"Voodoo" has always been my second choice, until yesterday. Even this time, i was only forced to buy it cos "Phoenix" was not available in the store and cos I knew I won't get as good a deal on the price in any other store(ok, I was too lazy to goto another store). I felt proud that my first choice deodorant was used by so many that the store ran out of stock! I decided to compromise, not realising the blessing in disguise,...if i may.
At about 1 pm yesterday, I was in the lunchroom in my office, watching Germany take on Poland in the World Cup Soccer. There was a really pretty blonde girl in the room, which was a surprise in itself, sitting a few feet away from me, also watching the game(i was watching the game too, mind you). We must've stayed together there for less than 10 minutes. The room was crowded and there was no scope of talking to her. "Damn my luck", i thought, as always(good thing to put the blame on for my incapacities).
I went back at 3pm for tea and surprise, she was there too!
PBG: "hey. how you doin'?"
me: "hello"
PBG: "what perfume do u use? u smell great"
me(not blushing surprisingly enough): "oh, thanks. it's just a deo. Axe...Voodoo"
PBG: "oh! cool. see ya around..."
me: "sure!" ;)
Was relaxing browsing the net after a tiring day. It was about 11 pm and it was hot inside the house, thanks to the heater set at 78 degrees. Went outside to get some fresh air. There, sitting all alone, with a can of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other was this beautiful brunette girl, who has been saying hi's and hello's to me from outside my window for the past 3 days. I decided to put some "kadalai" and asked her whereabouts. She was in San Diego visiting my neighbor and was from Arizona. We "kadalied" for about half an hour.
BBG: "am waiting for my friend. She's in the jacuzzi. hope am not ruining your sleep"
me(thinking, "not yet"): "no no. not at all. I don't sleep before midnight generally"
....
BBG: "what soap do you use?"
me: "eh?"
BBG: "what soap do you use? you smell very good"
me: "Dove"
BBG: "I've been smelling you for a very long time now. It's very good"
me(successfully avoiding blushing again): "well, it's probably my deodorant. Voodoo"
BBG: "oh. very good"
her friend, a cute brunette girl, who was half lost cos of the 6 beers inside her belly and half cos she lost her contact lenses in the jaccuzi arrived. BBG intro-ed me to CBG as A's neighbor(they both were visiting A, who's married unfortunately). CBG offered her hand.
CBG(pointing to the window in my room): "you are the guy who sits in this room, right?"
me: "yes, i am"
CBG: "What's your name?"
me: "Ram"
CBG: "What does it mean?"
me: "It's a God's name"
CBG: "that's cool"
CBG(sniffing the air): "it smells great, doesn't it?"
BBG: "it's his deo"
CBG: "cool. it's very good. must be an expensive one"
BBG: "it's Voodoo"
CBG: "good choice"
It was too much for one day and i did blush a little. They did not seem to notice ;)
BBG(offering her hand): "Thanks for keeping me company, R-A-M. Good night"
CBG: "Good night, R-A-M"
me: "good night girls. Enjoy the remaining days in San Diego"
12:15 am, today.
me(asking myself): "What must be the title for the blog, when i do blog later today from work about the remarkable day that yesterday was?"
Voodoo's here to stay...goodbye Phoenix! ;)
After all, who cares what my first choice is?!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Around Southern California
The last 15 days were full of action for me. Practically know the roads connecting my house to the different hot spots in San Diego byheart now. Also have a good idea about the Pacific highway running near Los Angeles, which is full of beaches and to an extent the streets in the LA downtown. Drove 60 miles a day on average during this period...phew!
A friend, another friend and his parents, and another friend of his visited San Diego on the 27th of May. It was a long weekend. Went to the Pacific beach, went to the San Diego harbor and did go-karting that night...twice. a very expensive sport...wont go near it for another 3 months atleast, or so i hope. The following day we went to the SeaWorld in San Diego. what a place! the animals are simply amazing. although, at times, i felt like an ASPCA agent, i couldnt help but wonder the way these animals are trained. Shamu, the whale was amazing. So were the dolphins, the walruses, the penguins, the sealions, the sea otters, the sharks, the polar bears and the infinite varieties of the fishes. the entire day was not enough to cover every nook and corner of the place. bought a pass for a trivial $11 on top of the actual entry fee, which i can use any number of times through the remainder of 2006. hoping to go there atleast one more time this year. that night we met some common friends over dinner and remembered some good old times in Cincinnati. on the 29th, we started late, exhausted by the previous two days. We planned to go to the Malibu Venkateswara temple, near LA and return by 5pm in the evening, while my friends will drive to the bay area from there. Blame it on the amazing LA traffic, it was 9:30pm when me and B reached home that night. The only solace was the good darshan we had in the temple...
