that, and we picked up Ice's cousin who also went to VNS and was a year junior, who I didn't remember, but surprisingly, he remembered me. I charged my phone there because it had died in the middle of the morning.
At 6.15, Pushkal (Ice's cousin), Ice and I walked to the Caltrain station, and then I took the Caltrain back in to Sunnyvale. I wanted to stop at the Michaels there, but it was shut. So I came back, disappointed. I spoke to Gapa who was at Niranjan, who asked if I'd join them for dinner, but I just wanted to stay home, so I got myself some sushi and came back home to eat. I ate, talked to friends back home for a bit, updated my blog, and then went to sleep early.
6
Saturday at last!
I met Ann's cousin, Tina, her husband Ritesh and her son Rohan for lunch. We went to an Asian area and ate at a Chinese restaurant. It was nice of them to drive and pick and drop me :) They liked the apartment, Rohan drew on the whiteboard, and we spoke for a bit. The kid is actually cute! I know, I'm saying this, but he wasn't feeling well and still wasn't cranky. And he was sooooo small! He's 3 years old, so he was tall enough to reach my knee. Hehe. :)
San Fran.
I did laundry real quick, and then took the Caltrain to San Francisco. I was going to meet Billy and Paul for dinner. I thought I'd meet Nee and Gapa as well, and stay at Gapa's. That was the plan. I was going to stay in SF because I was going to meet Iciri in the morning (yes, she came from NY - to meet me and Natasha)
Billy and Paul's.
One Caltrain and one Bart train ride later, Billy picked me up at Daly city, and we drove to his house. Along the drive, Billy was giving me interesting trivia about SF - including the history of why NY and SF have the highest gay population in the U.S. - because they are along the coast and that's where most of the military men came back to after battle.
And then the house. They have SUCH a beautiful house, it's probably the most beautiful house I have yet seen in SF. It's still a work in progress - they recently bought it and very recently moved in, so they're setting it up still, and boy are they doing it up well! Oh, and the location of their house is even more awesome - it's in this area called Sunset, and it's across the road from the beach!
My first glimpse of the house was from outside, and as soon as the car pulled up, I saw Nala sticking her head up and then running into the house. We parked in the garage, and went upstairs, and Billy took me on a tour of the house. He took me to see their backyard, told me about the in-progress rooms in the garage floor, showed me the dog door :) Then he took me to the balcony, where we could hear the ocean! Like, totally wow! They've set up the house with a lot of pretty pieces of art and bookshelves, and they have a fireplace! It's so quaint and lovely.
Billy and Paul - what can I say? :) They are a super couple... I would have to say, I didn't know I could get so used to two men being together - I've always had a slight tingling taboo feeling about it. I cannot believe that they're so young and married, but it all works out really well for them. I had spoken to them both so much at work, and they are so nice, there was absolutely nothing uncomfortable about being there with them. They greeted me with nice warm hugs too! They have 2 beautiful dogs, Athena and Nala. Nala in fact, is half wolf. All in all they make the most incredibly beautiful family! :)
They'd cooked some awesome food - they made pasta and beef. I had taken them some dessert wine, which they were very happy to receive. To go with the food, we had really good wine and beer. We'd been sitting and talking over our glasses of wine towards what we thought was the end of our evening, when Gapa told me he was feeling sick, so it might be better for me not to come. As Billy and Paul overheard the conversation, they set up the guest bedroom for me! :O They had offered to have me stay at their place even earlier, but I didn't want to intrude. I wasn't made to feel, in any way, that I was imposing though.
Over dinner, they talked about how they'd met, and then we spoke a lot about how California is, and well - lots of things. I feel like I need to get back to reading a lot more. I want to be able to tell them so much more about India.
The Gift.
Paul pulled out a book - A People's History of the United States of America to gift me as a going away present from them. Awwwwwwww :( I will miss them!
Ocean beach at Sunset.
We decided to go to the beach with the dogs. Billy gave me his leather jacket and a bottle of cider beer to take with me, because it was going to be cold by the ocean. Paul and Billy took their own little beach entertainment. :)
We went to the beach with the dogs and the water was faaaar away because the tide was low. The dogs were unleashed and they frolicked around in the sand. Billy picked up a scallion and gave it to me. Then we saw car headlights, and it was a cop car that started blinking its red and blue lights, and Billy and Paul called the dogs to leash them up because there are some rules around leashing the dogs on beaches. It almost felt like we were in an adventure series - in the middle of the night, trying to hide from the cops, haha. We decided to go back after a bit, and whoa - Athena had stepped on a part of the sand and it lit up under her feet! And then we stepped on this phosphorescence. Possibly some bacteria that emitted light when they felt movement and some pressure. Ohhh man, it was supremely trippy. The three of us stayed there with the dogs, stepping on it and rejoicing in the faint light emitted. :)
Finally, we headed back and took some good amount of sand into the house with us. We sat by the fire and had a couple more drinks, and talked and talked, and they wanted to see pictures of India, so I showed them pictures of Bombay. Paul dozed off, and not long after, Billy and I decided to retire to bed too. They'd put a heater in my room and took the dogs with them for warmth at night :) So sweet! Sigh.
I slept at around 2a.m.
I met Ann's cousin, Tina, her husband Ritesh and her son Rohan for lunch. We went to an Asian area and ate at a Chinese restaurant. It was nice of them to drive and pick and drop me :) They liked the apartment, Rohan drew on the whiteboard, and we spoke for a bit. The kid is actually cute! I know, I'm saying this, but he wasn't feeling well and still wasn't cranky. And he was sooooo small! He's 3 years old, so he was tall enough to reach my knee. Hehe. :)
San Fran.
I did laundry real quick, and then took the Caltrain to San Francisco. I was going to meet Billy and Paul for dinner. I thought I'd meet Nee and Gapa as well, and stay at Gapa's. That was the plan. I was going to stay in SF because I was going to meet Iciri in the morning (yes, she came from NY - to meet me and Natasha)
Billy and Paul's.
One Caltrain and one Bart train ride later, Billy picked me up at Daly city, and we drove to his house. Along the drive, Billy was giving me interesting trivia about SF - including the history of why NY and SF have the highest gay population in the U.S. - because they are along the coast and that's where most of the military men came back to after battle.
And then the house. They have SUCH a beautiful house, it's probably the most beautiful house I have yet seen in SF. It's still a work in progress - they recently bought it and very recently moved in, so they're setting it up still, and boy are they doing it up well! Oh, and the location of their house is even more awesome - it's in this area called Sunset, and it's across the road from the beach!
My first glimpse of the house was from outside, and as soon as the car pulled up, I saw Nala sticking her head up and then running into the house. We parked in the garage, and went upstairs, and Billy took me on a tour of the house. He took me to see their backyard, told me about the in-progress rooms in the garage floor, showed me the dog door :) Then he took me to the balcony, where we could hear the ocean! Like, totally wow! They've set up the house with a lot of pretty pieces of art and bookshelves, and they have a fireplace! It's so quaint and lovely.
