Amateur photogarphy ... moto RAZR

This sunday I captured the hills near Frazier park on fire on my way back from the hills...

Alex and Matt...

A meeting with giants….

Alex and Matt are Denise’s pet dogs… these weigh 60 lbs around.. and reach up till your waist pretty much.. and she calls them poor babies…….. meri taan jaan nikal gayee.. uhna nu dekh ke.. and Paula kaur.. karee jaawe.. “oh my poor babies.. they are so cute.. come here honey.. come to mama.. “

Me thinking… hai rabba.. aah kitthey fass gaye… isde naalon taan billiean hi changeeyan san.. L. .. mera taan uparla saah upper te.. main statue ho k eek paase kharr gayee..  te sochan lagg payee.. baba ji bachaa lo…

And not only Alex and Matt.. we had Shadow and Alexci also.. and those were puppies… Paula said they were.. and the moment I had glimpse of them… I was like. Kehre angle ton?... 40 lbs de puppies.. L ??

One good thing it was hot and my fluid intake that day had been less.. nahi taan pata nahi kee hona si… I mean.. bande taan apas ch itthey baad ch mile.. pehlan dogs di milni karani pai gayee.. oh rabba .. jehraa cheek chehaara peya…… tabahee.. Shadow had a tendency to jumping up on people.. her owners assured it was a newly acquired tendency… are you kidding me.. but thankfully.. they had her on a leash…. Pretty much all the time..  Matt.. is a retriver.. these guys had trained him well.. after all the hulla baloo died down a bit… and I also got a grudging approval by the whole pack of wolf hounds… and a good deal of sniffing and attempts to paw me down….. I perched myself on the edge of a chair in the far corner away from all the activity.. which was kind of hilarious.. I almost felt like and outsider looking in.. but Rich, Denise’s husband is a really cool fellow.. it was just so much fun to take in all the subtle nuances and the casual talk.. that he has us laughing pretty much the whole of the time..despite the occasion dog trying to get everyone’s attention.. it was a fun enjoyable evening after the first hour.... secluded hills.. practically a writers place.. but to me it would be spooky .. I am a chicken ..at heart.. he he.. I am honest and admit my shortcomings up front…

Denise is a professional chef… she had made Spanish rice and grilled chicken and zucchini and Sangria.. it’s a wine cooler... it was a lil red wine in sprite and lemon slices and cherries ... and then she had this argentinan sauce.. with a name that my memory is not able to retrive.. with cilantro and garlic and onions… and of course salad.. comprising of foolgobhi…and kheera .. shimla mirch.. the so called bell peppers.. .. I mean.. I never ate kacchi cauliflower at home.. but lets go with the flow.. try taan karo.. she had ranch dip to go with it.. so that made is almost yummy (you are expected to say nothing if you don’t like it.. or say yummy even if you don’t like it ).... but food was good and the conversation interesting and hilarious.. but centring around the dogs pretty much.. and.. I had this observation that.. pets are like children to these ppl.. My cousin had another opinion about this.. according to him.. raising a kid is too expensive and kids are demanding too.. so folks often keep pets.. which keep them entertained.. look at my roomie.. the other day she brought a set of toys for her 2 cats…this idea was as strange as it was hilarious to me at first.. but I guess.. I am living with it.. ha ha.. ha..  She was planning to dress up her cats some silly costumes and taking pictures.. and we all have heard that.. many folks have left pets as the beneficiaries of their estates..

BTW.. Paula ji is gone away again and I and the cats are the only inhabitants in the place..  yaar.. sacchi watching Paula play with them..  I myself get this feeling that these meaaw’s are like lil babies.. oh my what am I thinking..kahin mujhe pyaar to nahi ho raha.. .. aur aaj.. jab mujhe who billi dekh rahi thi.. to mujhe who itni buri bhi nahi lagi… oh.. yeh kya ho raha hai… aur jab who parson mere kamre mein ghuss gayi thi.. mujhe tab bhi bilkul irritation nahi hui thi… aur .. Monday ko jab… main use khana daala tha.. tab bhi.. I think.. I am not sure I like them.. but I don’t hate them now… 

… chalo everyone is updated.. and this weekend I think we are having an Indian gathering.. if not that.. then eitherway.. I am going to the gurudwara n help with the langar preparation .. this Sunday… and getting a chance to meet up with some Punjabi families out here..

