California Trip - Day Four (01/19/2009) ...part 2

This was the fourth day in California. We were on our way to Hollywood. Shital and Rohit started discussing about the bags that were to be packed that night. Rohit always has a problem about the number of clothes Shital packs for a short vacation. Most guys will agree with Rohit that all you need is 1 pair of jeans, 2-3 t-shirts, brush and undergarments for each day… Anything more is just baggage. Rohit however disagrees with the fact that we need undergarment for every day. His theory is that you can wear one undergarment for 4 days. The diagram above illustrates the technique to use the chaddi for 4 days. 

Day 1: Saral, Day 2: Ulti, Day 3: Sulti with front side inside, Day 4: Sulti with back side inside

The copyrights are held by Rohit and please contact him if you need any assistance. I wish they had diapers for big babies (there might be some.. but I don’t know). I heard that there are some Japanese diapers that play music as soon as the baby spoils the diaper. That’s a better sign than holding the baby up and sniffing his/ her rear. I always wonder why I hear a lot about ass, dump and chaddi whenever I meet Rohit, Shital, Rishi and Sumeet. Asawari on the other hand is still a little sober. Actually the topics that Rohit and Shital discuss are freaking hilarious and I am really concerned about Ruhi…. “Kaay aadarsha paalak aahet tiche!!!”   

Now that Sumeet was driving, Hrishi went to entertain Neel. He certainly didn’t make the naagin move, but was very successful to entertain Neel. Neel and Rishi share a special bond and somehow Neel is very relaxed with Hrishi around. So much so that Asawari asked Hrishi to take up the job of nanny for Neel. However, Hrishi was prompt to reply that “Hrishi ko nanny banaate banaate, Asawari ko apni nanny (urf nani) yaad aajaaegi”. Asawari was speechless. She always wonders how and where we all come up with such statements. And to this question, our unanimous answer is  …“EDUCATION!!!”   

Sumeet had never driven a van and driving with 2 kids in the car is tough. The LA traffic didn’t help him a lot. His constant braking and jerks bothered most, especially people sitting in the last row of the van. I think that all this was by design of the holy place where we were headed. It is well known that “Hollywood tak pahuchne ke liye sabko dhakke khaane padte hai” and that is exactly what was happening. It truly is a tough road. Hrishi had the least patience and like most glamour crazy people, he was ready to do anything to reach Hollywood faster; he even asked if couch option is available for him. He was ready for “The” infamous couch over the dhakka path to Hollywood. Rohit was just happy taking a nap.

It was not just the dhakka but also the speed at which we were driving. The slow speed wasn’t helping the cause. We took a long time to reach. And by the time we reached, Rohit was already feeling the delay. He actually felt as if we have traveled through a time zone and was feeling jet lagged. The looooooooooong drive to Hollywood had aged us all; even Neel and Ruhi.    

Shital had been here before. She was more interested to see the houses of the celebrities. She was so desperate about it that she even had her own strategy to get in one of the houses. The strategy was to use the powder room of the huge mansions and hence she did her make-up that would force her to use it. I do not know if that would have worked. It certainly worked to get us to laugh. (Shital would probably fly to Richmond to kill me for this)…

We had a quick walk along the Walk of Fame. In the glamour world, I could feel the impact of the recession. The Mickey Mouse standing on the Walkway looked weak and seemed as if he hadn’t had his cheese for months, Jesus Christ was talking to Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger was looking happy trying to make kids laugh. We were still debating over whether to take the tour to Celebrity houses or not. However, the cost was little too much for its worth. Hence, we came up with a new strategy. We thought that we can follow the tour bus in our van and just look at the places that they show. Lame strategy but it was worth the laugh.   

All this time Sumeet looked sad or angry ( I always get confused). He was not happy with the amount of s*** that he had to take for being late. Hence, he resigned from his position of being the driver and the self designated driver (that’s me) had to again take control of the wheels. Dear executive took the back seat. Rohit was a good guide as he directed the van to Beverley Hills. As we turned on to Rodeo Drive, the entire set changed. The regular shops that we are used to see were no longer visible. Checking out the shops was just a different experience. Few examples of the shops are Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, ESCADA, Gucci, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Mikimoto and Chanel. These are just examples; the actual list was quite long. Out Toyota van looked like a mule in the land of Arabian Horses. The cars around were no less than Mercedes, Porche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. We now drove along Beverley Hill streets and checked out some of the coolest houses. Since we didn’t stop, Shital didn’t get the chance to use her strategy of the powder room.

We were now ready to turn around. That U-turn was the longest turn ever in the history of driving. The turn resembled current economy that is not ready to take the u-turn at all. All I was doing was taking left turn on different streets. The U-turn was endless. I think that u-turn brought everyone back in the time zone that we were supposed to. Finally, we drove out of Beverley Hills and came to the world that we are familiar. The sight of Burger King and the Ford parked in the front brought us back from the La-La land.

The sun had already set while we passed the Sunset Blvd. We came back to the Hollywood blvd to take the final talk along the walk of Fame. We entered a gift shop and that place soon turned out to be the venue for our Trip Oscar Awards. The first award went undoubtedly to the Best Executive of the Trip for the brilliant judgements and firm decisions. There was none else in contention. The second award had 2 nominations. The nominees were Sumeet for being mad at us and Ruhi for what she might be in few years (knowing that she is Shital’s daughter). And the award was for the Biggest “Drama Queen”. The award is still undecided as neither Ruhi nor Sumeet was ready to accept the award. And this concluded our award ceremony.    

