This is my first post on sports and what better sport to write about than Formula 1. Well, yes - I am one of those nerds who loves to see cars go in circles!!
I am not sure why I chose this particular incident to write about...considering that its a sad, very sad turn of events for F1 and its fans. Personally, I feel very crippled with sad news - its totally unlike me to pen this down!
As per my addiction, I was scavenging the net for every bit of news, gossip I could garner about F1. It was a chilly and gloomy Sunday night; and it became even more gloomier when I saw the news about Robert's accident :( I am not a big fan of his, but he defnitely was an awesome driver - very talented as is evident from his successes in F1. As spectaular as the sight of a car crash looks, its only nice when a driver comes out of it unscathed...but Robert was not lucky this time. It might be an year or more before he recovers (and hopefully, he will) but to have your hand crushed is not easy to recover. Doctors had to reconstruct the anatomy on his right hand (yikess!!) which is truly an amazing thing to do, but how effective the hand will be, only time will tell.
This is not the first time he has been involved in an accident of this scale...I remember the horrifying accident he had in the Canadian grand prix some years ago - he had his luck and F1 technology (with regards to safety) to thank then...but this time around, he did not have both. H was in a rally - Rallying is a lot more of driving skill and less technology and less safe. I am very sure it is more thrilling and satisfying for a true driver to go rallying than drive an F1 car. Robert being one of the most talented drivers on this planet did take to rallying (like Kimi who was my favorite) - sadly, though I fear this is the end of his rallying ambitions.
http://en.espnf1.com/renault/motorsport/story/40129.html
Its a mystery though how his companion came out unscathed; very lucky! Hope Robert recovers fast and is back on the grid sooner than later.
Robert aside - I cannot wait for 2011 F1 season to get underway :) Renault meanwhile have to find a replacement for Robert - they have a few good choices, but my money is on Nick Hiedfield. Hulkenberg is another option, but I hope he stays at Force India :) :) and doesnt get hijacked to Renault - Force India need him. I am sure if he sticks to Force India, he will be in the cockpit next year as a full time driver.
Anyway, lets lift the curtains on the 2011 season and hope it will be as exciting as last the few years (if not more).
Let the racing begin . . . . .
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Dooms day?
Making up for all the time I lost...!! This is something I wrote about 8 or 10 months ago...posting it finally! I think I am giving a new meaning to "Light at the end of the tunnerl"...haha...this post defnitely did hold on for the light and it was a lonnnnng tunnel for sure.
>>>>>>>>
F5 F5, Refresh, Refresh!!
Damn!!
Why am I not getting any messages - F5 !!
Ever wondered how many times we do this...refreshing the page very 5 seconds to check if there is a new mail , or a tweet, or a scrap and then feel restless that no one has buzzed in 15 mins!!
To say that, internet has made its way into our lives is an understatement...the internet has redefined our lives! Emails, blogs and social networking have become so rampant that they now qualify as a 'habit'. I can even term it as a DAILY CHORE! Whatever it is, the fact is they are here to stay!
These days, Internet is all about being higly available! There used to be days when high availability was only associated with mission critical security systems or databases of huge banks which could not afford to go down even for a moment as they would affect the daily life of many. Well not anymore...nowadays, every brain on this planet is higly available. Irrespective of age, profession and any other primitve classification - people see the need to be "AVAILABLE" always.
Whether you are @home, @office, in the car or even for the matter of fact in the loo, you can still be online...the internet is omnipresent! (God, who??)
The addiction (if I may call it that) has rooted itself to such an extent that, the so called 'good habits' are being compromised (or customized, I should say) to accommodate this newly found habit! Earlier, peole used to get out of bed, brush, go for a jog, take bath and eat breakfast before they joined the daily rat race. They still do, but with a few welcome interrupts inbetween...now people get up, check email, brush and then again check mail before heading out for that jog. Come back and then check mail again. Take bath and check mail again. The breakfast can wait...but not the mail/scrap/tweet!
Come to think of it - the dining table at my home has had a new accessory to adorn itself with - nope, not flower vases, but laptops!! Yes...I cant remember from when the laptops have been on the table, they are a part of it now. 2 seats are reserved for them and we use the other 2 seats for dining! I am pretty sure my laptop and the dining table are soul mates by now. I wouldn't be surprised if I find a tiny laptop that looks like a table inside my DVD drive (with all the technological advances - you never know. In any case the laptop's been sitting there for an era now - there is bound to be some heat between the table and laptop and that definitely would be sufficient enough to hatch a laptop egg).
I almost forgot why I wrote all this crap..coming to the question...all this internet - is it for the good or bad?? What happenned to the good old days when there was no internet...I remember those days (with this quote - I am in danger of being classified as a obsolete creature), they were defnitely good and fun.
But the modern day is good as well. The benefits of internet are well documented and internet has played its part in making our lives interesting (diplomatical :) )
Btw, ever imagined the pandemonium that might be caused if there was no internet for a few hours??? The consequences are not quantifiable :) :)
Dooms day..is it???
>>>>>>>>
F5 F5, Refresh, Refresh!!
Damn!!
Why am I not getting any messages - F5 !!
Ever wondered how many times we do this...refreshing the page very 5 seconds to check if there is a new mail , or a tweet, or a scrap and then feel restless that no one has buzzed in 15 mins!!
To say that, internet has made its way into our lives is an understatement...the internet has redefined our lives! Emails, blogs and social networking have become so rampant that they now qualify as a 'habit'. I can even term it as a DAILY CHORE! Whatever it is, the fact is they are here to stay!
These days, Internet is all about being higly available! There used to be days when high availability was only associated with mission critical security systems or databases of huge banks which could not afford to go down even for a moment as they would affect the daily life of many. Well not anymore...nowadays, every brain on this planet is higly available. Irrespective of age, profession and any other primitve classification - people see the need to be "AVAILABLE" always.
Whether you are @home, @office, in the car or even for the matter of fact in the loo, you can still be online...the internet is omnipresent! (God, who??)
The addiction (if I may call it that) has rooted itself to such an extent that, the so called 'good habits' are being compromised (or customized, I should say) to accommodate this newly found habit! Earlier, peole used to get out of bed, brush, go for a jog, take bath and eat breakfast before they joined the daily rat race. They still do, but with a few welcome interrupts inbetween...now people get up, check email, brush and then again check mail before heading out for that jog. Come back and then check mail again. Take bath and check mail again. The breakfast can wait...but not the mail/scrap/tweet!
Come to think of it - the dining table at my home has had a new accessory to adorn itself with - nope, not flower vases, but laptops!! Yes...I cant remember from when the laptops have been on the table, they are a part of it now. 2 seats are reserved for them and we use the other 2 seats for dining! I am pretty sure my laptop and the dining table are soul mates by now. I wouldn't be surprised if I find a tiny laptop that looks like a table inside my DVD drive (with all the technological advances - you never know. In any case the laptop's been sitting there for an era now - there is bound to be some heat between the table and laptop and that definitely would be sufficient enough to hatch a laptop egg).
I almost forgot why I wrote all this crap..coming to the question...all this internet - is it for the good or bad?? What happenned to the good old days when there was no internet...I remember those days (with this quote - I am in danger of being classified as a obsolete creature), they were defnitely good and fun.
But the modern day is good as well. The benefits of internet are well documented and internet has played its part in making our lives interesting (diplomatical :) )
Btw, ever imagined the pandemonium that might be caused if there was no internet for a few hours??? The consequences are not quantifiable :) :)
Dooms day..is it???
