Okay. First of all, everyone who wants to curse me, please do so. I'll take it gladly for what I'm about to reveal is something so embarrassing that one would wonder how I've lived so long without doing this particular thing.
Here's the thing! I watched the three movies from the Bourne Series for the first time in my life on the 30th of June, 2010. To make matters worse, I watched the second movie first, the 1st movie second and the 3rd, last. How I didn't watch them years ago, I don't know. I really don't know. I admit I was not much into movies but I wouldn't have missed something like the Bourne Series, but it happened. Well, you're reading the 'adventures' of a guy who hasn't watched the Oceans 12, 13 movies or Troy or The Matrix movies yet, who only watched Gladiator, The Italian Job and Avatar a few weeks ago, you get what I'm saying right.. yeah, I can see you get it.
Anyway, coming back to my Bourne Adventure, when I finally watched the Bourne Supremacy in Jim's house, I was so blown away by the awesomeness of the whole plot and storyline. I came home and watched the other 2 movies in quick succession. I just loved every bit of them. Obviously, I knew that these movies were taken from novels so I quickly jumped over to reading them down. I thought reading the novels was more like my thing than watching movies. Well, that was true till kind of lost the habit of reading.
I started off with reading the first of the novels by Robert Ludlum, and it was pretty good. My reading speed reduced to almost a fraction of my original pace (when I used to finish the Rowling, Dan Brown, Meyer books in a matter of hours). I took a few days to finish this novel while loving all of it.
After a gap of 2 weeks or so, I started off with the second novel. This one was a lot slower than the first one and not so interesting too, but I liked it anyway. There was absolutely no relation between the movie and the original novel. It was like reading a completely different story that co-incidentally shared the same name with a few same characters.
That novel was done and now I'll have to move on to the next one in the series. I'm hoping this will live up to the kind of excitement I have in me to read it. I'll come back when it's done.
(Though I don't know when..)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Breathe! Aim! Fire!
My July adventures did not seem to have an end. Just a couple of days after visiting the Hutch Salt Mines, I did another thing I never did before in my life. Here's how it went.
It was a pleasant morning with clear skies and almost no breeze. Perfect day for a Space Shuttle launch? Yeah, but also perfect to test your shooting skills at the ranch!
That's what I got to do with Jim and it added to my Memorable Experiences list. We got to a shooting ranch somewhere out on the west side of Wichita all geared and loaded. I never heard a real gun go off so close to me and I was mildly startled. Some of the shots that others were firing down the range felt like jolts in my body. I took some time to get adjusted to these mini explosions and felt it better to wear the ear protection. Soon we got down to business.
Jim started pulling out his collection that included a .22, a .38 cowboy gun, a .45, and a couple of rifles, one of which was a Swiss one that had the mark of one his own ancestors. Pretty amazing feeling that would be!
We set up the targets and Jim gave me some knowledge about how to handle these arms and told me about the Rules of the Ranch. Never having held a real firearm in my hand, it felt very weird and heavy. The .22 gun was pretty easy to hold and fit well in my hand because of its size but I seriously had no idea about how it would recoil. After struggling to find focus with my eyes, I pulled the trigger. It was quite a bit off the bulls-eye but it actually struck the target. I was surprised. I know for a fact that I don't really have a steady hand (which I found out while taking photographs in low light with higher exposure), but this really surprised me. The rest of the shots were all pretty decent for a first timer. Then came the cowboy gun which was by far, the best suited gun I fired that day. My shots were so damn consistent and so close to target that I wondered if this was some kind of magic. Of course the magic wears off eventually.
The .45 was so heavy and powerful for my hands that I managed to get some shots on the paper but no where near target. One of them actually struck Jim's paper target and a couple of them just missed everything. Whoa! I was plain horrible. Meanwhile, Jim was doing an excellent job with his practice. That wasn't unexpected anyway.
Then came the rifles. I had a struggle with finding a good position to rest my arms for stability. Also the rifle was so long that I couldn't get it to fit between my hands and shoulder. It kept slipping away. After some adjustments here and there, I found a balance and had my go. Because of the supports, my aim was much better than just holding the gun up without support. These recoils were a little more scary because the face is so close to the rifle. But I had fun nonetheless.
After a satisfactory amount of shooting, we decided to call it. My ears were still ringing with the sound of the shots, so I thought I had enough too. I some guys firing .45 automatics at blinding speeds and the sound was just deafening. I wouldn't dare stare up or down the barrel of that gun.
Overall, it was a fun day that gave me an opportunity to do something I never did before in my life. I don't know how often I would be able to do this, but I would definitely love to do more of, Breathe, Aim, FIRE!
It was a pleasant morning with clear skies and almost no breeze. Perfect day for a Space Shuttle launch? Yeah, but also perfect to test your shooting skills at the ranch!
That's what I got to do with Jim and it added to my Memorable Experiences list. We got to a shooting ranch somewhere out on the west side of Wichita all geared and loaded. I never heard a real gun go off so close to me and I was mildly startled. Some of the shots that others were firing down the range felt like jolts in my body. I took some time to get adjusted to these mini explosions and felt it better to wear the ear protection. Soon we got down to business.
Jim started pulling out his collection that included a .22, a .38 cowboy gun, a .45, and a couple of rifles, one of which was a Swiss one that had the mark of one his own ancestors. Pretty amazing feeling that would be!
We set up the targets and Jim gave me some knowledge about how to handle these arms and told me about the Rules of the Ranch. Never having held a real firearm in my hand, it felt very weird and heavy. The .22 gun was pretty easy to hold and fit well in my hand because of its size but I seriously had no idea about how it would recoil. After struggling to find focus with my eyes, I pulled the trigger. It was quite a bit off the bulls-eye but it actually struck the target. I was surprised. I know for a fact that I don't really have a steady hand (which I found out while taking photographs in low light with higher exposure), but this really surprised me. The rest of the shots were all pretty decent for a first timer. Then came the cowboy gun which was by far, the best suited gun I fired that day. My shots were so damn consistent and so close to target that I wondered if this was some kind of magic. Of course the magic wears off eventually.
The .45 was so heavy and powerful for my hands that I managed to get some shots on the paper but no where near target. One of them actually struck Jim's paper target and a couple of them just missed everything. Whoa! I was plain horrible. Meanwhile, Jim was doing an excellent job with his practice. That wasn't unexpected anyway.
Then came the rifles. I had a struggle with finding a good position to rest my arms for stability. Also the rifle was so long that I couldn't get it to fit between my hands and shoulder. It kept slipping away. After some adjustments here and there, I found a balance and had my go. Because of the supports, my aim was much better than just holding the gun up without support. These recoils were a little more scary because the face is so close to the rifle. But I had fun nonetheless.
After a satisfactory amount of shooting, we decided to call it. My ears were still ringing with the sound of the shots, so I thought I had enough too. I some guys firing .45 automatics at blinding speeds and the sound was just deafening. I wouldn't dare stare up or down the barrel of that gun.
