Earthquake

Our windows and doorknobs rattled and shook for a bit around 4:30 a.m. this morning. Nanu wondered why the road crews - who have been re-laying roads in our neighborhood the past few days - were already at work so early in the a.m. I never heard it, because I was sound asleep.
Imagine our surprise then to wake up two hours later and find Southern Illinois had experienced an earthquake that registered a 5.2 with the U.S. Geological Survey. Luckily no one was hurt.
But I found it interesting that our dogs woke my husband up sometime before the earthquake and he figured they needed to go potty at this unearthly hour. So he let them out in our back-yard and got them back in and came back to bed.
And that was the only reason he was awake when he felt our windows rattle…

B-Town here we come!

In a few hours we will be in Bloomington, Indiana! Should be fun catching up with old friends and soaking in the "atmosphere!"

This picture is from August 2004.

Cant wait to see Sunita and Abby! Sunita's back in B-Town to finish her thesis and Abby is in town to attend a wedding. Koichi and Giri (who are still studying!) will be there too.

The icing on the cake? The Lotus World Music & Art Festival is on this weekend in B-Town. Fun fun fun!

Weekend Warriors

Yellow Moon and Radiant Red.

Those were the colors I chose on a whim.

And those were the colors we painted our family room this Sunday.

Our very first paint job ever.

It was backbreaking work.

Took us a full day almost.

One thick coat of primer, followed by one thick coat of paint.
The painting was the easy part, however.

The prep work prior to painting was time consuming.

Moving furniture, removing wall paintings, getting the drop cloths in place, patching the wall, masking off the
moldings, scraping old clotted paint, wiping the walls down with a vinegar-water solution...you get the picture.

And then the cleanup of the floors, our brushes and tools, and rearranging things back in place after the painting was over – took ages!

The guys on HGTV could have fooled us.

They make it look so easy!

At first I was scared we had gone too bold.

I mean, the colors looked so much more muted when we saw the samples in the store!

However once they dried, they looked really nice - very vibrant and interesting.

And truth be told, we are kinda enjoying our
new “bold” colors, for the reason we wanted bright colors in the first place, was because its a dark room, with no windows and not the greatest of lighting.

We still have to paint the moldings white (they used to be a brick red before!), but we’ve decided to keep that for another weekend.

Now if only my body wouldn’t ache so much...

Who knew that painting could be such good exercise? :)

Shahi Malai Kofta anyone?

In the mood for some authentic stuff, we rolled up our sleeves the other day and followed every minute direction Nita Mehta had to give us.

We spent many hours in the kitchen, chopping, boiling, grating, dicing, deep frying, stirring and what not.

The end result? Simply marvellous I tell you! No modesty there as you can see!
May I present to you our version of Shahi Malai Kofta with rotis as an accompaniment?

*drumroll please!*

We made the paneer ourselves, since its not available here. And then proceeded to make the koftas from grated paneer and potato. The gravy is pretty rich too - since its made up of ground cashews, onions, cream and a bunch of other things.

Then we mixed some atta in our food processor and proceeded to make the rotis in our latest gadget - the automatic roti maker!

I must take a picture of the machine and put it up sometime. Its the best thing we ever bought and lugged all the way from India - because now making rotis is as easy as 1-2-3!

We made utter pigs of ourselves that night. And had all kinds of stomach problems the next day - due to overeating!!

Hiking at Heron Pond

Last Sunday, we decided to get off the couch and do something active for a change!

We drove for over an hour (and got lost several times!) until we finally hit the Cache River State Natural area.

The long ride didn't seem to agree with Pico and he managed to throw up some disgusto-smelling stuff several times inside the car.

So our first job was to clean up the mess!

Once we were done with that, we proceeded on our hike as planned, since all that throwing up didn't seem to have affected Pico in any way!

The Heron Pond trail and the Litle Black Slough Trail began with a fantastic truss bridge over the Cache River and I had a field day taking photographs.

Pico had a blast following his nose as we drank in the painted green canvas buzzing with life all around us.

Situated within a floodplain that was carved out centuries ago by Ohio River's glacial floodwaters, this natural area boasts the most massive and beautiful Cypress trees.

There's a sign that calls them "trees with knees" since no other tree has "knees" like the Cypress when it grows in wet, swampy conditions, apparently.

But what really stood out on the trail was a floating boardwalk kind of setup right in the middle of the swampy Cypress pond at Heron Pond.

On one hand, it gave us a chance to observe and appreciate relatively undisturbed wetland and aquatic ecosystems.

On the other hand, it gave us a genuine "Oh my God!" moment - when we just stood there awestruck by the sheer beauty surrounding us on all sides.

