Journey to the LoneStar State - Part 1

The name Texas derives from a Caddo Indian word,"thecas"  that means "friends" or "allies," which was incorporated into the state motto: Friendship. The Spanish spelled the word tejas or texas and used it to describe the area where this Native American tribe lived.

As I pen down this post, I recall those humble days when I used to go and attend trainings hoping and praying that I would get a job which would make me feel purposeful and important. I look back and realize, It is indeed  a wonderful journey.

One such journey, On the birth on the third month of 2012, gave both of us the opportunity of travelling again to the United States of America, Alwin got to visit this beautiful place, Texas. I had to go to the same New Jersey for which I was happy too. Both of us got to stay in the US at the same time. Even though, we were at different states, for me it was the most craziest and the most impossible dream come true.

Easter was fast approaching, and I had made up my mind that I would travel to Austin, Texas to meet Alwin and we celebrate Easter together. I was so exited.

I booked my air tickets for the 5th of April, My itenary was Newark to Dallas Fortworth, and Dallas Fortworth to Austin. I got permission from my Manager and was all set to make the trip.

It was 3rd of April and just two more days to go. It was around 1.30PM tuesday April 2012, I went to the dining room to fetch myself some water. Coffee Tastes horrible here, if fact, it tastes fish. The FOX News was getting telecasted on TV, I glanced at the famous attractive FOX news TV host -  Megyn Kelly reporting  the tornado at "Dallas Fortworth". I stood still with all my energy drained from my whole being. I had had my share of disappointments in life, bigger ones, but none had such an effect on me. Pictures of the destuction that has been caused by the tornado was being flashed

 If someone could take a photograph of my emotions, then it would be like this :

With a very heavy heart, a hopeful me lived past 3rd hoping the dreadful tornado would go away leaving me in peace, and I would be ok to travel to Austin on the 5th of April without any hassels. I think, I get unlucky whenever I plan for any travel, sort of a jinx or something.  All my travels are accomplied with confusion.and chaos. I wonder why?

4th April 2012: 7.30 PM, I was getting ready packing up my stuff for the three day trip to Austin, Then I check my flight status on the internet, It said "CANCELLED"

I think I forgot to breathe for the next few seconds. It was then I lost my cool.

For my readers;

Life's journey teaches so many things, As I am penning down this post, I realize this is one of those lessons. "Never do stuff when you lose it."

I went out of control called the agent and cancelled the flight ticket. I was angry, at everything, at everyone.

Just the thought of being at home for three days on a lovely long weekend tortured me.  

I went to office with  a mood as black as night. The damage was done. My fate seemed  sealed. I had to spend Good Friday and Easter of 2012 at Ravens Crest Plainsboro.

I just went into American Airlines website to see if any changes had been done to the status of the flight for which I had a "Cancelled" ticket. The flight was still "Cancelled". But still something in me did not want to let go. 

I took up the phone and dialled AA customer care. After a long two hour wait, I was answered by the sweetest lady in the whole world. Read On :) , I'll let you know why I call her that.

I explained my situation, and asked if she could do something about it. She said, that the best she could do for me is process the refund as my travel agent had not processed the refund.  I was drained. But, fine atleast I am not losing any money.

Just then a thought occoured to me, What if I could go the next day? I asked her the same. She said that there were no seats available till Saturday afternoon 7 April 2012. which meant, instead of staying for three days at home, I would have to stay only one day. Which was a BIG "OK" by me. I asked her to rebook the flight on Saturday afternoon, and she did the same. The flight to Austin in American Airlines @2.00 PM  of 7th April 2012 was mine.

I was going to texas, and this time I am not going to make mistakes, come tornado, come storm, come hail, come anything.

7.30AM, 7th April 2012, I got ready to go to the airport. The sun was smilin' down as I headed for the Airport.

Noah's Ark

 

11-11-11:11-11

Never before I felt hungry, So hungry that I just could not eat anything that was kept before me. This was me feeling on 11-11-11:11-11(November 11 2011 @ 11-11 PM) What Happened!!! Here is the story......

