With Anu and Adi in India, I went to Zion National Park alone, doing this for the first time in my life!! And it turned out to be a great experience, much better than being bored at home without family.
I flew to Las Vegas on Friday evening, stayed at Luxor for the night (and a quick poker game which I lost). In the morning, I drove to Springdale, UT at the gates of Zion National Park. The weather was hot and the landscapes were amazing. On Saturday, I took the Canyon Overlook hike which is a beautiful hike that ends in a breathtaking view of the canyon. I spent the rest of the evening stopping at random points on Mt Carmel Hwy. It was just beautiful!
Next day, I took the Zion Shuttle and headed along all the points of the shuttle. I did the Emerald Pool hike, and walked to the Narrows. The narrows is a water trail where you just go into the water into the canyon. The water was freezing, but the views were breathtaking. Never done this kind of hike. I hiked almost a mile where the water became chest deep and I decided to head back.
I stayed Sunday night at Stratosphere, played another poker game before heading home.
When you are alone, you get barraged by all kinds of weird thoughts, like "What if my car broke down in the middle of nowhere". I also ate at this nice restaurant called Flying Monkey and at breakfast at Oscars, both of which were great.
10.24.2011
Toronto and Waterloo on work
It was mostly a work trip, but really enjoyed Toronto downtown where I stayed. Waterloo/Kitchener is a fairly laid back place.
7.19.2011
O Canada
We headed over to the Canadian Rockies on July 4th weekend. The traffic was surprisingly light and we spent 2 days in Banff and 2 days in the Lake Louise area. The landscape out there is just beautiful. In Banff, we went to Sulphur Mountain, took a boat ride on Lake Minnewanka, and really enjoyed the Rocky Ridge Resort perched on a hilltop next to Banff from where the views are just beautiful. We would go to the hot tub every evening and stare at the mountains. They gave us popsicles after the hot tub every day, a divine experience. Lake Minnewanka cruise was great as well. We saw a bald eagle and a deer crossing the road in Banff.
Next, we went to Lake Louise and it is by far the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. We stayed at the Fairmont overlooking the lake and the lake has different beauty almost every hour. We also went to Lake Moraine, another beautiful lake nestled in the mountains. I took a 3.6 km hike to Mirror Lake and Lake Agnes and they were beautiful as well. Lake Agnes has a tea house on top of the mountain and a waterfall too. Views of Lake Louise from the top of the mountain are beautiful.
Everything seems expensive in Canada after the US dollar has lost 25% against the Canadian Dollar. All in all, it turned out a great trip.
Next, we went to Lake Louise and it is by far the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. We stayed at the Fairmont overlooking the lake and the lake has different beauty almost every hour. We also went to Lake Moraine, another beautiful lake nestled in the mountains. I took a 3.6 km hike to Mirror Lake and Lake Agnes and they were beautiful as well. Lake Agnes has a tea house on top of the mountain and a waterfall too. Views of Lake Louise from the top of the mountain are beautiful.
Everything seems expensive in Canada after the US dollar has lost 25% against the Canadian Dollar. All in all, it turned out a great trip.
6.26.2011
Trip to Beijing
In general, I have never been in a place where I know so little about the culture, language and civilization than China. I have never had my “Namaste” experience. This was it!
It was a business trip with lots of agenda items, but I made it a point to use each evening to learn more about the new place. Many things struck me about Beijing on my way to the hotel from the airport.
• This is a much more developed city than any big city in India and compares well with the US as far as their infrastructure of the cities goes. I hear that rural China is not as developed, but from what I see I am impressed.
• Beijing seems to be dotted with banks and massage/spa places. Almost every block has a bank and a massage parlor
• The people are very friendly and respectful.
We (my engg director and myself) reached on Sunday afternoon, and were greeted promptly at the Shangri-La. An excellent hotel with everyone trying to help you out in whatever way possible. Weekdays was going to be all work except for a team offsite on Friday and I had kept Saturday for some sightseeing.
There was an Indian restaurant right across from the Google office and having eaten there 4 times in 7 days, I can say that it is easily the best Indian food I have eaten outside India. I have always wondered what’s so difficult about replicating food from India that no place in the US seems to be able to make the same curries as in India. Hell, they do not even seem to have the entire gamut of curries here. Not this place, this was as authentic as you would eat at your neighborhood restaurant in Mumbai.
On some evenings, I would walk around the hotel and explore out the residential areas nearby. There is the street food and street vendors, old people outside the buildings, neighborhood shops which was very reminiscent of India. They seem to love their food, and their massages! One evening, I joined my colleagues to go to the night market in Wangfujing. There they sell the weirdest food you may have ever seen. The food is not for the faint of heart, even the smell of the food is not for the faint of heart! They have scorpions, sheep kidney, starfishes, snakes and many other unspeakable animals/insects fried on a stick. From there, we headed to the shopping street, and you would not be able to distinguish it from a high class shopping place in the USA. Then we walked near Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the National Theater, which is surrounded by man made water façade on all sides. The only way to go inside is through a tunnel below the water. Very nice architecture.
On Friday, we took a boat trip to the Summer Palace. It has nice architecture with a lake surrounding it. Next, we took the subway to the Cashbox KTV Karaoke place. What struck me was that the lobby looked like a 5-star hotel. Add Karaoke to the list of things Chinese people are passionate about. There we sang English and Chinese songs, with my Chinese counterparts doing much better than me. I was very impressed by their singing abilities and passion! They also tried to teach me Sanguosha which is their signature strategy card game, which I would have loved to master if I understood Chinese characters. Looks like a fairly complex game.
On Saturday, I took a one-day Beijing tour to see the Great Wall (Badaling), Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The square is an expansive place with a couple of huge screens in the middle. People thronged the place. Then we crossed over the road to the Forbidden City. This place was ruled by the Qing and Ming Dynasties from 1368 to 1911. Lots of interesting architecture and stories here. Presuambly, this entire city was not open to the general public till the Emperor ruled. Only officials, concubines and eunuchs which served the Emperor were allowed. The king used to have hundreds of concubines and hardly anyone knew which concubine the Emperor was with on any given night. This protected him from a stealth attack at night. The concubines sometimes conspired by asking the eunuchs to bring babies from outside and claim it was the Emperor’s baby in hopes of becoming the Empress. There was a concubine selection process every 3 years. To become an official in the City, you had to pass a series of local, regional and provincial tests. Next we went to the Jade factory to see how Jade was carved from the stone.
Next, we went to visit the Great Wall. We took a cable car to the top. It was so crowded it almost seemed like walking on a crowded street in Kalbadevi. The views of the wall and the mountain are breathtaking. More than 20% of the population was building the wall at one time (1M+ out of a population of 5M). We climbed to the highest point of the wall. I never thought I would see the Great Wall of China before seeing the Taj Mahal but that’s what life is all about.
We ended the day with a tea ceremony. We tasted four types of tea and were told how each type is made, its medicinal value and how you should drink it. I loved the Jasmine and Lychee tea that they had. I bought some cups that change picture on them when hot water is poured and headed back.
As I look back at my experience, its interesting how two civilizations of two neighboring countries got to be so dissimilar from each other, almost not talking to each other (except Buddhism in the Tibet area) and how commonalities are now emerging again thanks to the westernization of both!
It was a business trip with lots of agenda items, but I made it a point to use each evening to learn more about the new place. Many things struck me about Beijing on my way to the hotel from the airport.
• This is a much more developed city than any big city in India and compares well with the US as far as their infrastructure of the cities goes. I hear that rural China is not as developed, but from what I see I am impressed.
• Beijing seems to be dotted with banks and massage/spa places. Almost every block has a bank and a massage parlor
• The people are very friendly and respectful.
We (my engg director and myself) reached on Sunday afternoon, and were greeted promptly at the Shangri-La. An excellent hotel with everyone trying to help you out in whatever way possible. Weekdays was going to be all work except for a team offsite on Friday and I had kept Saturday for some sightseeing.
There was an Indian restaurant right across from the Google office and having eaten there 4 times in 7 days, I can say that it is easily the best Indian food I have eaten outside India. I have always wondered what’s so difficult about replicating food from India that no place in the US seems to be able to make the same curries as in India. Hell, they do not even seem to have the entire gamut of curries here. Not this place, this was as authentic as you would eat at your neighborhood restaurant in Mumbai.
On some evenings, I would walk around the hotel and explore out the residential areas nearby. There is the street food and street vendors, old people outside the buildings, neighborhood shops which was very reminiscent of India. They seem to love their food, and their massages! One evening, I joined my colleagues to go to the night market in Wangfujing. There they sell the weirdest food you may have ever seen. The food is not for the faint of heart, even the smell of the food is not for the faint of heart! They have scorpions, sheep kidney, starfishes, snakes and many other unspeakable animals/insects fried on a stick. From there, we headed to the shopping street, and you would not be able to distinguish it from a high class shopping place in the USA. Then we walked near Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the National Theater, which is surrounded by man made water façade on all sides. The only way to go inside is through a tunnel below the water. Very nice architecture.
On Friday, we took a boat trip to the Summer Palace. It has nice architecture with a lake surrounding it. Next, we took the subway to the Cashbox KTV Karaoke place. What struck me was that the lobby looked like a 5-star hotel. Add Karaoke to the list of things Chinese people are passionate about. There we sang English and Chinese songs, with my Chinese counterparts doing much better than me. I was very impressed by their singing abilities and passion! They also tried to teach me Sanguosha which is their signature strategy card game, which I would have loved to master if I understood Chinese characters. Looks like a fairly complex game.
On Saturday, I took a one-day Beijing tour to see the Great Wall (Badaling), Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The square is an expansive place with a couple of huge screens in the middle. People thronged the place. Then we crossed over the road to the Forbidden City. This place was ruled by the Qing and Ming Dynasties from 1368 to 1911. Lots of interesting architecture and stories here. Presuambly, this entire city was not open to the general public till the Emperor ruled. Only officials, concubines and eunuchs which served the Emperor were allowed. The king used to have hundreds of concubines and hardly anyone knew which concubine the Emperor was with on any given night. This protected him from a stealth attack at night. The concubines sometimes conspired by asking the eunuchs to bring babies from outside and claim it was the Emperor’s baby in hopes of becoming the Empress. There was a concubine selection process every 3 years. To become an official in the City, you had to pass a series of local, regional and provincial tests. Next we went to the Jade factory to see how Jade was carved from the stone.
