US trip..continued...2

Having dinner we came back to the hotel. But no one had returned (as we had expected) So one of my friend and myself decided to go to some famous Spanish Bar in the local area. We wore the regular t-shirt and jeans with sports shoes and left. On reaching there we are taken back completely! Everyone at the bar was FORMALLY DRESSED- with blazers, cowboy hats, boots, ties etc. we felt like ALIENS on there. The people dancing on the floor were so graceful that we were ashamed to even go to the floor and try to dance! Soon we settled on a table, had a couple of pints and decided to go to another Spanish Bar in the close proximity, since the atmosphere here was very formal.

The environment here was formal as well, but this place was more LAVISH, one section was typical Spanish Dinning Area (round tables with white table cloth over it a red table cloth and a flower vase over it with candle lights) on the other side was the BAR and on the very front there was a Live Band performing various Spanish numbers in the beginning which later turned into HIP HOP. The band was indeed OUTSTANDING in their performance and did not leave the tempo even for a bit (unlike the Indian clubs). Again had a couple of pints and by that time it was the time for the club to call it off for the day. We then got into a cab and reached the hotel to find that all our friends had returned as well from Washington. We were happy to see them but then soon realised that a few things got messed up during the entire day.

**You need not have to drink alcohol to be HIGH! try loving someone and you would know what is meant by getting HIGH!**

Most misunderstandings on that day and the days before, was only when people got drunk and lost the control of their senses. Otherwise, during the days, not under the influence of alcohol, all were best of friends!

**Strange that it is said that when a person is drunk he NEVER lies, but it is also a truth that when a person is under the influence of alcohol, he does not even know what is right and what is wrong**

So that benefit of doubt has to be given in both the above cases! :P

Moving on to the next day!

(everyone accept me and 4 of my friends went on a visit to NYC)

We decided to sleep well that night and got up with leisure at about noon, almost dieing of starvation! So decided to go have lunch at the earliest. BUT! The girls as they said was early, got ready by 2pm and we then left for lunch!

After lunch we went to visit one of the most famous Retail outlets of the US (NORDSTORMS).

It was very exciting to visit the store as during our sessions at Dardan, we had also studied a case on NORDSTORMS and the quality of service they provide.

As soon as we reached the mall, we were amazed. GIGANTIC is a smaller word to describe the mall, and it also had a phase 2 which couldn't be seen from where we entered.

The attendants there were all dressed impressively. It was difficult to differentiate between the customers and the store attenders!

As the store was a reputed one which also gave beyond excellent customer service, it was rightfully priced premium. And we had to walk out empty handed. The next shop we entered was a candle shop from where we purchased beautiful aroma candles and candle stands. Then it turned into a shopping spree cufflings, t-shirts, watches, choclates, denims, fragrances the list is endless!

All tired then we decided to throw the stuff we had shopped for @ the hotel and look around the hotel for a bit and then have dinner on our way back.

----to be continued---

GO GREEN THIS DIWALI

I'll label this article under DREAMS because it is rightly so a DREAM for now, unless until all of you take it up to become a reality :-)

With the Festive of Lights round the corner there is promise of fun and laughter. But in the midst of all that, do keep in mind the fragile state of the Earth and also those less privileged than yourself.

The very mention of Diwali fills our mind with images of a night sky colourfully lit, an equally colourful variety of sweets, new clothes, and not to forget the programmes on TV

Be it making the return of Lord Rama from 14-year exile in the forest after defeating Ravana, or cheering the killing of demon Narakasura by Krishna, everybody’s favourite
‘Festive of Lights’ has grown beyond its purpose to become a time for getting together with loved ones and celebrating happiness.


Traditionally, Diwali was celebrated by lighting earthen lamps in houses signifying the triumph of good over evil by dispelling darkness with light, exchanging sweets and wishes, followed or preceded by Laxmi pooja. It also involved, and it very much does today as well, walking up before the crack of down, having an oil bath and wearing new clothes. This ritual is followed by the much awaited bursting of firecrackers.

But with all the talk about saving the environment and going the eco-friendly way, Diwali can’t be left behind. Firecrackers are obvious contributors to noise and dust pollution, emitting hazardous chemicals. So why not think of ways to celebrate a Green Diwali ? Some suggestions would be to take to tradition and light clay lamps, may those bought from NGOs, with cotton wick and oil in our homes. Instead of bursting fire crackers try meeting up with friends and cousins, even long-lost ones, exchanging sweets and inviting people over for dinner. You could also bring a smile and cheer to those less privileged by visiting orphanages or homes for the underprivileged and spending quality time with them.

So, think about this and have a fun, safe and green Diwali to you and your family.

With Love & Care
Jai Gurudev!

P.S.-

Article came 2 me as a mail on facebook from DHIR, I thot tt this msg should be spread across and hence, have put it up here.

