Meeting Old Friends And New York City.

Our batch of first year BDS at the Govt Dental College, Bangalore,in 1974, consisted of about twenty students. It was a mixed group of students from Karnataka, Andhra, Haryana, Punjab, J&K, Sri Lanka, Malaysia so on and so forth. Our classes started at eight in the morning and by the time we were done with our clinical and laboratory work, it was usually six or seven in the evening. Even those who did not have work of their own stayed back in the college helping friends or playing table tennis or badminton. As a result we spent most of our waking hours together and we turned out to be a very cohesive group.

Most of our teachers were helpful and kind but we had our share of nasty teachers with high egos and cheap minds who used students as weapons while settling scores thereby making our life miserable. Handling the situation required collective planning and action and it brought us even closer. Barring such incidents our student life in Dental College was an enjoyable one and we had a good time. At the time of our exams, many of my batch mates made the boy’s common room their home and virtually stayed in the college sharing their food, notes and knowledge. And all they had to do to get away from the stress of excessive study was to jump over the college compound into the premises of the ‘Apsara’ theater next door, for a late night movie show!

Yes. We were a jolly group. Too very jolly sometimes for people around us to bear. For example, our co passengers, when we took a bus or  train for our picnics. We enjoyed the picnics a lot and in the process, sometimes missed the last bus and/or the deadlines given by the girl student’s families. Once, we had to hitch a ride on the back of a tractor carrying sand but we made ourselves comfortable in the sand and sang all the way back to the city. On another occasion we had to include our professor in plotting a picnic and make him assure the unconvinced father of one of the girls that we had really been called on a holiday for extra work!

We also converted many of our trips to small towns around Bangalore, part of our social dentistry curriculum, into picnics.  I particularly remember one such overnight trip where we spent most of the moonlit night on a hillock near the traveller’s bungalow, our designated accommodation, singing and listening to old songs on a tape recorder. One of our classmate’s family owned the tape recorder and all of us contributed towards the cost of batteries! Similarly, by sharing the cost of films and processing we could record the good times and I am grateful to my friends who have still retained those B&W photographs with them.

I fail to think of an explanation as to how such a group of friends lost contact with each other soon after completing our graduation. But for a few who lived in Bangalore I had no idea about the whereabouts of my other batch mates. We had unsubstantiated information about some working in gulf countries, some having migrated to UK and US and so on but no concrete information. Thanks to whatsapp and the sincere efforts of some very good souls, we have regained contacts and I am very happy to say that the old bond has remained strong even after forty years. Unfortunately we still have about half a dozen to be traced.

Recently I came to know that two of my classmates are in New Jersey and decided to make a trip to NJ to meet them during my present visit to the US. And that is how I ended up in New York City. I met them after a gap of thirty eight years  and it was a picnic. Though we rode on top of a hop on hop off bus and not on the back of a tractor carrying sand, the fun and feelings were the same!

The story explaining my presence in NYC turned out to be longer than anticipated. Now, I shall allow the pictures to take over.

My Classmate and gracious host in NJ  Hema with her husband  Bharat. 

They went to great lengths to make my visit to NYC a memorable one. Three old classmates on a picnic in New York. Not in our twenties anymore but it almost felt the same. And I did not even had to contribute towards food and fare! Uma, self and Hema. 

New York is not complete with out the empire state building, which remained the tallest for more than half s century.

While walking in NY watch out for the (in)famous yellow taxis. Traffic rules do not apply to them. Seen here parked right on the zebra crossing. 

It is people like him who make the NY sight seeing very interesting. Rob Greenfield, adventurer, and environmentalist in the course of one of his projects on sustainable life. Here he is trying to create awareness regarding  the quantity of trash generated by an average american, by wearing all the trash he generated on his body. It is a 30 day project and it was the 16th day when we visited NYC. 

New York provides a stage to all kinds. A group at Union Square, protesting against the practice of circumcision! Look out for white dressed people holding placards, with red paint on their crotches.

The grand City Hall.

On top of the hop on - hop off bus, after walking most of the bus route. The lady next to me is my wife Latha and the girl next to Uma is my niece Sushma, my guide to New York.

