Las Vegas Diary: 4

After visiting the Grand Canyon, a day before, we woke up late next day. It was almost afternoon, when we left for the strip. We got off at The Venetian, to enjoy a ride on gondola; which was so much fun as the guy who was rowing, sang songs while telling us about the landmarks around. And we got to click pictures along with street artists as well.

From there, we went for casino hopping and went to MGM Grand for a grand lunch. The lunch was hearty and delicious, just perfect. And of course, who can miss the lion cage in the middle of MGM Casino, got some really good shots of lion cubs. Then we went to New York New York, it reminded us so much of the city. There were replicas of Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, most of the famous buildings and even signboards for subway and streets.

                                                                   Lion cub @ MGM Grand

In the evening, we bought the tickets for Eiffel Tower at Paris Hotel. And enjoyed the amazing aerial views of Las Vegas from the 50th floor of the tower and even saw the fountain show at Bellagio from the top, which was a completely different experience. Spent a wonderful day on the strip.

The following day began sooner than the earlier one. We wanted to cover the south boulevard, which we hadn't seen till now. A day well spent again. And the perfect ending to the day was - watching a Cirque du Soleil show along with a fantastic dinner date. Went back to hotel late.

                                                             Hotel Flamingo on the strip

And as promised by my husband, we went to Lake Mead next day early in the morning to see the most beautiful place once again before leaving for New York.

Surely, it was one of our most fabulous trips, we had a great-great time. And we hope to be back in Vegas soon.

'Viva la Vegas'

Las Vegas Diary: 3

According to the scheme of things, the following day was for the Grand Canyon. Started from the hotel at 8, though we were supposed to leave earlier than that. In total, it was a four and a half hour drive, all the way to the South Rim.

                                                                  On the road to Canyon

We stopped in between for breakfast and then for lunch at Sophie's Mexican Kitchen, just a few miles away from the Canyon. And arrived at the South entrance, at 2:30 (one hour was added due to time difference between Arizona and Nevada). Bought the entry pass, valid for seven days and moved on to the visitor center, where we parked our car. 

                                                             Our Pass to the Grand Canyon

And after studying the map, the first place where we wanted to go was, the 'Mather Point'. So we waited for the shuttle and it took us there in 5 mins. The views from Mather point, were enchanting, totally unbelievable. It definitely should be one of the natural wonders of the world. We enjoyed the scenery and got some pretty amazing shots.

Afterwards, we left for our next pit-stop, and that was 'Yaki Point'. It is one of the famous tourist spots and only shuttle bus can take you there, as cars are not allowed on that road. So we got off there, and surely it also had some awesome views and less crowds. It had a panoramic view of the Canyon. And we had a great time. We got back to the visitor center, did some souvenir shopping. From there, we picked up our car and moved on to see 'Desert View', which was about 25 miles from there.

                                                                 Grand Canyon

Far more than expectation, Desert view was phenomenal. There was a light house and a view that was unmatchable. It had so many points from where one could see the turn in the canyon, it was breathtaking. I don't think, i even have words to describe it. Totally, out of this world. We spent a lot of time there, just relaxing and enjoying the unbeatable landscape over a cup of coffee.

We got back to hotel quite late in the night, as it was a long drive. It was an experience of a lifetime.

Las Vegas Diary: 2

Next day, we left from hotel at 11 in the morning, to 'Hoover Dam', which was almost a 45 minute drive from there. It is one of the most famous tourist places near Las Vegas. 

Built in 1931 and 1936 and is located near Boulder City. It lies at the border of Nevada and Arizona, on the Colorado River. The dam is a National Historic Landmark and was the largest dam of its time. Definitely, its one of the massive structures (726.5 feet high), I have ever seen and looking down at it can actually make your head spin.

 

En route to Hoover Dam

We arrived at the destination at 12, after a 20 mins wait for the parking spot. And came down to the visitor center, and then on to the see the Dam. Along the way, there were many artworks, like the flagpost and the two-winged figures, a bronze high scaler statue. We walked around the place, and saw some of the most amazing views from the top of the dam and clicked some stunning shots. 

And also saw the border of Nevada and Arizona, where they have put up clocks to see the time difference of one hour between the two sides. Spent almost two hours there and also bought souvenirs. It was a wonderful experience. From there we left for Lake Mead. 

Lake Mead, was about a 10 mins drive from the Dam. Created by the construction of Hoover Dam, as blocking of Colorado River, diverted the water towards Mojave desert leading to the creation of  Lake Mead. It is the largest man-made lake in the US ( area of 1.5 million acres ). 

                                                                         Lake Mead

We entered the Lake Recreation Area, after buying a pass which usually has a validity of seven days. And of course, the next step was to go through the map. to get a fair idea of the area. The closest was Boulder Beach, 5 mins drive from the entrance station and we were on our way to get the first glimpse of the splendid waters. It sure was a captivating sight, with deep blue water enclosed by rock hills along with the perfect blue sky and the peaceful surroundings - it felt like as if we were in the lap of serenity.

Spent some time soaking in the immense beauty of the Lake and clicked some pictures as well. And left for Las Vegas Bay, which was about 15 miles from there. Again, what we saw was unparalleled, the views were just magical. We were there for a while. It was very difficult to leave a place like this but only with a promise of coming back again.

Las Vegas Diary : 1

A trip planned during the thanksgiving holidays, gives ample time to explore the place. And what better opportunity to visit 'Las Vegas', Nevada than this. We had a morning flight from La Guardia Airport, NY and we were there in time. While waiting in the lounge for boarding, we came across an actor from 'Outsourced'. She is one of the funniest characters in the show and I went ahead and asked her to confirm. It was her only, along with another actor.