Billy and Paul - what can I say? :) They are a super couple... I would have to say, I didn't know I could get so used to two men being together - I've always had a slight tingling taboo feeling about it. I cannot believe that they're so young and married, but it all works out really well for them. I had spoken to them both so much at work, and they are so nice, there was absolutely nothing uncomfortable about being there with them. They greeted me with nice warm hugs too! They have 2 beautiful dogs, Athena and Nala. Nala in fact, is half wolf. All in all they make the most incredibly beautiful family! :)
They'd cooked some awesome food - they made pasta and beef. I had taken them some dessert wine, which they were very happy to receive. To go with the food, we had really good wine and beer. We'd been sitting and talking over our glasses of wine towards what we thought was the end of our evening, when Gapa told me he was feeling sick, so it might be better for me not to come. As Billy and Paul overheard the conversation, they set up the guest bedroom for me! :O They had offered to have me stay at their place even earlier, but I didn't want to intrude. I wasn't made to feel, in any way, that I was imposing though.
Over dinner, they talked about how they'd met, and then we spoke a lot about how California is, and well - lots of things. I feel like I need to get back to reading a lot more. I want to be able to tell them so much more about India.
The Gift.
Paul pulled out a book - A People's History of the United States of America to gift me as a going away present from them. Awwwwwwww :( I will miss them!
Ocean beach at Sunset.
We decided to go to the beach with the dogs. Billy gave me his leather jacket and a bottle of cider beer to take with me, because it was going to be cold by the ocean. Paul and Billy took their own little beach entertainment. :)
We went to the beach with the dogs and the water was faaaar away because the tide was low. The dogs were unleashed and they frolicked around in the sand. Billy picked up a scallion and gave it to me. Then we saw car headlights, and it was a cop car that started blinking its red and blue lights, and Billy and Paul called the dogs to leash them up because there are some rules around leashing the dogs on beaches. It almost felt like we were in an adventure series - in the middle of the night, trying to hide from the cops, haha. We decided to go back after a bit, and whoa - Athena had stepped on a part of the sand and it lit up under her feet! And then we stepped on this phosphorescence. Possibly some bacteria that emitted light when they felt movement and some pressure. Ohhh man, it was supremely trippy. The three of us stayed there with the dogs, stepping on it and rejoicing in the faint light emitted. :)
Finally, we headed back and took some good amount of sand into the house with us. We sat by the fire and had a couple more drinks, and talked and talked, and they wanted to see pictures of India, so I showed them pictures of Bombay. Paul dozed off, and not long after, Billy and I decided to retire to bed too. They'd put a heater in my room and took the dogs with them for warmth at night :) So sweet! Sigh.
I slept at around 2a.m.
7
Long Friday.
Fridays are the worst workdays for me because India doesn't take over, so I have no choice but to finish everything. I struggled through it all, and then in the evening at 6.15, the office was absolutely devoid of people, so I left. I took the 7p.m. shuttle out.
I kept working - I still had lots to do, but I spoke to Sunny - she said she'd send something back for Shreyas with me, so I thought I'd meet her in Mountain View. I called Keth, asked him if he wanted to do dinner. He was good to go to Mountain View, and then wanted to go to Santana Row. I suggested we ate in MV so Sunny could meet and give me what she wanted to send back with me, and then we'd continue on to Santana Row.
Keth came with his friend, Aseem, and we drove to MV. We ended up staying there, not going to Santana Row. We ended up not meeting Sunny either! :( We had a nice time though, Keth was dancing, and I had never seen him dance! He's pretty good :) Aseem was a bit reserved though, about dancing. He's a nice guy, it was nice to meet him. We were out till around 12.30a.m. and then they dropped me back.
Back home, I polished off some more work, and then slept. Long weekend AHOY! :)
Fridays are the worst workdays for me because India doesn't take over, so I have no choice but to finish everything. I struggled through it all, and then in the evening at 6.15, the office was absolutely devoid of people, so I left. I took the 7p.m. shuttle out.
I kept working - I still had lots to do, but I spoke to Sunny - she said she'd send something back for Shreyas with me, so I thought I'd meet her in Mountain View. I called Keth, asked him if he wanted to do dinner. He was good to go to Mountain View, and then wanted to go to Santana Row. I suggested we ate in MV so Sunny could meet and give me what she wanted to send back with me, and then we'd continue on to Santana Row.
Keth came with his friend, Aseem, and we drove to MV. We ended up staying there, not going to Santana Row. We ended up not meeting Sunny either! :( We had a nice time though, Keth was dancing, and I had never seen him dance! He's pretty good :) Aseem was a bit reserved though, about dancing. He's a nice guy, it was nice to meet him. We were out till around 12.30a.m. and then they dropped me back.
Back home, I polished off some more work, and then slept. Long weekend AHOY! :)
8
Another day in Santa Clara (paradise).
I took the shuttle to work, just like I used to when I had being staying in Santa Clara before all the moving and craziness. :) Through the day, I was very blah about work - probably lack of sleep and having worked late into the night for 2 days straight while India was on holiday. I was determined to finish early and go out in the evening.
I spoke to Tulika for a bit, and found that she and Akanksha Shukla were going to be meeting in the evening. I asked her to come out in the evening, considering I had spoken to Shukla about catching up with her on Thursday evening. So, the plan materialised. I asked Tanya and Sunny also to join, but Sunny was not feeling well and wanted to rest because she had to drive out.
Red Robin again.
In the evening, Tanya, Shukla, Tulika and I had dinner and drinks at Red Robin. Lots of talk about driving in the US, about visa issues, and about moving offices. We had a nice time talking and laughing. Shukla's husband, Anuj came to pick her up, and sat with us for a bit. Tulika and he were practically arguing all through that time. It was all in fun of course :) We left - Tanya had left stuff at my place, so she came and picked it up. And then Shukla and Anuj dropped her back.
I went back upstairs, did a little more work, and slept off. The idea of another day of work to go to the next day was painful! It had been a long enough week as it is :|
Zzzzz.
I took the shuttle to work, just like I used to when I had being staying in Santa Clara before all the moving and craziness. :) Through the day, I was very blah about work - probably lack of sleep and having worked late into the night for 2 days straight while India was on holiday. I was determined to finish early and go out in the evening.
I spoke to Tulika for a bit, and found that she and Akanksha Shukla were going to be meeting in the evening. I asked her to come out in the evening, considering I had spoken to Shukla about catching up with her on Thursday evening. So, the plan materialised. I asked Tanya and Sunny also to join, but Sunny was not feeling well and wanted to rest because she had to drive out.
Red Robin again.
In the evening, Tanya, Shukla, Tulika and I had dinner and drinks at Red Robin. Lots of talk about driving in the US, about visa issues, and about moving offices. We had a nice time talking and laughing. Shukla's husband, Anuj came to pick her up, and sat with us for a bit. Tulika and he were practically arguing all through that time. It was all in fun of course :) We left - Tanya had left stuff at my place, so she came and picked it up. And then Shukla and Anuj dropped her back.
I went back upstairs, did a little more work, and slept off. The idea of another day of work to go to the next day was painful! It had been a long enough week as it is :|
Zzzzz.
9
I went to work with Sunny, and had a grueling day at work. The holidays in India didn't help me too much :|
We came back fairly early though, and I took all my stuff and left in a cab to Santa Clara. Sophie was here when I walked in, and offered to help with my luggage, but I had already brought it all the way upstairs, so it didn't make a big difference. :)
Dinner at Red Robin.