Overall, it was a fun day that gave me an opportunity to do something I never did before in my life. I don't know how often I would be able to do this, but I would definitely love to do more of, Breathe, Aim, FIRE!
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
650 Feet Underground!!
July was probably my most fun filled month ever in my life. 5th July, just a day after good fun with fireworks, was another long, tiring and fun day. We planned out a small trip to Hutchinson a town about an hour's drive from Wichita. This was the second time we were going to Hutchinson to visit a 'famous' tourist attraction. Hutchinson is tiny, but it's got enough to force you to go a second time..
This time we were taking a tour deep into the Earth. One hell of a scary place if there's no lighting and ventilation! We were going to the famous Hutch Salt Mines where Salt is extracted, mostly for Industrial purposes. Though it's still an active mine, there's an actual Museum and Storage Vault 650 feet underground.
After the short drive, we bought tickets that included a "dark ride". Just moments after entering the lobby at ground level, we did really have a proper dark ride. And I'm talking about "absolute" darkness. There was not a speck of light. Suddenly in this kind of darkness we feel a kind of emptiness though we know there are lots of people standing around us. Once we got to the level we were supposed to get off, the scary sounding elevators opened and we moved on.
The view was close to what I expected and actually better. The floor was flat and done with some kind of a salt-sand mixture. I'm not very sure what that was. The walls were rough and jagged and had beautiful layers. Typical Earth-clock that shows how each era passed layer after layer.. freeze-unfreeze.
We had a guide that kept describing some of the 'phenomena' that would occur this deep down. It was all very interesting. There was a certain patch of darker rock that strangely looked like a sea horse. That was the closest resemblance to any kind of life in such a salt-filled world. Obviously, it wasn't a fossil. Just a random shape that co-incidentally looked like a sea-horse.
The museum was built into the mine or the mine was converted to a museum.. whatever. We came across some of the 'tools' the miners use. 'Tools' is very inappropriate in terms of size. Mega-tools maybe.
As we moved on, we found rock samples that had different compositions. The rest of the displays were pretty general for basic understanding of the Earth's history and evolution.
We finally came to the more interesting part of the tour. An entire Underground Storage Vault that preserved some important stuff for the country. Original drawings, movie costumes (like the ones from Superman, Batman, Charlie's Angels, etc..) and original film roles. Apparently the moisture content here was good enough to preserve these pieces for ages to come. And most importantly, they were free from most natural disasters that occur on the surface. And I don't think an earthquake would occur in the middle of kansas.. just assuming.
Then came the 'Dark Ride'. We hopped onto a small motorized train that was driven by one of the miners. He took us deeper into the mine where there was no lighting. Once again, if not for the train's headlamps, the darkness was absolute. No leaking light anywhere. We were shown how the earth constantly moves inch by inch and how the 40 foot wide pillars the miners left untouched to avoid roof-falls would slowly compress.
We saw and collected more samples and finally got back into the light. There was some interesting merchandise for which I was in no mood to spend. So we made it straight back out and 650 feet up to ground level.
Once out, we wasted no time in finding a restaurant and Bogey's it was. After a typical American lunch, we headed back home. The short drive back was sleepy and tiring. Once I got home, the day was done for good!
This time we were taking a tour deep into the Earth. One hell of a scary place if there's no lighting and ventilation! We were going to the famous Hutch Salt Mines where Salt is extracted, mostly for Industrial purposes. Though it's still an active mine, there's an actual Museum and Storage Vault 650 feet underground.
After the short drive, we bought tickets that included a "dark ride". Just moments after entering the lobby at ground level, we did really have a proper dark ride. And I'm talking about "absolute" darkness. There was not a speck of light. Suddenly in this kind of darkness we feel a kind of emptiness though we know there are lots of people standing around us. Once we got to the level we were supposed to get off, the scary sounding elevators opened and we moved on.
The view was close to what I expected and actually better. The floor was flat and done with some kind of a salt-sand mixture. I'm not very sure what that was. The walls were rough and jagged and had beautiful layers. Typical Earth-clock that shows how each era passed layer after layer.. freeze-unfreeze.
We had a guide that kept describing some of the 'phenomena' that would occur this deep down. It was all very interesting. There was a certain patch of darker rock that strangely looked like a sea horse. That was the closest resemblance to any kind of life in such a salt-filled world. Obviously, it wasn't a fossil. Just a random shape that co-incidentally looked like a sea-horse.
The museum was built into the mine or the mine was converted to a museum.. whatever. We came across some of the 'tools' the miners use. 'Tools' is very inappropriate in terms of size. Mega-tools maybe.
As we moved on, we found rock samples that had different compositions. The rest of the displays were pretty general for basic understanding of the Earth's history and evolution.
We finally came to the more interesting part of the tour. An entire Underground Storage Vault that preserved some important stuff for the country. Original drawings, movie costumes (like the ones from Superman, Batman, Charlie's Angels, etc..) and original film roles. Apparently the moisture content here was good enough to preserve these pieces for ages to come. And most importantly, they were free from most natural disasters that occur on the surface. And I don't think an earthquake would occur in the middle of kansas.. just assuming.
Then came the 'Dark Ride'. We hopped onto a small motorized train that was driven by one of the miners. He took us deeper into the mine where there was no lighting. Once again, if not for the train's headlamps, the darkness was absolute. No leaking light anywhere. We were shown how the earth constantly moves inch by inch and how the 40 foot wide pillars the miners left untouched to avoid roof-falls would slowly compress.
We saw and collected more samples and finally got back into the light. There was some interesting merchandise for which I was in no mood to spend. So we made it straight back out and 650 feet up to ground level.
Once out, we wasted no time in finding a restaurant and Bogey's it was. After a typical American lunch, we headed back home. The short drive back was sleepy and tiring. Once I got home, the day was done for good!
Monday, July 05, 2010
July 4th Special
The whole week just came alive everywhere around me. It was the week of July 4th. I got all kinds of crazy deals by mail. Especially the ones from the Guitar Center were just mouth-watering. It was the week of celebration. By the 2nd of July, things got really moving. It was a new experience to see another country celebrate their Independence, their way.
On the 2nd, we went to a local fair called the Bradley Fair, where there was a live band performing and was accompanied by super-awesomely timed fireworks. We only managed to catch the last 10 minutes of it, but those 10 minutes were the most intense ones. The sky just lit up all over and there were reflections of the fireworks on the calm lake waters just ahead of us. The whole feeling was just... different and the experience, mind-blowing. All the other people, who came in for a nice evening with lawn chairs and food, were applauding the stunning display of light and sound in the sky.
But that was only the 2nd. Then came 4th of July. The real day when everyone tried to push the limits of the State Law regarding fireworks. While most of the fireworks give similar results to stuff I've seen in India all my life during Diwali, there were some really crazy and wild ones and some really silly ones too. Not to forget some awesome ones! Damn, some were not even legal! I had crazy fun that night, mostly watching and taking photographs of the wide array of fireworks that were being shot up into the sky. There were waterproof fireworks which we would drop into a bucket of water and that would explode sending out a big splash of water.. and the ones that went up into the sky were simply mindblowing. Ofcourse fireworks are a pretty expensive affair too..