The next four days were really busy. Four day weeks are surely more taxing than the normal five day weeks. had to drive to the airport to drop B off, who was leaving to India for 10 days for his sister's marriage. Have to pick him up from the airport tomorrow, and that should put an end to driving more than 10 miles continuously, atleast for a while.
On the morning of the 3rd of June, i drove to LAX international airport, to pick up my cousin, whom i was meeting after about five years, his wife and kid, whom i had never met before. We checked into the Marriott in the LA downtown and set to Santa Monica beach after having lunch at an Indian restaurant. It was really hot and we couldnt stay there for long, cos of the infant. We then went to the Malibu temple(twice for me, in 6 days). kept driving on the Pacific highway for a long time, enjoying the scenic beauty and then set about to Beverly hills. We were all exhausted by then and missed our way somewhere and decided to skip it and went back to the hotel after having dinner at Denny's. The next day was spent in Universal studios, a miniature version of the one i had been to in Orlando in July 2004. Relived some of the old rides and enjoyed some of the new ones(ones that werent in Orlando). Mummy Returns and Jurassic Park were good in particular, and Back To the Future chose to remain my favorite. We spent a good time outside the Universal Studios, at the Universal City Walk and had good mexican food. I then dropped them at the hotel and returned to San Diego at 1 am. They chose to stay back for a couple more days in LA.
Work resumed on monday and only monday was relatively peaceful. Had to pick them up from the Amtrak railway station in San Diego downtown on Tuesday. They went to the World Famous(as they claim) San Diego Zoo on wednesday. took a break and dropped them off at the zoo and picked them up after work in the evening. We went to the San Diego harbour(twice in 10 days) that evening and spent some time taking pictures. On thursday, i dropped them off at the SeaWorld and then picked them up in the evening. They supposedly had a very good time at both the zoo and the SeaWorld. On Friday, i went really early to work(woke up at 5:30 am!) and returned early too. They just walked to a nearby mall and did some shopping and had lunch. We then set out to Old Town San Diego, where the oldest settlements were supposed to have been. There were a lot of shops and restaurants, all in mexican style. We had a good time there. Then we went to the Coronado beach in Coronado island, south of San Diego. The beach there was lovely. We spent over an hour there, taking videos and pictures and then set back to the Old Town San Diego for dinner. It was midnight by the time we reached home. Yesterday, all of us and my roommates went to an Indian restaurant and had some good food. My cousin's flight was at 2:40 pm and i dropped them off at the airport at 1:40pm sharply :D.
It was about 4pm when i thought of taking a short nap, cos i was feeling really exhausted. By the time i woke up, it was well past 11 pm! I went back to bed at 3 am and woke up again at 8 am and i feel rejuvenated as i write this. The last 15 days were sapping the juice out of me. But, i will have the memories and the photographs to bring to life the various places i visited taking away my tiredness with them...
A friend, another friend and his parents, and another friend of his visited San Diego on the 27th of May. It was a long weekend. Went to the Pacific beach, went to the San Diego harbor and did go-karting that night...twice. a very expensive sport...wont go near it for another 3 months atleast, or so i hope. The following day we went to the SeaWorld in San Diego. what a place! the animals are simply amazing. although, at times, i felt like an ASPCA agent, i couldnt help but wonder the way these animals are trained. Shamu, the whale was amazing. So were the dolphins, the walruses, the penguins, the sealions, the sea otters, the sharks, the polar bears and the infinite varieties of the fishes. the entire day was not enough to cover every nook and corner of the place. bought a pass for a trivial $11 on top of the actual entry fee, which i can use any number of times through the remainder of 2006. hoping to go there atleast one more time this year. that night we met some common friends over dinner and remembered some good old times in Cincinnati. on the 29th, we started late, exhausted by the previous two days. We planned to go to the Malibu Venkateswara temple, near LA and return by 5pm in the evening, while my friends will drive to the bay area from there. Blame it on the amazing LA traffic, it was 9:30pm when me and B reached home that night. The only solace was the good darshan we had in the temple...
