For old time's sake

For old time's sake

In no particular order,here is my india wishlist

- wake up to a hot glass of milo and a hindu.
- haggle with an autokaran - enna sir!
- ride my kinetic as freely as ever
- ride the MRTS - have still never done it!
- cook a hearty meal for my parents
- movie at satyam - obviously!
- A delightful breakfast at Woodlands drive-in, pani puri at keshav with the guys, dinner at dakshin and dessert at tangerine.
- morning at marina, evening at elliot's
- cricket in my own backyard and at my cousin's place in adyar - for arun and krishnan!
- meet all my teachers at Sishya, especially my hindi teacher.
- an overnight journey in a train, alone or otherwise
- attend a quiz with vatsa and jigar; wish i could have stayed till saarang and odyssey!
- ride the bus to college and (hopefully) rag a few juniors.
- pool at cue-in
- wile away time at landmark and spencers
- go-karting at danny's - and this time more than one round!!

So little time, so much to do!! Madras, here I come.

A Birthday post!!!

A Birthday post!!!

Here's what Milton had to say on his 23rd...enjoy!!

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stolen on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!
My hasting days fly on with full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
That I to manhood am arrived so near;
An inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
Yet, be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure even
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven:
All is, if I have grace to use it so,
As ever in my great Task-master's eye.

- John Milton.

The 55 word thingy!!

The 55 word thingy!!

With all my heart, I tell you this,
Its been a while,
Since I’ve asked you much.
You’ve been so good
You are so kind
I have no reason to complain,
Yet, let this not be a wish in vain.
Make her happy, she ought to be,
That’s all I ask in prayer to thee.

This is a pretty neat idea......55 words about anything under the sun. I was tagged by Ramani and pass the baton to Bobby, Arjun and those two lazy oafs Dooma and Ro.

Calls for National Integration - a linguistic one?

Calls for National Integration - a linguistic one?

India has always been a land of many cultures and languages. You cannot travel more than 100 miles without encountering a new dialect or language. Such is the diversity of the people.

But I would have never imagined that the boundaries between them were so distinct. Over the last year I have come to realize that people are more than happy to socialize with others that share the same mother tongue. Personally, i have never quite noticed or experienced it until now. Ever since my school days i have had friends whose vernacular varies from bengali to gujarati, from malayalam to hindi. I have never found it difficult or weird mingling with a crowd in which tamil was not the medium of communication. I guess English has always kept us all together.

Last year more than 20 of us came to Minneapolis from Tamil nadu. We represented the lion's share of all desis in the city by far. Who would imagine that in America of all places, with English being the only dominant language, bonds will form between people who shared a common language as opposed to a common interest. Groups slowly formed neatly divided by language. Tamil guys stick to Tamil Nadu, Telugu junta to Andhra and Marathi people to Maharashtra. The boundaries were as well known and evident as our state boundaries in India. Never more so than now when there has been a huge hiatus of students from Mumbai and Pune to match the Tamil population eye for eye.

Even though I see this phenomenon in flesh and blood in front of me, I still believe that it is just an aberration. People do not have a natural tendency toward ones with a common language. Yes, initially maybe, but your closest friends simply do not need to share the same mother tongue. As long as you enjoy each other's company, it really doesn't matter whether you call your mother mom, amma or aai.

p.s. this post has no reference to manmohan singh's address to the nation today or to Kalam's support for hindi although it is an interesting coincidence.

Camping at Lake Superior

Split rock lighthouse!

Its been a year since I landed in Minnesota and one thing missing from my ever growing travels was a visit to lake superior.

Last weekend I finally got to soak in the brilliance of the world's largest fresh water lake. It was a proper camping trip............tents, grills and all. Even though the drive isn't as beautiful as people make it out to be, nothing can prepare you for the first sight of the lake. The sheer volume of it is breathtaking. Anybody who has been to Duluth will know what I'm talking about. And a cloudless sunny day to boot. Just magnificent. I guess this is the best time to visit even though people come up here for the fall colors.

Even in summer, the water in the lake is far too cold for a dip. So we just had to keep to frisbee and kites on the beach. I was quite looking forward to the barbecue that night. It was almost comical looking at the five of us trying to grill every vegetable known to man. I have to concede.......the idea of a barbecue was not conceived with vegetarians in mind.

But it was capped off by a brilliant starry night. It was a new moon day and all the stars had come out to play. Just sitting there gazing at the sky was really the ideal end to a wonderful day!