Overall, it was a great evening, watching and clicking fireworks on the 4th of July. It felt like new found Freedom, looking up into the night sky and being amazed by bursts of light..
On the 2nd, we went to a local fair called the Bradley Fair, where there was a live band performing and was accompanied by super-awesomely timed fireworks. We only managed to catch the last 10 minutes of it, but those 10 minutes were the most intense ones. The sky just lit up all over and there were reflections of the fireworks on the calm lake waters just ahead of us. The whole feeling was just... different and the experience, mind-blowing. All the other people, who came in for a nice evening with lawn chairs and food, were applauding the stunning display of light and sound in the sky.
But that was only the 2nd. Then came 4th of July. The real day when everyone tried to push the limits of the State Law regarding fireworks. While most of the fireworks give similar results to stuff I've seen in India all my life during Diwali, there were some really crazy and wild ones and some really silly ones too. Not to forget some awesome ones! Damn, some were not even legal! I had crazy fun that night, mostly watching and taking photographs of the wide array of fireworks that were being shot up into the sky. There were waterproof fireworks which we would drop into a bucket of water and that would explode sending out a big splash of water.. and the ones that went up into the sky were simply mindblowing. Ofcourse fireworks are a pretty expensive affair too..
Overall, it was a great evening, watching and clicking fireworks on the 4th of July. It felt like new found Freedom, looking up into the night sky and being amazed by bursts of light..
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Flying in a Stearman!!
I still feel so excited to post this. Well, here it goes!
It was June 19th and I accepted a sudden invitation to visit Jim's house. I was expecting the day to be quite a lazy one with some swimming and then relaxing in front of the TV. There was another Indian family visiting so there was quite some stuff going in the house. On the way he told me something that made my stomach do a internal flip. He told me that later that afternoon, we'd be going to check out some private owned aircraft and possible even get a ride on one of them. He told me about this before but I didn't expect it to come so quickly and so unexpectedly.
Trying to keep my excitement in control, I let the day go by. I went bicycling out in the sun for a few miles and it was fun. The almost unlimited combination of gear settings helped me well against the constant 10-15mph wind. After lunch, we had a session of watching a recorded show of the top 25 moments of MythBusters. And then, finally came the moment I was really waiting for. It was time to get movin' to get flyin'!
It was in a small airport in a small town called Benton. The airport was easily the smallest and most accessible I ever saw. The parking lot was quite literally inside. Step out of the car, step onto the grass and you're already a few meters from the runway. We casually walked around looking for Jim's friend who was no where to be seen. We accidentally gate-crashed into a private party that was being held in one of the hangars. We came across some exotic antique cars, planes and helicopters and I wanted to take photos of everything. Among the antiques, there were also some modern Camaros, Carreras and Aerobatic planes, gliders and stuff. There was just too much to take in.
After long walks up and down the runway in the extreme heat, we still couldn't find Jim's friend. There was a rock band playing outside a bar and we even looked inside to see if he was there. Finally after a long wait the stearman flew in. It landed just a few meters away and it was quite spectacular to watch. After the plane taxied, we could meet him at last. It was a little disappointing to hear him say he was almost done for the day. He wanted to take some of his family members out into the sky and end the day. Jim and I just hung around watching the smoke fly-bys and taking bursts of photos. After 2 rides, we realized he was done for the day.
But suddenly, he pointed straight at me and pointed into the empty seat in the cockpit! For a second I was like, "You're Kidding!" But he wasn't! Jim urged me forward and said, "Here's your chance". Unable to believe my luck, I went forward. I got into the leather head gear and got buckled to the seat. I had to receive a few instructions on not to step on or hold any of the delicate fabric made wings. Of course the main thing was not to touch any of the controls in the cockpit. I was sitting in the front cockpit and Randy (the pilot) was sitting behind me. Within seconds, we taxied onto the runway and off we went. The noise of the wind was almost drowning the sound of the engine. The moment we took off, the ground just disappeared under me. The take-off speed was much lower than usual commercial aircraft so there was no feeling of everything draining out of the head. Or maybe I was too excited to notice that! The view was amazing! The green fields and an unobstructed view of the horizon. I felt like I was flying free. The lack of any barriers or noise insulation just made the whole thing 10 times more exciting.
Once in the air, he tapped me on my elbow and did a thumbs up asking me if I was ok with continuing. Is that even a question to ask? Of course I wanted to go on. And I did a healthy thumbs up to say go on as long as you can. I tried taking pictures with my camera but just couldn't hold it up. Inspite of both hands supporting the camera, I was still struggling to hold it in place. The drag my hands were experiencing was just too much. 80mph is not really an easy speed to hold hands out. At one instance, I got distracted and almost had the camera slipping out of my hands. Luckily I held on. By this time, I switched to video shooting mode to see how it would come out.
And this went on for just 5 minutes. We were making simple trips around the airport and releasing occasional smoke for some effect. Soon we were descending and lining up with the runway. Everything was so undramatic. Very unlike the usual commercial jets that take hours to taxi and prepare for take off and follow similar procedures for landing, regarding altitudes and rate of descent. One second we were many hundreds of feet in the air and next second we almost touching the ground, the grass rather. The approach was undramatic again and I held on to my camera recording the whole sequence. I could feel some bounces during touch down but I never really cared. My camera was still running while we were taxiing. I was still very excited even after coming to a rest and getting ready to get off the wonderful ride.
After experiencing the 5 minutes of ups and downs and swerving and maneuvering, I suddenly felt the ground a little too stationary. First I bumped my head into the upper wing on the biplane configuration while getting down. Later I found I wasn't walking straight and steady. There was a little disorienting feeling while walking. So all the weird feelings came to me on the ground, not while in the air. Maybe that's a hint that I belong in the air..! I wish... After giving some big handshakes and thank yous, we finally headed out.
Anyway, I also noticed my lips were stuck on a wide smile even 10 minutes after it was all over. We went to a gas station to buy an energy drink because of all the dehydrating heat around. In my case, I used it to calm me down. I was so excited that the energy drink actually brought my activity/adrenaline levels a little lower. I finally settled down in the passenger seat still thinking about those 5 minutes.
After getting back, we had dinner and it was time for me to end the day. Clearly, I wasn't ready to end it. I knew I'd have trouble sleeping and it was true. Jim dropped me home and I couldn't hold my excitement narrating all the events of the day. After spending hours going through the photos and videos and showing them to friends, uploading them on social networks, I managed to settle down to sleep. That was when I realised how tired I actually was and ended up sleeping like a log..
It was June 19th and I accepted a sudden invitation to visit Jim's house. I was expecting the day to be quite a lazy one with some swimming and then relaxing in front of the TV. There was another Indian family visiting so there was quite some stuff going in the house. On the way he told me something that made my stomach do a internal flip. He told me that later that afternoon, we'd be going to check out some private owned aircraft and possible even get a ride on one of them. He told me about this before but I didn't expect it to come so quickly and so unexpectedly.
