its 0823 and I got 7 mins to washoff my thoughts to the keyboard....Y'day as my friend and me were walking towards the morning pickup point.. it was windy..
I thought out loud .. hope this wind ceases ..automatically my thought went to what I had just said and dwelved a little deeper ,which is very uncommon..
think of a situation where we have to tell our kids what a breeze or wind is , considering that they dont exist anymore...I found it really difficult to find an explanation..
some things are just felt .. they cannot be taught or explained ...Now i got no complains abt the day being windy ...
its 0827.. and just the shoe laces to go.............what a relief !!!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Somebody's loss.....
There are some moments that get you for no reason - like someone whom you had known at school, whom you admired , made a long route to catch a glimpse, whom you wanted to be yours... open up now to say they had the same feeling towards you !!!
What a day ... it was yesterday,when I heard that from her; it takes your state of mind to those horizons where you've never been...Great friends for sometime, lost touch building our own careers, forked towards diff directions ,but now a slight brushup of memories brings miles of SmileS - from the heart !!!
All I can say " SomEbodY's loss is SomEbodY's GaIn " - no pun intended ;-) I am smiling now........ as I write !!
What a day ... it was yesterday,when I heard that from her; it takes your state of mind to those horizons where you've never been...Great friends for sometime, lost touch building our own careers, forked towards diff directions ,but now a slight brushup of memories brings miles of SmileS - from the heart !!!
All I can say " SomEbodY's loss is SomEbodY's GaIn " - no pun intended ;-) I am smiling now........ as I write !!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
the most tiresome greeting in my life...
Friday evening at the restroom, I said hi to a friend of mine at work...I had a similar 'Hi' experience when I was in the Officers Training Academy...When we joined the academy as gentlemen cadets, the first and foremost thing that was taught was to behave..
The mandatory rules included saying 'good morning/afternoon/evening sir' to all of our senior batch.we were even adapted to say the greeting how many ever times we see the same senior or even sometimes say it like thrice if we see them in a group of 3 - like one per senior. It took us a couple of days to give this kind of forced respect to our seniors, after a while it became a mechanical and automatic thing - just like breathing !! Thats what the armed forces want - respect your senior automatically...
The Hi story starts here, it was around 0300 hrs and I went the mens room for a shave(as we used to shave twice daily to ensure that we are groomed to standards). One of my seniors was there at that time and instinctively I jumped to say " Good morning sir" with all the energy I could gather at 3 AM with like 2 hours of sleep. What I forgot during this was that we were also taught not to wish seniors in restrooms, that is the only place you are exempt from the forced greeting...How can I ask brain which was working all day with map reading classes/human psychology/field trainings and got rest only 2 hours to have all the factors in mind ..poor guy he too collapsed..
what followed was a cold stare and a roar ' Give me 20..." meaning do twenty pushups.. we all knew that it means start with 20 pushups.. LOL then i had to roll around our bunkers like 2 or 3 times and then my senior gave me a pat on the back and said ok Shave karkae , 0500 report for shave parade...it was already 0430 or so by then..
looking back to all these little incidents Still brings smiles to me .. am sure my dear senior is now a Major and is somewhere serving his motherland being proud and loving what he is doing... " If I see you sometime in your OG uniform, I shall with all respect wish you - Good morning Sir "!!!
The mandatory rules included saying 'good morning/afternoon/evening sir' to all of our senior batch.we were even adapted to say the greeting how many ever times we see the same senior or even sometimes say it like thrice if we see them in a group of 3 - like one per senior. It took us a couple of days to give this kind of forced respect to our seniors, after a while it became a mechanical and automatic thing - just like breathing !! Thats what the armed forces want - respect your senior automatically...
The Hi story starts here, it was around 0300 hrs and I went the mens room for a shave(as we used to shave twice daily to ensure that we are groomed to standards). One of my seniors was there at that time and instinctively I jumped to say " Good morning sir" with all the energy I could gather at 3 AM with like 2 hours of sleep. What I forgot during this was that we were also taught not to wish seniors in restrooms, that is the only place you are exempt from the forced greeting...How can I ask brain which was working all day with map reading classes/human psychology/field trainings and got rest only 2 hours to have all the factors in mind ..poor guy he too collapsed..
what followed was a cold stare and a roar ' Give me 20..." meaning do twenty pushups.. we all knew that it means start with 20 pushups.. LOL then i had to roll around our bunkers like 2 or 3 times and then my senior gave me a pat on the back and said ok Shave karkae , 0500 report for shave parade...it was already 0430 or so by then..
looking back to all these little incidents Still brings smiles to me .. am sure my dear senior is now a Major and is somewhere serving his motherland being proud and loving what he is doing... " If I see you sometime in your OG uniform, I shall with all respect wish you - Good morning Sir "!!!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
IN vs UY - thru my XP
One of my friends @ work wanted some inputs reg my XP of working in IN and UY - the similarities n differences for a paper she is doing.. this is what I shared with her
A) Family first
Respect for family is almost prevalent in both the countries. I have also been to North America and there is a striking difference in how people place and treat families.
Here I do find that like India they do respect their family time and family get togethers and occassions. With a fast pace getting to India due to IT and other developments, people are now struggling to make this value stay back in India, But in UY I do find it deep rooted that it might stay along.
In both countries - parents are taken care in their old age by their children, I find that missing in the americas.
B)Love towards food
This is a very very common thing I found in India and UY , though US might shy away from many varieties of food as it is not a 'healthy' food ;-) or is not made in USA ;-)
Jokes apart India has a wide variety of cuisine and people do love to taste good food and throng good restaurants. Here though UY doesnt have its authentic cuisine as most of the inhabitants are either from Spain or Italy, the love for good food (maily asado) certainly unifies the nation
C)Helpful nature this is another thing that I found common between the countries, the people are very open minded and willing to help. They even go out of their way to help us out - a stranger escorted us till the 'mercado de pescado' in pocitos though he was going for a morning walk in pocitos. I can never imagine somebody from other nations doing it.
Now coming to the differences , just listing a few I came across
A)Non-biased society
I somehow feel that UY society is very unbiased , it doesnt show any difference based on sex,color,creed or nationality. In India sometimes the sexual discrimination is very much evident in some places. For eg the Indian army's infantry wing doesnt allow female officers into its cadre. There are not much Indian females in high positions in the government.This is changing with the new IT enabled growth and social development. With more and more Indian associates travelling to the West, this image is also changing for good.
May be the sex ratio of UY also plays a crucial role in showcasing the country as a equal opportunity employer.Most of the females in rural india are not highly independent, they are happy playing second fiddle to their husbands who is a bread winner. Here I find that most of the ladies are independent and find their own avenue for work.
B)Greetings & PDA
Indian culture is very deep rooted, rich and on top of it conservative. The greetings usually are done from a distance of about 2-3 feet and is not even remotely intimate. Here the kiss on the cheeks irrespective of the sex will not be found in India though an occassional hug between well known friends is not uncommon.
I found it pretty odd initially men kissing men but now am used to it.
