And some more
Friday, April 22, 2005
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Ah... of journeys far away!!!
Ok, if you don't know already, we are about 8000 miles (about 12800 kms) aaway from where I was born. To put it in perspective, that is about three and a half times the entire length of our country - Srinagar to Kanyakumari is 3500kms. One could say - so what. And how can one argue against that - it takes 36 hours (by train) from Bangalore to Calcutta, and it took only 24 hours from Bangalore to San Francisco. But then, it is a small world indeed and we are as far away as can be from home.
It is a six months project that brings us here to Pleasanton, CA. We had a long long flight (and yes, spending 24 hours in plane or airports in not the same as spending them in a train), and now we are checked into a hotel. The journey wasn't extremely eventful, but it was different. I didn't feel as excited as I was when I landed for the first time in foreign soil - that time, flying in an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft I had marvelled at the colors of the sky and the a blanket of fluffy clouds over which we flew, and the colorful play of mountains and the sea when we descended. And ofcourse, the first whiff of air when I stepped out of the plane. This time it was more about the duty free shops on a sleepy abandoned Bangkok airport, and trying to ensure that the special Asian Vegetarian Meal was served to us in the flight. And then, looking at the programs on the flat screen TV on Narita International Airport, Tokyo and feeling how similar we all are. The same flat screen TVs everywhere, the Americans, the Japs, the Thais, the Indians... everyone wearing ths same jeans and jackets. Ah, and the same programming for TV channels - CNN look-alike news shows and similar music videos. By the way, I saw a Japanese video playing the same tune as Channel V's Jaago Zara. So, Anu Malik is not the only one who believes in plagiarism.
But then, this trip is very different. Deepika is with me, and it is her first trip abroad. And she is very excited too.
In the evening, we walked down for dinner to a McDonald's type burger joint and then to buy some grocery and vegetables. The air has a nip in it - it feels a lot like a hill station in India. Very romantic indeed.
Well... so much of rambling for now. I believe that all journeys, far away or not, are in most ways about journeys deep within. So, I will, if time and Deepika permit, keep updating this blog with our experiences, observations and thoughts.
It is a six months project that brings us here to Pleasanton, CA. We had a long long flight (and yes, spending 24 hours in plane or airports in not the same as spending them in a train), and now we are checked into a hotel. The journey wasn't extremely eventful, but it was different. I didn't feel as excited as I was when I landed for the first time in foreign soil - that time, flying in an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft I had marvelled at the colors of the sky and the a blanket of fluffy clouds over which we flew, and the colorful play of mountains and the sea when we descended. And ofcourse, the first whiff of air when I stepped out of the plane. This time it was more about the duty free shops on a sleepy abandoned Bangkok airport, and trying to ensure that the special Asian Vegetarian Meal was served to us in the flight. And then, looking at the programs on the flat screen TV on Narita International Airport, Tokyo and feeling how similar we all are. The same flat screen TVs everywhere, the Americans, the Japs, the Thais, the Indians... everyone wearing ths same jeans and jackets. Ah, and the same programming for TV channels - CNN look-alike news shows and similar music videos. By the way, I saw a Japanese video playing the same tune as Channel V's Jaago Zara. So, Anu Malik is not the only one who believes in plagiarism.
But then, this trip is very different. Deepika is with me, and it is her first trip abroad. And she is very excited too.
In the evening, we walked down for dinner to a McDonald's type burger joint and then to buy some grocery and vegetables. The air has a nip in it - it feels a lot like a hill station in India. Very romantic indeed.
Well... so much of rambling for now. I believe that all journeys, far away or not, are in most ways about journeys deep within. So, I will, if time and Deepika permit, keep updating this blog with our experiences, observations and thoughts.
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