Tounge Twister

Kalghatgi!!.....uhh..ohh.....how does one pronounce this....Triceratops or onomotopoeia would be easier to pronounce isnt it?
he he well this is the same dilema everyone faces when I tell them my surnameThey would have wished they hadn't asked in the first place
I have had many instances where people are completely flummoxed because of my surnameThe various attempts result in kal..what, kalghati, kalghatti, kalighati, kalighata and many more....
The best (or should i say the worst) experience i had was when I had to book my Air ticket. I called up the travel agent and introduced myself. Then came the most difficult part...well u guessed it right my surname. After n attempts at pronouncing my surname  spelled it out to her and her response for verification was
Kangaroo, Alpha, London, Giraffe, Horse, Alpha, Tiger, Giraffe, Ice : )...whew finally she got it right....
well I dont know how many spelling games will I have to play to get my surname right ; )What does KALGHATGI mean...well its the name of an obscure village in northern karnataka near Dharwad. never been there in my life and I dont think I ever will go there. This is where my ancestors hail from...he he...so it will have to continue however difficult it may seem.....KALGHATGI...whoever gets it right in the first shot will get a prize ; )

 

I love Mumbai

10 reasons for which I love Mumbai

1. "The rains". its absolutely gorgeous in the monsoon. Though I wouldnt venture out. take a cup of hot tea and just soak in the experience

2. The "local trains": its just amazing to ride in one of them ( not in the peak hour though). They are the arteries of mumbai snaking from one end to another.

3. The Ubiquitous  red "BEST bus". Its sheer fun to ride one especially in the front seat on the top storey of a double decker bus

4. "The sea". Its so soothing to just look at the sea. Especially at marine drive where you can drink in the atmosphere or at chowpatty where one can enjoy a plate of bhel whiffing the salty sea breeze

5. "Udipi restaurants". one can savour cheap and healthy south indian dishes. these joints are spread everywhere, almost one every corner

6. "Vada pav". no where in the world would you get this tasty and spicy sanck. It is enjoyed by young and old, students and professionals. housewives and grandmothers, rich and poor

7. "cutting chai" from the tapari (small shop). its gr8 to catch some gossip over a glass of tea.

8. The funny names of places andheri, chinchpokali, borivili, goregaon, churchgate, bhau cha dhakka (ferry wharf)

9. The quaint irani joints where they serve you brun maska pav and chicken sandwich. I loved the one near my college

10. Last but not the least the people of mumbai. come rain or shine people are always on the move and I believe they are really helpful unlike other cities in India.

well i could go on.....these are the 10 reasons why i really like Mumbai...aamchi mumbai

Mumbai Dictionary

Read and Enjoy

Deodorant: A substitute for daily bath

Positive Thinking: Offering a seat to a beautiful girl in a bus

Hair Dye: A temporary solution for a permanent problem

Monsoon: A season to enjoy with garam chai and pakoras

Yoga: The art of turning and twisting the body

 

Visa Experience

The day arrived sooner than expected, yes 6th July 2004. I was yearning for this day to come as early as possible. Well what’s so great with this date, I had my US visa interview on this day. I had done everything possible; prepared all documents, got all my finances in proper order, gave a mock interview, read many visa experiences, though only good ones and then left everything to the almighty. jo hoga dekha jayega.
At 7:30 left my house, outside the visa application center at 8:45, entered the lounge. Well I saw that there were not many students and heaved a sigh of relief, had some stimulating coffee and sandwich. Now I was wide awake. something snapped.” hell today is my visa interview in another 30 mins, kya hoga, will I get the visa, hope it’s allover within no time”, I hear a voice "excuse me!” I snap back...it’s another student tapping on my shoulder.” Have u come for the student visa interview?"....well I was thinking....actually no, "I just came to get a feel of the things here"....."Why would any sane person come to the lounge if he doesn’t have to give his visa interview” back to reality..."yeah I have my visa interview at 9:30, when is yours?", he replies "same time"...we indulge in some small talk and then the call comes to get into the bus for the 9:30 interview...I pray silently...."bole sau nihal...sat sri akal"....and get into the bus
Outside the consulate at 9:30am...queues on both side of the entrance. I was wondering how many ppl go to USA.....we r ushered in at 9:45...security check ho gaya...stand in queue to get the yellow envelop...then another to get the token....10:00 am...well at this time I had to attend nature's call...gave my folder to the other student and rushed in....akashwani!!..."token no bla, token no bla, token no bla and token no 518 come and stand in front of counter no 4"....I am inside....oops...my token no is 518....bhago...sala phursat se khade hone ko bhi nahin diya...taking all precautions I rushed out and I find my self last in the line in front of counter 4....this is it, in another 5 mins I’ll be facing the officer...he seems a cool guy, smiling and middle aged....and the first person a girl is rejected. Oh my god!!. Oh god let me get the visa!!....finally I am in front of the visa officer

Me: gave him a big smile and said good morning
He: good morning how r u today?
Me: fine sir (meri toh phat rahi thi!!)...how do u do?
He: I am fine...its going on u can see!!
he: tell me ur plan of study
Me: I am doing my PhD in blah blah with blah as my specialization
He: blah what?...what is blah?
Me: blah is a field in which blah blah blah
He: ok? How r u going to support urself?
Me: blah blah and prof is going to fund me from next yr
He: ok...I am giving u the visa. Here is Ur i-20..Keep it carefully. Have a gr8 time in USA
Me: thank you sir. Have a gr8 day

What a relief. I can’t believe it. I have the visa...I rush out from there and get into the bus...whew. It was not such a big deal though....finally I am coming to the USA

Well but it’s a gr8 experience, especially after u get the visa!!. I was not so thrilled even when I got the highest paying job on campus in TELCO last year...this was something out of the world...lets see if USA stays up to its reputation...bye bye India

The First Admit

(no no I was not admitted to any hospital; )) It was 2nd December 2003...9:30 pm...me sitting in front of my PC after a long time...had just returned from Pune and was posted to Mumbai...checkin mails and chattin

ding!!my mailbox says,u have mail!!well nothing surprising,thats what I was sitting for.anticipating some mails.I opened my mailbox and just sat gawking at the dumb screen.The subject read Syracuse Admission notification.With trembling hands and a racing heart(I could hear my own heartbeats)....I opened the mail.Damn this yahoo mail take such a long time to open:-(.I am still waiting for it to open.Finally it opens and I read the first word Congratulations!and the following sentence..you have been accepted to pursue the MS program at Syracuse University.I am literally jumping all around the house and shouting I got it! I got it!(This is what archimedes must have felt when he ran about saying Eureka! Eureka!).I am sure my mom and sis were thinking that I was out of my mind; )

I give them the good news and believe me they too start jumping around ; )...i had never seen my mom so happy(ok maybe when i was born she must have been more happy ; ) ). I just couldnt believe my eyes. It took about 5 mins to register that I had actually got an admit, that elusive admit. It was the culmination of all the efforts that I had put while preparing the application and sending it as early as possible

I got 4 more admits later but I will always cherish my first admit!!!