Minutes to midnight

Lyrics from new album of Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight song is called, "The little things give you away"

Memories missed of a time gone by
Suddenly forgot now I remember why
It fell apart cause you broke my heart
Wasn't too smart couldn't see you depart
The times we had now they're gone forever
It all came too an end what for whatever
A picture of you like a blast from the past
Reminds me that you were the one to stop caring last

Voices inside of me tells me to be gone
I needed to be free but you held me in your palm
I'm free to do as I will
I'm free I'm free to remain
I am free

Now the barrel is pointed at you
Reach double gloss show what you can do

Point your finger on someone else
Blame anyone just to save yourself
Even less than what I have on my chest
As im with you now im not impressed
All i need now is some fresh air to breathe
This room is choking me with egwoine greed

I'm free to do as I will
I'm free I'm free to remain
why does all stupidity
call it what you will (call it what you will)
i've been through therapy

im free to do as I will
im free to remain
im free to do as I will
im free to remain.

Its one year now...

It has been a year since I left India. That was a cold morning of 30th Dec. when I caught my flight from Delhi. Now just recounting the days here in one year.

First few months were the months of learning and adjustments, learning outside home and adjusting inside home. That was an interesting period with a lot of new experiences I enjoyed that time and exploited most of it. For me, the most important that I gained from that is the that I came out of the comfort zone, so it has opened a lot of new paths and opportunities. And all ended with a poor result of the first semester.

Next couple of months were very different from these first months, I worked full time in summer, joined CAI (Cultural Association of India), got fee waiver, got funding from two departments, had my first road trip in US (South Dakota), and a lot more. Probably a lot of things have been done in very little time. All that kept me occupied... in and out of curriculum.

Then comes the last part of year, the third color of the flag of 2007... it was more into other work then into studies like organizing India Week and India Nite there, then tried some hand in administrative part of different things, working with International center and establish myself as a good cook ;-). But last few months were really nice exams were just after the India Nite, and that calls for sudden change in gears from one world to other world. I executed it successfully and got some good grads as well.

So, it was a summery of my first year here. A lot of things are missing in this brief account. I will come to them as par time and need...

Whats going on Pakistan?

Benazir assassinated 2 hours ago in Rawalpindi just 10 min after an election campaign and rally. Some are blaming Mussaraf, some are blaming intelligence agencies and others are blaming religious extremists. I am sure that the true culprits will remain under cover as it has been in past. For me, things seems to be very dramatic right after an internal treaty between President and Bhutto, it was really hard to digest the things since past couple of months.

But one thing is clear from all this, politics of hate lead to such tragic end. It doesn't mean that I am supporting the things going on or happy with all this, but the bottom line is you can't expect the fruit of peace on the land where you are growing hate and war.

Deep condolences to the people on that side of border...

No Country for Old Man

Its movie time, yesterday I watched a movie. Its for the very first time in an American theater. I really missed those comments and shouts that I had in Indore.

Well, lets talk about movie first. Let me summarize the movie in short-

Overall Rating- 9/10
Acting- 9/10
Direction- 9/10
Cinematography- 10/10

So its a nice deal to go and watch the movie, the movie is full for crime and suspense but its not like the other movies in this category. I was motivated to watch this movie after reading some critical reviews (Most of them rated it as one of the best movie of year). This movie is not for those who expect happy ending or win of good over bad. The best thing about the movie is it shocks you many time, and end is one of the most abrupt end I have ever seen. In the whole theater everyone was sitting and waiting for some more to come even after the movie is ended (including me :-)).

I still need to figure out the end, but its really fun watching the whole movie. The best part is the intensity of the characters in the movie. Each and every parson just fits the character and gave the best performance, kudos!!! It includes the best psychotic character I have seen in my entire life (played by Javier Bardem). Also, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin were simply came out as a great surprise with their outstanding performance.

Overall... from my side its a must watch movie, if you are looking for some serious and intense stuff.

If everyone cared...

Its a lovely song with a wonderful video...
I was listening to this song, then thought this could be a nice thing to share with you guys....
by Nickelback

If Everyone Cared

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)

And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...

We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died

Saturday Morning Matinee...

The Tiger Tradition

Merry X-max

What about a Cool Lunch here?

Cornell Behind the Tree

Any season any time... Jesse jaisi koi nahi!!!

Jefferson Under Snow

Its Snow Time...

Its all about food...

Its food time in United States, US is rich in all aspects except food. Specially when you are in a small town like Columbia. When I was coming here, I was a bit concern about the food. Being a vegi you probably have very few options to eat outside. If you are born and bought up in a city like Indore which is famous for the food culture, definitely you feel like in a starving hell.

