For Kestrel and Simone

I would like to take this opportunity and thank everyone who reads my blog. Though I am happy with my audience, I would like some hidden characters to start commenting and would love to increase the number of readers. It's just been 2-3 months and the response I've got over this period has been overwhelming, unexpected. I am elated!

My readers and my friends are my driving force. Most of my friends have been reading my blog in order to stay in touch with me, to know what's going on in my life. But I would also like people to get pulled towards my blog through my writing. My style of writing could be called orthodox or colorful, but I like it when people acknowledge it and sincerely comment. Be critical if you have to, but tell me what you are thinking. I am still an amateur when it comes to writing and I have a long way to go, but one thing I have always believed in is that no matter how good you get, there's always room for improvement and you never stop learning.

In these 2-3 months, I have received a good amount of acclaim from Kestrel and his wife Simone. They've been reading my blog for a while now. Well, Kestrel is technically related to me, he's my grandmother's sister-in-law's brother's son (I hope I haven't got that wrong), but he's just a few years older than me and I've always seen him as a friend since childhood. Recently during my visit to India, it was Kestrel's dad birthday. There was a huge bash, one that I was really thrilled to attend. It was an opportunity to meet Simone, Kestrel's new bride and catch up with that section of relatives. The photos below were taken that night and I promised them that I would put them up on my blog.

Kestrel is a good writer, you can tell from the comments he's made on my blog in the past. I hope he starts his own blog soon, a place where he can unleash the fury.

The advice that I got from Simone that day was priceless and won't be soon forgotten by me. Thanks Simone, I will try my best to find my friend. Keep reading and keep in touch!

Moral of the story : read my blog, leave your comments and I'll write about you.

Oh, please. That was a joke! I am not that desperate to increase my passenger-count.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Back to sub-zero

I arrived in St.Petersburg on Tuesday evening, instantly put on my jacket and gloves as I exited the airport. I was used to this weather, it's been five long years. The next two days weren't the usual post-arrival, get over the jet-lag type days for me. I was up and running taking care of business as usual. If I don't get used to jet-lag, then I'll be spending around 20-30 days a year recovering from it coz I fly a lot.

On Thursday I felt feverish. In spite of that, I went. I knew it was imperitive for me to meet a prof at college. I was right. I ended up clearing one of my two remaining subjects. But the fever had worsened. Bed rest was the order of the day on Friday and Saturday. And there's nothing like watching premiership football while sipping hot chocolate during the weekend.

No matter how long you stay in one place, be it five or ten years, you need time to adapt to the conditions, your body needs time to get accustomed to the weather. And I keep telling people that I can swiftly handle the weather in USA.

What I came across during this short period was a bit strange. While I was in the flight, I thought to myself, "What if I don't make it?" and that thought came back to me while I was taking a tablet yesterday. This thought opens your eyes and you start thinking about the stuff you haven't done, the words you haven't said, the breaths you haven't taken. One such alarming thought crossed my mind, a message for someome.... if I didn't make it. I don't know whether that was instinct or my mind playing games on me, but it was a good one.

Guys like me

I feel complete at home. My life, my daily schedule just clicks when I am here. I never oversleep, I am much more responsible, frankly, I set an example. Sometimes I think, any parent would be proud to have a son like me, any sister would love to have a brother like me, and of course, any girl would be lucky enough to have me in her life.

When I am abroad, the only thing that matters is me. I sleep whenever I want, eat whenever I want, I'm a mess. My time-table is messed up, it revolves around my classes and football. I live for myself, and that's not who I am.

I learn from my mistakes, and I tend to learn fast. My dad once told me, "Problems in your life can either make you or break you. A hammer can break the glass but it can also shape the steel. It is up to you to be either glass or steel."

Many factors play important roles in shaping up one's life. I feel proper parenting, upbringing, surrounding social life, schooling are important. But do the stars play a role in it? Does being a Sagittarius have a say? What if I had been born in some other month? How much would it affect me? These are questions that don't have a good-enough answer.

Those around you can influence you for better or for worse. At some point in life, you have to let them stop influencing you and stand out, be yourself.

I have reached that point in my life.

I embrace responsibility and smile at challenges now. Earlier, whenever I faced a tough situation, I used to look up and say, "Why God, why?" or "Why does this always happen to me?"
Now, I find myself laughing and saying, "Is that the best you can do?" or "Bring it on"

I had to drop off my sister to college recently and had to log off. I explained it to the female I was chatting with. "Drop your sister off to college?" she asked. "Do guys do that?"
"Yes!" I exclaimed, "We are a rare breed."

Expect the unexpected

I LOVE GIVING SURPRISES!!!
That's something I will keep doing forever. I've taken every opportunity to surprise my parents by arriving home from the airport unannounced. This time I did that to my sister. What I like the most is the reaction people give me and the adrenaline rush that I get while doing it.

My latest victim was an old friend of mine. I had been planning this for a while, and finally, with her sister's help, I caught her unaware today. Her sister told her that they would meet for lunch at the designated venue and told me to show up. After hunting down the place, I made it about 10 minutes late. I sent her an sms before entering, "Will it be a warm hug or a friendly handshake?" She did not have my number, I hoped that message wouldn't freak her out. I saw madam talking on the phone, approached her and said the words, "Surprise!" Believe me, her reaction was worth witnessing. We hadn't seen each other for almost six years. She got up instantly, hung up the phone, and hugged me. It was at this moment that she realized that she had been set up. I ended up explaining to her how difficult the whole thing had been. We caught up on old times and ended up having just coffee and drinks for lunch as she was on a diet. Women!!!

