My thoughts

Concern for others...

2008-03-03T20:58:00.001-08:00

Last week, as usual when I was stuck at the Kathipari traffic jam(Chennai, near Guindy), I happened to notice a most dangerous scenario.
A worker working on the bridge, was welding out the excess iron rods, the fire sparks were spraying out all over the traffic and to add to this, the rods after being cut off were just carelessly let loose, meaning it was just falling to the ground. The people waiting in traffic were in such danger, in case it hit a person on bike, what would be the repercussions. There is no sense of safety, more than that no concern for others I would say, the worker just wants to get his job done, and concerned about the people's safety.

Coming back to blog...

2008-03-03T20:46:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I blogged. So many things prevented me from blogging, work pressure, personal commitments etc. Moreover the interest to blog faded away slowly, today suddenly I felt like to start blogging again. Not sure how long it will last but atleast for now Iam going to start blogging.
Let's see how it goes..

Chennai...

2007-03-06T03:06:00.000-08:00

Today one of my friends at work, asked me about blogging, it was then that I remembered the good old days when I used to blog as well as read so many other blogs.
So I thought might as well, update on all that is happenings ...
We moved to Chennai for good last Nov '06. Chennai Traffic is the worst nightmare one can go thru. It takes hrs to travel 5 to 10 kms too..during peak hours. Everything has gotten crazy here.. the real estate, housing, traffic etc.
People people everywhere you go, trains, buses, autos, share autos, roads everything is always crowded.
Together comes the dust, pollution, health problems and the MOSQUITOS...
OOPS.. MOSQUITOS everywhere, they come is blocks of hundreds and thousands and bit us to their heart's content.
Chennai has lost all its grace and the city once I loved, has become a nightmare to me..

Stamping at Nogales, Mexico

2006-04-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

Stamping at Nogales Mexico

We had planned to get our visa stamping done at Nogales, Mexico, because that was the only place where appointments were easily available at the earliest.
I would like to write a web log of our travel and the procedure involved, since I found it very difficult to get any information in the web.
This is for US Embassy Nogales, Mexico

Step 1: Fix an appointment thru http://www.visa-usa.com.mx/default.aspx
You need to play $10 and register in the website and get a visa appointment.

Step 2: You can get a Mexican Visa or you can take the risk for going to Mexico without a visa, for 72 hrs you are legal. Also as per the law, a permit is NOT required if you are planning to stay within 20 KM of the border

We took the Mexican Visa. It takes 4 weeks for the Mexican consulate to process the application so if you are applying please give ample time. Procedure for that at the Mexican Embassy, Los Angeles

1. The Consulate is open from 7 to 1.30 everyday.
2. Download the application form from http://www.sre.gob.mx/losangeles/
3. Gather all documents. The concerned person should appear in person to submit the application. You can also send by mail I think.
a. 2 passport size photos
b. Passport Copies
c. Pay Stubs
d. Bank Statement
e. Valid I-94 or Approval I-797
4. After 4 weeks they call us for an appointment. Please take 2 passport size pictures, 2-passport photos right side facing and cash. The Visa cost $134 per person. The visa type is FM3.
5. They do fingerprinting and then issue the visa

Step3: You can reach Nogales by Road if you are in CA or you can fly. The nearest Airport is Tucson, AZ. From there you can rent a car, park it at the border and then enter Mexico. There are several parking lots before you enter the border, the closest is UETA parking. They charge $4 for day. It is pretty safe.

Step 4: You just walk down to Mexico. If you have a visa then enter the immigration and get it signed. Otherwise you can just get a permit for $22 and walk into Mexico.

Step 5: There are several Taxis available. Just tell them Consulate Americano and they will take you to the consulate. It is $7. You can use the American Dollar everywhere, no need for money exchange.

Step 6: The Consulate opens at 8a.m. It is better to be there by 7.30a.m. A consulate staff verifies for what we are waiting, you can tell them you have an appointment. They then verify all your documents are ready. DS-156, DS-158,DS-157 (male applicants only).

Step 7: You have to go thru security. No electronics, strollers, cosmetics, water, food, even the car remote keys are not allowed. If you are carrying such things, you can leave it by the side with a guy who charges $1 for each item.

Step 8: Keep you passport, I-797 and DS-156, DS-158,DS-157 ready. At the first counter a person verify it and staples it together and gives you a token

Step 9: You wait in queue for you number to be displayed. The next counter they enter all the details to the computer, take fingerprints and photos.

Step 10: You now wait in a different queue and wait for your number to be displayed. Here the officer interviews you and verifies your status. Once your visa is approved, they will give you a receipt to pay the fee. They will also tell you that the passport may be available by 3p.m and to be back and check it out.

Step 11: Pay the fee and come out.

Step 12: Go back at 3p.m and collect your passports.

Step 13: Entering into the US , they will give you a new I-94. This is the painful part, it takes min 2 hrs for this, since there is a big crowd.

The above is the entire procedure. Now to the other details.
The bank Draft of $100 has to be got from Banamex. The Bank is about 2 blocks from the consulate. It is better to get it before the interview, so that you save some time. Else you have to inform the staff and then go and get the draft, which is a pain.