We boarded the flight at 8 but it was delayed by an hour due to visibility issues in Chicago. And that made the connection to Vegas really tight, we made it somehow. The view from plane before landing was breathtaking, Vegas looked like a small green patch surrounded by desert all around. And finally, we arrived at McCarren International Airport, Las Vegas around 2:30 in the afternoon. From there on, we claimed our baggage and left for hotel.

                                                                 Signboards

The journey was definitely tiring, so we tried to relax in the room for a while and went out to see the strip in the evening. The strip - was fabulous, just the right word to summarize the view. Flickering lights, zooming traffic, towering buildings, hustle-bustle of the crowd and the fountains at Bellagio - it was mesmerizing.

                                                                Fountains @ Bellagio

We had a great evening and got back to hotel after dinner. The following day, we had plans to see Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. 

Revisited : Atlantic City

Saturday evening trip to Atlantic City was a memorable one. Though we had no plans, till 4 in the evening; my husband suggested the place for a short outing and we were on our way at 5:30.

                                                                 Ceasers n Trump Plaza

The drive to the city was about two hours and we arrived at eight, with a stop in between at Dunkin' Donuts to grab some refreshments for the way. We parked the car and went straight to the boardwalk, to retrace our steps from the last visit in April, 2010. It was like reliving the experience again, we went to the pier 1 shops and also the stunning rooftop restaurant. 

                                                                         Ceasers

Then of-course, the Trump Plaza, Ceasers and last but not the least Tropicana. We had dinner in the same restaurant and tried our luck on slot machines too.

We had an amazing time. And left for home around 11:30. Again, a pleasant drive back, with some more memories of one of our favorite places.

White Meadow Lake

A sudden plan took us to White Meadow Lake in Rockaway, NJ. We were in Randolph till late in the afternoon and I was looking for some place to see close-by, and found this lake on Google maps. It was just a 20 minutes drive from there. But with the most blinding curves and bents, the way to the lake was like driving up and down the hill, it was the most challenging part of our trip.

We arrived at the beautiful lakefront around 4 and the very first thing we did was to have lunch. And then it was time to get down to the sandy lakeside and enjoy the views. It was for sure one of the most splendid stretch of water along the lush greenery.

                                                             White Meadow Lake, Rockaway

The lake is nestled among thick vegetation and is a great place to be, far from the maddening crowds. It was so calm and serene, only saw one or two kids playing around with their grandparents. We sat there for a while. 

                                                                View of the Lake

We left the spot around 5: 30 and drove back to Randolph through the twisted terrain. Its a refreshing stopover for any one who's passing by the area. For us too, it was such a relaxing sojourn.

Visit to the Dentist

Getting a tooth extraction or a root canal, can be terrifying for anyone. And seeing a dentist for a routine check-up can be worrisome too, as you never know what might be the next step. I had an appointment last Friday, and believe me, I was not at all glad about it.

Still, made it just in time for the afternoon appointment and had to wait for a little while. Then the lady, called me in for an X-ray of my teeth, and it took her twenty minutes to finish with that. As the examination involves, placing a sensor inside the mouth to get pictures of the teeth, bones and tissues around it to find out if there are any cavities or other problems.

Then, the report was shown to the dentist, he looked at it carefully and said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth. And it was such a relief to hear that. But I was supposed to get cleaning done, irrespective of the fact that my pearly whites were in perfect condition.

I was kind of nervous about the cleaning, but it was done within a short time. And I got a good lesson on flossing as well.

Definitely, after this appointment, I feel less scared about seeing a dentist again.

Strange Bus Stops: Around the World

Yesterday, I received a forwarded mail from my sister titled 'Best Bus stops in the World". It was quite an interesting mail, quite unusual too. There were various pictures of bus stops from all over the world, very different from the regular ones, we see everyday. And here I am, writing about it.

The very first picture elevated my curiosity, as there was a girl riding a swing while waiting for a bus to come by, what a fun idea to kill time. Second one, looked like a cozy hut painted in red and white, just the perfect spot on a cold winter day. And the third one, seemed like an environmentalist's dream, with the top of the structure covered with grass, brilliant idea. 

Next one, was an example of modern architecture with gliding roofs, very well designed to provide high-tech shade to the would-be passengers. The fifth picture, was right out of a science fiction movie, dark and angular on the outside, lights glowing from inside, although I couldn't figure out any place for people to sit. The following image was bizarre to say the least, it must have been a football goal post before being converted to a bus stop. 

A garden abode for the tired and weary soul, a perfect description for the next picture in the mail, totally smashing the notion of 'waiting is frustrating'. The next one was stranger than all the others, shaped like a vending machine with glass doors in the front, its so much fun to imagine someone putting in quarters to let the person out, hilarious.

The next bus stop definitely came out of history, am sure, it must have been carved out from a huge dinosaur's skeleton and coated in white paint; which could be easily broken into pieces just by thinking of sitting on the molded seats, eeiks!! As cute as a strawberry, the following one can be regarded as the biggest strawberry ever and one can even lounge around inside it, very cool, isn't it.

This time, its watermelon, yes you guessed it right, another fruity bus stop and one can sit inside this one too, what a revelation. Following image, showcased as a plain steel and glass back wall frame, very simplistic and clean finish. The most creative of them all, was the thirteenth photo, as the formation seemed to be cut out of a school bus, so imaginative.

Subsequent picture, resembled a riverside resort view where one could hang out in the hammock swing, what a relaxing way to spend time awaiting a bus's arrival and there's an even better way to do that, just grab a chair inside a glass tunnel and read a book, as displayed in the next image.

Coming to a close and only two more to go, where one was designed like a log hut supported by stone pillars in the Yosemite Park and the other one, a picture of a flooded bus stop in Mumbai.

All this can be very well, termed as 'innovative remodeling' as it changes the entire idea of a classic - 'point of pick-up shelter' used by people around the world as bus stops.

Beachy Saturday on Coney Island !!