The next four days were really busy. Four day weeks are surely more taxing than the normal five day weeks. had to drive to the airport to drop B off, who was leaving to India for 10 days for his sister's marriage. Have to pick him up from the airport tomorrow, and that should put an end to driving more than 10 miles continuously, atleast for a while.
On the morning of the 3rd of June, i drove to LAX international airport, to pick up my cousin, whom i was meeting after about five years, his wife and kid, whom i had never met before. We checked into the Marriott in the LA downtown and set to Santa Monica beach after having lunch at an Indian restaurant. It was really hot and we couldnt stay there for long, cos of the infant. We then went to the Malibu temple(twice for me, in 6 days). kept driving on the Pacific highway for a long time, enjoying the scenic beauty and then set about to Beverly hills. We were all exhausted by then and missed our way somewhere and decided to skip it and went back to the hotel after having dinner at Denny's. The next day was spent in Universal studios, a miniature version of the one i had been to in Orlando in July 2004. Relived some of the old rides and enjoyed some of the new ones(ones that werent in Orlando). Mummy Returns and Jurassic Park were good in particular, and Back To the Future chose to remain my favorite. We spent a good time outside the Universal Studios, at the Universal City Walk and had good mexican food. I then dropped them at the hotel and returned to San Diego at 1 am. They chose to stay back for a couple more days in LA.
Work resumed on monday and only monday was relatively peaceful. Had to pick them up from the Amtrak railway station in San Diego downtown on Tuesday. They went to the World Famous(as they claim) San Diego Zoo on wednesday. took a break and dropped them off at the zoo and picked them up after work in the evening. We went to the San Diego harbour(twice in 10 days) that evening and spent some time taking pictures. On thursday, i dropped them off at the SeaWorld and then picked them up in the evening. They supposedly had a very good time at both the zoo and the SeaWorld. On Friday, i went really early to work(woke up at 5:30 am!) and returned early too. They just walked to a nearby mall and did some shopping and had lunch. We then set out to Old Town San Diego, where the oldest settlements were supposed to have been. There were a lot of shops and restaurants, all in mexican style. We had a good time there. Then we went to the Coronado beach in Coronado island, south of San Diego. The beach there was lovely. We spent over an hour there, taking videos and pictures and then set back to the Old Town San Diego for dinner. It was midnight by the time we reached home. Yesterday, all of us and my roommates went to an Indian restaurant and had some good food. My cousin's flight was at 2:40 pm and i dropped them off at the airport at 1:40pm sharply :D.
It was about 4pm when i thought of taking a short nap, cos i was feeling really exhausted. By the time i woke up, it was well past 11 pm! I went back to bed at 3 am and woke up again at 8 am and i feel rejuvenated as i write this. The last 15 days were sapping the juice out of me. But, i will have the memories and the photographs to bring to life the various places i visited taking away my tiredness with them...
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
God's biggest game...
It was 4am in India when my mobile rang. The number displayed in it was "+0". I knew it was my dad and I knew what he was going to say.
My maternal grandfather passed away at 2:30 am IST tuesday. He was 85. The magnitude of the news is yet to fully sink in me. He was so dear to me...rather, i was so dear to him. Staying miles away from home sucks. It sucks even more at times like these. I couldn't be there when my dearest paternal grandmother passed away in 2004 and now for him.
He was a lot of things to me. A source of inspiration. He educated all of his five kids single-handedly bearing all the financial responsibilities and made sure that all of them settled down well in life. My mom amazes me with stories on how he always made sure that all of his kids went on every single excursion in school and college despite a not-so-great financial situation at home. Borrowing money at the last moment from his mill owner was a routine act for thaathaa. Nobody in the family had any clue on how he managed to return all the money back...
He stopped wearing slippers during the freedom struggle and never wore them again until he was 75 when his kids and grandkids forced him to start wearing it, after seeing him struggle walking in the scorching sun. He worked until he was 70 plus- man, it wasnt a surprise at all then. when i think of it now, i feel so humbled.
