Amtrak Train Ride from San Jose to Sacramento

Anyone living in California (especially Northern CA) would know that public transportation here sucks.

Ever since I migrated to California from India, I have either walked to places, or taken my car. If I have to travel somewhere far, I take a flight.

I traveled by bus (Greyhound) only once in my life - that is the day I landed in US. It was January 15th, 2000. My friends had come to pick me up, and we took the bus from San Francisco to Sacramento.

I love traveling by trains. Growing up in India, I have extensively traveled in trains throughout my life. During my last visit to India, I had a British friend traveling with me, so we decided to take the train from Ahmedabad to Agra. It was so much fun, and he had a different experience as well.

So, while traveling back from San Jose last weekend, I decided to take the train back to Sacramento. I was excited but a little scared because some friends had warned me about safety issues on the train.

The journey was fantastic. I boarded the train around 6pm, and I sat on the upstairs compartment at a window seat. The train goes along the Pacific coast from San Jose to Fremont to Oakland to Richmond, and then moves inland reaching Sacramento via Fairfield and Davis. I love sunsets, and was blessed to see a spectacular sunset from the train between Oakland and Richmond. With San Francisco and its bridges in the background, I could not have asked for a better view.

A lot of Raiders fans boarded the train from Oakland....after enjoying the Raiders NFL game. There were a lot of UC Davis students as well, traveling back to campus after a weekend in the bay area.

I spent the remainder of my time reading a book, and observing people around me. There were 2 brothers traveling with their grandparents, who were trying to pass their time by playing with an empty water bottle, and eating candy. There was one female who was knitting, while another one was knitting while listening to music. The person right across me worked on his laptop for not more than 5 mins, and then dozed off all the way. And then there were 2 other females who were traveling together, constantly yapping in Spanish.

All in all, I enjoyed my 3 hour journey. The best part was getting to see the sunset. I was very relaxed when I reached Sacramento, which is nice coz I am usually tired if I drive back.

 I am ending this post with the hope that public transportation improves in California and becomes affordable so that I can use it more often :).

A Saturday Morning phone call from Shalu

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. I had just woken up and was checking my email. I did not know what I would be doing next, except for a lunch commitment at a friend's place in the afternoon.

Right then, my phone started ringing. It was an unknown caller. I don't get many such calls. So I wondered who it would be.

It was my best friend Shalu from UK. She called me to congratulate me on our new home, and to catch up in general. It had been few months since we last spoke, and it was about time we connected.

Shalu and I go back a long way. We were roommates at "Sir Sayaji Rao Diamond Jubilee Girls Hostel" in Ahmedabad. She was from Bharuch (a town in Gujarat), and I was from Ahmedabad itself, but moved to hostel when my dad was transferred out of town.

It was my first time away from home, and I used to hate it in the beginning. We were four girls living in one room - Shalu, Alka, Nisha and I. Shalu and I hit it off almost instantly. We both came from similar family backgrounds, similar values, and understanding personalities. We went to different colleges and studied in different fields - she was doing Civil Engineering whereas I was studying Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Our other two roommates were - to say the least - difficult. We found out one was a lesbian, whose partner lived in the room across ours, and the other was a carefree bird who changed boyfriends on the fly, who smoke and drank, and was a trouble maker.

So Shalu and I got close - we loved to read books, we loved to go out and eat, we loved to go for Friday evening movies to Drive-in theatre, we loved to sit outside on the terrace and do star gazing while yapping up all we could - and so much more.

Shalu is a very loving and caring person. She always looked after me in the hostel. She made my stay at the hostel bearable :).

Our hostel warden Naliniben was quite a personality herself. She was very strict on all the girls, and most of us had trouble dealing with her. I had a family connection so I was always very well looked after by her. Shalu also did not run into problem with her most of times.... at least not as much as some of the other females out there :)....maybe coz she did not have a boyfriend or guys visiting her at the hostel premises :)

We used to gossip endlessly about the warden, and assistant warden - about the cooks, and the guards. In general, Shalu and I were on good terms with everyone, so we ran into very little trouble.

When I moved into the hostel, I was a mamma's kid. Hostel life made me tougher, stronger, independent - mentally and emotionally. I came out as a very different person, and I enjoyed every bit of my stay there. In fact, I feel extremely lucky to experience this life before moving to the US almost 10 years ago, because without it, I would have struggled a LOT more in this country.

So coming back to the phone call, Shalu and I spoke about anything and everything on Saturday morning. She has a lovely daughter, Aditi, who keeps her on her toes all the time. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and will go back to work once Gulla (Aditi) starts kindergarten next year. I have not met her husband Prashant and daughter Aditi yet, so I have planned a UK visit in 2010 to visit them....along with my sister-in-law and family who live in London.