Le tour de Rochester

Le tour de Rochester

Summer finally feels like it. Searing temperatures, bright sunshine, native minnesotans complaining of the unbearable heat...............unbearable - i would gladly take them on a trip around chennai in may on my kinetic honda to make them understand what unbearable really means.

In an automobile dominated country, its pleasantly surprising to find that there are quite a few dedicated biking or cycling enthusiasts around here. If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't be such wonderful bike trails all over rochester and minnesota. Biking, and therefore bikes, are of two types - mountain and road. And there are bike trails to keep both parties interested. I haven't really tried the dirt bike trails through the woods and orchards but I have taken a fancy to road biking. These are the race bikes - thin, large diameter aerodynamic wheels, a sophisticated gear system, and light as a feather. And these beauties can really fly. I haven't really clocked the speed but I'm sure they can easily do more than 40mph. And recreational trails are the perfect paths to realize the full potential of these speed machines. Biking along the zumbro river here in rochester and soaking in the scenery just adds to the joy of the whole experience. I use an old Schwinn, but some of the latest road bikes like the ones from Raleigh and Specialized are just unbeatable.

So if you have always enjoyed cycling and are thinking twice about buying a bike, just rent a bike and see for yourself. Off roading with a dirt bike or flying through trails, once you are hooked, there is no turning back.

My favourite movies!

My favourite movies!

I was just watching Chariots of Fire after ages and it simply overwhelms me everytime. So here's a list of some other movies that do the same..............

In no particular order

Patch Adams
Finding Neverland
Philadelphia
Good Will Hunting
One Fine day
Castaway
Forrest Gump
The Hurricane

Impressions of my new iPod

Impressions of my new iPod

I am now officially a member of the ipod bandwagon. I finally gave into my urge for an ipod shuffle and recently bought the 1GB music player. Here are some thoughts.

Joys
1. It is your best companion while you are on the move. While walking to the office, at the gym, doing grocery or even chatting with someone, its there and ready for your musical pleasure.
2. Its as light as a feather. You forget that you actually have it in your pocket.
3. The simplicity of it all. Its so easy to use. You can operate all the controls without even looking at it.
4. Even though the shuffle is meant to play a completely random selection of songs from your collection, the ability to control that with song rating is great. And ofcourse, when you want to listen to albums in order, you always have the option of doing so.
5. It looks darn good. Ofcourse its almost always hidden from public view(and hence envy) owing to its minute size.
6. The battery life. I can listen to music continuously all day without having to recharge.
7. I can now move large files. Most divx movies have a file size of 750mb. I have no problems with that anymore.

Irks
1. The ear buds supplied. They are crappy to say the least. It just cannot handle bass or mid range frequencies well. And the wires just get tangled and messy all the time. Leaving my Koss headphones back in NC was my biggest mistake of the year so far.
2. iTunes. I've read reviews of most iPods and they say that iTunes is what makes any iPod a really great buy. Infact recently, iTunes was found to be the second most popular music download software. I disagree. Apart from the fact that it arranges your music collection neatly, the functionality leaves much to be desired. There is no drag and drop method to build playlists, especially with the shuffle being a flash based USB drive, i should be able to drag and drop music onto it. Even that wouldn't be too much of a concern if not for Apple's feeble attempt at preventing music piracy. You can associate your iPod to only one iTunes library at any given time. Which means if you dont have a laptop, and you want to manage songs at both Work and home, you are helpless.........almost. Thanks to the Database Builder it can function like any other flash drive which plays music.

Poetry in motion!

Justine Henin-Hardenne is at it again.........on the brink of her second title at Roland Garros. Unbeaten on clay this year and on a 23 match winning streak. She is back with a bang. If not for the mystery virus that kept her out the whole of last year, I'm sure she would have more grand slams in her kitty by now. And hey, she just turned 23. I know that might sound old when compared to her tall, slender, blonde russian teenaged compatriots. But, I think her best days are still ahead of her.

She looks and feels stronger from the injury and seems to be hitting the ball harder than ever. But the thing that has changed about her is her thought process on court. She no longer tries to outrally or outgun her opponents. There is a lot more thought that goes into the points, a la Hingis. Hingis had to play intellingently every point to have any chance coz she lacked the strength to rally with the Williams, Davenports etc. But Justine has the strength, the groundstrokes to do that. If she starts working her points out, she can be devastating.

