Why 'Camping' is boring...

You may say I am wired differently...may be I am -- I am not arguing that...but camping is such a bore for me that even if someone says they'll give me 1000bucks if I 'camp' for a weekend...I most probably would not take up on that offer..no kidding..
Over the weekend, we (entire Sujatha family on one side and me and my s-in-law on the other....atleast that's how me and my s-in-law percieved it...LoL) went on a camping trip to Yosemite...my first trip to that place in all this 10 years of living in the bay area, this itself may throw off some people--"what? you've been here for 10 whole years and never been to Yosemite once..you're wierd..." is the kind of look I get when I disclose this to people..but sorry to say that I may not go back to that place that soon..mind you..its a beautiful place and all...nothing wrong with the place itself, its just that I cant take so much of nature..I feel aloof..something like there's something happening at the other end of the world and I am stuck here, kinda feeling..if you see what I mean..
to say that we 'camped' -- is like saying it snows in the bay area...I mean we 'lived' in a cabin furnished with a bedroom, a proper kitchen and a bath...the only proof is that the cabin itself is in the woods...so if u'd imagined we erected a tent and we had bears for company and we had a cozy night by campfire...get real...

One development I loved during this trip was Raagini taking to the swimming pool like the proverbial fish taking to water..she could get into the water with me..she was flapping her legs and in general was very happy to be there..I should look out for a swim school now..

For me the culmination of the boredom on the weekend was this one hour journey we had to take from the base of the camp uphill to "Glacier point" where you get to see the 'half dome' on the otherside...I mean the halfdome is smack in front of you at the base camp...so what you do is, ignore it, climb up a hill and go to a seemingly 'vantage' point and look at it through your binoculars...hello...no one told me that at "Glacier point" that's all there's to it..you'll see the same rock in a different angle..at a different elevation..If someone even gave a mere hint, I would have considered my options and decided to stay put...or may be not...they needed a driver..ah! that was it..they needed a driver....
and to hear that these camps are so 'pricey' and they get booked out in advance..I hear its' all gone for the july4th weekend..may be I should become savvy and buy some 'timeshare' here..what you say?

primaries, Raagini updates, and life in general

Finally the Democratic nomination for the presidential election is finalized -- This is probably the first time in the last 13 years that I've been in this country, that I saw people very involved in the primaries (much more than the previous primaries) and seems like its a mandate for "Change" -- While that in itself is nothing new, if I try to compare it with Politics in India -- what's heartening is this whole selection process. We in India can definitely take a leaf (or a few leaves...LoL) out of this whole presidential election process. You get to listen to the 'prospective' president's plans for the country and how he is planning to tackle various imminent issues facing the nation -- While there is mudslinging in various forms, its not close to as bad as some of the stuff that our 'netas' pull out. I can vote in this country for the first time, and you can bet I am going to exactly that on Nov 11th.

From the last time we talked about Raagini -- she has grown in leaps and bounds as a person -- yes you read it right -- she is her own person now...just amazing...I've had my bout of experiences bringing up kids but all of that has been in their first 6-9months of their birth (my sister's kids) and during that phase its more like one-way interaction...Raagini, after her first birthday, is totally different to what she was in her first year..Some of her amazing traits that I see, admire, love are:

• She loves playing ball --what can I say, can there be a better 'father's day' gift for a person like me :)
• She religiously reads books every night -- be it Barney, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh -- I cannot remember a day where she slept without reading a book..
• She loves talking to, engaging with people -- Now this is something I've always feared for I wanted my daughter to be a social bee -- because both Sujatha and I are reclusive in that sense -- and this girl is a bee alright, we have to actually pull her back from causing havoc...
• She has taken really well to my family folks when we went to India and also to her 'little' cousins -- Aaditya and Divya.

Wow!! to say that I am a proud father is putting it mildly :).

My in-laws are visiting us for 2months --arriving this weekend -- hoping to get a break from the weekday to weekend ratrace -- Now that my wife is going to be busy with her dearest mom, dad, sister..I am hoping to catch up on a few things that I missed out in the last 1 year

• Need to go watch a movie in a theater -- can u believe that I've not watched an English movie in the last 1.5 years? if you tell me Arnold had 5 releases in the last year, I might believe it...
• get back to my running -- the 'tires' are re-appearing -- the only comforting factor is I know that I can get it under control fast, if I am disciplined enough for a couple months..
• finish some household projects..

so got a lot on my plate..see you next time...:)