Looking ahead....
Its been a long, really long time since I wrote anything; rather typed anything other than my work emails that is :( .
Well, it took me 10 mins to write the above line....that proves it - I have gone beyond rusty!
It does a seem a bit weird though, visiting my own blog after almost a light year. Now...I dont know whether to feel happy that I have come here or sad that I haven't been here in a while! Hmm, though I do feel a sense of nostalgia somewhere...feels like I am in a re-union of sorts after a long time; feels like I am visiting a pre-historic monument or Hampi ruins!
Whatever it is, I am back, back to resurrect this old, senile blog and give it another shot at life and obviosuly break more rules ;)
As with the start of every new year, I thought to myself on what all I need to accomplish - yes, resolutions as some people would like to term - pumping life in to this blog (and to the writing department of my brain) was a P0 activity.
As you may have guessed by now, its been 25 days into 2011 and I just about forced myself to pay the blog a visit. Irony??...nah....so, much for resolutions!!!
Thats one resoltuon I broke already! Apt for this site...aint it?
2011 has definitely started with a bang...rather a SNAP!
Well, it took me 10 mins to write the above line....that proves it - I have gone beyond rusty!
It does a seem a bit weird though, visiting my own blog after almost a light year. Now...I dont know whether to feel happy that I have come here or sad that I haven't been here in a while! Hmm, though I do feel a sense of nostalgia somewhere...feels like I am in a re-union of sorts after a long time; feels like I am visiting a pre-historic monument or Hampi ruins!
Whatever it is, I am back, back to resurrect this old, senile blog and give it another shot at life and obviosuly break more rules ;)
As with the start of every new year, I thought to myself on what all I need to accomplish - yes, resolutions as some people would like to term - pumping life in to this blog (and to the writing department of my brain) was a P0 activity.
As you may have guessed by now, its been 25 days into 2011 and I just about forced myself to pay the blog a visit. Irony??...nah....so, much for resolutions!!!
Thats one resoltuon I broke already! Apt for this site...aint it?
2011 has definitely started with a bang...rather a SNAP!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Cramped in the cauldron
I am just back from a weekend trip and could not help not writing about it. Weekend trip... hmm...generally these tend to be relaxing and soothing....but not this time. I am just back from a trek at the Grand Canyon! It was defnitely one of the most challenging treks I have ever done. On another note... I do feel lighter (what do you expect - every ounce of fat in my body has disappeared...haha!) in the head... some sense of achievement somewhere.
The trek was with a large group of 25 people and I knew only a handful of them prior to the trip. So, I was destined to meet new people and I did... and there were quite a few characters :) I did have a lot of fun walking down and up the canyon. Penning down my thoughts about the hike, although this post is not intended to be a travelogue nor an account of all the fun I had and the friends I made.
I picked up my cell and dialled home...Rrrriinnnng
Me: Hello Mom...called to inform u that I am going on a trek.
Mom: With family?
Me: Yes, but they are not trekking
Mom: Where to? Start the climb early so that you can come down early and take rest.
Me: Err...I am actually doing the other way round...I am going down and then coming up.
Mom: (kinda confused) what?
Me: I am climbing down a ditch and then climbing back up.
Mom: @@^$^$!! (Well... she said something in Kannada which meant - r u nuts? y cant u climb up and down a hill like everybody else)
Well, this was just the start of the differences...the canyon is defnitely different! and not only that...it is difficult!
One look at the canyon and I can bet - there wont be a soul on this planet who will not be mesmerized by its majesty and vastness. It's just miraculous. Regardless of the scientific explanations...I cannot comprehend the geography nor the topology of the canyon...it is just unbelievable. The width, depth, formations and the colors of the canyon are amazing. Seems like someone was very angry with mother Earth and gave her a few scars! Thats the only way this could have been formed! Never in my wildest imagination did I think that this ditch would leave me stunned. I am surely privileged to have experienced it!
A few hours flight and more than a few hours drive and I was right on the edge of the canyon; staring and staring....and staring. I probably could have done the same thing the whole day without being bored. Though I must say, it looks the same from almost all angles - yet it is amazing to witness it.
We started the trek at 7:40 AM from the South Kaibab trail head on the South rim of the canyon... we were attempting to have a date with the Colardo and then come back up to the rim within a day - a seemingly aggresive target; bordering on insane when we consider that it was a small group of 23 people! The climb down was very energetic...everyone was excited and the canyon (with all its vagaries) made it more exhilarating. It was fun to go down the canyon...the trail made its way right into the stomach of the canyon...and the canyon was very friendly and so was the climate and we raced down.
By the time we hit the Colarado, it was about 11:30 AM and the Sun was beaming in all its glory; and none could resist the lure of the green waters...A few of us ran in first...YIKES! ...only to run back out in 30 secs! The water was freeezing cold! It's unbeleivable how the water could be so cold when Mr.Sun was beating down on it in full intensity! After a few more short excursions into the water, we settled beside a stream and gobbled up our lunch. Lunch time was very relaxing... though it was my first time out with this group, it felt very comfortable and the socializing was fun.
We stocked ourselves with water and began the ascent at about 12:45 PM. I was very confident at this point and was moving briskly. Wanted to scale it in about 6 hours; that should qualify as, I thought conquering the canyon; actually - cauldron is a better word...for all practical purposes - the grand canyon is a natural cauldron and it did feel like one at noon.
It was about 3 PM when I reached "Indian Garden"; the half way point and I was still going strong. The large group had split up into 3 small pockets by now, but more importanly everyone was looking in the same direction. After about 15 mins rest - I set out on the final leg of the hike (about 4.5 miles). Its amazing how soon the weather turns around in this grand cauldron...it was about 3:30 PM when the clouds set in. It became gloomy almost instantaneously and the wind had picked up a lot of speed. There was dust/sand in the air and I could hardly open my eyes against it. The wind did not help the hike either as it was blowing in the wrong direction for my comfort. The weather forecast was for thunderstorms and I could see lightning and also hear the heavens roar! The friendly canyon was giving way to the nastier one. I was also very anxious about my wife and daughter who were all by themselves on the top...that was one more motivation to keep pushing.
As I chugged along in this mystical environment, out of nowhere, my legs stopped moving, felt like they were caught in a vice like grip...I could not move and just fell on the floor writhing in pain...both my legs felt like they were being twisted at weird angles and the pain was excuriating. I struggled for a minute or so till the pain subsided. A few more minutes of heavy breaths later it struck to me that I had just experienced cramps!!! I never had gone through them before but now I knew!! It had accounted for a big chunk of my confidence!
Lying on the floor of the cauldron with gigantic rocky walls on all sides and a mean looking black sky above - it suddenly dawned on me that I had taken the canyon lightly...I felt like a non-entity; a tiny speck lying helplessly in the belly of the cauldron. It was overwhelming and daunting. This particular moment is just etched in my memory. My grudge against the canyon had reduced...6 hours target was already out of the window. The revised target was just to make it up to the rim! I stood up and started my trudge up with nimble steps..after about 10 mins, I was again on the floor rolling about in pain and this time, the cramp had gripped both legs at multiple places and it was paralyzing. I was rolling about in pain when friends arrived. They gave me some salt and electrolyte which I quickly abosorbed. In about 10 mins, I felt like I could stand on my feet again. I was itching to resume the journey and I did. It was a painful ascent. Each step was an effort and was accompained with a lot of pain. But I was not going to give up. I trudged on - literally dragging myself ... I am gonna make it, I thought....I am gonna see my family before 8 PM...I had to push and I knew I would do that.