Work is going good…well.. I am having mixed feelings… I am not too sure if I want to continue with them if they offer me a position.. I didn’t like the culture very much…may be it would be better if instead I just concentrate on finishing up my degree instead of doing some steupid job.. but it’s a good learning platform.. lets see how it goes.. 

Chopsticks...

Last week I received an invitation from my colleague to spend a Sunday evening with her family up in the hills. My roommate and another colleague from the office were also invited. Before, leaving this baking place (115 deg F) for a little time in the hills, everyone decided to stop for lunch at panda express… okay now that you all have the back ground information as to why I ended up at that place; looking for some non existent vegetarian options.. finally settled for an eggplant and tofu option… for one thing it took for ever to come by.. and by the time it got prepared.. my companions were almost done eating and I just had two bites into the bowl.. when I saw they were done with the food and were packing up… being too polite they waited for me to take in the clue and either finish up quickly or pack up. They chewed on the cookies… all the Chinese eating places will give free wafer fortune cookies… so I closed my bowl and grabbed the still unused chopsticks.. making a mental note to teach myself eating with those things…

 I tend to feel very conscious while eating in public… I think everyone is paying attention to how I eat.. God! the chunk of food.. they provide.. I keep wondering to myself.. should I cut it with the fragile plastic fork n knife that I have.. which probably would end up in a battle of strengths for the food and the knife. I am equally sure I am going to embarrass myself in this battle of wills.. when at this my every instinct is persuading me to simply use my fingers to hold and teeth to bite in.. it would be so simple..haina?.. I am not sure of the appropriateness of this method in public.. so try to avoid these type of freak situations..

So this bowl of food ended in my refrigerator this evening, and looking for sustenance in the refrigerator I discovered this bowl hidden in a dark corner.. and that’s when I decided that I would like to experience the total joy of Chinese cuisine with chopsticks and all… An hour and half later after several small accidents and aching fingers.. I was unsuccessful in capturing more than 4 grains of rice on the sticks…which fell back in the bowl and I ended up licking the wooden sticks for the umpteenth time.. I abandoned the project chopsticks and attacked the food with a vengeance.. 7 spoonfulls finished the job that had me struggling for the past 40 minutes.. and having a weird aftertaste of baasa food… :(  I decided to share my experience with all those who care to come read all the gibberish… he he..

By the way.. I did finally manage to hold the chopsticks in the correct way at point … but soon after I lost my hold again.. I am saving these chopsticks to try eating rajmah chaawal from a bowl … I would like to practice… it was fun too… as during my struggle I also remembered a serial that used to be telecasted on DD some years back.. “Oshin”.. about a Japanese orphan girl.. and her struggles.. how poor they were and ..they used to eat just a bowl of boiled rice. I liked the serial very much!

That’s all I can come up with..  if this post bored you to sleep.. please get some… as I am myself too sleepy to type.. he eh..

Its time I did a mental revamp too...

Dear Reader,

I am having a good time! Actually I was having a very good time until the moment I had “this” talk with my boss… well for one thing. I had to face some criticism, which I failed to comprehend… as I was not provided any specific examples on them and the other was that I am new, who is going to teach me the taur tareekey of the working world… Corporate world is different from the academic world!.. way too different… I am trying to find my way in… and am a bit confused.. on how much is too much or too less.. It’s a fine balance. How to try to maintain that? With small talk?  I am really no good at that… I suck!.. I will end up humiliating my self .. and we know what a goofer I tend to end up being… So what to do… Is this time to read up some employee work relationship manual or something? … Something likely to be titled “ How to initiate small talk with ppl at work and get them to bring them to your desk for a chat” … I mean I get so distracted ... I can’t even type 2 words.. while I am on the phone or talking to something.. I can’t multitask… on something that use the same side of my brain.. some ppl can do it.. but I can’t.. or wait may be I should read up.. a dummy’s guide to multitasking and getting things right.. or may be “how to please everyone at the sametime and not kill yourself in the process”… ha ha ha..   