He was a tall man, close to 6 feet and had a heart of gold. He was so restless after he stopped working. He was not meant to retire...but, like all great men, he had to...He wanted him to.
He was suffering from stage III cancer, the doctors amazed by the fact that he did not complain of pain until he actually did. They suggested that he bore all the pain and that there was no other possibility.
I always thought of him to be a strong man. I think I am thankful to God that I dont have to carry any sad memories of him, although the fact that i couldnt be at his side when he drew his last breath pains me a lot.
I spoke to my mom and she was struggling to talk. She was his clear favorite. I was always intrigued by the bond between my thaathaa and his first son, my uncle. There was not much external affection evident. I always assumed that he liked my grandpa the least of the five children. When my mom told me that he had been crying non-stop ever since thaathaa died, i couldnt quite believe it. But when my mom passed the phone to him and i heard him cry, that's when the fact that my grandpa is gone for good sunk a little in me. He said, "unna paththi kadasi varaikkum kaettuNdae irundhaar Jagan. Thanks for calling". I did not know what to say.
I know that my thaathaa is safe now from all earthly pains at His feet. I havent spoken to my paatti yet. That's going to be really tough.
I'll miss my thaathaa and his kadhar aadai...
My maternal grandfather passed away at 2:30 am IST tuesday. He was 85. The magnitude of the news is yet to fully sink in me. He was so dear to me...rather, i was so dear to him. Staying miles away from home sucks. It sucks even more at times like these. I couldn't be there when my dearest paternal grandmother passed away in 2004 and now for him.
He was a lot of things to me. A source of inspiration. He educated all of his five kids single-handedly bearing all the financial responsibilities and made sure that all of them settled down well in life. My mom amazes me with stories on how he always made sure that all of his kids went on every single excursion in school and college despite a not-so-great financial situation at home. Borrowing money at the last moment from his mill owner was a routine act for thaathaa. Nobody in the family had any clue on how he managed to return all the money back...
He stopped wearing slippers during the freedom struggle and never wore them again until he was 75 when his kids and grandkids forced him to start wearing it, after seeing him struggle walking in the scorching sun. He worked until he was 70 plus- man, it wasnt a surprise at all then. when i think of it now, i feel so humbled.
He was a tall man, close to 6 feet and had a heart of gold. He was so restless after he stopped working. He was not meant to retire...but, like all great men, he had to...He wanted him to.
He was suffering from stage III cancer, the doctors amazed by the fact that he did not complain of pain until he actually did. They suggested that he bore all the pain and that there was no other possibility.
I always thought of him to be a strong man. I think I am thankful to God that I dont have to carry any sad memories of him, although the fact that i couldnt be at his side when he drew his last breath pains me a lot.
I spoke to my mom and she was struggling to talk. She was his clear favorite. I was always intrigued by the bond between my thaathaa and his first son, my uncle. There was not much external affection evident. I always assumed that he liked my grandpa the least of the five children. When my mom told me that he had been crying non-stop ever since thaathaa died, i couldnt quite believe it. But when my mom passed the phone to him and i heard him cry, that's when the fact that my grandpa is gone for good sunk a little in me. He said, "unna paththi kadasi varaikkum kaettuNdae irundhaar Jagan. Thanks for calling". I did not know what to say.
I know that my thaathaa is safe now from all earthly pains at His feet. I havent spoken to my paatti yet. That's going to be really tough.
I'll miss my thaathaa and his kadhar aadai...
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Yet Another Tag
Tagged by Raz
Name 10 of life's simple pleasures that you like the most and then pick 10 people to do the same (optional). Try to be original and creative and no to use the things someone else has already used.
1. Singing out loud
2. Enjoying simple lyrics that convey big meanings with a teardrop trying to pop out of my eyes
3. Returning a powerful smash back to the opponent much to his surprise, in Table Tennis
4. Getting a batsman bowled with my slower ball in Cricket
5. Eye contact with cute-looking girls
6. Teasing my dad
7. Sleeping in broad daylight with comforter and heater on(sorry Raz- had to say this)
8. Utilizing the snooze button in my watch alarm to the maximum
9. Getting teased by my sister
10. Saying "Yes" to anything and everything my friends plan to do
I tag-
Shy, MJ, Nostalgia, Sri and Siva - do it if and when you guys find time...
