Girl Child

Even before I got pregnant, I always wanted a daughter. And when we found out we were going to have one, I was beyond thrilled.

However, as and when I shared this news to people (mostly to people who asked me rather than me telling them), I was surprised at their reactions. All my non-Indian friends expressed their happiness, and it didn't really make a difference to them whether it was a boy or girl. But most of my Indian friends were not too happy. The kind of questions that followed after me telling them that I was having a girl were all bizarre.

It took me a little bit of time to shrug off their mentality....and I soon forgot about those comments.

Throughout my pregnancy, I came across many stories, articles and statistics about female infanticide. Here is one such story:

"Lakshmi already had one daughter, so when she gave birth to a second girl, she killed her. For the three days of her second child's short life, Lakshmi admits, she refused to nurse her. To silence the infant's famished cries, the impoverished village woman squeezed the milky sap from an oleander shrub, mixed it with castor oil, and forced the poisonous potion down the newborn's throat. The baby bled from the nose, then died soon afterward. Female neighbors buried her in a small hole near Lakshmi's square thatched hut of sunbaked mud. They sympathized with Lakshmi, and in the same circumstances, some would probably have done what she did. For despite the risk of execution by hanging and about 16 months of a much-ballyhooed government scheme to assist families with daughters, in some hamlets of ... Tamil Nadu, murdering girls is still sometimes believed to be a wiser course than raising them. "A daughter is always liabilities. How can I bring up a second?" Lakshmi, 28, answered firmly when asked by a visitor how she could have taken her own child's life eight years ago. "Instead of her suffering the way I do, I thought it was better to get rid of her." (All quotes from Dahlburg, "Where killing baby girls 'is no big sin'.")"

Each time I read something like this, I went through a mix of emotions - none happy or positive as you can imagine. Over time I would forget such stuff and focus on my baby. 

The birth of my daughter is one of the happiest moments of my life, and motherhood has been amazing. I am thrilled to be spending my time off from work in India with my daughter. I am so happy that she is getting all the love from her grandparents, relatives, friends and so many neighbors here. 

Today afternoon, I happened to have a casual chat with my neighbor's maid who rang my doorbell to borrow my neighbor's apartment keys. This maid's niece Rekha used to work in our house. Rekha had a baby girl couple weeks after me. In their community (rabari), having a girl is still considered a taboo.

So, coming back to my conversation today....I was asked whether I had a normal delivery or C-section. Rekha had to deliver via C-section coz her baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Everyone had pity on her....and said if God had to tear her apart for having a baby, atleast he should have blessed her with a boy, instead of a girl. I said what the heck?

Rekha was very weak when she conceived, and probably did not eat well during her pregnancy either. She did not lactate at all, so she could never breastfeed and now her baby girl is on formula/cow's milk since birth.

Very soon, she will start working again, and her daughter Prachi will be left at home in the care of some aging relative or neighbor. I doubt whether she will be sent to school. 

I cannot help but compare the difference in the lives of my daughter vs Rekha's daughter. Both girls born 2 weeks apart, and the difference in upbringing is going to be huge.

When will this mentality change?

When will people be equally happy on the birth of a girl?

When will a female child be given equal opportunity to go to school in such communities? 

When will a daughter not be treated as a liability since birth?

Such and countless more questions filled my mind today after my chat today afternoon. 

I am going to meet Rekha and her daughter Prachi very soon, and I am looking forward to it. I will do my best to talk to her and convince her into sending her kid to school. I don't mind sponsoring her child's education if need be. I hope, wish and pray that Prachi has a bright future ahead of her, just like I would wish for my daughter!

Diwali 2010

It's 4am here in Ahmedabad, India as I write this post. It's the morning after Diwali, and I can still hear the sound of fire crackers bursting in the neighborhood. I can also hear a distant sound of the morning aarti being played somewhere on a music system and hear prayers from a nearby mosque.

I am home for Diwali after 11 years....my first time since I moved to the US. I am actually spending Diwali in Ahmedabad after more than 20 years....we always used to go to Agra-Soamibagh which is our place of worship for Radhasoami faith during this time of the year. Diwali in Agra is much much more fun than here in Ahmedabad. There is chhoti Diwali and badi Diwali....the sweets out there are so authentic, the food so delicious. But just being anywhere in India during this time is amazing!

I did not burst fire crackers today.... neither did I go out for a meal......I was home with my daughter, my parents and my bapuji. It meant the world to me!

I always feel very lonely in US during this time of year. Festivals don't mean much without family around. We try to have parties, make sweets n savories, dress up in sarees and light diyas, but nothing compares to the feeling that you experience when you are surrounded by all your loved ones here in India.

After Diwali comes Thanksgiving n Christmas, and the feeling of loneliness reaches its peak by the end of the year. Every single year that I have been in the US during this time, I have felt miserable from within. Thanksgiving and Christmas are also times when family gathers, and I don't have that in the US. I do have really close friends who provide much needed warmth n love to make it bearable, and for that I am so thankful!

There are 2 things that made me very happy today.

My mom has a cousin in her native place, who is poor. He used to own a business, made huge losses, and has never really come out of it inspite of trying very hard. His wife is sick and bed ridden since last few years, and the medical bills due to her illness are huge. His elder son has stopped going to school coz they need him to work and bring home a paycheck. The younger son might follow soon if things don't improve soon. In the past few years, my mom n her siblings have provided much needed financial support to him. But my mom doesn't work, neither do any of her siblings. So its difficult for them to help beyond a certain limit. Yesterday  morning, I was talking to my mom about few things that I would like to do during my stay here. And she asked me if I would like to help this family. I readily agreed.

My mom made a few phone calls and got a list of what her cousin's family needs right now. The list was so simple: 100kgs of wheat grain, 50kgs of rice, and 2 cans of groundnut oil for cooking. Mom called another relative who owns a grocery store in her native place, and had him send these things to her cousin. We will send the money for the stuff via mail tomorrow. This grocery would suffice their family for the next few months. By evening when this was all done, my mom was so so happy, she had tears in her eyes. Needless to say, the feeling inside of me was priceless!

I got reminded of this quote: "Charity begins at home"!

I do have fond memories of visiting this family during my childhood, and they used to treat us so well. I am looking forward to meeting them during my sister's wedding in January.

The second thing I did was visiting an old-age home with dad. There is one close to our house here where mom n dad go regularly and donate. All these females are socially and mentally abused. They have been abandoned by their family and have nowhere to go at this old age. Most of them are 70 years or older.

Today, we were given a list of medications for the 62 females currently residing there. Most of them have some illness - diabetes, heart problems, knee pain, back pain, etc. I will buy medicines that will suffice them for the next month. I also inquired if I could go visit them and talk to them personally, and they said I could, provided I don't ask them any personal questions about their family. I plan to do that once I settle down in a routine here. Maybe I will donate one day of meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner (costs $125) and have lunch with all of them. The few minutes that I spent in the premises today were humbling enough.

Apart from that, I went out in the city and bought a really cute traditional jacket for my daughter. This along with a pair of brown leggings is going to be her new year day outfit for Satsang tomorrow :). I'm excited to dress her up!!!! Diwali shopping is so much fun!