All I can say is that I am learning.. and I prefer to take the good things … and work on the not so positive aspects someone notices in me.. ;-).. I don’t socialize much… grr!!.. mere kol time kitthey hai?... kamm taan nibarda nahi hai.. aiwein hi faltoo kise de desk te jaa ke kee kehna hai.. I wouldn’t even know… what to say.. deseeyan naal jinni marzi bhakaaee karaa lao.. but with Americans..  hi how you doing?.. to baad.. saari angreji bhull jaandi hai.. which is kind of frustrating and starting to stutter is even worse.. there is so much I would wish to say .. but words fail me as my processor and the choice of high frequency vocal vocab is limited!.. which is kind of sad.. but I will improve.. as I have started working on it…  JJ sahib to ek sermon-ious dose lain daa time aa gaya hai … I don’t really mind .. but some times… it fails to keep track of the time and goes on and on and on…. I am just like a kid here.. too… but I guess..  I time I enrolled myself for a quick JJ’s “New Employee behavior management short course.. and if I manege to get myself enrolled and attend this seminar.. I would be happy to share the excerpts with you all… till then there is nothing much.. except.. that I cats are going to meet the dogs up in the mountains for a Sunday afternoon at Denise’s place and for some sorentini.. or something and some spl Italian or greek dish.. after all she is a professional chef … yumm.. can’t wait to go meet the dogs up in the hills.. he he..

This is it!!

This post is more of a scold-o-nama  of sorts… 

Bro has all the pieces of advise and well wishes… best guidance that I can come up with… its his chance I feel.. he should be able to grab it.. I wish for his success… I try to offer all the advise and information that I can come up with.. but if he is not in the mood to make use of any of it.. what can I do?.. its his misfortune and bad luck..  its not that he does not know that certain things need to be prioritized in life.. but if he wants to squander his time and monetary resources.. it all up to him..  and this applies to so many of us.. including me as well.. he he.. so I am scolding myself too here.. and a few others…

O you stupids myself included…of this world… this is it!!.. the time you have full control .. the present… try to accomplish what ever task you wish to.. now.. this moment today.. don’t put of until tomorrow what you can do today… cuz tomorrow never comes..trust me… its all in today!.. when something can be done..

I had always thought that all those people I would see on the subway

reading books with titles like The Power of Positive Thinking or

MegaLiving! were troubled souls desperate for some form of

medicine to get them back on course. Now I realized that those

who took the time to strengthen themselves were the strongest

and that it was only through improving one's self that one could

ever hope to improve the lot of others. ( excerpt from the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari)

So if friendly/ siblingly advise does not seem to motivate us enough.. its not a bad idea to read some good book!..

I know.. ppl trying to tell us stuff.. irks us…. I am no exception.. my cousin tried to motivate me to get CA driving experience.. but I guess I am not ready to take his advise.. even though I know.. its gonna be beneficial.. but I am putting up a resistant block against his advise.. and later on I know I am gonna be asking him again.. regarding this someday.. and he will repeat those words.. but with a different tone.. “I told you so” those famous words… from our peers..

Chalo nalaiko.. kamm karo..  This is the moment .. try to sieze it.!!

Whiskers ..

I wish to write and express so much… but I am not able to write anything. I don’t really have any great piece of writing to express…It would be a more like an update for a few readers.. Me and my whiskered friends are trying to adjust to each other’s existence.. Our first day way, being very wary of each other; we tried not to get in each other’s way … mostly ignoring each other’s presence. But day 2 is getting to be a lil challenge as Miss Wiskers 1 being the older has decided that she can be bold and her friend (whom I will call )Wiskers2 is timid .. trying to follow and imitate every move.. It was really weird watching them literally decide on this new strategy when the previous one failed on me. I am still not sure what these guys might want to do… but they are definitely getting itchy for some mischief…

I don’t encourage hairy vistors in my room ..to be truthful I don’t give them any access so the moment they hear some scratching on the door knob they wish to squeeze their way inside… No baby.. that’s not something I like at all… I fortunately had a squirt bottle.. so attack!... I opened the door a crack.. and there both of them were… lying in wait.. uggh!.. but here goes the water squirt!.. and they scamper along to places I don’t care to check .. I scamper along on my way… so that was my 2^nd trick!.. the first one failed miserably…. I said Hoosh! Hoosh!.. trying to scare them away.. but.. both of them looked at me with a blank expression in their faces.... and then actually looked at each other.. as if deciding… what is she trying to say?.. Is she a lil easy in the head or something?.. .. well I was trying to make my tea… but that has become a luxury .. W1 decided to watch me from a better angle and jumped on the counter top!... uggh!!.. I got so scared that I left the project tea.. unfinished!.. and abandoned.. for a while.. I have decided to substitute caffeine intake from coffee instead.. may be when beebi Paula Kaur decides to come back..