Trying to keep my excitement in control, I let the day go by. I went bicycling out in the sun for a few miles and it was fun. The almost unlimited combination of gear settings helped me well against the constant 10-15mph wind. After lunch, we had a session of watching a recorded show of the top 25 moments of MythBusters. And then, finally came the moment I was really waiting for. It was time to get movin' to get flyin'!
It was in a small airport in a small town called Benton. The airport was easily the smallest and most accessible I ever saw. The parking lot was quite literally inside. Step out of the car, step onto the grass and you're already a few meters from the runway. We casually walked around looking for Jim's friend who was no where to be seen. We accidentally gate-crashed into a private party that was being held in one of the hangars. We came across some exotic antique cars, planes and helicopters and I wanted to take photos of everything. Among the antiques, there were also some modern Camaros, Carreras and Aerobatic planes, gliders and stuff. There was just too much to take in.
After long walks up and down the runway in the extreme heat, we still couldn't find Jim's friend. There was a rock band playing outside a bar and we even looked inside to see if he was there. Finally after a long wait the stearman flew in. It landed just a few meters away and it was quite spectacular to watch. After the plane taxied, we could meet him at last. It was a little disappointing to hear him say he was almost done for the day. He wanted to take some of his family members out into the sky and end the day. Jim and I just hung around watching the smoke fly-bys and taking bursts of photos. After 2 rides, we realized he was done for the day.
But suddenly, he pointed straight at me and pointed into the empty seat in the cockpit! For a second I was like, "You're Kidding!" But he wasn't! Jim urged me forward and said, "Here's your chance". Unable to believe my luck, I went forward. I got into the leather head gear and got buckled to the seat. I had to receive a few instructions on not to step on or hold any of the delicate fabric made wings. Of course the main thing was not to touch any of the controls in the cockpit. I was sitting in the front cockpit and Randy (the pilot) was sitting behind me. Within seconds, we taxied onto the runway and off we went. The noise of the wind was almost drowning the sound of the engine. The moment we took off, the ground just disappeared under me. The take-off speed was much lower than usual commercial aircraft so there was no feeling of everything draining out of the head. Or maybe I was too excited to notice that! The view was amazing! The green fields and an unobstructed view of the horizon. I felt like I was flying free. The lack of any barriers or noise insulation just made the whole thing 10 times more exciting.
I'm getting into the seat carefully
Once in the air, he tapped me on my elbow and did a thumbs up asking me if I was ok with continuing. Is that even a question to ask? Of course I wanted to go on. And I did a healthy thumbs up to say go on as long as you can. I tried taking pictures with my camera but just couldn't hold it up. Inspite of both hands supporting the camera, I was still struggling to hold it in place. The drag my hands were experiencing was just too much. 80mph is not really an easy speed to hold hands out. At one instance, I got distracted and almost had the camera slipping out of my hands. Luckily I held on. By this time, I switched to video shooting mode to see how it would come out.
My view from the cockpit of the Stearman
And this went on for just 5 minutes. We were making simple trips around the airport and releasing occasional smoke for some effect. Soon we were descending and lining up with the runway. Everything was so undramatic. Very unlike the usual commercial jets that take hours to taxi and prepare for take off and follow similar procedures for landing, regarding altitudes and rate of descent. One second we were many hundreds of feet in the air and next second we almost touching the ground, the grass rather. The approach was undramatic again and I held on to my camera recording the whole sequence. I could feel some bounces during touch down but I never really cared. My camera was still running while we were taxiing. I was still very excited even after coming to a rest and getting ready to get off the wonderful ride.
After experiencing the 5 minutes of ups and downs and swerving and maneuvering, I suddenly felt the ground a little too stationary. First I bumped my head into the upper wing on the biplane configuration while getting down. Later I found I wasn't walking straight and steady. There was a little disorienting feeling while walking. So all the weird feelings came to me on the ground, not while in the air. Maybe that's a hint that I belong in the air..! I wish... After giving some big handshakes and thank yous, we finally headed out.
Anyway, I also noticed my lips were stuck on a wide smile even 10 minutes after it was all over. We went to a gas station to buy an energy drink because of all the dehydrating heat around. In my case, I used it to calm me down. I was so excited that the energy drink actually brought my activity/adrenaline levels a little lower. I finally settled down in the passenger seat still thinking about those 5 minutes.
After getting back, we had dinner and it was time for me to end the day. Clearly, I wasn't ready to end it. I knew I'd have trouble sleeping and it was true. Jim dropped me home and I couldn't hold my excitement narrating all the events of the day. After spending hours going through the photos and videos and showing them to friends, uploading them on social networks, I managed to settle down to sleep. That was when I realised how tired I actually was and ended up sleeping like a log..
Friday, June 18, 2010
FIFA is Here!
The Beautiful Game is back! It was almost on the brink of disappearing from my life. I kinda revived it after buying a Football at a WalMart store. I stepped out quite a few times to bring back that old flexibility into my legs, give some passes, some crosses, a few shoots. It's fun playing on "Grass" at last! Even the virtual side of the game came back into my life with the PC FIFA. It's fun too...
The final straw that had to get me obsessed with the game I'm already obsessed with, is the FIFA World Cup 2010. Thank God there's something out there on TV to watch. Not that I have a TV but there's something out there somewhere (on the internet) that I can finally watch and enjoy. After its start, some big teams with big reps have faltered in performance and that makes it only so much more exciting. I'm hoping to have a great month ahead at least with the Football matches..
This time, I've decided not to support any team in particular. Just saying...
Welcome Back!
I know, it's been really really long that I posted. Probably the first time I went more than a month without posting. I don't know what to blame it on. The best guess would be Laziness! As simple as that. After getting used to 'micro-blogging' the need for posting novels, spending hours at a stretch seems pointless. But I actually like this. I hope I do continue posting here and not leave this blog to rot...
Well, to recap some of the things that happened after that last post talking about the end of the semester, I have a pretty small list of things to say.
First of all, the semester did end! Exactly a month back. May 18 was the last exam I wrote Space Dynamics which I thought I screwed up pretty bad but ended up getting an A- grade in the subject and boosting my GPA to 3.33. Not so great I know. But for a first timer in a particularly strict Aerospace Department, I think I did well. After that, it's just been empty. Practically empty.
The holidays came and are still here. But I'm in just the same position as I was a month back. Probably worse considering my financial situation which is going out of hand day by day. The most horrible set back came just a few days back when I unwillingly accepted to block a Statistics course for someone I didn't know. Story went like this - I took the course, and didn't know what was going on or who was taking it. So I dropped it. Next day a friend comes to me and asks why I dropped it. I say, I don't know who I was blocking it for in the first place. After a week, I find my University balance to have lost $182. Why? I lose $17 for registering a course (don't matter if I dropped it later), and another $165 for Health Insurance for the Summer Semester! Thank you very much. Just the thing I asked for in the summer. Everyone talks about finding part-time jobs and refilling their pockets. Mine on the other hand went dry.
