Week 7 USA: Fitting Finalle.

 

Oh,yes, Just a couple of days left as we complete the 7th & final week. We pack our bags home Sunday evening and should be home at 5am, Indian Time, Tuesday.

It was a wonderful time. I plan to capture a summary of American life as I saw it. Also with few happenings (If so) over next few days, as a final post of this trip, once back home. 

Regards

Karthik.

1) We celebrated Shravan, Lalitha and Eshwar's birthdays this week. (29th June, 1st and 6th July) We had dinner at an Indo-chinese restaurant at Historic Murphy Avenue @Sunnyvale . The Chinese food was delicious. Lalitha worked Kheer- (A sweetened condensed milk slow boiled) for Shravan,her routine birthday menu for Shravan; in fact last year she sent the same across through Radhu to the USA, as she landed here on 27th June 2022)!! 

2) Summer is picking up at last. It is 34C with 35% humidity and also the UV Factor of 11, makes you tan and you become tired very quickly like the case in Bangalore. (It has since lowered to high 20s in the past 2 days.) Nights are pleasant, a bit cold too at a low of 15C. (60F)! 

3) Shravan cooked an Italian Dinner for us as well as arranged to get dinner from Apple Park Cafeteria. The food tasted great. Apple cafeteria opens post 7pm for people working late at subsidised rates. The Apple cafeteria opens at 7-8pm window and serves about 3000 people for take away. Shravan says, the dessert gets sold out in 1 min flat at 701pm. (Monday was an exception due to the thin crowd due to 4th July holiday-Tuesday!). 

 Salad, Spiced veg with Naan and Rice, Stuffed pepper and Desserts

 

Tortellini soup/ Garlic Bread.

4) Lalitha visited San Jose, Rose Garden. A 1/2 acre facility with tons of roses. Generally I found roses grown aplenty across with both tree types and bush types.

5) It was great catching up with 2 of my college mates Thirumalai Rajan (Tracy CA) and Chidambaram (San Jose) at Thirumalai's home at Mountain Head (60 Miles from Cupertino). Both moved to the USA in Mid 1990s. We met after 40 years. Thirumalai has a fabulous garden with 10s of varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables (I saw for the first time, Green Apple and Peach trees). Thirumalai's wife cooked an awesome dinner. 90 minutes flew by. Thanks to Chidambaram who drove us there. On our way, we visited the Shiva-Balaji temple at Livermore. This was the first temple (Today there are more than 10) established in 1977 in the Bay area. The temple is unique in that it follows rituals that are exactly followed in ancient temples in South India, so it is a special place for us. 

Lalitha, Chidambaram's mother, Me, Chidambaram.

6) I watch one English movie a year. (2022 was Captain Maverick- Top Gun) 2023 is Indiana Jones -Dial of Destiny (V Part) Shravan worked the plan. We enjoyed the movie at an Imax theater at Sunnyvale, (July 4th). This is my second Indiana Jones movie after Riders of last Ark (1981 @Casino, Madras). While I found seating here a class apart (Similar to business class flights) Shravan said such seating exists in Indian theaters too.! Another aspect here is that the movie has no intermission, so it is 21/2 hrs hard grind,(Imagine that for a lousy movie)! Oh Yes, I plan to make an exception to one movie rule,this year, as I plan to watch "Oppenheimer" releasing on 21st July. (I would watch it in Bangalore)! Oh, yes Like Indian theaters, they tortured us for 20 min with advertisements and trailers of upcoming movies!! 

7) 4th July was the 247th Independence day here in the United States. We enjoyed the parade, and spectacular night fireworks (20 min non stop) set up by Cupertino City at the Creekside Public Park. My memory goes back to 1976, seeing color photos of the 200th Independence day in Indian newspapers. Everything about America has changed a lot since then. I am not surprised by the flag waving, flag fixing at home by Americans as well as the huge crowd gathered for the event.! 

Finally ,Family caught me napping!! hahahah! (As happened before, in Radha / Shravan's wedding in the marriage hall!!)

40 years to meet college folks.

 Yesterday 30th June I caught up with two of my collegemates. Thirumalai Rajan and Chidambaram, who live in the Bay Area. I last saw them off when we passed out our graduation from Thiagarajar College of Engineering 40 years back.  We drifted in our own ways since. We reconnected thanks to web in Mid 2000s but we couldnt catch up in person, as my US travels never covered San Francisco area.