Sunny and her parents went shopping around Santa Clara, so I asked them to come have dinner at Rivermark Plaza. They came, and we ate at Red Robin. It was nice, good fun. I think I'll only see Sunny next when she comes to India. She was going to be driving out for the long weekend and be on vacation the entire week, so I wasn't going to be able to meet her later. I was hoping to meet her the next day though.
I came back to the apartment with Sunny and her parents, and they checked the place out. After they left, I continued working till late into the night.
We came back fairly early though, and I took all my stuff and left in a cab to Santa Clara. Sophie was here when I walked in, and offered to help with my luggage, but I had already brought it all the way upstairs, so it didn't make a big difference. :)
Dinner at Red Robin.
Sunny and her parents went shopping around Santa Clara, so I asked them to come have dinner at Rivermark Plaza. They came, and we ate at Red Robin. It was nice, good fun. I think I'll only see Sunny next when she comes to India. She was going to be driving out for the long weekend and be on vacation the entire week, so I wasn't going to be able to meet her later. I was hoping to meet her the next day though.
I came back to the apartment with Sunny and her parents, and they checked the place out. After they left, I continued working till late into the night.
10
Cab to work.
I went to work in a cab from Sunny's place because she was sick and I didn't want to wake her up to get the bike from her. She stayed home.
Work.
I had a fairly good day at work. People know its my last couple of weeks here, so they're being nice, haha. It was Richard's birthday and they all sang for him while I was around. I ate the cake that Annie had made and it was awesome! She was so sweet to share it! I finally got introduced to Joshua, and we used to smile and nod hi all the way until this day :D He found out that I live in the south bay and offered to meet me if I got bored, because he stays in the south bay too. David was talking about putting up posters for his show - I didn't read the poster, and it was a big stack of them which made me think it was a magazine, so I asked him if he was a model! :D I mean, he totally could've been, he's pretty good looking, and he has a metro look working for him. Anyway, he told me it was for a magic show that he was performing, and he was not a model. He showed me some of his magic tricks and it had me totally foxed! He's good! His show is at the end of September.
Back at my desk.
There was a big frenzy because a cube decoration competition was happening, and cubes were being judged the next day. Michael and Shira bought stuff to decorate the cube from the Michaels Arts and Crafts store. Like I said, I want to go there. The theme for the cube decoration was 'around the world' and these guys had decided to go Arctic.
Bowling Alley.
Sunny came to work to have dinner with her parents at Google and do laundry. We had dinner with her parents, and then she did laundry while we chilled at the bowling alley with Avanish, who'd joined us at dinner. By the time we got back though, it was 10p.m. and Sunny told me to just stay at her place again rather than go back so late. So, at her place again! :) She's really not feeling well and she's traveling soon, so I feel bad! :(
worked till 2am cuz its an IN holiday. gotta get up at 7am tomorrow.
I went to work in a cab from Sunny's place because she was sick and I didn't want to wake her up to get the bike from her. She stayed home.
Work.
I had a fairly good day at work. People know its my last couple of weeks here, so they're being nice, haha. It was Richard's birthday and they all sang for him while I was around. I ate the cake that Annie had made and it was awesome! She was so sweet to share it! I finally got introduced to Joshua, and we used to smile and nod hi all the way until this day :D He found out that I live in the south bay and offered to meet me if I got bored, because he stays in the south bay too. David was talking about putting up posters for his show - I didn't read the poster, and it was a big stack of them which made me think it was a magazine, so I asked him if he was a model! :D I mean, he totally could've been, he's pretty good looking, and he has a metro look working for him. Anyway, he told me it was for a magic show that he was performing, and he was not a model. He showed me some of his magic tricks and it had me totally foxed! He's good! His show is at the end of September.
Back at my desk.
There was a big frenzy because a cube decoration competition was happening, and cubes were being judged the next day. Michael and Shira bought stuff to decorate the cube from the Michaels Arts and Crafts store. Like I said, I want to go there. The theme for the cube decoration was 'around the world' and these guys had decided to go Arctic.
Bowling Alley.
Sunny came to work to have dinner with her parents at Google and do laundry. We had dinner with her parents, and then she did laundry while we chilled at the bowling alley with Avanish, who'd joined us at dinner. By the time we got back though, it was 10p.m. and Sunny told me to just stay at her place again rather than go back so late. So, at her place again! :) She's really not feeling well and she's traveling soon, so I feel bad! :(
worked till 2am cuz its an IN holiday. gotta get up at 7am tomorrow.
11
Monday morning.
Sunny wasn't feeling well, but still she went to work. I went to work with Sunny in the car, and she was telling me that she was happy I was staying with her. She is super nice. Thanks Sunny! :)
Post work activity.
I got decent amount of work done, and then went to this restaurant called Mantra with Abhay, Allan and Carolyn. We had a nice time! Abhay had to rush back for a meeting that he was a bit late for :| Allan dropped me back to Sunny's (thanks Allan! :)). At Sunny's place, I ate more food, and Sunny's parents and I chilled out for a bit. Sunny's mom and I took Tiffany's dog for a walk. Louis is cute :) Sunny's parents are ultra cool!
Volunteered to do more work.
I stayed up late working extra voluntarily, because Tuesday and Wednesday were holidays in India, and so 3 of us were going to be doing 9 peoples' work. It was going to be an especially crazy week for me! :(
After having worked 1/2 day India time, and making a plan to take Sunny's bike to work in the morning and then coming back and taking a cab back to Santa Clara with all my things, I slept.
Sunny wasn't feeling well, but still she went to work. I went to work with Sunny in the car, and she was telling me that she was happy I was staying with her. She is super nice. Thanks Sunny! :)
Post work activity.
I got decent amount of work done, and then went to this restaurant called Mantra with Abhay, Allan and Carolyn. We had a nice time! Abhay had to rush back for a meeting that he was a bit late for :| Allan dropped me back to Sunny's (thanks Allan! :)). At Sunny's place, I ate more food, and Sunny's parents and I chilled out for a bit. Sunny's mom and I took Tiffany's dog for a walk. Louis is cute :) Sunny's parents are ultra cool!
Volunteered to do more work.
I stayed up late working extra voluntarily, because Tuesday and Wednesday were holidays in India, and so 3 of us were going to be doing 9 peoples' work. It was going to be an especially crazy week for me! :(
After having worked 1/2 day India time, and making a plan to take Sunny's bike to work in the morning and then coming back and taking a cab back to Santa Clara with all my things, I slept.
12
Sunday.
I woke up, and I was online for a while, I updated what to write in this blog, and I tried to figure out where to stay that night - Sunny was up for having me over. Nee cooked lunch while I was trying to figure about going to Sunny's place in Mountain View and taking all my things along with me, including all the stuff I needed to pick up from Gapa's place. I called Gapa to figure when he'd be free for me to come pick up my stuff, and he said he was going to go to the south bay too, so he said he'd take a nap and I should call and wake him up at about 5p.m., and then we'd leave.
I asked Nee where to buy arty crafty things to take back with me. She told me to go to Michaels Arts & Crafts store. I really want to go.