One incident I must mention - as we were laboring along..pulling each other and scaling the canyon inch by inch...I heard some commotion behind and it sounded like a herd of mules charging at us... I stopped (stopping myself was similar to stopping a 10 wheel truck...had to apply brakes and then come to a halt gradually and it took about 5 seconds) and turned around and to my surprise it was not a herd of mules but 2 well built gentlemen on a jogging spree. It was incredible. Here we are, trudging on one of the most challenging terrains on the planet and out come these 2 jokers, who seemed to think of the canyon as the next door jogging track! Jokers - they were indeed - a joke on humanity! How can there be so many irregularities in mankind!! My brain was too occupied to think more about this and went back to concentrating on my body...ok, move on!! Whip!! Whip!!
It was about 7:15 PM when I dragged my legs over the final step...I had done it...The releif, satisfaction and happiness had no bounds! I had made it in 11.5 hours...All of a sudden the cramp was missing though the knee hurt badly. The war was over (it was a war between my mind and body) - ceasefire atlast!! I limped to a corner and just crashed. What an experience - I thought. I was glad I made it back up albeit a bit jaded!
No doubt - my toughest hike in terms of endurance and will power. I have definitely done steeper hikes than this...but 16 miles in a day - down and up the cauldron in extreme weather...enduring excuriating pain...that will take some beating!
It was about 10 PM when the last of the group made it back up....everyone was understandly sore and squeezed of the last drop of energy. Kudos to all of them; to make it back up on the same day - a remarkable achievement for all 23 members and it was pleasantly surprising that all of them made it up; to hike another day in another place!
An amazing 12 hours of my life...a very mystical place but my memories of the canyon will always have that pain associated with them!
The trek was with a large group of 25 people and I knew only a handful of them prior to the trip. So, I was destined to meet new people and I did... and there were quite a few characters :) I did have a lot of fun walking down and up the canyon. Penning down my thoughts about the hike, although this post is not intended to be a travelogue nor an account of all the fun I had and the friends I made.
I picked up my cell and dialled home...Rrrriinnnng
Me: Hello Mom...called to inform u that I am going on a trek.
Mom: With family?
Me: Yes, but they are not trekking
Mom: Where to? Start the climb early so that you can come down early and take rest.
Me: Err...I am actually doing the other way round...I am going down and then coming up.
Mom: (kinda confused) what?
Me: I am climbing down a ditch and then climbing back up.
Mom: @@^$^$!! (Well... she said something in Kannada which meant - r u nuts? y cant u climb up and down a hill like everybody else)
Well, this was just the start of the differences...the canyon is defnitely different! and not only that...it is difficult!
One look at the canyon and I can bet - there wont be a soul on this planet who will not be mesmerized by its majesty and vastness. It's just miraculous. Regardless of the scientific explanations...I cannot comprehend the geography nor the topology of the canyon...it is just unbelievable. The width, depth, formations and the colors of the canyon are amazing. Seems like someone was very angry with mother Earth and gave her a few scars! Thats the only way this could have been formed! Never in my wildest imagination did I think that this ditch would leave me stunned. I am surely privileged to have experienced it!
A few hours flight and more than a few hours drive and I was right on the edge of the canyon; staring and staring....and staring. I probably could have done the same thing the whole day without being bored. Though I must say, it looks the same from almost all angles - yet it is amazing to witness it.
We started the trek at 7:40 AM from the South Kaibab trail head on the South rim of the canyon... we were attempting to have a date with the Colardo and then come back up to the rim within a day - a seemingly aggresive target; bordering on insane when we consider that it was a small group of 23 people! The climb down was very energetic...everyone was excited and the canyon (with all its vagaries) made it more exhilarating. It was fun to go down the canyon...the trail made its way right into the stomach of the canyon...and the canyon was very friendly and so was the climate and we raced down.
By the time we hit the Colarado, it was about 11:30 AM and the Sun was beaming in all its glory; and none could resist the lure of the green waters...A few of us ran in first...YIKES! ...only to run back out in 30 secs! The water was freeezing cold! It's unbeleivable how the water could be so cold when Mr.Sun was beating down on it in full intensity! After a few more short excursions into the water, we settled beside a stream and gobbled up our lunch. Lunch time was very relaxing... though it was my first time out with this group, it felt very comfortable and the socializing was fun.
We stocked ourselves with water and began the ascent at about 12:45 PM. I was very confident at this point and was moving briskly. Wanted to scale it in about 6 hours; that should qualify as, I thought conquering the canyon; actually - cauldron is a better word...for all practical purposes - the grand canyon is a natural cauldron and it did feel like one at noon.
It was about 3 PM when I reached "Indian Garden"; the half way point and I was still going strong. The large group had split up into 3 small pockets by now, but more importanly everyone was looking in the same direction. After about 15 mins rest - I set out on the final leg of the hike (about 4.5 miles). Its amazing how soon the weather turns around in this grand cauldron...it was about 3:30 PM when the clouds set in. It became gloomy almost instantaneously and the wind had picked up a lot of speed. There was dust/sand in the air and I could hardly open my eyes against it. The wind did not help the hike either as it was blowing in the wrong direction for my comfort. The weather forecast was for thunderstorms and I could see lightning and also hear the heavens roar! The friendly canyon was giving way to the nastier one. I was also very anxious about my wife and daughter who were all by themselves on the top...that was one more motivation to keep pushing.
As I chugged along in this mystical environment, out of nowhere, my legs stopped moving, felt like they were caught in a vice like grip...I could not move and just fell on the floor writhing in pain...both my legs felt like they were being twisted at weird angles and the pain was excuriating. I struggled for a minute or so till the pain subsided. A few more minutes of heavy breaths later it struck to me that I had just experienced cramps!!! I never had gone through them before but now I knew!! It had accounted for a big chunk of my confidence!
Lying on the floor of the cauldron with gigantic rocky walls on all sides and a mean looking black sky above - it suddenly dawned on me that I had taken the canyon lightly...I felt like a non-entity; a tiny speck lying helplessly in the belly of the cauldron. It was overwhelming and daunting. This particular moment is just etched in my memory. My grudge against the canyon had reduced...6 hours target was already out of the window. The revised target was just to make it up to the rim! I stood up and started my trudge up with nimble steps..after about 10 mins, I was again on the floor rolling about in pain and this time, the cramp had gripped both legs at multiple places and it was paralyzing. I was rolling about in pain when friends arrived. They gave me some salt and electrolyte which I quickly abosorbed. In about 10 mins, I felt like I could stand on my feet again. I was itching to resume the journey and I did. It was a painful ascent. Each step was an effort and was accompained with a lot of pain. But I was not going to give up. I trudged on - literally dragging myself ... I am gonna make it, I thought....I am gonna see my family before 8 PM...I had to push and I knew I would do that.
One incident I must mention - as we were laboring along..pulling each other and scaling the canyon inch by inch...I heard some commotion behind and it sounded like a herd of mules charging at us... I stopped (stopping myself was similar to stopping a 10 wheel truck...had to apply brakes and then come to a halt gradually and it took about 5 seconds) and turned around and to my surprise it was not a herd of mules but 2 well built gentlemen on a jogging spree. It was incredible. Here we are, trudging on one of the most challenging terrains on the planet and out come these 2 jokers, who seemed to think of the canyon as the next door jogging track! Jokers - they were indeed - a joke on humanity! How can there be so many irregularities in mankind!! My brain was too occupied to think more about this and went back to concentrating on my body...ok, move on!! Whip!! Whip!!