We met over 90 min at Mountainhead,(Tracy CA) near Livermore temple at Thirumalai Rajan's place. Thirumalai and Chidambaram (both form Madurai city) moved to USA in Mid 1990s and have settled here. 

Summary of my mail to Thirumalai and Chidambaram. Also I hope this blog post can connect to folks who are my classmates and I cant get in touch.....! 

Chidambaram and Thirumalai,

It was great to catch up with you both here at your backyard Yesterday.(30th June). 

Chidambaram thanks for the 100 mile drive to Tracy from San Jose. 

Thirumalai,Thanks for hosting me and Lalitha. The garden you have maintained is so awesome. (The peach and Apple in plants seen for the first time!) The dinner was so enjoyable. Please pass on our appreciation to your wife. Also many thanks for keeping the pet cat locked up!! 

No wonder 90 minutes just flew. We are glad that we could also visit Livermore Shiva Balaji temple on the way. 

We are packing our bags for home on 9th July evening after an awesome 50 days stay here. Yes, with a busy schedule of consulting and coaching for both of us, let us see when we can work our next visit here to travel across Uncle Sam. Oh yes, this visit we were very clear to spend all the time with Son and Daughter here in Cupertino and Foster City, and thus the travel to Dallas TX and Portland OR for 2 days each was just a bonus. 

We will keep in touch. 

Regards

Thirumalai Rajan (Red Shirt) and Chidambaram. 

Chidambaram and his mother (His wife is on travel to India) at Livermore Shiva Balaji Temple. 

Awesome dinner..

Week 6 USA:- Portland, Oregon!

 We are in our penultimate week of our stay...... We pack our bags home on the 9th evening.....! 

1) This cracker now forms a part of my breakfast with Puffed Rice daily basis. I plan to grab a few boxes heading home. (0 Sugar). I now look for labels and if it has added sugar, then it is big no no, however good or cheap it is. (I won't take it if given free, that is why I refuse all complimentary drinks in flights too!).

2) Eshwar took us to Seal Point Park,- an amazing view of the Pacific ocean from a vantage point for which we have to climb up a steep slope. You can do a 3 mile trail of the park. We also had a chance to take a tour of "GILEAD Life Sciences". 

3) We visited Portland, Oregon to spend a couple of days at my cousin Mahesh's place.(Mahesh and I grew up together in Madurai,80s, and he moved to the USA early 90s). We took SouthWest Airlines. South West has an interesting boarding process. At the time of web checkin you are allotted a #. When your # is called, (Mine was B-16) you can take any seat which is empty and there are no pre reserved seats. (Yes one can pay to get your number called first for priority boarding from B or C to A!). I am also amazed how Military / Armed personnel are given preference in boarding etc. South West offers complimentary snacks and soft drinks...!??!!!..... 

Saturday was Birthday as per Indian almanac for Lalitha (English is 1st July), so a temple visit was mandatory... The Portland Balaji temple and Hanuman temple are managed and patronized very well by Indians. (Mahesh tells me that the Indian community may # around 30,000!). The Balaji temple was refurbication of an old Church. Also most temples sell Indian vegetarian food, besides free give away. (Mostly no onion /garlic too!). We picked it up for our Astoria visit as lunch stuff. I am told most Indian families across the USA, plan their temple visit to pick up food and most bachelors come during food time to pick free food.! ( I recollect Steve Jobs' only hot meal of the week was at ISKCON temple, Portland, which I could not visit!)

Karaa baath is Semolina thick paste with seasonings.  (Bangalore dish). 

We visited "Silver Falls, "about 40 miles from Portland, and took a trail of the forest area around. We passed through rural Oregon farmland to be able to see massive sized farms of fruits.!! 

Mahesh.

It was a memorable visit to "ASTORIA"  (110 miles from Portland) where the column exists to commemorate President Thomas Jefferson's effort to find western sea route on the Pacific side, from the Midwest through the Mississippi River. (Lewis and Clark Expedition) Also now over the last 50 years there is a bridge (4 Miles in length) connecting Oregon and Washington State. The top of the column gives a panoramic view of Columbia river on one side and Pacific ocean on the other. The 6 min Astoria Bridge drive over the Pacific, reminded me a lot of the Bandra -Worli Sea link drive, a few weeks back @ Bombay when my brother in Law, Murali drove us through ....! 

 

 Background:- 4 Mile, Astoria Megler Bridge that connects OR to WA. (No toll, despite heavy pressure to collect one!).

180 step spiral staircase to reach Astoria column at top.