Getting out of SF.
At 5p.m., I called up Gapa and eventually woke him up at 5.30pm. after calling him multiple times. Venky and Nee dropped us to the Caltrain station. (Thanks for the drop and for letting me stay, you guys!) We managed to pull all the luggage along and take it into the train. If it hadn't been for Gapa, I'd have probably taken a cab and spent a lot of money instead. (Thanks Gapa!)
Sunny's place.
Sunny and her dad picked me up at the Caltrain station in Mountain View. We went to her house, sat around reading and talking and drank with her parents and had some yum dinner and slept.
I woke up, and I was online for a while, I updated what to write in this blog, and I tried to figure out where to stay that night - Sunny was up for having me over. Nee cooked lunch while I was trying to figure about going to Sunny's place in Mountain View and taking all my things along with me, including all the stuff I needed to pick up from Gapa's place. I called Gapa to figure when he'd be free for me to come pick up my stuff, and he said he was going to go to the south bay too, so he said he'd take a nap and I should call and wake him up at about 5p.m., and then we'd leave.
I asked Nee where to buy arty crafty things to take back with me. She told me to go to Michaels Arts & Crafts store. I really want to go.
Getting out of SF.
At 5p.m., I called up Gapa and eventually woke him up at 5.30pm. after calling him multiple times. Venky and Nee dropped us to the Caltrain station. (Thanks for the drop and for letting me stay, you guys!) We managed to pull all the luggage along and take it into the train. If it hadn't been for Gapa, I'd have probably taken a cab and spent a lot of money instead. (Thanks Gapa!)
Sunny's place.
Sunny and her dad picked me up at the Caltrain station in Mountain View. We went to her house, sat around reading and talking and drank with her parents and had some yum dinner and slept.
13
Exploring San Francisco on foot.
I woke up and got ready. Nee went to work (yeah, she had to go to work on Saturday!). Venky went for a run, and dropped me off on Valencia after dropping Nee and before going for a run. I walked around Valencia and Mission, taking photos of the murals - (great artwork!), buying things, and looking around - I checked out all the fun stores on that road. I bought a plant for Nee and Venky. And then I had lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant. They had the most delicious, absolutely yummmmmmm food and it's very close to Indian food - even way of eating (with hand). They serve food in one plate to the entire table for communal eating - it's a way to spread peace - to be eating in a group and harmoniously. :)
Back at Nee and Venky's.
After lunch, I met Nee, who had picked up an interesting book from a free book box on the street! We got picked up by Venky and we went back to their place. Nee had work, but had a bad headache, so we all just sat around talking in the hall. Venky went out for a bit and Nee and I talked to each other with chai for company, then we cooked dinner - bharta and roti. Venky downloaded Delhi Belly but it was really bad print and dubbed in Hindi, so we didn't watch it. We instead had dinner, and well, Nee is a great cook and the food was YUMMY! Home cooked Indian food unexpectedly given to you tastes especially good. :) We then got our glasses of wine and watched 'The Wedding Banquet' - it's an interesting Chinese-American movie about homosexuality. Nee kept joking about how she wants to live in that equation with Venky. After the movie, I slept.
I woke up and got ready. Nee went to work (yeah, she had to go to work on Saturday!). Venky went for a run, and dropped me off on Valencia after dropping Nee and before going for a run. I walked around Valencia and Mission, taking photos of the murals - (great artwork!), buying things, and looking around - I checked out all the fun stores on that road. I bought a plant for Nee and Venky. And then I had lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant. They had the most delicious, absolutely yummmmmmm food and it's very close to Indian food - even way of eating (with hand). They serve food in one plate to the entire table for communal eating - it's a way to spread peace - to be eating in a group and harmoniously. :)
Back at Nee and Venky's.
After lunch, I met Nee, who had picked up an interesting book from a free book box on the street! We got picked up by Venky and we went back to their place. Nee had work, but had a bad headache, so we all just sat around talking in the hall. Venky went out for a bit and Nee and I talked to each other with chai for company, then we cooked dinner - bharta and roti. Venky downloaded Delhi Belly but it was really bad print and dubbed in Hindi, so we didn't watch it. We instead had dinner, and well, Nee is a great cook and the food was YUMMY! Home cooked Indian food unexpectedly given to you tastes especially good. :) We then got our glasses of wine and watched 'The Wedding Banquet' - it's an interesting Chinese-American movie about homosexuality. Nee kept joking about how she wants to live in that equation with Venky. After the movie, I slept.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
14
Worked from home.
I worked from home because Mrin and I had to leave to the airport in the evening. I had the breakfast at the hotel in the morning and it was pretty good, although not complimentary. :D The evening glass of wine was complimentary though. I took food up for Mrin too. She woke up much later and went for a jog. She didn't eat the breakfast I brought up for her. By the time she came back, it was lunch time. We tried to get lunch at the hotel itself, but they didn't serve lunch, so we went to the restaurant right next door instead. They had good food but pathetic quantity. All through lunch I was giving Gapa directions to the driving test place he was headed to in Santa Clara because he was having trouble with his phone, and he didn't have directions. Mrin and I finished eating and we came back.
New York and the hurricane.
I continued working and Mrin took a shower and then packed all her things. We checked the news about hurricane (Irene) in NY, because Adit said that his and Chingu's return buses from NY had been cancelled because of the impending hurricane. So he and Chingu had basically cancelled their trip, and I wouldn't have got to see them. I spoke to Adit and he advised me not to go - his point was also that I didn't want to see New York as a hurricane-hit city the first time I saw it, and Mrin also said it might not be such a good idea to go too. I spoke to Iciri and she said I could come if I want, but I should be prepared to be under house arrest on 2 or 3 days of my 4 days there.
I finished work, chatted with Sas and Lakshman. With Lakshman, I discussed the potential of changing my flights to go see him in case I didn't go to New York. That done, I took a quick shower, and Mrin and I went to the airport. We were driven there by the hotel car - a town car. Super fancy with leather seats and wooden panelling. Very classy. :)
At the airport.
Once we got to the airport, the plan became clear - it was to ditch going to NY, try and get a refund, and book tickets to Cleveland to meet Lakshman. I was going to try to go there with Mrin, and then to Ann Arbor and work from there and come back from there. The flight guys hadn't yet given me a refund though, so I called and told Nee that I might come to her place in case these plans Mrin and I were trying to scrap together didn't work out. I waited on the phone with the JetBlue airline folks for an hour while I was with Mrin, who was getting her boarding pass etc. After a grueling battle, I finally got them to waive the $100 flight cancellation fee and turn the NY ticket money to JetBlue flight credit that I could transfer to someone else. I wasn't able to get tickets for Cleveland that were less than $700 round trip either, and that was too expensive for me, so I didn't spring a last-minute visit on Lakshman either.
No New York or Cleveland! :(
Bye Mrin. :'(
Mrin left :( And so I went to Nee's at 11p.m.. Venky and Nee were almost sleeping off. But thank you soooo much Nee and Venky for letting me stay! I slept off shortly after getting there.