And how can I write something about Justine without talking about the most outrageously gifted backhand in all of tennis. Its even hard to imagine where she generates all the power and control over a single-handed backhand like that. Anybody who plays tennis will know what I'm talking about. There are very few moments in sport when you realize that you are overwhelmed by the sheer joy of what you are witnessing......A Mark Waugh cover drive, a Michael Jordan fadeaway, a Ryan Giggs shimmy, a Pedro Martinez fast ball, and a Justine Henin-Hardenne backhand...........poetry in motion!!! You could watch it all your life.


I'm not even watching her matches on TV, yet I realize how much I've missed the diminutive Belgian's play. There is no way in the world I'm going to miss her final on Saturday, not because of the prospect of her lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the second time but for the sheer joy of watching her play tennis.

First Day on the Job!

First Day on the Job!

Today was the first day of my non-student employee life. It was quite the experience. Things I've learnt...........

1. A hell of lot of time is spent in meetings than you are usually used to.
2. As a result of that a lot is discussed. You're not on your own. Words like planning and design actually seem to matter.
3. The word 'Management' has so much more to it than i thought. There are so many things happening and so many people involved that it all needs to be coordinated. And its no mean task. No wonder MBAs make all the big bucks. A new found respect for all the managers out there.
4. There are committees for everything. And there is a policy governing each one. In order to get a project started, a proposal has to pass through a million committees and has to undergo an even larger amount of changes to be approved.
5. Dress Code. A sudden change from wearing whatever I want to formal wear (shirt, pant, tie.....the whole package) .........I better get used to it quickly. what's more I need to do some shopping unless I want to be known as the "same-tie" guy.

I haven't even gotten used to the place yet..........looks like its going to be a week of revelations..........bring it on!

Tap show - part deux!

The Shim Sham shimmy

Its appropriate that I post this on National tap dance day. It was that time of the year(er sem) again when our tap dance class performs at the Southern theatre. Last time, the show turned out to be amazing although our routine was not all that memorable( we cant help it if our instructor forgets our music......we were just beginners). So, this time we were the tap level 2 class. slightly more technical, more style, verve and all that jazz. We performed the 'ocapella' which is a piece without music except for the rhythm of our feet choreographed by our own instructor. Basically no one screwed up and we got through the routine in one piece.....woohoo! Watching tap 6 perform was really energising though. They had such a cool routine and it was super-technical. Of course, 2 tap and a jazz performance later, we all shimshammed together. For those of you who dont know, the Shimsham shimmy is the anthem of tap. Its got a zillion variations. We usually do the one conceived by Leonard Reed. Its the most enjoyable and fun routine in all of tap and when more than 30 people try to do it on stage that is not meant for more than 10, its absolute mayhem!!

Check out the snaps! You might also make another interesting observation.........

The Weather Gods must be crazy

The Weather Gods must be crazy

I missed the morning bus to campus, but I wasn't complaining as it was nice and pleasant and ideal for a walk.........a lovely Spring day!! By the time I came out of a meeting in the afternoon, it was snowing...........yes, it snows in minnesota at the end of April!! The forecast predicted it but we all trashed it saying its just not possible. I mean what are the chances. Its like saying the summer in chennai has been bearable this year. Fast forward to late afternoon. Its nice and sunny, warm almost. So much so that I had took take off my jacket. Are we having an early summer this year? But wait, that wasn't the end to the madness.

If all this wasn't enough, around 6pm, it starts raining. After which, it got windy and was cold!! I mean what's going on here. This is like one of the last scenes in the Truman Show. Is somebody messing with the weather gods.

All this was just too much for a day. I suddenly have an urge to listen to Vivaldi's four seasons.

moodmagic

moodmagic

Ben and Jerry's has now officially become my favourite icecream place. I dont think anyone could get bored of their flavours except they themselves but hey, we aren't complaining. The more choices the merrier. In keeping with the theme of "An icecream for every mood" , come 4 different flavours which capture not just your imagination but also evoke different moods. I have been exposed to a lot of chocolate icecream in this country. Trust me, there is no lack of choice or flavour when it comes to chocolate here. But if you're still not satisfied, then you probably need medication for that insatiable craving. Aptly named "Chocolate therapy", it has chocolate icecream, chocolate brownie, chocolate chips, chocolate cookies and fudge. Trust me, it is not for the faint of heart.......and if you aren't terribly fond of chocolate dont even come near. It was a bit strong even for a choc lover like me. If this can't satisfy your need for chocolate then nothing can. The mood here is aggression.