And now, among things so miserable, I still find myself going out and eating happily like nothing ever happened, not caring that the bank balance is slowly heading towards a Void.
Thankfully, there are a few good things that are happening around me. My guitar, my Savior is playing a huge role in keeping me Awake and Alive (too hooked to Skillet or what???). Hanging out with Jim, my friend from the American Friend Program, has always been quite an enjoyable experience. Meeting up almost every week, eating new stuff, hanging out at the pool, discussing just about anything all day long, watching movies, talking all about Photography, Graphic Design and any other creative art, right down to routing my guitar through an iMac's Garage Band into a mixer and then into my Amp to try different effects... all this despite an age-gap of almost 4 decades!! It's all been a pretty awesome experience for me. Learning the American life, the American way...
Well, that's what my life is about right now. Highs and Lows. Just the same as my life had always been, but in a different place. If I don't learn it now, I never will...
Well, to recap some of the things that happened after that last post talking about the end of the semester, I have a pretty small list of things to say.
First of all, the semester did end! Exactly a month back. May 18 was the last exam I wrote Space Dynamics which I thought I screwed up pretty bad but ended up getting an A- grade in the subject and boosting my GPA to 3.33. Not so great I know. But for a first timer in a particularly strict Aerospace Department, I think I did well. After that, it's just been empty. Practically empty.
The holidays came and are still here. But I'm in just the same position as I was a month back. Probably worse considering my financial situation which is going out of hand day by day. The most horrible set back came just a few days back when I unwillingly accepted to block a Statistics course for someone I didn't know. Story went like this - I took the course, and didn't know what was going on or who was taking it. So I dropped it. Next day a friend comes to me and asks why I dropped it. I say, I don't know who I was blocking it for in the first place. After a week, I find my University balance to have lost $182. Why? I lose $17 for registering a course (don't matter if I dropped it later), and another $165 for Health Insurance for the Summer Semester! Thank you very much. Just the thing I asked for in the summer. Everyone talks about finding part-time jobs and refilling their pockets. Mine on the other hand went dry.
And now, among things so miserable, I still find myself going out and eating happily like nothing ever happened, not caring that the bank balance is slowly heading towards a Void.
Thankfully, there are a few good things that are happening around me. My guitar, my Savior is playing a huge role in keeping me Awake and Alive (too hooked to Skillet or what???). Hanging out with Jim, my friend from the American Friend Program, has always been quite an enjoyable experience. Meeting up almost every week, eating new stuff, hanging out at the pool, discussing just about anything all day long, watching movies, talking all about Photography, Graphic Design and any other creative art, right down to routing my guitar through an iMac's Garage Band into a mixer and then into my Amp to try different effects... all this despite an age-gap of almost 4 decades!! It's all been a pretty awesome experience for me. Learning the American life, the American way...
Well, that's what my life is about right now. Highs and Lows. Just the same as my life had always been, but in a different place. If I don't learn it now, I never will...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Er.. End of Semester!
Yeah. It's a little hard to believe the fact that the first semester of my Master's program has already come close to closing. It still feels like yesterday that I started a completely new life in a new country with a new environment, and the first semester is already done! Am I supposed to say I've learned enough to know how to exist all by myself now that I've lived through a semester here? I doubt that.
January was when it all started and it's only been 4 months now and according to plan, I should have been all settled and comfortable by now. But in reality, I'm still getting used to a lot of things. Its quite true that I've learned certain things too quickly, for example Cooking! And also living alone! Both of these, I've never ever done in my life before. I suddenly jumped into a life of being away from family, having to cook for myself, but I've caught on very fast. That's something I didn't expect from myself.
Suddenly I'm staring at 2 months of absolute freedom in which I have no idea what to do. Not managing to land a job on campus sucks big time! This summer is really a huge waste of time as there are no summer classes for me to choose from either!
Anyway, that brings this uninteresting post to and end. Started this a long time back and left the draft pending till I had the patience and interest to get back to it. When I regain some interest, I'll be back...
January was when it all started and it's only been 4 months now and according to plan, I should have been all settled and comfortable by now. But in reality, I'm still getting used to a lot of things. Its quite true that I've learned certain things too quickly, for example Cooking! And also living alone! Both of these, I've never ever done in my life before. I suddenly jumped into a life of being away from family, having to cook for myself, but I've caught on very fast. That's something I didn't expect from myself.
Suddenly I'm staring at 2 months of absolute freedom in which I have no idea what to do. Not managing to land a job on campus sucks big time! This summer is really a huge waste of time as there are no summer classes for me to choose from either!
Anyway, that brings this uninteresting post to and end. Started this a long time back and left the draft pending till I had the patience and interest to get back to it. When I regain some interest, I'll be back...
Friday, March 19, 2010
Treasure in the Middle of Nowhere
Ever since I heard of it, I've been desperate to go to the Kansas Cosmosphere Space Center. Finally one good looking Friday, I got the chance after Jim invited me to go with him. I was able to convince Chaky into coming with me. The 'convincing' part was pretty easy because he was just as interested as me to go there. So off we went on the Friday during the Spring Break.
The place where its located is called Hutchinson, about an hour from Wichita. The ride was good and once we reached the place, I could see 2 tall rockets sticking up around the building. The excitement in me doubled. Finally we entered the 'small' looking building. The moment I entered, I was dumbstruck.
It was hanging right there in front of me. The aircraft that I read so much about. The aircraft I admired so much because of the amount of technology that was put into it at a time like the 1970's. The aircraft that could travel at 3 times the speed of sound and is still the fasted manned aircraft. An Aerospace Engineer's dream, the SR-71 Blackbird. A few months back, I never thought of actually seeing this aircraft up so close. "I'm pretty sure the surviving models won't be anywhere near where I'm gonna stay in the US", I thought.
But here it was. Right in the middle of the Mid-West where everyone thinks there's nothing here. I found pure pleasure in moving my hand across the smooth 'carbon-fiber feel' exterior of the aircraft. The material felt like it could break with a punch. This material resisting pressure-waves and high temperatures at Mach 3 was a little hard to think of. After a huge photo session to make sure I covered every possible angle of the aircraft, I moved on with the others to see the rest of the stuff in the museum, some of which were more precious and prestigious than the SR-71.
There was a model of the Space Shuttle Endeavor which merged itself into the building and made way for the stairs and escalator. Half way between the Ground floor and the next level, we stand on what's supposed to be the wing of the shuttle. Felt pretty cool to look all the way down to the nose from the wing area to understand the size of the shuttle. Also the backview of the SR-71 was cool from this location.
Another plane hanging from the ceiling in the front hall was a so-called "Astronaut's Sportscar". It was like the personal ride for the astronauts who had a pilot's license and were not currently in space. Cool!
As we moved underground, treasure and treasure kept popping onto us. There was a complete room dedicated to the 'famous' German V-2 Rockets - more or less the foundation to modern rockets. The stories behind these Buzz bombs, V2s and other Cold War stories were just great to listen to. I wondered why all this wasn't so interesting when I was learning History in School.