Public display of affections like kissing and hugging cannot be found commonly in India, Indians are very conservative in nature and the social laws would be abided by most people.Only in the recent decade have some of the dance clubs have become popular and youth is showing some energy and breaking some shackles (but even this is limited to the metropolitan cities of India).
C) Dating & Weddings
As earlier stated being from a conservative social setup dating so far has not taken any official status ;-) most of the weddings are arranged by parents looking at various attributes ranging from caste, ecomical background, astrological match etc., Modernity has brought some changes in some of the minds of youth who opt for love marriages(meaning they choose their bride.and spend some time before the wedding).this is very unlikely in either UY or US
Also wedding is mostly a one time affair in India and hence divorces are not so common as a widow/widower has a negative social stigma attached to him or her that is not warded off easily.
Premarital sex is also considered taboo
D) Economic Divide
India being the second most populous nation in the world has also has a wide economic divide amongst its different working classes. It can be compared to Brazil in economical divide. This is one of the area that the govt has to work hard to atleast minimize the gap. UY with its very controlled population seems to have it under total control, donot see much of diff between the rich and the poor.
E) Eating Habits
Hinduism that is the major religion prohibits consumption of beef or beef products as cow is worshipped as a god.Many of the castes and subcastes even have strict vegeterian food habits enforced on the followers. Mostly eating habits in India would be a matter of religious beliefs than personal preferences.
Other religions like Islam and Christianity have their own idealogies.
F) Religious Sentiments
This is one important factor in any Indian's life - he is deeprooted to religious sentiments. It governs most of his or her actions. People go to temples, mosques or churches fairly regularly and the feeling is in the blood.There have been riots in the past on religions - which is a bad thing.. that just shows that how people are driven by religious beliefs and the extent of their reach.
G) Stressed & Very competetive
Again as a by product of a larget population, though India is very rich in all natural resources - there seems to be crunch always. The top notch education system produces intellects by the millions every year, leading to cut throat competition to get into the right career paths. This has inturn made the stress levels high in the Indian cosmo soceity (comparable to Bs As , Argentina) and is easily evident in the hurried paces and faces of people living in the metros(Chennai,Delhi,Mumbai & Kolkata). In UY the way of living is very much relaxed and it is evident from the higher %age of happy faces found in a normal distribution
A) Family first
Respect for family is almost prevalent in both the countries. I have also been to North America and there is a striking difference in how people place and treat families.
Here I do find that like India they do respect their family time and family get togethers and occassions. With a fast pace getting to India due to IT and other developments, people are now struggling to make this value stay back in India, But in UY I do find it deep rooted that it might stay along.
In both countries - parents are taken care in their old age by their children, I find that missing in the americas.
B)Love towards food
This is a very very common thing I found in India and UY , though US might shy away from many varieties of food as it is not a 'healthy' food ;-) or is not made in USA ;-)
Jokes apart India has a wide variety of cuisine and people do love to taste good food and throng good restaurants. Here though UY doesnt have its authentic cuisine as most of the inhabitants are either from Spain or Italy, the love for good food (maily asado) certainly unifies the nation
C)Helpful nature this is another thing that I found common between the countries, the people are very open minded and willing to help. They even go out of their way to help us out - a stranger escorted us till the 'mercado de pescado' in pocitos though he was going for a morning walk in pocitos. I can never imagine somebody from other nations doing it.
Now coming to the differences , just listing a few I came across
A)Non-biased society
I somehow feel that UY society is very unbiased , it doesnt show any difference based on sex,color,creed or nationality. In India sometimes the sexual discrimination is very much evident in some places. For eg the Indian army's infantry wing doesnt allow female officers into its cadre. There are not much Indian females in high positions in the government.This is changing with the new IT enabled growth and social development. With more and more Indian associates travelling to the West, this image is also changing for good.
May be the sex ratio of UY also plays a crucial role in showcasing the country as a equal opportunity employer.Most of the females in rural india are not highly independent, they are happy playing second fiddle to their husbands who is a bread winner. Here I find that most of the ladies are independent and find their own avenue for work.
B)Greetings & PDA
Indian culture is very deep rooted, rich and on top of it conservative. The greetings usually are done from a distance of about 2-3 feet and is not even remotely intimate. Here the kiss on the cheeks irrespective of the sex will not be found in India though an occassional hug between well known friends is not uncommon.
I found it pretty odd initially men kissing men but now am used to it.
Public display of affections like kissing and hugging cannot be found commonly in India, Indians are very conservative in nature and the social laws would be abided by most people.Only in the recent decade have some of the dance clubs have become popular and youth is showing some energy and breaking some shackles (but even this is limited to the metropolitan cities of India).
C) Dating & Weddings
As earlier stated being from a conservative social setup dating so far has not taken any official status ;-) most of the weddings are arranged by parents looking at various attributes ranging from caste, ecomical background, astrological match etc., Modernity has brought some changes in some of the minds of youth who opt for love marriages(meaning they choose their bride.and spend some time before the wedding).this is very unlikely in either UY or US
Also wedding is mostly a one time affair in India and hence divorces are not so common as a widow/widower has a negative social stigma attached to him or her that is not warded off easily.
Premarital sex is also considered taboo
D) Economic Divide
India being the second most populous nation in the world has also has a wide economic divide amongst its different working classes. It can be compared to Brazil in economical divide. This is one of the area that the govt has to work hard to atleast minimize the gap. UY with its very controlled population seems to have it under total control, donot see much of diff between the rich and the poor.
E) Eating Habits
Hinduism that is the major religion prohibits consumption of beef or beef products as cow is worshipped as a god.Many of the castes and subcastes even have strict vegeterian food habits enforced on the followers. Mostly eating habits in India would be a matter of religious beliefs than personal preferences.
Other religions like Islam and Christianity have their own idealogies.
F) Religious Sentiments
This is one important factor in any Indian's life - he is deeprooted to religious sentiments. It governs most of his or her actions. People go to temples, mosques or churches fairly regularly and the feeling is in the blood.There have been riots in the past on religions - which is a bad thing.. that just shows that how people are driven by religious beliefs and the extent of their reach.
G) Stressed & Very competetive
Again as a by product of a larget population, though India is very rich in all natural resources - there seems to be crunch always. The top notch education system produces intellects by the millions every year, leading to cut throat competition to get into the right career paths. This has inturn made the stress levels high in the Indian cosmo soceity (comparable to Bs As , Argentina) and is easily evident in the hurried paces and faces of people living in the metros(Chennai,Delhi,Mumbai & Kolkata). In UY the way of living is very much relaxed and it is evident from the higher %age of happy faces found in a normal distribution
Sunday, June 21, 2009
a Q - do you love what you Do ??
I am not an expert in music , though I love to listen to some neither am I after a particular kinda music or a music director or band.. Just pick my flavor as I go.. I have listened to people have a conversation or an argument over a particular guy's music or voice being the best.. somehow i dont have that kind of gyan to be pro or anti in those situations .. so I just listen !
You feel very happy when you do what you love - be it as simple as having a hot filter coffee in your sit out watching the rain ,cracking a new puzzle or driving your bike as fast as it go... Think of a situation where you will get paid for what you love to do ... this discussion came into play after some colleagues and me got lucky to watch a concert by Krishna chakravarthy at Montevideo...