Next, we went to visit the Great Wall. We took a cable car to the top. It was so crowded it almost seemed like walking on a crowded street in Kalbadevi. The views of the wall and the mountain are breathtaking. More than 20% of the population was building the wall at one time (1M+ out of a population of 5M). We climbed to the highest point of the wall. I never thought I would see the Great Wall of China before seeing the Taj Mahal but that’s what life is all about.
We ended the day with a tea ceremony. We tasted four types of tea and were told how each type is made, its medicinal value and how you should drink it. I loved the Jasmine and Lychee tea that they had. I bought some cups that change picture on them when hot water is poured and headed back.
As I look back at my experience, its interesting how two civilizations of two neighboring countries got to be so dissimilar from each other, almost not talking to each other (except Buddhism in the Tibet area) and how commonalities are now emerging again thanks to the westernization of both!
2.10.2011
Trip to India.. again!
This time, we went to Jaipur and Kuchaman for my cousin sister's daughter's marriage. It was preceded by a huge city function arranged by my cousin brother. That function was themed after folk Rajasthan. So you had folk dancers, camel rides, bangles, fortune tellers, magicians.. the whole enchilada! Both functions were great and the food of course was excellent. We had booked multiple AC bogies on the way up and way back so it was trip full of fun and frolic.
In Mumbai, I did the usual.. eat at my favorite joints and meet a bunch of people. We also went to a buffet restaurant in Thane with my in-laws and had some great food there. All in all, a great trip.
In Mumbai, I did the usual.. eat at my favorite joints and meet a bunch of people. We also went to a buffet restaurant in Thane with my in-laws and had some great food there. All in all, a great trip.
12.28.2010
Christmas at Tahoe
We spent Christmas at Tahoe with a bunch of friends. We rented a very nice house in the Tahoe Keys resort area. The plan was to hang out, cook, go on the mountain and generally relax. And we did exactly that. The menu varied from Chhole to Omelets to Mexican food. We went to the Heavenly mountain, skied for some time. The kids had a great time too! We ate at a great restaurant in Sacramento called Bombay Grill and headed back home. Renting a Ford Explorer helped of course!
11.28.2010
Thanksgiving in Kauai
This was our fourth trip to Hawaii, to the fourth island. We rented a 2 bedroom house near Poipu Beach. Poipu has two nice beaches, Brenecke's and Poipu beach. We went there multiple times. Adi enjoyed a lot at Poipu beach which has shallow water and very gentle waves. We also took him to the Kauai Plantation Railway that takes you along the tropical Kauai Plantation and on the way allows for pig feeding. Adi enjoyed feeding the pigs and said to them "Eat your food, else you will all go to the bathroom!". We drove across the entire island, first going west to Waimea Canyon, followed by east to Princeville and Hanalei. Anu cooked great meals at home. On the flip side, I lost my swimming goggles to one of the waves.
On the activity side, I went Ziplining with Kauai Backcountry which was an exhilarating experience. I also went on helicopter tour of Kauai with Safari helicopters. The tour went through all the interesting and inaccessible spots of Kauai, covering rainforests, innumerable waterfalls and the beaches. I got a great view as I had a window seat. I also went snorkeling at Poipu beach which has a nice coral reef. Overall, it was a wonderful trip!
On the activity side, I went Ziplining with Kauai Backcountry which was an exhilarating experience. I also went on helicopter tour of Kauai with Safari helicopters. The tour went through all the interesting and inaccessible spots of Kauai, covering rainforests, innumerable waterfalls and the beaches. I got a great view as I had a window seat. I also went snorkeling at Poipu beach which has a nice coral reef. Overall, it was a wonderful trip!
8.28.2010
Trip to India
Quick trip to India to meet parents and sister. Traveled by Cathay Pacific for the first time, and it turned out to be pretty good.
7.13.2010
Summer 2010 activities
We took Adi to Happy Hollow Zoo, Six Flags in Vallejo and San Francisco Zoo. He thoroughly enjoyed all three of them. The Zoo was closed in Happy Hollow, but the petting zoo was open. Six Flags in Vallejo has a zoo area, and really great rides. I would highly recommend it for both kids and adults. San Francisco Zoo is very impressive, the lion, rhino, giraffe were all sights to see. I went on a Google trip to Santa Cruz and that was great as well. The regular barbecue and rides of course.
5.30.2010
Monterey bay aquarium and cherry picking
On two weekends, we took our in laws to Monterey Bay aquarium and next week to cherry picking in Brentwood. Adi really enjoyed the different types of fish in Monterey. The cherries we picked were also really sweet, and the drive from Brentwood was nice too.
5.14.2010
Universal Studios and Seaworld
We took our in-laws to the classic west coast trip to LA and SD. We rented a Kia Sedona and it was spacious since there were only six of us including Adi. On the first day, we went to Universal studios. The new ride I checked out was the simpsons ride and I was pretty impressed. We did the other regular rides and Adi and in-laws had great fun. In the evening, we went to Santa Monica beach and got a couple of names hand-drawn by a local artist, "Aditya" and "Welcome". Next day we went to SeaWorld and were a bit disappointed to find that the dolphin show was not playing. But we had fun with the other rides. On our way back, we stopped at an Indian restaurant on I-5 for lunch; we would never have expected that! All in all, a fun trip.
4.04.2010
Battling a snowstorm in Kirkwood
Raj and I decided to go skiing for a day in Kirkwood. And what a day we choose! It was very stormy which made for pretty white-wash skiing conditions. The snow was fluffy so that was good but visibility was poor. It was fun all the same. I also saw some really adventurous guys doing pond skimming on that day. That was really fun to watch, as was the snowstorm itself from a nice rustic restaurant at the base. On the way back, we saw a couple of movies and were home in no time.
3.16.2010
Big Island
Our trips to Hawaii have always been exciting, and we always end up getting some unexpected perks. This time, I booked a ticket on Alaska Airlines' inaugural flight going from San Jose to Kona. At the airport, just outside the gate, they greeted us with breakfast and cultural Hawaiian programs. We were given fancy memento bags and had games on the flight. Before we realized, we were in Kona, which is a big thing to say considering we had a 2-yr old with us. I won one of the games and got two tickets to the Luau at Royal Kona Resort. Good start, I thought!
Day 1:
The hotel was really nice, and we had an ocean view room. We went up to the beach to see green sea turtles coming up to the coast. The beach was a bit rocky, was great for snorkeling but not kid friendly. In the evening, we went for our the Luau. I cant say I fancied the food considering that we are vegetarians, but the show was great. Adi was mesmerized by the dancers. The setting was beautiful, on the beach and watching the sunset.
Day 2:
Kona coffee is famous, so we decided to visit Greenwell farms, one of the most famous industrial coffee plants in Kona. They showed us how coffee is made from the two seeds in the fruit of the coffee plant. The process is pretty interesting; they dry the beans, peel two layers and ship the green bean and it is roasted at the destination. Next, we headed up north to the Kohala coast to Hapuna beach. It was beautiful with blue waters and a gentle slope and Adi absolutely loved it. We stayed in the water for a couple of hours before heading back.
Day 3:
We headed up to the Hawaii volcanoes national park. The drive was absolutely beautiful, with landscape and weather changing every 30-40 miles. We went up to the steam vents, saw the lava tubes and the large craters in the national park. On the way back, we stopped at Punaluu beach which has black sand on the beach, thanks to the volcanic landscape. We cooked lunch at the beach, ate and headed back. We made a quick stop at the Magic Sands beach where I took Adi in the water again but he got scared by the big waves. Anu and Adi rested on the beach, while I relaxed in the water for some time.
Day 4:
With a short trip coming to an end, we headed back to the airport. Adi really enjoyed the small open Kona airport where all the plans were in clear view. We upgraded to first class for a 100 bucks each, our first experience north of coach. We got really good service for the upgrade, so we were smiling on our way back.
Day 1:
The hotel was really nice, and we had an ocean view room. We went up to the beach to see green sea turtles coming up to the coast. The beach was a bit rocky, was great for snorkeling but not kid friendly. In the evening, we went for our the Luau. I cant say I fancied the food considering that we are vegetarians, but the show was great. Adi was mesmerized by the dancers. The setting was beautiful, on the beach and watching the sunset.
Day 2:
Kona coffee is famous, so we decided to visit Greenwell farms, one of the most famous industrial coffee plants in Kona. They showed us how coffee is made from the two seeds in the fruit of the coffee plant. The process is pretty interesting; they dry the beans, peel two layers and ship the green bean and it is roasted at the destination. Next, we headed up north to the Kohala coast to Hapuna beach. It was beautiful with blue waters and a gentle slope and Adi absolutely loved it. We stayed in the water for a couple of hours before heading back.
Day 3:
We headed up to the Hawaii volcanoes national park. The drive was absolutely beautiful, with landscape and weather changing every 30-40 miles. We went up to the steam vents, saw the lava tubes and the large craters in the national park. On the way back, we stopped at Punaluu beach which has black sand on the beach, thanks to the volcanic landscape. We cooked lunch at the beach, ate and headed back. We made a quick stop at the Magic Sands beach where I took Adi in the water again but he got scared by the big waves. Anu and Adi rested on the beach, while I relaxed in the water for some time.
Day 4:
With a short trip coming to an end, we headed back to the airport. Adi really enjoyed the small open Kona airport where all the plans were in clear view. We upgraded to first class for a 100 bucks each, our first experience north of coach. We got really good service for the upgrade, so we were smiling on our way back.
2.06.2010
Tahoe trip with my team
We went to Tahoe on a company trip to Squaw valley. It was beautiful as always. We stayed at the Resort at Squaw which has a chair lift to the mountain which was very convenient. We rented our gear and headed up the lift. In the evening, we had a nice pizza dinner followed by a game of poker. This was followed by another day of skiing before we headed back. Fun trip!
2.01.2010
The India Trip
This time we had a month long trip to India. We went to Assam to visit my maternal grandparents. We had great fun visiting Kaziranga National Park where we saw Rhinos and Elephants. Adi loved the elephant ride in the elephant festival. Our cousins took us to a nice resort where we ate their signature Crispy Chilly Baby Corn followed by a trip to Rhino park. We also had fun flying Kingfisher which had much better food than Korean Air which we took while coming to India.