Work … I can only say some of the generic words.. I am under strict confidentiality agreements. .. but it’s a full day.. some days its a12 hrs shift.. and its day 2.. but there is so much to learn and I have very less time. Its like get up go to office.. and come back...and veg out.. then get up refresh.. and try to work on the project.. However, I feel if I did not have this research worry at the back of my head.. I would enjoy the experience with a lil less stress… just a thought.

A Tryst at Phoenix Airport...

I brought this on me… by design!!!..... Those who wish to travel in America, the usual mode of transportation is not bus.. you book a flight.. I got a weird combination of connections.. I do not plan to give in the boring details, but this day started on a delayed note. I was supposed to catch the flight..to Dallas, but there was a mechanical problem with the plane and I could never make it in 10 minutes for the America west.connection from Dallas... So, I talked to the representative.. the same nice lady who let go my overweight luggage without a fuss.. and she being the gracious soul , immediately booked me on to the AA flight to Phoenix.. in First class.. wow!.. no hassle there. No problem.. enjoying the luxury of 1^st class passengers.. getting served on a tray.. with silver cutlery all decked with linen.. n all…hot omelet, bagels/ biscuit... well the biscuit turned out to be a sort of a slightly salty bread… ha ha.. got to learn something new.. got served in sparkling glassware instead of the usual disposables... I could even ask for bloody mary.. whatever that means… though.. It’s a mild alcoholic drink.. I think.. but those who are curious may go ahead and Google it and let me know also… I had not done my homework properly… I thought Phoenix would be a small airport… but it turned out to be an international chaos… part of the reason being the holiday weekend.. never seen such a crazy line of people and a bunch of equally harassed airline employees and passengers.. I reached the terminal in time but it took 2 hours of feet scraping with in the queue to get to explain my situation.. of missed flights to the Am West crew… who got so confused… was literally at his wits end… after another 50 minutes of brain storming session.. I was finally assigned a seat in the next scheduled plane… thank God!.. for small mercies…which was due for departure at 4:30pm.. please not that I have been in this place since 9:30 am ... I had to undergo another security check in.. my rings and my precious bangles.. had to be again twisted out of my already abused badly scraped hands…but at this point... I really don't care.. finally made to the boarding location… and back to the favorite task of window gazing.. ..but.. I found, that today.. I was just too tired to do anything even had lil short naps … I was getting terribly bored as well… tried reading a book.. after just 2 pages.. I dosed off.. to be awakened with the rude announcement of some silly flight departure information!.. How inconsiderate to my poor sensibilities!... waiting lounge often offers very interesting visual delights… but I had this makku family for company, who were happily gobbling away pizzas non stop since the past 30 minutes.. followed by smoothies, fries.. and what not..… of the flight.. then arrives crossword freako.. came and sat in between… completely disrupting my view.. Occasionally I would try to appear.. like a normal attentive person… and got introduced with Ziggy Marlow….or someone.. he is the son of the famous Bob Marlow.. or something.. they are singers.. I am so sleepy. .. I really don’t care.. never did in a normal day.. so how could today be any different…. ?? when I have had a sleepless night to add to my interest quota.. huh.. anyways.. the idiot box kept repeating the whole story again… and that when I cared to atleast put the name right,… it Marley.. sorry guys. .. Okay… now I again went off to a really bad and embarrassing dosing mania…. my book.. slipped from my hand.. and fell on my foot.. making me jump awake… and I start looking around to confront my attacker!.. ready to give them a dose to kill.. if looks could kill… and then I realized… a few people staring at me … Americans do look and care.... but very discretely so… not like.. some of our desi hunks… or equally competitive makku’s.. ha ha.. .. with a sheepish look.. I quickly gather my paraphernalia. and put it away… and now just decide to dose off.. who cares… actually it really no use.. the background music… including airport announcements… the…sound of laughter.. baby’s crying… pets exhibiting their fear and anguish.. being caged in bags as part of the carry on item…and howling away.. all this pent up feelings.. I can't even affort this luxury!... . ..and then this pair of chirpomaniacs… who sat.. just next to my ear… wouldn’t stop.. gossiping.. and wouldn’t shut up.. for anything .in the world!.. a lot of people shared a thankful feeling when their flight was ready to be boarded… .

