Blog of Parag

Big Change

Goodbye, dear old friend! I shall miss you after our 10 years together.





Hello there, stranger! Hope you'll stick around for at least next 10 years.


details

4th of July

We had some backyard fireworks last night. Mostly, it was fun. Kids (even Ashwini) didn't like the ones that made noise. They liked the colorful lights, but noise was not acceptable. We probably need to reconsider our plan to visit India for Diwali.

Us minus one

Three of us

Happy Father's day

Wishing a very happy father's day to my dear father, who is enjoying the Summer with his grandkids.

I hope to be half as good as him as a father, a husband and a human being.

Biting nails, no more.

Don't know when I picked up this habit, but as far as I can remember, I bit my fingernails all my life till about 3 months ago. There must have been periods of a few days or 1-2 weeks when I tried to stop it unsuccessfully. Three months ago, I finally did it.

Sometime in Jan-Feb, I noticed Ashwini putting her finger in her mouth trying to bite off a nail. I was just horrified. If I was going to ask her to stop, I had to make sure that I didn't do the same thing myself. So, here I am 3 months later... I have stopped biting my nails completely. These days, I look forward to the weekly ritual of clipping my nails off.

The things your children make you do....

Half way through...

Today, I completed 36 revolutions around the Sun. According to the CIA - The World Factbook, life expectancy of an Indian is 64.71 years. For an American, it is 77.85 years. Considering that I was born and raised in India and then having spent all my adult life in USA, I give myself the midpoint of that range: 71.28 years. That is almost 72 years, give or take a few months. So, I am half way through my life. It has been a great first half and I hope it continues in the second half, too. I am sure Adit and Ashwini will keep it interesting.

Given a choice, I would like to live to 91 years and see Halley's comet come back in the summer of 2061. It is expected to make a great showing. It would be nice to have seen that comet twice in my lifetime. But, the odds are probably against that happening.

Brain fried...

Yesterday, I was listening to my favorite NPR radio program, This American Life. In yesterday's episode, Fake I.D., Mira Nair read a story, "This Blessed House". It was about an Indian Hindu couple who moved into a house in Connecticut and found a lot of Christian artefacts. The story describes how they react to them differently and how that was related to their relationship. It was a very interesting story; I liked it a lot and was wondering who the author was.

At the end of the story, it was revealed by the host of the show Ira Glass. The story was from Jhumpa Lahiri's hit book, "Interpreter of Maladies". I had read that book when it came out in 1999-2000. It has been only 6 years since then, but I couldn't recall any portion of the story when I was listening to it. There was no 'deja vu' feeling. What is going on with my memory? Not that I drink much, but is my brain so badly fried not to remember something that I had read before?

It is possible that the story didn't make a great impression on me when I read it. Because I remember other stories from that book. Sometimes, the storyteller can make a story better than it is and Mira Nair narrated it very well. Go, listen to it yourself.

Haircut

After getting a series of bad haircuts, I decided to get a fresh start. So, asked the barber to give me a buzzcut. After looking in the mirror, I was worried about what everyone will say about my new hairstyle. Went home and Ashwini was the first person to see me. She greeted me with, "I like your haircut, Daddy." Then, I didn't worry any more about my look.

Google Romance

Google is getting into personals ads business, too. My wife is going to kill me when she reads this. I posted an ad here, over the weekend and I already have 54 responses. Ay Caramba!

Anniversary presents

It was a nice day yesterday. We couldn't really go out and celebrate with a 4 week baby in tow. Celebrations are deferred by 6 months and we will celebrate our 10.5th anniversary in July.

I gave V these ear rings and she gave me a spa package for 1 hour deep tissue massage with pedicure and manicure. This will be my first trip to a spa and I don't know what to expect. But, it is the first step towards becoming metrosexual. yeah, BABY, yeah!!!

The best present though was from Ashwini. She pooped in the toilet for the first time ever. She was so excited and proud of her creation that she didn't want to flush it. She made sure that everyone in the house gazed at it, commented on it and told her how proud we were of her for making poopy before finally flushing it away. I think this is good progress towards her freedom from diapers.

Ten years and counting...

When fun is being had, time just flies by. I can't believe that V married me 10 years ago on this day, Jan 25th and we are still married after all these crazy years. Life during these 10 years just seems like a blur, especially last 3, during which we increased the size of our family by 100%. But, I have immensely enjoyed every moment of it. Hope to make posts like this every decade for a long time to come.

Here are some photos of us during these 10 years in a chronological order. We first met each other in August of 1987, almost 18 and half years ago. Couldn't find any photos from the 80's. Will have to dig in some boxes stored in the basement.

Disneyland in 1993



in Austin, Tx; 1995



Our wedding in 1996



Our wedding in 1996



Camping trip to Lake Ontario in 1999



V's first camping trip to Grand Canyon in 2000



Rafting trip to Grand Canyon in 2002



Us getting buried in snow in 2003



Us with Ashwini in 2005

I didn't get time to scan the photos that were prints. In stead, I took digital pictures of those for posting here. So, the quality is not so good. Hopefully, all my photos will be in digital format sometime in the future.

Posted by Parag at 11:12 AM | Comments (3)

New Year's resolutions.

In my opinion, there is no sense in making New Year's resolutions. They are bound to fail just by the nature of their design. These resolutions are something that you want to do but aren't doing already. It invariably means that it is something that you don't enjoy doing. Just making a resolution doesn't change that fact and hence, one tries to follow the resolution for some time by forcing themselves to do something that they don't enjoy and eventually, stop doing it.