Later, I went to Surat and met up with relatives as also with friends in Mumbai. And as always, I ate at all of my favorite joints. Priti took me to this new Sandwich place in Goregaon which turned out to be a branch of our favorite Sandwich joint in Santa Cruz. I also attended the Hridayesh festival including a morning flute concert at 6:15 am (thats right!) by Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia. It was unreal!! With Dad, I went to a relative's farmhouse close to Virar and had fun. We also went to the Brijreshwari temple.
On a free morning, I went to school and ate at our mess hall after 15 years. Although the school has changed a lot, the taste of channa and garlic chutney were the same, with kids scampering to get the garlic chutney. I guess some things never change!
Anu went to Mahabaleshwar, Pune and Ahmednagar and had a good time too. Adi enjoyed every bit of each trip he made! At the end though, Adi fell on edge of a table and had 3 stitches causing us to delay our return by 3 days... oh well!
Later, I went to Surat and met up with relatives as also with friends in Mumbai. And as always, I ate at all of my favorite joints. Priti took me to this new Sandwich place in Goregaon which turned out to be a branch of our favorite Sandwich joint in Santa Cruz. I also attended the Hridayesh festival including a morning flute concert at 6:15 am (thats right!) by Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia. It was unreal!! With Dad, I went to a relative's farmhouse close to Virar and had fun. We also went to the Brijreshwari temple.
On a free morning, I went to school and ate at our mess hall after 15 years. Although the school has changed a lot, the taste of channa and garlic chutney were the same, with kids scampering to get the garlic chutney. I guess some things never change!
Anu went to Mahabaleshwar, Pune and Ahmednagar and had a good time too. Adi enjoyed every bit of each trip he made! At the end though, Adi fell on edge of a table and had 3 stitches causing us to delay our return by 3 days... oh well!
11.06.2009
Ropes course in Santa Cruz mountains
As part of the leadership workshop, we went to the ropes course in Santa Cruz. We climbed ropes, solved problems and had a fun time. My team was called The Simpsons, thanks to an idea from one of our team members. The place is in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz, really far away from the freeway. It was pretty cold in the morning, but once we started climbing, no one felt cold! This was the first time I was doing a ropes course, and reminded me of how unfit I have become... I thought of the upcoming ski season and that I should exercise if I have to make sense of it!
10.02.2009
Gilroy Gardens
It was Anu's idea to go to Sea World last week and this week she decided to take us to Gilroy Gardens. Its a great place for kids and Adi thoroughly enjoyed the place. We adults enjoyed the rides too, which were mostly family rides.
9.26.2009
SeaWorld in San Diego
Priti was visiting from India, and we decided to go to Sea World. I booked a hotel very close to Sea World. We saw Shamu's "Believe" show three times. Priti was really excited to be drenched by Shamu (something I would have expected from Adi!!). In fact, Adi started crying inconsolably when he got drenched, which we should have anticipated. He had a great time in Sea World. We were there for two days, and covered all of it. I liked Journey to Atlantis a lot. On the second day, we also went up to Mexico's border (at Raj's request) and to Coronado beach. The water at the beach was surprisingly cold, but we had a great time. Overall, it was a great trip. Adi even enjoyed looking at planes on the airport.
9.11.2009
Lunch Cruise on SF bay
We had a celebration cruise on SF bay which involved a luxury yacht. Lunch was on the yacht and was really good. We hiked on Angel Island, with amazing views of both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge from various parts of the hike. There was dessert on the way back on the Yacht. All in all, a fun filled weekday.
Offsites in various parks
We went to two offsites, one in Cuesta Park and the other in Flood Park, both with the Adwords API team. Cuesta Park was marked by great Mediterranean food, Vegas showdown (which I won) and Croquet. Flood Park was marked with arranged games, and I won the crumpled soda can throwing game!
7.30.2009
Rafting on the American river
This was a company offsite, and we went rafting on the South fork of the American river. It was a hot day and the water was cold but not chilly, so made for a perfect combination. We had lunch and hopped on to our rafts, going through the scenic valley. I jumped in the water many times and actually swam through a rapid.. which was great fun.
7.11.2009
Trip to SF and Santa Rosa
We visited Santa Rosa in July 2009 to meet Ankita. We met up with Selvin and Dayana on the way up.
We went up to Healdsburg and spent the day in a park which has a small beach cornering a natural swimming pool. They actually built a swimming pool around the water for lap swimming. The ground was smooth pebbles so that was nice.
In the night we went to see "Up", our first movie with Adi. The theater was totally empty so that helped. Adi slept most of the movie, so it was fun.
We went up to Healdsburg and spent the day in a park which has a small beach cornering a natural swimming pool. They actually built a swimming pool around the water for lap swimming. The ground was smooth pebbles so that was nice.
In the night we went to see "Up", our first movie with Adi. The theater was totally empty so that helped. Adi slept most of the movie, so it was fun.
6.15.2009
Trip to Seattle
Two factors caused this trip to happen:
1. Adi's daycare was closed on June 12 for staff development day
2. It had been a couple of years since we visited Seattle, and our friends out there
We flew on June 11 with free tickets thanks to frequent flyer miles. The flight was delayed for a couple of hours, and instead of reaching at 10 pm, we reached around 12 midnight. After all the renting and collecting baggage, we reached Vivek's place at 2 am. I had thought Adi would follow his regular schedule of sleeping at 9 pm, but he was all excited at 2 am to see new people and would not go to sleep, until we did at 3 am.
Next day we went to Snoqualmie falls. The falls had plenty of water and was fun to b We spent the evening at Kirkland waterfront and waverly beach park with Arpit, and headed to their home thereafter. Adi had an adrenaline rush seeing new people and had a lot of fun. Watching Ariv and Adi play with each other was also interesting.
On June 13, we went to Discovery Park. We packed a bunch of food and played frisbee and did some hoops. Adi and Ariv enjoyed the tot lots. In the night, we chatted and played Modern Art till around 4 am.
It was time to fly back on June 14, but we had lunch with a Gaurav and bunch of our juniors at Inchin Bamboo Garden. It was a fun trip and good to meet up with friends and Adi thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.
1. Adi's daycare was closed on June 12 for staff development day
2. It had been a couple of years since we visited Seattle, and our friends out there
We flew on June 11 with free tickets thanks to frequent flyer miles. The flight was delayed for a couple of hours, and instead of reaching at 10 pm, we reached around 12 midnight. After all the renting and collecting baggage, we reached Vivek's place at 2 am. I had thought Adi would follow his regular schedule of sleeping at 9 pm, but he was all excited at 2 am to see new people and would not go to sleep, until we did at 3 am.
Next day we went to Snoqualmie falls. The falls had plenty of water and was fun to b We spent the evening at Kirkland waterfront and waverly beach park with Arpit, and headed to their home thereafter. Adi had an adrenaline rush seeing new people and had a lot of fun. Watching Ariv and Adi play with each other was also interesting.
On June 13, we went to Discovery Park. We packed a bunch of food and played frisbee and did some hoops. Adi and Ariv enjoyed the tot lots. In the night, we chatted and played Modern Art till around 4 am.
It was time to fly back on June 14, but we had lunch with a Gaurav and bunch of our juniors at Inchin Bamboo Garden. It was a fun trip and good to meet up with friends and Adi thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.
4.10.2009
Adi's first birthday in Miami
We decided to celebrate Adi's first birthday in Miami. The idea was to just stay at the beach and unwind. Reaching Miami turned out to be more adventurous (in hindsight) and frustrating (at the time). Since the United flight got canceled, they put us on American, but did not reissue the ticket. So I reach the counter and find out I cant fly, and must talk to United. The check-in lady was on the phone with a United rep for almost an hour and I went to security literally 10 minutes before the flight. I was running in the concourse like a mad man to catch my flight.
The hotel was good, mainly due to its location. It was right on the beach, and Adi seemed to like the water with some apprehensions. He loved the hotel lobby where he used to go crazy. I was in the water everyday. We could walk to the nice shops and restaurants. We ate mostly pizza and a nice Indian restaurant called Guru. It was a good break.
Two bummers:
1. Adi got diarrhea on the last day.
2. I could never see the sunrise due to clouds on the horizon. I woke up everyday before sunrise.
The hotel was good, mainly due to its location. It was right on the beach, and Adi seemed to like the water with some apprehensions. He loved the hotel lobby where he used to go crazy. I was in the water everyday. We could walk to the nice shops and restaurants. We ate mostly pizza and a nice Indian restaurant called Guru. It was a good break.
Two bummers:
1. Adi got diarrhea on the last day.
2. I could never see the sunrise due to clouds on the horizon. I woke up everyday before sunrise.
3.17.2009
SXSW at Austin
I am writing this post from the airport getting back from SXSW. It was a great conference for meeting people in the social networking space. I liked a couple of panels.
One was "Building a web business part-time". The big take-aways from this one was that partners and an advisory board are really important. Plus, the more you can bootstrap through friends and family, the more you can be independent and take your time. Once you start looking at Angels and VC, you are on a clock and there are many strings attached.
The other was "Converting Piracy to Profit". They are trying to convert pirated content to syndicated content, so that content owners can make money off of it, and the "pirates" can become content distributors. They are trying to negotiate with Ad networks to provide a share of the revenues on this pirated content to the content owners. I think they have a good case, and DMCA takedown notices is their stick in the carrot-and-stick analogy.
We ate at a bunch of places. The Gnocchi at the Hilton was amazing and so were the custom made vegetarian Quesadillas at the Hyatt. Moonshine won the dessert prize with their fresh Stout Brownie topped with Coffee ice-cream and Whipped Cream.
And of course, I must talk about the Blogger party which was awesome. People had a lot of fun and they were all happy when they left. Also met up with an old friend, after 4 years, which was good. It was a fun, insightful trip.
One was "Building a web business part-time". The big take-aways from this one was that partners and an advisory board are really important. Plus, the more you can bootstrap through friends and family, the more you can be independent and take your time. Once you start looking at Angels and VC, you are on a clock and there are many strings attached.