After the stay-at-home weekend during the hurricane scare, this Saturday was perfect to soak in the sun on the beautiful sandy beach of Coney Island, NY. We planned to be there by afternoon, and reached their by 4 p.m. Though late by all standards, we did manage to get the perfect spot on the ever so-crowded stretch along the water. 

                                                                     Coney Island, NY

Just like any other beach, Coney Island also has easily identifiable characteristics - huge umbrellas, beach mats, hungry seagulls, street food, beach-side restaurant, lots of sunshine, kids with their colorful buckets and shovels; sand castles, sea-shells, lifeguard stands and of-course people who just want to relax on a lazy Saturday afternoon, which make it a big attraction during summers. We also placed our beach mats, relaxed and enjoyed the cool breeze and clicked some pictures.

Then it was time to take a dip in the cold water, yes! the water was actually very cold; but it was so much fun to get pushed around by waves and to feel the sand slipping away under the feet. 

                                                              Fully stocked shade along the shore

Around 6, the life-guard started whistling and it meant that it was just about time to come away from the water. Not many people paid heed to it, and continued whatever they were doing before. But within, an hour, people started packing up; and it was time for us also to leave. 

In all, we had a great time and came back with some stunning shots of sunset on the beach and lots of sand in our clothes. 

Tracking the Hurricane

Finally, the serious Hurricane Irene warning is here and in effect for the East Coast. We heard about it on Friday and after talking to one of my friends, we also got into the mode of caution. And that has lead to a fully stocked fridge, cooked food to last a day or two, tapes on the windows and probably a complete weekend spent at home watching t.v. and eating.

Staying at home all weekend will be such a waste of a summer weekend but of course hurricane arrives at its pleasure. So, like normal weekends, we went to the mall this (Saturday) morning, and had to come back in few hours, as it started raining heavily. The day, definitely has been gloomy right from the morning, it has been cloudy and dark and its been raining on & off.

And coming to, hurricane tracking, it was in North Carolina in the morning and now in the evening it is all the way up to D.C.

According to the weather forecast, the hurricane will be reaching the jersey shore tonight with very high winds and heavy rains; and there might be power outages too. Let's see, what happens.

28th August -8:00 a.m : Just woke up, its raining heavily outside along with strong winds. Another dark and gloomy day. And no power outage.

3:15 p.m. : Enjoying a cool and breezy summer afternoon, great after-effect of Hurricane Irene, which went away quietly.

29th  August : Woke up to a sunny morning. And life is back to normal.

Earthquake Tremors: Across the East Coast

Just saw the news about earthquake rocking the East Coast at 1:41 p.m. today and yes, I felt it. I was sitting on the sofa working on my laptop, when the sofa started rocking; it went on for quite a while almost for more than 30 seconds. 

At that time, I didn't realize that it was an earthquake, I just thought that maybe am having a headache or its the very strong and gutsy winds which are making the whole building shake. It was quite strange. Though I have been in this kind of situation before once in India, when there was an earthquake in Kashmir in 2005 and the tremors were felt all the way in Haryana. At that time, I was standing near the door, when all of a sudden everything started shaking, the door, the floor beneath my feet; I almost felt like my head was spinning. That one was very strong. 

Apart from that, I don't recall any.

And I just hope that the Hurricane warning goes wrong. It's so damn scary.

Lucky Bamboo: Growing long n strong

I bought three Bamboo shoots two months back to bring some green into the living space. And it has been growing long and strong, for sure. I can see some eight new leaves and the plant looks healthy and green. As advised, I usually change the water in the vase every week, and that seems to be working.

                                                                      Latest picture of the bamboo shoots

Though overall healthy, I was concerned when one of the leaves started turning brown. Read some more, about the upkeep of plant and spraying the leaves with water was the solution to the problem. Anyways, with some extra care, it will become healthier.

                                                Another look at the plant, with the browning leaf visible

 And of-course, the picture says it all; it's going strong - 'Lucky Bamboo'.

Ordering a Cake : An ordeal or just a piece o' cake

Last week, I ordered a cake online and it took me quite some time to finally decide on the perfect one. Yes, getting a customized cake is no piece of cake. 

First of all, I tried to find the best bakery in the town to get the best cake possible. Then it was time for some real hard-work, which started right after I clicked on the custom cakes icon. And there began my journey into the unknown world of cake and its parts. 

It began with the choice of six different kinds of cakes, I had to select one (obviously). And that led me to the next page, where the decision had to be made about the size of the cake depending on the number of people to be served; which was not that complicated. Another hurdle cleared, it was time to decide on the filling for the cake from the long drop-down list of 20 available fillings, this one was complicated.

Three down, I moved to the next question with far less choices than the last one; it was about icing options from a list of just 5; this one was real easy. The next challenge was about toppings, the most fun part of the whole process; definitely no one can go wrong with the chocolate sprinkles. 

The fifth multiple-choice question was the fruit choices; I was quick to pick the perfect fruit for the cake. The one that followed was very colorful of them all, I had to pick the decorating color and yes, this time there was some room for imagination, as there was the option of 'other'; and I selected just the right shade. 

And of course, the bakery needs to be aware of the occasion for which the cake is being customized and bingo, right on target the next question dealt with this crucial issue. So, now that the question-answer round was over, it was time for the birthday message to be written on the cake; which I had been thinking about since long.

Last but not the least, the most important piece of information had to be provided - the name of the person and address where the cake had to be delivered on the scheduled date.

Huff !! That was quite an ordeal !! But at last, the most beautiful and yummiest cake was constructed (brick by brick), and after tasting that cake, I realized that it sure was just a 'piece o' cake'.

Scenic: New York Botanical Garden 3

We reached the 'Ross Gallery and Lecture Hall', to watch the famous 'Flamenco among the Flowers show' which stated at 3. The performance was great, as one of the artists played guitar, the other one played a drum and the third artist danced on the Spanish tunes. It was definitely something very different, totally worth the time. 