We went into Mexico on Sunday since we had a toddler. We stayed at the Carribean Hotel. The room is $50 and it was ok. The restaurant in the hotel was good.
There is one more hotel across the street, it is Marques D’Dima.
From this hotel the consulate is 20 min by walk. By Taxi it is $7.

The next day to while away the time till 3p.m you can sit in the Burger King down the street from the consulate. The Mc Donald is not good.

In my own personal experience the people were very good and hospitable. It is a world of difference once you cross the border. People don’t speak or even understand English. But you can manage for a day. I will add on more to the trip details later

Some useful website
http://internationalstudents.arizona.edu/~oip/downloads/Nogales%20Consulate%20flyer.pdf
http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/nogales/NE_Information_Cons.htm
http://www.nogaleschamber.com/sonora_detail.htm

Old memories...made new....

2005-11-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

We had to scan a couple of old pictures, since my husband had a presentation in his Toastmaster club. I was trying to find where they scan old pictures, I found out Walgreens was doing such a service.
We took our pictures to walgreens and the photo manager assited us to get it scanned and he did some editing to the pictures, we got it printed as well on CD. The pictures came out superbly!.
It was a self service machine, where the scanner just scans the images and we can edit it on the machine. Each print cost $.29c and the CD $2.99 with all pictures. It was amazing to see technology work wonders on these old pictures. I felt the price was very low and we got what we wanted within a short span of time.

Mail from Yahoo!

2005-11-15T07:51:00.000-08:00

I got this mail yesterday with a account_details.zip file, the file had some virus and was unable to open it. I'm not sure if this was really sent by yahoo or it is a scam. I have not sent any spam messages from my ID. Does anyone have any idea about this?

Dear Yahoo Member,

Your e-mail account was used to send a huge amount of unsolicited spam messages during the recent week. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and confirm the attached document so you will not run into any future problems with the online service.

If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to cancel your membership.

Virtually yours,
The Yahoo Support Team

How does she look?

2005-11-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

Cousins....

2005-11-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Both my parents family are big, especially my mom's side. After coming here to US, I have found so many second cousins and spoken to them and visited them. I guess even if I was in India I would not have done it. Since in India we take it for granted since all the relatives are around. Here in US when we find even the most distant relative we become so attached to them and feel at home immediately.

Do you'll too feel the same?

My Neighbour

2005-10-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

Just across my apartment there is a old asian lady, everytime I get down the stairs or come out I see her. She is so lonely, sits all by herself in her room, watches the TV, eats in front of the TV and I see noone ever talks to her. Not sure who lives with her, since the house looks empty. May be she is living all by herself, or there is someone who comes late. She reminds me of my grandma so much. So nowadays every time we step out, I way out to her and say hi and she is all excited. I guess she wants to talk to us, since today she came up close to the window and was very happy to see us.
Loneliness is killing, it is very sad to see such sights. Especially here people are so confined to their own space. If it were in India, I bet the lady will never ever feel lonely.

What's for Dinner?

2005-10-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

I like to cook, but thinking of what to do for the lunch/dinner drives me crazy. Every day have to think of what veggie and curry to make. My family they like only conventional Indian cooking, both my husband and daughter would have sambhar or parupu everyday they never think out of the box. But it does not sound very interesting to make sambhar everyday. So everyday I have to rack my brain to make a dish. I like to try new recipes, but when I do some new stuff and my family does not like it, they just refuse to even taste it and just have curd rice, which upsets me so much. So nowadays I try to make very conventional cooking only, very rarely I try out stuff. I guess I have to come with a menu card of what to make everyday.

Moving

2005-10-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last week we had been moving to a apartment within our same apartment complex. The packing, cleaning,unpacking is too.. much. In India, I had never have to move, but over here I have become a expert in moving with this being my 8th move. I know how to pack the boxes, how to clean the apartment, how to deal with the movers, apartment folks etc.
Overall it is so very tiring.
I just hope I need not move again, but I don't think that is possible.

Back...

2005-10-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I blogged. Henceforth I may blog but not very frequently, since my job contract is over, hence no more the luxury of blogging/browsing often.
Its been a great pleasure being with my daughter after a long time. Her vocabulary is growing day by day,it is amazing. We make it a point to talk to her in Tamil, but she is learning more english words. She amazes us everyday....

Too Many Things....

2005-08-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Meetings, Statues, Deliverables, Deadlines, Go Live…..
Child Care, Moving …

Too Many things happening around….Will be back soon…

Shiatsu massage

2005-08-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Off late I have been seeing these Shiatsu massage chairs in the malls. You put a $1 and it massages you for 3 min, $2 – 6 min and so on. Recently I tried one of these massages, the 3 min it was so painful, it was as if someone was kneading you as if they would knead the chapathi dough. It was too rough at times, thank god when it was doing the head part it went a bit slow, else the little amount of brain I had would have been squeezed out. But the after effect was good indeed, my body felt relaxed and the body aches was gone. My muscles has relaxed and I guess the blood circulation was revamped. So all in all the $1 I put in was worth it, rather than spending couple of more dollars for people to do it, I would never venture out to do such stuff as well. I searched the web and got this info on Shiatsu massage. The chairs are pretty expensive ranging anywhere from $2000 to $3500.

