Home away from Home!

After 2 months of classes, we were getting Fall Break [ 21st & 22nd October], this was a long 4 day break since weekend was also there!

I had planned to visit my bro during this time, and he had booked my tickets to San Jose,California long back. As the days neared, I was more worried about my 4 days absence here, the pending task I have to complete etc. One of my friends asked me "Are you exited to see you bro" and I was not so "reactive " about it then. But when I stepped into the plane to go, I know I skipped a heart beat, when I realized I am going to meet FAMILY!!! That 's the time when I said to my self screw the pending task, screw assignments let me not think of it for the next 4 days!!! And I must agree it was the best decision I made :-D

Had a wonderful travel experience from Baton Rouge to San Jose [ sitting next to a Yahoo Employee and a Manager of some company], landed in San Jose, picked up by my bro, headed straight to a Indian Fast Food Center, packed Dosa, Idlis and filter coffee and came to his apt ooops I would rather call it HOME!!!

Was impressed and surprised the way his home was maintained, hogged dosa and dozzed off on the carpeted floor [ better than my unstable air mattress]. Woke up when mom called, spoke to her briefly got fresh and had idlis and coffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :-). Was watching the latest hit "Endiran" when bro came home and picked me. Visited his office, met his colleagues, boss and had buffet lunch with them in an Indian Restaurant [Sneha]. After that, bro took me to shopping!!!! Then we headed to a Jain Temple [ Was very relaxing and felt good] and had dinner at Tirupathi BHIMAS [ I can still feel the taste of RASAM I had there]. Then bro thought me how to drive for about 2 hrs I guess.

Next day same routine, but we made a visit to Shiva Vishu Temple at Liver-more, then headed to San Fransisco. The drive was really endearing! Visited
1. Golden Gateway Bridge
2. Crooked Street
3. Peer Street
in San Fransisco and dined at a posh Italian Restaurant with one of his friends.

Came out to realize bro's car was towed, had to hunt for it and pay a hefty fine! Didnt realized the drive back to San Jose as I was exhausted!

Next day, met Nikhil & Srivatsan [ Friends and Colleagues from MindTree]. They are studying MS in San Jose [ This year just like me]. Nikhil prepared some good coffee and I had a typical gossipy chat with them. Nikhil then took me around his campus followed by some mouthwatering Punjabi Lunch. We then went to a Tech Exhibition [ though the plan was to go to an ART museum]. Had some fun seeing & experimenting some techie stuffs. Lost our way back home, so asked my bro to pick us. Then went with bro for more shopping and had CHAATS for dinner .

Well that's the end of it, next day traveled abck to Baton Rouge [ bad travel experience] and got back to my routine of worrying about everything! Yes Bro's Home was HOME AWAY FROM HOME, for 3 days I had good sleep, good food, good company and no responsibilities to worry about just like how things were back HOME and above all I was with FAMILY. I couldn't have asked for a better break!!!

Though my heart desires I get such breaks every weekend if not everyday!! Is it too much to ask for ?

A weekend that wasn't!

After mid term exams, I was really looking forward to having a great stress free weekend :-)

The Initial Plan was :

1. Get my Learners Permit to drive in US on Friday afternoon
2. Have a good poker night at our place on Friday night
3. Saturday morning get up without an alarm ringing!!!
4. Clean the apartment
5. Go for lunch with a couple of friends to an Indian Restaurant
6. Finish my take home exam on Saturday Evening
7. Prepare Bisibele bath & Paysam on Sunday :-)
8. Get ready for my trip to California coming weekend!! [ To meet my brother]
9. Wash clothes and Iron them

What actually Happened :
1. Since I didn't have my Indian DL with me, I was turned down at the Driving License Office
:-( [ After waiting for about 2 hours]
2. Pre-pone the lunch plan on Saturday to dinner on Friday night [ I didn't get to eat Saga Paneer]
2. Poker night though was fun, we had to wind up early since many were tired
3. I had to get up like 6:30 in the morning on Saturday, to go to some driving school and attend some 6 hours of class room lecture [ To get the certificate through which I can apply for Learner's Permit]
4. I came home like 4 PM in the afternoon on Saturday, crashed on the bed, woke up at 6:30 PM and started cleaning my apartment.
5. Since I was not done with my Take Home exam, my entire Sunday went for it. This meant no Paysam, no Bisibelebath and no visiting temple .
6. Lastly, forget washing clothes I couldn't find time to wash my hair as well.