The show was over by 3.45, and we moved on to the 'Mertz Library', to see the historical views of the Alhambra; the gallery had some rare prints and photographs of the palaces and the fortress complex in Spain. It was amazing to see such a brilliant collection, and it was completely in sync with the Spanish themed show, we saw before.

Next, on the list was the cafe, yes it was time to grab a bite in the nearby cafe and also to buy some souvenirs from the breathtaking garden shop. After savouring some tasty sandwiches and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies; we went to see the reflecting pool, which was right on the way back from the garden shop.

 
And clicked some nice pictures around the pool and went straight ahead to the 'Haupt Conservatory', another Spanish link, with some very pretty plants and flowing fountains. The place looked mesmerizing and we sure had a great time.

Then it was time to leave, as the garden closes at 5.30. We made our way back through the daffodil path and came out. We had an incredible time and loved seeing the beauty of the botanical garden, the best way to spend a bright summer day.

Scenic: New York Botanical Garden 2

After clicking some amazing pictures of the Stone Mill, we went ahead along the river path to see the waterfall. The way to the waterfall was lined with trees and the cool breeze was heavenly. We were there in ten minutes and yes, the view was worth it. It looked like a man-made waterfall, as the rocks were completely in a straight line but it was a beautiful sight. We again clicked some pretty pictures and left for the Cherry Collection.

                                                               Bronx River Waterfall

The 'Cherry Collection' was awesome with the beautiful and bountiful trees; the place looked like a dream, with wooden fences on the side of one road, an uphill walk and the lush greenery. From here, we went to see the 'Lilac Collection', which had a wide range of variety of pretty Lilac flower.

Then it was time to see the famous 'Rockefeller Rose Garden', which has some of the most stunning roses, I have ever seen. It was like a medley of colors, with roses blooming in all the possible shades; definitely the best part of the visit.

We spent more than an hour in the rose garden, then headed to the tram stop, to go to the Gallery and Lecture hall for the Flamenco show.

Scenic: New York Botanical Garden

Yesterday, we visited the New York Botanical Garden and got to see some of the most amazing flowers and trees. The place is lush green, set in the large area along the Bronx Zoo with the Bronx river passing through a vast stretch of the garden. The place opens at 10 in the morning, and we were there around 10.30 and there began our trip through its magnificent flora.

New York Botanical Garden - The garden has a collection of more than 10,00,000 varieties of plants and some of these trees are over a century old. It is definitely one of the most beautiful places in New York. 

                                                       New York Botanical Garden Entrance

We bought the tickets and took some time to plan our visit, so that we are able to see most of the grounds on the garden. We decided to take the tram and headed straight to the 'Maple Collection', which had many varieties of Maple trees in all shapes and sizes, mostly the Japanese Maple. The most distinguishing feature of these trees is the 'opposite leaf arrangement' and some varieties grow up to 145 ft in height. The trees make a beautiful picture, especially the beautiful Bonsai Maple which are the smaller Maple trees used mostly as decorative plants.

The next was the 'Benenson Ornamental Conifers', the cone bearing woody plants which look really pretty. Some examples are cedars, pines, redwood, spruces etc.

                                                                         Conifer Tree

From here, we went to see the Nolen Greenhouses and the Display House, which were quite amazing and had huge varieties of plants. And then we moved on towards the 'Goldman Stone Mill' , built along the Bronx River, it looked like a painting. It was built in 1840, and used the river water to provide power to the wheels for producing tobacco. It is now a National Historic Landmark.

                                                                  Goldman Stone Mill

Beautiful: Hudson Waterfront

Came back from the Waterfront an hour ago, had a wonderful time. And thoroughly, enjoyed a beautiful summer afternoon by the Hudson River. The place has some of the most stunning views, with high rise buildings on both sides and in between lies the calm Hudson River. 

                                                              Hudson Waterfront

And of-course some credit goes to the weather too, with the cool breezes on a sunny day and the sound of the waves, it was just perfect.

Though the waterfront remains quite busy, due to its location in the business district; it still has the calming serenity. And another thing I noticed, which was very surprising was, that sitting there one could see all modes of transportation possible; right from the water ferry to helicopter and planes to bicycles, cars and trains, quite amazing and accessible.

It was the time well spent, relaxing and soaking in the beauty of the place.

Summer: is officially on !!!

Yesterday, my day began with a 'Happy Summer Solstice' greeting on one of the pod-casts. Yes, yesterday was June 21st, the first official summer day. And the day was unusually longer as compared to normal days.

Its the Summer solstice, that results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year, the sun sets later than the usual days. The word Summer 'Solstice', derived from Latin words; means 'sun' and 'to stand still'; so the sun seems to stand still that day. The Northern hemisphere has it in June and the Southern part in December.

Though, unofficially summer began long back in may itself, with temperatures in high 70s and glaring sun in the afternoons. But officially it began yesterday.

And with summer ringing in, the to-do list also looks a little different; now it includes going to the beach, enjoying rides in amusement parks, spending more time outdoors, visiting the zoo and many more and of-course, how can I forget applying loads of sunscreen before heading out. So, am all set to enjoy the summer with my to-do list.

Cheers to a Bright Summer !!

Bowling @ Bowlmor Lanes

We went for Bowling last weekend @ Bowlmor Lanes, New York and had a fantastic time. Played three games each and the funny part is that both of us had the same scores at the end of the third game, so it was a tie. And the two hours spent in the famous Bowlmor Lanes were so much fun, especially with food to snack on alongside.