The secluded depths of this forested swamp, seemed to have a rhythm and life of its own.

The trees formed a canopy above us and since sunlight had to squeeze its way in, there seemed to be an eerie but beautiful greenish glow - caused by all the duckweed and other green forms all around.

We ended the trail by looking at a bald cypress tree that has earned the title of "State Champion" due to its massive trunk girth, awe inspiring height and heavily branched canopy.

It was a sight to behold.

Losing our mind!

While the trip was wonderful, it also tested us like no other vacation we’ve ever taken before. For we managed to lose Nanu’s passport and a whole bunch of vital documents the moment we stepped out of Bombay airport.

If you had asked me before this vacation, “Is it possible to lose your passport?” I would have laughed and said, “Impossible! Unless you’re an utterly careless fool!”

But this trip has taught me that you can be as careful as the most tightfisted investor, but things happen and you may end up without a passport.

Is that just fate stepping in? The God’s playing with us? Or as someone said, us leaving on an inauspicious day according to the Hindu calendar. Or just plain old bad luck? Who knows?

Looking back it’s easier to forget about all the little inconveniences, the trials and crazy negative experiences we had and celebrate the positive.

Below you will find a video I took from City Center Mall to my parents home in Madras. To ease traffic woes, the city has gone and built a mini flyover smack in the middle of a two lane road!! The result is a really narrow flyover that is simply bizarre!

Anticipation!

The condition of looking forward to something, especially with eagerness.

This time next week, we will be in India!

Oh I cant wait!

New Flooring!

We spent the weekend on our hands and knees – literally!

Nanu and I retiled our entire kitchen floor. This was our first major DIY project and we are so proud of the end result.

We spent almost two whole days (Saturday and Sunday) removing the old, ugly, white floor tile in our kitchen and replacing it with a lovely new terracotta-ish, natural looking tile.

The photographs really don’t do it justice.

We borrowed some “tools” from our ever-helpful and super handy neighbors and were down on our hands and knees for most of the weekend after that, toiling away.

It took hours and hours to get the old tile off the floor. More hours to prepare the floor. And many more solid hours to put the new flooring in. But we did it.

And we can’t believe how lovely our kitchen looks now!

This project has given us a huge confidence boost now. In the future we plan to retile the flooring in the family room, bathroom, hallways; and repaint several rooms.

But not just right now. My back is so sore, it needs like a two-month break!

Sniff

I have a terrible cold.

Its been a pretty dreadful week and a half. Nanu was down with the flu for the first week (after we had to walk a mile in the freezing cold) and I played nurse and now it looks like I caught what he had.

So here I am down with the same symptoms and poor Nanu is trying to play nurse.

On the lighter side of things, a friend of mine laughed out loud when I told her I was having "terrible mucus issues"!

A Torturous Walk

Weekends are good. Time off from the job. Time off to have a little fun and adventure. Time off to sleep that little bit extra. Time off to awake to a long, lazy breakfast; not the hurried cornflakes-with-milk thingy we have to do every other day during the hectic work week.

We took Pico for a walk on Sunday afternoon around Campus Lake. It’s a 2.2 mile loop around a lake surrounded by winding paths and sycamore trees. On a normal day it’s a beautiful walk. But on a day like yesterday, it was, “A torturous walk,” as Nanu called it.

The January cold bit into my face, fingers and thighs, through the layers of clothing I had on. By Carbondale standards, it seemed like it was the coldest day ever.

Despite the cold, it felt good to be out. Pico was in heaven. He had his red sweater on and was frantically following his nose, inhaling the smells of numerous dogs who had walked that same route before us. The waters of the lake looked crystal clear. We saw a ton of ducks swimming by and the occasional turtle.

About a mile into the loop, I took Pico to the water’s edge to watch the ducks.

Normally he hates water and will never get into it of his own free will. So I wasn’t expecting what happened next. Pico jerked on his leash as he watched the ducks swim past and leaned forward, nose quivering. I took my eyes off him at that very moment and the next thing I know, he’s fallen into the icy water.

My heart stopped. I saw Pico swimming in slow motion, his sweater a red blob in the water. I felt foolish still holding onto his leash. Fortunately for me, he hadn’t fallen very far. I leaned over and managed to drag-carry him out of the water.

Unsurprisingly enough, Pico was fine after his little mishap or should I call it adventure? And despite having just been immersed in near-freezing water, he shook himself, spraying water all over me and then took off, following his nose all over again.