She was so engrossed in weaving the music and the mixed cultural audience was united in the applause that followed - music really has no bounds !! I loved the Tabla along with the Sitar though the tamburu was a bit irritating at times ..I know it carries some significance ;-) Even the most music-ignorant illiterate guy like me applauded the effort that really brought joy to a friday evening......
Sure the group loved what they did and its their profession - I envy all the cricket and soccer players and I am jealous of the Andrew Zimmerns, the Anthony Bourdains .......
somewhere deep in my heart , I do still believe that ..life has more in store for me to make someone jealous of me and my profession ;-) " who knows = dreams may come true" .........
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Life Lesson#4
Conflicts are good and lead to positive outcomes, if both parties are mature enough to respect each other's views...
Rio Day 2 : Christo Redentor n da city tour
got up around 0700 - my bioclock never a min late..freshened up .. found MC & Sri still in their dreamworld.. so went to the chillout lounge - a room with a couple of bean bags and hammocks, rested a while on the hammock.. The best thing about staying in hostels is that you get to interact with a wide varierty of personas from around the globe.. and the best place to start off a conversation is where you have your food or drinks..
The complimentary breakfast consisted of the usual continental stuff, there was one thing that stood out in Brazil - the freshness of the fruits - pineapple, the watermelon and even the orange juice tasted different on the +ve side..
After our breakfast, we headed to the reception and we had a surprise in store - the cute brazilian bluntly said that she couldnt find reservations for the city tour for us.. she was a heart breaker - by looks and deeds ...
we invoked our BCP and after a few financial checks, it was decided to rent a cab for the whole day on our own. The new Fiat adventure along with our friendly driver cum guide were to be our partners all through the city tour.The vehicle was spacious for its looks ..
We started by skimming through the beach roads along copacabana and Ipanema.. the most beautiful beaches I've ever been - the people making it that way.. long legs, sexy bods and great energy !!The cameras were busy in taking census of all the cute chicas on the beach - quick fingers on the button !!
As the sky was clear we started for the corcavado mountain peak through the Tijuca forest which has been put on the world tourist map for being the home of 'Christ the Redeemer' - one of the seven wonders of the world..The drive recreated nostalgic memories of the bus ride through the hairpin bends to my native place..mountainy terrain and dense tree growth ..We also caught a glimpse of the Favela (poor and dangerous neighbourhood) on our way towards the peak..
After a shortwait in the queue we were taken in vans to the top of the peak (700m from msl) where the 38m statue stood with the arms open..will remember the
sight for sometime to come.. The world surely needs a redeemer of this size for sure !The sight was awesome, the Statue towering high and looking down to the city with outstreched arms - it was made of concrete and sandstone. We all were dumbstuck by the enormity of christ and the effort it would've taken to erect it on top of the mountain with an inherent risk of lightning strikes (but god created lightning so why worry ;-)
We could see the other attractions of Rio from top, the Maracana stadium, the race course and pao de azucar. Then the photography session began with all of us scrambling for space between other tourists to find the right angle .. too many ppl on the stage , we had to bring out our flexibility skills in taking pics at all angles including Sri getting his new puma t shirt soiled to get it just right....
Some souvenir shopping and we were back to the van for our return journey .. to the Maracana. I have read about Maracana in a local daily back home in India during world cup soccer and now here I am visiting the place that will play host to the 2014 world cup final ;-)
This stadium can house around 100000 spectators and has a little history etched into it . It was built in 1950 for the world cup, the final between Brazil and Uruguay.The strong Brazilian team fell to the small country 2-1.
We went inside the stadium and the atmosphere airs a feeling of camaraderie, the spirit, the attitude and what not. Most of the walls were lined with posters of all stars that I used to admire from my room back home - on TV.We walked through the hall of fame which had footprints of many famous stars including my all time fav Pele - still rem his signature where the P is shaped like a ball - he lived football !
Walking through the locker rooms , with amenities like bathtubs, a massage room, a warmup area, gym etc makes you wonder - what a life.. play and earn. I know they have their share of tensions@work or rather tensions@play ;-)There was a guy dressed in Brazilian colors doing wonders with the football - great skill. He could keep anything rounded from a small stone to a soccer ball in air for as long as he wanted .. now I know what it takes to don brazilian colors as you got to be the BEST - considering there has been no best practice sharing between Indian cricket selectors and brazilian football selectors
Bidding bye to Maracana we were dead tired as we didnt have lunch due to our financial manager's cost-cutting measures ;-) We moved to Pao de Azucar or Sugar loaf if translated. Those are a couple of mountain peaks by the beach.I just wanted to stroll along the waterfront just making my thoughts wonder on how small the world is - it was enormous when i was at school..as I never thot in my wildest dreams I would visit Brazil ... Our strict finance manager allowed us a small ration of tender coconut and bites of hot churro filled with dulce de leche.
Return back to the hostel we saw some monuments by downtown Rio.We were ready to feed our bellies for the evening - set out to search for some crabs as i have never tasted crab after landing in south america. After a couple of raids, we hit upon one seafood restaurant and they served blue sea crablegs. Had a portion of it and moved to an Arabian restaurant by copacabana beach. It was really nice to have some rice and lamb along with some local brazilian beer.
Hats off to Sri's attitude of just going along with the tide and also ensuring he tastes everthing before commenting. He did like the tasty lamb..Traced our way back to the hostel and the youth gang went for their nite out...I went to the bamboo bar and spent till 0200 sharing thoughts with a backpacker from australia and a guy from germany.. The life they have seen is different and totally interesting.. Someday I wanna do it ..I know with all the strings and the rigid mental setup - it is difficult but the optimistic in me makes me think different - may be someday !!
with all the things going around my life in the personal front this trip was a stress buster.. great company and lovely place.. day 3 follows soon..
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Rio Day 1 : Not really the Rio de ´risk´ janeiro
I had set myself an internal checkpoint of completing my ´hippie trip´to Cabo Polonio and then penning the others.. but the first night stay at Rio makes me break that and write about day1 of this trip today from the hostel I am staying at. Rio was on one of my must visit cities when I landed in LATAM.Earlier had planned to be in this portugese city during the colorful carnaval gala.. but due to constraints at work couldnt make it...Here I am (along with two of my friends from work, Sri and MC) after 2 months of that in the city of Rio De Janeiro, playing host to one of the wonders of the world - Christ the Redeemer...
DAy1: Travel from Montevideo to Rio took us around 02:45 hours and was pretty smooth except for the airport tax fee, you use the airport you pay a fee and that is never included on your ticket when you purchase em.Always add the airport fee for knowing your right expense. Had done some research on rio on the web and 99% of the travel blogs deemed it very unsafe ..so travelled lite - no expensive goodies on me...
Arrived at the Galeão airport on time, thanks to Pluna air.We moved out to the transportation area and MC wanted to avoid taxis not just to avoid the extra$$ (he is our official trip accountant) but to also check the local flavor of the place.We waited for an hour or so for the local bus to arrive. The bus left us at our destination Copacabana..smooth ride and most of the sights on the sides resembled me of a mixed mumbai the old and the new..The place and the people,atleast the males have an Indian touch..are our greatgrandparents to be questioned ;-) ?