I sometimes wish more people would take up the responsibility of making others smile or laugh.
It's always worth the effort.

Judgement Day

After six sleepless nights in Mumbai, the place I call home, Judgement Day arrived for me. I promised myself in the morning while I was having tea, "No matter what happens today, the first thing I'll do after coming home is write about it on my blog".

I couldn't sleep as usual. After rolling around in my bed for hours, I got frustrated at 6.30 am, so I got up and watched some tv till 8. Got ready and left by 9. I had to go to my accountant first, to collect the revised financial summary. Whenever mom felt that I was nervous, she started some topic and calmed me down in the taxi. At least it took my focus off the subject and reduced my heart-rate. Everything was in order at the accountant's place, we began the taxi ride to the other side of the city. I knew it would take at least an hour, we would reach one hour before the given time and that was exactly how I wanted it to be.

As we pulled over at the consulate, I saw the queue. It stretched along the walls of four buildings. It was long, we had an hour. Just then Rohit called up to check on me. I had received calls from all the people, who I had expected would call, in the past 24 hours. Rohit kept saying, "Don't mention NASA, say that you are coming back, ISRO chalega". My head was a cacophony of panicked voices. We began to move forward slowly. Just then Anurag (forgot his surname) turned to me and asked, "Are you applying for a student visa?"
"Yes", I replied and that sparked a conversation between us. I noticed a girl in front of us constantly turning around and looking at us. She was with her parents. Later she introduced herself to me as Akshata Hegde. I also noticed two girls and a boy standing behind us.

The boy standing behind us joined in the conversation at some point. While we were talking, this guy utters the word "F**K" in front of my mom and Akshata's parents. A voice in my head said, "What did he say? Oh! You have got to be kidding me!" Anurag and myself looked at each other. There was a brief moment of silence after which we never gave that guy a chance to butt into our talks, especially if he was going to say those words.

Anurag, Akshata and myself really hit it off. We started making each other laugh. I felt comfortable around them, comfortable enough to tell them that I'm doing my undergrad from St.Petersburg and will fly directly from there once I'm done. Anurag seemed like the type of guy that you would need around you during a crisis, a guy who knew stuff and wouldn't hold back. Akshata was really sweet, had an amazing smile and would speak her mind. We joked around about how the how they are making a new airport in Mumbai, so the old one can be used for the new consulate considering the queue we were standing in. I can now imagine how many applicants maybe applying every year. Anurag asked me about my views on luck and I told him that it depends. One day luck may play a 50% role, the next day it might be 99%. Akshata liked the answer, "I liked the way you put that", she said, "Very true". Both of them freaked me out every ten minutes about how my case was a unique one, something the visa officer would question me about. Not many people do aerospace engineering from Russia then switch to the USA for masters. I might be the first one ever. But in the next ten minutes, they relieved me in some way or the other. Then, Anurag and me would tease Akshata about how much shopping women have to do and she was probably thinking about what to buy that very moment.

We entered at 12.30 pm, after 90 minutes of baby-steps. After I passed through the security check, they dug up my application forms and handed them over to me. I then went for a fingerprint check and submitted the forms along with my passport and I-20(admission document) at the counter. My token number was 918. All I could do now was wait, alone. Anurag and Akshata were nowhere to be seen. I sat in the first row. There were around 50-60 people sitting, waiting for their number to be called out. At 1.10, I heard 918 and headed for window number 17. I saw Anurag and Akshata standing in a line as I walked past them. Akshata waved at me, but I was too late to react to her thumbs up. She turned away.

I was second in my line. The visa officer was a female in her mid 30s maybe. I had a broad smile on my face. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a ladies' man. The guy in front of me entered and was asked to show quite a few documents. He was rejected!!!! My heart-rate, my pulse-rate, my blood pressure, maybe even my sugar-level increased. As I opened the door, the lady asked me, "Is that a child over there?"
"Yes", I answered hoping that she would grant me the visa for my correct answer.
"Can you please send her in before you if you don't mind?" she requested me.
I instructed the girl and her mother to enter ahead of me. They were done in about thirty seconds. In those thirty seconds, I tried to say every prayer possible. I mixed up the verses of one prayer, didn't realise where I started it or where it should end, I just kept saying some verse.
After they were done I entered.
"Good Afternoon"
"Good Afternoon Ma'am. How are you?"
"I'm fine. So, why are you applying to the USA?"
"I'm applying for a student visa to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign"
I'll never forget the reaction she gave me to that. When I said the university's name, she gave me a "can't reject you" look.
"Which other universities had you applied to?" she asked.
"Illinois Institute of Technology and Penn State University."
"Eleven? Did you say eleven?" she asked in a higher volume.
"No, ma'am, I said Illinois"
"Who will be funding you're education?" was her next.
"My family members" was my vague answer.
"What do they do?"
At this point, I was actually wondering how many family members I have.
"My father has his business and my mom's a housewife. But, we have some retirement money kept aside for my education. That's what we'll be using"
That was exactly what she wanted to hear.
"OK. Here you go", she handed over my I-20 back to me. "Your passport will be couriered to you."

I exited with a smile, realizing that I had achieved something that took me two years on the whole, right from the start to my TOEFL preparation in 2006. I hugged mom, called up most of the important people in my life. I looked for Akshata and Anurag, but couldn't find either. Luckily, I met Anurag further down the road and we exchanged experiences. All three of us had got the visa.

It's amazing how two strangers you meet can have an impact on your mood, on your state of mind, especially at testing times such as these. I wouldn't want any other two people in place of them at that moment. Everything seemed balanced, everything seemed chaotic, everything turned out just the way we wanted it.