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?