Nanu removed Pico’s sopping wet sweater and got his gloves wet in the process. I had gotten my gloves wet by pulling Pico out of the water. And Pico was wet all over. In about five minutes, Nanu and I had ice-crystals form on our gloves. And then we saw ice-crystals form on Pico’s body.

In no time we felt C-O-L-D-E-R than ever; in definite need of warmth. Nanu couldn’t feel his fingers after a point. Neither could I. The exposed parts of my face hurt with the cold. To make matters worse a wind had just started blowing.

But we were midway into the loop and the car was parked a mile away. There was nothing else to do but to suck it up and walk as fast as we could, the rest of the way.

We felt a bit like the lost climbers on Mt. Everest, doomed to die of frostbite. Yeah that is an exaggeration, but I can totally understand what they must have gone through.

Strangely enough, even though we were literally freezing, there was something exhilarating about the whole experience. However we sure were glad to come home to a warm house and some hot coffee.

Hello 2007!

Happy New Year, everybody!

Nanu and I drove all the way to Metroplis - a town that's about an hour away from Carbondale.

Metropolis is kinda famous because its the birthplace of Superman himself! So you see big statues of Superman all over the place and Superman memorabilia being sold even at gas stations.

We gambled the night away at Harrah's Casino. The place was packed and photographs weren't allowed. So I don't have any cool inside-casino pictures to share. But I do have the photographs we took outside!

And in case you're wondering, no we didn't win any money. We just lost a lot. I think the slots at Harrah's Metropolis are very tight. Not loose like Vegas. (Sigh!)

My New Year's resolution is to get healthy and lose some weight! Nanu's resolution is to get his thesis done this year! What's yours?

Gift wrapping frenzy!

While Nanu and Pico lay on the couch watching TV, this is what I got done.

Merry Christmas everybody!

PS - Someone please teach me how to curl ribbons. I just cant seem to get the hang of this supposedly "simple" art-form!

A Visit to B-Town!

Guess what? We were in Bloomington, Indiana, last weekend!

Nanu had to go to meet with his advisor and I just kinda tagged along, since I wanted to see B-Town again.

It was kinda weird going back after nearly two years and realizing that its the people that make a place special after all.

Met up with Giri and Koichi who're still in graduate school and we hung out at Yogis quite a bit.

Unfortunately the Irish Lion was closed so I couldn't eat the Blarney Puff Balls I've been craving. But I did take a photograph of Nanu, Jack, Koici and Giri under the Irish Lion sign, for old times sake!

Oh and we even managed to catch the SIU vs. IU Basketball game. We sat right next to the band and our seats vibrated every time they started the music.

And yeah IU won. Go Hoosiers!

The Lights Fantastic Parade

It was cold last night. Very cold. But who says you have to sit at home, warm and comfortable, when you can have a little fun outside, even though its cold and freezing?

Hundreds of adults and children lined the streets of downtown Carbondale to watch the traditional Lights Fantastic Parade - a yearly event that signals the start of the Christmas season here.

With Illinois Avenue closed off to traffic, finding parking was a headache. But well worth the effort.

All wrapped up in layers of warm winter clothing, Nanu and I stoood for about an hour or two, watching the colorful and creative floats, marching bands and other holiday-themed lighted entries as they rolled one after the other.

There were floats in the shape of alien spaceships, stable scenes from Christ's birth, a lounge scene in a bar(!), floats in the shape of the world talking about global unity, a series of mini-cars which did coordinated stunts together, a series of guys on bikes doing wheelies, and just so much more.

Then came a group of people under a huge dragon with glowing, blinking eyes, while their friends carried "dead witches" on long poles. It looked pretty cool, except a kid who stood next to me, shouted out, "Hey, it's not Halloween!"

The marching bands representing various area schools were pretty impressive. Kids with musical instruments playing anything from Jingle Bells to Staying Alive, while whole other groups danced in coordination and pom-pommed to the tunes.

What struck me was the predominance of body lights every parade participant seemed to have stuck on their caps and bodies.

Married for Two Whole Years!

Yesterday was our second wedding anniversary. I cant believe how fast time flies by!

Unfortunately Nanu and I couldn't take the day off as we each had to work. But we sure made up for lost time that evening!

We went to the Egyptian Revival Day Spa in Carterville and celebrated by getting a luxurious couple's massage. For starters, this spa is just unbelievable. Its done up in this Egyptian theme - so you have massive urns and beautiful statues of Greek Gods and Goddesses everywhere; every room is named after a Greek God or Goddess and some of the statues even breathe fire. Then there's the sheer luxury of the place. Its decorated in a very classic Egyptian way.