The other was "Converting Piracy to Profit". They are trying to convert pirated content to syndicated content, so that content owners can make money off of it, and the "pirates" can become content distributors. They are trying to negotiate with Ad networks to provide a share of the revenues on this pirated content to the content owners. I think they have a good case, and DMCA takedown notices is their stick in the carrot-and-stick analogy.
We ate at a bunch of places. The Gnocchi at the Hilton was amazing and so were the custom made vegetarian Quesadillas at the Hyatt. Moonshine won the dessert prize with their fresh Stout Brownie topped with Coffee ice-cream and Whipped Cream.
And of course, I must talk about the Blogger party which was awesome. People had a lot of fun and they were all happy when they left. Also met up with an old friend, after 4 years, which was good. It was a fun, insightful trip.
1.01.2009
The India Trip
The trip started with Diwali just around the corner. This was the first time we visited India in October and it was really hot. But I was really happy to be there for diwali for the first time in 8 years. Anu dressed up in traditional Diwali clothes and I went to my Dad's office as per tradition. We picked up the new books for the year (where we do all our accounting in business). We fasted and ate great food made by the "Office Cook" at night. Very nostalgic experience.
We went to Rajasthan for Tammu's marriage and Adi's mundan (a ceremony where he loses all his hair for the first time). I went with the marriage party in an AC coach, which was a lot of fun. My wife and sis flew in with Adi the next day. The marriage was in Jaipur and the mundan was in Kadel. Adi cried his heart out during the mundan, but otherwise we had great food, met with a bunch of relatives and saw a bunch of places. One remarkable place was Salemabad where I plucked radishes from the farm for the first time. We were really tired on getting back, but it was worth it.
Next, we went to Nasik and Pabal to meet Anu's folks. We rented an Indigo and I was pleasantly surprised by the state of roads and how much it has improved. We met all her relatives and received a warm welcome everywhere. Got Adi's ear pierced in Nashik and he cried his heart out.go back.
And finally, about my time in Mumbai. I ate at my favorite restaurants, met a bunch of friends and also went to an awards show. Also attended a bunch of marriages with my parents. Since we were there for two months, we could really laze around, but time flied fast and before we knew, it was time to go back!
We went to Rajasthan for Tammu's marriage and Adi's mundan (a ceremony where he loses all his hair for the first time). I went with the marriage party in an AC coach, which was a lot of fun. My wife and sis flew in with Adi the next day. The marriage was in Jaipur and the mundan was in Kadel. Adi cried his heart out during the mundan, but otherwise we had great food, met with a bunch of relatives and saw a bunch of places. One remarkable place was Salemabad where I plucked radishes from the farm for the first time. We were really tired on getting back, but it was worth it.
Next, we went to Nasik and Pabal to meet Anu's folks. We rented an Indigo and I was pleasantly surprised by the state of roads and how much it has improved. We met all her relatives and received a warm welcome everywhere. Got Adi's ear pierced in Nashik and he cried his heart out.go back.
And finally, about my time in Mumbai. I ate at my favorite restaurants, met a bunch of friends and also went to an awards show. Also attended a bunch of marriages with my parents. Since we were there for two months, we could really laze around, but time flied fast and before we knew, it was time to go back!
8.06.2008
Travel freeze, thanks to Aditya
But there was a lot of travel where our home was the destination. First, Priti came for a few weeks. Followed by my Mom, followed by in-laws for welcoming our son into this world (April 7), followed by my parents for a couple of months to play with their grandson (May 28-July 28), followed by my in-laws who are still here (July 28-Oct 15).
Since we can't travel much, I have started learning swimming and vocals (in addition to Tabla). Hopefully, I will have some skills to teach my kid! Anu seems to be perpetually happy (and tired) after delivery, thanks to Adi.
The next outbound trip for us will most likely be India. Will keep you posted through this blog!
Since we can't travel much, I have started learning swimming and vocals (in addition to Tabla). Hopefully, I will have some skills to teach my kid! Anu seems to be perpetually happy (and tired) after delivery, thanks to Adi.
The next outbound trip for us will most likely be India. Will keep you posted through this blog!
11.04.2007
Priti's visit to the USA
Priti came to visit for a month, and we went to a few places, namely Stanford University, San Francisco (boat ride and crooked st), half moon bay and pacifica. She also went to LA to visit Ankita.
While all this is routine, I must talk about something not so routine that happened. I like to call it The Prius incident, since such a thing could only happen in a keyless entry car like the Prius. We got stuck in traffic on our way to Half Moon Bay, and on the single lane, I felt like jogging since it was great weather and we were going downhill. So I got out of the car, and started running after telling Anu to swap seats with me (I was driving). After running about a quarter mile, I looked back and saw Priti waving from behind. I thought she was also jogging and continued running. Thats when a car came to my side and said that I had the keys in my pocket. So I had to run uphill for almost a quarter mile, which just killed me. Really funny.
While all this is routine, I must talk about something not so routine that happened. I like to call it The Prius incident, since such a thing could only happen in a keyless entry car like the Prius. We got stuck in traffic on our way to Half Moon Bay, and on the single lane, I felt like jogging since it was great weather and we were going downhill. So I got out of the car, and started running after telling Anu to swap seats with me (I was driving). After running about a quarter mile, I looked back and saw Priti waving from behind. I thought she was also jogging and continued running. Thats when a car came to my side and said that I had the keys in my pocket. So I had to run uphill for almost a quarter mile, which just killed me. Really funny.
9.27.2007
Sea Kayaking in El Granada
Its been a while since I went sea kayaking. Last one was in Alaska. Thanks to the Blogger off-site, we went sea kayaking in El Granada, just shy of Half Moon Bay. We kayaked for a couple of hours followed by late lunch at a nice Italian restaurant. The guides were pretty good, and we stuck to the bay for the most part. My favorite was when we went out to sea and saw the Pacific Ocean in all its vastness. Had a good time.
8.09.2007
Settling Ankita
We went to LA to receive my cousin who was coming from India to join USC. We drove to LA on Wed night, and the commute was really good with almost no traffic. We stayed in downtown LA at Wilshire Grand on the 14th floor. It was decently lavish and had good views of the city. I picked Ankita up on Thursday evening. To avoid the traffic, Anu guided me through little known alternate roads, thanks to her iPhone. I did not think we saved any time though. But as luck would have it, we arrived just on time, literally minutes in waiting time. The next few days, we helped her feel at home, got basic stuff.
We roamed in downtown LA, went to Venice beach. The water was surprisingly warm at 72 degrees. We had a good time on the beach.
I worked from the Santa Monica office for a couple of days, and the commute killed me. Santa Monica freeway is always crammed. We returned on Sunday night.
We roamed in downtown LA, went to Venice beach. The water was surprisingly warm at 72 degrees. We had a good time on the beach.
I worked from the Santa Monica office for a couple of days, and the commute killed me. Santa Monica freeway is always crammed. We returned on Sunday night.
8.03.2007
OMG!!!
Many ways to describe this post. Happy Birthday, Surprise, Domestic Espionage, I Am So Dumb but I will go with OMG! A week from my birthday, when Anu told me that a surprise is being arranged for me, I was wondering why she told me about my birthday surprise in advance. As per the plan, I was going to go to a "surprise" concert, followed by a "surprise" trip to Clear Lake. On the day itself, the surprise was elaborated saying we were going to rent an RV, so it would be really exciting.
But here is what was planned. A bunch of my friends were going to meet up at the California delta with a houseboat rented for the weekend. Up until I reached the marina, I was still thinking that maybe this is some exotic concert on a houseboat. Everything was perfectly executed including but not limited to misleading me, great food, music, and other logistics. Even friends who are not local knew this was going to happen. Revealing the surprise before hand was an excellent ploy to keep me from thinking anything else.
Needless to say, we had a ball. We drove the 12 person houseboat through the delta. The menu comprised of Pav Bhaji, Pani Puri, Idly-Vada, Palak Paneer and a bunch of snacks. The sunset was beautiful from the top of the houseboat. We huddled atop the houseboat in the night and stared at the sky and saw a bunch of shooting stars. The silence of the delta and soulful music added to perfect environment.
On Aug 4, we took out the boat into the water channel, anchored at a nice spot and went in the water. The water was really nice since the days are hot. Again we watched the sunset (this time while eating pani puri), listened to music, talked and slept. Some of the guys had to leave that day, so the second night there was only seven of us.
Aug 5, lather, rinse, repeat. We left the marina around 4 clock and came home. Kudos and thanks to all who came. This is the biggest surprise of my life. I am not sure I could pull this off!!
7.22.2007
Rafting on Middle Fork American River
A couple of years back when I had gone to raft on South Fork American River, I had decided that Middle Fork must be more fun and adventurous. This time, Daivak and Palak accompanied us for the trip. Daivak took out his Honda CRV, which made the trip really comfortable.
We camped at the same place we had camped a couple of years ago. Last trip, rafting was the most salient feature of our trip. This time, there were two: Rafting and Food. Thats right.. our better halves made the most amazing food you could eat while camping or rafting, and then some more! The menu consisted of Muli Parathas, Pav Bhaji and White Dhokla, with my measly contribution of Corriander Chutney. But that did not mean we forgot the barbecuing part. On Saturday night, we had a candle light dinner with Pav Bhaji and barbecued veggies in Chat Masala. Note to self, potatoes work great for barbecues!!
On Sunday, we started off with a quick in car breakfast of sandwiches and chaat puri, thanks again to Anu and Palak. The first feeling I got on reaching the put-in place was that it was too hot. The second feeling when I entered the raft was that the water was too cold. Our guide Tyler appreciated the rapids well. Class 4 rapids were breathtaking with Tunnel Chute taking the cake. During lunch, we ate Muli parathas along with the sandwiches they provided. The experience wasn't new to me, having eaten the same on our trip to Alaska while hiking in snow. We reached the put-out point at around 4:30-5 and made the comfortable journey home in Daivak's car.