Searched the map and took a walk through the streets of Rio to reach our destination , the cool hostel named mellow yellow.I loved the the definitie soothing theme and also the compact arrangements they have put up - a bamboo bar, a spa , a recreation room and a very friendly crowd to help you. We got our room (Named Futebol - you know the brazilians) and beds named as players .. I got a good one Ronaldinho. We are sharing our dorm with a friendly couple from Canada...
After a mini siesta, local exploration brought us to the copacabana beach .. beautiful with the sea and a mountain overlooking it..the sides were dotted with many restaurtans including an arabic one - plan to shell some reals there..The beach walk resembled me of the Chennai Marina beach walks..We had our first tender coconut in latin america on the beach and also tried out the a Brazilian drink called Kaipirinha (cane rum, lemon, sugar and icecubes, think the Brazilian version of Mojito); Rain added a little excitement to the walk midway , managed to reach our hostel little dry..
While travelling ,one of my aims (many dont go with it..) is to taste as much local cuisine as possible.. and here I am in Brazil how can I miss their speciality steakhouses , the Churrascaria. Sri is a born veggie but self brought up as a chickiterian (in every sense of the word chick). He was kind enough to spread his options to all cuts of meat at the churrascaria. Though I used to frequent Fogo De Chao in Minneapolis, some cuts were unique here like the chicken heart, didnt like it much as it had a rubbery feel to it all muscles ...
Friday night ,the most happening place in south america,a good dinner, age & marital status at our side ;-), what else can we three think of ? We headed to our cute receptionist and got one-way tickets to a local ´lapa street party´ which starts at 0030 hours...
To spend some time headed to the bamboo bar and had a couple of drinks - tasted the mellow yellow special one - condensed milk, passion fruit juice and liquer. It was not bad but on a personal front like my alcoholic beverages to be light..Our pickup cab came in by 0040 and we were packed like sardines in the van..most of them were drunk and also carrying to-go packages of their beverages.. the atmosphere inside the cab was crazier when there was a brawl between a couple of guys when somebody made fun of the Irish and it happened one of the ladies was from there.. It got a bit physical but the President of ´society of the drunkards van´ resolved it ;-)
We reached our destination - it was nothing but a street dotted with lots of clubs n pubs n police patrol cars !!! There was lot of activity happening around and we just weaved our way thru the mixed crowd who were enjoying their nite out..all drunk ,doing the samba , the grind and above all the kisses. MC was stunned to find and note that all the grids got filled out when it comes to kissing the normal M-F, the other abnormal ones that too to the extremities..
We walked through some crowded streets and when the alley became narrower and we became aware of the premises ;-) decided to call it a day .. day1 ended with a ride back to the hostel in a wild car. a 'blind' schumi from brazil took the wheel... he took 90 deg turns at 90kmph ;-) what an end to a day.....all of us reached the hostel in one piece by 0300 .. time to hit da bed..
The first nite at Rio was positively eventful.. planning for the city tour today... Relaxing me in every way as there were many things mostly personal troubling me off late but my mind always says to me - this is the only chance u got...
Rio Day 1 : Not really the Rio de ´risk´ janeiro
I had set myself an internal checkpoint of completing my ´hippie trip´to Cabo Polonio and then penning the others.. but the first night stay at Rio makes me break that and write about day1 of this trip today from the hostel I am staying at. Rio was on one of my must visit cities when I landed in LATAM.Earlier had planned to be in this portugese city during the colorful carnaval gala.. but due to constraints at work couldnt make it...Here I am (along with two of my friends from work, Sri and MC) after 2 months of that in the city of Rio De Janeiro, playing host to one of the wonders of the world - Christ the Redeemer...
DAy1: Travel from Montevideo to Rio took us around 02:45 hours and was pretty smooth except for the airport tax fee, you use the airport you pay a fee and that is never included on your ticket when you purchase em.Always add the airport fee for knowing your right expense. Had done some research on rio on the web and 99% of the travel blogs deemed it very unsafe ..so travelled lite - no expensive goodies on me...
Arrived at the Galeão airport on time, thanks to Pluna air.We moved out to the transportation area and MC wanted to avoid taxis not just to avoid the extra$$ (he is our official trip accountant) but to also check the local flavor of the place.We waited for an hour or so for the local bus to arrive. The bus left us at our destination Copacabana..smooth ride and most of the sights on the sides resembled me of a mixed mumbai the old and the new..The place and the people,atleast the males have an Indian touch..are our greatgrandparents to be questioned ;-) ?
Searched the map and took a walk through the streets of Rio to reach our destination , the cool hostel named mellow yellow.I loved the the definitie soothing theme and also the compact arrangements they have put up - a bamboo bar, a spa , a recreation room and a very friendly crowd to help you. We got our room (Named Futebol - you know the brazilians) and beds named as players .. I got a good one Ronaldinho. We are sharing our dorm with a friendly couple from Canada...
After a mini siesta, local exploration brought us to the copacabana beach .. beautiful with the sea and a mountain overlooking it..the sides were dotted with many restaurtans including an arabic one - plan to shell some reals there..The beach walk resembled me of the Chennai Marina beach walks..We had our first tender coconut in latin america on the beach and also tried out the a Brazilian drink called Kaipirinha (cane rum, lemon, sugar and icecubes, think the Brazilian version of Mojito); Rain added a little excitement to the walk midway , managed to reach our hostel little dry..
While travelling ,one of my aims (many dont go with it..) is to taste as much local cuisine as possible.. and here I am in Brazil how can I miss their speciality steakhouses , the Churrascaria. Sri is a born veggie but self brought up as a chickiterian (in every sense of the word chick). He was kind enough to spread his options to all cuts of meat at the churrascaria. Though I used to frequent Fogo De Chao in Minneapolis, some cuts were unique here like the chicken heart, didnt like it much as it had a rubbery feel to it all muscles ...
Friday night ,the most happening place in south america,a good dinner, age & marital status at our side ;-), what else can we three think of ? We headed to our cute receptionist and got one-way tickets to a local ´lapa street party´ which starts at 0030 hours...
To spend some time headed to the bamboo bar and had a couple of drinks - tasted the mellow yellow special one - condensed milk, passion fruit juice and liquer. It was not bad but on a personal front like my alcoholic beverages to be light..Our pickup cab came in by 0040 and we were packed like sardines in the van..most of them were drunk and also carrying to-go packages of their beverages.. the atmosphere inside the cab was crazier when there was a brawl between a couple of guys when somebody made fun of the Irish and it happened one of the ladies was from there.. It got a bit physical but the President of ´society of the drunkards van´ resolved it ;-)
We reached our destination - it was nothing but a street dotted with lots of clubs n pubs n police patrol cars !!! There was lot of activity happening around and we just weaved our way thru the mixed crowd who were enjoying their nite out..all drunk ,doing the samba , the grind and above all the kisses. MC was stunned to find and note that all the grids got filled out when it comes to kissing the normal M-F, the other abnormal ones that too to the extremities..
