I accompanied one of my friend here for her office Xmas party on Saturday (19-Dec-09), and boy did I have a good time. Right from free food and drinks to making new friends to flirting with a lot of women that were there (all married and with kids though!) and even winning money off a gambling game they were playing!
(Ordinarily, I never gamble. But tonight - my friend paid for my entry into the game - "So I figured why not? Let's play!")
On the whole, I needed that party. It's been like at least 2 months since I went out for anything like that, and I realized I've missed that life.
So, one of my New year resolutions for 2010 is to go out and party more often!
And no, when I say party - I don't mean go out and get sloshed/drunk/wasted. I mean go out, meet new people, have a fun conversation, flirt a little (Ok! make that a lot!) drink responsibly, and at the end of the day - come back home smiling wider and feeling happier than when you left!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Travel Travel Travel
It's been about 6 months since I migrated to the USA, and here is a list of the places I've been to:
.1. Altamont, NY (approx 25 miles away)
.2. Saratoga, NY (approx 30 miles away)
.3. Edison, NJ (approx 175 miles away)
.4. Syracuse, NY (approx 180 miles away)
.5. Indian Lake, NY (approx 100 miles away)
.6. New York City, NY (approx 200 miles away)
.7. New Brunswick, NJ (approx 190 miles away)
Trip 1 - I tagged along with my then room-mate.
Trip 2 - I tagged along with the sweetest couple I've ever met in my life Sapna and Mrigen.
(God bless you two critters!)
Trip 3 - I tagged along with my ex-boss at work for an office party. I met my organizations Senior VP and Chairman. I only have one word to describe those two gentlemen - "WOW!"
Trip 4 - I went over to meet my college buddy who's pursuing his MS. It was an nice trip. It was my first actual looooooooooong distance road-trip. A few realizations I had post that trip :: US has lovely roads, A 99 model Toyota Corolla gets extremely unstable at 105 mph, The US country is extremely beautiful and clean.
Trip 5 - I went along with my college junior for Rafting. It's a trip I wont forget in a hurry as my muffler bracket rusted and broke off on me stark in the middle of nowhere, and me and my buddy had to run around from person-to-person and store-to-store begging for metal wire and metal clothes hangers to tie the goddamn thing up so that we could get our arses out of there!
(Thanks a zillion to the old couple who lent us the metal wire we needed, and also a big thanks to Brian - my current roomie - for helping us out by telling us exactly what we need to do!)
Trip 6 - This was one of the most amazing trips I've ever taken in my life. It was totally unplanned (yes - I know someone out there is pointing their fingers at me and saying "yeah bitch! you have the lousiest planning skills ever!") but even then, it turned out great! Met some funtastic guys, ate some really tasty indian food, got a taste of how frigging busy and crazy NYC is (I'm never going to work there ... not for a million dollars ... wait - for a million dollars - I just might consider. But for anything less than that - my answer is a big emphatic no!) I really look forward to doing one more trip down to NYC one of these days!
Trip 7 - I went down to help a very good friend of mine hunt for their house, and basically settle down. Why - well - lets just say my friend is super lousy on the skills needed to do something like that, and without me they'd be lost! And oh yeah - I also met up with one of my buddies from school who I haven't seen in 10 years. And yes - two words for how she looks now - "Smoking Hot!"
So, yes, if you wanna look at it that way, you might say that I've been travelling quite a bit off late. But, in my defense, let's just call it the 'Tourist Effect' that every Indian dude who lands in the USA experiences - especially in his first couple of months of his stay in the states.
But, yes, this probably isn't the end of my traveling frenzy. There are a couple of other places that, off the top of my head, that I want to check out as well. I'll list the top 5 here:
.1. Las Vegas, NV
.2. Atlantic City, NJ
.3. Niagra Falls, Canada
.4. Dallas, TX
.5. Chicago, IL
.6. Saint Louis, MO
My Justification:
Spots 1, 2 and 3 - Popular Tourist Attractions
Spots 4, 5 and 6 - I have friends there that I wanna go visit
Well ... We'll see how things go on my traveling front. In case I go anywhere here, or anywhere else for that matter, I'll make sure you folks find out for sure!
