A Different Move

This blog has been moved to http://vijayponduru.info

Notes from Vizag

Its been a long time getting back home. But its been fun - and very very interesting. The last few days in California were a blur of activity - and it seems like a long time ago already. Should I have stayed longer?

I was in Singapore and Thailand for a couple of weeks in between. Singapore is a beautiful city - picture perfect, clean and reliable in most ways. Thailand is a little in between India and Singapore. I was in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. More like one night in Bangkok where I stayed in. So effectively just Chiang Mai. And it is a great place. I had a lot of fun there. And I didnt even get to see a lot of things there. I think I will write a post-travels travelogue since this was my first trip alone to a place where I didnt know anybody.

As for home, I havent been doing much here. Eating, reading, tv, scooter riding, the beach and the like. Diwali was a blast. Ran into a couple of old friends which is always good. I started taking guitar lessons but havent bought a guitar yet. I'm slipping back into my old habit of sleeping very late and waking up very late. But it'll get fixed once I start working. I'm waiting for broadband but maybe it is time to stop waiting. I also want to take swimming lessons and go for yoga classes. One step at a time...

There is a week long trek in Mizoram in November that I really want to go for - but havent decided yet. If I go, I want to do a bit of North East along with it because it is just so far to get to. And I also have to go to Bombay to see my old roommate. And there is Bhutan, Nepal...hmm.

So those are my updates from Vizag. Things just move slower here, and now so do I.

Decision

I am back on the blog after a long long time. And its been a while since I've really wanted to write anything. I don't know the reason, really. But I haven't really delved deep into wondering why that much.

Today was a good day. In a lot of ways, it was saying goodbyes to a lot of people, times and things. I went back to the Mission to a farewell party of a friend. She is headed to the Big Sur to a 2-month retreat and then back to Mississippi where she is from, originally. And maybe back to San Francisco and maybe not. She hasnt decided yet. In a lot of ways, that has exactly been my situation. For the last couple of months, I've been in a sort of a retreat. Hanging out with friends, enjoying times with them and thinking but not really deciding about things I am going to do. And I have decided now. So yes, I am going back to India. This already seems like my most revealing post ever.

And since we are being revealing..I am indebted to a lot of my friends here. Some more than others. And at some time in the future, hopefully I will be in a position to be as generous as they've been. To them or to others. On the 18th of this month is when I fly out of San Francisco. And while I am filled with apprehension of the challenges that lay ahead, I am also filled with hope and excitement for the possibilities. And while I will be away from my friends who've been family to me here, I hope my time with my parents and brother would compensate for that. And maybe new friends too.

Maybe in the long run, I'd want to come back. Maybe go somewhere else. Maybe go back to school. I feel differently everyday. And also, isnt it foolish to think you can plan the long run?

In other things, I will be going to Chicago this weekend. Before that, I'm going to a Def Leppard concert on Wednesday with friends. Both of which should be fun. And I'll try to squeeze in a trip to LA and Portland. Or to Big Sur, Yosemite, the Redwood National Park, etc. Hmm.. too little time?

More moving

As I started typing out the title of this post, Firefox suggested "Ruby and iPhone App Developer" through auto-complete. Thats basically what I should've been upto lately but the slacker bug is very much alive and kicking.

I havent gone back home to SF in ten days. I kind of feel bad about it. But what the hell. I have to go to court this week to attend to a ticket that I got on Caltrain (rather unfairly, I think). And this is in San Mateo, so I might as well stay down in the Peninsula.

What I really need to worry about right now is what I'm going to do next month when my sublet runs out. As of now, I have some plans of traveling around California. And maybe crash here and there in between? But I dont yet know if it is feasible, practical or even reasonable. Ah! more moving around the corner, goddamitt..

Blogger's Blogk

I am back in California right now. I've been doing a lot of fun things lately but havent had the motivation or felt the urge to blog at all.
Just to continue my last post, I did manage to go to Boston and it was great. While I was there, I thought I was in love with the place. But now that I am back, I know I love the Bay Area more.
I got the keys to my new place this week but havent moved in yet. I am planning to do so today.
I cant think of anything more to write, so I am going to stop now. :)

Currently,

I'm in New York now watching Wimbledon.. I'm here visiting my brother who is going back home at the end of the month. Missing SF but NY is beautiful. I've wanted to go to Boston but it hasnt worked out. Yet.

Before coming here, I moved out of my apartment. It was a physically exhausting and mentally draining couple of days. Always thank god for friends but especially more so when you are moving. Really. I said goodbye to my wonderful housemate who is also leaving for Brazil at the end of the month for two years. Also said goodbyes to three other friends who are wandering off chasing their destinies/livelihoods/education. Hopefully things go well for everybody.

July 1st, I move into a new apartment for a month's sublet. One of the roommates has a cat..

Twitterish : Blogs I read

I've added the blogs I regularly read on the sidebar. Thanks, WallpaperWalk!

Night Life

3 am - Mission Street is like I've never seen it. Well, I'm lying. I have seen it this way many times. I said that only for dramatic effect.

The Italian SeaFood place across the street is packed - It is the only place open. The ATMs still have a line. A lone Latino cyclist is biking on the sidewalk.. returning from work, no doubt. The Muni-14 passes by and the sparks from the overhead electric cables are bright and loud. I can hear a couple arguing on the street, but I cant see them. The woman sounds especially drunk. I walk by stores, restaurants and other businesses with their shutters down and lights out, like in India.

Douglas, my connection is waiting for me. He says I am late. I told him that I lost track of time watching a TV show. It was true - only on Hulu, though. I shrug my shoulders - he was going to be conducting his business till 7am anyways, you know. He shows me my stash. I am satisfied.