I worked from home because Mrin and I had to leave to the airport in the evening. I had the breakfast at the hotel in the morning and it was pretty good, although not complimentary. :D The evening glass of wine was complimentary though. I took food up for Mrin too. She woke up much later and went for a jog. She didn't eat the breakfast I brought up for her. By the time she came back, it was lunch time. We tried to get lunch at the hotel itself, but they didn't serve lunch, so we went to the restaurant right next door instead. They had good food but pathetic quantity. All through lunch I was giving Gapa directions to the driving test place he was headed to in Santa Clara because he was having trouble with his phone, and he didn't have directions. Mrin and I finished eating and we came back.
New York and the hurricane.
I continued working and Mrin took a shower and then packed all her things. We checked the news about hurricane (Irene) in NY, because Adit said that his and Chingu's return buses from NY had been cancelled because of the impending hurricane. So he and Chingu had basically cancelled their trip, and I wouldn't have got to see them. I spoke to Adit and he advised me not to go - his point was also that I didn't want to see New York as a hurricane-hit city the first time I saw it, and Mrin also said it might not be such a good idea to go too. I spoke to Iciri and she said I could come if I want, but I should be prepared to be under house arrest on 2 or 3 days of my 4 days there.
I finished work, chatted with Sas and Lakshman. With Lakshman, I discussed the potential of changing my flights to go see him in case I didn't go to New York. That done, I took a quick shower, and Mrin and I went to the airport. We were driven there by the hotel car - a town car. Super fancy with leather seats and wooden panelling. Very classy. :)
At the airport.
Once we got to the airport, the plan became clear - it was to ditch going to NY, try and get a refund, and book tickets to Cleveland to meet Lakshman. I was going to try to go there with Mrin, and then to Ann Arbor and work from there and come back from there. The flight guys hadn't yet given me a refund though, so I called and told Nee that I might come to her place in case these plans Mrin and I were trying to scrap together didn't work out. I waited on the phone with the JetBlue airline folks for an hour while I was with Mrin, who was getting her boarding pass etc. After a grueling battle, I finally got them to waive the $100 flight cancellation fee and turn the NY ticket money to JetBlue flight credit that I could transfer to someone else. I wasn't able to get tickets for Cleveland that were less than $700 round trip either, and that was too expensive for me, so I didn't spring a last-minute visit on Lakshman either.
No New York or Cleveland! :(
Bye Mrin. :'(
Mrin left :( And so I went to Nee's at 11p.m.. Venky and Nee were almost sleeping off. But thank you soooo much Nee and Venky for letting me stay! I slept off shortly after getting there.
15
I woke up, and went to work in a daze. Lack of sleep, I'd assume. But I worked and worked.
I also did my laundry at work - the laundry machines are behind the bowling alley. I first observed how someone worked it, and then went there with my clothes - all this time in SF with no laundry machine in the hotel room to do laundry for free, so I had many clothes, and I'd heard about the laundry machines at work. So why not, right? :) I met Vitaly in the laundry room, who sits on the same floor, so was a familiar face and we were waiting for a dryer so he struck up a conversation. I also didn't know how to do something, and he very kindly helped me out. As I was walked past the bowling alley on my way out after I had finished with laundry, I saw the place all lit up and prepping for a party. It totally looked like a disco.
The party at the bowling alley.
Turns out this setup was for the team that I was sitting with, and it was a Thirsty Thursdays event :) All the people on my floor were going, and Kevin and Shira asked me to join too, so I went. OH MAN it was so much fun! I bowled, I talked to a lot of people, I had a couple of beers, and this guy called Adam - who I'd seen at my desk area, always having borrowed my chair - spoke to me for a long time. He's a super interesting guy, very polite and nice. He's traveled to many parts of the world, and wanted to be a part of an organization like the U.N. but they do a background check and found some distant relative of his to have a criminal record, so he didn't get it :( Anyway, he was really nice, and asked what I would be doing over the long weekend. He offered to take me sightseeing in SF. Really nice chap. :)
Back at Hotel Rex.
I came back fairly early, considering, to pack all my stuff. I had asked Gapa if I could leave my big suitcase at his house for 4 days while I was on vacation in New York, and he'd been nice enough to say yes. (Thanks Gapa :)). And so Gapa met Mrin and me in the evening. I was also finishing work between packing.
Anyway, Mrin, Gapa and I went to Loris Diner for dinner. We went there, sat at a table and because I had to work and pack still, we decided to just take food to go instead. We ate in the room while i finished packing and doing a bit of work, and Gapa and Mrin drank wine and looked at all the Point Reyes pictures that Gapa had put up. I took a break, and Mrin and I went with Gapa and I left my big suitcase at his place. Gapa invited us to stay longer, but we didn't. Mrin and I came back in the same cab, talked a bit, and I finished work. I slept at around 2a.m.
I also did my laundry at work - the laundry machines are behind the bowling alley. I first observed how someone worked it, and then went there with my clothes - all this time in SF with no laundry machine in the hotel room to do laundry for free, so I had many clothes, and I'd heard about the laundry machines at work. So why not, right? :) I met Vitaly in the laundry room, who sits on the same floor, so was a familiar face and we were waiting for a dryer so he struck up a conversation. I also didn't know how to do something, and he very kindly helped me out. As I was walked past the bowling alley on my way out after I had finished with laundry, I saw the place all lit up and prepping for a party. It totally looked like a disco.
The party at the bowling alley.
Turns out this setup was for the team that I was sitting with, and it was a Thirsty Thursdays event :) All the people on my floor were going, and Kevin and Shira asked me to join too, so I went. OH MAN it was so much fun! I bowled, I talked to a lot of people, I had a couple of beers, and this guy called Adam - who I'd seen at my desk area, always having borrowed my chair - spoke to me for a long time. He's a super interesting guy, very polite and nice. He's traveled to many parts of the world, and wanted to be a part of an organization like the U.N. but they do a background check and found some distant relative of his to have a criminal record, so he didn't get it :( Anyway, he was really nice, and asked what I would be doing over the long weekend. He offered to take me sightseeing in SF. Really nice chap. :)
Back at Hotel Rex.
I came back fairly early, considering, to pack all my stuff. I had asked Gapa if I could leave my big suitcase at his house for 4 days while I was on vacation in New York, and he'd been nice enough to say yes. (Thanks Gapa :)). And so Gapa met Mrin and me in the evening. I was also finishing work between packing.
Anyway, Mrin, Gapa and I went to Loris Diner for dinner. We went there, sat at a table and because I had to work and pack still, we decided to just take food to go instead. We ate in the room while i finished packing and doing a bit of work, and Gapa and Mrin drank wine and looked at all the Point Reyes pictures that Gapa had put up. I took a break, and Mrin and I went with Gapa and I left my big suitcase at his place. Gapa invited us to stay longer, but we didn't. Mrin and I came back in the same cab, talked a bit, and I finished work. I slept at around 2a.m.
Friday, September 2, 2011
16
Confusion.
I walked to shuttle stop, and for a while I was confused about where exactly the shuttle was going to stop. I finally spotted some Googlers across the road from me, and soon after, the shuttle itself, so I ran to it :D
I went to work, worked, worked, worked, and came back early. There was nice thick mist and I walked through it, all the way back to the hotel.
My phone had stopped working, because it wasn't recharged. Silly phones here! :(
The Evening.