All street junctions are places to whileaway your time. . Take your choice between the street dancer, musician or the acrobatist. sit and relax if you could keep away the peddlers of tour and theater tickets. 

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A Wrong turn and a Beautiful ake

Yseterday I made the mistake of accompanying the ladies to Tanger mall, a large open air mall which houses retail outlets of all major brands of apparel, bags, footwear and such other  items.  Yet another pillar of American consumerism. Actually I had second thoughts about joining them but since there was nothing else to do and since the mall was about fifty kilometers from where I stay, I thought I may find some new avenues to explore while the ladies shop. Also, when I checked the map, I found a small airport almost next to the mall. I can spend hours looking at aircrafts taking off and touching down and I thought that it should be fine. I left the ladies at the mall and started walking along the road towards the airport. It was about a mile from the mall. Half way through I looked up at the sky and found dark clouds forming at the horizon. It was already cold and if it started raining I would be having a tough time. There was no shelter of any kind anywhere around. I quietly returned to the mall and spent a miserable three hours while the ladies had a great time! Since it was cold, I sat in the parked car, and they enjoyed the services of a hand to pick them up/ and drop them off from/to one outlet to another.

The Tanger Mall. Shop till you drop

When my wife buys something, it is almost always followed by an exchange. They decided to make another trip to the mall today and I very wisely excused myself. Though it was cold, there was bright sunlight and the outdoors was inviting. The map showed a township called Northville not very far from where I stay and there was a district library on the central street. I decided to cycle there. I rode happily along and turned into the road leading to Northville. After fifteen minutes I realised that I had taken a turn too early and started back. Half way through I found a side road and had a glimpse of water at the end. I turned into the road and found myself facing  a beautiful lake. As I have mentioned earlier I love the sight of rivers and lakes and spent an enjoyable half an hour in the vicinity. A gentleman was fishing at a distance, few ducks were floating without causing the slightest ripple in water and an occasional otter broke the surface to take a breath and dived in the next second. It was wonderful. Few pictures here.

View of the house tops next to the lake - from a hillock by the side

The sidewalk, a pleasure to ride up on

 ie

A tree on the way, exhibiting the fall colours 

Making A Fool Of Myself And Some Pictures

The weather forecast said that it would be cloudy and that it may rain. The weather man was right.  He is, most of the times. It is chilly and gloomy since morning with a mild drizzle every now and then. This is expected to continue for the next five days. So nothing much to do other than fighting with the dog. It is said to be a Siberian breed and it loves sleeping next to the open door enjoying the cold wind. For us, the tropical animals, the chill is very difficult to bear and the wind just cuts us into pieces. It is a task to push the dog aside and close the door.  Once the door is closed the dog is irritable. It whines, barks, tugs at your clothes and in general does not allow you to be in peace. War of nerves is on.

Did not do anything much during the last week, other than making a fool of myself during a dinner invitation. I am used to making a fool of myself now and then but manage to cover it up well. This time I was caught. The graceful hosts had prepared stuffed pancakes and some very tasty pre dinner snacks.  I was hungry when we arrived at their door and helped myself well with the snacks. We sat for dinner, I finished a pancake and was carried over by the taste. I asked for a second helping. “Are you sure you want a second one?” my wife whispered in my ears. “You need not monitor my eating.I am not a child” I shot back.

The second pancake was served.  The stuffing consisted of onions, almond flakes and cashew nuts. And the pancakes were served with a side dish made of potatoes. I thought I was enjoying the second one but even before I finished about one third of it, I strangely felt full. I took a closer look and found that our host had made a bigger one this time and had  been generous with the stuffing too! I managed to eat a few more morsels and before I knew it, I was stuffed. I still had half a pancake on my plate.  

I looked around for the trash bag hoping to empty the contents of my plate in stealth. There was no trash bag in sight. In a low tone I explained my predicament to my wife and begged for help. She did give a stern look and did not forego the opportunity to say “I told you so”  but was kind enough to accept half of what was on my plate on the condition that I finish the remaining.