I was so stressed out for quite some time that I wanted to freak out. Not a usual movie goer, but as a chennaite, I was not left with any other choice. Going to movies is the only recreation around here. So today after last year's AVATAR @ Satyam Cinemas, we decided to go to PVR to watch some movie, but this time we did it with a difference.

Well, its just that we saw two movies back to back. Movies were not that great but, just to make it a day, we decided to do it so.

So there we were in the early hours of dawn of 11-11-11 we booked the tickets for "7 அம் அறிவு" and "The adventures of Tintin" and to make things more interesting, I had the beautiful thought of having dinner outside. A nice huge dinner buffet!!!

The plan was plotted, it was perfect, We start by 2.30 and make it to Tintin, then watch "7 அம் அறிவு" and then have dinner (Buffet was my idea and it was just an idea not put out in words), and then get a barbie for Dheera and return home. I had to give her a gift and I had not yet made the purchase.

As preparation for the buffet, which was cookin in my mental realm. I had kept my breakfast to a mere minimum of a dosa and milkmaid, skipped a  biriyani for lunch and, so that the buffet dinner would be easier to handle.

It was 3.00 and still Alwin had not come, I was not actually keen on the movie but had "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"  for buffet dinner, I was  keeping the cool even if he was late to pick me , withstanding the  longest route  he was taking  in spite of arriving late, and  holding on even when we were almost missed out half of the movie being forty five minutes late

At the entry of the theater room, we realize we did not have the tickets.So we were late, we did not have tickets. Wow so Uneventful. We somehow managed an entry, and  groped about in the dark for our seat, and finally heaved a sigh of relief after getting seated comfortably in our seats. But anyway, I kept telling myself, the best is yet to come. "Our Dinner buffet"

 

I was so much preparing for the dinner, that I even shunned the pop corns in the movie complex. Just wanted to keep my stomach empty that I could enjoy the buffet. But never was this idea put into Alwin's head. That was exactly what I missed in the course of my preparation. Later, regretfully much later I understood, that the idea of dinner itself had not crept up in his mind. 

Both movies were over, we had a nice time. and we were getting back home. It was a late drive and the restaurants in the cinema complex were closing down. Feeling disheartened that I would not be having a buffet, since it was already late,  I just wanted to eat something, hoping something nice during closing would do. 

We left the complex hurriedly planning to pick up something on the way, as I had to visit office and then get back home. So we planned on a dinner at Sangeetha near office. By the time we returned from  office Sangeetha was closed. 

I suggested Radisson, My hopeful heart flickered,  at least we could have an exotic dinner,  if it  not a Buffet, but  the flickering died  when Alwin drove past the restaurant for a much humbler place "Balaji Bhavan". I knew, I should have had those pop corns, my biriyani, coffee, I should have had  everything I had wanted to the whole day. I knew, we were going to go home without having any food. It was late almost midnight, and Balaji Bhavan would be closed by the time we reach.  And here am I  regretting that I had gone hungry the whole day just for some dinner buffet which never happened.

Just as I had thought, It was completely dark and all the hotels were closed. I was seething inside. I was hungry, 

 So hungry and disheartened  returned home as an angry bird. . This was me on  11-11-11:11-11(November 11 2011 @ 11-11 PM)

The Weekend

The Gift of The Magi

"What's today's plan"? thats the usual Saturday morning dialogue from Jim. His heart secretly wishing that his wife, Della would let him sleep on the Saturday morning. Those soft fluffy puris which is usually on menu for the week end does make him drowsy.

Della was one of the types who gets into a fit of  bad headache if she had to spend those precious Saturdays at home.  It had been really hard on Jim  in those early years to even think of going out , and equally hard on Della to while away time at home on Saturdays. But then as time flew by, they were quite used to each other's habits.

"What's today's plan", the initial question from Jim just hung there when Della thought for a second and said, "I'm going to church. You stay at home and have your sleep" Jim was happy. He was free to sleep. Della asked Jim to drop her off at the church and thereafter  pick her up when it was over. Jim complied, dropped her off and went back home.

It was 12'o Clock, when the church was over. In Chennai, the climate just differs between 'HOT', 'HOTTER' and 'HOTTEST', and Della was finding it pretty difficult to walk down home. "These auto wallahs demand a fortune to give a drop. Its better walking down", Della decided. She thought of calling Jim to pick her up, but decided against it. "He should be having his beauty sleep now. Let him rest".