If it is an enjoyable activity, you'd be doing it already, you don't have to make a resolution about it.

So, quit fooling yourselves with the resolutions. Just don't make them. Accept the fact that there are some things that you don't like to do and you won't do them, no matter what.

Adit

We are pleased to welcome the newest member of our family. Adit was born on the evening of Dec. 28th, 2005. He weighed 7.5 lbs and was 20 inches long at birth. Both Adit and V are doing very well.

BTW, Nebraska also beat Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. That just added to all the other happiness of the day.

Left or right?

Every time I sit down for a proper 'sit-down' meal at a banquet or a reception, I instinctively choose the wrong set of glasses.

I am right-handed and I grew up eating food with my fingers. I still eat a lot of my meals at home with my fingers. For people who eat with their fingers, it makes sense to keep their glass of water on the left, so you can pick up the glass with the hand that is not involved in picking up food.

In US and Europe, When there are place-settings on a table, your glasses are always on your right. I have been told that many many times and I try to remember, but, every time I reach for a glass of water, it is usually the one on my left. I realize my mistake after I have made it and then, I have to exchange the glasses with my neighbour on the left side.

I have been through this so many times over all these years. Wonder how much longer I have to go before I remember to do it correctly. So, if you ever go to a banquet with me, and sit on my left side, I'll probably hijack your glass of water.

Is USA not good enough?

Last week, I was called to sign my name on a patent application. That form also asked for the citizenship of the person. The admin who prepared the forms had prefilled that field as 'USA'. I pointed it out to her to make a correction that I am a citizen of India. She jokingly asked if USA wasn't good enough for me to be a citizen. I have spent most of my adult life in US and it has been very happy, but, this conversation started me thinking about all the things that I think are wrong about the United States. I don't want to make that list here, but, write about just one incident mentioned by a co-worker.

This man is a very successful scientist and his wife is a tenured professor at Michigan State University and runs a big lab with big research grants. They take an active interest in their children's education and volunteered to participate in 'Career Day' at their daughter's school. The school teacher organising the 'Career Day' called them a few days before the event to inform them that they need not go for it. No children had signed up to talk with the 'Scientists'. They were completely taken by surprise. Their own daughter went to meet with the 'hairdresser' to explore it as a future career option.

Students doing well in science and math are looked down upon and termed geeks and nerds. It is just very uncool to do well in school, especially for girls. This really scares me. What is my daughter going to do when she goes to school?

Gross thousands

I can't believe that it's been 9 years since we met first. I don't exactly remember the date, but, it was 3rd week of October. She crossed this milestone yesterday. Click on the link below.

After 9 years and 144,000 miles, my 1996 VW Jetta GLX is still with her original clutch.

Finally, it's fall

My favorite season is definitely here. After what seemed like a long summer, it is finally getting cooler. The mornings are nippy and it feels good to get out of the house and breathe in the cool, crisp air.

Click on the link below to see some pictures from my neighbourhood.

New found religion

what...tarian?

I always wondered how to describe my food preference. Now, I know the word I should use...

Pescatarian: Vegetarian that eats fish.

Thanks, Arun.

American Heart Walk

Everyone knows someone affected by heart disease or stroke. I have set a personal goal to raise funds for the American Heart Association by participating in the American Heart Walk on Sept. 24th, 2005. We are raising critical dollars for heart disease and stroke research and education. Find Heart Walk events in your area.

You can help me reach my goal by making a donation online. Click on this link and you will be taken to my personal donation page where you can make a secure online credit card donation.

I shall match your donation dollar for dollar and my employer will match my donation. Thanks for helping out.

August 16, 1991

India's Independence day always reminds me of another important day in my life. For the first time in my life, I left my parent's home to live on my own. I headed out to a place that couldn't have been farther away from home. It was about 10,000 miles away on the other side of the Earth. I can't imagine what my parents must have felt while saying those goodbyes. It will be very hard for me to do that with Ashwini, if I ever have to do it.

About 122,640 hours ago, I had arrived at JFK airport in New York. Can't believe that I have spent 40% of my life in USA.

First harvest

Yellow stain

I was standing front of the mirror, brushing teeth, this morning and noticed a yellow spot on my t-shirt. Realised what it was right away. Must have spilt some juice while eating mangoes last night. Just a look at that spot, and I had a severe flashback to childhood summer days that I spent in Konkan wearing white malmal (thin cotton) shirts stained with mango juice.

Don't know how long I was standing over the sink with toothbrush in my mouth, dreaming about childhood, summers and mangoes....

Yesterday

• Woke up at 5:45 am to find thunderstorms and rain. Had to cancel 6:30 am tee-time. The rain stayed on through most of morning. We had to keep the lights inside the house on even at 10am. I just love days like this. Wish we get a few more.
• By afternoon, it got sunny and hot like hell. Evening was so hot and sticky. Standing outside without moving a muscle was good enough to get soaked in sweat. Yuk! Thank God for airconditioning.
• V and I cooked two new dishes. Recipes from Sanjeev Kapoor's book, Khazana of Indian Recipes. V made a new kind of kadhi with sprouted Moong and I made Kadhai vegetables. Both turned out to be lipsmacking good. I overate beyond my usual level of overeating.

Golf

My best performance of the season so far. 62 strokes on 9 holes, even after losing 3 balls. I got my first par on a par-5 hole. Quite happy about that.