We camped at the same place we had camped a couple of years ago. Last trip, rafting was the most salient feature of our trip. This time, there were two: Rafting and Food. Thats right.. our better halves made the most amazing food you could eat while camping or rafting, and then some more! The menu consisted of Muli Parathas, Pav Bhaji and White Dhokla, with my measly contribution of Corriander Chutney. But that did not mean we forgot the barbecuing part. On Saturday night, we had a candle light dinner with Pav Bhaji and barbecued veggies in Chat Masala. Note to self, potatoes work great for barbecues!!
On Sunday, we started off with a quick in car breakfast of sandwiches and chaat puri, thanks again to Anu and Palak. The first feeling I got on reaching the put-in place was that it was too hot. The second feeling when I entered the raft was that the water was too cold. Our guide Tyler appreciated the rapids well. Class 4 rapids were breathtaking with Tunnel Chute taking the cake. During lunch, we ate Muli parathas along with the sandwiches they provided. The experience wasn't new to me, having eaten the same on our trip to Alaska while hiking in snow. We reached the put-out point at around 4:30-5 and made the comfortable journey home in Daivak's car.
7.06.2007
Seattle.. yet again.
I visited Seattle after 3 years to meet my NCSU roomies and school buddies. The group came around full circle with our better halves! I always like to goto Seattle for its scenic beauty. Anu likes cloudy skies(spoiled by the California sunshine I think) and I love the greenery.
The inbound flight was late. We spent a bunch of time playing UNO at the airport. We were flying in on a Thursday to make the most of the trip. Both Arpit and Vivek came to pick us up at the airport. The next day, I worked from the Seattle office and we met up for dinner in the evening at Inchin's bamboo garden. Its the best Indian Chinese I have experienced in the USA with all the dishes catering very well to the Indian palate. Kalmady joined us for dinner, coffee and the San Juan trip. Ravi met us for dinner too.
On Saturday, we went to San Juan Island from Anacortes by ferry. The whale watching trip was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it more for the rain and sea than watching the actual whales. The return was eventful. Arpit's car had a problem that it wouldnt open up. Meanwhile Anu and Shweta taught the owner of an Espresso coffee shop how to make Pav Bhaji. Finally AAA helped us out and we were on our way back.
We met a bunch of old friends from VJTI on Sunday, just reliving the nostalgic days. Quite a population of VJTI'ites, NCSU alumni and HMPS alumni is in Seattle. We stayed at Arpit's house which is really well decorated/furnished/painted.
Arpit, Komal, Vivek, Reshma and Kalmady were at the airport to say goodbye. Now thats what I call royal treatment.
The inbound flight was late. We spent a bunch of time playing UNO at the airport. We were flying in on a Thursday to make the most of the trip. Both Arpit and Vivek came to pick us up at the airport. The next day, I worked from the Seattle office and we met up for dinner in the evening at Inchin's bamboo garden. Its the best Indian Chinese I have experienced in the USA with all the dishes catering very well to the Indian palate. Kalmady joined us for dinner, coffee and the San Juan trip. Ravi met us for dinner too.
On Saturday, we went to San Juan Island from Anacortes by ferry. The whale watching trip was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it more for the rain and sea than watching the actual whales. The return was eventful. Arpit's car had a problem that it wouldnt open up. Meanwhile Anu and Shweta taught the owner of an Espresso coffee shop how to make Pav Bhaji. Finally AAA helped us out and we were on our way back.
We met a bunch of old friends from VJTI on Sunday, just reliving the nostalgic days. Quite a population of VJTI'ites, NCSU alumni and HMPS alumni is in Seattle. We stayed at Arpit's house which is really well decorated/furnished/painted.
Arpit, Komal, Vivek, Reshma and Kalmady were at the airport to say goodbye. Now thats what I call royal treatment.
5.31.2007
Shasta Lake, Whiskeytown lake
We had not planned anything in advance for this Memorial Day, so we decided to drive up north to Shasta lake a couple of weeks before.
On the first day, we went to Shasta caverns, a very interesting first time experience, where you see formations formed by dripping water over a long period of time. Stalactite and Stalagmite are two examples of forms growing from the ceiling and from the floor respectively, and they meet after thousands of years. This tour also included a boat tour on the lake and a bus ride to reach the caverns. Next, we went to Shasta Dam where they gave us a tour, took us down into the dam. We were surrounded by more than 50 feet of concrete on three sides. The tour was very informative, and we saw the simple hydroelectric production theory in action out there. More interesting was how the dam was built. For example, they produced the concrete in an onsite location, then moved it using a pulley system to form concrete slabs, which in turn were used for construction. Also, they had to reroute the river in the meantime. The dam produces 1KWH in 2 cents. We pay around 15 cents for that when it comes to our house. In the evening, we went to the Sundial Bridge. Built by a Spanish architect a few years back, its a pedestrian bridge made of glass on the Sacramento river. Really beautiful, especially when its lit up in white light at night.
The second day was for activities. We went down to Whiskeytown lake and hung out at the beach. We were in the water for a long time, played a board game, and finally rented a powerboat which we drove like crazy on the lake. The boat touches 45 mph, and Anu probably made turns at that speed, throwing us off. Fun times.
On the first day, we went to Shasta caverns, a very interesting first time experience, where you see formations formed by dripping water over a long period of time. Stalactite and Stalagmite are two examples of forms growing from the ceiling and from the floor respectively, and they meet after thousands of years. This tour also included a boat tour on the lake and a bus ride to reach the caverns. Next, we went to Shasta Dam where they gave us a tour, took us down into the dam. We were surrounded by more than 50 feet of concrete on three sides. The tour was very informative, and we saw the simple hydroelectric production theory in action out there. More interesting was how the dam was built. For example, they produced the concrete in an onsite location, then moved it using a pulley system to form concrete slabs, which in turn were used for construction. Also, they had to reroute the river in the meantime. The dam produces 1KWH in 2 cents. We pay around 15 cents for that when it comes to our house. In the evening, we went to the Sundial Bridge. Built by a Spanish architect a few years back, its a pedestrian bridge made of glass on the Sacramento river. Really beautiful, especially when its lit up in white light at night.
The second day was for activities. We went down to Whiskeytown lake and hung out at the beach. We were in the water for a long time, played a board game, and finally rented a powerboat which we drove like crazy on the lake. The boat touches 45 mph, and Anu probably made turns at that speed, throwing us off. Fun times.
5.11.2007
Yosemite NP
I have been to Yosemite on Labor Day weekend in Sep. 2004, but I must say that Yosemite is much more beautiful in early spring, when the waterfalls are fuller. We did pretty much the same things we did before, but the water made all the difference. We went to Vernal Falls hike and to a bridge above gushing water about .5 miles from there on the way to Nevada Falls. In the spring, the Vernal falls hike will soak you wet due to the mist from the gushing water. We saw Yosemite falls, Bridal Veil falls both full with water. We also went to the tunnel lookout this time, it has a comparable view as the top of Glacier point, and I would suggest checking it out rather than drive up to Glacier point. We also took a trail to Mirror Lake, which is more like a marsh than a lake.
3.07.2007
The India trip
I look forward to going to India on every trip. This time, the agenda of the trip unlike past trips was to stay home and spend time with family.
The only trip we made was to Nasik and Parner, to meet my in-laws' maternal and paternal sides. In Nasik, Anu's maternal grandma has a nice place just close to the river. It is one of the tallest buildings in Nasik and the view from the top terrace is quite beautiful. Parner is where her paternal grandfather lives. On the way back, we went to the Ganpati at Ranjangaon. It was a fun trip.
Another salient feature of the trip was that we worked from our respective offices. Google had a brand new building and the paint made me nauseous. The sales and marketing folks I met there were very nice, and are doing really interesting stuff. The catered food is awesome.
This time, I also did a fair bit of shopping. Chief amongst shopping was buying a tabla at Dadar. And as always, met friends, ate at my favorite joints and watched a bunch of desi television.
The only trip we made was to Nasik and Parner, to meet my in-laws' maternal and paternal sides. In Nasik, Anu's maternal grandma has a nice place just close to the river. It is one of the tallest buildings in Nasik and the view from the top terrace is quite beautiful. Parner is where her paternal grandfather lives. On the way back, we went to the Ganpati at Ranjangaon. It was a fun trip.
Another salient feature of the trip was that we worked from our respective offices. Google had a brand new building and the paint made me nauseous. The sales and marketing folks I met there were very nice, and are doing really interesting stuff. The catered food is awesome.
This time, I also did a fair bit of shopping. Chief amongst shopping was buying a tabla at Dadar. And as always, met friends, ate at my favorite joints and watched a bunch of desi television.
2.15.2007
Premiere of Eklavya - 15 Feb 2007
There will be another entry for the India trip, but I think this one deserves its own entry. We got a chance to goto the premiere of Eklavya, one of the most awaited movies in 2007. It was supposed to be a star studded event, and that is exactly what it was.
The premiere was at IMAX Adlabs at Wadala. We were checked at three places for the passes and after giving away the car to the valet guy, we came out on the "red carpet", in time to see the entire starcast of Eklavya taking a group photo. Then, we saw Vidya Balan giving a long interview and we were behind watching the entire starcast talking to each other. Anu had the guts to ask Jackie for a snap, and he agreed and I was happy to take it. Then she took an autograph just for kicks from Boman Irani and my photograph with him. After that, Aishwarya Rai passed us by in a hurry, she was surrounded by her cavalcade, and quickly made her way into the screen. There were refreshments and drinks, which didn't interest me much.
The movie was good, short and had great editing. I must say I was impressed with the theater, sound, screen, all seemed better than good US multiplexes like AMC Mercado.
For the record, we saw the following celebs:
Amitabh Bachhan, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Boman Irani, Moushumi Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Aishwarya Rai, Zayed Khan, Jimmy Shergill, VV Chopra, Sunil Shetty, Amar Singh, Raveena Tandon, Bhagyashree, Aftab Shivdasani and a bunch of smaller stars (look at me talking!) whose names I dont remember.
The premiere was at IMAX Adlabs at Wadala. We were checked at three places for the passes and after giving away the car to the valet guy, we came out on the "red carpet", in time to see the entire starcast of Eklavya taking a group photo. Then, we saw Vidya Balan giving a long interview and we were behind watching the entire starcast talking to each other. Anu had the guts to ask Jackie for a snap, and he agreed and I was happy to take it. Then she took an autograph just for kicks from Boman Irani and my photograph with him. After that, Aishwarya Rai passed us by in a hurry, she was surrounded by her cavalcade, and quickly made her way into the screen. There were refreshments and drinks, which didn't interest me much.