We walked through some crowded streets and when the alley became narrower and we became aware of the premises ;-) decided to call it a day .. waved a taxi and landed in our own dorm by 0300 .. time to hit da bed..
The first nite at Rio was positively eventful.. planning for the city tour today... Relaxing me in every way as there were many things mostly personal troubling me off late but my mind always says to me - this is the only chance u got...
DAy1: Travel from Montevideo to Rio took us around 02:45 hours and was pretty smooth except for the airport tax fee, you use the airport you pay a fee and that is never included on your ticket when you purchase em.Always add the airport fee for knowing your right expense. Had done some research on rio on the web and 99% of the travel blogs deemed it very unsafe ..so travelled lite - no expensive goodies on me...
Arrived at the Galeão airport on time, thanks to Pluna air.We moved out to the transportation area and MC wanted to avoid taxis not just to avoid the extra$$ (he is our official trip accountant) but to also check the local flavor of the place.We waited for an hour or so for the local bus to arrive. The bus left us at our destination Copacabana..smooth ride and most of the sights on the sides resembled me of a mixed mumbai the old and the new..The place and the people,atleast the males have an Indian touch..are our greatgrandparents to be questioned ;-) ?
Searched the map and took a walk through the streets of Rio to reach our destination , the cool hostel named mellow yellow.I loved the the definitie soothing theme and also the compact arrangements they have put up - a bamboo bar, a spa , a recreation room and a very friendly crowd to help you. We got our room (Named Futebol - you know the brazilians) and beds named as players .. I got a good one Ronaldinho. We are sharing our dorm with a friendly couple from Canada...
After a mini siesta, local exploration brought us to the copacabana beach .. beautiful with the sea and a mountain overlooking it..the sides were dotted with many restaurtans including an arabic one - plan to shell some reals there..The beach walk resembled me of the Chennai Marina beach walks..We had our first tender coconut in latin america on the beach and also tried out the a Brazilian drink called Kaipirinha (cane rum, lemon, sugar and icecubes, think the Brazilian version of Mojito); Rain added a little excitement to the walk midway , managed to reach our hostel little dry..
While travelling ,one of my aims (many dont go with it..) is to taste as much local cuisine as possible.. and here I am in Brazil how can I miss their speciality steakhouses , the Churrascaria. Sri is a born veggie but self brought up as a chickiterian (in every sense of the word chick). He was kind enough to spread his options to all cuts of meat at the churrascaria. Though I used to frequent Fogo De Chao in Minneapolis, some cuts were unique here like the chicken heart, didnt like it much as it had a rubbery feel to it all muscles ...
Friday night ,the most happening place in south america,a good dinner, age & marital status at our side ;-), what else can we three think of ? We headed to our cute receptionist and got one-way tickets to a local ´lapa street party´ which starts at 0030 hours...
To spend some time headed to the bamboo bar and had a couple of drinks - tasted the mellow yellow special one - condensed milk, passion fruit juice and liquer. It was not bad but on a personal front like my alcoholic beverages to be light..Our pickup cab came in by 0040 and we were packed like sardines in the van..most of them were drunk and also carrying to-go packages of their beverages.. the atmosphere inside the cab was crazier when there was a brawl between a couple of guys when somebody made fun of the Irish and it happened one of the ladies was from there.. It got a bit physical but the President of ´society of the drunkards van´ resolved it ;-)
We reached our destination - it was nothing but a street dotted with lots of clubs n pubs n police patrol cars !!! There was lot of activity happening around and we just weaved our way thru the mixed crowd who were enjoying their nite out..all drunk ,doing the samba , the grind and above all the kisses. MC was stunned to find and note that all the grids got filled out when it comes to kissing the normal M-F, the other abnormal ones that too to the extremities..
We walked through some crowded streets and when the alley became narrower and we became aware of the premises ;-) decided to call it a day .. waved a taxi and landed in our own dorm by 0300 .. time to hit da bed..
The first nite at Rio was positively eventful.. planning for the city tour today... Relaxing me in every way as there were many things mostly personal troubling me off late but my mind always says to me - this is the only chance u got...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Radio Uy airing Hindi...be prepared..
Imagine my harsh voice(custom made to command in the Army ;-) on the radio, yeah Uruguay being such a small place I also got a chance to atleast record a few phrases on the local
radio. It all started as one agency was preparing a ad campaign for shopping centers and the theme was that the offer is spread across the world..
it meant an ad with the phrase repeated in different languages , and for me it was in Hindi .. Thanks to my friends Guille who opened this to me and Beena who helped me put on a fuzzy flavor to the phrase..
We had the recording on Friday and if its aired will be richer by 10K local currency at the expense of the hatred of the guys hearing it..owe something to my friend too ..
small country R.I.C.H experiences !!!!!!!
radio. It all started as one agency was preparing a ad campaign for shopping centers and the theme was that the offer is spread across the world..
it meant an ad with the phrase repeated in different languages , and for me it was in Hindi .. Thanks to my friends Guille who opened this to me and Beena who helped me put on a fuzzy flavor to the phrase..
We had the recording on Friday and if its aired will be richer by 10K local currency at the expense of the hatred of the guys hearing it..owe something to my friend too ..
small country R.I.C.H experiences !!!!!!!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
My own Bubble theory !
I've observed a strange phenomenon in many walks of life - be it at work or during a long journey ..
As more and more people tend to group together, there is always a tendency for new sub-groups to be formed. It is analogous to the bubble-theory , as more and more air molecules tend to occupy the space inside a bubble, some of them like to break away from the larger bubble and form their own... No wonder why one of the largest parties in my country has groups from A to Z...The logical explanation could be that each and every molecule (person) has his own persona and if the governing mother group doesn't carry those traits , he or she tends to be there till there are enough similar personas to create a new group... and then burst out from the mother bubble !! Just some crazy thot on a Sunday evening after a refreshing game of football with my amigos ......
As more and more people tend to group together, there is always a tendency for new sub-groups to be formed. It is analogous to the bubble-theory , as more and more air molecules tend to occupy the space inside a bubble, some of them like to break away from the larger bubble and form their own... No wonder why one of the largest parties in my country has groups from A to Z...The logical explanation could be that each and every molecule (person) has his own persona and if the governing mother group doesn't carry those traits , he or she tends to be there till there are enough similar personas to create a new group... and then burst out from the mother bubble !! Just some crazy thot on a Sunday evening after a refreshing game of football with my amigos ......
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy B'day Driver duDe ...
The whole day I was bombarded with issues at the work place but everything got negated out with the smile and 'muchas gracias' i received from my friend...Fernando
Fernando is the one who makes sure that we reach our homes safe and sound after a day's work. I donno how it all started because , he doesnt speak or understand my language, he doesnt share my cubicle, he doesnt share my apartment nor are we distant relatives....
We greet each other with a hola and a com estas when I board the bus , then once all are in Fernando takes over with his humor making the bus ride a joy for ppl who understand spanish - he could make a fortune if he tried his hand on 'stand up ' comedy.. I liked the way he mingled with the A.. Z in the bus !! His smile, versatility, body language,humor sense all makes the ride back home really comfy - just the reverse of the morning ride that we take...
