Freeways

Freeways, American highways. Are highways really at some elevation? I suppose not. The word freeway is true to its meaning, no interfering traffic lights except the exit and entrance ramp.

Americans drive on the right side of the road with driver seat on the left. Hence the left most lane is for fast moving vehicles and for overtaking as well. In the state of California the left lane is known as HOV or carpool lane. HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane is meant for vehicles having two or more passengers.

The right most lane is for slow moving trucks. I recall one of our acquaintance’s comment, “Goonda Truck”, which aptly describes these gigantic container trucks. In fact all trucks are pulling containers, maybe it is easier to dump containers in warehouse and ports, rather than loading and unloading goods in the body of the truck.

The trucks have speed limit of fifty five miles per hour on freeways while cars can drive up to seventy miles per hour. All measurements are totally different. It will require a separate blog post to write about it.

At successive intervals, sign boards flash speed limit and also mention radar enforced or aircraft enforced. Sometimes I do notice helicopter hovering over freeway, may be it is measuring speed of vehicles moving down under. But it always amazes me how speed is measured of fast moving objects, at a particular instance. I have still to learn how exactly laser gun works.

Some times one does find a highway patrol cop issuing a ticket (chalaan) for over-speeding and other traffic violations. One more thing, drink and driving is called DUI, driving under the influence.

The interstate highways are well numbered. Those running north-south are odd numbers, while even number freeways run east-west. Here the things are so very straightforward. The mantra is K.I.S.S. Keep it simply stupid. The street addresses also follow some sort of same pattern. On one side of the street are even numbers while on the other side are odd number addresses. It makes sense to me and easier to find new locations, be it office, shop or house.

Rest area is a good concept along the freeway, for travelers to take a break during long drives. Most of the rest areas have gas station, food joints and motels too for overnight stay. All signposts come far ahead to plan the exit. If the oncoming rest area is five miles ahead and next further away, say after forty miles. Signpost will mention both, for you to decide and take the exit accordingly.

Coined telephone boxes are found all along. So it can well be concluded freeways were built prior to the advent of cell phones. There is a fine of $1000 for littering around.

No street lighting, no lamp-post except the fluorescent reflectors all along the freeway. Driving without headlights is simply not possible during night. If there is a dark patch because of mountain range; it forewarns to turn on the headlight during the day as well.

Behind trucks you’ll find drivers wanted and also how I am driving today. It is a subtle approach for reporting bad drivers.

I got the opportunity to travel extensively in Unites States. It is fun and entertaining, but only up to three hundred miles or so. Long journeys tend to be tiring be it anywhere in the world, any mode of transport.

Echoes

Danielle Steel is a master story teller; blending facts and fiction modestly. As the story unfolds the incidences seem happening right in front of your eyes. Echoes gives a vivid description of society under the Nazi regime.

The story plot is well stretched from pre to post World War II era. It is really unnerving to read about holocaust and the Hitler’s atrocities on Jews. The author seems to do a thorough research, crucial fact findings before weaving the story line.

It is love at first sight for Beatrice, a Jewish beauty from affluent German family. She falls in love with a French Christian gentleman while vacationing in Switzerland. Their union is not accepted by either family but they start life together in Switzerland, in penury amidst all hardship.

It is really heart rending to read Beata’s futile attempts to unite with family, once back in Germany, a widow with two daughters. Her parents had performed Shiva, proclaiming her dead; the day she leaves to marry a Christian.

Reading the word Shiva in Jewish-German context rings a bell. Researching further I found the ancient Aryans spread in Iran, North India and Germany. Maybe because of race factor some similarity, like Swastika symbol. Reading contemporary fiction involves a lot of default cross culture learning.

When the war horrors start engulfing the Jews in Germany; Beata’s parents and siblings are not spared. Jews are hand picked and sent to Nazi death camps.

Beata had a peaceful life for a while, under the mask of Christianity. Soon her past echoes, her Jewish roots come to light and she is also chucked out of her house. Amadea, her daughter, unaware of half Jewish parentage, was in the making of Carmelita nun. The convent did not come for her rescue either, as her roots echo. Soon she was out of the convent, in hiding, struggling for survival.