Today is new year day for us - we will make a full meal (vegetable, dal, roti, rice, appetizer, dessert, salad, yogurt, pickle) and do Satsang at home in the morning. In the evening we will take prasad and go for another Satsang with mom-dad-bapuji's Satsang group here. There will be lots of phone calls wishing "saal mubarak" to each other! I can't wait for the day to get started!!!!!

I wish all of you had a lovely Diwali and also wish you and your family a healthy, happy n peaceful year ahead!

This....I LOVE :)

My 10 week old on 10-10-10!!!!

And here are 10 things about her that I LOVE:

- Her smile - infectious!
- Her eyes - bright n wide n ready to absorb the world!
- Her hair - she got the good genes :)
- Her cheeks - chubbylicious!
- Her tummy - she loves it when I tickle her tummy :)
- Her feet - oh so small n soft n pink!
- Her fingers n nails - pretty pretty!
- Her bum - cute n comfy!
- Her coos n babbles....they are music to everyone's ears.
- Her sleeping poses - the picture below speaks for itself!!!!

Love you my betu!!!!!

Two Months

My daughter turned two months old last Friday. Until last week, we were counting her age in weeks....now we will do so in months....and before I even know it, we will count her age in years :)!

As I reflect on the last couple months, there is so much to cherish....here's a few reflections and observations:

- When I see my baby smile, I'm over the moon - every single time. I'm smitten! I've heard people saying this before, and did not believe them. Now I will :)
- At 2 months old, she fits "well" into 6-9 month old outfits. Wonder what sizes I should carry for my long trip to India this month :). She is growing up way too fast!
- I thought I could never survive with less than 8 hours of sleep. I was wrong :)!
- I did not anticipate and realize how much joy the baby would bring into my parents' lives. They are just delighted to take care of her day-in and day-out. When I look at their happy faces every morning and every evening, I feel it's all worth it.
- All the love that the baby is receiving from my friends is more than overwhelming. Almost every thing except the travel system is gifted.....and more than gifts, people come over so often to play with her and spend time with us. I must have done something right in these last 11 years in the US to receive so much love and warmth from everyone. Thank you!
- The baby has loooooooooong legs....and she uses them well to kick hard and strong.
- I always wondered how her hair would be like - my mom, grandma and aunts have long straight silky hair, and the baby has those good genes...so happy for that!
- She loves body massages - we have joined an infant massage class, and I am learning how to do it on her....
- She loves bath time....I so hope she loves the water, and the ocean! I cannot wait to take her to the beach. And teach her how to swim!
- The baby binds and grows the whole family together. We forget about petty issues between us and focus on her instead. I read this quote recently which I really liked: "Babies control and bring up their families as much as they are controlled by them; in fact ... the family brings up baby by being brought up by him." -Erik H. Erikson
- I really don't care about losing weight and fitting into my old jeans.....I used to worry about such things often.
- I look forward to my play time with her every single morning....it fills me with so much energy and joy.
- I also love my quiet times with her....mostly during middle of the night feedings. She will stare at me while feeding, and occasionally smile....makes me want to eat her up!!!!

Babies fill our life with so much love....and are a huge blessing in our lives!

Before I know it, she is going to turn a year old, and then start walking, and talking. I am excited for my 4 month break from work coming up - I will get to spend all day with my baby!!!!

My latest addiction :)

When I was a newborn and an infant, I was addicted to mom.

As I grew older, I was addicted to 'baa' (grandma) and daddy.

When I was 6 years old, my babie sister was born, and I was addicted to her....still am :)

Books, tennis, actors and actresses, classmates and friends, chocolates, teddy bears, clothes, travel - there were so many addictions I had while growing up.

After coming to the US, my major addictions have been the PC and the internet. And traveling to National Parks. And photography. And dance. And sports - tennis, racquetball, swimming, gymming, etc.

Needless to say, my latest addiction is my dear daughter. Look at the smile in the above picture - this photo currently sets up my desktop background and makes it very hard for me to concentrate on work :)!

It's only been 7.5weeks, but I have learnt and grown so much since the day she was born. I am enjoying every bit of it!!!!

How the baby has changed my mornings :)

Before the baby:

Alarm goes off in the morning. The snooze button is hit "x" number of times..."x" could be 1 or 2 or 5 depending on the day :)!

Check email on iphone...sometimes FB too.

Once in a while parents or sister or a friend calls so speak with them.

Brush my teeth.

Take a shower.

Dress up quickly.

Grab breakfast.

Grab laptop bag and purse.

Rush out of the house thinking about work.

Come to work....check email, news, browse for few mins and then start working.

If I need a break, then either go to cafe for water or fruit...or ping someone quickly to say hello, or browse.

No hurry to go home during lunch or after work.

After the baby:

No alarm needed....ever.

Barely get time to check email on iphone. If at all I have time to browse, I'm usually reading baby articles on the various apps :).

No time for phone calls....that too early morning.

Play with the baby....feed her, change her...talk to her.

Brush, shower, dress up, breakfast - all happens in a flash of time.

Play with the baby again....

Grab laptop bag and purse.

Leave the house with a smile. Think about baby while driving.

Come to work - get things done right away...look at baby's pictures during short breaks.

Finish work ASAP and head home during lunch and after work to spend time with baby.

L.I.F.E is G.O.O.D!
Loving motherhood so far :)!

Motherhood

It's been almost a month since I last updated my blog. And life has changed so much since then :)!

I'm thrilled and blessed to share with all of you that my daughter Ruhi was born on 1st August, 2010. I was in labor for 26 hours, half of it which was extremely painful and the other half very eventful. The reward at the end of it was priceless :)!

Life's been sooper busy but very memorable since the day she was born. I feel extremely blessed to have my family with  me during this time - mom, dad, sister, bro-in-law and few close friends that have taken care of hubby, me and our daughter so well.

We spent the first 3 days in the hospital....she had slight jaundice and the doctor wanted to watch her before sending us home. I read and learnt so much from the nurses, lactation consultants and mom during that time. After coming home, we have slowly started to settle into a routine with her.

She is pure joy and delight - watching her sleep, feed, play, smile, cry, giving her a bath - we are all smitten by all her activity and movements :)!

She loves to lay on my chest and go to sleep - and holding her while she does that is the most amazing feeling in this world!

Most of my friends have come home and met her....it feels great to share her with all of them!

I am also extremely thankful for my friends Kruti, Hinesh/Shrdha, Bhavna, Sunita and others who have graciously loaned me a crib, swing, rocker, bouncer, baby carrier, etc. I only had to buy a car seat and stroller for her so far....and few daily necessities....rest all was taken care of by friends.

I'm a mommy now - still can't believe it :). Pregnancy was so much fun but motherhood is even better :)!

And the fun has only begun :)

Day 7 Final Day - Seven Days of Positivity

We made it to the final day of this positivity experiment - YaY :)!

This is the first time I posted something on my blog for seven straight days - quite an accomplishment :)! Being on leave did make it a lot easier though :)

I have truly felt amazing as I wrote each post this last week....and along the same lines, I hope I can continue my habit of sleeping with one happy thought in my mind every day....

Today was truly a relaxing day. I woke up early and read for a while, after which I spent the entire day at home.

