Talking of composite houses

Think the whole of amru land is made up of just that...

Pieces, pieces and more pieces. I think by the time I leave I would have my brains full of assembly instructions for all arbit things- table, rack, more tables, more racks, sofas, utensils, bed, matress, pillow, covers, toilet seats, tissue papers...i guess you got the general idea.

I recently got a Huge lego set as a Gift (no I just teeny weeny Forced my hubby)..which has 2400 peices for assembling.Now I regret the decision- after having bought a TV stand which has equal number of pieces with elaborate assembly instructions.

Now you would ask me why am I sitting here blogging when I have a sexy new, newest (latest in the stores we were told) HDTV 37"? Why? Silly, the table hasn't been assembled yet...

..becasue unlike Lego pieces these ones weight about 20 kgs each.... I love India- I love Indian carpenters.I am gonna cook food for them everytime they come and do assembly work at home. (Thinking about that, how great it would be if we could outsource carpentry to India!hmmmm...)

Now comes a better one- the reason why TV prices have been going down I have been told is because the manufacturers are cutting down on labour intensive activities like "calibrating the TV set" which for "only$250 more we could do for you:---Are you out of your mind? Thats ow much a TV in India costs me...so well interestingly this is all that calibrating a TV does for me as a customer and for everyone bothered about the enviornment -http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1765771&type=story

But yeah, we cheapos didn't get ours calibrated or castrated or whatever else nonsense they do for the purpose of cost cutting (the articles doesnt mention its a cost cutting intiative, but the Best Buy guy did). So well, we evil guys down here will watch our Blaringly bright TV without shame- that is once the TV table is assembled.

The second month in amru land

So I survived the first month...through numerous slumbers, phone calls, gtalk conversations, grocery shopping and getting used to the awful cold..

I think i will be 200 pounds by the time i leave from this country.

I just hope the above doesnt come true please deliver us from evil (aroma of cakes, ice creams, packed food, lazy winters, jumbo cokes, jumbo everything, cheap junk food).

Amen.

Animation movies

The greatest achievement in being vella is that I watched all (almost, well no one is testing for accuracy here!) the latest animation movies...the simpsons, ratataoiulle(watever, dunno dont care about the spelling, never did), futurenama, meet the robinsons, the bee, cindrella (ok dont kill me for it), happy feet (very long movie with a pathetic ending), about all the possible chip and dale cartoons uploaded on you tube......

Hello? Am i losing the audience? Well, sigh...i should make an animation feature on this one.

One Week completed..

..In Uncle Sam's land.. I seem to have visited a decent number of places for a first time visitor- Walmart, Target store (3 times), Macy's, Patel's, and of course the fitness center!

I miss paapad...sigh.. I absolutely am amazed by the number of people in the gym- i have never seen so many people together in one place in the whole of minneapolis downtown!

So well, that is to say that unlike what most of us think- everyone in amreeca is not fat and obese (which gives me less company than i thought i would have!). I do not miss office at all..which is strange considering that 90% of my life in Hyd was spent in the office (or maybe thats why i dont miss it!)

I have already started liking the cold..and am experimenting with doing with fewer layers each time i use the skyway... I miss reading do rupaiya ka newspaper- the newspapers that come here for free are so crappy-they are worse than dainik jagran...and the normal ones at like $1.75 to $2...hardly worth it..besides no one delivers newspapers at the apartment which is totally insane! or maybe i will have to hunt around a bit for that..

Baaki, I am overall a little awed and amazed at this country- its got so much and thats becoz they have a govt which functions...i really dont know if i will be as proud an Indian when I return as when I came back!

EMC's Country

Ok here goes what I have been trying to put in since quite a long time:

First the positives- What I like about America or rather minneapolis:

1. Hershey's chocolate bars...I have been dying to have them!
2. very friendly and professional people...at least on the face of it
3. Heated houses.
4. Clean environment
5.Beautiful stationery and gift wrapping
6. The snow!
7. Super fast internet
8. drink from tap
9. Cheap Electronics
10. The mississippi
11. HEated Skywalks
12. Big book stores
13. Post offices looking like muesems

And things I am not fond of here..

1. 1.75 dollars for laundry per load, 1.75 for drying additional
2. $15 from walmart by cab
3. Sub zero temperatures
4. Bitter tasting water
5. Bulk sized packs for junk food
6. Shyam sunder
7. chinkies smelling of soya sauce
8. windchills
9. Everything is free, though installation, maintenance, taxes etc are all charged
10. $25 for home delivery for a $17 dollar cake
11. Incoming charges on the phone
12. Continental Airlines ki service in economy class