Jim was at home. the bed looked really inviting. and the hot sun too... making him all the more drowsy. The chappatis for breakfast was heavy down in this stomach and that was giving him the 'Chloroform' effect. But "NO" Jim thought, "I should not sleep, Della will call me any minute to pick her up, I should be awake"

So finally a "Saturday sleep deprived" Jim was forcing himself  to be wide awake, for Della's sake, to pick her up from Church, while Della for Jim's sake walks home in the hot sun  thinking her precious husband was having his beauty sleep.   

The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

- O Henry

The Fortune Cookies

With a desperate attempt of making sense out of an insensible buy, I fell into this mishap. Did I fall, or was it preplanned. The whole idea of this post is just to find that out; as my writeup is done with a totally confused mind.

It was the week end, and I had grown tired of shopping. I swore to myself, "The next month I am not going to shop anything at all". Maybe towards the end, I would pick on some chocolates and stuff like that but never to do any serious shopping for the next month. and believe it or not, I did not even want to go out. I just wanted to sit in my haven(My room),and enjoy the breeze blowing in from the open window, gaze at the beautiful clouds drifting across the clear sky and enjoy the bare trees just reviving from a severe winter. Everything looked so beautiful.

It was Sunday. After whiling away some of my time, I got the call from my friends inviting me for lunch outside in a Chinese restaurant. With a dragging foot, I inclined, I had to exchange my Xbox with the 250 gig for a 4 gig one. "Why?" you may ask. I did this insensible enquiry AFTER I purchased the Xbox; instead of doing it Before and found out that the 250 gig was for serious gamers and the 4 gig was enough for the casual ones. We as a family fall in the "Under Casual" category. With an attempt of saving a 100 bucks, I got ready to exchange the most coveted Gaming console.

As lunch was priority. We went in this quaint little Chinese restaurant, It looked just like the Indian "Andra Mess" but just a little better. We sat in the corner and enjoyed the Chinese Buffet. We were having desserts and then it came, The "Fortune Cookie"

From Internet Resources

"A fortune cookie is a crisp cookie usually made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and oil with a "fortune" wrapped inside. A "fortune" is a piece of paper with words of faux wisdom or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers, some of which have become actual winner numbers

Although many people do not take the message in a fortune cookie as a serious oracular device, many of them consider it part of the game that the entire cookie must be consumed in order for the fortune to come true. Variations on this idea include not eating the cookie if a fortune seems unlucky, eating the entire cookie as well as the fortune, eating the entire cookie before reading the fortune, or reading the fortune before any of the cookie is eaten. While some people believe the fortune will not come true if it is read aloud, or read at all, other people follow rules involving how the cookie is selected—including selecting a cookie with closed eyes, passing a cookie to another person at the table, or choosing the cookie that seems to be pointing directly at you. Some people believe that there should be at least one extra cookie so that every person has a choice to make"

I usually do not a believe such things, I get one of these fortunes every time I check for my weight in the train station and none of it has come true. When I took in mine Chakri reminded me of Freaky Friday, I laughed out and imagined what if something like that would happen to me.I broke mine to see the paper that was inside my cookie, and there it was.......

 foretelling a clear "Argument"

I frowned, and forgot the whole stuff, and concentrated on the new one, The 4 gig Xbox was out of stock in Best Buy. I had to return and get it else where. Okie.... Just my luck!!! I was pretty disappointed. Just wanted to open the pack with Alwin and see what was inside. Guess It just had to wait.

The previous day, Saturday was beautiful, Went just as I had planned. Alwin was online and we kept chatting for a long time. It was fun. All was going fine and just then he commented "Just look how we are spending time happily as if in a park". I screamed a "Shut up" with in myself. Bad things often happen when he comments like that. I have been noticing it for a while. 7 years actually.

Now I have two misfortunes hovering above me.... still pushing it at the back of my mind, I slept over on Sunday. As per folk-lores fortune cookies are supposed to be valid for 24 hours. I got up on Monday and there it came by, by the early hours.