Mrin's friend, Seema came by, and the three of us went to Chipotle's to eat Mexican food. We were done eating in 15 minutes, and then we walked back to the hotel because Seema's friend was going to come pick her up. We all sang on the road because Mrin told Seema that I sing well, and Seema is a singer - she was getting picked up to go to a studio to sing! :)
I had finished work, but needed to do some training, which I was considering postponing to hang out with Mrin. Anyway, Seema's friend Dev came to pick her up, and we spent a good amount of time talking on the street. Dev is a professor in a university in the U.S., and he was giving me tips on how I should apply to college and stuff. Dev spoke to me at length about how I should be building my statement of purpose and all the grad schools I should apply to in the U.S. Useful information. By the end of the conversation, he had asked Mrin and me to join them at the studio for a recording. I said no, because I felt like I'd prefer to do my training instead. Mrin went to the studio with them though.
Worrying.
I went back up and started the trainings. I chatted with Mrin at 12.30p.m., and asked her when she was coming back, she said she wasn't sure. I got sleepy at around 1.30p.m., and tried calling Mrin, but she didn't answer. I sent her an email saying I was hoping we'd have got to hang out that evening and to let me know when she was going to be back or if she was going to stay out for the night. I'd only met these friends of hers once that day, and I didn't know where the place she had gone to was, and having heard that certain parts of SF aren't safe, plus having no way of contacting her friends - I only had her number, I was worried, slightly. I mean, I know Mrin can take care of herself and everything, but she was also still a tourist in SF. I kept an alarm for 2.30a.m. because I figured she won't be later than that, and I'd try contacting her again if she wasn't back by then. I woke up at 2.30a.m. and tried to call her again and when she didn't answer this time, I started to freak out.
But 5 minutes later, Mrin walked in. I kind of yelled at her in my sleepiness about how I was worried, and then I slept off. :| (Sorry Mrin!)
I walked to shuttle stop, and for a while I was confused about where exactly the shuttle was going to stop. I finally spotted some Googlers across the road from me, and soon after, the shuttle itself, so I ran to it :D
I went to work, worked, worked, worked, and came back early. There was nice thick mist and I walked through it, all the way back to the hotel.
My phone had stopped working, because it wasn't recharged. Silly phones here! :(
The Evening.
Mrin's friend, Seema came by, and the three of us went to Chipotle's to eat Mexican food. We were done eating in 15 minutes, and then we walked back to the hotel because Seema's friend was going to come pick her up. We all sang on the road because Mrin told Seema that I sing well, and Seema is a singer - she was getting picked up to go to a studio to sing! :)
I had finished work, but needed to do some training, which I was considering postponing to hang out with Mrin. Anyway, Seema's friend Dev came to pick her up, and we spent a good amount of time talking on the street. Dev is a professor in a university in the U.S., and he was giving me tips on how I should apply to college and stuff. Dev spoke to me at length about how I should be building my statement of purpose and all the grad schools I should apply to in the U.S. Useful information. By the end of the conversation, he had asked Mrin and me to join them at the studio for a recording. I said no, because I felt like I'd prefer to do my training instead. Mrin went to the studio with them though.
Worrying.
I went back up and started the trainings. I chatted with Mrin at 12.30p.m., and asked her when she was coming back, she said she wasn't sure. I got sleepy at around 1.30p.m., and tried calling Mrin, but she didn't answer. I sent her an email saying I was hoping we'd have got to hang out that evening and to let me know when she was going to be back or if she was going to stay out for the night. I'd only met these friends of hers once that day, and I didn't know where the place she had gone to was, and having heard that certain parts of SF aren't safe, plus having no way of contacting her friends - I only had her number, I was worried, slightly. I mean, I know Mrin can take care of herself and everything, but she was also still a tourist in SF. I kept an alarm for 2.30a.m. because I figured she won't be later than that, and I'd try contacting her again if she wasn't back by then. I woke up at 2.30a.m. and tried to call her again and when she didn't answer this time, I started to freak out.
But 5 minutes later, Mrin walked in. I kind of yelled at her in my sleepiness about how I was worried, and then I slept off. :| (Sorry Mrin!)
17
I picked up Gapa and drove to work. We were supposed to pick up my cycle from the Santa Clara corp apartment, but we were too late so we had to skip it.
I worked and worked, and then Gapa and I went and returned car in the afternoon and got dropped back to office.
Walking in SF.
I took the shuttle back to the hotel, and walked from the stop to hotel. It was such a nice walk :) I looked around at all the funky stores and the people as I walked. To say the least, it was very good exercise - and I really need exercise! It was a hilly road though, so not the best for the ligament-tear knee :(
I had eaten in the office before leaving work but because I had to finish work, I didn't go out with Mrin. Mrin went and picked up a to go dinner and she ate in the room next to me. She'd got the complimentary glass of wine from the hotel. :) She then showed me pictures of her trip to Monterey with her friend Meera (who we'd met for dinner once).
I continued to worked till late, and slept off finally a few minutes after Mrin had slept.
I worked and worked, and then Gapa and I went and returned car in the afternoon and got dropped back to office.
Walking in SF.
I took the shuttle back to the hotel, and walked from the stop to hotel. It was such a nice walk :) I looked around at all the funky stores and the people as I walked. To say the least, it was very good exercise - and I really need exercise! It was a hilly road though, so not the best for the ligament-tear knee :(
I had eaten in the office before leaving work but because I had to finish work, I didn't go out with Mrin. Mrin went and picked up a to go dinner and she ate in the room next to me. She'd got the complimentary glass of wine from the hotel. :) She then showed me pictures of her trip to Monterey with her friend Meera (who we'd met for dinner once).
I continued to worked till late, and slept off finally a few minutes after Mrin had slept.
18
It was a Monday morning.
I woke up really early and started working from Gapa's place. I essentially worked from there for 1/2 a day.
When everyone had woken up, we dropped Sas off at the hotel so he could get ready and leave. :( Mrin came to the Google office again :) Unfortunately, I didn't get too much work done.
Car or not.
We went to return the car, but ended up keeping it for another day, and this was Gapa's idea :) I went with it because we thought we'd pick up my bike from the corp apartment the next day so Mrin could use it in SF.
I stayed late at work and finally finished work, and then Mrin and I got dinner at Charlies cafe. We bumped into Mrin's friend Rajiv during dinner, and he invited us over. So, not very much later, Gapa, Mrin and I went to Rajiv's place. He has a nice house and an amazing BIG TV! It was a lot like Ted's. TV. And on it, you can play connect ! It's an AWESOME dance game - like Guitar heroes, except you're dancing. Mrin danced a few levels free! :) Nice it was. Rajiv's roommate (and technically, Uncle), Agustya used to work in Microsoft and now works in Apple. Interesting chap.
We drove back to SF late at night, dropped Gapa, went to the hotel, and slept.
I woke up really early and started working from Gapa's place. I essentially worked from there for 1/2 a day.
When everyone had woken up, we dropped Sas off at the hotel so he could get ready and leave. :( Mrin came to the Google office again :) Unfortunately, I didn't get too much work done.
Car or not.