HOT HOT HOT

It is so hot, I feel like I am melting. It was 75F at 730 in the morning when I got out of the house. Today's high is going to be 90+ again. Lat year, we had only three days with temps 90F or more. This year, today is the third 90F day already. And this is just the second week of June. AAAARRRGHHHH... Can't wait for the Fall...

The only nice thing about the Summer is "Summer Hours" at work. From June to September, we can work 1 extra hour Monday through Thursday and get half days on Fridays. Hope to see a lot of movies in theatre this Summer. Tomorrow, we are going to watch "The Revenge of the Sith".

Golf IV

Yesterday was extremely hot when we began and then got soaked in a thunderstorm. Managed a score of 67. That was quite good as I tied my average for the season. Was quite pleased with my strokes off the tee. I was hitting too hard on my short game and was going too long. Need to control those shots. Must get some practice at the driving range. The only time I hit balls is when I go for playing. That is not good.

Health...

Since Ashwini was born, I haven't done any regular exercise like I used to. I haven't been watching what I eat, how much I eat and when I eat. I was very apprehensive about my visit to the doctor for a physical a couple of weeks ago and was thinking that my cardiovascular health is in real trouble. Just received the blood test reports and seems like whatever I have been doing wasn't too bad. Here are some numbers to prove it.

Not bad. All the numbers are in the normal range. Some exercise could bring down the heart rate and improve my HDL/total ratio, but, I am not worried.

Thanks, Ashwini for making sure that I get enough exercise by running after you and keeping me healthy.

Golf III

I continue to do worser and worserer every time I play. Last night, my score was 70. What is my excuse for this time??? Hmmmm.... I was playing against my boss's boss. So, there was a little added tension/nerves there.

35 and counting...

Completed 35 revolutions around the Sun, today. Thanks to the Earth and my parents for making this possible.

Thanks to many friends for their warm wishes on my birthday.

Golf II

Played another round of golf on Wednesday. This time the score was 69. Worse than the first time, but, this part of the course is tougher. One par 5 hole just about killed me and my confidence. I was so shaken that I missed some easy shots on the next two holes. Hope to do better next time around.

March of Dimes: Walk America

The walk was on Sunday. It was a beautiful day to be outside. A little chilly but comfortable for walking 2.5 miles briskly. It was a successful event. Judging from the number of cars in the parking lot, there were more than a couple of thousand people at the walk.

My sincere thanks to all friends and family who contributed. I collected $185 from them and after my matching and other employer matchings, the grand total came out to $690. I hope to count on you guys again next year.

Here are some photos...

It was a beautiful day...





Ashwini was happy to be outside after being cooped up in the house for a couple of days because of a fever. For a change, I caught Ashwini's real smile and not the fake photo smile that she flashes to the camera these days.

Golf

Played golf after a long long time yesterday. I was substituting someone in the golf league at work. I scored 63. That is better than what Tiger Woods usually scores. The only minute little difference was that I played only 9 holes and he plays 18. ;) That makes my handicap 27. I was better at the short game but sucked with drives. Am planning to play more this season. Let's see where my handicap ends up by the end of the Summer.

Save premature babies, II

Reposting this as the date of the walk comes closer. Sincere thanks to those who already made a donation. So far, I have collected $150 from friends & family and $85 in matching donations from their employers.

If you were planning to donate to this cause but, still haven't, please do so soon by visiting my webpage. I'll match every dollar you donate and my employer will match my donation. So, every dollar of your donation will turn into 3.

Thanks for your support.

Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death in the first month of life. It affects 1,305 babies a day in the United States. Those who survive may have lifelong health problems. And premature births are on the rise -- up to 27% since 1981.

My daughter as well as I were born prematurely. Thankfully, both of us are doing well but, there are many who are not so fortunate.

I am asking you to support me in March of Dimes WalkAmerica, because premature birth can happen to any pregnant woman. In nearly half the cases, the causes are unknown. The March of Dimes is supporting research into the causes of premature birth. I'm joining the walk in Ann Arbor, MI on May 1st, and so can you!

Your support helps fund:
-Research into stress and other factors that may trigger preterm labor.
-Programs to educate pregnant women to recognize the warning signs of preterm labor.
-Tools to help health care providers find better ways to detect women who may be at risk for preterm labor.

Please visit my webpage and sponsor me in the Walk that saves babies!

If you wish to participate in the walk visit Walk America website and find a walk in your area.

Power Trip

I was feeling so powerful today....

We decided to clear out some area in the woods. We don't want to touch the big trees, but, need to remove some really thorny bushes and young trees to make the wooded area accessible to walks and such. Those thorny bushes are really nasty. They easily rip your clothes and can even take your eye out. I didn't want to deal with them wih my hands. So, I went to The Home Depot, and bought the ultimate power tool... a chainsaw. It was my first experience with a chainsaw and I felt so powerful. Nothing could stand in my way. Even after getting scratched and bloodied by the thorns, I was chopping up bushes and small trees with much ease and without any care. I almost felt what pioneer Americans must have felt. Clearing wild woods for my own use.

Gathering all the cut pieces together was a much tougher job than cutting it all. Wish I could get someone to do that for me. It is going to take a lot of work to complete the clearing job. But, I am excited to get my hands on the chainsaw again tomorrow.

Busy day...

Saturday was such a busy day. It started with Ashwini's swimming class in the morning. Did our usual grocery run in the evening followed by a lot of yardwork. Ashwini was very helpful in picking up leaves and cleaning up our flower bed.