It was about 7:15 PM when I dragged my legs over the final step...I had done it...The releif, satisfaction and happiness had no bounds! I had made it in 11.5 hours...All of a sudden the cramp was missing though the knee hurt badly. The war was over (it was a war between my mind and body) - ceasefire atlast!! I limped to a corner and just crashed. What an experience - I thought. I was glad I made it back up albeit a bit jaded!
No doubt - my toughest hike in terms of endurance and will power. I have definitely done steeper hikes than this...but 16 miles in a day - down and up the cauldron in extreme weather...enduring excuriating pain...that will take some beating!
It was about 10 PM when the last of the group made it back up....everyone was understandly sore and squeezed of the last drop of energy. Kudos to all of them; to make it back up on the same day - a remarkable achievement for all 23 members and it was pleasantly surprising that all of them made it up; to hike another day in another place!
An amazing 12 hours of my life...a very mystical place but my memories of the canyon will always have that pain associated with them!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Taming the call centre
Automation is key to the success of any business these days. It is defintely seen as a means to cut down costs and make the mundane processes more efficient. Take for instance the customer service centres of any organization. Not long ago, we had the luxury of calling up customer care and shout/flirt with the representative...try doing the same with the modern day automated customer care!! Sounds weird? Well, trust me - it is! But sometimes weird can be fun :)
A little background before I recap my episode:
I was awaiting a mail (package) from an online store where I had purchased an item (lets leave it at "an item"). The store had mailed it through USPS and gave me the tracking number. I waited for a couple of days and looked up USPS website for information on my package. Surprisingly, there was no update from when it was generated. It only said "Shipping info received and label printed". It was unusual becuase the package should have been delivered the same day if everything was normal. So, I decided to call the USPS customer care to find out more on the status of my package and any other information they could divulge as the online tracking page did not seem to have any udpate. I was hoping to talk to a representative after some initial goofing around with the automated support. I dialled the 1 800 XXX XXXX toll free number and ...
"Thank you for calling United States Postal Service...
For delivery status - say "track and confirm"
To Schedule a pickup - say "schedule a pickup"
To order supplies - say "order supplies"
For all other postal information - say "other" "
I seemed to have a straight forward choice - I said "track and confirm" and the sweet voice recognized it and then said
"Please say your label number or tracking number"
I keyed it in.
After taking confirmation from me, it blurted out a status and unsurprisingly, it was the same as what the website had reported. I was hoping that it would then give me an option to talk to a representaive but it did not:
"If you have received the required information, please disconnect the call, else say "Main menu" or press the * key to go back to the Main Menu"
I decided to give it another try and went back to the Main Menu but in vain. Whatever option I chose, I could not get to speak to the customer represntative (dialing "9" or "0" did not work either ;)). I went back and forth again - but always ended up with:
"Please say your label number or tracking number".
Frustrated, I decided to keep mum, hoping that the sweet voice would presume that some dumb idiot who cannot follow Engleeeesh is on the line and transfer me to a representative. But, I was duped again...
"Please say your label number or tracking number"
Me >> Silent
"Please say your label number or tracking number or use the keypad to enter the label/trakcing number"
Me >> Silent
"Please, atleast enter the numeric part of your label number"
Me >> silent.
"I still did not hear anything, disconnecting the call"...click!...krrrrr..
@##!!%&**.. well, before I could realize, the line went dead. That stupid machine had cut me off. I guess, I waaaaaaasssssss a dumb idiot!! At that stage, I was almost at boiling point ...I was going to take the fight to the end ...the war was on and I wanted to teach that sweet lady a thing or two about customer service...determined to win at all costs, I hit redial...
"Thank you for calling United States Postal Service...
For delivery status - say "track and confirm"
To Schedule a pickup - say "schedule a pickup"
To order supplies - say "order supplies"
For all other postal information - say "other"
Me >> Silent
(I had made up my mind to be dumb until it gives up and transfers the call to a representative. One of us had to give in...it was either me or the machine! Last idiot standing wins, you see!!).
It repeated the menu a few times...
For delivery status - say "track and confirm"
To Schedule a pickup - say "schedule a pickup"
To order supplies - say "order supplies"
For all other postal information - say "other"
Me >> Silent
Again, with a slight change (I could feel the desperation in the voice as if it had emotions!)
For delivery status - Dial 1
To Schedule a pickup - Dial 2
To order supplies - Dial 3
For all other postal information - Dial 4
Me >> Silent
"I am sorry, I didnt hear you. Does your question concern international/domestic maling? Please say yes/no" (Felt like it was begging me to speak - say atleast yes/no)
At this point, I did utter a word - "yes"!
It again went back to the loop and I cursed myself for speaking!
"Please say the numeric part of your label number"
ME >> Silent.
"Please enter the numeric part of your label number"
ME >> Silent.
"I am sorry, I still didnt hear anything"."If you are still there, please press 0".
(I am not kidding - it did ask me this!..."are you still there?" - haha, how elated I was to hear that!!) I was enjoying the conversation (or lack of it) at that point, I could feel the desperation in the voice - I wonder if they record it that way. Maybe they modulate the voice based on the number of iterations of the same loop to give it some human touch!
I pressed 0!
"Thank you for your response. I am transferring the call to a customer care representative, please hold"
YES! YESSS!!! - I WON!!!!! Hip Hip Hurrah!!...I beat the machine into submission!!! yesssssssssss!!!
"Hello, this is XXXXX speaking, how may I help you?"
Me >> Hello..who, what?! - I had almost forgotten why I had called - that was the customer care guy. I spoke to him and he also did not have anymore information than what the website had reported. Talk about irony!!!
But I still won against the machine and that had given me enough happiness to forget about the status of my package. I finsihed the call feeling happy for no apparent gain! I sometimes wonder why I get into such weird situations...or maybe they happen to me for a reason!
I am still wondering ...
A little background before I recap my episode:
I was awaiting a mail (package) from an online store where I had purchased an item (lets leave it at "an item"). The store had mailed it through USPS and gave me the tracking number. I waited for a couple of days and looked up USPS website for information on my package. Surprisingly, there was no update from when it was generated. It only said "Shipping info received and label printed". It was unusual becuase the package should have been delivered the same day if everything was normal. So, I decided to call the USPS customer care to find out more on the status of my package and any other information they could divulge as the online tracking page did not seem to have any udpate. I was hoping to talk to a representative after some initial goofing around with the automated support. I dialled the 1 800 XXX XXXX toll free number and ...
"Thank you for calling United States Postal Service...
For delivery status - say "track and confirm"
To Schedule a pickup - say "schedule a pickup"
To order supplies - say "order supplies"
For all other postal information - say "other" "
I seemed to have a straight forward choice - I said "track and confirm" and the sweet voice recognized it and then said
"Please say your label number or tracking number"
I keyed it in.
After taking confirmation from me, it blurted out a status and unsurprisingly, it was the same as what the website had reported. I was hoping that it would then give me an option to talk to a representaive but it did not:
"If you have received the required information, please disconnect the call, else say "Main menu" or press the * key to go back to the Main Menu"
I decided to give it another try and went back to the Main Menu but in vain. Whatever option I chose, I could not get to speak to the customer represntative (dialing "9" or "0" did not work either ;)). I went back and forth again - but always ended up with:
"Please say your label number or tracking number".
