2009

1.       I am officially a foreign graduate with MS degree ;)

2.       Trying to develop a taste towards a corporate life, and culture

3.       Once again I played the Heart Break Kid and going towards Heartbreak and Triumph

4.       Had a wonderful farewell from US, one of the memorable moments

5.       I returned to India… just for all those who are skeptical about my returns

6.       Became a bit lazy about couple of things

7.       Long sitting sessions took the physical health away… time to get back in shape

8.       Some of the last year’s resolution met and some are still left

9.       Movie streak is still on and numerous movies are added to records

10.    Did miss the peace of Columbia, but enjoying the crowd of India…

11.   I don’t think that I will survive Bangalore more then 5-6 year

12.   Developed some innovative business ideas, and seems like I will going to end up in business after couple of years

13.   How about writing a fiction :D

14.   Photography is ON and going strong

15.   Finally, end of year is disappointing I HATE SITTING AT HOME. I am not meant for it…

Dare to dream with open eyes... the daily updates

We always have some dreams in our life, when dreams were seen in night we usually forgot them or just ignore them, but there is yet another category the dreams seen with open eyes. These have power to convert them into reality and they are more realistic. Dreams seen by Abdul Kalam, Nelson Mandela, Mt. Gandhi are some of the examples of these dreams. Some days back, I read these lines in some news paper- " Dreams are not what you have when you sleep, dreams are those that don't let you sleep". Go for your dreams in life... just go and get it!

Updates- Its snowing heavily outside, the very first snow of the season with some late night thunderstorm warnings. Just coming back from my first snow walk of this season, its always great to welcome the first snow of the season by being a part of it, specially when the freezing air is touching your soul (this time it was close to -10'c). Being a part of the nature always brings you close to yourself and give some eternal memories to cherish.

India Nite... Preparation to presentation!!!

Those of you who have just heard about the India Nite, but not got chance to see the event this short collection will probably help you to get a feel of the event. This is a behind the screen collection, I will post a link of live event photographs soon on this blog.

Photographs by: Bharat Choudhary

Sorry! This video is no longer available due to technical problems.

ⓒAnoop Jain and Bharat Choudhary

20 Days...

So finally 20 days left for India Nite'08... last meeting was with mixed reaction, some of the members were lazy as always some of them were gearing up for coming tensions and some were bit nervous about it.

The scale and popularity of the event has made it prestige issue for any CAI (Cultural Association of India) team, especially this year when we have to wear the big boots after last year's grand 50 year celebration and success of India Nite. Things are looking under control, but looking at last experience you and always expect unexpected and as the President of the association I have to face all the outcomes The issue becomes more serious as this year we are having Consulate General of India as chief guest and with him you can definitely expect some top most faces of the university.

Well keeping my fingers crossed, looking for the next weekend when I could have a break from all these activities and enjoy some moments in Chicago...

Davil's Icebox

So, finally I got time to write about one of my best experience in US... The Devil's Icebox!!!

Its a cave located near Columbia, about 10 miles long in its full length, no sign of outer atmosphere and light, no man made structures, no human being, about 6 species of bates, full of wet and very wet mud, lot of small hole to pass on, very low tempeture and flowing water springs (some places its as deep as 9-10 feet). So the total package makes it true adventure.

Pre-preparation-> I have been told to buy at least two waterproof headlamps with super bright light, a water proof torch, learn about Kayaking, but a pair of very good mud shoes and get ready to put life at risk...

And here it starts-> I reached at base office at about 8:00 AM in morning, after checking all equipments they told us to get to parking area close to the cave (about .5 miles away). They gave us Kayak there each wt. about 60 pounds and told us to lift them and carry to the entrance of cave. It was a group of 9, we took out Kayak to entrance passing through some wooden ladders and muddy pathways.

Just at the entrance of the caves, on top of my surprise it was a deep water spring and we have divided us in a group of two with one Kayak each, as soon as we got in I got to know that me any my partner, we both are novice in Kayak and we were the last one to follow the whole group, after passing half way on some shallow water area our group leader has changed our partners. Then after 45 min of peddling we have reached to the first point, there we left our kayaks and start walking down. It was smelling really bad there with lots of bats poo...

