Newfound love

I love the Redwood City public library. One of the first things I did after moving here was to sign up for a library card. Over the last couple of months, it has become my second favorite place in the city (the first, of course, is home). It has kept me company during all those lonely hours when the husband was at work. It has introduced me to new pleasures and new things to learn. The vast collection of books on every imaginable topic is, of course, a given. Whether it is my regular dose of fiction, or learning resources to improve my painting skills or a learn-woodworking book that piqued the hubby's interest. When I wanted to learn Spanish, where did I go look for resources? Or that one time when we maxed out our broadband limit and couldn't use Netflix anymore, so I went and discovered the movie collection at the library. As a newbie in this city, when I wanted to meet new people and make friends, I went volunteering for Project Read at the library. The library has been there for me for everything I needed, and I am glad we live only a block away. Three cheers for the library!

The Golden Gate and thereabouts

This weekend, PD and I decided to check off the most obvious to-do for newcomers to the Bay Area - we went on a drive to the Golden Gate bridge. While the Golden Gate (the strait) itself looked pretty, my first sighting of the Golden Gate bridge was a little... underwhelming. I know, the bridge is one of the oldest, and has a number of firsts to boast, but I just couldn't see why this was the internationally recognized symbol for San Francisco (For very different reasons, I never figured how the Charminar is the signature monument for Hyderabad either. I mean, clean the place up, for God's sake!)

My first sighting of the Golden Gate bridge

Horseshoe Bay

It could be that I had totally upped my expectations based on the beautiful shots of the bridge all over the net, and we weren't at the right place to get the best view of the bridge. So we went around looking for better vista points, and we were well rewarded for the effort! 

The Golden Gate and thereabouts - our weekend trip

We got excellent views of the Golden Gate bridge and the Pacific. Oh, the views, the pleasant environs, the quiet! It was quite a thrill to be at the very edge of the continent.

A view from a vantage point

Point Bonita in the distance

At the very edge of the continent

After a little bit of driving around, we found these nice picnic benches with an awesome view and settled down there with some snacks we had packed from home. Lunch with a view, and what a view it was! Did I mention we spotted a deer?

Our view during lunch :)

Spot the deer!

From here, we headed onwards to the Point Bonita lighthouse. I guess this was the highlight of the trip. Reaching the lighthouse involved a short hike, walking through a small tunnel and a short suspension bridge. With breathtakingly spectacular views of the Pacific throughout! By now I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

Point Bonita lighthouse

The Golden Gate bridge from Point Bonita

The blue green waters of the Pacific

We realized after we got there that the Point Bonita cove is home to harbor seals and wished we had brought a pair of binoculars. We did get to watch them lazing around on the rocks from a distance though. We even saw some of them jump off the rocks into the water, and back from the water onto the rocks. They have such a cute way of flopping around, who would have thought they bark! And not even a cute puppy kind of bark, more of a hoarse annoying bark.

Spot the seals!

Here is a close up of the lazy seals

I loved the trip, and I am sure we are going to go back to the Golden Gate again. There is so much more to explore, and the sights so beautiful. I can't wait to go back again!

The Golden Gate beckons!

A poem for my sweetheart

It was the January of 2012
that I first had the feeling
I had finally met the one
who had my head reeling

It felt good to know you -
at first I thought you were a flirt
For the most part you made me laugh
But at times you were curt

By February I was intrigued
By March I had a crush on you
By April I was head over heels
What was in store, I had no clue

By May, we had our first fight
The crisis in our love story
It took us time to sort it through
And some Tequila and Bloody Mary

But finally, we realized and learnt
what we should have long known
That we are meant to be together
till we have some grey hairs grown

For I want to spend the rest of my days
Till the very end, all the way
In love with you, the light of my life
Dear God, this is all I pray


For the love of my life, PD - for you :)

A quiet Diwali (now, isnt that an oxymoron!)

This was my first Diwali with PD. Diwali is my favourite festival of all times, and unfortunately we had missed celebrating our first Ganesh Chathurthi and our first Dussehra due to unavoidable circumstances (humph!) So we were determined to make our first Diwali a memorable one. Despite the fact that there were no colourful explosions lighting up the sky or sounds of firecrackers filling our ears. Despite the fact that it was all so quiet outside that you could even hear the neighbors walking around in their living room. Despite the lack of festive air all around and people going about their chores without a thought for Diwali. Undeterred, we just went ahead and had a memorable Diwali.

We set up our puja place and bought lots of candles to make up for lack of traditional Diwali diyas. I have been making a flower rangoli for every Diwali since the last few years, so much that its become a Diwali tradition for me. So we made one this year too. (I know, I know, a pookalam is an Onam tradition and not a Diwali one. But I don't celebrate Onam, and I love pookalams!) And of course, you don't celebrate Diwali without yummy festive food. So, we had pulihaara and payasam for this Diwali. So all in all, we had an awesome Diwali, albeit a quiet one!

Our puja place

A lone lantern at the door

Work-in-progress pookalam

A lit up pookalam!

Candles and flowers

More candles