Much against the advice of my stomach I put yet another morsel in my mouth and swallowed it with the help of a sip of water. One fourth of the pancake was still on my plate with almonds and cashews pouring tantalisingly out of it. But it was impossible for me even to touch it. I was not stuffed anymore, I was suffocated. In distress actually. There was nothing I could do. I pushed my plate aside, took another  sip of water and  some deep breaths.  I Got up, apologised to our hosts for leaving the food on the plate and ran outside - to freedom from pancakes!

I had to hear a lot about it after coming home but it was nothing compared to the embarrassment I experienced during dinner.

Other than that there was nothing interesting during the past week. Visited some picturesque spots close by and a colourful farmer’s market. I will allow the pictures to talk about them.

The Maybury park close to our house. The picnic spot along the cycle track. 

The walking track

A view of the walled lake, walled lake city

A cafe on the shore of the park. You may park your car here but please remember to order at the window!

Flowers for sale at the eastern market, Detroit

colourful bell peppers - same market

A walnut Brownie and a Dates and nut bar. Both yummy.  3.5$ and 2.5$ respectively. 5$ both. 

Detroit river front, Detroit

View from the river side

The Detroit river with crystal clear water. the opposite shore is the city of Windsor, Canada. Can't help shed a tear for our own Mandovi at Panaji

A poster that may interest my fish loving friends. 

Kensington Park and Aimless Roaming

We visited a place called Kensington park last evening. We had planned to be there by six but it was nearing seven in the evening when we reached there. Only after arriving at the entrance I realised that it was a very large park with walking and cycling trails, camping sites, boating facilities etc etc. But by then it was already getting dark. We walked along the shore of the lake for a while, ate the packed dinner and returned home. The website says that the park area is about 4500 acres and the lake makes up about 1500 acres. What we saw was about 1/100th of the park. Since the purpose of the visit seemed to be eating the packed dinner, I should say that we did not miss much! Here are some pictures

Serving the 'purpose' 

In the last one week I have zipped around quite a bit of Novi city by car. Most of the roads are good and there is no traffic congestion - at least not at the time that I went around. Somebody  drives the car and I simply have to sit back and enjoy the ride. But the trouble is, if I spot something at which I want to take a second look, the place is half a mile behind by the time I turn to look at it again. All I get to see at leisure are the parking lots and superstores. So, I decided to go around the place on a bicycle this morning and covered about ten kilometers riding at my own pace. I went into other subdivisions to look at the houses, stopped by the road side to read the sign boards, took time to take pictures of whatever I felt like, liked pushing the buttons to bring the traffic to a halt before crossing the roads, rested in the cool shade of peaceful cemeteries, and returned after two hours. Pictures of today’s ride are here.

Almost all the roads in the subdivisions are usually empty. No need to fight with other road users for space.

Observing the 'Development' that is going on in our cities, I  have come to hate the very word. It was heartening to see the space reserved for "undevelopment". How I wish we earmark some such places back home! 

To the right is the parkland meant to remain 'undeveloped'

A giant mushroom on the roadside

Self explanaory

The creek under protection

'Selfie', my style!

Resting awhile, with the eternally resting!

A Week Here and Clarkston.

It's Wednesday today. A week since we arrived here. Just like it was on my first visit, I am blown over by the civic sense, discipline and orderliness that I witness every where. The next thing that catches my imagination is the seemingly endless sidewalks running next to equally endless stretches of green lawns. I spend hours just walking and cycling on the sidewalks. The abscence of boundary walls make the already large spaces appear larger. The vegetation may appear to be too geometric to some eyes but I love the sight.

A crane in the protected Rouge river flowing  near our residence

While being enamoured by the sidewalks I am vary of the sprinklers hidden in the grass at regular intervals. They have preset timings and the one next to you may suddenly jump into life, sprinkling you with a generous spray of cold water on a chilly morning!

Did not do anything much other than trying to know the surroundings and since I took the trouble of procuring an international driving licence this time, I am attempting to drive a car. I have started to drive carefully, within the subdivision. I try my best to strictly follow the road signs and lane markings. I have seen (with disbelief!) motorists coming to  a full stop in front of a ‘stop’ sign board even when they have an entire stretch of a mile for themselves and am forcing my brain, which is trained to ignore all road signs, to follow the example. Similarly it is a task to keep to the right side of the road when a part of my brain keeps screaming “You are on the wrong side”!