Looking forward to a better long weekend this week.....

My perpectives change according to my convinience

I had my 1st set of mid term exams this week [ giving exams after 3+ years]. It was very challenging for me to sit for any length of time and write [ I am now more used to typing on the computers].

One Exam really went good [ Marketing] and the next 2 were terrible :
1. Information Systems
2. Accounting.

From what I have heard, here the professors curve [increase] the marks in case the performance of the entire class is bad.

And the grading system is
>= 90 - A Grade
89<= >80 - B Grade
69<= >89 - Grade C etc etc.

So even if you get a 70% [ which is considered really good in India], it is equivalent to flunking here!!


In India, if I pass I am good, if I get a First Class I am glad, if I get a First Class Distinction it is a miracle and it really didn't matter how others performed!!!

Now in US, my performance is totally based on the entire classes performance. If I belong to the majority of them who have done the exams really bad the professor will curve our grades. If I belong to the minority of people who have done the exams bad I have to leave with bad grades and if I belong to the minority of people who have done the exams really good, instantly I am the enemy of many :-). So me giving my exams and be done with it will in no ways is the end of the story.

Anyways the main point is since I did 2 of my exams really bad, instead of hoping to some how get good marks [ miracle] I am just hoping that the rest of the class also have done it really bad so the professor can curve our grades. I know it is a sad-dist thought, but I am only HUMAN I ought to think like one!!!

Its a question of 1.25 Dollars == 62.50 Rupees!!!

I was studying for my accounting quiz which was due Wednesday!!! [ I totally suck at Accounting] when Hari came to our apartment and started literally abusing the washing machine!!! Apparently, he had fed the machine with a couple of dollars and they were stuck Neither can he remove the coins nor can he use that machine :-). The expression on his face was hilarious!!! I didn't concentrate much as I was studying [ pretending :-)]. Pri got up and went along with him to have a look at it .

After about 10 minutes I get a call, Pri saying "Get some tools like jump clips and safety pins because the coins are badly stuck!!"

I had no choice but to venture into this, I took with me a fork, my hair clip and headed towards the laundry place. When I entered the room, both of them had expressions indicating " We have lost everything in Life, we cannot even do laundry NOW!!!". It was challenging to take up the task, but I found this more interesting than studying accounting [ At that moment at least].

I banged the machine left and right [ Hari was scared that there might be a CCTV which will see us abuse the machine so much] but, nothing was going to stop me!!! I wanted to try all things before I gave up. I inserted the fork, my hair clips and did all possible tricks I learned in my Hardware labs [Smacking the devices] but no use!! It was about time we gave up and I saw a metallic name tag lying on one of the machines. I inserted even that, and this time it went so deep into the hole that, I couldn't get it back. Hari was laughing his guts out, and said 'Arpitha is inserting more stuffs into the already jammed machine", it was funny and illegal but I really didn't care much. Next I again inserted the fork and there was some jerk in the hole and "Tappak" the name tag fell down, and with a little bit more fiddling 5 quarters fell out. Hari was the happiest and I was the proudest person at that time. I took one quarter in memory of my expedition and called the day off with a couple of pics!!

New Avatar for my blog!

Hi Reverie Faithful Blog readers!!!!

First of all extremely sorry for not blogging this long. I have been busy with my course work!!! But if you come to think of it, my 1st job here is MBA. Evey thing else comes next!! [ Not really ;-)] so I think, me not able being to blog should be fine to some extent at least.

Anyways, after receiving 2 constructive feedback [ negative feedback] on my blogging style, I have decided to change my blogging style.

1. No more detail stories : Apart from the fact it discourages many of my readers, it is time consuming to write in depth and right now for me Time is EVERYTHING!!!!!

2. I would blog when there is something really interesting to share, no routine daily stuffs. You
guys must have understood my life here. Me having no sleep is a constant!!!

Anyways will cya all with my new blogging style some time soon. Till rest your eyes!!! :-D