.1. Altamont, NY (approx 25 miles away)
.2. Saratoga, NY (approx 30 miles away)
.3. Edison, NJ (approx 175 miles away)
.4. Syracuse, NY (approx 180 miles away)
.5. Indian Lake, NY (approx 100 miles away)
.6. New York City, NY (approx 200 miles away)
.7. New Brunswick, NJ (approx 190 miles away)
Trip 1 - I tagged along with my then room-mate.
Trip 2 - I tagged along with the sweetest couple I've ever met in my life Sapna and Mrigen.
(God bless you two critters!)
Trip 3 - I tagged along with my ex-boss at work for an office party. I met my organizations Senior VP and Chairman. I only have one word to describe those two gentlemen - "WOW!"
Trip 4 - I went over to meet my college buddy who's pursuing his MS. It was an nice trip. It was my first actual looooooooooong distance road-trip. A few realizations I had post that trip :: US has lovely roads, A 99 model Toyota Corolla gets extremely unstable at 105 mph, The US country is extremely beautiful and clean.
Trip 5 - I went along with my college junior for Rafting. It's a trip I wont forget in a hurry as my muffler bracket rusted and broke off on me stark in the middle of nowhere, and me and my buddy had to run around from person-to-person and store-to-store begging for metal wire and metal clothes hangers to tie the goddamn thing up so that we could get our arses out of there!
(Thanks a zillion to the old couple who lent us the metal wire we needed, and also a big thanks to Brian - my current roomie - for helping us out by telling us exactly what we need to do!)
Trip 6 - This was one of the most amazing trips I've ever taken in my life. It was totally unplanned (yes - I know someone out there is pointing their fingers at me and saying "yeah bitch! you have the lousiest planning skills ever!") but even then, it turned out great! Met some funtastic guys, ate some really tasty indian food, got a taste of how frigging busy and crazy NYC is (I'm never going to work there ... not for a million dollars ... wait - for a million dollars - I just might consider. But for anything less than that - my answer is a big emphatic no!) I really look forward to doing one more trip down to NYC one of these days!
Trip 7 - I went down to help a very good friend of mine hunt for their house, and basically settle down. Why - well - lets just say my friend is super lousy on the skills needed to do something like that, and without me they'd be lost! And oh yeah - I also met up with one of my buddies from school who I haven't seen in 10 years. And yes - two words for how she looks now - "Smoking Hot!"
So, yes, if you wanna look at it that way, you might say that I've been travelling quite a bit off late. But, in my defense, let's just call it the 'Tourist Effect' that every Indian dude who lands in the USA experiences - especially in his first couple of months of his stay in the states.
But, yes, this probably isn't the end of my traveling frenzy. There are a couple of other places that, off the top of my head, that I want to check out as well. I'll list the top 5 here:
.1. Las Vegas, NV
.2. Atlantic City, NJ
.3. Niagra Falls, Canada
.4. Dallas, TX
.5. Chicago, IL
.6. Saint Louis, MO
My Justification:
Spots 1, 2 and 3 - Popular Tourist Attractions
Spots 4, 5 and 6 - I have friends there that I wanna go visit
Well ... We'll see how things go on my traveling front. In case I go anywhere here, or anywhere else for that matter, I'll make sure you folks find out for sure!
Men Are From Mars And Women Are From Venus
This is a forward I received a couple of weeks back. I found it very demonstrative of how men are different from women. So, here it is. Enjoy Maddi !!!
Dear Pete,
I hope you can help me. The other day, I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching TV.
My car started stalling and then it broke down about a mile down the road and I had to walk back to get my husband's help. When I got home, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbour's daughter!
I am 32, my husband is 34, and the neighbour's daughter is 19. We have been married for ten years. When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been having an affair for the past six months.
He won't go to counselling and I'm afraid I am a wreck and need advice urgently. Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Sheila
Dear Sheila:
A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine.
Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the injectors.
I hope this helps,
Pete.
Dear Pete,
I hope you can help me. The other day, I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching TV.
My car started stalling and then it broke down about a mile down the road and I had to walk back to get my husband's help. When I got home, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbour's daughter!
I am 32, my husband is 34, and the neighbour's daughter is 19. We have been married for ten years. When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been having an affair for the past six months.
He won't go to counselling and I'm afraid I am a wreck and need advice urgently. Can you please help?