The movie was good, short and had great editing. I must say I was impressed with the theater, sound, screen, all seemed better than good US multiplexes like AMC Mercado.
For the record, we saw the following celebs:
Amitabh Bachhan, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan, Raima Sen, Boman Irani, Moushumi Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Aishwarya Rai, Zayed Khan, Jimmy Shergill, VV Chopra, Sunil Shetty, Amar Singh, Raveena Tandon, Bhagyashree, Aftab Shivdasani and a bunch of smaller stars (look at me talking!) whose names I dont remember.
12.27.2006
Christmas Trip to Tahoe
We had a group of 10 ppl going to Tahoe for snowsports. We went to south lake tahoe and stayed in this nice 3 bedroom house we rented for 3 days. We went to Heavenly to ski for the first day, and 6 of us were taking lessons as they were first time skiers/snowboarders. Anu and I went skiing and joined the beginners around 2 pm. We took them to the mountain and gave them some tips. Everyone really enjoyed their first day.
Next day, we went to snowshoeing while some of the first timers went for the snowsports again. We went to Kirkwood for snoeshoeing, and I really liked the trail. We made golas out of Gatorade and well, snow and went up to neat creek.
The next day, we had lunch and came back to San Jose. Anu discovered the hot tub on the last day and we made the most of it!
Next day, we went to snowshoeing while some of the first timers went for the snowsports again. We went to Kirkwood for snoeshoeing, and I really liked the trail. We made golas out of Gatorade and well, snow and went up to neat creek.
The next day, we had lunch and came back to San Jose. Anu discovered the hot tub on the last day and we made the most of it!
11.30.2006
Thanksgiving trip to Maui
Having loved our last trip to Oahu last thanksgiving, we went to Maui this thanksgiving, making good use of the Hawaiian Airlines vouchers we received last time.
We landed at the Kahului airport on Nov. 23. The flight got delayed so we landed at 4 rather than the 2:12 pm. We picked up our car and headed straight to our hotel in Kihei. Our hotel was one minute from Kamaole Beach Park 1 and had a nice ocean view. The waters at the beach are really calm and are best for the purposes of a novice swimmer like me.
On Nov. 24, I just chilled out in the water, and in the afternoon, we went to Kaanapali beach. The surf out there was really high, so we refrained from going into the water.
On Nov. 25, we went on Hana highway and it was really beautiful before it started getting dizzy to drive. Our Pontiac Vibe started showing "check engine light" so we exchanged it for a Chevy Impala, a much better car. It was a good decision to do that before the trip because Hana highway had a lot of turns. It had beautiful sights and we stopped over to drink sugarcane juice thrice. We had supper at the Garden of Eden, which has exotic flowers, peacocks, ducks and a beautiful vista of a waterfall.
On Nov. 26, we went for Paragliding with Proflyght paragliding. It was a lot of fun. You run from a cliff and then there is no ground and you are in the air with your instructor behind you. Next, we went to IAO state park near Kahului.
We went into the water every day, even on Nov. 27 when we left for San Jose. A great trip all in all!
We landed at the Kahului airport on Nov. 23. The flight got delayed so we landed at 4 rather than the 2:12 pm. We picked up our car and headed straight to our hotel in Kihei. Our hotel was one minute from Kamaole Beach Park 1 and had a nice ocean view. The waters at the beach are really calm and are best for the purposes of a novice swimmer like me.
On Nov. 24, I just chilled out in the water, and in the afternoon, we went to Kaanapali beach. The surf out there was really high, so we refrained from going into the water.
On Nov. 25, we went on Hana highway and it was really beautiful before it started getting dizzy to drive. Our Pontiac Vibe started showing "check engine light" so we exchanged it for a Chevy Impala, a much better car. It was a good decision to do that before the trip because Hana highway had a lot of turns. It had beautiful sights and we stopped over to drink sugarcane juice thrice. We had supper at the Garden of Eden, which has exotic flowers, peacocks, ducks and a beautiful vista of a waterfall.
On Nov. 26, we went for Paragliding with Proflyght paragliding. It was a lot of fun. You run from a cliff and then there is no ground and you are in the air with your instructor behind you. Next, we went to IAO state park near Kahului.
We went into the water every day, even on Nov. 27 when we left for San Jose. A great trip all in all!
7.09.2006
4th July Weekend to Yellowstone NP
Anu, Me, Karan, Nimish, Vivek and Reshma decided to meet up for the 4th July weekend and goto Yellowstone NP.
We decided to stay at a different place every night to make sure that we cover both the loops, and our hope was to catch some animals (ppl were most excited about viewing a bear). We did see bear, deers and bison. We rented a minivan with DVD player, which turned out to be really handy.
We went on this wonderful trail and it started raining followed by hail towards the end of the trail. I havent seen icy rain/hail many times and I was really excited despite all the hurt due to the hailstones.
P.S. This post needs more flesh, and since I did not blog this trip right after we went, I have forgotten a lot of it.
We decided to stay at a different place every night to make sure that we cover both the loops, and our hope was to catch some animals (ppl were most excited about viewing a bear). We did see bear, deers and bison. We rented a minivan with DVD player, which turned out to be really handy.
We went on this wonderful trail and it started raining followed by hail towards the end of the trail. I havent seen icy rain/hail many times and I was really excited despite all the hurt due to the hailstones.
P.S. This post needs more flesh, and since I did not blog this trip right after we went, I have forgotten a lot of it.
5.30.2006
Memorial Day weekend to Alaska
This has been the most adventurous trip of my life yet. This seemingly crazy idea of going Alaska was mooted by me, but it ended up being way more than expected.
Day 1: We went north of Anchorage to Matanuska Glacier. Hiked the glacier with normal shoes and came back to Anchorage. It was like walking on a huge ice landscape. We kept climbing until we reached a stage where we would just slip down trying to climb. Going up was much easier than coming down and at a point, the only was to come down given our shoes was to slide down (my ass and hands still hurt...)
Day 2: We headed south on Seward Highway to a hike of Exit Glacier. We were told we couldn't reach the top and we didn't. But we went far enough to see wonderful views of the glacier, and again reached a point where going up was very difficult and coming down was impossible short of sliding. I did try sliding down on one of the stretches with a gentler slope and realized that we made a good decision to stop where we did. The best part abt Alaska at this time was that the sun is out 19 hours. So we decided to do some sailing (kudos to Anu for finding the place). I had anticipated that I would be on a sailboat for the first time in my life, but I did not know that I would also drive the sailboat (yeah, we are talking tacks and jibes here!!!). The owner Greg was more than happy to let us go hands on on his sailboat, which had the head sail, the middle and the tail. Gaurav pulled up the sails and I did some steering (both with Greg's help of course). After a few tacks and a jibe, it was Gaurav's turn to steer. This was totally unexpected and hence quite wonderful.
Day 3: We went to Alyeska resort on the third day. We took the tram to the peak of the mountain, and boy, what a view. In the evening, we went to Anchorage to watch two movies. First one was the Alaska experience movie. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The shots taken by a helicopter in flight arount Mt McKinley and along the Alaska pipeline will make you giddy. Next, we saw the movie about Northern Lights, it was just a slide show. An absolute anticlimax compared to the earlier show.
Day 1: We went north of Anchorage to Matanuska Glacier. Hiked the glacier with normal shoes and came back to Anchorage. It was like walking on a huge ice landscape. We kept climbing until we reached a stage where we would just slip down trying to climb. Going up was much easier than coming down and at a point, the only was to come down given our shoes was to slide down (my ass and hands still hurt...)
Day 2: We headed south on Seward Highway to a hike of Exit Glacier. We were told we couldn't reach the top and we didn't. But we went far enough to see wonderful views of the glacier, and again reached a point where going up was very difficult and coming down was impossible short of sliding. I did try sliding down on one of the stretches with a gentler slope and realized that we made a good decision to stop where we did. The best part abt Alaska at this time was that the sun is out 19 hours. So we decided to do some sailing (kudos to Anu for finding the place). I had anticipated that I would be on a sailboat for the first time in my life, but I did not know that I would also drive the sailboat (yeah, we are talking tacks and jibes here!!!). The owner Greg was more than happy to let us go hands on on his sailboat, which had the head sail, the middle and the tail. Gaurav pulled up the sails and I did some steering (both with Greg's help of course). After a few tacks and a jibe, it was Gaurav's turn to steer. This was totally unexpected and hence quite wonderful.
Day 3: We went to Alyeska resort on the third day. We took the tram to the peak of the mountain, and boy, what a view. In the evening, we went to Anchorage to watch two movies. First one was the Alaska experience movie. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The shots taken by a helicopter in flight arount Mt McKinley and along the Alaska pipeline will make you giddy. Next, we saw the movie about Northern Lights, it was just a slide show. An absolute anticlimax compared to the earlier show.
3.07.2006
Trip to India
This is going to be a long one. Most of the trips were to get blessings from various Gods after our marriage.
- Mahabaleshwar: The first stop after arriving in Mumbai was going to Mahabaleshwar to Alka's marriage.
- Tirupati: This is a wonderful trip going in and coming back by flight with Priti and Darshan.
- Rajasthan: Went to Ajmer, Kuchaman City, Jaipur (and Chokhi Dhani), Salemabad. Salemabad is where our Guruji lives, a nice place in the middle of the desert. We met relatives in Ajmer, Kuchaman City(my birthplace), and Kadel (my dad's birthplace).
- Tuljapur and Jejuri: To get blessing from the lords (the thing that I found unique was that turmeric powder is used for devotion to Tulja Bhavani and Khandoba). My in-laws have great devotion in these places, just as my family has in Salemabad. We took the famous Pune expressway, built to US standards.
2.03.2006
Skiing at Squaw and Diamond Peak
Finally, I got to ski at Squaw (I like that alliteration). I have once missed the company ski trip, once gone in an injured state and this time, I finally got to doing something! Squaw is a huge resort and I could cover only 40-50% of the blue slopes. The view from the top of Emigrant is really breathtaking. It was icy prompting me to stop skiing at about 3:30 pm.