Hope you did not mind it Dhir. JGD :)

BIRTHDAY wishes for 14th October,2009, Wednesday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AJ!!

May you get more than what you desire and good luck be with you always!

Stay in good health, LOVE YAH ! :D

TRIP TO THE US!

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, a beautiful country with even more beautiful people.

The country welcomed us at the WASHINGTON airport with a RAINBOW! I got over whelmed at that very moment!

On our way from the airport to the Hotel in a bus, the only difference i could find between INDIA and the US is that the States was just more clean. The climate, the topography etc seemed to be d same. I also became the first one to enter an argument with the faculty on the trip! And also managed to get my passports confiscated! I was RAGED and RESTLESS then, and also taken it up to show the faculty what I was made up of.

Reaching the hotel we got our room keys. Famished and tired we enter the room and see our COMPLEMENTARY dinner lying on the table (a packet of cookies, small lays, yucky PRETZELS! and a bottle of water) we now knew what a task it would be to arrange for a decent meal over here!

Tried to contact our houses that we had reached safely but all in vain as it was very late at night and all the shops had shut!

A few friends invited me and my room mates as they were going to a local club for a party, but we decided to stay back as we were rely tired and had not slept all during the flight as well.

Having our dinner we fell fast asleep!

The next day we get up at around 11am and realise that we are hungry again and we couldn't eat any more chips/cookies/sandwiches and also that we wanted to eat something that made us feel like humans! so we decided to go to a local INDIAN RESTAURANT (MILAN) where we hogged like there was no tomorrow! finally satisfying our hunger we decided not to go back to the hotel and to check out the scene, we then went to WallMart, Best Buy and a couple of more malls and reached back the hotel by around 6pm, when we heard we had our VIVAS on the next days cases to be discussed in the DARDEN UNIVERSITY. DOOMED ! we thought we are, somehow we read the cases and fared well in the vivas too.

Next day, early morning after breakfast we leave for our first session at the DARDAN UNIVERSITY. On reaching the University, the very sight of the university entrance enthralled me as to what was in store for me here! We entered our classroom which was a STATE OF THE ART classroom with all modern eminities of projectors, moving white boards, cameras etc.

The professor welcomed us to the university and we began with the first case. Few of us KICKED ASSES by performing exceedingly well in the sessions was an understatement! Then the lunch break, where we were served vegetables covered in ROTI (rumaali roti) which was not edible at all! but famished we somehow ate it.

For the entire week our schedule was more or less the same. Lectures from 8.30am to 5.30pm reach hotel by 6pm rest for a while, study for the next days classroom sessions, have dinner, go out for a bit come back and sleep.

FOR A WEEK we had to eat the same old sandwich roll for lunch which we readily skipped most of the time and stayed hungry or just over fruits and soft drinks/coffee

Finally after a week we get our certificates from the DARDAN UNIVERSITY stating that we had attended a session there and we left for WASHINGTON the very same day.

WASHINGTON being a bigger city and also the capital of the US had much more to offer.

We reached late night so the first night @ Washington we just went out for dinner, came back to the hotel and slept!

Next day we all decided to go on a tour of WASHINGTON DC and then after site seeing all day we would go to some club at night and then return to the hotel. While our visit to the WHITE HOUSE me and four of my friends some how got separated from the rest of the group and even after a lot of struggle we couldn't find them again.

So we decided that we would rather spend the day in a smaller group as the others were no where to be found. After seeing around for a few hours we decided to go back to the hotel, freshen up and then leave to visit a few malls around. It was indeed an eventful day and we enjoyed very much.

The next day everyone decided to go to NEW YORK CITY but we decided to stay back as it was about 5hours from Washington and also that we were not allowed to stay back and had to reach by the night. We got up late, went for lunch and went site seeing again, was a beautiful experience sitting @ the Washington Memorial and looking at the lake from there while listening to music on my ipod.

***this is it 4 now..will write about the rest f d trip pretty soon! ***

Posting for the first time..

01.23AM now..too tired from an exhausting day of making projects and doing Diwali Shopping.

I'll divide the Blog into a few sections:-

> Thoughts by ME

> Thoughts by Famous Personalities

> Poems/Songs written by Myself

> DREAMS that I have had while asleep!...from whatever i remember of it :P

> Opinion Polls about the latest happenings around the World and around me as well :)

>Open Discussion forums

P.S- please do e-mail me your thoughts/poems/songs/dreams/anything that you have created and would like to share with me and the readers of my BLOG, I would be more than obliged to put it up here. just a request to please write it in the subject of the mail "article for the BLOG"

and also mention if you want to share your e-mail/name along with the article...without mentioning which, the article will be posted without your details.

THANK YOU ALL :-)