Frustrated, I decided to keep mum, hoping that the sweet voice would presume that some dumb idiot who cannot follow Engleeeesh is on the line and transfer me to a representative. But, I was duped again...
"Please say your label number or tracking number"
Me >> Silent
"Please say your label number or tracking number or use the keypad to enter the label/trakcing number"
Me >> Silent
"Please, atleast enter the numeric part of your label number"
Me >> silent.
"I still did not hear anything, disconnecting the call"...click!...krrrrr..
@##!!%&**.. well, before I could realize, the line went dead. That stupid machine had cut me off. I guess, I waaaaaaasssssss a dumb idiot!! At that stage, I was almost at boiling point ...I was going to take the fight to the end ...the war was on and I wanted to teach that sweet lady a thing or two about customer service...determined to win at all costs, I hit redial...
"Thank you for calling United States Postal Service...
For delivery status - say "track and confirm"
To Schedule a pickup - say "schedule a pickup"
To order supplies - say "order supplies"
For all other postal information - say "other"
Me >> Silent
(I had made up my mind to be dumb until it gives up and transfers the call to a representative. One of us had to give in...it was either me or the machine! Last idiot standing wins, you see!!).
It repeated the menu a few times...
For delivery status - say "track and confirm"
To Schedule a pickup - say "schedule a pickup"
To order supplies - say "order supplies"
For all other postal information - say "other"
Me >> Silent
Again, with a slight change (I could feel the desperation in the voice as if it had emotions!)
For delivery status - Dial 1
To Schedule a pickup - Dial 2
To order supplies - Dial 3
For all other postal information - Dial 4
Me >> Silent
"I am sorry, I didnt hear you. Does your question concern international/domestic maling? Please say yes/no" (Felt like it was begging me to speak - say atleast yes/no)
At this point, I did utter a word - "yes"!
It again went back to the loop and I cursed myself for speaking!
"Please say the numeric part of your label number"
ME >> Silent.
"Please enter the numeric part of your label number"
ME >> Silent.
"I am sorry, I still didnt hear anything"."If you are still there, please press 0".
(I am not kidding - it did ask me this!..."are you still there?" - haha, how elated I was to hear that!!) I was enjoying the conversation (or lack of it) at that point, I could feel the desperation in the voice - I wonder if they record it that way. Maybe they modulate the voice based on the number of iterations of the same loop to give it some human touch!
I pressed 0!
"Thank you for your response. I am transferring the call to a customer care representative, please hold"
YES! YESSS!!! - I WON!!!!! Hip Hip Hurrah!!...I beat the machine into submission!!! yesssssssssss!!!
"Hello, this is XXXXX speaking, how may I help you?"
Me >> Hello..who, what?! - I had almost forgotten why I had called - that was the customer care guy. I spoke to him and he also did not have anymore information than what the website had reported. Talk about irony!!!
But I still won against the machine and that had given me enough happiness to forget about the status of my package. I finsihed the call feeling happy for no apparent gain! I sometimes wonder why I get into such weird situations...or maybe they happen to me for a reason!
I am still wondering ...
Friday, August 7, 2009
Blues!
I leaned forward, trying to take a closer look at the hazy figure in front of me...there is something there; My brain (which is half sleepy) just spurts out - what is it? a wrinkle? a worry line? My eyes, still blinded by the light, are struggling to resolve the image - blink!
A brush in hand, I stare into the mirror, my eyes still trying to focus in the glow of the bulb ... sending cryptic signals to my brain about the shadowy figure in front of them; My brain - yes, its still dreaming - happily resting against the comfort of my skull.
No wonder, it took me 2 mins to drag myself from the bed to the washroom!
As I mechanically move my hand to and fro...brushing my teeth, the eyes look up at the hazy relfection in front of them, they are still sleepy and just want to go shut and drift away in to fairyland! ... fairyland ... ahaaa! what a temptation ... and my mind begins to wander! HEY! KNOCK KNOCK!! STOPPPP!... all of a sudden my brain wriggles itself up and is taking control! The bubble is burst and my mind has to stop its flow of thoughts...scrreeeeeaaaccchhhh! POOF!!!!
"U silly mind...Stop it - You are not suppossed to be doing these things now!! Fairlyland, my foot!!! It's a Monday Morning!!!! It's time to SULK!"
Well, there you go ... I am wake to my senses, brushing stopped and still staring at my reflection but with wide open eyes; and yes, that defintiely is a worry line on my forehead :(
Monday Morning blues - aaahhhh!! How I despise those mornings. Every action on a Monday morning tends to be so laborius and there just does not seem to be any energy flowing in the veins. I usually drag myself to office. But there is one thing I always enjoy on a Monday Morning at office - the look on everyone's face! Let me tell you, its immensely pleasurizing to look at people's faces on a monday morning - the look says it all. Can you imagine how you would react if you woke up in the middle of Sahara with just 'a bottle of water' or you jumped of a 'plane in mid flight' and forgot the chute! Well, you dont have to go far to see such expressions, just make sure you drag yourself to work and look up at people's faces on a monday morning. You will definitely see some priceless expressions. It reassures me that I am not the lone lunatic on this planet.
But every now and then, there comes someone and says "Hello! Good Morning" with a broad smile and all of a sudden my brain has to furiously broadcast signals and my entire body has to react to camouflage my internal feelings and successfully return the greeting - "err... Good Morning!". But, internally it's helter skelter inside my body...what a crazy nut (read - sane person). How can someone be so vibrant and cheerul on a Monday Morning! Unless, unless ofcourse, he is in fairlyland :) yes, yes with a few fairies; maybe more than a few fairies...ahem! (There goes my mind again!). Getting back to reality...I still ponder, how is it possible? Why am I not so thrilled about it being a Monday. I don't feel the same on a Tuesday, Wednesday...! What if it is a Monday? Infact my brain starts painting a gloomy picture from Sunday afternoon! Spoilsport!!!
Wanting to get to the bottom of this... I had a private discussion with my brain (read - self introspection). Let me tell you a bit about this guy - he has been with me from the time I can think of (except for the time when I fell in love and got married!!) and has been pretty efficient throughout. After all the analysis, we came to the conclusion that this whole Sunday evening-monday morning blues is nothing but the laziness of the mind in switiching gears! The mind is in a state of inertia and just lazy to switch back to the working mode, it is this friction that causes the blues! (sounds familier??? - yes, it is...Newtons first law..."Every particle continues to be in a state of ...blah blah! Now we know whom to blame for the gloomy mondays;) Also, I can hear my Physics prof breathe a sigh of releif - I can remember something of his blabbering!)
Well, all this is fine, but the big question still is, why does the mind feel the need to resist the change? I guess over a period of time, the monotony of the working week takes its toll on the mind and so the weekend is where the mind can relax and not worry about meeting deadlines. But still there are unanswered questions like "Why does not the same theory work for transition from Friday to Saturday?? (Friday evening blues!! - that's never gonna happen)". The only answer to that probably is to look at it the other way round...What if we had 2 working days and 5 day weekends? Would I still wake up to a gloomy Monday morning? Well, I think so! That's a definite possibility!
Now, how to overcome this??? After much deliberation, I have decided that the only way to embrace Mondays is to give the mind what it requires. Newton comes up with the answer again!! (yes, it is the second part of Newtons first law - "....blah blah...unless acted upon by an external force") in short, a kick on the backside to the mind .i.e give the mind something new/nice to think about. Maybe a new challenge, maybe pursue an old passion, devote time for a hobby etc. This will break the monotony of the working week and will give the mind something fresh and nice to work on!