We went to return the car, but ended up keeping it for another day, and this was Gapa's idea :) I went with it because we thought we'd pick up my bike from the corp apartment the next day so Mrin could use it in SF.
I stayed late at work and finally finished work, and then Mrin and I got dinner at Charlies cafe. We bumped into Mrin's friend Rajiv during dinner, and he invited us over. So, not very much later, Gapa, Mrin and I went to Rajiv's place. He has a nice house and an amazing BIG TV! It was a lot like Ted's. TV. And on it, you can play connect ! It's an AWESOME dance game - like Guitar heroes, except you're dancing. Mrin danced a few levels free! :) Nice it was. Rajiv's roommate (and technically, Uncle), Agustya used to work in Microsoft and now works in Apple. Interesting chap.
We drove back to SF late at night, dropped Gapa, went to the hotel, and slept.
19
Peaced out Sunday.
Mrin and I woke up, talked for a bit, and then a short while later Sas came over. Mrin got ready and went to Berkley to meet her friend. Shortly after, Sas and I walked around the streets of SF, hunting for a place to eat. We were being "adventurous" though - not looking at GPS, just hunting for a place that looked interesting, and so kept walking. We walked past Nee's place, but eventually came back to nearer the hotel. We ate at Maru Sushi and then I went shopping with Sas - he wanted to buy things for his family because he was going to leave the next day. We went to Macy's - it's super expensive although stuff is nice. Then I remembered H&M, and I hit the nail on the head! Sas did all his shopping there. :) We were out till the evening, and we walked back to hotel after talking to Mrin, who was already back.
Kan Zaman.
We'd called and made dinner plans with Nee, Gapa and Venky while getting lunch. We picked up Gapa, Nee and Venky from Nee and Venky's doorstep, and stuffed ourselves in the car! :) We drove to an Arabic restaurant called Kan Zaman on Haight street, where there was belly dancing. We ate, talked, and made merry. Then we went to get ice cream. We spoke to Nachiket on the phone while we were there, because he was leaving to go back to his college. After the ice cream had cooled us down, we dropped Venky and Nee off and then all of us crashed at Gapa's place. We sorted expenses and planned for the next day before sleeping. I think I was the first to fall asleep!
Mrin and I woke up, talked for a bit, and then a short while later Sas came over. Mrin got ready and went to Berkley to meet her friend. Shortly after, Sas and I walked around the streets of SF, hunting for a place to eat. We were being "adventurous" though - not looking at GPS, just hunting for a place that looked interesting, and so kept walking. We walked past Nee's place, but eventually came back to nearer the hotel. We ate at Maru Sushi and then I went shopping with Sas - he wanted to buy things for his family because he was going to leave the next day. We went to Macy's - it's super expensive although stuff is nice. Then I remembered H&M, and I hit the nail on the head! Sas did all his shopping there. :) We were out till the evening, and we walked back to hotel after talking to Mrin, who was already back.
Kan Zaman.
We'd called and made dinner plans with Nee, Gapa and Venky while getting lunch. We picked up Gapa, Nee and Venky from Nee and Venky's doorstep, and stuffed ourselves in the car! :) We drove to an Arabic restaurant called Kan Zaman on Haight street, where there was belly dancing. We ate, talked, and made merry. Then we went to get ice cream. We spoke to Nachiket on the phone while we were there, because he was leaving to go back to his college. After the ice cream had cooled us down, we dropped Venky and Nee off and then all of us crashed at Gapa's place. We sorted expenses and planned for the next day before sleeping. I think I was the first to fall asleep!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
20
Ah.
I didn't mention that we had a plan for the weekend, that took form while we were in Delarosa, eating. We were going to pick Mrin up, and then go to Point Reyes to meet Angadh.
We actually got up early, picked up Mrin from Palo Alto - the residential areas of which are ultra pretty, it's a beautifully green place! While we waited for Mrin, we did crazy things like dance on the road, and pretend-played basketball at a ring outside a random house. If anyone had been watching us..... :D
We headed off to Point Reyes. We made a pit stop to pick up junky snacks and then Gapa drove all the way to Point Reyes. We met Angadh, his dog Mani and his roomie Srihari (Hari) at the Point Reyes station. First thing we did was walk around a bit, took some pictures, and then got some food to eat on the drive toa particular beach in Point Reyes that we'd zeroed in on going to. The town was very pretty!
Beach.
Sas drove us to the beach and we all stayed there for a long time, taking more photos and chilling out. Mani was frolicking in the water and then coming back and rolling around in the sand. :D It got Angadh cribbing about having to clean his car later :) Mrin and I did cartwheels in the sand, Sas followed and shot some birds, Gapa, Angadh and Mani were playing in the water with Mani, and through it all, a whole lot of pictures were taken. It was all, as you can imagine from my description, a LOT of fun! :) Mani is super cute :) I missed Pepper!!
Lots of driving.
Once we got tired of being at the beach and running around, we went looking for dog friendly trails to hike along. There were none. And so we decided to go to lighthouse. A looooong drive later, when we hadn't yet found the lighthouse and thought we might've missed it, we decided to stop for a bit. We chilled out at parking lot for a bit and that's when we all finally really talked. While we all talked, Sas chased after birds. :) It was so much fun talking to Angadh! He is really, really funny. :D We talked about embarrassing "get married beta" situations that our parents had put us in. And then Angadh spoke about how he had worked hard to maintain his Bangalore cultured accent, and was making a statement to the Americans, demanding that they understand him when he talks like an Indian :) He talks EXACTLY the same way still! :) Funny stuff.
Lighthouse.
Eventually, we decided to go to lighthouse since we'd already driven this far anyway. We stopped when we saw an owl on the way!! Mrin drove for a bit, and through a breathtaking view. An elk ran across the road, and then fog rolled onto the road out of nowhere. We decided to stop, and walk into the fog. And voila, it revealed a small wooden stairway, that ended at a fence that was the edge of a cliff. Through the fog, whatever we could see of it was so unbelievably beautiful!!! It was really cold, but it was soooooo beautiful! There were big rocks far below, with the sea crashing around them, forming circular frothy patterns far below. In the distance, we could hear Sea Lions.
Mrin had gone back to the car because she was wearing shorts and feeling really cold. We all trooped back. Mrin drove the car from there all the way to the lighthouse, following Angadh. When we got there, the lighthouse was closed but we were still welcomed by a most beautiful view while walking up to the lighthouse itself. We saw Elks, walked around the hills and then checked out the lighthouse. Stayed there while the foghorn sounded.
And then we figured it was time to go. We said our sad goodbyes to Angadh, Mani and Hari. I hope I can meet Angadh again before I leave. I drove all the way back, following Angadh's car for a certain distance, until we parted at a fork that pointed us in the direction of San Francisco. Mrin and I said bye to the folks in the other car... even though they were not going to hear us. We sang in the car all along the way, Mrin, Gapa, Sas and I. :) Fun drive.
Loris Diner.
We came back to hotel, freshened up quickly, and then headed out for dinner. We ate at Lories Diner, a 50s American themed restaurant. It was so cool - it had those music boxes or whatever, through which you could request songs, just like in Back to the Future when Michael J Fox goes back in time to his parents' generation. :D There was a big car in there too, and lots of stuff from the 50s like the pinball games, and all the waiters dressed like the typical 50s American Diners. I liked it a LOT! :) After dinner, Mrin and I dropped Sas and Gapa to Gapa's place. Mrin and I parked the car and then bought a parking token with some difficulty. We went back and slept like there was going to be no tomorrow.
