How I wish this post was on Physics as you may have expected of me.. But it's not. Its about the world we are in, the time differences and how relationships strive to thrive amongst everything. I read this post a long time back: http://topgunw.blogspot.com/2007/06/conversation.html and it almost precisely summarizes a part of my weekends. Just make that time difference 9 hours and you have more variables in the story... How its lunch for you when its dinner for them.. how they rise as you crash... How you work as they relax.. How you're bursting with energy (coz the day's just begun) when they're ready to crash for that Monday morning... and how everything is soo different..
On a positive note.. its not for long.. :)
And on an entirely different note, JD turns 2 tomorrow.. Happy Birthday JD (or Kittadri as I called him)
Showing posts with label JD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JD. Show all posts
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
The Ames Diary...
As I near the end of 3 glorious months spent in what I thought was the farmland of USA, I realize that Ames wasn't half bad. I mean really. Maybe it was b'coz of Iowa State being here that there is so much life around the tiny town. But I am told that the hustle and bustle when school is in session unlike summer is unbeatable and adds a whole lot of charisma to the place.
So, here's my Top 10 @ Ames (not in order)
1. My room. Its my sanctuary. And I couldn't have hoped for a better arrangement. Fully equipped and furnished at a really low cost, with cool house mates, its the best temporary live-in situation I could've hoped for.
2. My cube. Its not a tiny cubicle. Its one half of a whole room with a whole lot of privacy which allows me to blog like this (at work!)
3. My friend. Its really cool to have a Tamil-speaking friend here, whether its to see Sivaji together or randomly talk nonsense. And having Akil here, accomplished just that. It really made life much easier. At least there was one person whom I knew here for all those movies and all that time-pass. Thanks Akil.
4. The cats. Yeah, I was scared or I hated cats before I got here. But living in close proximity with two of them, I can vouch for the fact that cats have mild human traits. The girl cat gets bugged easily, she irritates easily and she has this cute "hitting with the paw" action that she uses to chide you. And she threatens to bite when she's pissed with you. The boy cat is typical of men.. as long as there is food, he isn't going to bother you much. Once he's hungry or needs to be cuddled, he finds you and purrs away to glory. Cuties..
5. The movies. Yeah... without the movies umpteen hours of my life here would've been uncharted for and there would be so many less blogs! I am so glad that a place like Ames has an up-to-date theatre. With students scattered all around, I wouldn't expect lesser. But its nice to have a reassurance anyways!
6. The restaurants. Of course there are eateries everywhere you go. But Ames has the highest density of them. Maybe because of the student settlement, Ames is scattered with a variety of eating joints and bars. Notably, I have really developed a taste for
a. Bali Satay House - Indonesian cuisine - Maybe because its Akil's favorite, we seem to go here a whole lot. Its pretty much like Chinese/Thai with a little more flavour to it. Low prices, large portions makes for a good restaurant with a bad decor and yesterday in particular, an awful waiter!
b. Thai Spice - Thai cuisine - This is one of the upscale Ames restaurants that you can find with a fantastic decor and even better tasting food. I've been here just once. But I can vouch for the taste which was on par with Lemon Grass, Cincinnati, if not better. Tastefully presented. high-priced, medium-sized portions of food, Thai Spice would make a good "date place".
c. Old Chicago - Italian - As the name indicates, it is a sort of pizza place. Great food and decent drinks.
d. Carlos'O'Kellys - Mexican- Though they weirdly use chicken broth to make their rice (which I avoid), they have some of the tastiest Mexican food I have had (I think they're on par with Don Pablos). Good food and very filling.
e. Pancheros - Mexican - A lot like Chipotle. They have this awesome cheese sauce called Queso or something and its the best I've had!
7. The Trails. Yes, Ames is very green and any deviation that you make from the road takes you to these interesting biking/walking trails which almost always ends around a stream, a bridge or something else scenic. It makes for a fun activity.