It works!!! At least I have realized that this is a good way to motivate myself to follow other goals/passions other than the ones at work and it is definitely a better way to start the week. Infact, it is a good feeling to wake up everyday knowing that you have multiple things to look forward to! :) It does get the mind going!!
Now you know why I started to write again!
I hope u r not reading this half-baked post of mine on a Monday morning...atleast, I do not want to contribute towards your blues!..haha!
Stopping the nonsense now ... will be back with more soon!
A brush in hand, I stare into the mirror, my eyes still trying to focus in the glow of the bulb ... sending cryptic signals to my brain about the shadowy figure in front of them; My brain - yes, its still dreaming - happily resting against the comfort of my skull.
No wonder, it took me 2 mins to drag myself from the bed to the washroom!
As I mechanically move my hand to and fro...brushing my teeth, the eyes look up at the hazy relfection in front of them, they are still sleepy and just want to go shut and drift away in to fairyland! ... fairyland ... ahaaa! what a temptation ... and my mind begins to wander! HEY! KNOCK KNOCK!! STOPPPP!... all of a sudden my brain wriggles itself up and is taking control! The bubble is burst and my mind has to stop its flow of thoughts...scrreeeeeaaaccchhhh! POOF!!!!
"U silly mind...Stop it - You are not suppossed to be doing these things now!! Fairlyland, my foot!!! It's a Monday Morning!!!! It's time to SULK!"
Well, there you go ... I am wake to my senses, brushing stopped and still staring at my reflection but with wide open eyes; and yes, that defintiely is a worry line on my forehead :(
Monday Morning blues - aaahhhh!! How I despise those mornings. Every action on a Monday morning tends to be so laborius and there just does not seem to be any energy flowing in the veins. I usually drag myself to office. But there is one thing I always enjoy on a Monday Morning at office - the look on everyone's face! Let me tell you, its immensely pleasurizing to look at people's faces on a monday morning - the look says it all. Can you imagine how you would react if you woke up in the middle of Sahara with just 'a bottle of water' or you jumped of a 'plane in mid flight' and forgot the chute! Well, you dont have to go far to see such expressions, just make sure you drag yourself to work and look up at people's faces on a monday morning. You will definitely see some priceless expressions. It reassures me that I am not the lone lunatic on this planet.
But every now and then, there comes someone and says "Hello! Good Morning" with a broad smile and all of a sudden my brain has to furiously broadcast signals and my entire body has to react to camouflage my internal feelings and successfully return the greeting - "err... Good Morning!". But, internally it's helter skelter inside my body...what a crazy nut (read - sane person). How can someone be so vibrant and cheerul on a Monday Morning! Unless, unless ofcourse, he is in fairlyland :) yes, yes with a few fairies; maybe more than a few fairies...ahem! (There goes my mind again!). Getting back to reality...I still ponder, how is it possible? Why am I not so thrilled about it being a Monday. I don't feel the same on a Tuesday, Wednesday...! What if it is a Monday? Infact my brain starts painting a gloomy picture from Sunday afternoon! Spoilsport!!!
Wanting to get to the bottom of this... I had a private discussion with my brain (read - self introspection). Let me tell you a bit about this guy - he has been with me from the time I can think of (except for the time when I fell in love and got married!!) and has been pretty efficient throughout. After all the analysis, we came to the conclusion that this whole Sunday evening-monday morning blues is nothing but the laziness of the mind in switiching gears! The mind is in a state of inertia and just lazy to switch back to the working mode, it is this friction that causes the blues! (sounds familier??? - yes, it is...Newtons first law..."Every particle continues to be in a state of ...blah blah! Now we know whom to blame for the gloomy mondays;) Also, I can hear my Physics prof breathe a sigh of releif - I can remember something of his blabbering!)
Well, all this is fine, but the big question still is, why does the mind feel the need to resist the change? I guess over a period of time, the monotony of the working week takes its toll on the mind and so the weekend is where the mind can relax and not worry about meeting deadlines. But still there are unanswered questions like "Why does not the same theory work for transition from Friday to Saturday?? (Friday evening blues!! - that's never gonna happen)". The only answer to that probably is to look at it the other way round...What if we had 2 working days and 5 day weekends? Would I still wake up to a gloomy Monday morning? Well, I think so! That's a definite possibility!
Now, how to overcome this??? After much deliberation, I have decided that the only way to embrace Mondays is to give the mind what it requires. Newton comes up with the answer again!! (yes, it is the second part of Newtons first law - "....blah blah...unless acted upon by an external force") in short, a kick on the backside to the mind .i.e give the mind something new/nice to think about. Maybe a new challenge, maybe pursue an old passion, devote time for a hobby etc. This will break the monotony of the working week and will give the mind something fresh and nice to work on!
It works!!! At least I have realized that this is a good way to motivate myself to follow other goals/passions other than the ones at work and it is definitely a better way to start the week. Infact, it is a good feeling to wake up everyday knowing that you have multiple things to look forward to! :) It does get the mind going!!
Now you know why I started to write again!
I hope u r not reading this half-baked post of mine on a Monday morning...atleast, I do not want to contribute towards your blues!..haha!
Stopping the nonsense now ... will be back with more soon!
Friday, June 12, 2009
GoldenGate_MuirWoods
Golden Gate Bridge and Muir Woods 
Saturday - 5/23
Rrrrriiiiiinnnnnngggg!!!....##$&!!!...Click!!
Well, the alarm did go off promptly (as it always does) and I promptly silenced it (as I always do ;-) ). 6:30 AM is an unearthly hour for me...am sure it's the same for many, but I dare say that; it's not for my beloved wife!!
It was almost a month since my wife and kid had landed in the U.S and we had never had the chance to go out and explore the country. Work - both at home and office and our little angel had kept us busy througout. A long weekend (Memorial day!!) was just the thing I was waiting for! I had planned to take them out and being close to SFO - the obvious destination (for a first outing) was Golden Gate bridge! I had been to the place three years ago and was taken in by the structure!
Muir woods - a few miles away was also an ideal place to walk around with Lenya. So, the plan was set for half a day's outing! Golden gate Bridge and Muir Woods!
"We will leave by 9:00 AM so that we can be back by 4 PM. We will have lunch at any good place on our way back" I said excitedly only to notice the grin on my wife's face - which meant "You and 9:00 AM, lets see..huh!!" She was sure we cant leave before 10:30 AM considering my good habit of "late to bed, late to rise".
It was a chilly morning and sure enough, I hugged the pillow till 7:00 AM. And then it was all catching up to do. Brush the teeth, bath, Get the baby ready, pick up the supplies, baby's accessories, breakfast...the list was endless! All these and a few arguments later we were ready to embark!
10:45 AM: "Please fasten your seat belt" - the GPS started off with its customary greeting and we were on our way. I had heard a lot of negatives about driving within SFO on those up and down lanes and was kind of feeling uneasy, but the nerves settled within a few minutes time and we were breezing on the freeway (101 North). The traffic wa
s real slow going in to SFO. So, we had a lot of time to look around as we snailed along on 19th avenue. The street was lined with matchbox sized structures sticking to each other and holding on (somehow!!) flaunting all kinds of colors! All buildings looked old and antique. The digicam was going click click in wife's hands :)!!
Saturday - 5/23
Rrrrriiiiiinnnnnngggg!!!....##$&!!!...Click!!