                                                     Bowlmor Lanes, Union Square, NY

Bowling - Knocking down all the ten pins with a ball, is the most simple understanding of the game. Well, the game has a history, according to which it started with the primitive form of nine pins/stones game and a stone ball used to be rolled. According to USBC, it originated in ancient Germany and since then the game has evolved. And 'The first permanent American bowling location probably was for lawn bowling, in New York's Battery area', International Bowling Museum (see link below). New York became the first site for the game in America and today, it is played in more than 90 countries.

The game is played in various formats like 10-pin game- the most common format with 10 pins to be knocked down with a ball, 9-pin no tap- considered a strike if bowler knocks down 9 or 10 pins, 3-6-9 game - bowler gets a strike in 3rd, 6th and 9th frames; best ball and baker system. Quite an interesting game.

Definitely, a fun game to enjoy with friends and have a good time. More-so, in a place like Bowlmor Lanes, which has awesome ambiance and is also frequently visited by celebrities (saw pins signed by many famous names in the gallery like Christina Applegate, Backstreet Boys and more).

We enjoyed bowling after a long time and will definitely try to do it more often from now on.

Links:
http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/Visit/HistoryofBowling.aspx
http://www.springdaleusbc.com/bowling.htm

How much does a lunch with Warren Buffett cost ?

Heard about it this morning, while listening to one of the pod-casts. And I was taken aback to know about the highly priced charity auction which is currently going on for the 'Lunch with Buffett', this month. This 12th annual auction started on June 5th on eBay and will go on till the 10th. The bidding started at 25,000 dollars and the current bid is going over 2 million dollars and last year's winner paid 2.63 million dollars, that's a hell lot of money.

In 2003, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital hedge fund won the bid for $ 250,000 and since then the bidding price has been rising. As in 2008, the bid went over 2 million dollars by a Hongkong based investor Zhao Danyang and the million dollar trend is continuing right into this year as well.

All the proceeds from this auction go to a social service institution named 'GLIDE', a very noble cause indeed. And the winner gets to have a power lunch with Mr. Buffett, along with seven friends at the Smith & Wollensky, New York. Having lunch with Mr. Warren Buffett, is not that difficult, if you have enough money.

So what are you waiting for guys, pitch in, to help a cause and get some brilliant investing tips from the 'Oracle of Omaha' himself.

June 11th, 2011 - This year's bid went for 2.6 million dollars and the winner chose to remain anonymous.

Link:
www.LunchWithWarrenBuffett.com

Podcast Mania it is !

Podcast Mania; from the time I wake up in the morning, I put on the latest pod-casts on my phone and listen to these whenever possible. So, am like listening while sitting in front of the computer, while working, sometimes while am eating and almost for an hour before sleeping. It has become a big part of my daily routine, I can't imagine early mornings without the news updates from my favorite podcasts.

My current favorites are the Global News,  BBC World Update, NPR hourly news and Front Page; all these are the regular podcasts, I listen to, in the mornings. And these are really good, as you can stay updated with the all the news while working and you don't have to take out time for it separately. 

Not just the news, there are some great podcasts on health and nutrition like Beyond Diet, The Jillian Michaels Show, Get-Fit Guy's tips to slim down, The Health Show and many-many more. And these are very informative and give you an insight into the diet trends, workout regimes and tips on leading a healthy life. 

Apart from these, there are some amazing pod-casts on Business and Industry as well, some of my favorites are Wall Street Journal this morning, NPR Planet Money, NPR Business story of the Day. These are so interesting to listen to and keep you well-informed about the current trends in the world.

Well, there's a plethora of pod-casts on various topics like Comedy, Games, Music and Sports. So, there's a lot more to explore in the world of Pod-casts and I can very well say that, we are spoilt for choices when it comes to Pod-casts.

25 Paise coin: A collector's dream now

RBI signs 25 paise 'death' warrant - Indian Express, this is how a post on the newspaper's website looked like on May 18, 2011. Yes, RBI has decided to do away with the coins of 25 paise and less with effect from June 30, this year. And it has also asked the public to exchange these coins at the banks. Once all coins are collected, the central bank is expected to melt them and use the metal for something else.

Well, am not shocked to hear that, as I haven't been using 25 paise coins, let alone these, I haven't even used a 50 paise coin for so long now. As I remember, i once gave an auto guy two 50 paise coins instead of giving one rupee and the auto guy didn't take it as he said, he won't be able to use it; so I had to give him a rupee coin instead. And I think, I gave him those coins as I was also not able to use these. So, finally those coins went to my coin collection and I don't recall, using 50 paise coins ever again.

These coins were anyways out of use and the government can very well do away with these; but yes, there will always be people who might have their reasons against it.

Not just coins, even one and two rupee notes are also extinct now; and even the five rupee note seems to have disappeared; since the coin came out; but i do have a crumbled five rupee note.

But am sad about one thing, as am not able to find any 25 paise coins for my collection, I hope there are some back home in India. And i also need to get my hands on to some one and two rupee notes, if those are somehow available.

Link : http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/notification/PDFs/UPC160311F.pdf  

GM Diet: Works Well

Am following the one-week GM Diet plan and today is the fifth day. I have lost almost two kgs by now. 

GM Diet - A diet program for employees of General Motors , it was approved in 1985. According to the program: 

Day 1 : Only fruits except Bananas.

Day 2 : Potatoes for Breakfast + Vegetables.

Day 3 : Fruits + Vegetables.

Day 4 : Milk + Bananas.
Day 5 : Meat + Tomatoes.
Day 6 : Meat + Vegetables
Day 7 : Brown Rice + Fruit Juices + Vegetables.

Am done with the first four days of the program, with almost no difficulty. And the day five is moving smoothly too. But ya, the wonder soup provided with the diet plan was of huge help, as it was filling and very easy to make. 

For details,  regarding the exact amount of food intake and other specifications of the diet program, please refer to the webpage - http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/~jajoo/gmdiet.html

May 14th - Starting the sixth day with the same weight loss. And ya, had all the six tomatoes yesterday, as according to the diet  plan. This day won't be difficult as well, as I can have all the veggies.