At night, my wife and friends came over to Squaw. Since it was my wife's birthday the next day, we cut a cake at midnight. then we left for Tahoe Biltmore Casino for the night. The next day, we got a late start to skiing at Diamond peak, but boy it was a really good day to ski after the clouds cleared up after 2 pm. I went up Crystal Express when the clouds were there and was hammered by the winds on the top and poor visibility. That accompanied by my okish skiing skills was a scary combination. But when I went after the clouds cleared up, it was really awesome. The winds were there, but the lake view and the snow was pretty good.
At night, my wife and friends came over to Squaw. Since it was my wife's birthday the next day, we cut a cake at midnight. then we left for Tahoe Biltmore Casino for the night. The next day, we got a late start to skiing at Diamond peak, but boy it was a really good day to ski after the clouds cleared up after 2 pm. I went up Crystal Express when the clouds were there and was hammered by the winds on the top and poor visibility. That accompanied by my okish skiing skills was a scary combination. But when I went after the clouds cleared up, it was really awesome. The winds were there, but the lake view and the snow was pretty good.
1.08.2006
New years in Tahoe
We spent the new years in a cabin in Tahoe. Booked a cabin in south lake tahoe. We reached there just before a snowstorm on 30 Dec. Due to the snowstorm, all ski resorts were closed on 31 Dec. We were indoors all the time, playing poker. 31st nite, we went to harvey's but couldnt get dinner and ended up eating at Taj Mahal (much to many ppl's disappointment). The unique part was this: when we entered the casinos, it was all OK. While coming out, the entire street was blocked out. I went back into the street the wrong way and the cops stopped me. I told them I came in by mistake and they allowed me to leave, removing barriers in my path.
Played Dumb C in the night and went to sleep. Skiing was the prominent thing the next two days, first on Diamond Peak (cut short by power outage) and then on Heavenly. Anu was learning well and I took her on a blue slope on Heavenly; she did fine with a few tumbles.
Played Dumb C in the night and went to sleep. Skiing was the prominent thing the next two days, first on Diamond Peak (cut short by power outage) and then on Heavenly. Anu was learning well and I took her on a blue slope on Heavenly; she did fine with a few tumbles.
12.12.2005
Dec 10-11: Heavenly and Mt Rose
We went to South Lake Tahoe for the weekend to kick off the skiing season. Having twisted my knee almost a year back, I was skeptical about how well I would be able to ski. But I had to try it to find out!!
The first day, Dec. 10, I went to Heavenly. My wife dropped me and I went up the Gunbarrel Express to try the first green slopes. After making sure I could ski on the greens, I decided to go up Powderbowl (where I got injured a year ago) for the first blue of the season. I fell down the second time coming down and bruised my elbow. But that dint deter me from continuing for the day. The next milestone was going up the Sky Express to 10040 ft., the highest one could get on the mountain. Coming down the Skyline trail, I crossed the CA border over to NV on skis and the view was truly breathtaking. On one side, was a view of the lake and on the other side, an envelope of clouds which was even more breathtaking.. something I have only seen from a plane.
Next day, went upto Mt Rose to teach my wife some skiing. After spending 90 mins teaching her, I left her to take the beginner lesson, and went on to the Lakeview lift and came down Ramsey's and Kit Traverse a few times. My knees were beginning to hurt and only after coming down did I realize that it was the ridged socks which caused burning. We left at around 3 oclock and reached home, in time for dinner.
The first day, Dec. 10, I went to Heavenly. My wife dropped me and I went up the Gunbarrel Express to try the first green slopes. After making sure I could ski on the greens, I decided to go up Powderbowl (where I got injured a year ago) for the first blue of the season. I fell down the second time coming down and bruised my elbow. But that dint deter me from continuing for the day. The next milestone was going up the Sky Express to 10040 ft., the highest one could get on the mountain. Coming down the Skyline trail, I crossed the CA border over to NV on skis and the view was truly breathtaking. On one side, was a view of the lake and on the other side, an envelope of clouds which was even more breathtaking.. something I have only seen from a plane.
Next day, went upto Mt Rose to teach my wife some skiing. After spending 90 mins teaching her, I left her to take the beginner lesson, and went on to the Lakeview lift and came down Ramsey's and Kit Traverse a few times. My knees were beginning to hurt and only after coming down did I realize that it was the ridged socks which caused burning. We left at around 3 oclock and reached home, in time for dinner.
12.05.2005
Hawaii in Thanksgiving' 05
Since this was our first trip, we decided to goto Honolulu, Oahu. We stayed minutes from Waikiki Beach. The first day, we just hit the beach and relaxed in the blue and warm waters.
The next day, we went to Kualoa Ranch where we took an ATV ride to where Jurassic Park was shot, followed by a bus tour with one of the owners of Kualoa Ranch. We also bought a pearl, obtained live from a fresh water oyster. Driving an ATV was great fun, especially because it was muddy.
Next day morning, we went parasailing. We were cautioned that the waters were pretty rough that day and were given the option to cancel or re-schedule. But my wife and I decided that it would be a greater adventure. The warning proved to be true to its word and the waters were indeed choppy. The boat was bobbling in the water with the water splashing into the boat. We could see the color difference of the water.. greenish blue when shallow and dark blue when deep, boy, that was a sight to see. It was fun to parasail above the bay near Ala Moana blvd. The view was breathtaking, especially with airplanes flying just above the parasail.
In the afternoon, we hiked Diamond Head Crater near Waikiki. Was a short hike to the top. The top gave a great view of Waikiki, and the plateau behind.
Everyday, we used to go in the waters after each activity. I taught Anu how to float in the sea.
We also shopped a lot.. buying clothes to fit the look and feel of Hawaii. The icing on the cake was a voucher of $400 while coming back from Hawaiian Air, setting us up for a future trip.
The next day, we went to Kualoa Ranch where we took an ATV ride to where Jurassic Park was shot, followed by a bus tour with one of the owners of Kualoa Ranch. We also bought a pearl, obtained live from a fresh water oyster. Driving an ATV was great fun, especially because it was muddy.
Next day morning, we went parasailing. We were cautioned that the waters were pretty rough that day and were given the option to cancel or re-schedule. But my wife and I decided that it would be a greater adventure. The warning proved to be true to its word and the waters were indeed choppy. The boat was bobbling in the water with the water splashing into the boat. We could see the color difference of the water.. greenish blue when shallow and dark blue when deep, boy, that was a sight to see. It was fun to parasail above the bay near Ala Moana blvd. The view was breathtaking, especially with airplanes flying just above the parasail.
In the afternoon, we hiked Diamond Head Crater near Waikiki. Was a short hike to the top. The top gave a great view of Waikiki, and the plateau behind.
Everyday, we used to go in the waters after each activity. I taught Anu how to float in the sea.
We also shopped a lot.. buying clothes to fit the look and feel of Hawaii. The icing on the cake was a voucher of $400 while coming back from Hawaiian Air, setting us up for a future trip.
11.21.2005
Ice hockey at San Jose
We went for the company offsite to Logitech Ice. It was not only my first time ice hockeying, but also my first time skating. We wore the entire gear, and got a lesson. That was followed by a game between San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately, we lost convincingly to the Canucks, but it was one game to watch.
10.02.2005
Sep 29 - Oct 2 - Las Vegas and Grand Canyon West
As a part of the ongoing trip, I took my parents to Las Vegas and grand canyon west. Went to all big casinos; my parents were amazed to see the beauty of the interiors and wondered how man could make them. Wynn, Caesars Palace, Circus Circus (where we stayed), NY-NY, Venetian, Bellagio.. covered all of them.
The ranch on the pebbly road to Grand Canyon West has probably the best spring water you can drink. Great hospitality too...there was this typical western guitar playing man, who said that Baldev was his old time pal and he knew a lot about Indians. This is in the middle of nowhere (I'd be less surprised if he said he knew native Indians). We did not get a chance to gamble.. and in retrospect I dont regret it, coz I dont remember winning at gambling!!
The ranch on the pebbly road to Grand Canyon West has probably the best spring water you can drink. Great hospitality too...there was this typical western guitar playing man, who said that Baldev was his old time pal and he knew a lot about Indians. This is in the middle of nowhere (I'd be less surprised if he said he knew native Indians). We did not get a chance to gamble.. and in retrospect I dont regret it, coz I dont remember winning at gambling!!
9.06.2005
LA, Hollywood, Santa Barbara
Took my parents to LA, Hollywood and Santa Barbara on Labor Day Weekend of 2005. Among the attractions covered were Universal Studios, Hollywood and Beverly Hills tour, LA downtown, Malibu Temple and Santa Barbara's sea lion cruise. Good times.
7.31.2005
Rafting on South Fork American River.
We went to the South Fork American River on July 31. We camped the day before, since it was really dark and we could see a dense starry sky. Recommendation for the future to others (and myself) - south fork is doable in half a day (the first half hardly has rapids). Maybe we will do the middle fork this time.
7.08.2005
Trip to LA and San Diego
Friends met up and made a trip to LA-SD. We went to San Diego zoo and beach. We also went to Universal Studios, City Walk, and Santa Monica beach. We ate at Monsoon in San Diego which has very spicy food.
5.26.2005
Trip to Washington DC
We went for Kamla's wedding on the Memorial Day Weekend of 2005. Anu and I stayed in Days Inn. We went to Georgetown in the night and ate at an Ethiopian restaurant. Ate sumptuous food in Memsaab and attended the wedding in Murugan temple (day started at 4 a.m.). Not to mention drove the Sebring convertible for the first time.
3.27.2005
Trip to Washington DC and Raleigh
Reached Raleigh on 23rd March for company business, met old friends as well as my thesis professor. Was back to NCSU after 18 months, good to be back.
Next I flew to Washington DC to meet Anu. First lets talk abt the good things abt the capital of USA. Really great monuments, the mere volume of it amazes me. We took a tour called DC ducks which shows u the main monuments followed by a 30 minute water run.
Many bad things about DC, haphazardly designed airports, streets are wild to a new comer... Indian food is outright bad compared to the bay area.
Next I flew to Washington DC to meet Anu. First lets talk abt the good things abt the capital of USA. Really great monuments, the mere volume of it amazes me. We took a tour called DC ducks which shows u the main monuments followed by a 30 minute water run.