We were drained out after the long day at the beach and at Hollywood especially after the time travel. Rohit even tried to refresh himself by running through the fountain at the Kodak Theater Plaza. Ruhi meanwhile kissed her favorite Mickey goodbye and posed for her picture with “Winnie the Pooh” star. Asawari was ready to sleep while Sumeet, Hrishi and I were ready to eat. We wanted sushi but it was too late to get sushi anywhere. We were still thinking as we stood at the plaza that displayed Obama’s picture. The historical moment was coming up next day. We decided to go the Cheesecake Factory at Irvine. So we started walking towards the van. 

The trip was nearing the end and we had to click this picture on the stairs of Kodak Theater. The family picture!!   

Our drive back home wasn’t as exciting. Hrishi and Shital gossiped about something and “that something” had no clue that he/she was being gossiped about. That was the limelight of the drive. The dinner at Cheesecake Factory was awesome as usual. The kids were fast asleep and we were recapping the events during the trip. Our trips are always a lifetime memory. Special moments were talked about as we raised our glass to wish Hrishi luck for his new venture and future prospects. We retired to bed early that night and I was already feeling sick that the trip was close to completion. But I forgot that our trips are never over till they are actually over.. “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!!!...

California Trip - Day Four (01/19/2009) ...part 1

I could faintly hear Ruhi in the other room. She must be up early or I might be sleeping late. The latter was true in this case. After little herding around, we got everyone up. Rohit, Shital, Hrishi and Ruhi went down to get bagel from the much spoken bagel shop. Sumeet was talking about this bagel shop from the time we reached Irvine. Shital too was excited about it.   

Meanwhile, Asawari and I set up the DVD player to get her play the nursery rhymes on the television. Neel was happy with the videos and Sumeet was singing to Neel. I have to tell you something about the Naagin dance that Sumeet does while singing “Twinkle Twinkle”. With both his palms interlocked, he raises his hand and in the move similar to Naagin style, he sings “Up Above the World So High…”.  Its like Seshnaag protecting Lord Krishna who is busy following his hand movement like a snake. But it works. Neel is quiet and he is busy eating his Farex like stuff (I donno what it is).   

When the Bagel party returned, they distributed the bagels to all of us. I had blueberry bagel with strawberry cream. Everyone laughed at my choice of sweet over sweet… again a Saadi me Saadi occasion. But I like it that way. Anyways, the much spoken bagel did not stand up to the hype created by Asawari, Shital, Sumeet or (A.S.S.).   

I finished my bagel and went to take a shower. When I returned, Hrishi was rolling on the floor laughing. I had missed something. Apparently, the marathi nursery rhyme “Ravivar mazaa aavadicha” was playing and Shital grooved like a kid not realizing that everyone else was watching. Hrishi captured it and couldn’t stop laughing. I cannot elaborate much as I missed that piece.   

Everyone was getting ready and Rohit for a change was one of the first ones to be ready. He was now confronting Asawari who was wasting time. Rohit then let out his Bramhastra (no.. not the gaseous one). He warned Asawari that “tyaachaa haat” and “Asawari cha gaal” were not too far apart. Asawari was ready in 15 minutes and we were off to the Laguna beach.    

It’s a beautiful place. Nice arty stores and lot of craftsmanship on shops. I love ocean side as I was brought up close to the sea. We all were brought up in a city very close to the sea (my beloved Mumbai). Sumeet was so excited that he crossed the road on “Do Not Walk”. And when we shouted at him, he came back (again crossing on “Do Not Walk”). We had nothing to say to him. We are used to it by now. We were heading to “Fish & Chips” to stuff ourself before going to the beach. Sumeet’s recommendation didn’t pay off again. The food was strictly alright. The fish and chips were good but Hrishi’s dish was undercooked. Being a connoisseur of fish, Hrishi hated it and didn’t eat anything.   

Question: Are parents really concerned about their kids? Hrishi and I wanted to test it. When Sumeet came out of the restaurant, Hrishi started running crazy with Neel’s stroller. He even banged it on something. Hrishi and I then turned to face Neel and started slapping him, punching him. Sumeet froze and then ran towards us to check on Neel. Neel was already at the beach with Rohit. Understanding the fiasco and the bakra played on him, Sumeet pretended as if he knew about it. Hrishi and I were nearly floored and were laughing to death. Choking time again for me!!! Hrishi and I then decided to play the prank on Asawari. But Asawari was smart and said that she trusts us. We would never do something like this ever. Very interesting!! We are Sumeet’s friends (as claimed by Asawari) and even then she trusts us more than Sumeet does. We walked to the beach but were still laughing over the incidence. Meanwhile, Ruhi was looking sad. When asked, Shital responded that Rohit had scolded Ruhi so she was sad. And then she said, “Rohit Ruhi la oradlaa…… ani mala pan oradlaaa”. That was a killer. Hrishi and I again burst out laughing. Shital made the same sad face that Ruhi was making. The only difference was that we cared for Ruhi; for Shital…. NAAAAAAAA   

The ocean was clean and clear. Blue skies reflected and changed the color of the sea as the light changed. Ruhi’s mood improved watching the ocean. She was fascinated by the huge waves that hit the beach and the beach sand that was soft to the feet. This was her first time at the beach. She was initially apprehensive about entering the water but soon followed her mom and dad.

Ruhi’s first steps in the water. She spread her arms to welcome the ocean and the ocean responded. It was beautiful!!