But my favourite is "The Last Straw". The flavor has a hint of vanilla covering a light undertone of strawberry which gently stimulates your tastebuds. I was a kid again. It brought back so many memories. I just realized how much i've missed strawberry icecream. I started remembering little incidents when I used to absolutely enjoy strawberry icecream. It gave me a feel of remembrance, of carefree joy, of introspection. The mood was nostalgic.


I still haven't tried the other two flavors, one of them named "Apple-y ever after". The beauty of the whole thing is that it is bound to evoke different moods in different people. It truly is magical.

The crucible

The crucible

When I heard that the World championships of Snooker may not stay at the crucible, I went "What are the organizers thinking?" Its been its home for the last 25 yrs. I can't imagine it being played anywhere but Sheffield. I agree that metros like London and Manchester are more cosmopolitan and hence are a marketing dream but I mean comeon. If a World Cup is played in England, can you imagine the final not being played at Lord's. I think you now understand what I'm saying.

Glad that they decided to not move it. All this hoopla luckily hasn't distracted the crowd from one of the most exciting tournaments in years. I mean almost every match has been so tight. Just wish I could have watched the 147 from the Welsh southpaw Mark Williams. Too bad he wont be lifting the trophy this year. There are a few interesting new faces this year including Shaun Murphy who really has been a revelation. But my money is on King Hendry. I think he has gone long enough without a title. Once he is past Stevens I think he should be safely through to the final. O' Sullivan seems jaded this year. He may still make it to the final. But to be on top come Sunday, he will have to up his game.

Whatever the result, whoever the players, The Crucible will be the place to be this Sunday evening!

A little kindness can go a long way!

Wednesday was free cone day at Ben & Jerry's. Being right in the heart of the U of M campus, u are bound to have a mad rush for it. Why would a business do such a thing? Why give away free icecream for an entire day especially right in the middle of campus where students are ready to try out all the flavors on offer even if it means standing in long queues. This may not run you to bankruptcy but is surely not going to be profitable by any stretch of the imagination. What did they themselves have to say..........."It is our way of saying Thank you". Cool, I'm not complaining but i just failed to see the reasoning behind it. Its almost laughable.

Atleast till today. Ever since then, I dont know if its just me, but this place has gone ice cream crazy......more specifically Ben & Jerry's crazy. The people coming in and out and the number of people on the road with icecream cones just seems to have suddenly gone up. Whenever I walk on the road just a couple of blocks to the bus stop I see atleast 5 people with icecream cones in their hand. Its unbelievable. Wonder how just one cone made such a difference. For regulars like me, it was just another icecream but it seems to have done the trick on most people who otherwise wouldn't have even come near the place otherwise.

Now I wonder who is laughing all the way to the bank!!!

When the going gets tough call in the professionals!

One thing I really like about my apartment is our landlord. He is the fix-it-all handyman who can get you out of anything. Be it moving ridiculously large and heavy furniture up the stairs and through narrow entrances, changing the screws in the stove, killing bugs, drilling holes through walls, fixing problematic toilets or just being there for any and every trouble............u name it, u can count on him.

So the latest problem, a clogged kitchen sink. the problem with a sink which grinds waste is that u have a tendency to rely on it too much. I think we have been dumping too much food into it over the past few months that it has finally taken its toll. After half an hour of digging away, even our landlord gave up. So what do we do? Call in the professional...........There is a professional for everything in this country. So why should drain cleaners be any different.

Hopefully they will get the job done!!

Tamil New year!

Its been the week of new years. Its funny how different states in India celebrate their new year's on different days of the first fortnight of April.

I know that the Tamil Calendar follows the movement of the sun.I'm sure each state has its own little story attached to ringing in the new year. I was not aware of this until this year when I got to see it first hand with people from Andhra, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Bengal and ofcourse Tamil Nadu. I always thought that there was Ugadi and Tamil New year and thats it coz we used to get a holiday only for those two in school.

Its also strange that Tamil New year is probably the only occasion( i wouldn;t call it a festival) among all the states to not have a proper name. I mean when there can be a Ugadi, Vishu, Gudi Padwa, Baisakhi etc why dont we have a name?

Hmmm.......anyway, here's wishing you all a Happy Paarthiva Varsham!!

How appropriate is it to receive a Panchangam on New year's day!!!!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy!

A week back i would have never imagined that I would be in North Carolina. yes, north carolina. Never knew could get such good flight deals at the last minute. Hotwire rocks!!