It was so refreshing to talk to Shalu yesterday. I am very comfortable sharing everything with her, and I trust her a lot. It doesn't matter how far we are, we have always managed to keep in touch. We may not have been part of many good occasions in each other's life (mainly because I have been in US for all these years), but we are sure there to give each other a listening ear when its needed the most.

Shalu, your phone call really made my day, and my weekend :)

Love you and miss you a lot. XOXO.

Just click and Intel will donate 25 cents for you Sept. 16-18

Step 1: Get on your computer and visit Small Things Challenge
Step2: Click on the check to have Intel donate 25 cents.


The Small Things Challenge aims to raise awareness and money for two of the world’s most pressing challenges: increasing access to quality education and fostering economic development in emerging countries, such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Sudan.

Throughout the developing world more than 75 million primary age children are not in school; and at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day, according to data from the United Nations. While these issues will continue to challenge our world for some time, we can improve peoples’ lives through pooling surprisingly small contributions.

The Small Things Challenge encourages people worldwide to get involved and be part of the solution. Intel Corporation is working with three respected organizations, Kiva.org, Save the Children, and Global Giving to raise funds and deliver hands-on support in the local regions where help is needed most.

Every small, individual action can make a big difference, especially if millions participate. A small donation to Save the Children and Global Giving, combined with other individuals’ contributions, will provide thousands of primary school children in conflict-affected and developing countries the opportunity to attend school or receive a higher quality education. Or, a modest micro-loan through Kiva.org will give an entrepreneur a hand-up to start a new business and provide for his or her family.



I personally have loaned a small amount through Kiva and I am hoping to see more individuals to do so.


Thank you for all your help!

Girl aged 12 dies in painful childbirth

I just read the story below on CNN:

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- A 12-year-old Yemeni girl, who was forced into marriage, died during a painful childbirth that also killed her baby, a children's rights group said Monday.

Fawziya Ammodi struggled for three days in labor, before dying of severe bleeding at a hospital on Friday, said the Seyaj Organization for the Protection of Children.

"Although the cause of her death was lack of medical care, the real case was the lack of education in Yemen and the fact that child marriages keep happening," said Seyaj President Ahmed al-Qureshi.

Born into an impoverished family in Hodeidah, Fawziya was forced to drop out of school and married off to a 24-year-old man last year, al-Qureshi said.

Child brides are commonplace in Yemen, especially in the Red Sea Coast where tribal customs hold sway. Hodeidah is the fourth largest city in Yemen and an important port.

More than half of all young Yemeni girls are married off before the age of 18 -- many times to older men, some with more than one wife, a study by Sanaa University found. 

While it was not immediately known why Fawziya's parents married her off, the reasons vary. Sometimes, financially-strapped parents offer up their daughters for hefty dowries.

Marriage means the girls are no longer a financial or moral burden to their parents. And often, parents will extract a promise from the husband to wait until the girl is older to consummate the marriage.

The issue of Yemeni child brides came to the forefront in 2008 with 10-year-old Nujood Ali.

She was pulled out of school and married to a man who beat and raped her within weeks of the ceremony.

To escape, Nujood hailed a taxi -- the first time in her life -- to get across town to the central courthouse where she sat on a bench and demanded to see a judge.

After a well-publicized trial, she was granted a divorce.

The Yemeni parliament tried in February to pass a law, setting the minimum marriage age at 17. But the measure has not reached the president because many parliamentarians argued it violates sharia, or Islamic law, which does not stipulate a minimum age.

I know there are tons of such tragedies happening around the world, but whenever I read such a thing, I just get so angry and upset. Why did they even let her pregnancy continue? No one around her thought this was risky? And lack of BASIC medical care in this age, when medicine has advanced so much?


Lets all do our bit to prevent such tragedies to keep happening.


Peace!!!!


Article link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/14/yemen.childbirth.death/index.html

09-09-09 and my first year of Blogging.

09.09.09.

Today marks my first successful year of blogging.

This is the 39th post on my blog.

Blogosphere has enriched my life and experiences in so many ways. I have met wonderful people here whose blogs I love to read. Some write stories or poetry, some share their life, some showcase their talents....each of them makes me grow as a person.

I thoroughly enjoy blogging. I am a person who loves to read, observe, introspect, travel, learn a lot. Blogging for me is an outlet of my thoughts and emotions, my experiences and travels, and a whole lot more. Its like a personal diary, which is open to anybody and everybody.

Reading some of my own blogs from the past year brought back so many memories. I would have not remembered all of them had I not blogged.

As I am writing this, I was pondering over this question: "What is my most precious memory from this past year?" I thought for a while and the answer is - The day of my sister's engagement on January 18, 2009. I was with all my family, the ceremony was wonderful, everyone was happy.....it was a perfect day.

"Which is the best book I have read in the last year?" It has to be - "Three cups of Tea ". Reading the book was a very humbling experience for me and I loved the authors style of writing.