She played with her mom and both the girls were enjoying themselves. Shital was explaining her about the beach while she was just staring at the vast body of water. The cold water hit their feet and Ruhi jumped over the waves. Kids enjoy the sea and water. Although, the water was freezing, Ruhi was enjoying it. She was going nuts and wanted more. I am sure she will want to come back when its warm. A beautiful day and pretty water was refreshing for everyone.

All of a sudden, Ruhi spotted Asawari (or her lookalike in the water.. Hrishi points out to the lady in the picture on right). I don’t think that lady looked anything like Asawari, but it is said that “Mulaanchya dolyaat Parmeshwar asto”. So I will trust Ruhi’s judgement. While we were at the beach, Sumeet and Asawari were with Neel by the bench. After enjoying the beach for a while, we came back and cleaned ourselves. A nice warm day and cool beach asked for yummy ice-cream. So while rest got pastries, Asawari and I got yummy ice-cream…

The next stop was Hollywood but the people in van wanted a drive along US-1; the scenic drive. The US-1 drive is a slow 55 speed zone drive along the ocean. Knowing that the drive to Hollywood will take a while, Sumeet raised concern over this idea. However, since he was the driver, the executive decision came on to him again. Our beloved executive was now in a dilemma. If he takes US-1, then we will be late to Hollywood. On the other had, if he doesn’t take US-1, he will have to listen to bickering all his life. A huge chip on his shoulder; he had to keep everyone happy and plan appropriately. With consensus and some more discussion, Sumeet decided to take US-1 for a while and then join the freeway half way to Hollywood. Great decision and I was about to be really proud of our executive. However, we noted that the discussion had cost us 45 minutes and delayed decision making had made it possible to cut short the US-1 drive anyways.   

In the next 30 minutes drive along US-1, we saw the beach just once for less than a minute. I have no clue why we spent 45 + 30 minutes over this. I know that the road is scenic but I never saw that part of the road. Oh yes, I saw a lone standing building of Google. It is a square building with Google written on it; nothing fancy. When Sumeet moved away from US-1, we saw some high real estate areas. These were the infamous houses that have been impacted the most in the down economy. While some people made great money during the housing boom, others were doomed. Ms. Lalita Pawar (not the real name) was discussed in this respect as well some other that lightened the mood in the car after the huge let down by US-1.   

I wanted to write the next part of the journey i.e. to Hollywood in this blog. However, looking at the size of this blog, I will split the day in 2 parts. I already am out of breath laughing and I think that I need a break. The next blog will be posted soon (Ekdum “soon saiba soon” saarkha OR “as soon as soon, jail sagla dhoon tevhaa kalel”….. couldn’t resist writing this!!!.. few of the readers will understand this)   

L8r!!!

California Trip - Day Three (01/18/2009)

Hrishi and I were last to wake up and the first to get ready. The only other people who were ready before us were Ruhi and Neel. It took us good 1 hour to be ready and by the time we were downstairs, everyone’s stomach was growling. Hrishi had picked a spot for our buffet lunch. We walked towards MGM Grand in the crisp sunlight. The growling of our stomachs was louder than the lions at the MGM Grand hotel. We were surviving on a small chicken sandwich from last night (… and a slice of pizza that Hrishi and I had early in the morning).     

We didn’t waste time to grab our plates and dig into the seafood buffet menu. I think this was the largest buffet menu that I have seen; 3 tables that were atleast 40-50 feet long with all kinds of fish food and cuisines, another 2 bars that had breakfast and pasta menu and 1 long bar that had the craziest list of desserts. All this with beverages and unlimited champagne!! The next one and half hour were spent relishing the different dishes and enjoying the drinks. If main course was amazing, then the dessert bar was out of this world. We had insane quantity of desserts. Even the server who was clearing out the dishes was astonished with our appetite for dessert. All of us finished off atleast 10-12 of 1 specific dessert (I don’t know what it is called). It was the best buffet that I ever had. And to take it to the next mile, Asawari and I picked up 4 more of the awesome dish to-go. At the end of the buffet lunch, we had aghoree amount of dessert.   

We decided to wall down the strip and check out different hotels. As we were walking, Asawari saw someone holding a large drink in an Eiffel tower shape glass. This was our next mission; to get the Eiffel tower drink. But before that we had to take pictures with the show girl and some show cars on display. The show girl posed with us for picture. Asawari and Shital’s picture with the show girl was pretty and everyone looked pretty comfortable.  

Meanwhile, the boys had a different reaction in their picture. Hrishi and I were trying to pose for the picture while Rohit and Sumeet were holding on to the lady for their life. Just checkout Rohit’s grip on the lady’s hand; never to let her go!! Shital was amazed as she clicked the picture. Neel was peacefully sitting in his stroller wondering what all this was about. He was more interested in the huge feather crown that the show girl was wearing. The feather crown was larger than him and probably even weighed more than him.   

After the tight grip ob show girl's hand, Rohit had no control over his hand. In broad daylight and for no rhyme or reason, Rohit spanked Sumeet and Hrishi made an impromptu remake of the Kety Perry song that went like this. 

“I spanked a boy and I liked it, 

The feel of his chubby ass cheeks” 

You bet Vegas was slowly affecting all of us. It has its charm. Hrishi and I were just happy to be here and we couldn’t have expressed in a better and cleaner way than to jump few feet above the ground.    

We returned to our van. Sumeet was pushing Neel’s stroller while Asawari was holding a huge glass (about 2 feet) of Eiffel Tower filled with virgin pina colada. Everyone was once again buckled to the car seat and we were set to leave the Sin city. A final drive along the strip and we were now ready to hit the highway back home. Sumeet’s consistent request to turn the vehicle around failed as Rohit found a different route to get out of the City. And so we head back to first the South Point and then the boring road back to Irvine.    