Anyway, was a reunion of sorts. Got together with quite a few of my college mates. Was wonderful seeing all of them again. All of us are still the same fun loving lot. Didn't feel like we had been away from each other for even a moment. There's nothing much to speak about North Carolina except that the weather was perfect. 21C is the ideal temperature with the sunshining all day. You cant get a better day to go on a 200 mile drive to the Atlantic coast.

Driving in this country is one of the easiest things to do. Dont know why there are so many accidents. I simply fail to understand how one can go wrong with automatic transmission and so many rules to keep you safe. So much so that I'm seriously contemplating buying a car before the summer starts. It would be really helpful especially driving to work if i plan to stay in minneapolis. With a shoestring budget it would have to be a use and throw car though.......lets see!!

Minneapolis is warming up considerably! Spring is officially underway. People in this country are overreacting though. Especially the women. From 2 to 3 layers of clothes to almost none is kind of overdoing it. I mean its not like its sweltering hot. That would be good old chennai in may. Wonder what these people would do in conditions like that............hmmm!!

Taking a step back

Why do we go through life the way we do? Worrying about gazillion things under the sun. Get paranoid about the most ridiculous of things. The kind of life that we lead, mostly thinking about the future rather than the present. The stuff we dont do when we really want to. Trying to make a better tomorrow for yourself and almost completely losing touch with the present. When you get to see something completely different, a different lifestyle, a whole new perspective perhaps on life itself, it forces you to take a step back and introspect. I mean seriously, is the fuss all worth it? maybe it is eventually. But all i know is that, that is not the only way to go through life even though it seems like it. There are so many others who have such a nice outlook on life. And who knows maybe they end up with a lot more satisfying life if not a very significant one.

I'm pretty sure this is my most cryptic post i've written. But i just had to get it out of my system.

The first morning of an India-pak series!

The anticipation, the atmosphere, the ground, and its only a few minutes before the toss. Butterflies anyone!!!!!! Funny thing is I wont even be watching it and yet that doesn't really seem to matter. wish i could atleast get ball-by-ball commentary. Actually I think there is a website which is actually providing a live feed of all the matches. Let's see, maybe I am desperate enough for that. But until then, here's a small prayer for a Dravid century on day 1 at Mohali!!

I dont know a single person who doesn't appreciate the national anthem!

It is absolutely peaceful listening to Jan Gan Man(the Rahman album) early in the morning or late at night. For anyone who has never heard the album, I highly recommend buying the CD and listening to it right away. The ensemble of musicians on the album is simply amazing. It reads like the who's who of Indian classical music. From Vishwa Mohan Bhat's mohan veena, to hariharan's alaap, it never ceases to amaze you.

Thanks to Rahman for reviving the anthem among the youth!

Life has changed!

It was Oscar night. What was I doing.................I was in the lab in complete oblivion doing my graphics assignment. I think this is the first time in 10 years I've missed the Oscar ceremony. This is just crazy. But I think the winner's list is the most predictable in a long long time.

Life does feel like it has changed.

From the land of skiing gods!

Alpine skiing is a sport that i never truly identified with. What are the chances sitting in the heart of Chennai far far away from any form of snow! Even though it was exciting to watch a few giant slalom events on Transworld sport every sunday it never caught my imagination. Not until Saturday that is!! My first skiing experience.........with a snowstorm round the corner, minnesota was a skiing haven, atleast for amateurs like me. For us this is the alps and the ultimate experience!

Skiing doesnot involve a steep learning curve! Just pay attention to technique and detail and you should be well on your way. A bit of courage always helps. That doesn't mean I was tearing down a steep slope, doing tricks mid-air and screeching to a stylish halt on a level 5 slope. That was the job for 8 year old girls who seemed to have no fear. They were putting me to shame. I mean here I was, hesitant on letting go, contemplating how fast to go down the most gradual of slopes and these kids whiz by me on snowboards and skis as though it was as easy as taking a Sunday afternoon stroll.

More than the embarassment, the fatigue, and the cold(not really), what best describes skiing is FUN. Loads and loads of it! There is no feeling like letting go at the top of a slope and coming down it with nothing to stop you except your own ability to brake using the skiis. The adrenaline rush, that thrill is unmatched. And once you've come down the slope, you can't wait to get back up and do it again. Even after 3 1/2 hours you want more!! I cant wait to go back there and try the steeper slopes! The fatigue never gets to you while you are at it. Ofcourse the next morning is an entirely different story. Your entire body is aching, my whole left side was soar. But its just temporary. Given the choice I would do this every weekend!