The space capsules, real ones that flew and came back, were just mind blowing. The space inside to sit or rather 'lie down' was just so narrow that I would find it hard to fit in myself, being so thin! Again the stories of the Astronauts who struggled through these difficult phases of Space Exploration and made it all possible, were just awesome. After checking out a models of the Lunar Lander and the famous Soyuz-Apollo project, we came to the end of the museum. What an experience it was. Liberal amounts of knowledge was flowing into the brain. I was so full that I was hungry!
We took a few more pictures of the SR-71 and soon moved out into the cold! It was a warm bright day when we started and chilly and rainy when we stepped out. There was a prediction of snowfall by midnight (it actually came sooner than that!).
We came to Wichita and stopped at a restaurant called Passage to India. After nearly 3 months, I was tasting proper Indian food (Americanized of course!). Chicken Pakodas, Meat Samosa, (Cheese+Ginger+Butter) Naans, Chicken Tikka Masala, and some rice. Ah. That was quite a good meal but as expected there was a definite lack of flavour and spice in spite of asking for the spiciest available dishes.
That was 'supper' at 6:30PM. Felt weird as I am pretty much used to 10PM-12PM dinners. And finally we came back home and immediately it was time to upload pictures all over the network to 'let people know'.
In the end, a great day and a great experience. A perfect qualification for a blog post. That's why it's here. And I'm outta here..
The place where its located is called Hutchinson, about an hour from Wichita. The ride was good and once we reached the place, I could see 2 tall rockets sticking up around the building. The excitement in me doubled. Finally we entered the 'small' looking building. The moment I entered, I was dumbstruck.
It was hanging right there in front of me. The aircraft that I read so much about. The aircraft I admired so much because of the amount of technology that was put into it at a time like the 1970's. The aircraft that could travel at 3 times the speed of sound and is still the fasted manned aircraft. An Aerospace Engineer's dream, the SR-71 Blackbird. A few months back, I never thought of actually seeing this aircraft up so close. "I'm pretty sure the surviving models won't be anywhere near where I'm gonna stay in the US", I thought.
But here it was. Right in the middle of the Mid-West where everyone thinks there's nothing here. I found pure pleasure in moving my hand across the smooth 'carbon-fiber feel' exterior of the aircraft. The material felt like it could break with a punch. This material resisting pressure-waves and high temperatures at Mach 3 was a little hard to think of. After a huge photo session to make sure I covered every possible angle of the aircraft, I moved on with the others to see the rest of the stuff in the museum, some of which were more precious and prestigious than the SR-71.
There was a model of the Space Shuttle Endeavor which merged itself into the building and made way for the stairs and escalator. Half way between the Ground floor and the next level, we stand on what's supposed to be the wing of the shuttle. Felt pretty cool to look all the way down to the nose from the wing area to understand the size of the shuttle. Also the backview of the SR-71 was cool from this location.
Another plane hanging from the ceiling in the front hall was a so-called "Astronaut's Sportscar". It was like the personal ride for the astronauts who had a pilot's license and were not currently in space. Cool!
As we moved underground, treasure and treasure kept popping onto us. There was a complete room dedicated to the 'famous' German V-2 Rockets - more or less the foundation to modern rockets. The stories behind these Buzz bombs, V2s and other Cold War stories were just great to listen to. I wondered why all this wasn't so interesting when I was learning History in School.
The space capsules, real ones that flew and came back, were just mind blowing. The space inside to sit or rather 'lie down' was just so narrow that I would find it hard to fit in myself, being so thin! Again the stories of the Astronauts who struggled through these difficult phases of Space Exploration and made it all possible, were just awesome. After checking out a models of the Lunar Lander and the famous Soyuz-Apollo project, we came to the end of the museum. What an experience it was. Liberal amounts of knowledge was flowing into the brain. I was so full that I was hungry!
We took a few more pictures of the SR-71 and soon moved out into the cold! It was a warm bright day when we started and chilly and rainy when we stepped out. There was a prediction of snowfall by midnight (it actually came sooner than that!).
We came to Wichita and stopped at a restaurant called Passage to India. After nearly 3 months, I was tasting proper Indian food (Americanized of course!). Chicken Pakodas, Meat Samosa, (Cheese+Ginger+Butter) Naans, Chicken Tikka Masala, and some rice. Ah. That was quite a good meal but as expected there was a definite lack of flavour and spice in spite of asking for the spiciest available dishes.
That was 'supper' at 6:30PM. Felt weird as I am pretty much used to 10PM-12PM dinners. And finally we came back home and immediately it was time to upload pictures all over the network to 'let people know'.
In the end, a great day and a great experience. A perfect qualification for a blog post. That's why it's here. And I'm outta here..
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Break Time!
Phew! I finally got some time to post. It's slowly coming down to a post a month. A pretty bad record considering the fact that I started off with almost 20 a month. Anyway, Spring Break is here, and I finally am getting to look around me, feel myself to make sure I'm ok, and know things. The last month was pretty hectic. Hectic enough to make me come to a point of throwing my hands up in defeat. The innumerable number of assignments and exams that I had really brought me to the edge of my patience. Somehow, I held on and lived through it.
The results weren't good enough in spite of working extra hard. What I did in the last 2 months, had I done in the last 4 years, I would have been guaranteed a Gold Medal in the University.. heck!
Anyway, after all that books and studies and silence, I finally got to stretch my wings before Spring Break (March 6th). A trip to Ponca City, Oklahoma was the exact antidote to my brain filled with Aerodynamics Relations and Orbital Mechanics. The trip was fun, and I had a real pleasure time looking at the vast expanse of endless land of Mid-Western America. It was also the first time I was stepping out of Kansas, and Wichita for that matter. After setting foot in Chicago, Illinois, I never saw another city or town or state. So this was quite an eventful trip.
Just when Spring Break was just about to start (March 10th), I had the next big thing of my life. A GUITAR! After almost 2 weeks of confusion and tough decision making, I decided to buy an Ibanez Metal Guitar Jumpstart Package. Just about the right thing that I needed in a new country filled with music of my favourite genre. From then on, its just been a breeze, playing around the frets of the guitar and having some real good time. My friend Jim infact had his new Apple Mac Desktop installed and we had a blast connecting the guitar to the amp through the Mac's pre-installed Garage Band's FX modules. What great fun it was! Overall, half of my Spring Break has already gone in spending time with the new guitar, highly addictive as it is.
Hopefully this week will end with me paying a visit to the Kansas Comsmosphere (something we've been postponing from a long time!). This is a museum where an actual SR-71 Blackbird is hung from the ceiling. Ever since I heard of that, I've been highly impatient to visit that place. If this saturday works out, I'll get to see some really cool NASA junk and the retired "Fastest Manned Plane on Earth". Finger crossed tightly for this one!
That's all for the wrap on the last one month. Hope there's lots more exciting stuff to come in the future, and I hope I get back to blogging a little more seriously!
The results weren't good enough in spite of working extra hard. What I did in the last 2 months, had I done in the last 4 years, I would have been guaranteed a Gold Medal in the University.. heck!