 The Sunday evening we visited the city of Clarkston, a small city near Novi, Michigan, where I have put up. It is a charming small city next to a picture post card type lake. The houses along the tree lined streets look like a painting!  People were out strolling leisurely on the main street with their dogs on the leash. Some sat next to the large windows inside cosy restaurants enjoying a snack or a drink while children cycled on the side walks. Some stood in groups in front of the shops chatting and some were out in their boats on the lake. The place seemed calm, comfortable and contented. As I walked around the place eagerly filling my eyes and heart with the beauty of the place, I could fully experience the emotion of Kannada poet Pampa when he said “ಮರಿದುಂಬಿಯಾಗಿ  ಮೇಣ್ ಕೋಗಿಲೆಯಾಗಿ ಪುಟ್ಟುವುದು ನಂದನದೊಳ್ ಬನವಾಸಿದೇಶದೊಳ್ “.     While extolling the beauty of the land of Banavaasi and the virtues of it’s people, Pampa says “one should be born, if not as a human, at least as a bee or a bird in this land!”

It may be the case of grass being greener on the other side, I don’t know. I have written what I felt at that moment and here are some pictures of the city.

Beautiful houses with a lake in their backyard.

A cafetaria on the main street

The evening sun forms a pattern on the lawn

Houses on the main street - what a pretty entrance!

A cafe in the street corner

The lake - part of the backyard of most of the houses

A clear water stream runs through the city, adding to the charm.

A side road leads to the lake.

My Second Visit To The US

I did not expect the fellow manning the Lufthansa check- in counter at Bengaluru airport to be so mean. We were travelling to Detroit via Frankfurt and he offered a free upgrade to business class for both of us for the cost of one. I declined his offer, told him that we were fine with our cattle class but requested him to put both of us together, with one aisle seat if possible. He said that all the aisle seats were full. “That’s why I offered you the upgrade sir,” he added grudgingly and handed our boarding passes. We had got the middle two of the four seats which form the middle row of the Boeing 747. The flight was full and I can understand the situation. Stingy people who do not want to pay extra for the seats of their choice should accept whatever they get.

Anyway, as it happened, the passenger occupying the seat next to us on the Bengaluru - Frankfurt flight was a German working in Bengaluru and since he spent most of the journey chatting with the steward at the back of the aircraft, we could travel in reasonable comfort in spite of the inconvenient seat allotment.

This was my second international travel and this time also I started to feel the jet lag even before the flight took off! You need to report at the airport at twelve midnight and the deprivation of sleep along with the unusual activity in the night makes me hungry much before we board the aircraft. Fortunately some snack is served soon after the take off and I greedily devour whatever is offered at that ungodly hour thereby beginning the messing up of my biological clock. What was served during my present flight was some heavily spiced vegetable mix rolled in a very tough 'Chapaati' along with a slice of cake, but a somewhat decent and edible package was served later in the flight.

I had experienced my first international flight about six years back and had forgotten most of the experience except for the fact that my elbows were in the butter and jam of the breakfast tray of my co passengers when I was eating. After that I had only travelled on the domestic flights where butters and jams do not exist and I had trained myself not to ask for anything other than water. A few hours into the flight I realised that it was not the case here and that I could move around the cabin and get any refreshments as and when required. The food provided was not bad. In fact the fruits, were actually sweet! Moreover there was this ‘Belavita’ cereal and fruit bar which was very good, and there was an unlimited supply. So, the rest of the journey was quite comfortable.

The flight from Frankfurt to Detroit was little more than half full and there were rows of seats vacant. While my wife made herself comfortable by flipping the hand rests of a row of three seats up and converting it into a cosy bed, I could get the free use of a row of two seats and had a comfortable time reading and listening to music. In spite of half the aircraft being empty the fellow at Bengaluru check in counter had allotted us seats 19K and 42H. I think I am justified in calling him mean. We arrived at Detroit right on time and in spite of  about half a ton of food and gifts which we were carrying, the officials waved us through and we were home in no time.