In the afternoon, we went for a plane ride. My boss is a pilot and he took us out and up for a spin. Flew over Ann Arbor and then did a flyby over our house. Here are some pictures...

University of Michigan football stadium and part of the campus.




A closeup of the Big House, the largest college football stadium in US. It seats 112,000 people.




The house in the middle here is our home.

Free pepsi song -- part II

I bought one more pepsi drink... diet mountain dew this time. It had a free song too. So, I am 3 out of 3. I am pretty sure that I have used up all the good luck by now. The only regret is that I should have used it to buy a winning lottery ticket to get millions of dollars and not to win a 99 cent song.

Pepsi free songs

I have been very lucky about getting free songs in bottles of Pepsi products. In last two weeks, I bought two bottles of Sierra Mist and found free song codes in both of them.

I should quit while I am ahead in this game. I used one free song code to get 'Candyshop' by 50cent. Would appreciate any suggestions for using the second free song code.

Living will

Last December, we decided to draft a living will and other such documents this year. In light of the recent Terry Schiavo case, it becomes very important that people take care of this. Anyway, even if something happens before I sign on that piece of paper, I am confidant that my wife and parents are sensible enough and will not get involved in a situation like Terry Schiavo.

Music concerts 2005

We are getting a little comfortable about leaving Ashwini with a babysitter. Have plans and tickets to go to two music concerts this year. Bob Dylan in April and U2 in October. Hopefully, there will be more in the intervening months too.

Learnt in grad school

I knew going to graduate school would do me good. Two important things I learnt while getting a Ph.D. :

1. How to live happily in poverty when the end is not in sight.
2. How to type.

Tested my typing speed at this website and to my astonishment, it is 80 words per minute. Quite excellent for someone who taught himself how to type. Test your typing skills.

via Patrix

Fun in snow

Spring is slowly showing its signs. Last weekend, we saw temperatures in 40s. The snow started to melt, became sticky and was perfect for packing and moulding into a snowman. We ventured out on Saturday afternoon to make Ashwini's first snowman at home. I am sure she must have helped in making one at her daycare earlier. They have so much fun there, I wish I was a 2 year old.

March of Dimes

Some facts about March of Dimes that I learnt recently...

• This charity was started by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who asked mothers to collect dimes and send them to Washington, during the great depression.


• MOD is one of the top 20 charities in US.


• MOD supported reasearch that lead to Salk Polio Vaccine, which was invented here in Ann Arbor, MI at University of Michigan, 50 years ago.


• MOD-funded research has proved the importance of folic acid intake during pregnancy. It is helpful in proper development of central nervous system of the fetus.


• MOD-funded research is responsible for discovery and design of equipments that are used in neonatal ICU.


• Many other contributions that I can't recall now...

I am participating in WalkAmerica to raise funds for MOD. If you think this is a worthwhile cause, please consider making a donation at my webpage or find a walk in your area at Walk America website.

Many thanks to those who already showed their support by making a donation.

Finally...

It was a love at first sight. At that time, we were not meant to be together. I pined in the pain of separation for more than a year. Finally, today was the day of our first meeting.

At first, I was very tentative and afraid even to touch. But soon, I couldn't keep my hands to myself and it was a joy to completely uncover this thing of beauty. As my fingers touch the cool skin and trace the beautifully sensuous curves, all my senses await eagerly for complete satisfaction. I know that I'll be satisfied and it is going to be a very very long night.

concept of this post was stolen shamelessly from arunshanbhag.

Save premature babies

Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death in the first month of life. It affects 1,305 babies a day in the United States. Those who survive may have lifelong health problems. And premature births are on the rise -- up to 27% since 1981.

My daughter as well as I were born prematurely. Thankfully, both of us are doing well but, there are many who are not so fortunate.

I am asking you to support me in March of Dimes WalkAmerica, because premature birth can happen to any pregnant woman. In nearly half the cases, the causes are unknown. The March of Dimes is supporting research into the causes of premature birth. I'm joining the walk in Ann Arbor, MI on May 1st, and so can you!

Your support helps fund:
-Research into stress and other factors that may trigger preterm labor.
-Programs to educate pregnant women to recognize the warning signs of preterm labor.
-Tools to help health care providers find better ways to detect women who may be at risk for preterm labor.

Please visit my webpage and sponsor me in the Walk that saves babies!

If you wish to participate in the walk visit Walk America website and find a walk in your area.

Back from India - IV

After coming back from India, I am missing my parents and friends and then, all the good food. A close third behind that is all the great remix videos that are aired on MTV and channel V. I can't say that the music is better than the original renditions; in most cases it is horrible. But, the videos are fabulous. While watching some of them, your ears don't even hear any music. All these good-looking young girls showing off dance steps that may even shame Britney Spears and her friends. These videos are so much better than watching the likes of Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rahman etc. with their bird-nest hairstyles and atrocious makeup and dresses (not to mention their fat behinds). I was just addicted to them. I used to turn on MTV/channelV with my first cup of tea in the morning.

One of my most favorite songs was "Rangeela Re vs. Ho Ja Rangeela Re" by Babydoll. I was trying to find the name of the girl in that video. Finally, found her after googling a little bit. Her name is Deepal Shah (or Shaw).