And then came .. this real cool guy… a lil long hair.. a chocolate faced.. hero… a lil effeminate perhaps.. for some.. but.. this guy.. was a cool guy… seemed to be student of some dedication… had this big heavy booked open in his lap.. was seemed to be seriously engrossed in gleaning the knowledge off the fine print.. ... I observed him for nearly 56minutes 37 seconds…. And then finally realized.. he had dosed off.. ... ha-ha… his cool bangs.. covered his face in a really cute way.. aah.. .. well in intervals there were.. some really dashing flight crew members to be admired…. Some young some old… and some not so old.. but the uniform and the smooth grace presented to them with the sense of a purpose.. made them very attractive..... I was really bored… after all how much you can stare at some one.. and after all… I am not a guy… and anyways… gals are the really pretty people… oh gosh…kinneyaan sohneeya. Hundeeyaan ne.. goreyan chittiyaan. .. btw way they. .. spend a lot on personal grooming…to appear casual.. this may be info for the guys.. .. the casually unkempt looks are also made up…manufactured,.. cultivated… haha.. In my near 2 year stay.. I have seen very rare non make up female Caucasian sub species… and .. well even though they expose a lot of flesh… they don’t appear cheap.. no.. its in the body language and.. then Paru Seth ne mauke ka galat fayada uthaya… aur mujhe yeh airport pe blog likne ke liye uksaaya… but this turned out to be the best suggestion!... I am now typing away all this .. and listening to Jagjit Singh .. and humming along… I feel I am not bored any more.. in fact I have started to really enjoy myself.. Thanku… now.. the battery has run out!... uggh… I don’t want to vacate this seat.. with the perfect view… but in order to charge ….I will have to move.. and who main karma nahi chahti.. .. btw.. I just noticed a middle aged female in magenta top and wearing this mikey mouse cap!.. ppl just have fun the way they want to… and wear whatever they feel like.. and don’t really have to deal with issues like log kya kahenge....and ………ah… a.. slurp…. this guy with a really weird hairstyle..{ jaise pandit ki bodi in the middle and all decent cut..} just passed in front of me. ..with a chocolate softy ice-cream cone in hand… the cone looked like begging to be liked away….. I experienced a momentary lust… hah.. taking a deep breath… have revered back to typing away all that’s going on here.. ha.. I feel I can go on endlessly till .. .. hey … now enters a little doll in the scene… oh my gosh.. she is cho chweet!.. I remember the famous.. nursery rhyme.. chubby cheeks dimple chin.. teeth within.. and she got interested in what I was doing busily thumping away at the key board… and my laptop is dead!... and I have almost 2 more hours to kill… I was planning to think some positive thoughts.. I don’t have the charger… I had put in the check in luggage.. which has been waiting at the Bakersfield airport for me.. since.. the last 2 hours… little does it know that its gonna be about 4 more hours before.. mera aur mere luggage ka milaap hoga.. who bhi pata nahi.. I had placed a local address.. hope they don’t decide to deliver it to my friends house.. they will freak out.. n.. today being the Gurudawara day… and they would be busy….okay…now my system went to hibernation…. I have lost the train of thought… but I am trying to finish this post in a post dated.. mode.. I have much to write… I feel like I am in Punjab again!... ghar waala mahoul… feels so at home.. anyways.. I can’t be taking so much time on the internet.. so have to end it.. for endings sake… btw.. I thought my luggage got lost … so even without.. cheking first.. I went ahead a filed a complaint.. with the air line… but it was there waiting for me… just without a handle though!.. so will have to buy a new suitcase on my way back… will think about it later… I have to start reading the Ice Cream book.. .. thanks for being here.. J…and I need all your good wishes to get things working here..

Take care … and do keep in touch!...