Here is today's list of things that made me happy and I feel grateful about:

- My home office - I have a very nice setup at home to work on the computer....a 24-inch flat screen, a beautiful L-shaped desk, a window looking out on the street and a lovely lit room. I really enjoy spending my time in my home office and am grateful to have one!

- Scanning, uploading and emailing my maternity portraits - It was fun looking at all the maternity pictures that we clicked over the last month and scanning the few studio prints and emailing them to family n friends.

- Making chaat for dinner - Had a wonderful dinner at home with hubby n mom-dad...we made dahi-sev-puri chaat.....I did most of the prep and made it for everyone too....ofcourse mom helped quite a bit. I feel grateful that I am still able to do things in the kitchen and am not being a burden on anyone.

- My friends - All my close friends from all over the world have been regularly checking on my health. Friends in town come home and meet me. I feel very cared for and loved by each one of them. I am grateful to have my circle of friends surrounding me with love during this special time of my life.

- My family - Hubby, Parents, Sister,  In-laws, Bro-in-laws, Sis-in-law, aunts n uncles n cousins - each one of them has been extra nice to me during my pregnancy. I feel truly blessed!

As I wrap up this post, I want to thank Preeti for taking this initiative and inspiring so many bloggers to join her.

Always count your blessings! Stay Positive!

Day 6 - Seven Days of Positivity

Only two more days to this experiment - I think I will miss writing these things down after tomorrow :)

Today turned out to be another busy day.....not physically exhausting but tiring nonetheless.....

However, focusing on the positive these days is helping me forget the not-so-good moments very easily.....so try this experiment for yourself and see how well it works :)

So let's dive into today's happy/grateful moments:

- I woke up with a friend's phone call.....he doesn't realize but a few amazing things he said will stay with me forever. The entire conversation was not a happy one, however, I choose to only remember the positive :).

- Afternoon outing with dad - I took him for his first haircut outside India today...it was fun :) and then we went to Costco where we found clip-ons for his glasses....they fit very well and he is happy about it. Feels wonderful to be able to do such small things for him and with him.

- Dinner tonite - Mom made one of my favorites - Undhiyu today.....Dad and I helped her in the kitchen all afternoon....although she did a major chunk of the work. It was oober-delicious! And the three of us had a fun time prepping up!

- The cool weather - After several hot ~100F days, it was extremely pleasant all day today. We had the patio door and windows open all day.....California weather is such a blessing!

- Massage - Got another wonderful foot massage and a little bit of shoulder massage from hubby....it helps me sleep a LOT better at night.....and am very grateful that he offers to do it every single day.

Do make it a point to sleep with a happy thought in your mind! It truly does make a difference!

Day 5 - Seven Days of Positivity

The weekend is over.....didn't realize when it came and left.....it was a busy one as usual.

Today was an action packed day - haven't had such a busy day in a while now, so I'm glad the day is over. I also don't have to go to work tomorrow so I can rest all day and get all my energy back :).

Here is today's list of things that made me feel happy/grateful:

- Guru Purnima Satsang with mum n dad - Its always nice to do Satsang with parents.....today was an auspicious day and I felt great after doing it with them early in the morning.

- The countdown begins - Only 10 days to my due date now....can't wait for Baby's BirthDay!!!!

- A visit to the California State Fair - We spent the entire afternoon/evening at the state fair today at Cal Expo, Sacramento.....visited exhibits, saw a couple of shows and livestock, visited the county booths and also took a monorail ride of the entire fair in the end. It was a great way to spend our Sunday!

- Full Moon - The moon was gorgeous today.....did you guys see it? I missed watching the sunset in Folsom, but the clouds and sky were brilliantly colored at dusk!

- Foot Massage with Oil by hubby before bedtime - I suffer from pregnancy induced Edema, and hubby regularly does a great foot massage with sesame seed oil for me....today I needed it the most because I walked so much all day, and did not get any time during the day to put my feet up and relax. I will go to bed feeling much better after the wonderful massage!

Another week of leave begins - it also happens to be my 40th week of pregnancy - I'm almost there.....

Day 4 - Seven Days of Positivity

Today flew by so quickly. It's close to midnight and I just got done with the day. It was an extremely productive day though, and a happy one :) so no complaints!

Here are the 5 things that I am grateful about today:

- My prenatal yoga teacher Glenda - She is amazing....going to the class every Saturday (and now every Tuesday as well) has been something that I have looked forward to throughout my pregnancy. Me and her click so well....I even invited her home for lunch one day and introduced her to my family. I hope to continue postnatal yoga with her as well.

- Playing UNO with mom - Priceless! I wish I could capture all the expressions on her face when she plays card games with us.

- Showing the house/garden to friends/family - Its been more than a year that we moved into our home, and we still have visitors who come to our new abode for the first time. I still get the same excitement as the first day we moved or the day of our housewarming while showing them our home and our garden. It's the first home hubby and I purchased, so its very special to me.

- Shopping for fresh veggies at the Indian store with mum n dad - It is a boring task if I have to do it alone, but mum n dad make it so much fun. We have one Indian store in our area, Desi Bazaar, which gets fresh Indian vegetables from the bay area every Saturday. We go there every couple weeks right around 2-3pm when the veggies arrive, and it's a lot of fun picking them up. We discuss recipes, when we will cook what, etc etc....and also share it with friends when they visit :).

- Hiccups - I love the feeling I get of bubbles being blown inside my tummy when my baby is having hiccups :). Simple awesome!

Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day....it's Guru Purnima so we will do Satsang early morning, then we are planning to go to the California State Fair in Sacramento.....and we may have ice-cream at a local creamery which I absolutely love! Stay tuned :)

Do sneak a peak at the full moon in the sky - its going to be beautiful!

Day 3 - Seven Days of Positivity

I made a habit few weeks ago to think about one thing that made me very happy during the day before going to bed. This post is about five such things - and I have to write them down here, so it's harder than making a mental note, but its that much more fun :)!

Today was another peaceful day at home. This week I have really made it a point to relax as much as possible - physically as well as mentally. Everyone has said that it will be extremely busy after the baby, so I am making the most of this precious time before my bundle of joy arrives :).

Here is a list of 5 things that made me happy today:

- Listening to my baby's heartbeat at the doctor's office - nothing can beat the feeling I get when I listen to her heart beating inside my tummy. It truly is special!

- Cracking up on gujju jokes sent by dad - Dad reads all the Gujarati newspapers online and keeps forwarding us articles/jokes. The ones he sent today were hilarious!

- Watering the plants inside my home and in the garden - Gardening provides a lot of peace and relaxation to the mind. Usually my hubby waters the plants every evening, and sometimes mom does it. Today I decided to do it, and it was fun seeing the tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, mint, oranges, lemons, roses - all blooming so well in the garden.

- Picking up my maternity portraits from Kiddie Candids - I was looking forward to the prints from my photo session last weekend....they did not disappoint :). I picked up one color and one black & white collage.....will scan it sometime and put it up here on the blog.

- A text message from my friend S - I supported her during a difficult time she went through last couple weeks, and she sent me a lovely text message saying how much it meant to her. Needless to say, it made me happy :)!