I am sure all these remixes is just a fad and people will forget them pretty soon. Hopefully, they will keep making similar videos for new Indipop songs. :)

Pet peeve #3

People that keep their home thermostats set at 75-80F. All that dry heat is so bad for health. It dries up your eyes, skin and breathing passages causing nose bleeds and scratchy throat. Any setting above 68F makes me very uncomfortable. When it is winter-time, people should dress appropraitely for it and not prance around in shorts and T-shirts with thermostat set so high.

We used to have this fight at home; me bringing the thermostat setting down and V increasing it. But, now with Ashwini, who is like me in terms of temperature preferance (and in many other ways), we have a majority. :)

Back from India - III

Negotiating traffic on the roads of Mumbai, while at the wheel has become more difficult compared to what I remember from my last trip in 2000. Maybe, because I have been away from all the crazy traffic of New Jersey and New York, and I have forgotten how to drive. A few observations made during 1000+ kms that I drove in 4 weeks.

• The number of cars on the roads must have increased by at least 100%
• The number of rickshaws must have tripled. All the rickshaw drivers are basically BAD drivers. They have no regard for traffic rules. I doubt if they even know that any traffic rules exist. They are a pest and there should be a hunting season when people are allowed to shoot at rickshaws that don't obey rules.
• The lane markings on the roads have no meaning. They are there just to provide employment for people who make them.
• Dividers in the middle of the road are not to be taken seriously. At a traffic light, if you are going to make a right turn, it is OK if you go on the other side of the divider.
• Although the road signs suggest you to be in the the rightmost lane if you are planning to make a right turn, it is OK if you start a second or a third lane for turning.
• The passing lane is actually for people who drive the slowest. If you want to pass you should stay to far left. (actually, this is true in US too)
• On a big divided highway with 3 lanes going in each direction, if you want to go to a place on the other side of the road, you should not concern yourself with going ahead and making a U-turn to get to your destination. You should cross over whenever you want as you get to the desired location, drive on the wrong side of the road and get there.
• If you stop or slow down to let someone make a turn in front of you, people look at you as if you are mad.
• All these bad things that I saw this time in Mumbai have been a norm in other parts of the country for a long long time. One could easily see the effect of people moving into Mumbai from all over India and bringing a little bit of their habits and their 'own' traffic rules along with them.
• In Jaipur, I was amazed at the dynamic nature of traffic. There is no left side or right side of the road. Vehicles going in one direction just take up all available space on the road. Depending on the volume of traffic going in each direction, the width and number of lanes going in each direction changes.

But, it is not all bad. The condition of roads is generally better everywhere. All the flyovers in Mumbai have significantly improved traffic conditions. On the afternoon of 31st Dec., I could go from Thane to Fort in less than 45 minutes which was unheard of a few years ago. Even after the monsoon season, all the highways were in very good shape. Mumbai-Goa highway was excellent and so was Delhi-Agra and Jaipur-Delhi highway.

Mumbai-Pune expressway is just like a dream come true. It takes only two and half hours to make this trip that used to take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours a few years ago. I could drive comfortably at 65-70 mph (not kmph). People actually follow lanes. There are no interruptions. Beautifully landscaped road with entrance and exit ramps all the way through. It feels like driving on I-80 somewhere in Iowa or Nebraska. I am sad to say that 'Khandala ghat' is no more. The beautiful scenery is still there, but, the road condition has changed dramatically. All the traffic congestion with trucks climbing at less than 5kmph due to the steepness of the road is only a memory from the past. The whole journey on the expressway is worth every paisa of Rs. 100 that they charge in tolls.

Back from India - II

If you check out the US government's guidelines about traveling to India, you would think that it is a germ infested, diseased country and you shouldn't travel there unless it is absolutely necessary. I spent 6 weeks in India in perfect health without any additional vaccination or medication. All through the trip I enjoyed all the roadside food (mostly vadapav, bhel-puri, pani-puri, paav-bhaaji and tea) that I could get.

Now, 3 days after returning to "clean and disease-free" USofA, I am starting to get a bad cold.

The food in India was excellent. I got back into a habit of eating a big breakfast along with a big lunch and bigger dinner. All the sweets were very tempting and I easily gave in to all temptations without much resistance. Five days in Hyderabad were the best. I was eating idli, vada and dosa for breakfast everyday just to start off the day. After my brother's wedding and travelling around with friends and all the food at the conference, I was pretty sure that I must have put on 15-20 lbs during those 5 weeks. But, to my surprise, my weight is exactly the same as it was before we left for the trip. I am getting suspicious about the scale at home. I should go somewhere else and check the weight again.

Thankfully, V and Ashwini were in good health too. Hoping that this will continue on our future trips too.

Back from India - I

Left 85F weather in Mumbai on Sunday and arrived in frigid Detroit at 13F with a foot of snow on ground. Thankfully, my neighbor's kids had cleaned our driveway and I didn't have to pull 6 bags through all that snow.

We didn't want to leave India after this long break and come back, but, finally arriving at our home was very comforting even with all the snow and cold around. During the 6 weeks, Ashwini had forgotten many of her books and toys and was looking at them as if for the first time.

Ashwini was a model child on the airplane. She slept for more than half the duration of flight even while other kids were screaming their lungs out. Other time was spent in drawing and generally socialising with other passangers around her. We were glad to have bought a seat for her. That gave her enough room to lie down with her head in my lap.

It is hard to get back to work after all the fun. Am trying to remember where I left things off before leaving. I was so completely out of it that I had forgotten my password for work PC. Had to call helpdesk to get a new one assigned.