Well, the alarm did go off promptly (as it always does) and I promptly silenced it (as I always do ;-) ). 6:30 AM is an unearthly hour for me...am sure it's the same for many, but I dare say that; it's not for my beloved wife!!
It was almost a month since my wife and kid had landed in the U.S and we had never had the chance to go out and explore the country. Work - both at home and office and our little angel had kept us busy througout. A long weekend (Memorial day!!) was just the thing I was waiting for! I had planned to take them out and being close to SFO - the obvious destination (for a first outing) was Golden Gate bridge! I had been to the place three years ago and was taken in by the structure!
Muir woods - a few miles away was also an ideal place to walk around with Lenya. So, the plan was set for half a day's outing! Golden gate Bridge and Muir Woods!
"We will leave by 9:00 AM so that we can be back by 4 PM. We will have lunch at any good place on our way back" I said excitedly only to notice the grin on my wife's face - which meant "You and 9:00 AM, lets see..huh!!" She was sure we cant leave before 10:30 AM considering my good habit of "late to bed, late to rise".
It was a chilly morning and sure enough, I hugged the pillow till 7:00 AM. And then it was all catching up to do. Brush the teeth, bath, Get the baby ready, pick up the supplies, baby's accessories, breakfast...the list was endless! All these and a few arguments later we were ready to embark!
10:45 AM: "Please fasten your seat belt" - the GPS started off with its customary greeting and we were on our way. I had heard a lot of negatives about driving within SFO on those up and down lanes and was kind of feeling uneasy, but the nerves settled within a few minutes time and we were breezing on the freeway (101 North). The traffic wa
s real slow going in to SFO. So, we had a lot of time to look around as we snailed along on 19th avenue. The street was lined with matchbox sized structures sticking to each other and holding on (somehow!!) flaunting all kinds of colors! All buildings looked old and antique. The digicam was going click click in wife's hands :)!! A few turns and twists later, we were facing the legendary Golden Gate Bridge! It's an amazing str
ucture. It's just daunting to see such a gigantic structure stand tall over the ocean! It was a cloudy day and that made the scene even more beautiful. We rode over the bridge and then I turned over and parked. I wanted to capture the Golden gate in all its pride going through the clouds! The baby was asleep and so we left her in the car (yes we did!!!!) and we got off with the camera. It was chiiiilllllly!!! Wife struggled to confront it, she packed herself in her sweats but was still shivering! We took a few collld photos and went back to the comfort of the car.
ucture. It's just daunting to see such a gigantic structure stand tall over the ocean! It was a cloudy day and that made the scene even more beautiful. We rode over the bridge and then I turned over and parked. I wanted to capture the Golden gate in all its pride going through the clouds! The baby was asleep and so we left her in the car (yes we did!!!!) and we got off with the camera. It was chiiiilllllly!!! Wife struggled to confront it, she packed herself in her sweats but was still shivering! We took a few collld photos and went back to the comfort of the car.
Howzzit feel??? - I asked and she said..."its just a bridge"!!!!!
Just a bridge? $##!!!!!!... well, yes it's just a bridge...but it runs more than a mile long with 6 lanes! It is over 700 ft tall and took 4 years to build. But that's how she felt. I still am puzzled by her reaction. She is one tough girl to impress!! - you can take my word for it...phew!!
It was noon and the growling in the stomach was increasing by the minute. My lady was very hungry as she had skipped breakfast. We had passed Golden gate bridge and were on our way to Muir Woods...Just when I was getting restless about not finding an eatout..voila!!...there it was....SUBWAY! I love the subs and she doesn't mind it...so, without any doubts, I drove in. We took the baby (who was still sleeping) in her car seat and settled in a cozy corner inside the subway. As in most places, the vegie choices are minimal...we ordered 2 half subs, chips and started devouring them. The place was empty when we went in but started filling up and was almost full within a few minutes. What timing!! Could not help notice the number of Indians around. Talk about moving to a new country and a new culture!! I am sure they would be thinking the same seeing us. I think the Americans would be feeling alienated and cornered in their own land!! Jai ho!!! Just when we were finishing off our subs...our angel woke up...and you bet - she did make her presence felt! She was hungry tooo and she let us know that in no uncertain sounds - waaaaaaahhhhhhhhh ...flat out!!!
I grabbed the car seat and both of us rushed out of the subway outlet and into the car. Mommy refuelled her as I munched on the chips! Our short little lunch break was over and off we went in search of Muir woods. The GPS had been of real help...its a must have when you dont know your geography!! But it does make you go nuts sometimes....specially when there are roads close to each other and neither you nor the GPS can decide which one! Fortunately the road signs were pretty clear and we had adequate fuel tanked up and so getting lost and finding the way back was more fun than concern.
Muir Woods - One of the few surviving Redwood forests...I knew i
t was a nice and clean place with huge trees. It seems like a good place to trek/hike and camp (I hope I get a chance to do that - someday!). It was a pleasant drive till Muir Woods, but it was not so pleasant finding a parking! Saturday afternoon - I should have expected that...all the designated parking areas were full and after 15 minutes of hunting for a parking space, I found a vacant spot off the curb and I slipped my car in. It was about a mile down from the entrance to Muir Woods!!! Our next major task was to wrap the baby. The weather had gotten a little better but it was still a little too cold for the little one. She had pooped on the way and so, we had to clean her. She was half sleepy from the journey and was cranky. All in all, it took about 15 minutes to deck her up. We put her in the stroller, all packed. She looked like an eskimo (a cute one, though!) in her white woollen coat! We burdened the stroller with some junk food for us and were soon on the road to Muir Woods. I had grabbed the Digital Cam, so madam had no choice, but to carry the bulky Camcorder ;)
A 15 minute walk and we were at the entrance of Muir Woods. The place was crowded with all kinds of people. It kind of felt over populated. But still, the vastness of the woods is such that it could accomodate many more. The
entrance was spacious. There were also two stalls set up...a souvenior shop and a makeshift snack centre. Though the idea of munching on a snack or sipping a coffee was inviting, We decided to give the snack a skip and went ahead. Two tickets of 5$ each and we were handed a receipt and a leaflet which explained the different trails available. There were three hiking routes available of half an hour, one hour and one and half hour. The shortest route was an obvoius choice for us as we had the baby and that was the only route which had level floor to push the stroller. It was a groovy place...greenary allround. Huge trees, formed a canopy and the place was just about perfect for a quite stroll with the family. The weather had gotten better as well. 3 minutes in to the stroll and Lenya started acting cranky. She got restless and did not want to be in the stroller. I think she also figured out that she was not at home and was excited to look around. She wanted to be carried and was probably hungry as well. We decided to carry her in turns and went ahead. We did click a lot of pictures and it was always mommy and daughter or daddy and daughter. It was a nice and relaxing stroll amidst the greenary inspite of the crowd. Could not help compare it with the various places back home in India. One place that came to my mind was "Kodachaadri". Though our stroll was nowhere near as exciting or tough as a trek to Kodachhadri, the feel of the woods was similar. How I miss those treks!!!!
We went about t
he winding path stopping at places where there was some information dispalyed. We both like reading such information placards. It's nice to get to know about the place you are visting. As we strolled along (taking pictures regualarly!), we found one spot where a lot of people had queued up to take photographs. It was an enclosure between two closely spaced trees. It was indeed a nice place to pose for the camera. Since we had not yet taken a pic of all the three of us, I decided that this would be the right place. We just hung around waiting for the others to finish. When our turn came, I releived myself all the stuff I was carrying and all the three of us posed for the camera. We thanked the person who took our photograph and carried on on our stroll all happy! We went ahead talking about the surroundings and how clean they had maintained it and enjoying the greenary around. After about 10 minutes (or it felt!), the unthinkable happenned!