So yesterday he was telling me that he turns 32 today ;-) so thot of surprising him and presented him with a bottle of Tannat and feliz compleanos instead of the usual hola and com estas .. and i got in return a great smile and the best 'muchas gracias' straight from the heart !!!
Once again happy b'day my friend !!
Fernando is the one who makes sure that we reach our homes safe and sound after a day's work. I donno how it all started because , he doesnt speak or understand my language, he doesnt share my cubicle, he doesnt share my apartment nor are we distant relatives....
We greet each other with a hola and a com estas when I board the bus , then once all are in Fernando takes over with his humor making the bus ride a joy for ppl who understand spanish - he could make a fortune if he tried his hand on 'stand up ' comedy.. I liked the way he mingled with the A.. Z in the bus !! His smile, versatility, body language,humor sense all makes the ride back home really comfy - just the reverse of the morning ride that we take...
So yesterday he was telling me that he turns 32 today ;-) so thot of surprising him and presented him with a bottle of Tannat and feliz compleanos instead of the usual hola and com estas .. and i got in return a great smile and the best 'muchas gracias' straight from the heart !!!
Once again happy b'day my friend !!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Flu finds me again
from last nite till today afternoon spent most of my time in bed - courtesy the flu virus !!
temps went up, nasal congestion and it was boring to stay at the same place and with eyes heated up.. not good !! need to take a cold shower to flush them out... anyways thanks to barathi n karunakar for making me lazier by providing my all time fav dosa (though cudnt relish due to the taste bud issue..) and to the paracetamol i took later which enabled me to write this............
temps went up, nasal congestion and it was boring to stay at the same place and with eyes heated up.. not good !! need to take a cold shower to flush them out... anyways thanks to barathi n karunakar for making me lazier by providing my all time fav dosa (though cudnt relish due to the taste bud issue..) and to the paracetamol i took later which enabled me to write this............
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Little drops of rain >> ocean of happiness !!
Nature had a little surprise in store for me as I stepped out of my office after a tiring day...a lovely drizzle .. I just stepped out a little so that the droplets pampered me supported by the breeze.... they dissolved all my thots .. except for the little one - how easy it is to be happy ...
&
to top it all - had some spicy roasted groundnuts with a cup of coffee in my patio watching the rain !!
&
to top it all - had some spicy roasted groundnuts with a cup of coffee in my patio watching the rain !!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Senorita chau chau ....
One more thing added to my regret list.. one of my greatest n closest friend ever didn't give me enough time to explain my situation .. My friend shut all doors at once..
If only she had given me enough time and lend a listening ear .. things would've been much more easier for both..
Coz i feel i miss her and if the times we shared were true.. she would also feel the same....
There is noway for me to reach her.. she just disappeared..anyways its for good as she thinks .. chau chau and all da very best
I've torn down the pages from my book of life ... returning to my sMILEs !!! Total liberation !!
If only she had given me enough time and lend a listening ear .. things would've been much more easier for both..
Coz i feel i miss her and if the times we shared were true.. she would also feel the same....
There is noway for me to reach her.. she just disappeared..anyways its for good as she thinks .. chau chau and all da very best
I've torn down the pages from my book of life ... returning to my sMILEs !!! Total liberation !!
Remembered atleast in 155 daily prayers...
Hats off to Chesley Sullenberger the pilot who had the nerves to pull out a stunning landing as smooth as it could get on top of the river surface.. I really admire these real life heroes who earn themselves a para in history..
Just imagine the moments prior to the landing..once he knew that both of his engines were dead weight, how many messages would have passed to and fro from his brain..
The calculations on whether to take the usual emergency landing procedure or to innovate something according to current scenario.. how to minimize the casualities..his own family. I am sure the usual 'short-video' of one's own life that runs through ur mind during situations like these wouldve also eaten into some of his neural CPU
After all the adrenaline rush the return to calmness is the last step required to bail all of the souls out of the situation and dear Chesley - u did it in sytle . may be the F4 flight hours with the USAF would've given you enough situation handling skills .155 souls on board owe you their life.. You will be remembered by all of them and their kith n kin in their prayers...
My salutes to you...
Just imagine the moments prior to the landing..once he knew that both of his engines were dead weight, how many messages would have passed to and fro from his brain..
The calculations on whether to take the usual emergency landing procedure or to innovate something according to current scenario.. how to minimize the casualities..his own family. I am sure the usual 'short-video' of one's own life that runs through ur mind during situations like these wouldve also eaten into some of his neural CPU
After all the adrenaline rush the return to calmness is the last step required to bail all of the souls out of the situation and dear Chesley - u did it in sytle . may be the F4 flight hours with the USAF would've given you enough situation handling skills .155 souls on board owe you their life.. You will be remembered by all of them and their kith n kin in their prayers...
My salutes to you...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sweet Deal that went wrong !!
Early mrng coffee is one of my necessities to keep my day going.. my mom used to do that for long long years and that taste and smell till lingers around.. Here in a bachelor pad what can u expect other than nescafe with milk and sugar ??
Today got up and brushed and had mixed my coffee with extra sugar as I was feeling the need for that extra sugar !! A couple of cookies along with coffee and some old kishore kumar songs on the bg ... to kick start my morning .. the pleasure lasted just one sip of my coffee... salty coffee is one that you should not be serving even to your worst enemy !!! Emptied the cup into the sink and have to start to work without my mrng caffeine dose as the milk was also under the 'replenish me asap' list.
Grabbed a couple of bites of hersheys cashew chocolate to build my morning sugar...and off I am to my 0915 cab......
Today got up and brushed and had mixed my coffee with extra sugar as I was feeling the need for that extra sugar !! A couple of cookies along with coffee and some old kishore kumar songs on the bg ... to kick start my morning .. the pleasure lasted just one sip of my coffee... salty coffee is one that you should not be serving even to your worst enemy !!! Emptied the cup into the sink and have to start to work without my mrng caffeine dose as the milk was also under the 'replenish me asap' list.
Grabbed a couple of bites of hersheys cashew chocolate to build my morning sugar...and off I am to my 0915 cab......
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Nothing Official about IT
For a machine to run smooth all the gears need to be aligned and should support each other on the run.. Even if there is a slight disorientation at one of the gear wheels, the whole machine rattles, then leading to more vibrations and failure...
Some of the parts play a pivotal role and the others play the supporting role ... if at all all the gears had intelligence of their own... that would be the most ideal machine ever built !!
Something that happened today that made me write this... am a bit down in my spirits but thats good to make me bounce back to a greater height ...
Some of the parts play a pivotal role and the others play the supporting role ... if at all all the gears had intelligence of their own... that would be the most ideal machine ever built !!
Something that happened today that made me write this... am a bit down in my spirits but thats good to make me bounce back to a greater height ...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Shopping - The "baraTHnaTYam" way
I used to curse my parents every single breath while cycling from my home to the market as it bit into my play-time.Even the mundane shopping task has turned e.x.c.i.t.i.n.g in this small Latin american country named Uruguay...My competency level in Spanish is comparable to my ice skating skills (always fall backwards..) , but here this trait adds s{pice} to your shopping curry.