Anyway, after all that books and studies and silence, I finally got to stretch my wings before Spring Break (March 6th). A trip to Ponca City, Oklahoma was the exact antidote to my brain filled with Aerodynamics Relations and Orbital Mechanics. The trip was fun, and I had a real pleasure time looking at the vast expanse of endless land of Mid-Western America. It was also the first time I was stepping out of Kansas, and Wichita for that matter. After setting foot in Chicago, Illinois, I never saw another city or town or state. So this was quite an eventful trip.
Just when Spring Break was just about to start (March 10th), I had the next big thing of my life. A GUITAR! After almost 2 weeks of confusion and tough decision making, I decided to buy an Ibanez Metal Guitar Jumpstart Package. Just about the right thing that I needed in a new country filled with music of my favourite genre. From then on, its just been a breeze, playing around the frets of the guitar and having some real good time. My friend Jim infact had his new Apple Mac Desktop installed and we had a blast connecting the guitar to the amp through the Mac's pre-installed Garage Band's FX modules. What great fun it was! Overall, half of my Spring Break has already gone in spending time with the new guitar, highly addictive as it is.
Hopefully this week will end with me paying a visit to the Kansas Comsmosphere (something we've been postponing from a long time!). This is a museum where an actual SR-71 Blackbird is hung from the ceiling. Ever since I heard of that, I've been highly impatient to visit that place. If this saturday works out, I'll get to see some really cool NASA junk and the retired "Fastest Manned Plane on Earth". Finger crossed tightly for this one!
That's all for the wrap on the last one month. Hope there's lots more exciting stuff to come in the future, and I hope I get back to blogging a little more seriously!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Memory Lane
Damn, I almost forgot I maintain a blog. After a month, I suddenly was reminded that it exists and its rotting! Just to silence the silence, I came back to post something. Something about nothing. Lots of things happen around me, and yet nothing's worth posting. Or maybe its the other way round. Everything is so highly worth posting that my brain isn't enough to store all the sights and sounds that I'm currently experiencing. I've already forgotten the names of stuff I ate outside, and the places I visited. By the time I get the idea to post about something, something more happens and I wait for a little more time, or that memory simply disappears from the memory. The endless loop went on and on till today when I finally found some time to post.
Its about nothing! Really. True, I'm traveling around a lot. Seeing new things. Experiencing new cultures. Making new friends. Hmm, sounds like a lot? But really, it's all been nothing. When I look back, nothing big really happened. Maybe the tolerance level that a certain event could qualify for a post on the blog has turned strict. Back home, a visit to a computer store would make it to the blog. And now, I visited one of my favourite stores on Earth, the Guitar Center, and yet I didn't bother posting!?! That was after I made it a point on the blog to visit the store! Tolerance level definitely very strict.
Every exam in college would make an appearance here. And I just completed 2 very difficult exams, one of which I screwed so badly, I feel like pulling all my hair out, and yet it didn't make it here. Not before now at least!
Every time I went out to eat (family or friends), I would make it a point to put it in here. In the last month, I went out so many times, saw new Restaurants and Bars and Clubs(ex. Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny's, Hooters, 2 Bros BBQ, etc.) in Wichita, liked them, but never bothered to post it before this.
So nothing really big happened. But all that posted above did happen. So I think I'm the bad judge here who couldn't decide what was worth posting and what wasn't.
But then, there's one thing that's actually worth posting. I took part in this program called American Family friend, and was matched with this really nice family that has kept my weekends alive. Last weekend's BBQ lunch buffet was excellent. For once, I tried proper American food, something I didn't do justice to every since I landed here. Learning new cultures first hand, rather that reading it about in some book turned about to be quite interesting. Probably the biggest discussions relate to food, but then lots of other things crop up and time just passes by over a plate of lunch or dinner. On a recent visit to the family's house I spent such a long time there that my friends actually got worried what happened to me. And an upcoming event that I'm really really looking forward to is the Kansas Cosmosphere where an actual SR-71 Blackbird is suspended from the ceiling. Ah! Somebody take me there!
As for experience, I think the rather long story, which actually promised that there was nothing, ends here. I hope to come back to post as soon as possible.
Its about nothing! Really. True, I'm traveling around a lot. Seeing new things. Experiencing new cultures. Making new friends. Hmm, sounds like a lot? But really, it's all been nothing. When I look back, nothing big really happened. Maybe the tolerance level that a certain event could qualify for a post on the blog has turned strict. Back home, a visit to a computer store would make it to the blog. And now, I visited one of my favourite stores on Earth, the Guitar Center, and yet I didn't bother posting!?! That was after I made it a point on the blog to visit the store! Tolerance level definitely very strict.
Every exam in college would make an appearance here. And I just completed 2 very difficult exams, one of which I screwed so badly, I feel like pulling all my hair out, and yet it didn't make it here. Not before now at least!
Every time I went out to eat (family or friends), I would make it a point to put it in here. In the last month, I went out so many times, saw new Restaurants and Bars and Clubs(ex. Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny's, Hooters, 2 Bros BBQ, etc.) in Wichita, liked them, but never bothered to post it before this.
So nothing really big happened. But all that posted above did happen. So I think I'm the bad judge here who couldn't decide what was worth posting and what wasn't.
But then, there's one thing that's actually worth posting. I took part in this program called American Family friend, and was matched with this really nice family that has kept my weekends alive. Last weekend's BBQ lunch buffet was excellent. For once, I tried proper American food, something I didn't do justice to every since I landed here. Learning new cultures first hand, rather that reading it about in some book turned about to be quite interesting. Probably the biggest discussions relate to food, but then lots of other things crop up and time just passes by over a plate of lunch or dinner. On a recent visit to the family's house I spent such a long time there that my friends actually got worried what happened to me. And an upcoming event that I'm really really looking forward to is the Kansas Cosmosphere where an actual SR-71 Blackbird is suspended from the ceiling. Ah! Somebody take me there!
As for experience, I think the rather long story, which actually promised that there was nothing, ends here. I hope to come back to post as soon as possible.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Leaking Money Week
Ah! What a week I had. Crazy is a small word for it. And all this suddenly makes me wish (can't believe this is the 10th time I'm saying this!) I can revert my life back 4 years to join in as an undergrad student.
It started off with the start of the semester with subjects I only had a vague idea about, particularly after giving a major pause to studies. The classes go on as usual and there's lots of notes to jot down, lots of things to listen to (unlike the monotonous classes I experienced for 4 years!), and lots of things to finish up before and after class (unlike the previous 4 years again!). While that threatened to keep me busy all the time, I did manage to find a few elements of what we call 'fun'.
Phew! Thanks to an Indian-born friend who wanted to check out the city just like us and he had a car thankfully! I was surprised at how difficult it is to do small things without a car. Finally after nearly 10 days of sitting at home and doing nothing, I entered Wichita like a visitor. A bright eyed visitor who wanted to absorb every sight that came his way. We weaved our way through the downtown areas, the old town areas and stuff. The weaving and wandering was mainly because we were constantly getting lost. We didn't have the GPS system in the car and we had to find our way with phone conversations and stuff.