Today is our wedding anniversary. We completed 9 wonderful years together. Hoping to spend at least 90 more.

Here is a photo taken on the day of my brother's wedding (one of the reasons for our India trip) last month.

Thanksgiving 2004...

It was lovely to have a white Thanksgiving this year. We had our first significant snowfall on Wednesday and the snow stuck around for a couple of days.

It was a nice Thanksgiving as usual. A lot of our friends were able to join us for the feast. We had 12 adults and 8 children. It felt like the house was full after a long time. We spent most of Wednesday and Thursday morning cooking. All the guests showed up around noon on Thursday. Due to Ashwini's nut allergies, it was a nut-free event. Here is the menu...

Appetizers:
- Chex mix
- Brandied apples and goat cheese
- Brie with fig jam on crackers
- Spiced apple cider

Main course:
- Green bean casserole
- Broccoli and rice casserole
- Cranberry delight
- Acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, raisins and cranberries
- Creamy mashed potatoes with chives and gravy
- Pasta salad
- Broccoli and cheese salad

Desserts:
- Death by chocolate
- Yellow cake with fruits
- New York style cheesecake

Making a real cheesecake was new this year and I was very apprehensive about how it will turn out. It was like a cholesterol bomb with 2 and half pounds of cream cheese and 7 eggs. It was just heavenly. So creamy and soft and silky. Yummm. The only problem is that because it is so big, we can't make it for just ourselves. I won't be able to make it unless we have a big gathering. That means I'll have to wait till Thanksgiving next year.

Unfortunately, I didn't designate someone to be the photographer, so, we don't have many good photos. I don't think I have a photo of the desserts. *sob*

Ashwini was very excited to have so many kids around. But, at the same time it was really nerve-racking for her as she had to share all her toys and books with them.

Overall, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We got to see a lot of our old friends and share a good meal with them. Hopefully, we'll do this more often in the coming year.

Single parenthood

V has been away on a business trip since Tuesday. This was my first chance to be a single parent to Ashwini for an extended period of time. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her, but it made me realise how much work and planning iis involved in taking care of a toddler. At this age (20months), Ashwini doesn't realise the consequences of her actions. She needs to be looked after constantly to keep her away from doing something that will hurt her. With two parents around, one can pay attention to her while the other can be free to do cooking etc. My respect for single parents (especially single moms) went up by another notch. It is so hard to do anything without planning it out first. Even going to the bathroom for a minute or two is difficult.

V is coming home tonight. Both Ashwini and I will be very happy to see her back. Hopefully, she'll bring us something from San Diego.

I believe...

A regular reader of my blog may think that I am a staunch democrat. But, that is not so. The caricature-like character of George W Bush just makes him a perfect target of all the jokes and such. I think that there are good and bad ideas on both the democratic as well as republican side. This post lists some of these that I stand for or believe in.

• I support the first amendment to the fullest extent. To protect children from viewing or reading objectionable material is their parent's job and not the government's. (D)


• I believe in complete separation of religion and government. They shouldn't even be talked about in the same sentence. (D)


• I support death penalty. People who take someone else's life should have no right to live their own even in a prison. (R)


• I support women's right to choose. They are the only one's who are capable to make decisions about their own body, health and life-style. No one else and especially a man can't force this decision on them. (D)


• I support stem cell and cloning research for the obvious reason of finding cures to many many uncurable, devastating diseases. (D)


• I think trade unions are detrimental to businesses and eventually to the workers that they are supposed to represent. They have destroyed many industries and lives in India and hope that doesn't happen in US. Thankfully, only 18% of US workforce is unionised. (R)


• I believe people should have the right to bear arms but with proper access controls that exclude known criminals and stupid people who are at risk at their own hands. (D/R)


• I think the war in Iraq was wrong wrong wrong. (D)


• I think there should be a limit on lawsuit compensations. The bloodsucking leaches that masquerade as lawsuit-happy lawyers should be hunted down and shot. They are undoubtedly responsible for major healthcare and insurance problems. (R)


• I support gay marriage. (?!)

This is not a complete list. I'll be adding more items to it later.

As for the current Presidential race, I would like to see Kerry win only because it looks like the Republicans are going to get majority in the House and Senate. A democratic white house will be good to keep the checks and balances. If one party controls all three, the extreme policies from that party get implemented which is bad for the country. Also, as one of my colleagues put quite eloquently, "Bush is the idiot we know and Kerry is the idiot that we don't know. It may be a good idea to give the unknown idiot a chance."

Autumnal Equinox

FYI:  Today (Sept 22nd) is the Autumnal Equinox. The day and night are exactly 12 hours each. Also, the Sun rises and sets at true east and west, respectively.

• This is officially the first day of fall season.
• Looking forward to some crisp cool nights (perfect for taking the telescope out), fall colors, enjoying hot coffee on cool foggy mornings and apple picking.
• It also means that a lot of yard work to rake leaves is in the near future.

Ganpati bappa moraya!

American Heart Walk

I am helping the American Heart Association fight the nation's leading causes of death by participating in the American Heart Walk on October 2nd in Ann Arbor, MI. I am sure many of you have been personally affected by friends and relatives suffering from heart disease. Step out against heart disease and stroke by supporting my efforts to raise money and awareness. Please visit my walker site and make a donation if you wish.

If you want to participate in a Heart Walk in your area, find more information about it here.

Thank you for your support!