The story has few broken links, once the story catches up with Amadea as the main character; nothing is mentioned about mother Beata, the lead character, on which the story builds up. Maybe the author tried to make the long story short and left for the readers to presume that death was inevitable in Nazi camps.

Amadea’s story takes a u-turn on her escape from one of the Nazi camp. She reaches countryside France, after facing near death situation, on several occasions. Here she becomes part of French resistance squad and meets the British secret agent, Colonel Montgomery, doing daring missions together. In the end she settles with him in Britain along with a brood of Jewish orphans whom the colonel had rescued and eventually adopted.

I read quite a lot Danielle Steel. I personally like her way of story crafting. Her novels are good casual read, most of them best sellers. Her official website and blog reveal more about her. She publishes three books in a year, writing several simultaneously. It takes her about two to three years to complete one novel. A lot of hard work, indeed!!

Dippin’ Dots

Date - 02/07/2009
Place - Village Mall, Orange, CA.

We feel thirsty, start looking for something to drink in the food court. I read Ice Cream and decide to have one. We had to quench thirst so ordered a lemon sherbet.

Lemon Lime Sherbet

Lemon sherbet appears more like a green and yellow thermocol packing pops. After seeing the first cup, I changed the order, asking for some fluid, to beat the thirst. The little miss attending us, points toward a picture of float, I agree convinced by the picture.

She puts vanilla dots in a tall cup, and then adds some coke and tops with dots, all floating over coke fizz. Sherbet and Dot Float tastes fine, but still felt wacky. Reached home, searched on internet what exactly I had in the name of ice- cream.

My research findings from dippindot.com

In 1988, Dippin' Dots Founder and Chairman Curt Jones changed the way the world enjoys ice cream. Jones, a microbiologist, pioneered the process of cryogenic encapsulation...a scientific way of saying he used super-cold freezing methods to make little beads of ice cream. Not only were the ice cream beads delicious and fun to eat, Jones knew that flash-freezing the ice cream ingredients would lock in flavor and freshness.

So what exactly are Dippin' Dots? Actually, it's fun to watch "first-timers" expressions when they take their first bite. After overcoming the sight of their ice cream beads "pouring" into a cup there's the look of amazement that ice cream can be "tingly and almost crunchy". When the smooth, creamy ice cream begins to melt in their mouth...a fan is born! It's truly a treat for kids of all ages. And finally, to answer the question, Dippin' Dots are made from fresh dairy ingredients flavored with fun, fruity, enticing and even exotic flavors The mixture is frozen almost instantly in liquid nitrogen, a common element in the atmosphere used commercially for flash freezing.

Showbiz India

*I request for a song online.

*A one hour long South Asian, primarily bollywood entertainment Showbiz India is generous enough to accept my request and air the song on Feb 7th.

*Prior to each song, the anchor announces the requester’s name and location, followed by greetings from the star in the song. Our very own Sanju baba says, “Hi, I am Sanjay Dutt and you are watching Showbiz India”.

*My friend is watching it in San Francisco.

*The song and phone starts ringing almost simultaneously. Dear friend is taken by surprise and seems excited as well. All seems unbelievable, though I did get a confirmation mail from showbiz team, accepting the request a day before.

The song I requested is Pal Pal from Lage Raho Munna Bhai. It is version two of old Cliff Richard song, Theme for a dream. It remains one of my favorites since I first heard almost over two decades back. The black and white video is available on YouTube, young Cliff performing on stage. A must watch, for sure you’ll like the lyrics and love the tune.

Gift

It is one of the first few raw writings of mine, much before I learned the nuances of online writing. This article remains my favorite and inspiration as well.

The day I submitted and till date it is rated#1. The reason I presume is sheer truthfulness of the content. It is a piece of writing straight from my heart without an iota of fiction or internet research.