Name 10 of life's simple pleasures that you like the most and then pick 10 people to do the same (optional). Try to be original and creative and no to use the things someone else has already used.
1. Singing out loud
2. Enjoying simple lyrics that convey big meanings with a teardrop trying to pop out of my eyes
3. Returning a powerful smash back to the opponent much to his surprise, in Table Tennis
4. Getting a batsman bowled with my slower ball in Cricket
5. Eye contact with cute-looking girls
6. Teasing my dad
7. Sleeping in broad daylight with comforter and heater on(sorry Raz- had to say this)
8. Utilizing the snooze button in my watch alarm to the maximum
9. Getting teased by my sister
10. Saying "Yes" to anything and everything my friends plan to do
I tag-
Shy, MJ, Nostalgia, Sri and Siva - do it if and when you guys find time...
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Friday, April 14, 2006
Iniya Thamizh PuththaaNdu NalvaazhthugaL!
Am so getting used to making last minute posts. April 14, 2006 is history throughout the world except in the Pacific Time Zone of USA and in parts of the East Pacific Ocean(which is actually the west end of the world...interesting). Still, somehow i manage to make it in time.
Here's wishing u all a very happy tamil new year!
anaivarukkum yen iniya puththaaNdu nalvaazhthugaL!
I decided to give myself a small gift on this day. So, i gave birth to this tamil blog of mine. I hope to get the support(read comments in the new blog) of all the Tamil readers out there and those who are even remotely interested in this beautiful language.
keep visiting...
Here's wishing u all a very happy tamil new year!
anaivarukkum yen iniya puththaaNdu nalvaazhthugaL!
I decided to give myself a small gift on this day. So, i gave birth to this tamil blog of mine. I hope to get the support(read comments in the new blog) of all the Tamil readers out there and those who are even remotely interested in this beautiful language.
keep visiting...
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Courage...
Will I ever be able to do something like this?
Mizaz said when the fire broke out, Javed managed to come out safe from a burning tented enclosure but went back to help those trapped inside.
Anida, his mother, said, "Javed saw six kids were stuck in one corner of a tent and so he went back inside the burning enclosure to save them. He tore a part of the synthetic cloth that was used to make the outer cover of the tent to make way for the children."
No one knew then that Javed's presence of mind and exemplary act of bravery would save so many lives but claim his own.
May his soul rest in peace...
thanakkena vaazhbavan irukkayil iRakkiRaan
piRarkkena vaazhndhavan iRandhumae irukkiRaan
Mizaz said when the fire broke out, Javed managed to come out safe from a burning tented enclosure but went back to help those trapped inside.
Anida, his mother, said, "Javed saw six kids were stuck in one corner of a tent and so he went back inside the burning enclosure to save them. He tore a part of the synthetic cloth that was used to make the outer cover of the tent to make way for the children."
No one knew then that Javed's presence of mind and exemplary act of bravery would save so many lives but claim his own.
May his soul rest in peace...
thanakkena vaazhbavan irukkayil iRakkiRaan
piRarkkena vaazhndhavan iRandhumae irukkiRaan
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
An evening away from my bedroom
Isn't it ironical that "bedroom" and "boredom" are anagrams? hmmm...
S called me at around 2pm on Sunday and said he'd drive down from Irvine along with his GF "R" at around 6pm. I was more than happy to say "sure". After all, we had met only once in the last 4 and a half years and got to spend only about 12 hours together then. He wanted to go out for dinner and spend some time here. It was a pleasant surprise cos one wudn't have associated S of the yore to pay friendly visits by driving 140 odd miles to and fro. He wanted my roommates to join us too. I thought "right!" and told him, "I'll ask them". As expected, one of my roommates had to iron his clothes and the other one was not feeling well cos he had slept at 3 am the previous night!
S and R arrived just past six. I was introduced to R by S and then I introduced them to my roommates. One of my roommates was going to the temple and we thought we'll join him too(hattrick for me- that too friday, saturday and sunday!). We then dropped him at home so that he could iron his clothes peacefully and then headed to the San Diego downtown. It's been four weeks since i moved to this place and this is the first time i got a chance to go there, thanks to S for that. Seeing the downtown from the ground was certainly worth the hype i had gotten twice before, when I had seen it from a few thousand feet above the ground, although the fact that it was all dark by the time we got there is a pity.