"Which is the best place I visited in the last 12 months?" It has to be an extremely brief visit to a small lake close to where I live - Sly Park lake . The reason that visit is so special and memorable is because it had snowed the previous night, and it was snowing while we drove to the lake. It was my sisters first time in the snow and she was thrilled beyond imagination. There was no one in the park around the lake....the view and scenery were simply amazing. Serene and peaceful and majestic!

As I am recollecting my life in the past 12 months, I want to blog about another very humbling and fulfilling experience. I volunteered this summer at a local hospital in the child life department. As a volunteer, my primary responsibility was to take care of the play room in the ward. The patients (kids from infants to teenagers) would come to the play room and we were supposed to assist them. Additional responsibilities included holding or nursing a baby (while their parents are busy), helping patients who cannot come to the play room by spending time with them in their room, taking a patient to the cafe for food, etc.

I was always in awe of the kids out there. Some were cancer patients, some had paralysis, some had complex surgeries done, but they were happy. They moved on with their life and did the best they could. They did not grumble or crib about petty things. They were so selfless. I saw kids helping and sharing with each other in the playroom.

For example, there was one 11 year old girl who suffered paralysis of her entire right side of the body while swimming in the pool at her home. She actually swam with one hand to come on top and screamed for help. She had been at the hospital for a while, and was slowly recovering. When I asked her about why she was here, she described me the whole incident in detail, with a smiling face. And then she told her grandma, "when i get well and go home, I can swim again" :). As an adult, I am not sure how many of us would be willing to get back into that pool.

I do not go for volunteering at the hospital anymore. We bought a home in May and all weekends are busy with some or the other house stuff. Or maybe, I am not trying hard enough to make it work. I plan to go back once summer is over and winter sets in. There will be less things to do outdoors, and this would be a wonderful way to spend part of my weekend.

My resolution for the coming year is to blog more often :)

Thank you for reading and commenting on my posts.

My 2nd Tag....

I was tagged by Samy for this tag.

I returned late last night from a wonderful trip to Burney Falls State Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern CA with my friends....and I am catching up on emails/blogs on this lazy Monday afternoon :)

So here goes....


1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4…
A: Tennis magazine - an article on Wii tennis - "But you like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic."
Very apt magazine article - considering I spent most of my day watching the US Open today :)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air?
A: My Iphone....

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
A: US Open - Verdasco vs Isner.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?
A: 3.45pm

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
A: 3.55pm

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
A: Commentary from the Food network series "Chopped".

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
A: Left home for a wonderful 2 day trip with friends to Burney Falls State Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?
A: Pictures from my above trip :)

9. What are you wearing?
A: A night gown :P

10. When did you last laugh?
A: Last night in the car - when I managed to find a Taco Bell in Red Bluff and made the statement: "I am a champ" :)

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
A: Lots of things - I am in the family room of my home.

12. Seen anything weird lately?
A: Yes - pictures of a surgery - colonoscopy.

13. What do you think of this quiz?
A: Boring!

14. What is the last film you saw?
A: The Soloist.

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A: Tons of things :)

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!
A: I am ophidiphobic.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
A: No wars and more peace. Also a better future for underprivileged children.

18. Do you like to Dance?
A: Yes - not that I am great at it though :P

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
A: Not sure :)

20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
A: Adi :)

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?
A: Yes - living in the US for the last 10 years :)

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
A: I would be happy if God feels that my karma (good vs bad) is balanced :P


Hope my answers were not as boring as the tag :)

Do you ever forget your password?

I forgot my password today. For the first time in 9 years.

Today morning was chaotic. I decided to attend my daily 9am meeting from home (did u read that properly, DAILY 9AM MEETING), and reached work around 11am.

I had to scan an important and urgent document for my sister. I was instructed to do it as soon as I reached work.

I went to the MFD - Multi Function Device - and pressed "scan". It asked for my username and password. The password is my regular work password, which I use to unlock my laptop every single day, zillions of times. And I could not remember it.

I was in total disbelief.

I went around some cubes around the MFD to look for a keyboard where I could practice typing it, and could not find one.

So I opened my laptop, and entered A password to unlock it. And I could not.

I was totally baffled. And a little bit worried. This has never happened to me in the last 9 years that I have been working at Intel.

I was locked out of the network, because of all my unsuccessful attempts.

I managed to take a friend's help to scan the document and email it to my sister, and then went to my lab where I work.

I opened the laptop, and stared at it for few minutes, trying to calm my mind down.

I then switched it off completely, and turned it back on, and entered some password with my eyes closed.

VOILA!!!! It worked!!!!

Promptly, I wrote it down and also entered it on my Iphone as a note.

Phew.....it was such a relief.

I am going crazy with having so many passwords...and I am becoming so forgetful. Alzheimer's is going to strike me way too early I guess....

Do you guys have the same problems with passwords? Or am I the only one????