I didn't mention that we had a plan for the weekend, that took form while we were in Delarosa, eating. We were going to pick Mrin up, and then go to Point Reyes to meet Angadh.
We actually got up early, picked up Mrin from Palo Alto - the residential areas of which are ultra pretty, it's a beautifully green place! While we waited for Mrin, we did crazy things like dance on the road, and pretend-played basketball at a ring outside a random house. If anyone had been watching us..... :D
We headed off to Point Reyes. We made a pit stop to pick up junky snacks and then Gapa drove all the way to Point Reyes. We met Angadh, his dog Mani and his roomie Srihari (Hari) at the Point Reyes station. First thing we did was walk around a bit, took some pictures, and then got some food to eat on the drive toa particular beach in Point Reyes that we'd zeroed in on going to. The town was very pretty!
Beach.
Sas drove us to the beach and we all stayed there for a long time, taking more photos and chilling out. Mani was frolicking in the water and then coming back and rolling around in the sand. :D It got Angadh cribbing about having to clean his car later :) Mrin and I did cartwheels in the sand, Sas followed and shot some birds, Gapa, Angadh and Mani were playing in the water with Mani, and through it all, a whole lot of pictures were taken. It was all, as you can imagine from my description, a LOT of fun! :) Mani is super cute :) I missed Pepper!!
Lots of driving.
Once we got tired of being at the beach and running around, we went looking for dog friendly trails to hike along. There were none. And so we decided to go to lighthouse. A looooong drive later, when we hadn't yet found the lighthouse and thought we might've missed it, we decided to stop for a bit. We chilled out at parking lot for a bit and that's when we all finally really talked. While we all talked, Sas chased after birds. :) It was so much fun talking to Angadh! He is really, really funny. :D We talked about embarrassing "get married beta" situations that our parents had put us in. And then Angadh spoke about how he had worked hard to maintain his Bangalore cultured accent, and was making a statement to the Americans, demanding that they understand him when he talks like an Indian :) He talks EXACTLY the same way still! :) Funny stuff.
Lighthouse.
Eventually, we decided to go to lighthouse since we'd already driven this far anyway. We stopped when we saw an owl on the way!! Mrin drove for a bit, and through a breathtaking view. An elk ran across the road, and then fog rolled onto the road out of nowhere. We decided to stop, and walk into the fog. And voila, it revealed a small wooden stairway, that ended at a fence that was the edge of a cliff. Through the fog, whatever we could see of it was so unbelievably beautiful!!! It was really cold, but it was soooooo beautiful! There were big rocks far below, with the sea crashing around them, forming circular frothy patterns far below. In the distance, we could hear Sea Lions.
Mrin had gone back to the car because she was wearing shorts and feeling really cold. We all trooped back. Mrin drove the car from there all the way to the lighthouse, following Angadh. When we got there, the lighthouse was closed but we were still welcomed by a most beautiful view while walking up to the lighthouse itself. We saw Elks, walked around the hills and then checked out the lighthouse. Stayed there while the foghorn sounded.
And then we figured it was time to go. We said our sad goodbyes to Angadh, Mani and Hari. I hope I can meet Angadh again before I leave. I drove all the way back, following Angadh's car for a certain distance, until we parted at a fork that pointed us in the direction of San Francisco. Mrin and I said bye to the folks in the other car... even though they were not going to hear us. We sang in the car all along the way, Mrin, Gapa, Sas and I. :) Fun drive.
Loris Diner.
We came back to hotel, freshened up quickly, and then headed out for dinner. We ate at Lories Diner, a 50s American themed restaurant. It was so cool - it had those music boxes or whatever, through which you could request songs, just like in Back to the Future when Michael J Fox goes back in time to his parents' generation. :D There was a big car in there too, and lots of stuff from the 50s like the pinball games, and all the waiters dressed like the typical 50s American Diners. I liked it a LOT! :) After dinner, Mrin and I dropped Sas and Gapa to Gapa's place. Mrin and I parked the car and then bought a parking token with some difficulty. We went back and slept like there was going to be no tomorrow.
21
Morning morning.
We all managed to wake up on time to go to work.
But - Sas, Mrin and I drove from Sunny's place to the corp apartment. We had a yummy breakfast at Peet's Tea and Coffee in Rivermark. Absolutely yummm bagels!
For the rest of the day, I worked from the apartment. Mrin and Sas packed all of Sas's things while I worked, and then with Sas breathing down my neck (:P), I booked a hotel in SF for Mrin and me for the weekend and the next week. Sas went to his cousin's for lunch, and Mrin and I got an hour to ourselves and talked our hearts out to each other :) I also finally spoke to Lakshman! Mrin did laundry while I was finishing work (thanks Mrin!!) and I eventually managed to finish my work by about 7. We packed up ALL our things really quickly - emptied out the apartment.
Evening.
Mrin went to her friend's house in Palo Alto for a barbeque and sleepover party. Sas and I shifted out of the corp apartment, and spoke to Sophie on our way out who apologized for the inconvenience (!). We moved his, Mrin's AND my stuff to the hotel I'd booked - Hotel Rex. It was a lot of stuff, and I was glad we'd kept the car to shift and everything. The hotel was really interesting by the way - fairly small but very creative! And the staff was super nice and friendly :)
Then Sas and I went for dinner with Gapa to Delarosa, and we loved it! Nice crowd, great music and amazing food! :) We finished and got back to the hotel at 1a.m., and eventually parked the car for $20 for 8 hours, and slept at the hotel. Dead beat.
We all managed to wake up on time to go to work.
But - Sas, Mrin and I drove from Sunny's place to the corp apartment. We had a yummy breakfast at Peet's Tea and Coffee in Rivermark. Absolutely yummm bagels!
For the rest of the day, I worked from the apartment. Mrin and Sas packed all of Sas's things while I worked, and then with Sas breathing down my neck (:P), I booked a hotel in SF for Mrin and me for the weekend and the next week. Sas went to his cousin's for lunch, and Mrin and I got an hour to ourselves and talked our hearts out to each other :) I also finally spoke to Lakshman! Mrin did laundry while I was finishing work (thanks Mrin!!) and I eventually managed to finish my work by about 7. We packed up ALL our things really quickly - emptied out the apartment.
Evening.
Mrin went to her friend's house in Palo Alto for a barbeque and sleepover party. Sas and I shifted out of the corp apartment, and spoke to Sophie on our way out who apologized for the inconvenience (!). We moved his, Mrin's AND my stuff to the hotel I'd booked - Hotel Rex. It was a lot of stuff, and I was glad we'd kept the car to shift and everything. The hotel was really interesting by the way - fairly small but very creative! And the staff was super nice and friendly :)
Then Sas and I went for dinner with Gapa to Delarosa, and we loved it! Nice crowd, great music and amazing food! :) We finished and got back to the hotel at 1a.m., and eventually parked the car for $20 for 8 hours, and slept at the hotel. Dead beat.
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