So now folks, I sit here wondering, are those "Fortunes" within the Cookies  for real. With the zest to find out, I hand over Chakri's Fortune from his cookie which says "A Financial investment will yield returns beyond your hopes",with a " It works"

And FYI, I am not opening a Fortune Cookie ever again.
- The End.



The Twenty-Eight, clear

Its been long since I had blogged. So many things happened, so many things forgotten. February is a short month indeed, not for me though. I started February with the hope of a few things like returning back home, wearing skirts for the whole month as the snow was just starting to melt and days were getting longer. As an approval, the clothes that I had brought from India started to shrink..... Of course I am not growing fat!!!. Its because of the heat in the dryer. Or Am I??? Well guess what, you guys have to find out when I come back home. But I'm really in love with the skirts here, gonna buy a bunch of them on return.

Chakri's First Day.

Monkey Capped Chakri

That is Chakri. After a horribly drab month of no fun and laughter, Chakri's arrival brought back the life, atleast to an extent. (Karthik Sundeep and Hema are not here duh!!!) His first few days in office were hilarious. With painful two fingers, he escaped from sharing work at home and he had a good few days comfortable stay here because of that. His second day to office was all the more hilarious.

Chakri's Hair Raiser.

Asked him to remove the cap so that
I could take this picture :) 

Waking up on usual alarm which goes on at 6.00 am, I opened a groggy one eye and switched on the laptop to hear the music I hear everyday in the mornings. Did not notice the beeping mobile with almost no charge under the pillow. I had already asked Chakri to come to the bus stop around 8.15 ish. "He is not a baby, He would come", I said to myself. Did all the usual less hectic morning chores and got ready and was out of the house. To check on Chakri, I pulled out my phone to call his roomies moblile. My mobile went dead - Absolutely No charge. Wow!! What a timing. I always have this problem of forgetting to charge mobiles, Even back home Mom yells, Alwin thows my mobile at  walls. But still I keep forgetting.Yeah... That me. The forgetful one.

Well, That was supposed to be a flashback, Now Coming back to this situation, as usual, I waited for the bus, got into it, said "Good Morning" to the driver with my sweet, ringing voice( Common!!!, I can flatter myself), hoping Chakri would be waiting in the bus stop, I got in and took my usual seat. The bus just moved out of Franklin drive, Chakri was not there. Oh Oh... Thats Bad. It was raining, snowing, freezing almost a very messy day. I reassured myself, Maybe Chakri is coming with his friends by car.

I went to office, and started with my usual work. Glanced at the time, Oh dear!!! Its 9.30, he should be here. Is he coming? Did he get into the bus ? Did he get down at the right stop? What if he had  gone all the way to Trenton? What if had got mobbed?  were the quite "What Ifs" which did a horrible ballet in my beautiful mind.

At ten minutes to ten, Chakri comes into Office, with all his hair standing straight... Practically STRAIGHT. Boy!!! was I relieved to see him. The poor guy had been waiting in the bus stop in freezing temperature and rain mixed with sleet for more than an HOUR as he had missed the bus which comes to stop at 8.22am!!!He had seen the bus schedule on the wrong side.

600 College Road East

We were going back home in the evening, and I had told him how things work here, Not that I know of those much, I really did not have much of practical experience in doing all that stuff.Guess I get lucky, People around do it for me, and I just enjoy it. For Instance pressing the "Stop requested" button in the bus, Govind, my collegue used to do it for me, nowadays, a sleepy guy does it for me. The thing is he sleeps in the bus and gets up  at the exact place where he has to get down and luckily I have to get down there too. So he gets the honor of pressing the "Stop requested" button.

Oh! where we left.... Ya Ya that was a flash sideways (People seen LOST would understand.. he he), I asked Chakri to press the "Stop Requested" button as we were nearing his stop, He gets up peers around to make sure that he is getting down at the right stop and goes forward to speak with the bus driver to request him to drop him off at Franklin Drive, while the bus whizzes past his stop. That was Chakri's first lesson on how to ride on a bus in USA. Lesson  no 1: only if the "Stop Requested" button is pressed, the bus stops.

Chakri had to walk his way back to the previous stop to go home.

