Nine pm on a Friday night, and who would have thought it possible; especially as widespread as this? All hours, and spread across "cities." Who would have thought it possible at all? It was day one, but it still is hard to fathom. A Hindi movie sold out both in Santa Clara, and Fremont. Delhi-6 sure seemed popular. And I thought, it would be strange not to bump into someone we knew.

Slightly more than 12 hours later, we did get to see the movie. Standing outside the theater, after the show, I met three friends, and had I looked around I would have seen at least 2 more, I am assured.

*****

Sometimes, he just acted on impulse. Standing out on a limb, with nothing to prove, but just the impulse to go on. Maybe someday this impulse would generate a response. Someday soon, before everything is sold out.

Lady Snow

Its a different feeling, when, living in the rain and sun, you embark on a journey to see the snow. Waking up early in the morning, to take a bus in order to do this, adds to the effect. Going to sleep in the rain, and waking up surrounded by snow, almost makes it magical.

Throw snowboarding into the mix. All the while, the snow just kept cascading down. The snow coupled with the winds, and, me, constantly tumbling around in it, was a lovely feeling altogether. Add to this the fact that my moustache froze over completely. Lunch time, and i was combing off icicles.

Tumbles and falls later, a quick change, some hydration, and back in the bus for the ride home. By now the snow was almost pounding down, as if sad to see us go. Not to worry, lady snow, for we shall return.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. This beholder has seen a lot of beauty today. Rain drops which float to the ground masquerading as snowflakes. Blue skies with a patch of black and that black causes ice to come crashing down. The soft cotton look of clouds coating the hills in the distance.

*****

It is often safer to be in chains than be free. But then what's life all about? To stay secure and safe and not take a leap? That's not living, that's existing. Think different, be different. Be the change you want to see in yourself.

*****

And once again its a small world. A party for a friend's roommate's girlfriend, at a friend's house and whom do i meet? The roommate of the guy i met for dinner prior to the party. A whole bunch of people who work for the company in the area. A few more familiar faces with no names attached. And of course, a very good friend's very good friend, who in fact, at one point faked knowing me.

Next?

And so it happens. A casual conversation. I was glad, of course. But it took a while to sink in, to register.

People have been looking to me. Its not like I don't know, its just that I take too long. When the brain decides to listen, its already too late. Of course, there are also the million restrictions that the world decides to enforce.

Why Care?

He looked dazed. Maybe he was thinking. Or was he day dreaming? One couldn't tell by looking at him. He just sat there with a sloppy grin on his face, and looked at the people who passed him. Only he would know what was going on in his mind. So I moved on.

*****

I looked at him. He stared at me wondering what I was doing. Thats when I realized I had a stupid smirk on my face. Before I could wipe it off, he had walked on. I had been too deep in thought to worry about my face.

Why care so much? The world around is a mess. The people are a mess. They think too much of themselves (me included). You take time to cultivate a bond, a friendship, and you get blown off at any opportune moment. You strive hard to attain the impossible, and the impossible moves on, leaving you with outdated goals. Update your goals, and you move too fast, don't, and you go extinct. People live nomadic existences. Where you are isn't as important as who you are, or what you do. We move from one lush pasture to another. Degrading everything as we go. A line from the movie Matrix, comes to mind, but its been too often thought about, and will not be quoted here. Greed is rampant. Its every being for themselves. Selfishness seems to be the way of the world.

In such a world, why care? Cut the throat of the competition and get ahead. Make your own mark. Ignore everyone. Ignore everything. Its me and I time. Say it. "Why do I deserve it? Why not him? Or her?"

But then, is this how we work? No. Its one big intertwined mess. A tangle of threads that the sisters of fate have made a mess of. The tapestry that is us, started out well, and then went from patchwork to just a knotted mass of twine.

So, again. Why care so much? Is it just our nature. Is our "evolved" brain doing this for some benefit, or it some outdated characteristic of ours that forgot to go the way of our appendix?

It was a complex thought process. And I wondered, why DID I care? What chemical imbalance did I have that others didn't have to suffer through. They could move on untouched, and unharmed, while I just had to stop and think.

qahwat al-būnn

Its what drives this country. Or so it seems. Every morning, as you reach work, you are greeted with the smell of this bean. From giving goats the ability to dance after having a snack during grazing, to becoming a staple in many an American's breakfast, this drink has indeed come a long way.

Today, this drink has become more than just a drink. Its become a symbol. Walk into work early in the morning, and the elevator has its fragrance lingering. Look around you, and you see why. Everyone has a cup in hand. Its become a way of talking to people. Enter a place, and talk while you sip. Its a way of actually just getting to know someone, and of course, the ever famous not-quite-a-date. A cup of coffee is all it takes to keep the social circles spinning over time.

And to think it was just the wine of a bean.

Ships

Growing up by the sea, one always had a view of those magnificent vessels floating in the distance. There was something about them, as they seemed to cling to the horizon. Always beyond reach, always just there.

Even now, living close to the ocean, the fascination for ships, ships of all kinds, continues.

Black and Gold

A city with a legacy. A city with a franchise. A city with its own charms, with bridges to everywhere. A city which brings together three ever flowing streams. A city know for its grit, and a little bit of sauce. A city made of steel. And the city which bleeds black and gold. The city is Pittsburgh, home of Steeler Nation.

This one is for the other thumb!