Tag: California

Revisiting – The New York Times !!

The United States Of America!

A country, like no other.

If you haven’t been to the USA, You haven’t seen the World.

These were all the words that kept ringing when we thought about applying for our Visas in 2014.

walking into the Visa office, Was like walking into a well-guarded centre, where they thoroughly checked our documents and questioned us like, they had the complete power in their hands in deciding our future ahead.

But, In a way, they had complete authority though in approving and authorising us to travel to the United States.

Getting our Hands-on The USA Visa – Was like a Milestone in Life. (Yeah, We have achieved something in life!)

It’s just that so many Visa get disapproved and it isn’t easy getting a Visa To The USA.

But, I guess what worked for us was our Past Travels.

Airport.

Still Dreading how will we survive this long journey of Twenty odd hours including a layover in Europe.

We have just Seated ourselves on the flight, after all the security checks and Walking around the Airport.

We still don’t know, how to go about this flight journey, eight hours and we will be in Europe and another ten to twelve hours until we make it to The States.

Should we Sleep, Should We Watch Movies?

Anyways! We Decide to Sleep. In order not to get jetlag we must Dose Off on this Journey.

After what looked, like I slept for Days, We reach Zurich Airport.

The Zurich Airport, Is beautiful, The Weather is good and we have a few hours to kill, And we stroll around watching Swiss Airways Flights land, Take off around the Runway, Sipping hot chocolate and having a light meal around.

All was going Well Until our next leg of the journey had entertainment issues.

Yeah! You read that right! Entertainment Issue!

Due to a shift in passengers carrying their Devices like the iPad, Macbooks and iPhones Airlines were now going away with the Entertainment, Infotainment options for Economy Passengers.

United Airlines- Was already Dividing me With America… Leaving me in no State but to sleep again on my Journey, I tried hard to have enough cups of coffee to keep me awake! But for what, I am practically

20000 feet or more above ground. With No Wifi, No Movies, No Television, Sitting on a seat trapped for the next couple of hours…

Just staring at the views outside, I soon fall into a deep sleep.

Now we Are In the USA!!!!

If the Visa Centre was sweating us out!

The immigration Counter was like a serious offence committed.

Since We must have got a USA Visa! But, We Still haven’t entered the USA. So We carefully listen and answer all questions honestly to extent of Letting them know we have carried Pickles & Puffcorn with us in our bags. (Since They have experiences and are well educated, informed about Indian travellers and their needs) 

Golden Gate By Vikram seth & Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami Book review.

The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth. 

The Novel  follows the lives of five characters who are  in their mid-twenties and set 

In  California describing the  Silicon Valley life in the Early  Mid 80s.

 John is working in as an Electronics Engineer He is successful in his work and is happy with his job. But he doesn’t have a life besides his work. 

A Book, That isn’t like anything that I have read in all these years. 

No! It’s not exactly a poetry Book like Pablo Neruda’s or a Rupi Kaur. 

But It’s a novel! That’s written in a very novel way. 

It’s written in a prose style &  verses style. 

Writing is very poetic and The Word Play makes it beautiful read. 

This is one book, You should give it  A Shot, If you are looking to read a different style of writing with a literary twist to it. 

The Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami 

Having this time to read as many books and more books than the previous years. Instead of just reading one book a year by Murakami. This year I have already read three books from the author in the last six months.  At regular intervals. 

“The Wild Sheep Chase” Wasn’t even a book that I thought would be enjoyable, But having all the elements of a typical Murakami book (Mystery, Love, Loneliness and an experience) This book had yet another Animal/Insect character called the Rat and of course sheep too! This is what makes the book such a fascinating and enjoyable read that you can’t get enough of it and wonder how some simple ideas can be written in so much length, that keep the readers wanting more…

“The Wild Sheep Chase” has been my Tenth Murakami read since, I first read his “Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage” about five years ago… A story about characters who all have a name that has a meaning and reference to colour. But Tsukuru Tazaki doesn’t have a name which signifies any colour and how lonely and left out he feels by his friend’s circle and in the world.