So what is Shiatsu Massage, read on?

Shiatsu is an old, traditional, Japanese healing method. Shiatsu means “finger pressure.” But unlike the massages of the West, where kneading and friction is used, in shiatsu pressure and stretching is the key. The shiatsu practitioner uses palms, fingers, thumbs, knuckles, elbows, knees and the feet, to work on the body’s acupuncture points, along what they consider the body’s meridians or energy channels. Its a form of “touch communication,” and is a safe and effective preventive medicine. It helps to balance a persons energy flow, and strengthen the vital organs.
In shiatsu, it is believed that disease is the result of blocked or unbalanced energy, so that it’s either depleted or over-active. Shiatsu shares the same view as Chinese acupuncture. There are two energy forces, the Yin, or negative, and the Yang, or positive. Basically, the human body is looked upon as a microcosm of the universe, the meridians vital organs are seen as governed by Five Elements and by Yin and Yang. They believe that in a healthy person no element is dominant or deficient in relation to the other. So blocked or unbalanced energy allows disease to take over, and it is either depleted, or kyoto, or overactive-jitsu.

A shiatsu practitioner asks the patient to lie on a mat on the floor, while wearing loose, natural fiber clothing. He or she will then use his hands, elbows, knees, and feet to work on balancing your meridian. He applies pressure to appropriate points to correct the injuries or imbalances. Through touch, two way communications greatly benefits the patient. Shiatsu works on the whole being, from the physical to the spiritual, so during and after the treatment a patient may experience a variety of reactions-crying, laughing, joy, stillness. These reactions are a sign that the body is breaking through old energy patterns.
Shiatsu treatments are given for a variety of ailments, from respiratory problems, to digestive problems, to headaches and leg cramps, and can bring relief to a number of everyday disorders. And today, shiatsu is gaining popularity in the West, and is practiced in America and Europe.

Chuck E Cheese – Where a Kid can be a Kid!

2005-08-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Last evening we had taken my daughter to Chuck E Cheese, this is our second visit and every time we go there, it is me who enjoy’s the most than her. I guess it brings out the Kid in me as the logo says. I like those games and getting those tokens, sometimes I start to compete with my daughter and we play to the maximum.
So I’m glad I’m still a kid at heart…

We all SCREAM for ICE CREAM !

2005-07-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

I read this article in my apartment newsletter, wanted to share with you all.

But did you know that your favorite flavor can actually provide some surprising insights into your personality? A groundbreaking consumer study by Alan Hirsch, M.D. of the Smell & Taste Treatment & Research foundation conclusively links personality traits to your favorite ice cream.

Strawberry – You’re Nobody’s Fool

Savvy and wise, you’re a hard worker who knows what it takes to get ahead. Everyone admires your self-sufficiency, and when you let loose you’re ready to have some fun.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – You’re The Life of the Party

Just like your favorite flavor, you’ve never lost your sense of adventure. Friends say you’re cheery and easy going. You go with the flow and always try to consider others.

Chocolate – You’re a Romantic
Can’t resist the indulgence of chocolate cone? Changes are, you’re as seductive as your favorite flavor. You love indulging in yourself, your friends and especially romance!

Butter Pecan – You’re Always One Step Ahead

Your life is always perfectly organized. You know the secret in advance preparation and you opt for an ice cream that is as sophisticated and adult as you are.

Mint Chocolate Chip – You Always Come Out On Top

You thrive on competition and usually come out ahead. You have a unique talent for visualizing and the achieving goals.

Vanilla – You Enjoy Simple Pleasures

You don’t need some new flavor to add excitement to your life. You’re busy enough already! You demand the best form yourself. You thrive on a pressure –cooker life style.

Listen Please!

2005-07-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

People often forget to it listen, but want to be listened. It is an art to listen to people. Most of us forget to listen and are preoccupied with our own thoughts whether it is at a meeting, with friends, at home etc. It is an Art to listen, you need to have patience, concentration, above all have interest and also limit your talking. We all love to be listened but we often forget to listen to others and hurt them. Though people don’t say it out, listening is very important in our day to day life. Here it goes..
- You talk to your friend and they in turn don’t listen and start rattling off about themselves and it goes on blah , blah, blah
- You give instructions for certain work to done, and they don’t listen and end up asking you again
- You don’t listen in meetings, trainings, classes etc…
- You don’t listen to your children or your loved ones.
- You say something and the other person doesn’t listen and cuts you off..

Listen it sure makes a difference in someone’s life.

Going to any length.........

2005-07-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

I read this article in The OC Register, I was shocked. It seems the Chinese are having surgery to become tall. What crap I thought? people get all sorts of surgery done to look beautiful from Botox to now leg surgery….