Preeti Shenoy has created a positivity group on Facebook - 7 days to Positivity. Please join if you are interested and share your thoughts.


Ninite and Sweet Dreams!

Day 2 - Seven Days of Positivity

I felt great yesterday after writing about the 5 things that made me happy/grateful.

Today has been another good day. I feel extremely relaxed staying at home with mom and dad. A full time corporate job is indeed stressful, no matter how much you enjoy your work.

So here goes today's list:

- I am grateful for not having to go to work today. I could not sleep at all last night. At around 6am, I changed positions and finally went to sleep...I woke up only at 10am. It felt great. I got much needed rest which I would be deprived of if I had to leave for work at 8am.

- Mom's cooking - My mom is an excellent cook, and I feel blessed to be able to enjoy homemade meals prepared by her these days :). Lunch today was my favorite.

- Making Quinoa Upma with mom - I always try to cook Indian style dishes with ingredients that are locally available in the US but not in India. Today, mom and me tried making upma with Quinoa grain...it turned out good. Quinoa has a very high protein content and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. You can read more on the wiki link or google.

- Watching Despicable Me in 3D - I love animation movies :). We had a free movie day at work today. The entire theatre was reserved for Intel employees to go watch any movie of their choice, and I watched Despicable Me in 3D. I loved the ending of the movie, and Margo, Edith, Agnes were oh-so-cute :)

- Evening walk - The weather is so nice after 9pm when we all go for a walk around the community. There was a cool breeze today, it was quiet and peaceful, and being on a hill with very little street lighting, we could see so many stars in the sky. It was wonderful!

Feeling so content after writing this....in a perfect mood to read a book and then off to bed!

Day 1 - Seven Days of Positivity

I read a post on Preeti Shenoy's Blog on Seven Days of Positivity and decided to do it myself.

So here is a list of 5 things which made me feel happy/good/grateful today:

- A visit to the mall with mom n dad n my friend A, where we went to the Apple store and I showed them the "iPad" - they were truly delighted. We also tried the Facetime application on the new iPhone4 and they were amazed.

- Banana/Nutella crepes and Pistachio Gelato - Delish :)

- Receiving my first disability paycheck from the State of California - as I am on maternity leave, I am officially on disability leave and have the benefit of getting paid for my maternity time off from the state. This is the first time ever in my life that I am using any of the benefits that I have paid for so far!

- A hot shower - It relaxes me so much. I am grateful for being able to afford hot water every day.

- My friend P - so grateful for him in my life. I really enjoyed my early morning conversation with him today.

This first post was not as hard as I thought :)...let's see if the next ones get more difficult!

As Preeti rightly said, I'm feeling great already after penning this down! Try it yourself!

Mom-dad US visit 2010 - musings (2)

I started my maternity leave 10 days ago, and time is just flying by. My friends and I thought I would be bored in the first couple days, and boy we were so wrong :).

Spending these few days off with mom-dad before the baby is a special gift. I cherish it every day. Last week, my sister was here too, as she had a week off from work....time flew by but we all had a great time together.

Last night, I made tacos for my parents...dad LOVES avocados, so he enjoyed them very much. I made salsa at home too since the store ones have onion/garlic which they don't eat.

We went to Ikea the day before yesterday...and picked up small things for them to carry back home. They both LOVE the store, and could spend hours in there. For me, I got my walking for the day done :).

Dad accompanies me for all the errands that I have to run - I enjoy driving him around town, and chatting with him on life in US. Sometimes we take mom along too...like the other day we all went to Costco and spent more than a couple hours there. We all love that store too!

We did BBQ in our backyard...it was a first time for mum n dad, and they enjoyed it.

We went to Apple Hill for blueberry picking...it was a hot day, but we had a great time. The best part was stopping on the side of the road near a cherry farm and "stealing" some cherries...before anyone could come and warn us or shoo us away.

We also go for a late night post-dinner walk around the community few days a week. The weather is just amazing at that time....cool with a slight breeze...and since we don't have many street lights where we live, the sky lights up like fireworks. If it's a full moon night, its an added bonus :).

Mom-dad also completed their first 5k walk last month. I thought they did remarkably well, as it was another warm morning. I hope to do another one with them in September/October.

We went to the Sacramento Rivercats Baseball game, and having never watched baseball before, mum n dad were trying to figure out the rules :). Then they watched a couple games on TV and understood the rules, and made sense of what they saw on the field. They found the game very slow and boring (just like me :))!

We enjoyed watching FIFA and Wimbledon during the last few weeks....and a couple of good Gujarati plays on DVD. Our family does not watch much TV, and I find that to be such a huge blessing.

We also play UNO/card games....watching mom play UNO is PRICELESS! She hates to lose, so she gets all tensed and worked up if she has too many cards on her hands. She feels very guilty when she forgets to say "UNO" with one card in her hand, even if it goes unnoticed by others :)! Pure bliss to watch her face during those moments!

Other than these activities, my daily conversations and quiet moments with them are something that makes me feel so content. It is extremely hard for me to see them grow old, and there are few things that I struggle with every single day. However, I feel extremely blessed to be able to spend this special time of my life with them.

Mom-dad US visit 2010 - musings (1)

Every morning, mom-dad go for their daily walk at around 6.30 or 7am. Hubby leaves for work around 7.30am. I am usually awake by 6am, but I stay in bed either reading, or praying/meditating, until mom-dad return home from their walk.

I know they are back when I hear the door chime. My bedroom door is usually closed, so every day, mom will slowly open it to check if I am awake, so that she can wish me good morning :). That first sight of her smiling face in the morning is pure bliss :).

On some days, dad will follow her, and they will share their walk experience with me - which route they took, which plants are blooming, any rabbits or birds or snakes they spotted, etc.

As I lay in bed, waiting to get up and start my day - I can feel their energy in me every morning. And I feel truly blessed to cherish these moments with them!

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

Memorial Day is the first summer long weekend in the US. Every year, I eagerly await for this weekend as it's the first time I get to travel and spend the weekend outdoors with great weather.

This year, I am grounded from travel for the next few months, and so decided to do a staycation at home. However, being in the house for 3 days not doing much would be boring. So I planned to do few things to keep me busy and entertained, but also kept a lot of time for relaxation.

I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the way the weekend turned out.

It started with me leaving work a little early on Friday afternoon, and heading straight to Borders. I could spend hours in a bookstore, and these days spending time there relaxes me a lot. I picked up a few magazines and spent time reading them for few hours. I also had company of my good friend A and we chatted about various things in between our reading. After that, I felt like watching a movie, and my friend A said he had a movie that he had rented from the library that we could watch. Both of us had talked about watching "Tuesdays with Morrie" a while ago....and that's the movie he had rented from the library.

After having dinner at home, we watched the movie. I absolutely loved it. I have read the book, and had heard a lot about the movie as well. I must say it lived up to its expectations. I will not say much except that if you get a chance, do watch it.