But, its an old saying "There is a will , there is a way", struggling for a good food for first six months finally I got a way to meet the taste of the typical Indian food, after getting a new Indorian room-mate we finally came up with the solution of the weekend parties, where we can try some of the unknown cooking skills sprouting in us. The results started coming in, I was shocked to know that I am a born pav-bhaji king, along with a good chola making skills.

One of the memorable time was diwali dinner, just a few names would be enough to tell the fun- Pav Bhaji, Kheer, Tomato Soup, Onion Pakoda, Potato Pakoda, and very rarely available Masala Papad... 10 guys, working for 4 hours... food took the whole diwali evening, from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, but was an amazing experience having that late night dinner. Its a great royalty cooking food here, you get most of the things ready... just need to use some of the instincts and some of the skills... and amazing food is waiting for you there!!!

So have fun and you are most invited to the special roti (chapati) festival the winter break!!!

Objects in the mirror...

Its not very old experience, rather less then a month. It was my second trip within Missouri. We were going to Branson, the music city of the state. It is known for the old American music tradition and some of the old style village like amusement parks. The most famous among them is "Silver Dollar City", rated as one of the best theme park in the world. It is based on the old American village theme. I will tell about it sometime later in some other blog. It was the second day morning, and as usual we two non drinkers woke up early in the morning, having nothing to do alone we planned to touch the Arkansas border so that we can add one more state in our "state counter". We left thinking that we will be back in two hours till everyone else will wake up. We left the cottage and wander about three hours, lost the way in spite of having GPS system. Well the day passed on but the bug of touching the border was there in mind whole day.

So next morning we left again to make it, and we did it too!!! After on the journey back we realized that we were just driving parallel to the border a day before. This was for the first time in my life that I missed the direction sense and wasted time in finding my way.

Well that was all about that story part, today I just want to share the picture shown above. I am fond of taking photographs. I like natural scenes, but also like taking snaps of the highway beauty. In US highway are beautiful, but at the same time they are monotonous as well. Looking at the same thing again and again for a long time make you feel bore. So, I was taking photographs from inside my car... some highway shapes, cars, and things around. Suddenly I looked in the side mirror of the car, the waring there was- "OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE CLOSER THEN THEY APPEAR", and then I started staring at that and making my own observations. Suddenly, I observed there... it was hard to find for me that whether that waring was right or my observation was right...

This time I am leaving up to you... look at it and tell me what you feel...

The White Desert

Today I was on my way to Kohl's to buy some winter stuff, it was a half hour journey by Columbia Transit (the local city bus system here), as usual I was sitting next to window and watching outside, the beauty of nature. Columbia is indeed a beautiful town and has best of all seasons. It was snow all over after the very first snowfall of this winter. Suddenly, I recollected some of the memories of last winter. That was the time when I first arrived to US, I was very excited with the thought that now I will get a chance to live in a very different ambiance.

I arrived here on Dec. 30, 2007 and was very eager to see the very first snow fall at this place. But, it took another 25 days for it. It was night of 24th Jan just two days after my first session has started, my room-mate came to me telling that its snowing out there. I ran to the window and tried to sense something out of the dark outside but not able to see anything. Next morning, I woke up late around 8 AM and rushed to bathroom to get ready for my part time job interview. As I was leaving apartment my roommate told me to wear some hot stuff. I did that, as soon as I reached down to the lobby, I was amazed to see the outside. It was damn white all over.

That was a dream come true for me I was walk down the street playing with some snow balls. That evening I took my camera out and went for a long walk to capture the beauty all around. It was simply amazing, my hand and legs were freezing but I was in some other world that time. That was one of the beat time I had in Columbia I had so far.

But the more colors of snow were yet to come on my way, the days were passing down and temperature was below -5'C all the time. All the snow has converted into solid ice, and then life has changed a lot. You can't go outside because it very slippery outside, its really hard to get to walmart to get all groceries as well. It was like prison for me, I am a wanderer by my basic nature, and this things really pissed me off. I was wishing to some how get off this white desert, but it was a long wait of two months before that...

But some of the unique things of survival that I learned from that season are-
1. Coffee is your best friend.
2. Soccer shoes are useful outside the ground as well.
3. If you feel like you will fall down on the slippery surface, just sit and skid your self (or learn skating).
4. Always but a very good backpack for your laptop with a lot of cushion around it.
5. The best time to walk is when its snowing or just ended.

pic. About an year old... somewhere in Columbia

...and the journey begins

Then am I ready, like a palmer fit, To tread those blest paths which before I writ.

-Sir Walter Ralegh (1554-1618),The Passionate Man's Pilgrimage

I am posting it on December 11, 2007... Well, the exam is over and its the time to start with some new stuff. I was regular with reading some of the blogs in the past, so thought that lets start with this. It is a beginning of the traverse. I was thinking to begin this with a blast, then got no idea in mind. So, just a very simple and undercover start...

Pic: I have taken this picture on Katty Trail, it is largest trail in US on the bank of Missouri River...