But can they defy old age, now height as well. GOD created each person to be unique and have their own features and looks, if GOD has thought differently he would have created everyone to look alike. Each person is unique and has his/her own personality, to change the physical appearances drastically, it makes one wonder, for what people leap to such great heights to look beautiful. I don’t say it is bad, but anything in moderation is good, once it exceeds the limits, it becomes our own enemy.

A person getting a leg surgery to become tall, that is “THE LIMIT” ,has he/she thought about what will happen in the old age, I’m sure they cannot stop time.
Be thankful to GOD that you are unique!

Here is the column from The OC Register, I have put the article here since you should be member to get these columns online.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Chinese are going to any length to stand tall

ANH DO
ASIAN AFFAIRS
Register columnist
anhdo_2000@yahoo.com

I first heard it from my cousin who heard it from her friends. Then I saw the published reports: In China, more and more people are paying to be tall.
That's right, paying.
Cosmetic leg lengthening is a surgical procedure growing in popularity. And while the numbers are small, it's nothing less than mutilation.
Patients have been signing up because in the Asian culture, height is something to be proud of. Many believe that the taller you are, the better you look and the more likely you will find good jobs and love.
But what do these folks endure?
Basically, they allow doctors to break their legs and insert steel pins into the area from below their knees to their calves. These pins connect to a contraption that looks like a metal cage. For about six months, they wear this device, turning the screw a fraction each day to force the ends of the broken limbs to pull away from each other.
When new bone appears, the device pushes it apart again, and the result is more new bone to fill the gap. It sounds like torture, but stories abound of men and women stretching as much as 3 inches in half a year.
"I think it's disgusting," says my cousin, Audrey Pham. "For people to go through that, it's pretty sad. I would never do it if I were short."
But that's just it - she isn't.
Audrey, 20, stands 5 feet 7 inches in stockings. She favors heels, towering over Asian adults who often look up to her as she goes from department to department at the office or on campus. She's never lived in the newly competitive society that is now China, where being closer to the ground can result in being passed over.
I logged into Internet chat rooms to learn about Chinese youths - from actors to entrepreneurs - who spend nearly $6,000 to get this treatment, though it means taking a lot of time off from earning a paycheck or a university degree. They can't help themselves, they say, living in a country saturated with images of long-legged beauties, from fashion magazines to television, from villages to cities.
It's also a country where the height craze has spawned a huge market for everything from tonics to specialty exercise equipment, where the burgeoning middle classes emerge from a Maoist cultural legacy to take advantage of a boost in the economy to boost their own appearance.
Ben Lai, a businessman from Fullerton, just returned from China this week and he isn't surprised. Young men and women "see the West and they say, 'How can we be like them in education, in image and culture? What parts are we missing? What mistakes are we making?'
"Everywhere I went, they constantly asked me: 'How can I improve myself? They are children - they are looking for hope.
"And in their mind, to be tall is to be elegant," he says. "It attracts more attention."
Attention - despite the scars that these procedures can inflict, along with isolation and excruciating pain. It's considered a good investment in an environment where, for instance, should one apply for a post in the Foreign Ministry, males must be at least 5 feet 7 inches, and females must be 5 feet 3 inches. That's in contrast to the average Chinese height of nearly 5 feet 6 for men, 5 feet 2 for women.
Thus, shooting "up" is its own form of upward mobility.
I mention this to Audrey, and with the exuberance of youth, she answers: "There are other ways to get tall," citing the importance of being active, from swimming to ballet to yoga. "Exercise stretches us in many ways, if you know what I mean."
For once, I see eye to eye with someone much younger.
________________________________________
This column on Asian cultures and communities appears every other week in Local.
Please contact Do at nvdailynews@gmail.com.

Copyright 2005 The Orange County Register | Contact u

Chocolates….

2005-07-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I’m the odd one out in my family, they all crave for chocolates, ice – creams, candies, cakes etc. I don’t care much for any of these, my daughter has been spoilt by her grandparents and craves for chocolates at such an young age. Though I try to restrict, nothing works. But of late I notice she has high energy levels after eating them and never like to rest or sleep even around 12 in the night.

I strongly feel the chocolates and sugars are giving her the high energy level to keep playing endlessly. I searched the web for this information and found this article.
Excerpt from the article

There is a persistent urban legend that Chocolate contains caffeine. It would seem that this rumor is based primarily on confusion between two similar alkaloids: caffeine and Theobromine. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Chocolate and it occurs only in Cacao. The two stimulants are related and have similar structures, but are very different chemicals with different properties, effects and origins. There are of course, some Chocolate products that have added caffeine, but it does not occur naturally in Chocolate.