Usually start off the shopping dumb C with a 'Hola' and then its all over to the mudra or point-n-ask strategy. I love the mudra one because most of the times it is more expressive and is kinda fun. I love sea food and the 'Makara or Matsya' mudra came in handy to get me some laughs around, and my fish ..the hunt for crustaceans is still on and it was a hard time to act it out. I was successful after a couple of attempts of making my fingers walk sidewards and showing my own claw-clutch-mudra. Crabs are not in awe here near, so may be have to travel 100s of Kms to grab and taste one. Back in Trichy , Crabs travelled from chennai thru train and buses and then to the front of our defence quarters on bicycles ;-) how convenient...
The most surprising part of my research on crabs was that - there is one of the mudras for Crab - the Karkala Mudra, well done ancestors. I've had tortoise in India without having to use the Coormah mudra - but here the food is the sole source of entertainment ;-( , now I've started a liking towards the 'art of aquiring the food.'.
If I walk the aisles and shop quick enough to make my movements continous, I may even think of my arangetram in 'BharathnatyaM' - keeping it slow to save a cultural landslide in India..!!
Bored in Uruguay - ?? Grab a few 100 pesos and go to the nearby super mercado and play Dumb C with all of 'em
Usually start off the shopping dumb C with a 'Hola' and then its all over to the mudra or point-n-ask strategy. I love the mudra one because most of the times it is more expressive and is kinda fun. I love sea food and the 'Makara or Matsya' mudra came in handy to get me some laughs around, and my fish ..the hunt for crustaceans is still on and it was a hard time to act it out. I was successful after a couple of attempts of making my fingers walk sidewards and showing my own claw-clutch-mudra. Crabs are not in awe here near, so may be have to travel 100s of Kms to grab and taste one. Back in Trichy , Crabs travelled from chennai thru train and buses and then to the front of our defence quarters on bicycles ;-) how convenient...
The most surprising part of my research on crabs was that - there is one of the mudras for Crab - the Karkala Mudra, well done ancestors. I've had tortoise in India without having to use the Coormah mudra - but here the food is the sole source of entertainment ;-( , now I've started a liking towards the 'art of aquiring the food.'.
If I walk the aisles and shop quick enough to make my movements continous, I may even think of my arangetram in 'BharathnatyaM' - keeping it slow to save a cultural landslide in India..!!
Bored in Uruguay - ?? Grab a few 100 pesos and go to the nearby super mercado and play Dumb C with all of 'em
Sunrise @ Rambla
The bio-alarm overtook my usual mobile-alarm by a margin of more than 2 hours so ended up moving my butt off the bed earlier than usual.. I have a bad habit of being unable to sleep again easily if the continuity is broken - I hated those early mrng pages when I was handling some apps at onsite... What would be more perfect than to start your day with 'Surya Darshan' .. It was a treat for the eyes and mind alike - the black tarred road, tanned people jogging , the white beach and the lovely Red Sun rising above the horizon..the colors fading from pitch black to the brightest red .. nature's own palette of paints..Always surprised of the sun ever not getting bored of the monotonous task... should be asked for a management pep talk to keep the morale up ...I shall make this task a daily one to absorb all the positive vibes of the 33 orientales ... ;-)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Tempest - Not the Shakespearean 1 ...
Was woken from my deep sleep, in da wee hours of Monday by the loud banging of my kitchen door... not knowing who the uninvited intruder was... Switched on my lights , but cudnt find even a single soul around..
Could hear the wind whistle sarcastically at me.. The wind was spitting fury along with rhythmic whistling as it rushed through my hard venetian blinds and the glass windows.. Though it meant a sleepless night , it was in a way enjoyable too ... it was some kinda music to the ears... if you know what i mean when i say "i love to hear the waves.."
This is like hearing the wind and feeling it against you...I let the wind caress and pamper me all night long and slept off in the morning in her arms ....
the windy nite , brought memories of Chic-ago , but the wind here seems to have an additional element of humane tenderness to it.. though it sounded rough n tough , it was soft enough to connect me with my dreamzz again... the " munchy" wind ... nature is never boring .. !!!
Could hear the wind whistle sarcastically at me.. The wind was spitting fury along with rhythmic whistling as it rushed through my hard venetian blinds and the glass windows.. Though it meant a sleepless night , it was in a way enjoyable too ... it was some kinda music to the ears... if you know what i mean when i say "i love to hear the waves.."
This is like hearing the wind and feeling it against you...I let the wind caress and pamper me all night long and slept off in the morning in her arms ....
the windy nite , brought memories of Chic-ago , but the wind here seems to have an additional element of humane tenderness to it.. though it sounded rough n tough , it was soft enough to connect me with my dreamzz again... the " munchy" wind ... nature is never boring .. !!!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Love My Solo Numero !!
In Love with my Single NumbeR that...
- ain't shared by my siblings or friends
- is reachable anytime
- is an active member in ma emotional voyage
- smiles off my stupidity
- opens up my corridors of imagination
- delights me with never ending freshness
- is unconditional
Revenge was his(Mr.Murphy's) Reply
I knew Mr.M would come back hard at me for exposing him in my blog.. He was just waiting for the right opportunity and what better time to strike than when I am at my weakest moving from the nOrthern hEmisphere to the south !!
Started the month of Dec'08 with a request for travelling to Uruguay for work - I gleefully accepted the offer as I wanted something new in my work, love travelling ,meeting new people & trying out new cuisines !! Never expected that the journey would be a good adventure on its own ...
Started with the visa as the consul general was OOC(for us its out of office, for consul gen its out of country) for a couple of weeks, then I had to arrange through a different consulate. Visa appointment was fixed, ticketing completed from MSP to Miami to Montevideo.
Waved goodbye to the ones I shared my life @ Minneapolis ! Murphy started poking his nose into my affairs a bit rough from here, I came to know that I cannot check in my baggages through to Montevideo as I had no Uruguayan Visa , although I scrambled through my bag and took out numerous papers to show that I am not planning on an illegal entry the representative was adamant on the stand and rightly so...could have written some complimentary messages for her to her boss ..
This concern flew away as I was flying first class, first in ma lifetime ;-) , relaxxed and enjoyed the caste system in the airlines !! I landed in Miami , In'l ;the land of the lords. Now I had to think on how to get my visa done and take care of my baggage. I decided to leave the baggage at the carousal, anyways it would be at the counter as unclaimed baggage and I could always come back to the orphaned ones later.
Sprawled my way through the miami crowd and hired a cab.she took me to the consulate, I asked her to wait till I am out... Went inside the consulate and waited for an hour to get my chance, the citizens of Uy were given preference over any Visa processing , appreciated that spirit of theirs and I sat there in the small room with Gen Artigas staring at me from a corner ;-) No much fanfare as in the US consulate as Uy is no World of Opportunities ..
Got my Visa stamped and the scan through the streets brought me my next surprise , my very friendly cab-driver had deserted me..Made up my mind on the fronts that she might have got a better ride and on my luck of getting a free ride from the airport to the consulate.