Saturday morning was beautiful - bright and sunny. I woke up early but then decided to stay in bed a little longer to get enough rest. I then had a light breakfast, did my yoga exercise, and cooked lunch. I spoke on Skype video chat to a friend's family back in UK - it was wonderful as we saw each other for the first time face-to-face and we also showed each other our homes via video camera. We had lunch, got ready and headed out to spend the evening at Lake Natoma with few friends. It was a lovely evening out there....I love being at that lake and each visit to Lake Natoma fills me with energy as well as relaxes me. We took bread to feed the geese, and spent some quality time with the birds. Here's a picture of me feeding the geese :).

\

The NCAA National Womens Rowing Championships were ongoing at Lake Natoma, so we scouted out the arrangements to come back on Sunday morning for the finals.

After that, we went to a friends place to hang out and had dinner with them. I had a blast playing with their 2 year daughter P and was thrilled when I got a chance to feed her dinner. I have a lot of friends whose kids enjoy being fed their meals by me, and I feel so content and blessed to be able to cherish these moments with them. Very few things in life come even close to this feeling.

We then headed home in a hurry as we were hosting a poker night at our home. Our friends arrived on time, we all chatted a bit, and then played poker until 1am in the morning. It was a blast, just as usual :).

I could not sleep in till late on Sunday morning, so just woke up early and chatted with my mother-in-law and uncle in India. It's always fun to talk to relatives back home....they lead such a different life from us and sharing everything with them is fun.

I then got ready and went to Lake Natoma again to watch the finals of the rowing championship. The entry fee plus parking to get into the event was outrageous, so we found a spot across the lake which was free, on a hill, from where we got a clear view of the competition. We enjoyed the last 3 races from out there, and then headed to our favorite joint sunflower-drive-in to enjoy delicious nut-burgers with fresh squeezed carrot juice for lunch. Here is a shot of a bird at the lunch place :).

I met an old friend S, her hubby and her 17-month old son there. It was fun to catch up with her for few mins, and getting a glimpse of her son who was napping in the car. I had not met them since the baby was born, as they moved out of town....so it was good to see him.

We then finished groceries at Trader Joe's and the Indian store and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening at home. I did some writing, some reading, watched some telly, and relaxed. Right before sunset, we drove to Folsom Lake Marina, and reached just in time to watch an amazing sunset which lit the sky up in spectacular colours. This is becoming my favorite things to do after moving into our new home, and makes me LOVE my small town so much. Here's a picture :).

Memorial Day Monday was mostly spent at home...cooking lunch and dinner, doing laundry, hubby spending time in the backyard, and shopping for few home improvement items, which included buying a fan for mom-dad's room and its installation.

I usually don't like to stay home on long weekends. I get bored. And since I love to travel, I just get an itch to plan a trip and head out. It was wonderful to spend this long weekend at home and enjoy the staycation - we got an opportunity to explore local events, meet few friends, enjoy the sunsets, watch movies, relish home-cooked meals, relax and rejuvenate.

Hope you all had a lovely Memorial Weekend as well!

Two blessed weekends

The weekend of May8-9, 2010 


My parents came to the US for their third time on May 7th this year. The weekend they came was an amazing weekend. My sister and her fiance came over to our home from LA, and my close friend P drove from the bay area. On Saturday, we were all busy preparing for my baby shower on Sunday May 9th. We also had a surprise ultrasound appt. booked for mom-dad to see the baby on Saturday afternoon.

After lunch and my yoga class on Saturday, we headed for the ultrasound appointment. We could see the baby's face and a lot of her antics inside my tummy. We got some cool 3D pictures and a video to bring back with us. Mom-dad and others were thrilled to see her for the first time :)!

Sunday was a triple bonanza...it was my mom's birthday, Mothers' Day here in US, and my baby shower. We had a small puja at home with the ladies in the morning, and then headed over to our close friends Harish-Deepika's home for the baby shower lunch. Everyone who was invited showed up on time, and the party was a huge success. We played a couple games after the cake-cutting and lunch...and everyone who was present participated.

I came away from the party with a feeling of content and a huge sigh of relief. It all went as planned, and more than anything, we were all happy and had so much fun.

I also felt very loved that day. As I reflected upon the weekend later, I realized that I am surrounded by so many people who genuinely care for me, and love me. Some of these people (apart from my family) have been there for me through many of my difficult times, and have never hesitated to offer help when I needed it or asked for it. Also, they have never made me feel obligated for what they have done. I truly cherish these relationships and feel very blessed.

In the days and weeks leading up to my parents arrival, we had spent a lot of time getting the house ready for them, as well as preparing for the baby shower function. I tend to be a detail oriented person, and don't like last minute panic situations. This time around, because of my physical condition, I could not do much by myself, so I had to rely on help. And I must say I was not disappointed at all.

Another few weeks and the much awaited baby will be here. Life will be so different, so exciting, so much more fun :).

The long weekend from May12-May16, 2010


Right after a sooper busy Mothers Day weekend, we had another busier weekend planned. This one involved air travel, which I had not done since I got pregnant. So I was a little nervous about how I would feel.

My younger sister was graduating with an MS in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from USC in LA on May 12, and my close friend P was graduating with a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Binghamton University, upstate NY on May 15.

I had taken couple days off to attend these graduations and be able to travel. On May 12, we got ready in time to leave for the airport, and on our way found out that the flight was delayed. The ride to the airport was filled with anxiety, frustration, disappointment, and phone calls. I was trying to find alternative flights that could get us into LA area by noon or 1pm, so that we would not miss the graduation. My parents had come all the way from India to attend it, and it would be a huge letdown if we missed it because of a flight delay.

On reaching the airport and looking at the various flight options, we decided to stick with our original flight. Hubby let the pilot and air hostesses know that we were running late for a graduation, and they provided some good humor during the flight announcements by making graduation announcements to all the passengers :). I survived the flight okay as well.

After the flight delay and horrible traffic through downtown LA, we finally made it in time at the venue. The graduation ceremony was a blast. My sister got hooded on stage by her department chair, and got her degree and we were able to see her walk down the red carpet and click some good pictures. Mom-dad and I felt extremely proud of her achievements. It was great to see her get her second Masters' Degree. She has been the youngest in our house, and we have watched her grow up so closely. This was a moment to cherish!

The second ceremony at the USC main campus was also good, but the place was too crowded and hot. We got out from there as quickly as we could.

The flights into Binghamton, NY were surprisingly comfortable. I got front seats on both the flights, and my friend P came on time to receive us (which is rare). The entire time we spent in Binghamton - meeting P's college friends, getting him ready for the commencement, attending the actual ceremony and clicking pictures, shopping in a frenzy at the university bookstore, Indian buffet dinner back at our hotel, a tour of the campus and P's apartments around the next day morning, etc - everything was just perfect. I was so happy just to be able to make it there at this stage of my pregnancy. And I also felt very blessed to not have any health concerns due to the travel.

I flew back home Sunday night and went to bed feeling so content, so blessed. A lot of times you plan things for so long, and they don't work out for some reason. Sometimes they do, but you hit roadblocks. And sometimes, they work out just perfect. Each experience is a blessing, and teaches you so many things.

These moments and occasions of my life will be cherished forever. The memories have made a permanent place in my mind, and heart!

Oh the taste of coffee!!!!

I had a decaf soy latte with sugar-free hazelnut and no foam at Starbucks after ~17 months yesterday.