Effects of the two stimulants
Theobromine and caffeine are similarly constructed types of pharmacologically active chemicals metabolized by the liver. Both are stimulants but with very noticeably different effects:

Theobromine
gentle
mild effect
very slow onset
long lasting
50% in bloodstream after 6 to 10 hrs
increases feeling of well being
mild antidepressant
gentle, smooth, sensual stimulation
stimulates cardiovascular system
stimulates muscular system
mild effect on central nervous system
almost no one is allergic
not addictive
no withdrawal symptoms
mild diuretic
stimulates the the kidneys

CAFFEINE
intense
strong effect
fast acting
rapid dissipation
50% in bloodstream after 2 to 5 hrs
increases alertness
increases emotional stress
jagged, nervous stimulation
stimulates cardiovascular system
stimulates respiratory system
strong effect on central nervous system
many people allergic
physically addictive
many proven withdrawal symptoms
extreme diuretic
requires large intake of fluids to balance the diuretic effect

In both cases, smoking cigarettes accelerates the dissipation from the system.
Theobromine is a strong stimulant and was used by the Spanish to keep their armies going while conquering Central and South America. Chocolate (real Chocolate, not candy) can keep you up at night -- especially very young children (but that doesn't mean that it is caffeine). Nursing mothers who eat pure chocolate will find their children happy and wide awake several hours later.

Chocolate does not trigger Caffeine allergies. (Caffeine causes me an almost immediate migraine, while Theobromine, i have discovered eases (but doesn't eliminate, unfortunately) my migraines.) I have found that when i have tasted portions of a pure (70% or greater Cacao) Chocolate bar that is 100% from the Crillo variety i have had immediate, sharp headaches

There are a number of serious health problems associated with caffeine, most of which have not been associated with Theobromine:
• Large quantities of Caffeine have shown decreased sperm counts in rats.
• Well controlled studies have suggested that 2% of miscarriages could be due to Caffeine in coffee.
• Dehydration headaches -- Most headaches (estimates range from 50% to 90%) are caused by dehydration, and one of the primary causes of dehydration in the USA is the large quantity of Caffeine that most people consume. (Caffeine laden drinks like CocaCola and Coffee don't quench your thirst, they actually increase it!)
• Heart trouble
• Stress
There are several minor psycoactive chemicals in Chocolate as well as Theobromine: Phenylethylamine, Theophylline, Tele-methylhistamine Phenyethylamine, affects mood swings by causing an initial emotional high then a short time later an emotional low. It causes blood pressure and blood-sugar levels to rise, resulting in a feeling of alertness and contentment.
It was once thought that Tea contained large amounts of Theophylline, however it turns out that Tea contains significantly more amounts of caffeine than theophylline.

And the Power goes off…..

2005-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last night we did not have power from 6p.m to 9p.m. Our whole apartment complex, just blacked out, not sure of the reason. In India when the power goes off we just need to worry about the sultriness and mosquitoes. But here, we need to worry about food as well. No power no food, for me an extra item no phone as well, since I have a Vonage phone connection. We have experienced this power failure twice, once it was during a snow storm and we with a 5 day old baby, no heater, no food, no hot water, it was a terrible.
Though the power never goes out here, but when it goes, it paralyses life. Imagine the East Coast power failure, thousands were stranded, here basic things like power, water are all in abundance and works so well, but once it fails, the system breaks, it is because they are over dependent on all this. In India though we lack with basics like power failure often, water scarcity, life will still go on.

Marriage is not a word, but a sentence...

2005-07-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been hearing small talk around my circle, with regard to marriage and how long it lasts etc. I hear people saying, nowadays girls who are educated and working don't make the marriage last a long time and they just get a divorce so easily. Sorry I beg to differ, this is solely my opinion.

Marriages are made in heaven as the saying goes, but it has to be worked out in this earth. For a marriage to work, both have to put in an effort to make it work. The feeling that working, educated women get a divorce easily is not right in my opinion, why won’t the men be wrong at all. Are the men such saints and it’s always a women fault if the marriage does not work. It is just not the responsibility of the women to make things work even when things go wrong. Men own equal responsibility for it. Each person has to respect each others feeling, be sensitive and make life livable and not make it miserable.

Some Observations in UK

2005-07-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last year around this time I made a stop over at London before going to Chennai, since my SIL lives there. I was not so much for UK, though I did not travel much, since I had a 6 mth old with me. There were few things I observed while comparing to the US or may be stuck me.

1. Hot water and Cold water taps are separate.
2. There is no dryer, all the places I saw did not have one.
3. They pay a permit fee every month to own a TV.
4. All the houses are identical. They told me that the govt builds it and then sells it. Is that right?
5. There is absolutely no censor to any of the programs. (May be I saw too much of Big Brother, UK folks would know about it). The ____ word is used just like any other word.
6. The “ROUND ABOUT” as they call it, was making me go crazy.
7. The small buggy cars.
8. People talking with a raagam “AAre uu sure”, for everything using “Bloody”.
9. Here in US people generally smile and say Hi in dept stores. Oops not in UK.
10. The cashier in the dept stores sits on a high stool while billing.
11. The London Airport check in lines is crazy.
12. Unfriendly airport staff, no one to help. Very slow service.

The UK folks should enlighten us more on this.

Manmadhan Simbu - A good Actor in the making.