Columbia River in Background view from top of Astoria column.

Abhinav Mahesh. Oregon State Assembly @ Salem, OR. 

Oregon, like New Jersey, are the only 2 states that have fuel/ gas station attendants who fill your car. (All other 48 are self service, on your own!).....

Regards

Karthik.

Week 5----> Montery Bay, Carmel-by-Sea and CHM!!

We had a great week. I am posting this blogpost as a PDF Document to conserve size as well as Pictures are a few..! 

Have a great week.

Karthik.

LINK to PDF WEEK 5

AMERICA MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS / Reflections...... SO FAR- 1

 Almost half our time here is up, another couple of weeks, we need to pack our bags.! 

1. Lalitha and I come across meeting quite a few Indians during our park walk, most are here to take care of their grandkids, (almost all are Permanent residents or American citizens)! We are finding that time for daily chores for the Indian way of life sucks quite a lot of time and without external support in the form of people or material, it looks impossible for a working couple to manage the home show! Yes, luckily, there are great Indian shops to support all material aspects including hot food with a good quality.  
   
2. Broad Thor always writes about Scott Harvarth, standing under a shower starting with piping hot and completing with Freezing cold water.... I have been trying this for the past 15 days (50 C and 50F) and results are amazing!! Keeps me fresh/energized and soothes muscles for the day.. (twice a day is my mandated norm for showers!).... I feel this is giving me a sound sleep too.. (Lalitha Agrees? I wonder?? ahhahahhahah she complains, every few days I snore a lot!)..
3. Amazing to see gas (Petrol prices) vary as per outlets within the city. (I have assumed that price is constant within the city) People drive a few extra miles to fill the tank? !!) Oh yes the Inter state price difference is eye popping 40%!!! (3.19 vs 4.40!) COSTCO pumps a lot cheaper!
4. Interesting conversations with a couple of Latin American Uber cab drivers (Peru / Brazil) who have been here for 25+ years and how much they appreciate the American way of life, but never fail to make it back home as soon as they can to recharge their life ! One of the cab trips gave me my first chance to travel on a Tesla Model 3, such a sleek finish car! The Brazilian guy, 65 years old, is an Electrical Engineer fluent in Portuguese, English, German, French..!! (His fluent English was devoid of his Latin American accent!)

Uber- Carlos From Peru!!! (At San Jose Airport) 

Dallas.

We had been to Dallas, Texas to spend time (about 25 Hrs) with Lalitha's brother Krishnan & Family. It was a great time visiting a few temples as well as the Dealey Plaza, where John F Kennedy was assassinated in Nov 1963. There is a Museum on the 6th floor, from where Lee Harvey Oswald's bullets came!!  

We also took time to visit, President George W Bush Library / Museum. Krishnan did an awesome job of hosting us as well as taking us around on super developed Texas Infrastructure. (My first visit to Texas and the 20th US State I visited!)....... 

Karyasiddthi Hanuman, Dallas.. We also visited Guruvayoor temple....

Text of Speech JFK was to give a few hours later before he was silenced on 22nd Nov 1963.

The Cap was purchased, on 2nd Nov 2001, @Boston,JFK museum. No one can touch it, Not even Lalitha.!! I was sure I would visit Dallas, TX One day and preserved it to wear when I visit.. Mission Accomplished.! JFK was my all time favorite President, then Reagan and then Donald Trump.! Dubya is also up there (Scroll Below).. 

  

X Marks spot where Bullet entered the Motorcade from 6th Floor. Shot from my camera. 

What a tragedy! Within 90 minutes of losing her husband, (His Coffin in Cargo hold area!) Jacquiline stood and witnessed the oath taking of Vice President, Lyndon Johnson on Air Force 1. LJ became the only President sworn in by State Justice, rather than US Supreme court chief Justice. LJ ofcourse, A TEXAN!!! Sarah Hughes, who read the oath to LJ is the only woman ever to have sworn in a President.! At LJ's right, is the new first lady, Lady Bird..Hours later on reaching White House, Jackie noticed on her pink Chanel Suit Dress, JFK's Blood! 

The South Methodist university campus holds, George W Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

DUBYA (W)!!!! It was great sitting in that CHAIR!!!! They said, "Exact replica of OVAL OFFICE @ Dallas". I looked for the Winston Churchill statue; to test, if so.. and there it was facing the president !!!

Mr President, "WE HAVE A SITUATION" SIR, ahhahahahahh!!!!!

Regards

Karthik.