Culinary Notes

- MTR is amazing. On Sunday, I made vada and rassam with MTR ready mix and it was just fabulous. I am still licking my fingers. Should try more MTR ready mixes.

- Finished our last bottle of '2001 Rosemount Estates Shiraz'.

16th August 2004

13 years and 1 day ago, I stepped on the soil ...er... concrete of the United States for the first time. It has been a long and wonderful journey since then.

Pet peeve #2

My head starts to throb when people write "their" and mean "there" and vice versa. These same people also write "your" and "you're" in place of one another.

Father's Day

It was a great day for me. Must have done something good over the last year.

• V made my favorite alu-parathas and mango milk shake.


• Ashwini brought a cupcake from her daycare that all kids made for their fathers.


• I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of a UPS delivery man carrying this.

New Photoblog

Announcing a new version of my Photoblog. Many of my posts contain photographs anyway. But, this blog will be exclusively photographs and nothing else.

Thanks to Rajesh for inspiration and many aspects of the design.

Pet peeve #1

I just hate it when people keep on saying 'I mean' or 'you know' in a conversation as a habit. Just spent an hour in a meeting where one guy kept saying 'I mean' and the other kept saying 'you know'. My head is still spinning.

One of the biggest regrets of my life

I was a poor graduate student. One of the best bands ever came to town in Winter of 1994. Didn't have money to buy any more concert tickets as I had already attended two Pink Floyd and two Hindustani Classical concerts earlier that year. Decided to give up on the opportunity to see and hear Jerry Garcia and the gang live. Later in the Summer of 1995, Jerry Garcia died. There will be no more live Grateful Dead concerts. Missed the only chance I had to see one of my most favorite bands perform live. Will I ever forgive myself?

Click below for the lyrics of one of my favorite dead songs...

Ripple

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near, as it were your own?

It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of man

There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall, you fall alone
If you should stand, then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way, I would take you home

Shopping Online

Just ordered something from Amazon.com. In their customer service section, you can list everything that you ever ordered from them. Found out that my first online shopping experience at Amazon.com was in December of 1997. Wow! That was a long time ago. These are the first books I bought online:

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids

I have been hooked on online shopping ever since. These days, I only go to a store for groceries.

!@#$@!$ Oil prices

Yahoo! News - Oil Hits $40, First Time Since Gulf War

Oil is getting so expensive and consequently, gasoline is getting expensive too. This really hurts Americans that are used to really low gas prices.

I filled up my gas tank yesterday, and it costed me thirty f***ing eight dollars. The gas prices have gone up by 100% in last 5-6 years. This is ridiculous. US should make a move on Saudi Arabia after Iraq is subdued, to get more cheap oil. ;)

Fortunately, our cars are not gas guzzlers and give pretty good mileage (25city-30highway mpg). I have been making my mind up over the last year or two, that my next car is going to be a hybrid or a hydrogen powered one. Initially, it was for environmental reasons, but, now with a big hit on my wallet every time I pull into a gas station: screw the environment, I really need to save some money.

Help save premature babies (second posting)

Those who wanted to support my walk, but, haven't made a donation yet, please do so soon. Wednesday, April 21st is the last day for submitting the form. Many thanks to those who already made a donation!!!!

I am walking in the "March of Dimes" walk on April 25th to raise money for research on saving premature babies. My daughter and I both were born prematurely. Thankfully, both of us are doing well but, many premature babies are not that fortunate. Please make a donation at the following website if you wish to support.

http://www.walkamerica.org/paragvs

If you want to participate in a walk in your area, the walkamerica website has all the location information.

Keystone '04

Came back from Snowbird yesterday. Still walking on two feet, albeit gingerly, after 4 days of skiing. No broken bones. It was a wonderful meeting. A lot of great science and a lot of fun. Got to meet some old friends and make some new ones. Everyone was happy to see more than a foot of snow that fell over the last two days of the meeting. Perfect skiing conditions even this late in the season.

Was very happy to see Ashwini after 6 days. She has grown in these 6 days. Her second tooth is completely out. She can walk across the room (10-15 steps) without holding onto anything.

Signs of spring are all around the house. Most of the trees are sprouting leaves, even the new ones that we planted last year. All the grass is green and will be ready for the first cut in a few days.

Although, I had a mighty good time in Snowbird, it feels nice to be back home.

This blog takes off

There will be no updates on this blog for one week. Shall return on next Tuesday.

Spring 2004 Blood Donation

Did my good deed today. Now, I am free to do some bad things to balance things out. Don't want to be called a 'good boy'. ;)

My blood pressure was 130/80 today. Much higher than my usual 110/70. Is it Ashwini or just bad habits? Note to self: Cut down on coffee and start exercising again.

Help save premature babies

I am walking in the "March of Dimes" walk on April 25th to raise money for research on saving premature babies. My daughter and I both were born prematurely. Thankfully, both of us are doing well but, many premature babies are not that fortunate. Please make a donation at the following website if you wish to support.

http://www.walkamerica.org/paragvs

If you want to participate in a walk in your area, the walkamerica website has all the location information.

Strange coincindence

V and I sneaked out to get lunch at a chinese restaurant near work. At the end, the freakiest thing happened... Both of us got the same fortune in our fortune cookies.

                   You will be travelling and coming into a fortune

Is this a sign of things to come???? Is this a sign that we are perfect together????

How many times does this happen? I have never seen cookies with the same fortune even in a big group of 8-10 people.

Parent's night out!