8. Cyride. Thats the bus here. Its probably called that because the IA State team is called Cyclones. Yes its slow and badly connected. But that means you get to kill more time day dreaming as you ride past familiar sights.
9. North Grand Mall. The only semblence of shopping apart from Hyvee (like Kroger Vons, etc_ based complexes. The mall houses a dollar theatre, is near a Walmart and has most of your famous stores. A full day of timepass I say!
10. Iowa State University. A vast campus with many many buildings. Very rustic and fantastic looking. It has a pond, a gazillion trails, 3-4 gyms, 3-4 greenhouses and everything else a good, solid University is made of. Good fun to walk around.
So, here's my Top 10 @ Ames (not in order)
1. My room. Its my sanctuary. And I couldn't have hoped for a better arrangement. Fully equipped and furnished at a really low cost, with cool house mates, its the best temporary live-in situation I could've hoped for.
2. My cube. Its not a tiny cubicle. Its one half of a whole room with a whole lot of privacy which allows me to blog like this (at work!)
3. My friend. Its really cool to have a Tamil-speaking friend here, whether its to see Sivaji together or randomly talk nonsense. And having Akil here, accomplished just that. It really made life much easier. At least there was one person whom I knew here for all those movies and all that time-pass. Thanks Akil.
4. The cats. Yeah, I was scared or I hated cats before I got here. But living in close proximity with two of them, I can vouch for the fact that cats have mild human traits. The girl cat gets bugged easily, she irritates easily and she has this cute "hitting with the paw" action that she uses to chide you. And she threatens to bite when she's pissed with you. The boy cat is typical of men.. as long as there is food, he isn't going to bother you much. Once he's hungry or needs to be cuddled, he finds you and purrs away to glory. Cuties..
5. The movies. Yeah... without the movies umpteen hours of my life here would've been uncharted for and there would be so many less blogs! I am so glad that a place like Ames has an up-to-date theatre. With students scattered all around, I wouldn't expect lesser. But its nice to have a reassurance anyways!
6. The restaurants. Of course there are eateries everywhere you go. But Ames has the highest density of them. Maybe because of the student settlement, Ames is scattered with a variety of eating joints and bars. Notably, I have really developed a taste for
a. Bali Satay House - Indonesian cuisine - Maybe because its Akil's favorite, we seem to go here a whole lot. Its pretty much like Chinese/Thai with a little more flavour to it. Low prices, large portions makes for a good restaurant with a bad decor and yesterday in particular, an awful waiter!
b. Thai Spice - Thai cuisine - This is one of the upscale Ames restaurants that you can find with a fantastic decor and even better tasting food. I've been here just once. But I can vouch for the taste which was on par with Lemon Grass, Cincinnati, if not better. Tastefully presented. high-priced, medium-sized portions of food, Thai Spice would make a good "date place".
c. Old Chicago - Italian - As the name indicates, it is a sort of pizza place. Great food and decent drinks.
d. Carlos'O'Kellys - Mexican- Though they weirdly use chicken broth to make their rice (which I avoid), they have some of the tastiest Mexican food I have had (I think they're on par with Don Pablos). Good food and very filling.
e. Pancheros - Mexican - A lot like Chipotle. They have this awesome cheese sauce called Queso or something and its the best I've had!
7. The Trails. Yes, Ames is very green and any deviation that you make from the road takes you to these interesting biking/walking trails which almost always ends around a stream, a bridge or something else scenic. It makes for a fun activity.
8. Cyride. Thats the bus here. Its probably called that because the IA State team is called Cyclones. Yes its slow and badly connected. But that means you get to kill more time day dreaming as you ride past familiar sights.
9. North Grand Mall. The only semblence of shopping apart from Hyvee (like Kroger Vons, etc_ based complexes. The mall houses a dollar theatre, is near a Walmart and has most of your famous stores. A full day of timepass I say!
10. Iowa State University. A vast campus with many many buildings. Very rustic and fantastic looking. It has a pond, a gazillion trails, 3-4 gyms, 3-4 greenhouses and everything else a good, solid University is made of. Good fun to walk around.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Pet Peeves?