@ Trenton

Me @Trenton

I was waiting for Chakri for two reasons. One, he is funny.Two, I had to get my SSN. I needed company to go there. Did not want to go there all by myself.
 This time I turned out to exhibit stupidity. After the usual "Get Ready" process  I skipped outside in my skirt, The climate was good, I need not look inhuman with the huge snow coat around me, went to the busstop at 7.55 am to catch the bus. The SSA office was in Trenton.With a series of instructions to Chakri ,I came to the bus stop at the exact time humming my favourite tune, And then I realised it. I had fogotten to bring my Passport and that  is the most important document to apply for SSN!!!

What Trenton Makes. The World Takes

I hated myself when I had to tell that to Chakri. Me being "stupid" was supposed to be secret. Of course Alwin knows. He should, after all he has put up with me for 7 long years.Well, I had to return back, pick up my passport and returned back to the bus stop after an hour.This time I had everything, I got into the bus and prepared myself for the huge 1.30 hours of travel. I started to feel dizzy just the way Alwin used to feel when he travels up hill to Ooty. I should have caught this from him. We reached Trenton, and then we realize that we did not have the "ADDRESS" of the SSA office in hand.

I had the idea of going to TRENTON and then taking a cab to the SSA office. Chakri was strictly against it for some unknown reason. The whole place was filled with 'கருபனுங்க' and I started to feel a bit queasy. "Thank God I came to this place with Chakri, I have someone to protect me atleast", with such a though in mind I glanced at Chakri, He sounded and looked more tensed than I was. OMG!!!!!

The River Train

He further goes on to explain "You know, This is where shootings take place". I could have taken a cab from Princeton and finished the work and gone home. Atleast I would not be shot at. I have to live to wear my skirts and the pretty  little grey boots that I had just bought for 30$!!!

We did not know where the Office was and went up and down  "EAST Street"  a few times. Finally giving up, I suggested we  take a cab. His suggestion was the "River Train". Its cheaper, just 1.50$  he said. But Im sure if we had gone we would'nt know where to get down as we were visiting the place for the first time.With me nagging him to take a cab, he succumbed and we went to the SSA office by Car. "Wow Nagging works fine, and I'm good at it".

The work was done and, return was better and cheaper by 6.00$, by the River Train. Again in the NJ Trenton Transit center we had to wait for more than an hour. The "கருபனுங்க" there looked so weird and scary and horribly huge. Chakri was murmuring , and I was too freaking out a bit. Oh it was not obvious. "The Inside Me", If u guys would remember. That was the one which was freaking out.

Finally the 600 bus came in. We happily got in, we were the only ones in the bus and I sat in my usual first corner. Chakri sat behind me. I heaved a sigh of relief just to hold back my breath. A whole bunch of "கருபனுங்க", that too loud boistrous ones got into the bus. There was just the two of us and a whole bunch of them. Chakri started to murmur, He does that when he gets tensed. keeps babbling or reading whatever he sees. He will deny it though. He even read what was written on a wig shop and asked me to get a wig too.

Anyways... It was a big day, we came into office tired and hungry but safe.

Threesome in 2011

My Sweet l'il Child

Dheera turned 6 in February 2011 and its a bit depressing not to be there when she cut the "Choota Bheem" cake. May God give her the very best. Alwin took beautiful care about her B'day made all the arrangements perfect. He surprised me this year by being "Mr Perfect Dad". Great!!! "Hats off" to him. But anyway Baby, Im coming next month.
The morning dawned with the mail box flashing in a new mail, A "Congratulation " mail form Syntel. Its been three long years in Syntel and the client that I am working with. Turning back, I see two pairs of "Footprints" in the sand.

Alwin and Dheera on Web Chat.

A kindle, a new Laptop, a leapster for Dheera, and an XBOX Kinect where a few of the priced things I had longed for. Being with Alwin, I picked up a liking on such stuff too. February saw me buy 'em all. I was really exited  to go home and enjoy them all with Mom and Dad, Alwin and Dheera. Just a few more days, I kept saying to myself.  When I got "The Call" Project is extended by a month again.......Not another month of Web Chat!!!!!