It was dark outside and we had to keep busy. So Hrishi started the “Guess the personality” game. One person thinks of a personality and others will ask him question to which he/she will only answer in yes/no. Asawari went first and thought of a personality. Sumeet instantly recognized the personality. Now it was Asawari’s turn to give it back to Sumeet. Sumeet’s personality didn’t survive for too long either. Well, Asawari had thought of “Madhuri Dixit” while Sumeet thought of “Mahatma Gandhi”. Shital’s personality was tough and Sumeet’s guesses made them all the more interesting. On our way back from Vegas, we made new couples that noone on the red carpet or “E tv” knows about. According to our sources in the car, Penelope Cruz was married to Tom Cruise (probably since their last name sounded similar); poor Katie Holmes. Hrishi’s personality was tricky and people had tough time guessing that one. Hrishi couldn’t believe that most people in the car didn’t know “Charlize Theron”. He finally proclaimed that the middle row of the van was complete waste. My guess was a completely different character that opened a debate/ discussion in the car. After knowing that my character was neither political nor science related or entertainment, Shital guessed it as “Shyam chi Aai”. I will give her 1000 points for coming up with such an interesting and innovative guess. She definitely made Aacharya Atre proud. My personality was “Mirabai”. Rohit as usual had an interesting character in Michael Phelps. The trick question was whether the personality wears a numbered jersey or not. Apparently, he removes it just before the actual event; a trick question handled smartly by Rohit.     

A lot of discussion had made us hungry. Now the choice was either to stop on the way and eat or reach Irvine and eat something over there. Once it was decided to keep on going till we reach Irvine, the next question was where to eat. After some discussion and voting, we reach no consensus. Hence, we asked Sumeet to make an executive decision. Now all 14 eyes were on Sumeet to make the call. There was silence in the van; even the music was mute for us to hear the executive. After a bit of pondering and thinking and calculating, He spoke. The executive decision was that there are 2 options; either to go to CPK or go to Cheesecake Factory. I mentally commited suicide; hanging to the ceiling of the van. Everyone else was in a state of awe including Neel. He couldn’t believe what he heard. There was total “Sannata” in the car. And then like a timer, everyone burst out laughing at the same moment. I could even see Neel and Ruhi giving high fives. We love our executive!! So finally, we went to CPK.   

I think the chef at CPK starts preparing Sumeet’s order as soon as he see him. Sumeet has a staple dish at CPK and will order the same thing every single time. Not too tough a decision for our beloved executive. We had our dinner and dropped Shital, Asawari and the kids back home. The 4 of us hit the CVS. They sell alcohol at the CVS over here. This is a state where you will not get gas 24/7 but you are guaranteed to get alcohol 24/7. Way to go California!!    The night didnt last long as all of us were dead tired. We slept in no time. The next day was going to be our “Ticket to Hollywood”.

California Trip - Day Two (01/17/2009) ... part 2

And the 4 hours journey to Las Vegas began at about 5 pm. Doing simple math, I was put under tremendous pressure to ensure that we reach at 9 pm. Hrishi who was the navigator was counting every single minute and reporting it out to the team. Damn!!! I love working under pressure. But this was a little overkill for me as well.    

As I was focused on driving, others started talking about every single topic under the sun. The topics ranged from Hrishi’s school to Sumeet’s mool (child). Shital was exhausted as she was up from early morning for interviews. Sumeet suggested that she take an afternoon flight on Tuesday instead of the scheduled early morning flight. The conversation that followed between Sumeet and Rohit was hilarious. Only 3 lines were spoken but that diverted my focus and attention off the road. Here is how it went, 

Sumeet: Rohit tu Continental la phone kelas ka? 

Rohit: Are pan mazhya kade Continental cha phone number nahi aahe.. 

Sumeet: Are pan tu phone kelas ka!!! (I can’t resist laughing even as I am typing this).   

Sumeet then tried to find the Continental number on his new Blackberry. And No points for guessing that he was unsuccessful. There were several occasions during the drive when I laughed till tears rolled down my eyes. Only Asawari was little sober in all this. Apparently, she claimed to someone over the phone that we are all Sumeet’s friends. Hence, she was just an outsider travelling with us. We all felt real bad (joke) and called on Sumeet’s cell phone and left him a message (Don’t get confused.. Sumeet was with us in the car). Each person other than Asawari spoke and left him a message. I think Sumeet can elaborate on the voicemail since I cannot remember any of it.   

The air was getting cooler outside as the temperature dropped from 70 degrees to mid fifties. Rolling down the windows at that speed would have bothered Neel who was sleeping peacefully. Knowing the circumstances, the opportunist Rohit released the deadly weapon. The enclosed van became a gas chamber in a matter of seconds. If there is any concentration camp left in the world, then here we were suffocating to death. I can understand what people went through during the holocaust. Unbearable!!!   

After lot of vaas and bakvaas, we reached the first glitter on the road. Sumeet pointed that this was the “South Point”. Total naapaas!! That was something else. South point didn’t appear until we were right outside Vegas. It was 9 pm but it felt like 9 am at Vegas. The street lights and people on the street deceived the actual time. We drove on the strip and were mesmerized by the glitter. Money was not an issue over here. I couldn’t believe that rest of the nation was going through a recession. It felt like all party over here.    