Saturday night was our first night out without Ashwini. It was also our first experience with babysitting. But, it was at her daycare with her usual teachers, so, not a big change for her and she was comfortable being there. That is what we liked about it.

The last time, V and I went out to a restaurant for dinner was sometime in Feb2003, i.e. before Ashwini's birth. We dropped Ashwini off at around 6pm and our dinner reservation was for 730. So, spent an hour at Borders to do something we like to do: browse books. Predictably, walked out of there with a couple of kid's books for Ashwini.

Dinner at the 'Real Seafood Company' was excellent. Here is what we had:
Me: New England Clam Chowder followed by Sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna, grilled medium-rare with a sauce made from wasabi and soy sauce. It was heavenly. V didn't appreciate the pink-red stuff inside the hunk of tuna, but, that was the best part in my opinion.
V: Crab cake appetizer followed by grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa. Her crab cake was tastier than the Mahi Mahi.

We had a bottle of Brancott Estates 2002 'Reserve' Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough region of New Zealand and we liked it a lot. Should buy a case of it, if I find it at a local store. It was not very dry and was full of fruity flavours with high acidity and a lingering finish. I would recommend it to anyone, who is looking for a change from regular Chardonnays.

We wanted to get desserts at another place that has great desserts but, it was full and we didn't have enough time to wait. So, ended up eating a cheesecake at a small little chocolate shop that was not that great.

Picked up sleeping Ashwini at around 945pm. That was the end of our first dinner date after more than a year. Hopefully, we'll go out and do this more often now as we know that Ashwini is OK with babysitting in the evenings.

Old friends

This is an overdue post. Wanted to write this since a long time.

Last year was very good in terms of meeting old friends. Three of my school buddies came to visit me. I started going to 'Shishoo mandir' (preschool) with 2 of them, oh, almost 29 years ago. This last meeting was after 4 years. In 2002, I got to meet two of my good buddies from College. This was after a gap of about 6 years.

It is so nice to meet old friends. Time just flies by talking about the good old days. There are still some friends out there whom I used to be with everyday, but haven't seen them in 12-13 years. Wonder who on that list is next to meet?

I have painted the US map red

I have lived in, visited, travelled through 40 out of 50 states. i.e. 80% of USA. Have to work at getting 100% ceverage.

create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

Happy 8th Anniversary to us!!!

Yes. On Sunday, we completed 8 years of marriage. Hard to believe. It is even harder to believe that we know each other since 1987, i.e., almost 17 years. It is a surprise that we haven't killed each other yet. ;)

Decided to go out for lunch, in stead of dinner to accomodate Ashwini's tight schedule. Wanted to go to an Italian restaurant so that Ashwini could eat bread their rather than just watching us eat. Unexpectedly, Macroni Grill and Olive Garden had 20-25 minute wait time at 1:30 pm. So, finally decided to go to our favorite, Yotsuba. I think the owner of this restaurant is going to be able to put his/her kids through college because of us. The food was yummier than ever. Lately, we have been carrying food out from here. So, sitting there and eating may have made a difference.

Ashwini got to sit in a real high-chair rather than her carseat. Unfortunately, there was no bread there for her, but she managed alright by licking the black granite table-top clean. It was impossible to keep her away from it. Eventually, I gave her a piece of cucumber from my Eel-Cucumber roll to keep her busy and away from the table.

All in all, it was a nice day. Looking forward to another nice year together...

Happy New Year!!! (Belated)

I didn't really want to come back, but, here I am after a nice more than 2 week long vacation. I wanted to post some things during my vacation, but, didn't find much time during continuous partying. ;) Here is a quick summary of the time well-spent.

Dec. 23rd, 2003:
Ashwini's first long road trip. 510 miles to Washington DC in 9 hours. She behaved extremely well through the journey. Slept 4 hours of the journey and played with V during the rest. We were ready to make an overnight stop on the way if she couldn't sit through, but, she pleasantly surprised us.

Dec. 24th, 2003:
Very enjoyable Christmas-eve party at V's aunt and uncle's place.

Dec. 25th, 2003:
Santa was very good to Ashwini. She received a ton of presents. We were glad to have driven in that mini-van.

Dec. 26th, 2003:
Left Ashwini with grandparents, and went out to watch Lord Of The Rings: part III. This was an excellent choice for our first movie in a theater after Ashwini's birth. It was extremely good. Much better than part II. I felt it dragged a little. The third part is very well done just like the first one. Didn't feel like we were sitting there for 3 hours.

Dec. 27th, 2003:
Met with my dear school-friend from London and his family in Baltimore. Packed them up in our mini-van and started our journey back home. Both the kids behaved themselves through 9 hours of trip. It was such a nice experience, that we may plan another road trip soon.

Dec. 28th, 2003 - Jan. 2nd, 2004:
Several days of partying. Chatting and catching up with old friend.

Jan. 2nd, 2004 - Jan. 4th, 2004:
Getting ready to get back to work.

Venice

I was looking at some old pictures and remembered how beautiful Venice was.

Winter blood donation

I am AB+. The universal recipient. How much more selfish can I be? Thankfully, there aren't too many of us. Only 3% of the population is AB+.

Sushi... hmmm.

Hmmmmm..... Feel like eating sushi. Seems like it's been a long time since I did. No, wait... It was just last friday...one week ago...that's long enough.

A nice sparkling-new restaurant in East Lansing, called Sansu. Very good fresh sushi. Don't have to worry about finding good place to eat on my next trip out
there.