2005-06-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

One of my friends gave me the Manmadhan DVD, I was a bit skeptical and had some attitude saying "Ayyo Simbu va, ok" Seri free aa varudu, let me watch it innu. But after watching the movie, I totally changed my opionion of Simbu. He has very good potential and he is a great actor to look forward to if he does movies with substance like "Manmadhan". This is the first Simbu movie i have ever seen and its changed my attitude towards him. Even as a child star i didnot like him much since he would overact at times.
But now he looks handsome, dances well and acts very well.
‘Manmadhan’ is worth a watch, an engaging suspense thriller, a fare different from the routine romance-action flicks dished out to the audience.
Great Job Simbu!!

Coffee Mug........!

2005-06-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

I seen this in one of my colleagues Coffee mug….

Dear God,
Do you have any problems?

Does God have any problems? Well figure it out. Have you ever seen the stars warm up a winter sky. He made all that. Have you ever wondered what it looks like a hundred miles under the ocean? He's been there all morning. With us, there's no way to do everything. With God, there's no problem.

It got me thinking. This is solely my opinion, God is all powerful. He is our problem solver and hence that is his only problem. Even that he handles excellently.
Nowadays we read a lot of articles reg: God men, priests, etc their mistakes, flaws etc. They are still humans, we go to church, temple or mosque to worship God and not men. To err is human, to forgive is divine as the saying goes I go to my place of worship to worship God and never bother about these trivial things.

Cool Option in MS Word- Staple and Print

2005-06-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

With my latest assignment being a tech writer, its MS office all the time. Yesterday I had nearly 50 documents (5 copies of each) to be printed out for training. As I was stapling the copies, my friend suggested, just put the staple option and the document would come out stapled from the printer. How cool was that! I turned on the option and Lo!!. All the documents were neatly stapled and printout. I just had the work of sorting the copies.

Steps to do it.
1. Go to File >Print
2. Select Properties Button
3. In the Finishing block, select where you want the document to be stapled. It gives a small preview as well.

I'm sure most of you would know this. Just in case you don't know, wanted to share my joy.

Update on 06/14:
BTW: My husband tried it and he didn't have the option he said. I have the latest edition of word, MS Word 2003. Also may be the printer should have such options for it to be highlighted I guess.

My Book List

2005-06-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks PVS for "Book tagging" me.

So here's my list

Total Number of Books I Own: Think around 30+ .
Last Book I bought: Baby's First Bible : Story book for my daughter
Last Book I was gifted: Baby Book: Dr. William Sears
Last Book I read: Baby Book: Dr. William Sears

Five Books That Mean a Lot to Me:
I like a lot of books and just general reading of good magazines. Love to read cookery books.

If Tomorrow Comes by Sydney Sheldon
Kane & Abel by Jeffery Archer
The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffery Archer
Shall We Tell the President by Jeffery Archer
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffery Archer
Love Story by Eric Segal

Tag five people and have them do this on their blogs:
Suguna
Sathya
Ansh
Guruprasad
ME

Mika's cilantro chutney and my Guacamole disaster.

2005-06-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

I got this excellent recipe from
the GreenJackfruit blog
.
So last evening got all the ingredients and tried it out, it was great. The only this i did extra was roast all the ingredients, since my husband does not like it with the fresh taste. He relished it and ate it with almost everything he had last evening. This morning he wanted it for his lunch sandwich too..Thanks to Mika for this excellent recipe. Keep it coming..

On a similar note, i got some Avocados to make some Guacamole. Started with it, found the fruit has not fully ripened, but yet i thought, "Oh my Ultimate Chopper would do the work" Since i got it from HSN, they ground granite and showed, so so very impressed and got the Ultimate chopper. Started to grind the Avocado and Oh, it would not grind, tried it several times and finally ended up getting fire sparks from the Ultimate Chopper. So just stopped my work, since I would end up burning the Ultimate Chopper. Since already I have burnt 2 blenders. Didnot want to take the risk.So today I'm not sure what to do with the Avocado. My husband suggested steam it and try. Let me try it today...
Does anyone have any other suggestion.

Ikky, yuk!!

2005-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Do you feel ikky when you hear or see something, like a screech noise, or some funky bug in the path way. I feel it often. But my daughter just 17th months old, feels it too. She just can’t stand the sight of a rusty bar in her park play area or see anything rusty. Immediately she will keep saying ‘aaaa ooooo ‘and keep pointing to it. Even while playing she find some dust or paper sticking to her hands, she run to me immediately to have her hands washed and say ‘kaya kaya’ means see my hand and wash it. She loves chocolates and after messing her hands with it, she would want to wash her hands immediately and then will ask for a towel to wipe her hands clean.
I’m surprised at her behavior, at such young age, usually I have heard babies to be messy. May be she inherited it from my family where my grand ma, periamma were too finiky to wash hands. Even I have some of those qualities I don’t deny…heheheh.

Mission to visit Missions

2005-06-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

We are on a mission to visit the Missions around our place. California is famous for its missions. There are totally 21 missions. http://missions.bgmm.com/ we have visited 4 missions so far. Each has so much history and stories. The San diego mission was the first and the church built in 1769 still stands good and it is still in use. We had been to it this weekend, it was amazing to see such an old church still in use.