We went to "Sea Port Village", which was a cool place. We had dinner at a restaurant there(forgot its name- "Sea" something). To my surprise, there were "three" vegetarian dishes and i chose Thai noodles. They ordered shrimp, fish and Margarita. So, i had to be content with my food and pepsi!
We soon got into discussions about our college days. It was great to remember those golden days. S was telling about the problems they were facing. R's iyer dad wants an iyer maaplai for her. She was telling me that they are kind of "ok" now, after seeing his photos(er- how?) and all. They are going to India in July to face the music. Goodluck to them!
S was also telling me about J- about how J had fallen in love with a chat friend of his, who was equally mad about him apparently, about how he went to Canada to see her parents and about how she never spoke to him ever since he returned! It was a depressing story. I feel that online relationships are becoming banal these days. hmmm...anyways, J's moving on and is thinking of getting married in December. He's another nice chap. Deserves a lot better in life. Hope it works out well for him.
So, S and R saw my depressing life...yeah, my roommates. They wanted me to come to Irvine(LA) every weekend on Friday night after work and leave sunday night. It was so nice of them and was hard to say no to. Let's see. If not every weekend, am thinking of going there atleast once a month until i find some "friends" here.
They left SD at 11pm. Before leaving, he gave me a card. It made me feel nice. He has changed quite a bit and i am sure R must have made a significant contribution to this cause. Left me feeling a bit jealous. What on earth am i doing being single at 26? where are you, my girl? ;)
S called me at around 2pm on Sunday and said he'd drive down from Irvine along with his GF "R" at around 6pm. I was more than happy to say "sure". After all, we had met only once in the last 4 and a half years and got to spend only about 12 hours together then. He wanted to go out for dinner and spend some time here. It was a pleasant surprise cos one wudn't have associated S of the yore to pay friendly visits by driving 140 odd miles to and fro. He wanted my roommates to join us too. I thought "right!" and told him, "I'll ask them". As expected, one of my roommates had to iron his clothes and the other one was not feeling well cos he had slept at 3 am the previous night!
S and R arrived just past six. I was introduced to R by S and then I introduced them to my roommates. One of my roommates was going to the temple and we thought we'll join him too(hattrick for me- that too friday, saturday and sunday!). We then dropped him at home so that he could iron his clothes peacefully and then headed to the San Diego downtown. It's been four weeks since i moved to this place and this is the first time i got a chance to go there, thanks to S for that. Seeing the downtown from the ground was certainly worth the hype i had gotten twice before, when I had seen it from a few thousand feet above the ground, although the fact that it was all dark by the time we got there is a pity.
We went to "Sea Port Village", which was a cool place. We had dinner at a restaurant there(forgot its name- "Sea" something). To my surprise, there were "three" vegetarian dishes and i chose Thai noodles. They ordered shrimp, fish and Margarita. So, i had to be content with my food and pepsi!
We soon got into discussions about our college days. It was great to remember those golden days. S was telling about the problems they were facing. R's iyer dad wants an iyer maaplai for her. She was telling me that they are kind of "ok" now, after seeing his photos(er- how?) and all. They are going to India in July to face the music. Goodluck to them!
S was also telling me about J- about how J had fallen in love with a chat friend of his, who was equally mad about him apparently, about how he went to Canada to see her parents and about how she never spoke to him ever since he returned! It was a depressing story. I feel that online relationships are becoming banal these days. hmmm...anyways, J's moving on and is thinking of getting married in December. He's another nice chap. Deserves a lot better in life. Hope it works out well for him.
So, S and R saw my depressing life...yeah, my roommates. They wanted me to come to Irvine(LA) every weekend on Friday night after work and leave sunday night. It was so nice of them and was hard to say no to. Let's see. If not every weekend, am thinking of going there atleast once a month until i find some "friends" here.
They left SD at 11pm. Before leaving, he gave me a card. It made me feel nice. He has changed quite a bit and i am sure R must have made a significant contribution to this cause. Left me feeling a bit jealous. What on earth am i doing being single at 26? where are you, my girl? ;)
Sunday, April 09, 2006
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