May 16th - Day 8, completed the one-week diet plan with the total weight loss of one kg. The weight loss is not that significant but still losing one kg is also good enough and moreover, it was a very healthy break for the body. 

So, the plan does work but one needs to continue eating well along with exercising to maintain the weight.

Royal Wedding Hysteria

The live coverage of the Royal Wedding was suppose to start at 4 a.m. in the U.S. on the 29th of April, 2011 and I was also suppose to watch it. But the idea of waking up early in the morning was so depressing, that I made myself happy by watching a repeat telecast at 9 a.m. @ CNN.

The Royal Wedding Hysteria, as it is called; started right from the day when Prince William announced his engagement with Kate Middleton on the 16th of November, 2010. And since that day on, I kept myself updated with all the news related to their wedding and of-course, their pictures together. I read uncountable articles about them, right from finding out where they met, how long they dated to what Kate will wear for the wedding. It has been a long learning curve, as i can say. So, if am asked to summarize this whole thing, I would say; it was, 'A meeting in St. Andrews led to eight years of on & off dating which further led to marriage with her Prince Charming and they lived happily ever after'.

Well, it definitely sounds short, but it took awful long time of eight years for them to decide to get married. And finally, when they did, they did in style. The whole world was glued to their seats to watch the telecast of the wedding which lasted for three hours. It was surely, the most awaited event this year.

It was a fairytale wedding, with the handsome Prince William and the Beautiful Bride Catherine walking hand in hand down the aisle, with the music playing. Kate looked stunning in her wedding gown and William looked like a gentleman waiting for his bride. And when they came out of the church as 'Man & Wife', the crowd went crazy. The second appearance on the balcony was greeted with even more cheer and the kisses sealed the show.

The pictures came out right away, and I must have seen those fifty times by now. And especially, the official portraits which looked perfect.

Well, now that the wedding is over, as its been almost a week; things have come back to normalcy. There are no more new pictures or updates on the Royal couple and the latest news of 'Osama's death' has taken over all the media space for a while now, more-so in the States.

Though the news has died out, the images of the grand wedding will forever stay etched in our minds. It was, no doubt, the wedding of the century.

p.s. I bought the Special Collector's Issue of People Magazine featuring a 72 page Royal Wedding Album.

Baltimore Diary : 4

The National Aquarium was on our list, most importantly for the dolphins. So, we got our tickets for a 4:30 pm entry.

                                                     National Aquarium ticket windows

National Aquarium - It was opened in 1981 and includes over 5000 marine and freshwater animals. It had some amazing never-seen before exhibits like Animal Planet Australian exhibit, which had Archerfich, Barramundi, Laughing Kookaburra and Snake-necked Turtle. Other Exhibits had amphibians, many varieties of fishes like Bonnethead Shark, Zebra Shark, Green Moray Eel and Southern Stingray. It was full of some of the most beautiful and colourful fishes, I had ever seen. 

Then, there was the Giant Pacific Octopus, the largest species of octopus in the world. It was hiding, but we could see half of it with its arms stretched out. And from there, we went to the next exhibit, 'Wings in the Water',  where we got to see different kinds of turtles like the green sea turtle, Painted turtle, Giant Amazon sea turtle and many more.

From there, we went to the Marine Mammal Pavilion, and there we were to see the dolphins, yipee!!. It was so good, to see the bottle-nose dolphins swim around in the water, there were four of them and they were jumping out  of the water and back in the pool swimming. And the next and last exhibit for the day was 'Jellies Invasion: Oceans out of Balance', where we saw some of the most stunning jellyfishes ever. They looked so calm and serene, just floating effortlessly in the water.

                                                                  Dolphins

                                                                                                Jellies

We clicked some awesome pictures and went on to the cafeteria to grab some food. And we had the yummiest possible thing - the 'Drippin' Dots' , colorful ice-cream dots which melted away in the mouth - for sure the best parting shot ever.

                                                         The great drippin' dots

After the mouth-watering experience, we went out to the inner harbor and soaked in some more of the beautiful sights before heading back to New York. In all, we had a wonderful time in the amazing city of Baltimore. 

Baltimore Diary : 3

The next was the 'Inner Harbor', just two minutes drive from the Camden Yards. It was bustling with people, with towering buildings, the calm harbor, lots of food to eat; it was perfect place to be during lunch time. Yes, we headed towards the harbor-place food court and had a hearty lunch, with some freshly baked cookies on the side.

                                                             Inner Harbor

After lunch, we went around the Inner harbor and captured some breath-taking sights. The place is lined with some of the best known structures of the city like World Trade Center building, National Aquarium, Visitor center and Barnes & Nobles building, with USS Constellation parked right in the centre of the harbor. It can definitely be called the most happening place in Baltimore.

World Trade center- Next, we headed towards the World Trade center building, located at Pier 2 and is the tallest Pentagonal building in the United States. Took the tickets and within minutes we were on the 27th floor, overlooking the whole of Baltimore. The splendid views from the observation level were unmatched; one could see the inner harbor in its entirety, federal hill in the south and the outer harbor. It was amazing to see the whole city from up above, the traffic on the roads seemed like toys moving. It was really so much fun to see Baltimore from the 'Top of the World'.

                                                             World Trade center building

We spent almost an hour looking down at the city, and I must say, a trip to Baltimore is incomplete without visiting the World Trade center building. And after seeing the panoramic views of the place, we went to the National Aquarium Building to get our tickets.

Baltimore Diary : 2

After seeing  Fort McHenry, we went to Camden Yards, which is about 5 mins drive from there. We were at the ticket counters at 11, and got the walking tour tickets for 11:30. 