So far we have visited 4 missions
San Juan Capistrano
San Gabriel Arcángel
San Luis Rey de Francia
San Diego de Alcalá

The best was San Juan Capistrano, the gardens,church and pond with fancy fishes it was great.

Gucalmole

2005-05-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks, I'm trying to master the art of making Gucalmole. Yesterday was the day it came out really well. I used dry red chillies, roasted the chillies and onions a little bit and ground everything. It tasted very nice.
Avocado is such a different fruit, its so creamy and buttery inside. The hard seed inside, is such a contrast to the fruit. I wonder why we don't get it in India.
Here is quick Gucalmole recipe
3- Avocado. Scoop out the fruit with a spoon.
2 medium size - Tomatoes Cut and seeded
1/4 cup - Onion
7- Dry Red Chillies
1/4 Cup - Cilantro
2 - garlic pods
salt to taste

Roast the chilli and onion together.
Grind all the ingredients in a mixer.

Petco!!

2005-05-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

My 16th month old loves pets of all kinds. We had been out shopping, we stepped into the nearby Petco to just have a look around. She was amazed by all the pets and I was amazed by all the prices. They had quiet a few parrots on sale, and the basic parrot, which we see often in India cost 479$. My FIL who was visiting us from India was shocked, since he has about 30 love birds, a pair of parrots at home. The loves birds each cost $20. They has quiet a few reptiles as well, the basic "balli" cost $10. The cheapest was the mouse $2.
So my FIL was saying, the next time i come here I should pack all my birds too.
Having a pet here is a costly affair.

My luck??????

2005-05-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

The other day i had been to Ralphs a grocery chain out in Southeren CA. I got a few things and got the bill for $26 even. So the lady at the counter told me, Ma'm its $26 even, its your lucky day, you should get a Lotto. I never indulge in getting a Lotto or Scratch,but my husband loves those. So I thought may be i should get one. I got a Lotto and a scratch ticket. I thought the scratch ticket was $1 but actually it was $3, was cursing myself, oh my if i lose i will lose $3 instead of $1. Anyway, my husband was thrilled, everyone in the household, won at least a $1, but me "NOTHING". So that was my luck????????

Free Train Ride: Metrolink

2005-05-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday the Metrolink trains in the southeren CA area www.octa.net were celebrating their 11th anniversary, so they had announced free train rides between Fullerton and San Juan Capistrano. The train frequncy was every 40 min but after 10.30 a.m the next train was around 1.10p.m. We are planned to take the train ride, when we reached fullerton, the crowd was so much that they had to deboard passengers. But the most disappointing part is they didnot allow any standing passengers, anyone who stood was deboard, since they said it was not safe. They had to do this in every other station, the crowd which turned up in each station were disappointed and most of them were kids who came to enjoy the day out.I have never seen such fussiness over safety, I have used the BART in san francisco and Subway in Newyork city, but all those trains are packed during the peak hours and people are standing all the time. I was imagining, what would happen in Chennai, where most of the people only travel in the footboard???

Indian Food

2005-04-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

My American friend loves Indian food. She go crazy at its very thought. While eating the indian food she feels the garam masala, the chilli, fennel, cumin and all the flavors and relishs every bit of it. So much so she has all these masalas at home and spices up her food. When I came to this country, I was amazed by the way people love indian food. I have seen people talk so much about our Indian cuisine and its flavor. I had come across one other American who loves Masala Dosa and Briyani. T
hough our cooking may be elaborate the flavor,aroma,taste and appreciation it brings, I think its worth the effort.

My Recipes

2005-04-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Visit my recipes at

http://afrecipes.blogspot.com/

Hmmm....what does it mean?

2005-04-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

After childbirth, i had taken a long break of 15 mths to get back to work. The reason being I wanted to be with my baby for atleast a year before i get back to work, even now i feel guilty for leaving her at home but complusions of life made me to go to work.

Today I got a mail from one of my friends who just found out that i started to work saying "Very nice to hear that u r keeping urself busy..

"What on earth does that mean? Does it mean I was lazing around at home not doing anything? Or is it that only a working person is busy?
The attitude of the people never change,a Stay at Home mom is always looked down on.

Kadalaaaaaaaaa........

2005-04-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I was waiting at the bus stop, and as it happens in our MTC bus stops, a youth was gladly Kadala varuthufying with a sweet looking swedish girl. He was asking her all sorts of questions, and finally ended up saying "In case you need a ride let me know, I would get my car on the days i work late, I can drop you off." The bus arrived and he very politely asked her if he can be seated next to her and continued blah blah.....I was indeed amazed, never thought it would happen here too, then i realised guys are guys whereever they are and Kadala podurathu is a universal concept.

Tamil Movie after long time- HOWAZZAT- REFRESHING!!