Then there are the numerous awesome sounding treatments available. The massage was excellent and just what we needed to de-stress and also feel pampered at the same time. We followed the massage with a great dinner at Sao Asian Bistro - this relatively new Asian-Chinese restaurant that's opened up in Marion - a small town located about 25 minutes away.

So the question of the moment is: Am I a happily married woman? The answer is a resounding yes!

Husband at Work!

Nanu's been this busy bee today. He finally got off his lazy ass and got so much done - it's unbelievable!

He was up on the roof this morning clearing away the last of Fall's leaves and dead branches. After that, he even raked all the stuff he threw down on the ground!

Then he fixed the flashing on the roof - which needed to be done, due to all the electrical work we've been having done the past week and also swept and powerhosed our cement-floored screened in porch.

Boy I am so impressed! He's getting a special treat from me today! Heh heh.

Thanksgiving Day

Another Thanksgiving just went by and we were flooded with invitations for lunch and dinner from thoughtful friends. I guess they figured we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving and felt it made sense to have us over.
So we went to Jack

and Angela's for lunch and another friend's place for dinner. Lunch was fabulous. It wasn't the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Instead it was just a bunch of veggies and dips and a whole lot of vodka-tonics and vodka-red bull-cranberry combinations! But we had a blast and enjoyed every minute of it.

Dinner was another matter altogether.

Traditional Thanksgiving fare (turkey - no I didn't eat it!, mashed potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie, beans, etc) and intense, sometimes uncomfortable conversations due to the weird mix of people.

How do you tell someone they are racist in a party, without making yourself and everyone else uncomfortable in the process? It felt strange to hear some anti-Muslim rantings from an otherwise "apparently sane" person. Both Nanu and I felt disturbed by her remarks and also realized how anti-Muslim sentiments are bubbling very much under the surface. You don't even have to scratch it seems.

Living Without Electricity!

We just went through two days of having no electricity in our home!
Let me explain how that happened...

Since Nanu had the whole week off for Thanksgiving, he decided to get some (arbitrary!) electrical upgrades done to our house.

So on Monday, he called up the electricity dept. and asked them to disconnect our electricity. With the help of a friend, he installed a new meter outside our house, and upped the electric input into our house from a 100 amps to 200 amps.

When he called the electric company that evening to turn on the electricity, he was in for a rude shock.

"You first need to get a city permit to do this kind of upgrade," said the city official. Realizing this could become a serious issue, he ran to the City Center and got the permit.

Then he was in for a ruder shock. "You need to use a licensed electrician certified by the city of Carbondale to do this kind of job," said another official, refusing to turn on our electricity.

Now we had not only done the work without a permit, but we'd also done it without a licensed electrician. This was the first we'd heard of this rule.

So we went that night without any electricity. The next morning, Nanu paid big bucks to get a certified electrician to basically look over what had already been done and say it had been done right. Then he had to wait for the city inspector to come in and inspect the work and pass his stamp of approval.

By the time this happened, the guy who was supposed to come to our place and turn on the electricity had already left for the day. So this meant we had to go a second day without electricity in the house.

Things got sorted the next day, when our lights came back on.
But the two nights we endured without electricity, was kind of fun in a strange way.

We got to really talk to each other, spend quality time and do the things we'd been missing out on for quite a while - like playing board games by candlelight!

I got the chance to finally use all the myriad candles and candle holders scattered all over my house and though Nanu went through withdrawal symptoms - being unable to use his computer or watch TV - we pretty much enjoyed the experience.

It felt a little like getting back to basics, going back to the time when there was no digital entertainment or electricity for that matter. Just pure companionship.

Who'd think that conversations by candlelight would be so fun?

Kickboxing

Nanu and I have taken up kickboxing. Yeah you read that right. I actually managed to persuade him to join the class with me! Woohoo!

So we just got back from our second class and we feel so alive and healthy. Its really great to work up a sweat, especially in cold weather like this. The funny thing is our teacher at the community center is called Shanti. And you know what that means? It means she's Indian like us.

Now isnt that a strange coincidence? Who ever heard of an Indian lady teaching Kickboxing of all things in rural Southern Illinois of all places? Ha ha.

Blasted Leaves!

So we have this tree right on our front lawn that is just beautiful. But what's the problem?

It sheds like crazy! Our lawn is constantly covered with leaves. And now that Fall is here, the leaves have changed color and its beautiful. But not so beautiful lying all over the lawn.

So Nanu and I had plenty of exercise today, raking humongous amounts of leaves and putting them in clear plastic bags. It took forever!

And now I'm all sore and tired. Come to think of it, it's a pretty good workout!