What I observed was, the buildings are pretty damn old and they were all sending out some kind of a historical message. The effect was there. The medium tall buildings standing out with quite some exquisite modern designs all surrounded by these majestic old buildings. It was a nice sight to watch. Like a blessing in disguise, we got lost almost everytime we went out. I had to keep referring back to the maps and find our way out (it was possible to find our way because it wasn't India). Every time we were lost, we found places and new roads and how they connected back to where we wanted to go. As of now, the only place I'm dying to walk into is the Guitar Center!!
On another note, roaming around at night inside the safety of the car was definitely fun but sometimes scary! After the snow fell, the roads gave up what we call in Physics, "Friction". We were slipping and sliding around everywhere and one of the skids was a little too dangerous when we fish-tailed during a turn, and once more when we er.. came sliding down an exit ramp. Scary!
Coming to the main note. Money-Leaking! Ok. Here comes the bad part. Wanna have fun, keep cash. Lots. We went crazy going around town and throwing money here and there (quite literally!). While some basic things are real damn cheap, food just bores a hole through the pocket! As far as I could count, the prospect of dinner outside always ended up with us returning with half empty pockets.
So this week, money went down the drain like soap water. Money leaking at its peak. Keeping the hope that the coming weeks, months and years won't leak money this way, I'll sign off...
P.S: Heavily delayed post because high-speed internet access is no good unless you have hours of time to spare with you (writing a post does take time!!)
It started off with the start of the semester with subjects I only had a vague idea about, particularly after giving a major pause to studies. The classes go on as usual and there's lots of notes to jot down, lots of things to listen to (unlike the monotonous classes I experienced for 4 years!), and lots of things to finish up before and after class (unlike the previous 4 years again!). While that threatened to keep me busy all the time, I did manage to find a few elements of what we call 'fun'.
Phew! Thanks to an Indian-born friend who wanted to check out the city just like us and he had a car thankfully! I was surprised at how difficult it is to do small things without a car. Finally after nearly 10 days of sitting at home and doing nothing, I entered Wichita like a visitor. A bright eyed visitor who wanted to absorb every sight that came his way. We weaved our way through the downtown areas, the old town areas and stuff. The weaving and wandering was mainly because we were constantly getting lost. We didn't have the GPS system in the car and we had to find our way with phone conversations and stuff.
What I observed was, the buildings are pretty damn old and they were all sending out some kind of a historical message. The effect was there. The medium tall buildings standing out with quite some exquisite modern designs all surrounded by these majestic old buildings. It was a nice sight to watch. Like a blessing in disguise, we got lost almost everytime we went out. I had to keep referring back to the maps and find our way out (it was possible to find our way because it wasn't India). Every time we were lost, we found places and new roads and how they connected back to where we wanted to go. As of now, the only place I'm dying to walk into is the Guitar Center!!
On another note, roaming around at night inside the safety of the car was definitely fun but sometimes scary! After the snow fell, the roads gave up what we call in Physics, "Friction". We were slipping and sliding around everywhere and one of the skids was a little too dangerous when we fish-tailed during a turn, and once more when we er.. came sliding down an exit ramp. Scary!
Coming to the main note. Money-Leaking! Ok. Here comes the bad part. Wanna have fun, keep cash. Lots. We went crazy going around town and throwing money here and there (quite literally!). While some basic things are real damn cheap, food just bores a hole through the pocket! As far as I could count, the prospect of dinner outside always ended up with us returning with half empty pockets.
So this week, money went down the drain like soap water. Money leaking at its peak. Keeping the hope that the coming weeks, months and years won't leak money this way, I'll sign off...
P.S: Heavily delayed post because high-speed internet access is no good unless you have hours of time to spare with you (writing a post does take time!!)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
What? When? Where? Which-ita?
First of all, Happy New Year! It's my first post this year. Weird!
As of now, I completely lost track of what's going on in the virtual world. I still have lots to catchup and not to forget the new place that I am in. Which place? Which-ita!
Yeah, long story.
I like long stories.
Start of the year (Jan 7), after all the tensions and problems, i somehow readied myself to take-off the the country that everybody wants to go to, USA. Enrolled in the Master's Program for Aerospace Engineering at Wichita State University, I got the opportunity to experience stuff that I never did before. First of all, being away from family for a long period still freaks me out, but i'm getting used to it. After going through the gruelling 26 hours of flying and halts, I reached my place. All alone and no familiar faces or places. Thankfully the Student association responded well and came to pick me up at Wichita. And guess what? I descended into -10C straight!
The cold froze me up, quite literally. My nose ran like a waterfall and I had the feeling my fingers fell off! Somehow I survived that 1 minute walk to the parking space and got into the car and within minutes was at the temporary house that I was supposed to stay in. All those rules on the roads, and left hand driving, it took a few minutes for me to understand what was happening on the roads.
After meeting Chaky and Vamsi, my nerves eased a little and I began breathing normally. And then came the jet lag. Thankfully no kind of sickness, but just tire! I slept for 2 days straight to get out of that, and still couldn't find the cold manageable. The temperatures were consistently below zero throughout the day and I couldn't dare to step out though i had some winter clothing on me.
After a few days, I finally started stepping out, and got registered at the university, opened the bank account and other official work. After attending the orientation, the university map got slightly clearer in my head which other wise was very confusing. I still dont think i know everything about the buildings here though I'm a lot better than a week back.
The temperature have now eased and going up to 5-8 Celsius which is actually feeling nice and pleasant. If I were at India now in 5-8 C, I would have turned into ice in minutes! Weird how the body can adjust so quickly to surroundings. Now what's awaiting me other than tough coursework and complicated academic procedures are tornadoes, and 40C summer heat which will come in a few months time. I'm so not waiting for it!
Still gotta meet a few professors and decide my subjects properly. The whole thing looks so damn tough and impossible to do, its no wonder why so many Aerospace students dropped out and took up easier courses after the first semester. I just hope I won't do that.. freaks me out to think of that.
Coming to the city, its pretty small and town like (atleast my area) with absolutely negligible public transport. Have your own car? ENJOY! Don't have a car? Its as good as being handicapped. Thankfully the university is just across the street and pretty walkable so travelling there won't be a problem, and the campus itself if so compact and small that nothing is inaccessible in a few minutes.
So that's my story of the new year. What a sudden start! I have no idea where all this is going. I'm just heading where the light is pointing me to. Worst thing of all, time's flying at a crazy pace. Everyday night by the time I sleep, I realize there were a hundred things I didn't do today. The telugu (forget indian) population is sooo much here that its actually getting suffocating (sorry about that!). I came here for some variety and exploration. But all I get is the usual telugu slang, and heaps and heaps of advice that I just don't wanna listen to. Weird! One is supposed to feel happy to see his natives around him in a foreign place but its the opposite for me! :(
Anyway, frustrations later. This is exploration time. So i'll go help in some cooking stuff so that we can go without starving.
Hope I can post back soon!
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