2005-04-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

After a couple of moves, relocation, new job, child care etc, it had been a very long time I had seen a Tamil movie. Since either we stayed far from the video shop or there were only Hindi movies in the shops nearby. This weekend, I found a shop with a limited number of Tamil movies, got one for the weekend. How my god, how refreshing it was to see a tamil movie after a long period of over 7 mths, I felt my stress just eased out. My daughter 15 mths old , hardly sits in a place a minute, but I was amazed to see that, when the tamil movie started she just sat and watched it with the rest of the fly for more than 1-1/2 hrs. Usually she never bothers to see the TV, she goes about her business. I think may be she was amazed to see the same language we talk at home on TV or may be she was also enjoying "SURYA MAMA". Anyway all said, she has taken after me !!!

One Flaw in Women

2005-03-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

This was a nice fwd!!

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of workingovertime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so muchtime on this one?" And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable; able to run on diet coke and leftovers; have a lap thatcan hold four children at one time; have a kiss that can cure anything from ascraped knee to a broken heart; and she will do everything with only twohands." The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands? No way!And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day.Wait until tomorrow to finish." "But I won't," the Lord protested . "I amso close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. Shealready heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days." The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made herso soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also madeher tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish." "Will she be able to think?" asked the angel. The Lord replied, "Not only will she be ableto think, she will be able to reason and negotiate." The angel then noticed something and reaching out, touched thewoman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told youthat you were trying to put too much into this one." "That's not a leak," theLord corrected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear f or?" the angel asked.The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing." And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardshipsand they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love, and joy. Theysmile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what theybelieve in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have.They go to the doctor with a frightened f riend. They love unconditionally.They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts breakwhen a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and akiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care aboutyou. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bringlove, joy and hope. They have compassion, faith and ideals. They give moralsupport to their family, friends and others. Women have vital things to say and everything to give. HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

For Love's Sake

2005-03-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

We met a couple from Malaysia, they are basically from Tamilnadu, but born and brought up there. It was amazing to see them, the lady is handicapped and finds it very difficult to walk, walks very very slowly with help. The gentleman is really great, he is handsome, holds a good position, he knew her for quiet sometime and hence wanted to marry only her. It is a great selfless sacrifice on his part, his patience and endurance to go through such trouble to look after her. I was amazed to see such a couple, in a world where people are so selfish, money minded it is very rare to see such selfless people.Hats off to this great person!!

My first Job

2005-03-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

I have been lucky to work in different work environments, due to contracting. But I would never forget my first job in Chennai, India. It was the best and it would remain the same forever. We were such a team and we enjoyed each and every moment of our stay there. It was basically like going back to school, we were five and proudly called ourselves "HUM PANCH". We were seen together everywhere, during lunch breaks, tea breaks, functions etc. Finally we all worked in the same project as well, people used to envy us since we were together always and did things together. It was fun and we all enjoyed every moment of it. Even today when i look back those were the Golden days which we would never get back. Having worked in so many places so far, I have never got such a kind of friendship anywhere. Today though we are all in different places doing different things, we keep in touch with each other and know what is going on in our lives.Those days will never come back!!!

CARS CARS EVERYWHERE!!!

2005-03-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

CARS,CARS Everywhere!!. If a person doesnot have a car in the US, it sucks!!. We have been managing without a second car, by living close to work and i had the luxury of walking to work everyday. But now since there are no apartments close to work, I need to commute by bus which sucks!! since the frequeny of the bus is 1 hr and the schedule is mornings between 6 to 8 and evening 3 to 7. Last evening not sure if i missed the bus or the service was cancelled, anyway i was left all alone in the busstop waiting for the bus to arrive with a storm forming and the winds gusting away, i was shivering in the bus stand. If they have a good public transportation system here, then there is no need for so many cars to be on the road, wasting the fuel and to get the fuel to go to war. The fuels prices are just shooting up and people are spending more on fuel than anything else here since they drive big SUV's and trucks. They advertise to save commute time, by car pool and van pool. But why not save fuel by having good public transportation.

My grandma

2005-03-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

She was a remarkable lady beautiful, strong-willed, intelligent, courageous, gifted and very active. She lived through it all, ups and down, tears and laughs. Life was more of tears for her, but she brushed it off with her will to succeed and make it through all odds. She loved us all and had fun with us as well. She was my grandma.

I remember her more since I was brought up by her. Summer vacations, Easter, Christmas, New Year it was all fun at grandma place. I used to wait for the vacation to start to be at her place. It was fun to be at grandma place, her stories, food, outings, cooking sessions, ice creams. She was an all rounder, she played the violin, sang well, excellent cook, reader, excellent knitter.
I used to get her all types of knitting threads and she made me hats, TV covers, table mats and what not. She was on top of all affairs, she used to give me updates on News, TV programs and everything you name it. Even when things were not going right, she had the power to make us all happy, with great food, excellent knitting , joyous shopping trips and great stories. She carried herself with charisma.

Life was not easy for her, after grandpa’s death with 10 children to take care off, but she had the will to succeed. She was strong and the faith kept her going everyday. Not a day passed by without a problem, but she faced it like a rock. She was a remarkable woman and above all a great mom and grandma.

Today she has 18 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. We all love you grandma! May your soul rest in Peace.