I love coffee so much that even after so long, I missed it often. I could not stand in a coffee shop for too long.

I must admit - decaf did not taste half as good as the regular....but it was still coffee, and oh the taste of it :).

I am still staying away from it until the baby arrives, and then will slowly resume...will ensure not to get addicted again :).

Observations at the laboratory

I spent 3+ hours today morning at the Quest Diagnostics laboratory in town. I had to be there for a 3-hour GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) to diagnose Gestational Diabetes. I failed the 1-hour test and hence I was asked by my doctor to go through this torture.

I say torture - because I hate getting poked on my arms for blood draw. Not that it's painful, but I always get rude and cold comments from the lab technicians as I have small veins, and they find it hard to find one for the purpose. I also bruise very very easily, and they don't like people like me.

{Left and Right hand bruise pictures after the test.}

Today was the worst, coz I had to be poked a minimum of 4 times in the 3 hour duration. They were as worried as I was by the time I walked up for my last poke :). Three different technicians had to work to complete this test for me, and to my horror, when I was done, the technician who withdrew the last sample asks me:


Tech: "Are you going to work after this"?
Me: Yes
Tech: "You should cover up your arms in that case. People will think you are taking drugs if they see so many pokes on your arms". She was serious, I could tell!
Me: "I'm like, what?"

First of all, I fasted 15 hours for this test, then went through so many pokes at different places on my arms, missed important stuff at work on short notice, and then I would be accused of taking drugs? I told myself, "Whatever" and walked out of that place :).

As I was waiting in the lobby for that time, I made some interesting observations:

- Most women who walked in were carrying a coach purse. I never used to notice it before, but ever since my sister gifted me one and I use it, it is always the first thing that comes to my attention. Coach is indeed very popular among women out here.
- Half of the people who came either forgot their lab slip or their insurance card.
- Today was not a busy day at the lab. Even when there was no queue, people walking in would ask questions like - "I didn't make an appointment, can I get the lab done"? or, "I am few mins late for my appt, will you still take me"? - LOL!
- I met a 72-year old lady, who had come for a similar test as me. She had 48-year old twin boys, and when she was pregnant with them, she kept telling the doctor that something is different with this pregnancy (she had 2 older kids) but he didn't listen to her. There was no ultrasound at that time. When she delivered her twins 4 minutes apart, everyone was shocked :). Her story left me wondering, one more time, how our grandparents and older generation dealt with so many pregnancies with little or no information on how everything was going. Science has advanced so much, and it's great to see lower infant mortality rates and higher survival rates of pre-term babies.
- Most people who expected to wait at the lab brought a book with them. Today, most of the book covers I saw were self-help books :).
- Elderly people who could not understand English very well were ill-treated by the lab staff. I observed this last Saturday as well, when I went for my 1-hour test. I helped one of them today, but I feel this needs to be fixed, so I think I will send in a comment form online regarding this issue.

I was able to connect to work using an unsecured wi-fi network, so my time went by quickly. However, I hope I don't have to go through another round of this painful procedure :).

Simply awesome things to cherish from this weekend

I had a simply awesome weekend :). I'm so happy and content as I write this post....and I am not dreading to go to sleep and wake up to a manic Monday tomorrow.

Here are some of the simply awesome things that I will cherish from this weekend :):

- Having my sister feel the baby kick
- Using the new vonage phone at home to direct dial phones in India - I used to have this luxury years ago (and paid a lot for it), then switched to calling cards and cell phone, and having it back was just bliss!
- My neighbors kids A n R coming home from tennis practice on Friday evening, having dinner at our place, and A complimenting me - "This is the best corn I ever ate :) :)".
- Being served hot dosas with chutney early Saturday morning for breakfast by my neighbor and close friend V.
- My Saturday AM prenatal yoga class - my energy-booster for the week.
- Watching my first ever IPL game (IPL3 finals) at home with a group of friends while having hot tea made by hubby and sabudana khichdi made by my sister and me for breakfast :).
- First BBQ of summer 2010 in backyard.
- Getting introduced to my neighbor's 1-DAY old daughter Lindsey - my oh my that kiddo is sooooooooooooo adorable and cute :).
- Sunset at Chelsea Empire Ranch Entrance - with Shubhika and Waj.

I could add so much more to this list, coz the entire weekend was just so memorable. I feel truly blessed!

Hope you had a great weekend, and here's wishing you a happy and healthy week ahead :).

Interview nostalgia

When was the last time you went for an interview? Did you have to dress up formally in a suit? Were you a bundle of nerves that morning while getting ready? Do you remember how you felt when you walked into the office that day and were waiting at the lobby? And how you felt as you walked out at the end of the interview? How did you spend your evening?

These are the questions that went through my mind as I walked into work today. There were 3 young folks, all dressed up in crisp black suits, smelling heavy on perfume, in the elevator with me. They were nervous, I could tell. They had come to Intel with a lot of hope and dreams. One could easily guess that they were fresh graduates out of some college, and I could also assume that if they got this job, it would be the first professional full time job for them.

I remembered the day of my first interview at Intel. The exact date I am not sure - it would be sometime between Oct13-Oct18. However, that was my first on-site interview. When it got scheduled, I was thrilled. I had taken admission at CSU, Sacramento for my MS with high hopes of getting a job at Intel. So it was the first step towards that dream coming true.

I shopped for formal wear the weekend before, and was all ready for that day. I prepared the technical stuff as well as I could, and the behavioral stuff I didn't have to work on much. The group that interviewed me was amazing. Even though my interview lasted 8+ hours (including questions during lunch), I felt great about the entire team. They treated me really well. I was exhausted at the end of the day and just wanted to crash in bed, and I did precisely that with a feeling of content.

I was offered a position with that group on Oct 19, 2000. It was a full time position, only 9 months after landing in the US as a student. I was sooooooooooooooo excited!!!!! The job profile wasn't exactly what I had imagined, but it was the first step of my professional career.

I got several offers from other groups at Intel, as well as other companies. But I accepted this first offer that I received, mainly because I felt most comfortable with the team I was going to be a part of. And I was so right about my decision. I could never have found a better group to begin my career with. They were great mentors and friends. One of them is still my colleague after 9+ yrs, and others who have moved on are close professional as well as personal friends and mentors.

All these memories came back to me in a flash as I saw those 3 young folks in the elevator today morning :). I wish them all the best!

Managing time on the internet

As I walked into work today, I was told by a friend not to connect to the corporate network. There was a virus going around which was bringing everyone's computer down.

I did as I was told and later realized what a blessing it was to bump into someone who was kind enough to pass this message along to me before I brought my computer to a standstill and spent all day trying to fix it. Oh imagine the frustration I would have to deal with!

As I logged into my daily 9am meeting (on the phone), we talked how cool it would be to not have network for half a day every week. Think about it - wouldn't it be amazing? You can use this time for innovative thinking, reading up on material that you otherwise would not find time for, managing your PC/inbox/etc (which I only do on weekends), and so much more. There would be no meetings to attend during this time and no conference calls. The possibilities are endless.

At the same time though, I was able to get onto the Internet from my iPhone and find out what the problem was, and also a fix for it. I helped a few people with this information and they could bring their computers back up. Ah - the power of Internet!!!!