                                                            Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Oriole Park at Camden Yards - The home of the Baltimore Orioles, the baseball team. It was completed in 1992 and is located few blocks away from the inner harbor. It is built on land which was once a rail yard and the Baltimore-Ohio warehouse stands right beside the stadium, and bears a home run mark too.

                                           The only home-run mark on the B &O Warehouse

We started the tour right on time with the guide, who first gave us a background of the ballpark history and how it was designed in 'retro' style quite opposite to the trend of multi purpose stadiums. With green color chairs, steel structure, B &O warehouse behind the right field wall, Camden station behind the scoreboard; it was a perfect mix of state of the art features and traditional looks.

From here, we were guided to the standing only section, next to the scoreboard to get an idea of the field and   then on to the seating area. The field looked amazing from that point, and while the tour guide was giving us information about the teams played and the ball park, it stated raining. And all of a sudden we saw people running to cover the field area, as there was a baseball game in the evening.

Rain was not at all a dampener, we went down to the main field and sat in the team section, where players sit while there team members play. We got beautiful views from there, clicked so many pictures and it was so good to see the field so close and the best part was the field cover was removed as it had stopped raining. So the park was clear and green. From here, we were ushered into the walled part of the stadium, got to see the rooms where the guest team relaxes before a game, where the family members of the players sit and watch the game.

                                                               Orioles Park

The next was Media Room, where the media persons sit and watch every moment carefully. And on the third floor was the Radio room, where the commentators sit. And the fourth level was more of a lounge place, with cafes and party rooms, VIP rooms overlooking the field, and of-course walls dedicated to the greatest players of the game.

And then on to the open area, where the winning team gathers and celebrates. It was an amazing experience to see a famous ballpark and to actually get to see the behind the scenes places, where the media people sit and the teams celebrate and relax. It was the best part of our trip to Baltimore. Loved it !!!

                                                            Out Ticket stubs to the Ballpark

Baltimore Diary : 1

A long Easter weekend, definitely means one thing for me and that is visiting a new place. And this time it was Baltimore, Maryland located along the Patapsco river. The largest city in the Eastern United States; is known for its famous Inner Harbor, National Aquarium and Baseball Stadium at Camden Yards.

                                                                       City of Baltimore

We went there on 23rd April, Saturday and spent a day exploring the beautiful city. Reached there in the morning at 8 and there began our day and the first pit-stop was Fort McHenry.

Fort McHenry - Built in 1790s, designed in star-shape in order to make surprise attacks impossible, is well known for the Battle of 1812, the Battle of Baltimore. In 1812, the Americans declaration of war against British to preserve 'Free Trade and Sailor's Rights' was carried by the war hawks (groups of congressmen who wanted to annex Canada and Spanish Florida). From then on, for two years, Americans were mostly an annoyance to the British till the Napoleon's defeat in April 1814. But in mid-august, a force of 5000 british soldiers sailed up Chesapeake Bay to give Americans a complete drubbing and burnt Washington in the Battle of Bladensburg.

Now it was the turn of Baltimore, which was better prepared for the invasion, but British succeeded in the Battle of North point and Americans had to withdraw. And next came the attack on Fort McHenry on September 13th , 1814 by the british naval forces and the bombardment continued for 25 hours. Even after repeated attacks, the british ships were not able to pass Fort McHenry and withdrew on September 14th. And the American soldiers fired morning gun and hoisted the flag of victory.

This flag became the 'Star Sprangled Banner' from then on and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the National Anthem of America. So, Fort McHenry is also known as the birthplace of the 'The Star Sprangled Banner'.

                                                 Birthplace of Star Sprangled Banner
We went around the fort, saw the huge cannons which are still preserved and the barracks for the soldiers, Junior Officers quarters and the Officer's Quarters. The exhibits looked like they have been kept intact since the day the officers last lived there. The fort was beautiful and we clicked some pretty pictures and bought souvenirs.

                                                                         Fort McHenry
And yes, it was great to see a place of such Historical importance to this nation. The next destination on the list was Orioles Stadium at Camden Yards.

Easter Sunday

This year, Easter will be celebrated on April 24th, 2011. Easter, 'celebrates Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead' (history.com), so on this day Jesus rose from the dead, the third day after crucification. And it is one of the most important celebrations in Christianity.

It is mostly celebrated between March 22 to April 25. So, the beginning of spring brings with it the Easter eggs and Bunnies; particularly Chocolate Bunnies, Marsh-mellow Bunnies, colorful eggs Baskets, golden eggs and candies and that makes it the sweetest occasion. As the stores are full of these sweet delights during Easter season.

And the easter egg hunts are famous around the country, especially for children, as they have a complete week off from schools to enjoy the festivities. And the Easter pictures are also clicked with a life-sized bunny poster, as yesterday we saw many family pictures being clicked in the mall, with the decorated bunny and eggs. And we picked up a Godiva easter chocolate basket too, amazing chocolates, I must say.

Well, definitely a good time to go out as it is also the long weekend, so looking forward to visiting a new place and eating chocolate bunnies on the way !!

Link:
http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-easter

'Homes For Sale' draws serious attention !!

Homes for Sale , pictures of various houses and 'Prices Reduced' - this is what the board put up right opposite our window said. Yes, a new Realtor had taken up the space which had been vacant for almost an year and the place has started drawing a lot of attention.

The day it was put up, I saw the owner of the building and the new Realtor checking out the board to see how it looked. And then started the attention grabbing time, as almost everyone who passed by gave it a closer look.

A women who was trying to teach her son how to ride a bike, stopped by and read it carefully; she must be thinking about, 'the beautiful house with a huge backyard and lots of space to teach her son how to ride a bicycle right inside the house, that'll be so nice'. 

A man with his two children, on his way home after picking up his children from the school, read it carefully too. He must be thinking, 'It would be so good, to have a house close to the school, so kids could come home by themselves'. 

