Life n times..when it all began..

This is a post from one of the mails that I sent out to friends and family back home in India about my new experiences in Uncle Sam's land. Given below is just one of them, and I simply find it amusing to read this ...

"hi

well its me back again...i actually wasnt having time
to write mails..but the writer in me.....

well been to Arizona over the weekend..and met some
NRIs and some ABCDs....and was pretty eventful at tht

well..tht day i had my first exp of findin my way to
the airport by bus..

here , the system though is good u just write in the
start and end points..and u;ve a map with
directions..pretty interestin though

so i typed in the points and got this map with
directions..now the best part

this is the link for the map in case neone is
interested


http://mtaweb6.mta.net/scripts/esrimap.dll?name=trip&day=TOD&m=A&fare=RG+&min=30&hour=11&timecrit=AR&format=TABLETEXT&pOrigin=@03960%2C+08393%2C6475631%2C1833062*+S+Hoover+St+%2F+W+28th+St+90007%2C+Los+Angeles&pDestination=@03502%2C+08015%2C6437906%2C1801816*Lax%2C+Los+Angeles&Submit=Continue


so with a printout in hand and a small handbag ( woh
bhi borrowed frm dipesh coz mine had torn
apart..remember)

now as u can see..it says go to the NW corner of
hoover and 28th..now i reached the spot..it was 4
roads..but

HOW DO I FIND NW???????????

there was not one single person on the road...and i
didnt knw wht to do..

and it was 10 am..and i suddenly realized tht there
was one thing which cud guide me..the SUN..and yes it
worked...

i saw the sun..took tht as east and went to the
corner..caught tthe 1st bus and got down at the
required place..the bus drivers are pretty co-op u c

the 2nd time rnd..i wasnt lucky...it was abt 11 ..and
the sun was right above me...so cudnt do nethin..

i thot for a while and went to one corner...

at a distance i cud see a board..which said


SOUTH 101 -------------->

i was pretty happy...tht i finally found somethin and
started to calc accordingly..just then i observed tht
just above this board there was another which said


^
NORTH 101 |
|


now i realised tht these werent directions..and so...

well somehow got to the airport and off to AZ by
southwest airlines..

but b4 tht, a bit abt buses here

there are metro buses..there arent any conductors..but
yes u are reminded by our mumbai cha conductors who
kick u out if u dond have 'Sutte Paise'

Here its simpler...beside the driver, there's a
machine ..u just put the xact fare into tht..if its
less u arent allowed..if its more..well no change
provided :)

neways thts abt buses..somethin better

SouthWest Airlines..seems like a gr8 american airline
doesnt it..well its a cost saving one..it costme 73$
in all to go to arizona by a 1:20 hr flight and be
back...and this fare is very less if u book in advance

and the airline..wow..proper country stuff...

they dont serve food on the airline.. :)
babes for airhostesses...well they seem more like
strict matrons(they r followin indian airlines on this
so..all 40+)...who behave like...'hey fasten ur seat
bet..wht r u doin?'

u r allowed to bring ur own food on the plane..so if
we all go..we wud prob hv thepalas and puris...and
stuff:)

then after a bit of a hassle at te airport..went for
mahavir jayanti...and the first taste of wht american
indian life is all abt...

The ppl who arent jains or not acquainted with it prob
wont understand much..but its interestin..

..hmm i hd better write tht in a separate mail so tht
ppl can easily skip tht..but ffor jains a must read!

Harshit

"

I don't know if that link works, but I did not want to change the content of the mail..

But then, I am nostalgic about these mails, and those days, when I feel that the boy in me made way for a man..and I learnt some of the most important lessons of life...from the best teacher in the world ...Experience :)

btw..the mail uses a word ABCDs. A friend of mine Prashant told me once...tht 'we ABCDs don't mind being called ABCDs, except that the C in the ABCD means 'cultured' '. To this day I remember those words, and have utmost respect for the guy..!

Interesting notice on VESIT notice board

Supposedly, the following notice has been put up on the ground floor notice board of VESIT .. Hope Bhavik Vora has given accurate information on the orkut VESIT folks community



" A 10 Rupee note has been found out outside the Office. If its urs and if u can tell the serial code of the same... u will get it!!!"


Maybe everyone should try...make a big line outside the office and enter a random number each...Too Good though :)

yeh hai bombay meri jaan...

Call it Bombay..Call it Mumbai..

It's all the same...It's where the heart is..

I won't say that it's the best or it's the number one...but it's different. there's something special in this city that you'll never find anywhere...it's the spirit of the city...it's the spirit of Bombay...

It was the usual morning for me....but even before I had opened my eyes, i got a call from my father that there was a bomb blast, and that everyone was safe..and they informed me because mobile networks were down, and it could have been difficult for me to contact them..

I read news articles that evening about the blasts and the aftermath...and i cried..cried for those people who had lost their lives, or their near and dear ones...and then suddenly it seems that the thousands of miles don't make a difference to your attachment to that city you love so much...

As always, the spirit of the city was up, and Mumbaikars from all sections of society and from all areas of Bombay rushed up to help stranded commuters, victim families, and in general to ensure that the city is back to normal the next day...

I found these lines in an article on rediff.com...

"Mohammad Karim and Mahesh Kumar, both from Malad in northwest Mumbai, are regulars; both were surprised at the relative lack of commuters. "This train is always crowded," Mahesh said. "Both of us came today to prove that our city will stand up to any kind of terrorism."

The two, cloth merchants by trade, routinely catch the 5.54; they are part of the 'local' sub-culture, where regular commuters know each other, keep space for one another, and spend the commute catching up on each other's lives -- strangers-turned-friends for the duration of each day's journey. "

yes, bombay has this category of friends..train friends as they call it...and as my father tells me...that in his career, he has had so many close friends like that...'

if you want to read more about it...read these articles.

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/14slide1.htm
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/12mahim1.htm

But then, enough is enough...a city that contributes 60% of the taxes should get more..and if it does not..it's time that the politicians are given a run for their money...

My prayers and sympathies for the victims of the blast.....sorry...we could not be there in the time of need..