We were walking on muddy surface, through water spring up to 4-5 feet deep and through some natural holes with whole body in mud, but really after some time I started enjoying that mud too, putting myself down and crawling through those small pathways at about 12:00 PM we reached on some plane surface. We stayed there for lunch (that was with me in my backpack, in a waterproof container) and then at 12:30 PM we started walking towards waterfall... this was rather easy way to pass on and at about 2:00 PM we reached there. It was one of the most beautiful structure I have seen in my life... simply amazing, how water has made such a beautiful thing by sedimentation.

As return journey always took less time, so on the common consensus we decided t0 take a new way and also to look into most of the muddy holes to make journey more adventurous. I must say, it was hell of a difficult journey back... I slept couple to times and two time I was skidding like anything on muddy ground and towards water body (thank god it was shallow there!). After looking into a lot of holes and couple of bat colonies we reached to our kayaks and this time we were leading the whole group with my new partner and covered the whole 45 min journey in 30 min.

After reaching outside, it was a pleasant feeling to see sunlight after almost 9 hours. It was 5:30 in my watch and again after taking our kayaks to parking area I tore out some of the trash bags in my car and tied them to seat as the whole body and cloths were in mud.

We drove back to base camp and it was time to clean all the stuff, thanks to high pressure pipe most of the stuff was clean in one hour. Me and my partner were starving like anything so we decided to go to Cici's pizza (eat unlimited pizza, pasta and salad in $4.49 ;-))...

After that great lunch and dinner, its time to go back home to prepare for next day adventure at six flags!!! The whole body was in pain... but I was enjoying that and thus ends one of the exciting day of my life!!!

P.S.- It was hard to explain the whole adventure in words... I will upload pictures soon on this page...

Balloon Festival

Before talking about my caving experience, let me tell you about the balloon festival in Columbia. Its was simply rocking time and experience. Just on the next day to my birthday, I went to Columbia annual balloon festival, it was Saturday and we left at late afternoon, I was there with four of my friends. It was not a good condition for balloons to go high in sky and organizers have canceled the race but they announced that there illumination and other scheduled events will be there.

We reached there about 5:00 PM and for the first time in my life I have seen about 30 balloons together, while walking down the ground I was observing the whole process the set up the balloons and how they were filling hot air in it. I could see some balloons flying in sky in twilight conditions but most of them were standing on ground. I could see most of the balloons with some themes specially one with tiger theme (Go Mizzou Tigers!!!). It was more like a family fun fest and I have seen this many children together for the first time in US, also on the same note I could see most of the balloons were set up by families rather then a group of individuals.

Finally after some wait the illumination has started, telling you the truth it was a hack of experience... the whole show was gorgeous with the sound all lights are up in all balloons and also some rhythmic fire as well. I didn't even realized that how next one hour passed in watching show and taking photographs.

Summerfest!!!

So finally rains have hit the Columbia, its nonstop raining since past 24 hours and I am enjoying it from my apartment. Evening hours were pleasant with no rains around and I have enjoyed my usual evening jogging followed by a downtown walk. The weather was humid since I came back from India and I was eagerly waiting for some rains... so it was a perfect day out there.

I went to downtown for the first time after coming back from India, it is as good as it was and finally decided to walk through Broadway and comeback to apartment. I was about to turn back and suddenly some drums and guitar sound hits my ears... I just asked my fellow that lets follow this sound. That sound took us to ninth street (the most happening street in downtown), and saw a whole concert was set up there... OMG, It was Sumerfeast- the annual summer festival of the Columbia!!! It is a 4 month long festival where country bands comes and performs once in a month with a featured pop, rock or country band. As it is a family festival so you usually see more country band... and believe me the country music is as good as any other form of music if you are listening it live. I usually don't appreciate this music on radio, but my last two encounters made me curious about this music and I feel that now I am liking this.

The country music is based on some of the traditional instruments blend with some of the modern instruments as well, today I listen banjo after a long time and it was such a great feeling to express in words. The featured band of this month was 'Crackers' (even I heard this name for the first time!!!), they were nice with a lot of use of electric guitar and modern cords. I spent about an hour there and came back as stomach was crying of hunger.

It was a good time out there and for the first time I am feeling like studying after a long period of time... so getting back to world of my research...

Columbia fiza...

One of the most beautiful morning in this dead winter. Some change in weather and very light shower with mild wind and refreshing atmosphere.The fog around here is giving a scenic look, everything is just seems to be right in place like some location in Yash Chopra movie.

Its too hard to explain everything in words, well may be some moments of relief in this weather. Temperature has raised from -14 to 8 in last couple of days. So, having fun outside on jogging track...

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