The best electronic gift I ever got

A computer with internet connection is an awesome gift, the best gift I ever got. When I came to United States, initially everything from soaring skyscrapers to fast cars on freeways was all shock and awe for me, but as days passed by, life became routine and quite monotonous. Of and on I used to check emails on my husband's computer, squeezing between his tight work schedules.

It was then my husband realized my loneliness and gifted a laptop, for my exclusive use. Earlier I was not much tech savvy, but over a period of time I became a computer freak. Now its about three years and laptop is my lifeline. It has been a blessing in disguise. Apart from being in touch with friends and family through emails, I can store and share my digital photos too; it serves many other purpose as well.

The laptop really made life easier for me, in pursuing my hobbies, like listening to music, watching movies, reading books, cooking. World Wide Web, as www stands for, has wealth of information; it just needs to be explored. I listen to songs online and if one spends few cents the songs can be downloaded as well, same holds true for movies and books. From Net Banking to get an eticket for a flight the benefits of internet are immense. I have really become net addict, now my day begins and ends working on my laptop.

I presume everyone will agree that Internet ready computer, indeed, is a very useful device in today’s information age and Internet itself is a great invention of all times.

http://www.helium.com/items/732628-the-best-electronic-gift-i-ever-got

Namaste America

On a lazy Saturday morning (2006, Stamford, Connecticut), I get a call from one of my friend to switch on the television and browse the local channel. I followed the instructions and to my delight, bollywood music starts ringing in my ears.

Since then I have become ardent fan of Namaste America, a one hour infotainment each weekend. I am fortunate enough to get the broadcast along with regular cable connection, wherever we have been located.

It is a good mix of latest bollywood music, movie reviews, DVD releases and news from the Indian sub-continent. The most interesting part is behind the scene interviews like making of movies or making of a particular movie song or interview with bollywood stars who now more often premier their movies either in New York or Los Angeles.

It is an interactive program, one can online request for a song or a shoutout. A shoutout is a brief message for loved ones on his/her birthday or anniversary, read aloud by the anchor during the show. Here advertisements are called messages hence shoutout is used for, what we would call a message in plain English.

The advertisements are limited to that of two insurance companies, Nationwide and Farmers, of which most Indians are either customers or agents and of course Wal-Mart, the low price leader.

However much I read online Indian news, bollywood gossip and listen to songs and watch videos on youtube but the television program has altogether a different aura. It summarizes and presents bollywood and India in a nutshell. I can say with conviction, television programs are here to stay despite internet tsunami.

Forrest Gump

A post on fifteen year old movie seems outdated, when Indian film fraternity is going gaga over slumdog millionaire. There are valid reasons too, AR Rahman winning the golden globe, the Indian music with Rahman flavor getting international recognition, indeed an achievement…now back to Forrest Gump.(as I need to watch the movie first, before giving any further inputs)

Though I read the book and watched the movie long time back. I recall it today after reading a news snippet; Aamir Khan will remake Forrest Gump in Hindi. Of late, Aamir has got the latest bug of remaking Hollywood movies. After success of Ghajini, remake of Tamil movie which itself was an adaptation of Memento. All’s well that ends well.

The book, Forrest Gump, by Winston Groom is a good read and academy award winning movie is also awe-inspiring with Tom Hanks at his best performance. The story is about a boy with below average IQ, and how he struggles in life and slowly achieves everything; and wins over Jennie, his childhood sweetheart.

Prior to watching movie and reading book, I dined at Bubba Gump, a seafood restaurant, with specialty in shrimp. The prawns are known as shrimp here and are bigger in size, the big shrimps are sold as jumbo shrimps. The international restaurant chain is inspired from the movie.

The storyline portrays, Bubba, a friend of Forrest Gump, while Gump is enlisted in army during Vietnam war. Bubba always shared his dream of owning a shrimp business, but he succumbs to injuries during war. So Forrest starts the shrimp business to live upto his dreams.

I always wonder how life incidences connect. Everything seems related. Dinner at Bubba Gump, watching movie Forrest Gump, reading the same title and stumble upon bollywood gossip. All four incidences happening at different places at different point of time. I just tried to join few dots together and created this post.