However, as I reflected upon this all day, I realized that you can spend all day, every day on the Internet, doing various things. But as much as its beneficial, its detrimental too. It is important to strike a balance and not become a slave to it.

I do some things for managing my time on the Internet:

- On most days, I browse news, social networking sites, personal emails, blogs, etc only twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening.
- I finish my work during my work hours and do my best to not login from home in the evening/night.
- I use the wi-fi capability on my iPhone to do most of my personal stuff during the work day. I do this when I'm not at my desk - like bathroom breaks, going to cafe, walking towards car in the parking lot, etc. That way I spend the least amount of time for such things on my PC.
- I take print-outs of manuals, documents, etc that are lengthy and need more than 15 mins to review. I read those instead of spending that time reading them on the computer screen.
- I could never read a book online. Audio books are okay, but kindle is just not for me.
- I only use one instant messenger - gtalk. And I stay offline during work hours on most days, so as to minimize interruptions.

There are some off days, where I don't follow the above mentioned things, but I make a conscious effort each day to stick to these rules. It helps me focus and be productive at my work, and also gives me quality time in the evening to spend with myself or my family at home.

All these are from a perspective of an individual working in the corporate world, like me. There are several exceptions and these may not apply to your situation.

Do you have any tips for managing time on the Internet effectively? Please share, I would love to hear them.

I am not alone :)

Running errands and talking on the phone,
I am pleasantly reminded that I am not alone.
Little tiny hands, a precious rounded knee
pushing and twisting that no one can see.
Oh sweet child kicking up your heels,
it is our little secret that only I can feel.
I look forward to your birth,
when I can kiss your skin,
but for now I will just smile,
As I feel you play within.

Author: Unknown.

The above poem touches me very deeply.

I haven't announced it on my blog here, so here goes - I am in my 25th week of pregnancy. Hubby and I are expecting our first baby in 1st week of August. We are excited, thrilled, and feel very blessed.

My pregnancy is changing me as a person in so many different ways. Everything happening within me is just amazing and fascinating. I feel extremely blessed to be able to experience such a beautiful thing in life.

Stay happy! Stay healthy!

Weekend getaway to

In the last 10 ye

Questions I've been pondering over.....

Last week was a very introspective week for me. I watched very little telly, did not talk to people on the phone, did not go out for any activities other than work, and spent a lot of time by myself.

Here are some of the thoughts on my mind....

- New beginnings - they are exciting and refreshing. You look forward to them so much. But then there's anxiety too, of how you will do. I was/am nervous about beginning a new phase of my life soon. My mind tells me to focus and be positive. And enjoy the journey to the fullest, without worrying about the end result :).

- Shopping for unnecessary stuff - I have a few things that I am planning to buy in the next 2-3 months. Some of of them are necessary things for the house and others are personal needs. The question on my mind is - Do we really need all the stuff we buy? Isn't marketing these days so clever that we look at a product at the store or see the ad on TV and we want to buy that product? Don't we always buy more than what we really need? Do we think about how it gets to us, how much are we polluting the environment as a result? My mind tells me to always pause and ask myself before buying anything - "Do I really need this"? Can I do without it or is there any other alternative? I think just by doing this small exercise, we will slowly be able to control our impulsive buys and help the environment (maybe not the economy as much ;)).

- Barefoot philosophy - I recently read a blog post on barefoot philosophy. Have you tried walking barefoot on the grass, or at the beach on the sand? Walking at the beach barefoot is one of the things I enjoy the MOST. But there's more to it than just the fun. It makes you feel free, it makes you live in the moment, it makes you enjoy the simple pleasures in every day life that go unnoticed. The blog author also mentions that having a blog itself is one aspect of following this philosophy. You are opening a part of yourself to the virtual world, and putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Try this philosophy in different aspects of your life, and see how positively it can affect you.

- What is your last thought before you go to bed every night? And what is your first thought when you wake up every morning? - Recently, I have changed my routine. And I have been seeing really positive results. I think about one happy moment that touched me during the day before I go to sleep. Doing this simple exercise relaxes me, calms me down, and brings a lot of peace. It also takes away the worries and stress of the day, and helps me remember the positive. When I wake up, I open the blinds to let the sun in, soak the rays for a couple mins, and then say a small prayer. Sometimes I meditate, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I read a book before starting to get ready for the day. Spending these few mins in the sun, and starting the day with positive energy makes a huge difference during the day.

- True friends vs acquaintances - I have greatly reduced socializing with people just for the sake of it. I don't invite anyone and everyone at home, neither do I visit people that I am not close with. I rather have few friends who I am most compatible with, who I can relate with, who I respect, who help me grow as a person everyday and also find something interesting in me that helps them grow to continue the relation. There is still work for me to do in this area, and slowly I will get there. As I grow older, I find that only meaningful conversations and relationships make me happy. I don't like being part of huge crowds these days. I feel blessed to have family and friends who I connect with deeply, and although I would always be open to new friendships, I am content with the circle around me at the moment.

I am sure you folks in the blog world will find these thoughts interesting. Feel free to share your views and opinions with me if you wish :)

Chikoo in California....

Announcement - Chikoo Fruit is now available in California :)!!!!

Today is the day when I first ate a fresh chikoo fruit in the US.

A few days ago, my friend P who loves chikoo's as much as I do told me that he found them at the local Indian grocery store and brought them home. Along many other fruits available in India but not in the US(alphonso mangoes, custard apple, etc), this is one I miss a lot. 

Since P and I don't live in the same town, I was waiting for the day when I could go to his place and get them myself. Last weekend we visited him and I asked my hubby and sister to check the Indian store for this fruit. P had gone a day earlier to the store and told me they didn't have any, so I did not have high hopes of getting them.

Much to my delight, my folks found the fruit and brought it home. They told me it is not ripe and will take a few days before I could eat it. It was hard for me to resist, and I kept checking them everyday to see if they ripened. Finally today morning, I thought one of them was edible now, so I washed it thoroughly, cleaned it with a paper napkin, and took it with me to work. 

I took the first bite while driving in my car to work - and it was DELISH!!!!! Very nostalgic....it instantly reminded me of all my India trips during Dec-Jan when I get back home, and I devour this fruit the day I land. My parents would have bought all my favorite things for me, including chikoo, and my real "food" vacation would start :). 

It's almost lunch time yet and I am dreaming of eating it again after lunch....will click a picture and post it here as well!!!!!

If you live away from home, which fruit do you miss the most?

Words that touch my heart....

During a recent conversation with dad, he told me: "You should laugh for at least one hour a day, so apart from all the jokes I share with you, you should find humor in everyday life."

He also said, "This will be easier from May when I am there with you...." :).

These are very simple words, an everyday conversation, something that most parents would say to their kids all the time. But they have so much care and love in them...and they make me very very happy :).

Thank you Dad for thinking about my happiness always, and for always always being there for me.

Looking forward to retirement?

I met my ex-boss today in the parking lot at work, and spent about 5 mins talking to him while we were both rushing for a meeting. It was his last one at Intel. He had come to sign his retirement papers that day.