I waited to wave yet another taxi and half way through I asked him if he would accept cards, Murphy strikes again to say that out of the 1000s of cabs in Miami this one doesn't accept cards.
I didn't carry cash, the lucky b!#@! I am , had a cheque book , wrote a 20$ for the cab driver - checked my account online after I reached here and could find it debited .. Atleast was not so lucky to get a free round trip from the airport to the consulate.
Found the way to the baggage claim area and the friendly clerk helped me regain my 'unclaimed' baggages. I found the cart vending machine and slided my cards - Visa & Amex decided to play along with Murphy. Helpful humans can always be found, one lady offered me her cart as she had another free one..
Lots of hours to pass, how long could I play watchman ;-) , though the crowd was colorful and pleasant.The airport internet came to rescue, paid up for a 24 hr connection but the authentication wouldnt go through.. i was cursing my luck but sensed the opportunity of talking to the cute girl at the reception of the hotel that provides the inet service.. off i went in a flash and talked to the blondie after a couple of calls the connection sprang up on my HP pavilion
Felt a sense of relief after checking emails work and personal. Chatted with ma amigos and sent mails regarding the lovely travel.As I handled the above scenarios with little bit of help from lady luck, Mr.M decided to test with some other avenues - the time had come to board and I couldn't go to my gate as the Trams at Miami called up a strike ..There was total chaos in the airport with ppl who could miss the flight and no connection coz miami is one of the connecting hubs from NA to SA.
After a while, the authorities arranged for buses to ply us to the gates.There was a lot of crowd and it was not regulated, - the survival of the fittest game ensured for sometime in boarding the buses. I reached my gate 15 mins in advance and the relief turned to desperation again as the PA announcement came in - There has been a gate change for the Miami Montvideo flight..
I was sure of missing the flight as the buses were crowded and I had to run to get through to the bus facility.The bus took me to the gate and somehow I had to thank Murphy as the flight was delayed for 30 mins. We all boarded the flight, after a couple of mins of taxiing , the captain announced that there was some malfunctioning computer on board and it needed replacement... Great news, coz this announcement in mid air would have had me read thru the safety instructions manual ASAP.
Miami airport can boast of a great engineering crew as they rectified the malfunction in less than an hour, whereas sometimes during crucial meetings we need to have around 5 software engineers work for more than half an hour to fix a projector issue ;-)
Having said that , the slightest shudders, which I may have earlier attributed to turbulence took a new dimension in my thoughts - did they fix it right ?? or they had got into engineering with fake degrees ;-) ? Anyways I landed at Montevideo in one-piece and was greeted with a SmilE ,by Mohan - the sweetest I have experienced !! Will report further from Latinoland !
Started the month of Dec'08 with a request for travelling to Uruguay for work - I gleefully accepted the offer as I wanted something new in my work, love travelling ,meeting new people & trying out new cuisines !! Never expected that the journey would be a good adventure on its own ...
Started with the visa as the consul general was OOC(for us its out of office, for consul gen its out of country) for a couple of weeks, then I had to arrange through a different consulate. Visa appointment was fixed, ticketing completed from MSP to Miami to Montevideo.
Waved goodbye to the ones I shared my life @ Minneapolis ! Murphy started poking his nose into my affairs a bit rough from here, I came to know that I cannot check in my baggages through to Montevideo as I had no Uruguayan Visa , although I scrambled through my bag and took out numerous papers to show that I am not planning on an illegal entry the representative was adamant on the stand and rightly so...could have written some complimentary messages for her to her boss ..
This concern flew away as I was flying first class, first in ma lifetime ;-) , relaxxed and enjoyed the caste system in the airlines !! I landed in Miami , In'l ;the land of the lords. Now I had to think on how to get my visa done and take care of my baggage. I decided to leave the baggage at the carousal, anyways it would be at the counter as unclaimed baggage and I could always come back to the orphaned ones later.
Sprawled my way through the miami crowd and hired a cab.she took me to the consulate, I asked her to wait till I am out... Went inside the consulate and waited for an hour to get my chance, the citizens of Uy were given preference over any Visa processing , appreciated that spirit of theirs and I sat there in the small room with Gen Artigas staring at me from a corner ;-) No much fanfare as in the US consulate as Uy is no World of Opportunities ..
Got my Visa stamped and the scan through the streets brought me my next surprise , my very friendly cab-driver had deserted me..Made up my mind on the fronts that she might have got a better ride and on my luck of getting a free ride from the airport to the consulate.
I waited to wave yet another taxi and half way through I asked him if he would accept cards, Murphy strikes again to say that out of the 1000s of cabs in Miami this one doesn't accept cards.
I didn't carry cash, the lucky b!#@! I am , had a cheque book , wrote a 20$ for the cab driver - checked my account online after I reached here and could find it debited .. Atleast was not so lucky to get a free round trip from the airport to the consulate.
Found the way to the baggage claim area and the friendly clerk helped me regain my 'unclaimed' baggages. I found the cart vending machine and slided my cards - Visa & Amex decided to play along with Murphy. Helpful humans can always be found, one lady offered me her cart as she had another free one..
Lots of hours to pass, how long could I play watchman ;-) , though the crowd was colorful and pleasant.The airport internet came to rescue, paid up for a 24 hr connection but the authentication wouldnt go through.. i was cursing my luck but sensed the opportunity of talking to the cute girl at the reception of the hotel that provides the inet service.. off i went in a flash and talked to the blondie after a couple of calls the connection sprang up on my HP pavilion
Felt a sense of relief after checking emails work and personal. Chatted with ma amigos and sent mails regarding the lovely travel.As I handled the above scenarios with little bit of help from lady luck, Mr.M decided to test with some other avenues - the time had come to board and I couldn't go to my gate as the Trams at Miami called up a strike ..There was total chaos in the airport with ppl who could miss the flight and no connection coz miami is one of the connecting hubs from NA to SA.
After a while, the authorities arranged for buses to ply us to the gates.There was a lot of crowd and it was not regulated, - the survival of the fittest game ensured for sometime in boarding the buses. I reached my gate 15 mins in advance and the relief turned to desperation again as the PA announcement came in - There has been a gate change for the Miami Montvideo flight..
I was sure of missing the flight as the buses were crowded and I had to run to get through to the bus facility.The bus took me to the gate and somehow I had to thank Murphy as the flight was delayed for 30 mins. We all boarded the flight, after a couple of mins of taxiing , the captain announced that there was some malfunctioning computer on board and it needed replacement... Great news, coz this announcement in mid air would have had me read thru the safety instructions manual ASAP.
Miami airport can boast of a great engineering crew as they rectified the malfunction in less than an hour, whereas sometimes during crucial meetings we need to have around 5 software engineers work for more than half an hour to fix a projector issue ;-)
Having said that , the slightest shudders, which I may have earlier attributed to turbulence took a new dimension in my thoughts - did they fix it right ?? or they had got into engineering with fake degrees ;-) ? Anyways I landed at Montevideo in one-piece and was greeted with a SmilE ,by Mohan - the sweetest I have experienced !! Will report further from Latinoland !
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