We stayed at the Monte Carlo. Hrishi and I stayed in 1 room while the married and kids in the other. In quick time we were all ready to go down. It was slight chilly but it was all worth it. The Bellagio fountain show was playing “My Heart Will Go On” and the fountains swayed in the tune. Very impressive!!! Right across the Bellagio was the Eiffel Tower (a dummy). The real place could be our next venue to meet. The whole strip was beautiful with people walking with large glasses of margaritas and dressed in the funkiest clothes. Everyone was carefree. Neon lights attracted the by-standers while great music made us groove to the tune. People from all over the world came here to the city where there is no limit. We even saw a small brawl on the street. The whole atmosphere was amazing. You have to see it to believe it.

The cool wind had put Ruhi and Neel to sleep. They were ignorant of the crazy people around them including us. Hrishi got Margaritas for us. Great margaritas!! Shital finished off the good one with Hrishi. The rest slurped the thick drink while walking down the street. Rohit and I packed few BK sandwiches for the gang. We continued walking down the strip for a while. It was getting tough with the kids and Shital/ Asawari decided to retire. The all matured Sumeet stepped up to check if the girls can go in a cab without the car seat. The cops were unsure of it. So finally after some discussion with Asawari and Shital, Sumeet was once again asked not to accompany them as they were fine walking back to the hotel room. I have heard of this stunt by Sumeet sometime before as well. It was more than 15 years back but it is still funny. 

Now it was just the 4 of us and the whole city of Las Vegas for us. Sweet!! 

Well, what happened in the next 6 hours cannot be revealed as it will break the pact between Vegas and guys. All that I can say and remember is that hotel phone rang and I could hear Rohit on the other side saying, “Are dahaa (10) vaajle aahet. Tayaar vhaa”. And so Hrishi and I woke up the next day.    

A night that remains etched in the memory and time that remains cherished for eternity. Thiswas my first night in the Sin City.

California Trip - Day Two (01/17/2009) ... part 1

The next thing I heard was someone moving in the living room. Three hours must have passed as I could hear Shital talking to someone. She was making an unsuccessful effort to speak softly. Neel sleeping in the other room could have heard her talk. Probably it was her strategy to wake everyone up. Shital was the master of strategies for this trip. I went inside to check on Sumeet who was going to accompany me and was amazed to find the similarity between Neel and him. They were sleeping in the same position; like father like son. IThe picture below shows it all. Its a cute picture.. 

please note the tighty whities that Sumeet is wearing. The same blouse piece inner that I talked about in the previous blog

So with half sleepy eyes, Sumeet and I stepped out of the house.

Driving Shital to downtown LA was an hour drive and we had to be there on time. Although we were running late, Sumeet asked the most difficult question to Shital. He wanted to know whether Shital wanted to go via Disneyland. It was a good gesture on Sumeet’s side but a wrong question at wrong time. Shital was still looking at her watch (a pink watch) as she had the most humble face of denial. She couldn’t have said anything. 

Downtown LA was tricky and with some effort from Sumeet and his GPS, we spotted the building. By the time we came back home, everyone was up including Ruhi and Neel. Neel has big eyes and they are always on the lookout for something new. He cannot do the same thing for long; he always has to be busy with something new. And today, he was more excited as he had the house full of people to entertain him. Ruhi had joined in the entertainment herself as he danced on the Yankee Doodle song. I had missed that but it certainly made Neel happy. He was relaxing on his rocker while Asawari was feeding him. Ruhi was jumping around. Ruhi is a darling and adorable when she calls out for “richee kaka”, “sumit kaka”, “Hadish kaka” and “achawaree mauchi”. She was wearing a top that had picture of a giraffe and little did we know that the giraffe would become an important character of the trip.

Everyone was hungry and we decided to go to IHOP for breakfast. Hrishi, Ruhi, Rohit and I went in 1 car while Asawari, Sumeet and Neel hopped into the other car. Sumeet was leading the way or that’s what we thought. In no time, he was racing to cut the traffic light in yellow and we were strangled behind waiting for the light to turn green. So next time when we have to follow him, we have to ensure that we keep up with him else he will be long gone. Meanwhile, Ruhi was asking for her “pangroon” and I pulled out the sunglass cleaning cloth out of my sunglass case. Although, it was too small for Ruhi, it fit the giraffe on her t-shirt very well. Hence, now instead of Ruhi sleeping with pangroon, it was giraffe’s turn to sleep.    

I like breakfast at IHOP and I certainly love their coffee. I had 6 cups of coffee in the next hour. Talk about charging myself up for the day. That’s when Rohit came up with the concept of “Aghoree Kaphy”. Aghoree means large, huge, obnoxious quantity and Kaphy can be pronounced as Coffee without using a single letter from the original word. So today, I was having aghoree kaphy. Hrishi’s performance was enhanced at IHOP. IHOP not only became the place for Hrishi to upload food but also the place to download food. It is like a give and take relationship for him. Also, Rohit and Hrishi wanted to meet their friend. For the blog sake, let me name that friend as Ms. Lalita Pawar (just because Rohit can make a great impression of Lalita Pawar). Ms. Pawar became famous over the trip for multiple reasons. Details on that will be covered later.   

Neel with Mom (Achawaree Mauchee for Ruhi) 

On the way back home, we couldn’t rely on Sumeet to lead the way. So I took the charge to guide Hrishi (who was driving). However, in no time my confidence was shattered. The Bacardi Road (I still don’t remember the real name of the street) confused me. However, I remembered the apartment name and house number. I was confident about it being “Woodland Willow” and house number “636”. BEEEP!! Wrong again. We took the turn into the Woodland Willow and asked an old man for house number 636. He was close to 80 years old and he seemed to be clueless about our question. I could have trusted him for his age and wisdom but I couldn’t understand a word that he spoke. Finally, we took help of the GPS to find the way back to Sumeet’s house. All houses looked the same and I was confused (disclaimer who know my direction sense).   