Sincerely,
Sheila
Dear Sheila:
A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine.
Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the injectors.
I hope this helps,
Pete.
The American Taxation System - There's No Fighting It
Back in India, even if you are in a 12 lak per annum pay package - you can still manage to pay something under 40,000 INR as tax.
Here in the USA - there is no way your getting off that easy. The taxation system is so damn unfair.
The last 2 pay cycles - I've been taxed at 35% flat. I mean - I look at my payslip and the only thing I want to do is cry !
Right at the top you see some number under the head Nett Income
(trust me when I say - its not even "market" standards. But, in this economy - I'm lucky to have a job even!)
Immediately below that under the head federal taxes - they take out a sizeable chunk.
Immediately below that - the head State tax takes out a smaller but still a sizeable chunk.
Immediately below that - Social Security takes out an equally large bite.
Immediately below that - Medical Care takes another sizeable chunk.
Immediately below that - City Tax takes a small but noticeable bite of the meal.
End of the day - I end up with nearly half of my salary taken away under the name of some tax or the other.
I think I'm going to go drink my depression away ... What else can I do !!!
Booooooooooo hooooooooooo ... I want my Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy !!!
Here in the USA - there is no way your getting off that easy. The taxation system is so damn unfair.
The last 2 pay cycles - I've been taxed at 35% flat. I mean - I look at my payslip and the only thing I want to do is cry !
Right at the top you see some number under the head Nett Income
(trust me when I say - its not even "market" standards. But, in this economy - I'm lucky to have a job even!)
Immediately below that under the head federal taxes - they take out a sizeable chunk.
Immediately below that - the head State tax takes out a smaller but still a sizeable chunk.
Immediately below that - Social Security takes out an equally large bite.
Immediately below that - Medical Care takes another sizeable chunk.
Immediately below that - City Tax takes a small but noticeable bite of the meal.
End of the day - I end up with nearly half of my salary taken away under the name of some tax or the other.
I think I'm going to go drink my depression away ... What else can I do !!!
Booooooooooo hooooooooooo ... I want my Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy !!!
Medical Expenses In The USA Is More Expensive Than A Divorce
I thought medical insurance in the USA was crazily overpriced. Well guess what - medicines are even more overpriced!
The last couple of days, I've been having these flu like symptoms and thanks to that - I had to hit this popular pharmacy store - CVS Pharmacy. This is what I found:
A bottle of Vicks Vaporub which would cost 55 INR (Approx 1.15 USD) costs 7.49 USD here.
A bottle of Cough Syrup which costs 60 INR (Approx 1.2 USD) costs 5.65 USD here.
An nebulization pill costs 10 INR (approx 10 cents) costs 3.75 USD here.
At the end of the day - I am around 18 USD poorer and I am no where near to feeling better.
From the looks of it - I am going to be paying many more such 18 USD visits to the CVS store in the upcoming weeks.
The last couple of days, I've been having these flu like symptoms and thanks to that - I had to hit this popular pharmacy store - CVS Pharmacy. This is what I found:
A bottle of Vicks Vaporub which would cost 55 INR (Approx 1.15 USD) costs 7.49 USD here.
A bottle of Cough Syrup which costs 60 INR (Approx 1.2 USD) costs 5.65 USD here.
An nebulization pill costs 10 INR (approx 10 cents) costs 3.75 USD here.
At the end of the day - I am around 18 USD poorer and I am no where near to feeling better.
From the looks of it - I am going to be paying many more such 18 USD visits to the CVS store in the upcoming weeks.
Difference Between The USA and India
It's been about 6 month since I left India. And the funny part is - I only realized it when my mom mentioned it when I called her up for something the other day.
Time does fly doesn't it - Especially when you're trying to adjust to a completely new city and culture 8000 miles far away from the place you called home for the last 25 years.
But, justice be done - I wouldn't say things are a lot different out here. Neither would I say - I've had to change my habits a lot to adapt to the new place!
But, yes - there are many a differences in the culture, the people, their habbits, etc. For example:
.1. People here are very self indulgent and fiercly independent. Initially, it might come off as them being selfish and spoilt, but in reality it isn't so. It's just the way everyone is in this part of the globe.