Many bad things about DC, haphazardly designed airports, streets are wild to a new comer... Indian food is outright bad compared to the bay area.
3.02.2005
1.27.2005
Ski trip - Jan 20-21
Went to squaw on ski trip Jan 20-21.. had sprained my leg so could not do much.. except go upto high camp and enjoy the breathtaking views.
1.05.2005
Muir Woods - Dec 31
Muir Woods is just north San Francisco. We took the 2 mile trail... nice place. Also stopped by Golden Gate. We spent the new year bowling, but that was preceded by great food at Suraj Indian Cuisine. The mango ice-cream was memorable.
12.18.2004
Lake Tahoe - Dec 18
Dec 18 Dec 19 - Sierra. First tryst with blue slopes. Probably need to take a lesson before appreciating the blue slopes.
12.11.2004
Lake Tahoe - Dec 11 2004
Went to Sierra in South lake tahoe with Karan and Amit. Covered almost all the green slopes there, including Sugar N Spice, a 2.5 mile stretch.. felt really tired at the end of that!! This place really has all the green slopes one could wish for!
11.17.2004
Heavenly - Nov. 2004
Left for tahoe on 25th Nov. reached at around Evening. Went to Harrahs to play Roulette for some time. Went to heavenly the next day.. took a level 3 skiing class, where we were taught bicycle peddling, right posture (hips inline with rest of body and legs against the shins of the boot!) and how to get ski's in parallel. To take a left turn, press right leg firmly agains the shin more than the left leg and try to get the other ski in parallel. Practiced for the rest of the time. Got stuck in the snow storm the next day... had to go back for lunch and chains. The snow was crazy. It took us 8 hrs to get back to the bay area.
10.15.2004
Austin - Oct. 15-16
Awesome trip.. followed by viral cold. Went to seaworld, riverwalk and did some tubing behind a power boat in Lake Travis. Then fell ill... for a week
9.06.2004
Yosemite NP - Sep. 4, 2004
Went to Vernal falls. Glacier point with Anu. Very beautiful place.. must go.
7.15.2004
Aug 2004 trip to NY
The most recent one was trip to NY. Went to lake george with anu for camping, rafting on Secadanga river, horse riding and jetskiing in lake george. Also ended up at Lake Daggett, a private lake. Went to Gotham's comedy club in downtown NY to see Jim David, Lenny Marcus and Vic Henley perform. Went to statue of liberty top pedestal was open and Edison, NJ with dinesh
7.04.2004
July 4, 2004 trip to Lake Tahoe
Camping, parasailing and jetskiing at kings beach
Also went to SF for fireworks.. got disappointed.
Ate at Hard Rock Cafe.
Also went to SF for fireworks.. got disappointed.
Ate at Hard Rock Cafe.
6.28.2004
6.25.2004
June 2004 trip to Napa, Leggett
Wine tasting at Robert Mondavi in Napa, drive thru' tree at Leggett, with Dinesh and his parents. I am not much of a drinker, hence following wines were tasted and not admired: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and another one.. I forget the name.
5.28.2004
Seattle, Mt Rainier- May 2004
We went to Mt Rainier, and ate at a nice cabin just below base camp. Its pretty beautiful out there. We also went to the Kirkland waterfront, and its pretty neat too. I just love the greenery in Seattle (reminds me of North Carolina), which is not to be found here. That said, I hate the speed limits, and the need to follow them :). I did not experience any rain, so I can't complain about that.
5.10.2004
3.13.2004
3.10.2004
Skiing lake tahoe- Mar 2004
with Nimish Shah at the Donner Ski Ranch
Also went to Reno in the night... was not impressed after vegas.
Also went to Reno in the night... was not impressed after vegas.
2.09.2004
12.10.2003
Dec 2003 - Las Vegas, Death Valley
Vesit Group and Stefan
In DV, saw Zabriskie Pt, Some place below sea level, Artist's Dr, Sand dunes
Vegas, Venetian, Ceaser's Palace, Aladdin, NY-NY. Missed out on Paris.
In DV, saw Zabriskie Pt, Some place below sea level, Artist's Dr, Sand dunes
Vegas, Venetian, Ceaser's Palace, Aladdin, NY-NY. Missed out on Paris.
8.03.2003
Myrtle beach - Aug 2003
Myrtle beach, SC is a really nice place to go. The water is awesome, and more importantly not cold. There were nice waves, we were in the water for a fair amount of time.
It was Piyush's birthday and mine back to back on that weekend. We ate at Hard rock cafe, which had a nice theme and average food*.
On the way back, we stopped over at Wilmington and took a tour of a battleship.
* I find most non-Indian food crappy, so I am praising by saying that the food was average.
It was Piyush's birthday and mine back to back on that weekend. We ate at Hard rock cafe, which had a nice theme and average food*.
On the way back, we stopped over at Wilmington and took a tour of a battleship.
* I find most non-Indian food crappy, so I am praising by saying that the food was average.
7.10.2003
Niagara falls - Summer 2003
Went to Syracuse to meet Karan, and Niagara falls, US side with Anu. Went through Philadelphia, pretty beautiful (delwater gap).
Rock climbing trip - July 2003
I think it was Table rock or Marion, NC. Five rocks.. successfully climbed one had trouble with the rest. Didnt learn belaying though. Learnt basic figure 8 knots.
7.04.2003
Gatlinburg - July 4, 2003 trip
Gatlinburg, WW rafting on Nantahala river. I went for the double-duck with Kalmady on the Nantahala.
4.10.2003
3.10.2003
Chicago
conference. With Sarah Doster, Dr Williams
Sat in a stretched Limo.. saw Sears Towers, Water front, blues bar, and signs in IMAX
Sat in a stretched Limo.. saw Sears Towers, Water front, blues bar, and signs in IMAX
Sea kayaking Mar 2003.
With Outdoor adventures
Bear Island NC
This time we camped just beside the Atlantic ocean... unique experience.
Bear Island NC
This time we camped just beside the Atlantic ocean... unique experience.
1.28.2003
Skiing Sugar Mt. NC - Jan 2003
This time, we went with Outdoor Adventures to Sugar Mountain. This was the first time I got introduced to skiing. I was really skeptical before going for skiing (and spending a whopping 200 bucks on the trip), but I guess I have the adventure worm in me which led to the decision. The first day was so tiring that by 3 pm, I almost gave up, I was getting nowhere after taking the lesson. But then it happened; my first green run. I never looked back after that :); well, until Jan 2005 when I got injured doing the same.
12.24.2002
Rajmachi - Dec 2002
Test of endurance, with Kalmady, sushant, lashmi and other juniors. Memorable, but in a different way, although I must admit it was a nightmare for some in the group.
12.17.2002
8.10.2002
White water rafting in Aug 2002
New River - West Virginia
First time.. and that on 4/4+ rapids
NCSU Outdoor Adventures
First time.. and that on 4/4+ rapids
NCSU Outdoor Adventures
6.22.2002
Summer 2002 - Backpacking
Went with Arpit, Nimish and Outdoor Adventures to Linville Gorge for backpacking. Was a fun trip.
3.10.2002
New york - Mar 2002
Meet Sunil uncle, chhaya mamiji and santu bhuaji
See NYC, downtown, Empire State Bldg. Also saw temples, big malls (felt big at the time).
See NYC, downtown, Empire State Bldg. Also saw temples, big malls (felt big at the time).
8.10.2001
Tirupati - July 2001
Ichalkaranji's Uncle, aunt, gopal bhayya, bhabhi, anu jiji
Very memorable trip. Just before I went to the USA.
Very memorable trip. Just before I went to the USA.
7.10.2001
2.10.2001
9.10.2000
Bhimashankar - Monsoon 2000
Climb was memorable; one of the best I have seen. Rain forest (it was raining).
Some risky bends..
Some risky bends..
9.03.2000
8.10.2000
Lonavla - Impromptu trip
Monsoon of 2000 I think.
Decided in the morning, with Vivek, Furkan and Niraj.
Very memorable, lashing rains.. went to Walvhan, Bushi dam.
Decided in the morning, with Vivek, Furkan and Niraj.
Very memorable, lashing rains.. went to Walvhan, Bushi dam.
Rishikesh, Mussoorie
Went for Bhagvad Gita katha by maternal grandparents. Wonderful trip. Remember buying cheap vegetables to feed a lot of ppl who had come.
Nainital
Went to Nainital, Kausani, Ranikhet - Amazing trip with parents and sis. Summer 2000 I think.
Took the train to Kathgodam. Then rented a maruti van for our entire trip.
Saw golf courses, stayed at the Gandhi ashram in Kausani, at a hotel (rented house almost) in Nainital. Second trip on Rajdhani Express in my life I think. Very good.
Took the train to Kathgodam. Then rented a maruti van for our entire trip.
Saw golf courses, stayed at the Gandhi ashram in Kausani, at a hotel (rented house almost) in Nainital. Second trip on Rajdhani Express in my life I think. Very good.
4.14.2000
Amravati
Benu uncle's marriage...
Amazing reception.. remember seeing Maine Pyar kiya and Agneepath umpteen no. of times
Amazing reception.. remember seeing Maine Pyar kiya and Agneepath umpteen no. of times
1.25.2000
Goa - 2000
This was a trip I made with school friends. A bunch of us decided to goto Goa.
Its a 16 hour bus drive to Goa. We stayed at a house owned by Mayuresh's relative, I think. We went to Calangute beach and lit a campfire. Drunk locals came screaming after us and beat us when we lit a campfire on the beach. I think a couple of us got a whacking. We also played cricket amongst coconut trees. Fun times.
Its a 16 hour bus drive to Goa. We stayed at a house owned by Mayuresh's relative, I think. We went to Calangute beach and lit a campfire. Drunk locals came screaming after us and beat us when we lit a campfire on the beach. I think a couple of us got a whacking. We also played cricket amongst coconut trees. Fun times.
9.13.1999
Numerous trips to Ichalkaranji, Jaisinghpur
Located in southwest Maharashtra. Overnight trip.... beautiful journey..
Relatives live out there.. nothing much to see.. except the Sugar and Yarn factories.
Relatives live out there.. nothing much to see.. except the Sugar and Yarn factories.
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