After the nice heavy breakfast Ruhi, Rohit and Giraffe were sleepy. So Rohit went to sleep Ruhi and Ruhi went to sleep the Giraffe. The pangroon accompanied her giraffe. Meanwhile, Hrishi, Sumeet and I went out to pick up the rental van. Neel joined the boys as Asawari needed some time to prepare for the trip. Yes, there was a trip within this trip. Just like “Saadi me saadi, Parag saadi”. This is the quote from Hrishi for his bag within bag. I will plagiarize it for trip within a trip.   

By the time we were back from the rental office, it was status quo. Noone was ready; Rohit and Ruhi were still asleep. So Hrishi, Sumeet and I went to do some mallish i.e. shop at the mall. The primary motive was to buy some warm clothes for Neel and checkout if I can find a pair of shorts. The mall was good but with no men’s apparel. I was left chaddi-less. After 1 drink at a bar, we rushed back to find no change in the readiness factor of the rest of the team. Shital had called and she was ready to be picked up in an hour.   

Panic struck the house. Noone was ready. Rohit, Sumeet and Hrishi decided not to bathe while I wanted a shower before pushing off. Everything was alright until Rohit saw Ruhi’s clothes on top of his bag. That meant Shital wanted Ruhi to take a bath and change in those clothes. Rohit freaked out!! I have never seen Rohit freak out and scared. This was the ultimate test for him and he had failed. If Shital sees Ruhi in the condition she was now, then Rohit would probably be staying back at LA for rest of his life. The rush hour began and Ruhi was prepared in miracle time; a sigh of relief by Rohit. He was now down with Hrishi, Neel and Ruhi. I moved the van in place for loading bags for our trip when Asawari politely asked Rohit about his bag. Guess what? Rohit had forgotten the bag at home and we were nearly ready to leave. Rohit freaked out again!!! This has already turned out to be a deadly day for Rohit. Oblivious to all this, Neel and Ruhi were playing in the car while their parents were running around the car to get everything in place. With everything set up in place, we hit the road to go for LA to pick up Shital.   

Rohit was still not out of deep water as he was over the phone with Sheetal. We had to reach downtown LA on time. The area where Shital was waiting was not the best for a visitor. Sumeet had already rated that area as “shady” while Shital wasn’t feeling great standing alone over there. Rohit wasn’t worried about that. However, he certainly was worried when Shital told him that she is entering a mall to kill time. The pressure from Rohit was travelling faster than the van which was stuck in the traffic. With some desi driving and change in routes, we reached downtown. In all this commotion, Ruhi was silent; very silent. She hadn’t spoken a word for the last 1 hour which is unlike her. All this was about to change. Her cheeks turned pink and eyes glittered as she saw Shital. She had been away from her mom for a long time. If Ruhi was to be rated from 1 to 10 on her excitement, then I would rate it 9. The only reason for 9 is that I would rate Rohit’s excitement as 10. He was far more excited to know that Shital wasn’t mad and he had done a decent job. His face showed that his “Jeev Bhaandyaat Padlaa” (soul fell in vessel- literal translation).   

The next assignment was to find a place to eat. After voting down options, we decided to find a Chipotle. Sumeet’s performance was again tested as he played with his GPS to find the closest Chipotle. He and his GPS were completely “naapaas” to find the food joint. After about an hour more, we managed to stop at the Chipotle and quickly gulped down the Mexican food. Shital and I rushed to a nearby Target to buy some toys for Ruhi. Yes, inspite of all the work, Rohit forgot to get some toys for Ruhi. Some quick shopping of toys and water, we were set to go. With “All Done!!” confirmation from everyone in the car, we hit the road for our 4 hour journey.   

Our next stop was Las Vegas!!!!   

California Trip - Day One (01/16/2009)

We all look forward to something exciting, something that you enjoy or something that you will cherish for your entire life. It is a time that you countdown, wait anxiously for it and once it is there, you never want it to pass. Such is my condition whenever I meet these friends. 

     (From Left: Ruhi (Little One), Shital, Me, Rohit, Hrishi, Asawari, Neel (Little One), Sumeet)

This year we planned to meet at Sumeet’s place. Sumeet has been at Irvine, CA from the time he is here. Don’t bother asking him for how long because he will answer, “From the time I am here”. Keep guessing on that for a while. Anyways, we were to meet at Irvine. Normally we don’t need any special occasion to meet. However, this time we were meeting for the farewell to Hrishi since he is going back to India to complete his MBA and we were also meeting to welcome the new member (Neel) to the group.   

Shital was already at Irvine after a lengthy cross country tour for her interviews. Hrishi was to fly from DC on Friday. Rohit and Ruhi were to meet me at Houston airport and the 3 of us were flying together to LAX. Rohit had been a single parent for over a week as Sheetal was out interviewing. For people who know Rohit, a responsibility of a baby is something that could scare them. Rohit and responsibilities don’t go hand in hand. But on that day, I saw a different Rohit. The way he was interacting with Ruhi and taking care of her was commendable. I am keeping the topic of “Rohit as single parent” for later. I think a lot of us will be interested in reading that. This blog and few others are solely focused on the trip.   