.2. Toilet paper !!! This is one thing that is a major culture shock to me. The initial couple of weeks - I ended up rubbing my arse so damn hard that every single time I ended up bleeding down there. Heck - It was so bad - I began to feel like a woman having periods. Now - thanks to many hours of Googling for the "right technique" and some "expert inputs" from my friend Ashish Soni - things are much better.
.3. Dressing !!! Let's just say - the babes here dress to kill. At least that's what any Indian guy would say! As for the guys - they're just poorly dressed and have really bad grooming and hygiene standards ... Period!!!
.4. People are a lot more friendly and honest and open to helping each other as compared to those back in India. To the extent that people you just met are ready to show you around town, take you along with their friends and families to parties, etc - and that too without expecting anything in return!
.5. Having a car is a mandatory thing in this part of the globe. Without a car - you have no life. Without a car - you're handicapped. Without a car - you're never getting a date. But, the good part is, car's are pretty cheap. Especially in this economy where people are loosing jobs and motor companies are going bankrupt by the hour. If buying a new car is going to be a strain on your wallet - the used car market is also equally attractive. With cars ranging from Ford Escorts all the way to Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche's available at mouth watering deals.
.6. Marriages don't last that long. But - whenever they end - the guy, inevitably, goes broke! And the girl - well - she just takes everything the guy owned!
.7. You don't need to be married to have kids. But, if you have kids - then you better get ready to pay child support. And trust me when I saw - it's not very cheap!
.8. Casual flings and no-strings-attached affairs are as common here as women gossiping in India. No one notices and even if they do they don't give a damn either!
I must also confess that there are "some" changes that "had" to be made to accommodate the new locale. For example:
.1. I used to sleep all the way till 10 am in the morning back in India. Here - we work from 8 am to 5 pm. And thanks to that - I am left with no other option but to wake up at 6 so that I can get to work on time.
.2. For the last 1 year odd - I never had to cook breakfast (and for that matter - neither did I cook lunch or dinner that much) was always at some hotel/restaurant en route to work. Now - I ended up making breakfast, lunch and dinner - simply because of the fact that it is too frigging expensive and exotic to order out everyday.
The only affordable (read as cheap) cuisine here is Chinese - and that can get boring after a couple of weeks!
.3. I have to rely on people for transportation. And this, trust me when I say this, is really really really distressing. Especially because, for the last 4.5 years that I've been working - I always had a transportation of my own - the love of my life - my bike. (Or should I call it my eX-Bike?)
.4. The last 5 years of my career, I've either been working in the offshore divisions of service companies or working in a product company. This afforded me the luxury of having a much more "relaxed" work environment. When I say relaxed - I don't mean I had any less work. But, I had a lot more flexibility when it came to what I could do at work - like - say taking extended coffee breaks, flexible work hours, chit chatting with friends during office hours, playing pranks on colleagues, etc. Having to work at onsite - is a completely different ball game in itself. Since you are sitting in front of the client - all these things are pretty much ruled out!
Anyways ... On the whole, it's a pretty okay move. At least - so far so good !!!
Only time will tell whether my opinion is going to change for the better or for the worse ...
Till then - I'm going to go with the flow and keep my fingers crossed while I am at it!
:)
Time does fly doesn't it - Especially when you're trying to adjust to a completely new city and culture 8000 miles far away from the place you called home for the last 25 years.
But, justice be done - I wouldn't say things are a lot different out here. Neither would I say - I've had to change my habits a lot to adapt to the new place!
But, yes - there are many a differences in the culture, the people, their habbits, etc. For example:
.1. People here are very self indulgent and fiercly independent. Initially, it might come off as them being selfish and spoilt, but in reality it isn't so. It's just the way everyone is in this part of the globe.
.2. Toilet paper !!! This is one thing that is a major culture shock to me. The initial couple of weeks - I ended up rubbing my arse so damn hard that every single time I ended up bleeding down there. Heck - It was so bad - I began to feel like a woman having periods. Now - thanks to many hours of Googling for the "right technique" and some "expert inputs" from my friend Ashish Soni - things are much better.
.3. Dressing !!! Let's just say - the babes here dress to kill. At least that's what any Indian guy would say! As for the guys - they're just poorly dressed and have really bad grooming and hygiene standards ... Period!!!