When I first learned that the house I'd be subletting would have 2 cats in it, I freaked out. I am a pet enthusiast... more specifically, a dog enthusiast. To be totally specific, I haven't ever lived around a dog.. so I'd imagine it would be much different from what I fantasized it would be.. when the stark reality of all the litter and stuff creeps in.
So when I met J.D (Jamuna Das is his real name), a big grey cat at Steinbeck, I was a li'l wary of him.. More so coz he was too friendly for a cat I just met. He became all pally pally and started nosing around my feet right away (Initially I thought it was the slippers... I tried throwing it away and all.. but it was me he was after!) I am sure it was a sight to see with me trying to tiptoe away from him all the time. When his owners were around, he fussed around them. Otherwise, he was always around me..
The first morning ofcourse was a shocker... I opened my bedroom door a bit wide (I wasnt used to animals waking up to me..) and JD jumped into the room before I could act fast... And horror of horrors, he pawed around for a good spot and landed square in the middle of my comforter to snuggle into a morning nap... Horrified but very scared to touch him, I timidly approached him and he purred. Hmph. I stalked off into the restroom praying he was gone when I returned. But guess what? He followed me right into the restroom and didnt leave no matter how much I coaxed him. (I became smart midway and shut the bedroom door when I could). I had a hard time chasing him outta the restroom and now this is a daily routine.. But he's learned quickly that I dont appreciate that much and doesnt wander into the restroom. However, now when he misses me, he vividly knocks on my door and mews outside. (His mew is a sign of protest. If you shut a door on him, he'll mew... if you dont let him in, he'll look you in the eye and mew). And last night once I had retired for the day, he kept mewing outside. And when I ignored him, he actually put his paw under the door and sorta waved!
In less than a week, I have adapted to a lot... a cat nonetheless... I must admit that my hosts are gracious and do their best to keep him away.. The other cat, Kitty is petrified (and maybe I prefer it that way) and barely shows herself.. Also, I admit that the prospect of cat hair on my clothes, comforter or bed isnt comforting... So, I keep JD at room's length... We have our 5 minutes of daily palliness... Thats good enuf...
So when I met J.D (Jamuna Das is his real name), a big grey cat at Steinbeck, I was a li'l wary of him.. More so coz he was too friendly for a cat I just met. He became all pally pally and started nosing around my feet right away (Initially I thought it was the slippers... I tried throwing it away and all.. but it was me he was after!) I am sure it was a sight to see with me trying to tiptoe away from him all the time. When his owners were around, he fussed around them. Otherwise, he was always around me..
The first morning ofcourse was a shocker... I opened my bedroom door a bit wide (I wasnt used to animals waking up to me..) and JD jumped into the room before I could act fast... And horror of horrors, he pawed around for a good spot and landed square in the middle of my comforter to snuggle into a morning nap... Horrified but very scared to touch him, I timidly approached him and he purred. Hmph. I stalked off into the restroom praying he was gone when I returned. But guess what? He followed me right into the restroom and didnt leave no matter how much I coaxed him. (I became smart midway and shut the bedroom door when I could). I had a hard time chasing him outta the restroom and now this is a daily routine.. But he's learned quickly that I dont appreciate that much and doesnt wander into the restroom. However, now when he misses me, he vividly knocks on my door and mews outside. (His mew is a sign of protest. If you shut a door on him, he'll mew... if you dont let him in, he'll look you in the eye and mew). And last night once I had retired for the day, he kept mewing outside. And when I ignored him, he actually put his paw under the door and sorta waved!
In less than a week, I have adapted to a lot... a cat nonetheless... I must admit that my hosts are gracious and do their best to keep him away.. The other cat, Kitty is petrified (and maybe I prefer it that way) and barely shows herself.. Also, I admit that the prospect of cat hair on my clothes, comforter or bed isnt comforting... So, I keep JD at room's length... We have our 5 minutes of daily palliness... Thats good enuf...