It was evident that the fun would begin as soon as we meet. However, the fun began as the plane was descending for landing into LAX. As the pilot informed the attendants to be prepared for landing, a lady across the aisle stood up and started preparing herself for landing. She stretched, yawned and opened the overhead bin to remove her bag. I admire her talent as she was dong all this while the plane was still in the air and at a steep angle. She was asked to sit and not get up until the seatbelt sign was off. The plane was soon on the ground and everyone was ready to exit the plane. Rohit was carrying Ruhi who was half asleep. He was having a tough time getting up from his seat and unable to do so, he started wondering why Ruhi had become so heavy. A sleeping person shouldn’t be any heavier than a person who is awake. Rohit realized this when he knew that he wasn’t able to get up since his seatbelt was still fastened. That is the Rohit I know and this confirmed that this trip would be memorable.   

Hrishi and Sumeet were waiting for us near the baggage claim area. If there was another bald head near them, then they would have looked perfect for the blue bald head Pentium commercial. The 4 of us were meeting after a year. We had met at Richmond, VA in 2007 and now we were meeting on the other side of the country. After a brief meet and greet, we started to drive back to Irvine. LA airport to Irvine is about a 45 min drive. This is enough for interesting facts. I had just come from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to 30 degrees Celsius. Just a t-shirt was enough for this weather and the cool breeze from outside was just perfect. The speed limit here was 65 but people were driving at crazy 80 and there was traffic even at 11 pm. I came from a small town and these things are unseen by me. With so many people on the road, we asked Sumeet to take the HOV lane. But HOV lane is dangerous after sunset for Sumeet. He didn’t want to take the HOV lane as he cannot see the wall on the left hand side. Why wouldn’t you see the wall? That was the craziest reason that I had ever heard for not taking the HOV lane.   

Maybe Sumeet was tired from work and hence didn’t have confidence to drive close to the concrete wall. He was just back from India and had been working long hours that day. He had dropped Shital for her interview and had gone to work directly from there. Hence, he was at work from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening. And knowing Sumeet’s working habits, Hrishi was quick to point out that Sumeet’s manager would have presented him with an Otie* for his OT (Overtime). 

* Otie: A maharashtrian tradition to gift a married woman (Savasheen) with rice, coconut and a blouse piece (The context over here is a token of appreciation by Sumeet’s manager for his rare commitment to be at work for more than required)

LA roads were bright with lights from big corporate buildings along the road. Rohit pointed out the “Toyato” building on the right. No, there is no type over here. That is exactly how Rohit pronounced it. Of course, he corrected Sumeet who claimed that the building was Toyato’s (Toyota) headquarters.   

At about midnight, we were looking for a burger joint that was claimed to be the best ever. Ever, ever??... yes, ever (according to Sumeet). Although, the 4 of us (Rohit, Ruhi, Hrishi and I) were tired after the long travel, Sumeet insisted to come inside as he wanted us to choose. And we did choose from the menu which listed 3 things that included fries. Hamburgers normal or Hamburger Animal Style.. those were the other 2 options. I think Sumeet is obsessed with options (the other instance of option play will be explained later). So after a tough decision we ordered 6 regular and 4 animal styles. Usually, our trips revolve around food and this trip wasn’t gong to be any different in that respect. Rohit wanted to try Korean while Hrishi wanted Sushi. I was unsure about my choice but Sumeet guaranteed that he will get me any cuisine I choose. So I chose Ethiopian and guess what; Irvine didn’t have Ethiopian cuisine joint. So we were sitting at In&Out burger place which has 2 options to choose from and when I was asked to choose any cuisine under the sun, I chose the only one that was not there…   

I should tell you guys before hand that appetite is the another name for Rohit. He has proved that right from the early days when he could finish 2 sizzlers at Yokos and then some more. Tonight, he was enjoying his fourth burger when Shital had to stop him. The 10 burgers were wiped off in no time by the 4 of us lead by Rohit.   

Shital and Ruhi went to sleep since Shital had to wake up early next morning for another interview. Asawari, Rohit, Hrishi, Sumeet and I were catching up. Rohit was busy catching up on his daily farting quota. I think he had restricted himself on the flight and now the living room was probably more radioactive than a blast zone after a nuclear blast. Sumeet opened the windows to ventilate the house while I had to get up and move away from the ground zero (or detonation point). In all this commotion, Hrishi was being immune. He had changed into his boxers and was talking to Asawari who was close to getting unconscious from the smell. Unaware of all this, Neel was fast asleep in the bedroom. I saw him for the first time. He was a sweet angel sleeping without any worries. Apparently, he had more hair than his dad.   

After freshening up, I joined the rest. As we were talking about our journey, Sumeet came out from the bedroom wearing a yellow t-shirt than would have fitted Neel perfectly fine; a body hugging t-shirt that seemed to be laminated to Sumeet’s body. We couldn’t believe that Sumeet could sleep in this without suffocating himself. Well, after listening to our bickering, Sumeet changed into a thin white inner that was even tighter than the previous one. Now it was our turn to get suffocated as I nearly choked myself laughing. Only now we knew the secret of the Oties’ that Sumeet received from his manager. The blouse pieces were used to stitch skin tight t-shirts for him.   

It was 3 in the morning and we were ready to sleep. Hrishi, Rohit and I slept in the living room. Having Rohit in the room is like having an ever ticking time bomb that can explode anytime. We were practically sleeping in the vicinity of a bio-hazard. If President Bush had looked for biochemical weapons in Oklahoma, Rohit would have been the new Bin Laden. Soon exhaustion and sleep overcame our skepticism and fear. And we were asleep to be ready for a fun filled trip.

That was the end of day 1. The next day would start in 3 hours when we wake up to drop Shital. All that and more coming up in the next blog… till then, see you soon!!!!