Another man was talking over phone, stopped by and read the board very carefully. Then he went back on the call, must be telling his wife about the new Realtor in town. 

The mail delivery guy, took few minutes off from his tiring work and gave it a good look. Must be thinking about, the pretty houses and when he'll have one.

And a girl walking the dogs seemed quite interested in it too, but I definitely have no idea what she must be thinking at that point of time.

The 'Homes for Sale' board was sure a hit with the passersby and drew too much attention in all possible ways. Well, i think its time for me also to give it a closer look. 

Well Done Indian Team !!

Indian cricket team won the World Cup 2011 on 2nd April, thats yesterday. And it was the time for celebrations, a very proud moment for every Indian. 

We woke up at 5 in the morning and set up the projector and the speakers. And saw the match till 1:30 in the afternoon, till the presentation ceremony. In the starting the match was pretty slow, with Sri Lanka batting first, it was more about waiting for the wickets to fall. Well, the wickets came late and so did the runs; but a target of 275 definitely seemed big.

And then came the Indian batting side and it was time to pay more attention to details, as every run counts. The beginning was kind of slow, mostly singles and by the end of 13 overs and 2 wickets down, it felt like India would lose the match. But Gautam Gambhir (97 off 122 balls) and Virat Kohli (35 off 49 balls) really stuck to the wicket and the singles; and gave India the much needed stability.

Then Virat Kohli went down and it was a scary time, as only Yuvraj was left to play. But of course, Dhoni came out with surprisingly good performance quite unlike his performance all through the series, with 91 runs off 79 balls. And Yuvraj was there, a must, for any thrilling match win. So it was the perfect recipe for a world cup win - Yuvraj as one of the players, Dhoni in form and less runs to win from more number of balls. And there it was - a fabulous win after 28 years.

A match well played, Indian team was truly worthy of the World Cup !!

Bangalore- London- New York

Came back yesterday night from India. As usual it was a very-very long journey but this time the good part was that there was some extra time for transit, so one gets a nice break from sitting in the plane seat. The transit was in Heathrow, London, so it was even better, got to see one of the biggest and the busiest airports of the world. And ofcourse, the most complex one too.

Once I was in Heathrow, we were moved to the security check and then I almost got lost. The airport is pretty confusing, as its a very busy one, so the gate numbers for the flights are shown just an hour before boarding; so if you are there before time, you won't even know where to go. So, i went around, did some shopping, had coffee and waited for the gate number to show up on the screen.

Finally, landed in U.S. at 7 in the evening, got through immigration and came home. And quite unexpectedly, the weather was cold, as in India it had become really hot in the past couple of days.

Well, touching down in three beautiful cities of the world in a time span of one day, was pretty amazing.

Mapping the Big Apple: Manhattan uncoded

Understanding Manhattan through the map is not that easy but once you get the hang of it, it is so much fun. I love exploring different parts of the city and the map is the ultimate tool for it. 

Through the Map- Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of  New York (others are Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island) is situated along the Hudson river. Counted as one of the most beautiful cities of the world, it sure is breathtaking. Going back to the mapping part, the city is divided into three - Uptown (Northern part, above 59th street), Midtown and Downtown (Southern part, below 14th street); and getting around Manhattan is made simple by the system of Avenues and Streets. 

This is your New York !!

In detail, Streets run from east to west and Avenues from South to North; yes it is that uncomplicated. So, the streets are numbered from 1st to 218th and Avenues from 1st to 12th, with the inclusion of Broadway which goes from the lower tip of Manhattan to all the way up and yes, the odd numbered streets run west and evens run east. So, figuring out an address in the city is kind of easy, for instance if it says 162, 5th Avenue, 24th Street - so that means it will be Midtown Manhattan close to the Flatiron District at the intersection of the 5th Avenue and 24th street.

Its been a complete adventure, as we have been travelling all over the city guided by the map; right from Staten Island to Bronx zoo, Coney Island to Central Park, Wall Street to Columbus Circle, Grand Central to Lexington Avenue and the regular haunt Times Square (the best place ever!).

To say, after a while, un-coding the city through a map is a piece of cake. And it doesn't get any better than this. Am loving it !!

Rising Temperatures and Melting snow

Backyards stacked with snow, Roads littered with melting-salts, Sidewalks layered with slippery ice, Roof-tops covered with white-blankets, Trees frozen in time, Shoes drenched in cold water  - that was the winter saga. 

But, yes, summer is finally knocking on the door. With the days of chilly winters ending, its time for the sun to shine bright. The temperatures are rising and the snow piled up on the sidewalks is thinning by the day; and finally theres some place to walk. The weather this time has changed sooner than last year, as it snowed heavily last February till the end of the month. 

A big relief for sure, and it feels great to see the temperatures in 50's F. And now, with the perfect weather, in the background, its the right time for shopping in New York. Last week, I went to Macy's on Broadway and had a wonderful time shopping. And am hoping to continue with it (he he). And the list of movies, we see every weekend is also increasing. This weekend we saw 'Patiala House' and 'Just go with it'; both the movies were hilarious and houseful. But the only problem with watching a movie with a big crowd is that, if you are late, you end up getting the front row seats which are uncomfortable (that's really irritating).

Well, its been a great month by far and with the summer creeping in, am sure it will continue to be. So the countdown to summer begins !!

Plainfield: On a rainy day!!

We visited Plainfield and Bridgewater Commons, this Saturday. Though it rained all day, we had a great time. The mall was fantastic and the food was delicious - Henn Burger for breakfast was heavenly and Burrito for lunch was just awesome. So I thought of posting a Photo blog this time. 

                                                                Bridgewater Mall

                                                     Through the window

                                                             Plainfield

                                                               Snow-laced

                                                             Plainfield

The pictures came out pretty good, in spite of the rains.