So the conversation went something like this:

Bob: Shachi, how are you?
Me: I am doing good Bob, how about you?

Bob: Oh things are going well....I have been on leave, came today to finally sign my retirement papers.

Me: Wow....so you're finally retiring, huh?

Bob: Yep - it's time to move on to do different things in life.

Me: What are your plans, Bob?

Bob: Oh, I want to travel to South America and the Caribbean, spend some time in the mountains (Bob lives in a huge house in a forest by a lake, and used to commute 3 hours daily to come to work), finish building my out-house (his second house in the backyard), and think about an alternate career. (Bob is single and has no family....he has some distant relatives on the south-east coast of US, but he hardly visits them).

Me: That sounds fascinating, and a lot of fun. Much better than working at Intel, Bob :)

Bob: Yeah , yeah. How about you? What are you working on these days?

Me: I am working with XX and YY on so-so-so.....can't wait to take my sabbatical end of this year....need a break after 10 yrs at Intel.

Bob:  Oh you should take it ASAP.....I've taken 4 during my career at Intel and each was much-needed.

Me: Yeah.

Bob: Okay, Shachi...Good Luck with all your stuff and hope we cross paths again!

Me: Good to see you Bob! Congratulations on your retirement and have fun!

Bob: Bye, Shachi. Take care!

Me: Bye.

After the conversation, I spent an hour thinking what I would do during my retirement. Definitely travel, just like Bob....and much much more.

Sigh - that day is far far away :)

2000 to 2009.....

Today, January 15, marks my decade in the US.

Days like these always make me reflect and ponder.....and wonder how time flies by!

I want to write about my experiences  in the last 10 years....but I am still working on that post.

However, I did want to post something today, so that I would remember this day.

So here's a picture of mine from each of the last 10 years.....I've gained weight and I've lost some, I've changed hairstyles, I've tried out weird fashion styles, but overall, I've become much more mature and comfortable with my own self as time went by.

2000 - I arrived at SFO on Jan 15, 2000. School started right away, and I slowly began adjusting to the new country. I did not miss home for the first few weeks, as I was used to staying away from my parents in India. But when my grandma passed away in Feb, I felt awful and miserable. I spent my summer in Boston this year, with my cousin.  I completed most of my MS coursework at school, and also got a job at Intel. I went to Yosemite for the first time, and hiked Vernal+Nevada falls on the mist trail. This picture was taken at NASA, Houston in December 2000. It was my first visit to Houston to visit my family there.  The first year in US was sure very eventful. The sweatshirt I am wearing was one of the 3 that dad bought me before coming to US :)

2001 - I started working at Intel as an intern in January 2001. I also went back home (to India) for the first time after coming here. I graduated from CSU, Sacramento with my MS in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. A very memorable year. Here is my graduation picture :)

2002 - I started working at Intel as a full time engineer. I made new friends at work, and went on a lot of trips with them. I got my own room+bathroom at my new apartment....and enjoyed reading until late in the night everyday. This picture here was taken at a studio....my first set of portraits taken professionally.

2003 - I started off this year with a trip back home. Celebrated Uttarayan in Ahmedabad for the first time after moving to US. The rest of the year was usual stuff....more work and more travel. I tried hang gliding and whitewater rafting for the first time. I had gained a lot of weight in 2002, so I joined a local gym (24 hour fitness) here. I also started playing tennis and racquetball, and loved them both. I lost all the weight I gained after few months of regular exercise, few sessions with an excellent fitness coach, and watching my diet. The picture here was taken in September...the outfit is from Banana Republic gifted by one of my friends. The second picture is me hang gliding over the Smokies in North Carolina.

2004 - This was the year of relationships. Lots of ups and downs happened in this area, and professionally also, I went through a lot of stress. I got my first promotion in April, and immediately decided to move jobs. I was extremely lucky, and found a position within Intel without applying for one (with a strong recommendation), and before joining the new position, I went to India again. This time, I took my family on a trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Goa. It was their first overseas trip, and was very memorable. It was also the first time I went back home in summer, and I enjoyed mangoes to my heart's content. You can see all the sugar and fat on my cheeks in this picture below, which was taken at the sky lobby on Petronas Twin Towers, Malaysia :). This was also the year of bangs...in terms of hairstyle :).

2005 - This was the year I bonded the most with my aunt, Jayshree aunty who used to live in Sacramento. We spent so much time together....her and uncle were like my parents here in US. This was the only year where I lived by myself in a 1-bedroom apartment all year long. I loved watching movies on my 17-inch widescreen laptop almost every other night, comfortably reclined on my bed with the laptop placed on a stack of pillows in front of me :). My parents came to the US for the first time to visit me. I loved taking them around California during their 5-week short visit. Towards the end of the year, I moved to Folsom with one of the best roommates I've ever had (Swapna), and around Christmas of 2005 was also the first time Sameer and I communicated :). I don't have my parents' US trip album on my computer right now, so here's a picture of me outside my aunt's house with my friend Hiren's new car.

2006 - This was the year I met Sameer for the first time in March. After spending a weekend in California (our first date was a day in SF), I met him couple more times and then went to India in summer to meet his parents. Things went well and we committed to each other, and our wedding date was decided. I spent most of my India trip with wedding planning and shopping. During this year, I also met a couple people who are now very close friends. I  made a lot of new friends this year, and also enjoyed lots n lots of outdoor activities with them. I hiked Half Dome in Yosemite with my friend Hiren. Here's a picture of Sameer n I taken at Twin Peaks, SF.

2007 - The year I went from being single to married :). The wedding in India (Jan'07) is one of the most memorable events of my life. The honeymoon in Mauritius was also amazing. Sameer moved to CA soon after our wedding, in March of 2007. We moved into our first apartment as a couple in June. I felt the first year of my married life a lot more challenging and relatively less fun :). It has only gotten better though. This was also the year my sister Dharam came to US to do her MS. Here's a wedding picture of ours, and a picture of mine on the catamaran in Mauritius.

2008 - We forgot Intel all these years, but things were going smooth on the professional front. I got my second promotion at Intel in 2008. I was delighted. We also invited my in-laws and parents to US for a visit. They both stayed for few weeks with us. Sameer's contract ended in Sacramento area and he found a job in LA for few months. It was back to single life for both of us, with him commuting a lot of weekends so that we could spend time together. We went to Hawaii to celebrate our first anniversary, and had an amazing time out there. Towards the end of the year, we all left for India for another trip filled with memorable events. Here's a picture of me in Maui, Hawaii.

2009 - The last year of my decade in US. It started off with a bang...we were in India and enjoyed our post-wedding ceremonies at my in-laws hometown, as well as my sister's engagement function. We got back and Sameer found a job back in Sacramento area. We decided to buy a home and moved into our first home here in the US in May 2009. We hosted a wonderful house-warming for our friends and family. I biked the entire American River Trail from Folsom to Old Sacramento for the first time. This year was light on travel, but we found time to engage in new activities close to home. Here's a picture of Sameer n I at my sister's engagement function.

Phew! That was a long post. I enjoyed my trip down the memory lane. There is much more to cherish and share. There were happy times, and tough times. It was like a roller coaster ride, and I have enjoyed every bit of it.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and few of my memories!