Clementine

Best time so far this year.. my trip to California to meet Rohit, Hrishi, Sumeet, Sheetal, Asawari, Ruhi and the newest member Neel. My next few blogs will cover the trip details.

My meeting these guys always take me down the memory lane and remind me of the old times. During this trip, Ruhi reminded of an old camp (bonfire) song that I used to like as a kid. The song is called “Clementine” and Ruhi was playing it on her kid laptop yesterday. The song has been in my head since.

The song was originally written in 19th century and is a well known American Western folk ballad. The song has many versions in English. I also know of a Hindi and Marathi version of this song/ tune. The song “Yeh hai Bombay meri jaan” has the same tune as “Clementine” while a marathi camp song “Maazi ladki Sushila” seems to be a direct translation.

Enjoy the 2 videos of this song.

1. The first version is for all the KIDS and is from “The Alvin Show”

 

2. The second version is the Eddie Albert version of the song

 

 

You will notice that the lyrics of this song are not the softest and this is actually a sad song. I don’t know why the song is a nursery rhyme other than the fact that it has a catchy tune. You can check out the lyrics at the following link.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_lullaby-lyrics-clementine_6742.bc

Meanwhile, let me enjoy my Clementine..

Satyameva Jayate (Sanskrit: "Truth Alone Triumphs")

In the 21st century, India is striving hard to compete with the developed nations and is on the edge of becoming a powerful nation. As we grow economically and politically, the world is paying more attention to us. Things that the country was doing in the dark and things that were getting ignored before will no longer be invisible to the world.

Inscribed at the base of the national emblem, this national motto of India makes every Indian proud. This motto was falsified this month when a company was exposed and huge a fraud was revealed. Although the company called itself “Satyam” or truth (in Sanskrit), company’s founder was anything but truthful. He basked in the glory of the company for many years and made millions of dollars. Today, the stock market, investors and employees suffer the consequences of the wrong doing of the top personnel. The world is a place where giants like Enron were not spared; a company like Satyam stands no chance.   

On November 26th last year, the whole world condemned the Mumbai terror attacks and stood by the country. A month later, India was again on the news flash for a corporate fraud. I feel that this is a period in which global exposure will hurt and help the country equally. It is a period when the country’s system and foundation is getting cleansed; a period when things will change for good.  It will hopefully be a period which will regain the sovereignty of the nation and reestablish the lost glory. I dream that at the end of this tunnel, India will not only bear the national emblem but will also practice the national motto.   

Satyam logo says, “Satyam is what business demands” while I feel “Satyameva Jayate is what India needs”.

Slumdog Millionaire Shines at the Golden Globe Award!!

True... 4 out of 4 for Slumdog Millionaire

1. Best Screenplay

2. Best Background Score

3. Best Direction

4. Best Film

Golden Globe Awards saw the pseudo-bollywood film shine high on the hollywood stage. The humble acceptance by A.R. Rahman and a well worded speech by Shahrukh Khan were just few glimpses of some bollywood stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the jubilant Anil Kapoor and his enthusiasm.

I would say no more as I have already stated a lot about the movie in my previous blog (http://harishchavan.blogspot.com/2008/12/million-dollar-movie-slumdog.html). And I am sure that when the movie releases in India on Thursday, India will be proud.

Hydrogen Oxide

This chemical substance holds the key to our existence. It is colorless, tasteless and odorless, it is neither acidic nor alkaline and it is known as the universal solvent. A man who strives hard for the 3 Ws (Wine, Women and Wealth) will happily give them up when he is desperate for this chemical substance or the 4th W. It is what we commonly refer to as “Water”. 

About 71% of Earth’s surface is covered with water. Even our body is 70% water. If there is something called “sign”, then there cannot be any more evident sign that this. Why is it everywhere we see? The answer is simple; it is the key to our existence. It is the solution to a lot of problems. And hence, I have decided to take it seriously. If an apple a day keeps a doctor away, then 8 glasses of 8 ounces each day will keep all diseases away.

It is certainly the Wise man’s drink. 

Mafia

Abhijit and Avani introduced the game to me this weekend. It is a great party game and challenges the participants to argue, discuss, analyze and decide. The rules of this game and various versions of this game can be found at the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_(game) 

Gist of the game is simple and explained very well in the song from the movie “Don” 

Are Diwano, Mujeh Pehechano, 

Kahan Se Aaya, Mein Hoon Kaun, 

Mein Hoon Don, Mein Hoon Don   

This is a brilliant game with lot of variations and strategy. If you are playing it for the first time, then it becomes all the more fun. A lot of finger pointing and a lot of hypothesis make the first game very interesting. Someone who is vocal becomes an easy target and is tagged as a Mafia or an Angel.    

As the participants become savvy with the rules and with the tricks of the game, the play becomes more difficult. Logic and reasoning for every argument do not necessarily help in identifying the Mafia. Veterans of the game easily fool the rest by playing cautiously and diverting attention to others. In the midst, the poor villager (or Gareeb Gawkari) is not spared if he/ she is not convincing enough. Sometimes a villager is voted out just on the basis of favoritism. For instance, Rohit voted me off since he just doesn’t trust me (Just Kidding) while Pooja ensured that her husband survived the vote out(absolute Pativrata).   

All in all, this is a great game to enjoy in a large group. There is a lot of discussion and you cannot stop analyzing it even after the game is over. In about 4 games that we played, we were successful to kill the mafia in only 1 game. For the rest of the games, it was very true that 

“Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai!!”