So for those lucky souls who get to do this for a living - the tombas, the meiers, the seizingers.............. I admire and envy you!!

Yes the snow is great and skiing is the best way to enjoy it! and for all those who want to run away to florida and california far away from snow, go out, get a pair of skiis and live life to its fullest!

Friday stands for fun!

Arachu vitta sambar is the only way sambar should be made. I'm never making sambar any other way. And maybe next time i will be more prepared instead of getting a neck pain out of getting a tutorial on the phone from my mom. And when that happens obviously the food cant go wrong. I mean when 15 people gulp down 4 litres of sambar within an hour of its preparation, surely it must have been good! ofcourse the dosai had a part to play in that as well!

So Friday is the day i most look forward to. Its my day of fun. No classes. A meeting with Prof. Nadathur in the morning which is kind of fun coz I am given preferential treatment over my co-TA. The fun starts with preparing for the recitation(teaching) on Monday and then planning dinner. The fun is rounded off with a movie.

What is more satisfying than cooking dosai, sambar...............eating it!!

Snowfight - the most fun way to fight!

When your environment is taken over by a sea of white, life can be depressing at times. But for all those who say winter is a miserable time of the year, i'd say you just dont know how to have fun. If you cant fight the snow, try to enjoy it. Go out with a few friends and have a snowfight. Its the most amazing experience. Ofcourse, dont be crazy and not be protected before you do so. But seriously, smashing snowballs on each other and playing with snow gives you this feeling of carefreeness which I haven't felt since my school days. So for all you lonely, miserable and bored souls out there, if there is snow around you go play in it. You will realize how liberating it can be.

Next thing on the agenda - build a snowman!

The quest for Dosai in midtown Manhattan - In a New York minute

Observations
1. Times square is probably the only place where you could sit in the middle of a street and have dinner with a million people from all over the world. Its an experience that I will never forget and one which every person should experience atleast once. Counting down the new year's with a million voices to give you company is a big part of that.
2. When the wind hits you on the 86th floor of the Empire State building, you better be prepared.
3.Chinatown here really means chinatown. You would really think you were in midtown Tianjin.
4. The statue of Liberty is best seen on a clear day just after sunrise bathed in sunlight.
5. Becco's is probably the best italian place in manhattan. Its by far the best italian food I've had. Never knew pasta meant so much more than mac, spaghetti, and penne.
6. Dosai tastes heavenly regardless of whether you have it at home, at Woodlands or on Lexington and 27th in Manhattan.
7. Never thought I could see anything like the queues and crowds at the Tirupathi temple. The mob trying to get into Times square on New year's eve comes pretty close.
8. The museums in New york will drive you crazy. They are so huge that you can get lost in them. But I must admit that some of the stuff on display is fabulous and makes even the most uneducated eye pause and take notice!
9. Most people working on wall street and making millions still live in apartments smaller than the one I live in right now.
10. The number of people making a living off the streets is almost equal to those not. Most of these are asians.
11. For the first time I saw a ladies queue much longer than the men's. Any guesses as to what the queue was for?
12. NYPD bomb squad dogs are some of the healthiest known to man.

New york city is like no other in the US. But the more I think of it the more I'm reminded of Bombay. Here are a few parallels........
1. Its the first and probably only skyline that requires a panoramic view to see.
2. It is dirty almost to the point of being filthy at certain places. I needn't even bother to open my mouth about the cleanliness of bombay.
3. Its busier than any other city. People dont have the time to take a moment and soak in the atmosphere. That is left to the tourists.
4. The subways are a lifeline every New yorker appreciates. It reminds you of the train system in bombay. Sometimes, it does get that crowded as well.
5. The waterfront on battery park is the place to be for sunrise and sunsets. The ferry to liberty starts from there. Benches, pigeons, even buildings resembling the Taj Mahal hotel..........need I say more.
6. Grand central is a train station so much like VT. Ofcourse its much bigger. It also has this Indian place called Cafe Spice which serves some amazing biryani!

But thats where the similarities end. New york has so much more. The sheer size of the buildings can be quite a pain in the neck! In the middle of all the madness is a green haven called Central Park. You can get your peace and quite there. Just walking down the streets of Manhattan is quite a surreal experience. Its a truly international sight as you bump into people of all shapes, sizes, race and color. There's an ad, i think for mastercard, which goes "If you stand on Times Square long enough, you are likely to meet every person on earth". I now actually believe that.