.4. People are a lot more friendly and honest and open to helping each other as compared to those back in India. To the extent that people you just met are ready to show you around town, take you along with their friends and families to parties, etc - and that too without expecting anything in return!
.5. Having a car is a mandatory thing in this part of the globe. Without a car - you have no life. Without a car - you're handicapped. Without a car - you're never getting a date. But, the good part is, car's are pretty cheap. Especially in this economy where people are loosing jobs and motor companies are going bankrupt by the hour. If buying a new car is going to be a strain on your wallet - the used car market is also equally attractive. With cars ranging from Ford Escorts all the way to Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche's available at mouth watering deals.
.6. Marriages don't last that long. But - whenever they end - the guy, inevitably, goes broke! And the girl - well - she just takes everything the guy owned!
.7. You don't need to be married to have kids. But, if you have kids - then you better get ready to pay child support. And trust me when I saw - it's not very cheap!
.8. Casual flings and no-strings-attached affairs are as common here as women gossiping in India. No one notices and even if they do they don't give a damn either!
I must also confess that there are "some" changes that "had" to be made to accommodate the new locale. For example:
.1. I used to sleep all the way till 10 am in the morning back in India. Here - we work from 8 am to 5 pm. And thanks to that - I am left with no other option but to wake up at 6 so that I can get to work on time.
.2. For the last 1 year odd - I never had to cook breakfast (and for that matter - neither did I cook lunch or dinner that much) was always at some hotel/restaurant en route to work. Now - I ended up making breakfast, lunch and dinner - simply because of the fact that it is too frigging expensive and exotic to order out everyday.
The only affordable (read as cheap) cuisine here is Chinese - and that can get boring after a couple of weeks!
.3. I have to rely on people for transportation. And this, trust me when I say this, is really really really distressing. Especially because, for the last 4.5 years that I've been working - I always had a transportation of my own - the love of my life - my bike. (Or should I call it my eX-Bike?)
.4. The last 5 years of my career, I've either been working in the offshore divisions of service companies or working in a product company. This afforded me the luxury of having a much more "relaxed" work environment. When I say relaxed - I don't mean I had any less work. But, I had a lot more flexibility when it came to what I could do at work - like - say taking extended coffee breaks, flexible work hours, chit chatting with friends during office hours, playing pranks on colleagues, etc. Having to work at onsite - is a completely different ball game in itself. Since you are sitting in front of the client - all these things are pretty much ruled out!
Anyways ... On the whole, it's a pretty okay move. At least - so far so good !!!
Only time will tell whether my opinion is going to change for the better or for the worse ...
Till then - I'm going to go with the flow and keep my fingers crossed while I am at it!
:)
I'm Back After An Extremely Long Hiatus
I know I've been gone for a while now. Although this might seem as a set of excuses, I had a couple of reason for my self imposed hiatus.
.1. A blog article I wrote many months ago had sparked a feud between me and some of my buddies. And although, I thought this was a minor issue, unfortunately, it doesnt seem to be the case. The people on the other end seem to have taken it very personally, to the extent that they don't talk to me and have sort of distanced themselves from me.
.2. I've been extremely busy trying to acclimatize myself to the new country and my new environment and new job profile.
.3. I've had some stuff (good, bad and ugly) happening on my personal life front which has been keeping me busy during my evenings, and thanks to that - blogging had to take a back seat.
Well ... All that said, I'm back in action now. And this time, I hope I'll be around for good!
So, all you friends and foes out there - Watch out ... Cause Daddy's Back In The Game !!!
.1. A blog article I wrote many months ago had sparked a feud between me and some of my buddies. And although, I thought this was a minor issue, unfortunately, it doesnt seem to be the case. The people on the other end seem to have taken it very personally, to the extent that they don't talk to me and have sort of distanced themselves from me.
.2. I've been extremely busy trying to acclimatize myself to the new country and my new environment and new job profile.
.3. I've had some stuff (good, bad and ugly) happening on my personal life front which has been keeping me busy during my evenings, and thanks to that - blogging had to take a back seat.
Well ... All that said, I'm back in action now. And this time, I hope I'll be around for good!
So, all you friends and foes out there - Watch out ... Cause Daddy's Back In The Game !!!
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