It was noon and the growling in the stomach was increasing by the minute. My lady was very hungry as she had skipped breakfast. We had passed Golden gate bridge and were on our way to Muir Woods...Just when I was getting restless about not finding an eatout..voila!!...there it was....SUBWAY! I love the subs and she doesn't mind it...so, without any doubts, I drove in. We took the baby (who was still sleeping) in her car seat and settled in a cozy corner inside the subway. As in most places, the vegie choices are minimal...we ordered 2 half subs, chips and started devouring them. The place was empty when we went in but started filling up and was almost full within a few minutes. What timing!! Could not help notice the number of Indians around. Talk about moving to a new country and a new culture!! I am sure they would be thinking the same seeing us. I think the Americans would be feeling alienated and cornered in their own land!! Jai ho!!! Just when we were finishing off our subs...our angel woke up...and you bet - she did make her presence felt! She was hungry tooo and she let us know that in no uncertain sounds - waaaaaaahhhhhhhhh ...flat out!!!
I grabbed the car seat and both of us rushed out of the subway outlet and into the car. Mommy refuelled her as I munched on the chips! Our short little lunch break was over and off we went in search of Muir woods. The GPS had been of real help...its a must have when you dont know your geography!! But it does make you go nuts sometimes....specially when there are roads close to each other and neither you nor the GPS can decide which one! Fortunately the road signs were pretty clear and we had adequate fuel tanked up and so getting lost and finding the way back was more fun than concern.
Muir Woods - One of the few surviving Redwood forests...I knew i
t was a nice and clean place with huge trees. It seems like a good place to trek/hike and camp (I hope I get a chance to do that - someday!). It was a pleasant drive till Muir Woods, but it was not so pleasant finding a parking! Saturday afternoon - I should have expected that...all the designated parking areas were full and after 15 minutes of hunting for a parking space, I found a vacant spot off the curb and I slipped my car in. It was about a mile down from the entrance to Muir Woods!!! Our next major task was to wrap the baby. The weather had gotten a little better but it was still a little too cold for the little one. She had pooped on the way and so, we had to clean her. She was half sleepy from the journey and was cranky. All in all, it took about 15 minutes to deck her up. We put her in the stroller, all packed. She looked like an eskimo (a cute one, though!) in her white woollen coat! We burdened the stroller with some junk food for us and were soon on the road to Muir Woods. I had grabbed the Digital Cam, so madam had no choice, but to carry the bulky Camcorder ;)A 15 minute walk and we were at the entrance of Muir Woods. The place was crowded with all kinds of people. It kind of felt over populated. But still, the vastness of the woods is such that it could accomodate many more. The
entrance was spacious. There were also two stalls set up...a souvenior shop and a makeshift snack centre. Though the idea of munching on a snack or sipping a coffee was inviting, We decided to give the snack a skip and went ahead. Two tickets of 5$ each and we were handed a receipt and a leaflet which explained the different trails available. There were three hiking routes available of half an hour, one hour and one and half hour. The shortest route was an obvoius choice for us as we had the baby and that was the only route which had level floor to push the stroller. It was a groovy place...greenary allround. Huge trees, formed a canopy and the place was just about perfect for a quite stroll with the family. The weather had gotten better as well. 3 minutes in to the stroll and Lenya started acting cranky. She got restless and did not want to be in the stroller. I think she also figured out that she was not at home and was excited to look around. She wanted to be carried and was probably hungry as well. We decided to carry her in turns and went ahead. We did click a lot of pictures and it was always mommy and daughter or daddy and daughter. It was a nice and relaxing stroll amidst the greenary inspite of the crowd. Could not help compare it with the various places back home in India. One place that came to my mind was "Kodachaadri". Though our stroll was nowhere near as exciting or tough as a trek to Kodachhadri, the feel of the woods was similar. How I miss those treks!!!!
We went about t
he winding path stopping at places where there was some information dispalyed. We both like reading such information placards. It's nice to get to know about the place you are visting. As we strolled along (taking pictures regualarly!), we found one spot where a lot of people had queued up to take photographs. It was an enclosure between two closely spaced trees. It was indeed a nice place to pose for the camera. Since we had not yet taken a pic of all the three of us, I decided that this would be the right place. We just hung around waiting for the others to finish. When our turn came, I releived myself all the stuff I was carrying and all the three of us posed for the camera. We thanked the person who took our photograph and carried on on our stroll all happy! We went ahead talking about the surroundings and how clean they had maintained it and enjoying the greenary around. After about 10 minutes (or it felt!), the unthinkable happenned!"Where's the Camcorder? - she asked..!!!! oh!..s***!!!!! a moments silence and I just took off!...I had put down the camcorder along with other baggage before posing for the family photograph and had forgotten to pick it up!!...I was out of breath but was furiously retracing our path....it seemed to be eternaly long...I was feeling awful, felt like the sky was falling over my head (quote - courtesy Asterix*). After about 5 mins which seemed like 5 light years, I reached the spot where we had taken the photo and to my horror, the camcorder was not there. All my hopes were searching for other hopes! Utterly dejected, I started my jog back...at that point, I did wish that the sky fall on my head! My mind was furiously looking for ways to get it back. My eyes were scanning every passing person with suspicion. I had no idea how my wife would take it. I was sure she would be devastated and livid! The only sane option I could think at that point was to check the visitor's desk hoping some good samaritan would have found my Sony Sony DCR-SR220 and left it at the visitor centre. I trudged back to my wife. She could not beleive what had happenned. I had lost every interest in the surroundings and the stroll. I asked her to meet me at the Vistor Desk and I raced ahead.
There it was - pretty but sitting lonely on top of a table in the visitor's desk!!!!!.....It was a huge releif!!!!! Someone indeed had found it and deposited the camcorder at the the vistor's desk...a good samaritan indeed!!!! We collected the camcorder, then sat down for a while - enjoying our happiness (releif, I should say) with a cup of coffee. The coffee was horrible, but was still refreshing for our situation. My quota of running for the day was not yet finished. Since we had parked a mile down the road, I asked wife to stay put and ran down to the car. It was about 4:00 PM by the time we left Muir Woods, but the fun wasn't over yet! We decided to visit a nearby beach - Muir Beach. But, we could just not find it!!...the GPS was of no use and the sign boards seemed to take us in circles!..After a few concentric excurions, we decided to give up and head home.
There it was - pretty but sitting lonely on top of a table in the visitor's desk!!!!!.....It was a huge releif!!!!! Someone indeed had found it and deposited the camcorder at the the vistor's desk...a good samaritan indeed!!!! We collected the camcorder, then sat down for a while - enjoying our happiness (releif, I should say) with a cup of coffee. The coffee was horrible, but was still refreshing for our situation. My quota of running for the day was not yet finished. Since we had parked a mile down the road, I asked wife to stay put and ran down to the car. It was about 4:00 PM by the time we left Muir Woods, but the fun wasn't over yet! We decided to visit a nearby beach - Muir Beach. But, we could just not find it!!...the GPS was of no use and the sign boards seemed to take us in circles!..After a few concentric excurions, we decided to give up and head home.
The journey back home was uneventful barring a few problems with the GPS. We reached home hungry and promptly emptied the refrigerator :)
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