As I carry it out nervously past a security guard dressed as a cop, I bump my knee hard into the divider between the In and Out doors. I yelp and groan but he laughs. He says that hasnt happened to him yet even though he is old, his eyesight is not so good and he is there everyday.

Well he never was carrying six moving boxes out of the Safeway store, was he?

Peering ahead

The weekend is over. I miss it already. Sunday, I'd gone to WaterWorld in Concord with friends which was super fun. Saturday was a lot of activity - volleyball, Union Street Festival, dinner with an old friend at a bus stop (we were supposed to go to an aerial dance show but the tickets sold out), music performances in a backyard, and then a lot of dancing with Poppy folk.

But I feel tired even thinking about the week ahead. I have a lot of cleaning, packing and moving to do. It takes me back to my last few months in Grad school. As now, even then I was entering a period of high uncertainty and with no clear plan or resources in hand or mind. And hopefully things'll resolve themselves out similarly. Reminds me that I should call R, who was awesome and with whom I stayed a few of those months back then. As with memories, the things I associate that time with are Boca Burgers, The Twilight Zone, Life of Pi, New Age Music and volleyball.

I wonder what I'll remember these days by.

PS: From my brother's blog - "This page is my database of interesting things I find while browsing. Occasionally I write things on my own. I think this could become a valuable resource in the long run in my quest to become omniscient which will make me omnipotent and then... I will open a chicken farm.. chicken will lay eggs...which will become chicken again and lay more eggs.. I will open a factory to make bread also, so that I can make billions by selling bread-omellette.."

Ode to Furniture

So. I have to move out of my apartment by the 15th of this month. I feel a little stressed out about it, I think. Or maybe its the dozen other things that I have to deal with at the moment?

In any case, I''ve put my furniture up for sale. When I was moving to the City from the South Bay , I'd looked for a room big enough to hold my couch because I liked it so much. Luckily I found one which could hold my coffee table as well. The table is beautiful and has wooden flaps on the top which open out to form a nice big sit-down floor table which is perfect for cozy dinner parties or board game nights.

Yesterday, I sold it to a couple who'd just moved from Georgia a week back. They were totally excited about it and moved it into their car within five minutes of seeing it. It made me wonder if I had asked for too little. One of my friends then mentioned later that he could've used it and I felt the hurt. Giving it to a friend meant I could've got it back. How can I be so attached to some piece of furniture. Is it the memories associated with it? Or is it because I just lost a chunk of money and it'd been a bad investment? Or is it giving up hoping to move into an apartment for myself? Or is it just me being materialistic? I am not a good mover at all.

Tomorrow, somebody is coming to look at the couch. And I think it'll get sold. It feels like the end of something. I have no idea of what, though.

Revolution Cafe

"So I'll start a Revolution from my bed.." - Oasis

That sums up Revolution Cafe. I finally went there last week with two other friends. It is very laid back and it is so tiny that it forces people to share tables and sit outside, which I like. And I also ran into another friend there. The coffee was also good. I guess it is the same coffee/beer/wine selection from Socha and that cant be a bad thing.

I've still not given up on spending a night at one of the Youth hostels in Northern California.
The Redwood National Park has no vacancy this weekend. And I want to go there so so much. I wonder if it is nostalgia from a great trip or if it is truly as spectacular as I remember it to be. Should I try going to Point Reyes or Point Montara like I'd planned for last weekend?

In other things, I am very tempted to give up trying and enjoy June as much as I can. Would that be escapist? And also would that put me on a collision course with Regret in the future?

Balmy Alley

It is Memorial Day and a severely underwhelming weekend is coming to an end. I am bummed about it because none of my plans came to fruition and I have nobody else to blame but me. Oh well, hopefully I have better days to make up for days gone by.
But one good thing that I will remember from it, apart from the really awesome Terminator-Salvation, is my visit to Balmy Alley. The Mission apart from being famous for taquerias, dive bars, cool cafes and hipsters is also very well known for - murals. And Balmy Alley is one place to find a good collection of really top-notch murals in a very small area. It is like walking through an open-air permanent art gallery.

I've posted a link to other pictures that I took with my handy but definitely inadequate iPhone camera.


Balmy Alley - Mission District, San Francisco

If you are in the area and want a mural tour, hit me up.

Four Letter Word

"Turn the corner.
Take another path.
Its a four Letter Word.
Love."

I am sitting in my cafe again trying to study. And there is this group of 60-70 yr olds celebrating a birthday. I was given a plate of cake and ice cream. And a beautiful acoustic band has started playing music. That is one of their songs. And one of the reasons I love San Francisco.

Makes me feel nostalgic for the 60s which I only read/hear about. But isnt our time the 60s all over again - old questions being raised again about war, race, sexuality, civil liberties, religion, political beliefs, etc and how what we believe in means being forced to take a side now. It is time for idealism again.

Our history is now.

BHB - Bryan Harrison Band

Twitterish - Daft Draft

Sacramento has the fourth pick?!!!!! Fuck that, man.

Percentages get shit upon in the NBA.

Meeting new people

So. I was looking up reviews for Revolution Cafe a few weeks back because whenever I've gone past the place, it always was full to the brim. I wanted to see if there was a time when it was relatively empty, so I could spend a couple of hours of lounging around to get a feel for the place. And plus, the same people own both Socha and Revolution Cafe. In the process, I stumbled upon a blog posting about Revolution Cafe and some of the interesting things you get to hear there. I really should try out that place. Plus Classical Rev plays there as well... in fact, that is where they started apparently.

Today, I met somebody new, "K", at the Poppy and as we were talking, it turns out that K is into writing and photography. And instead of asking about what K writes, in true blogger fashion, I asked for K's blog site. So, it turns out that K is the blogger of above-mentioned blogpost.

Alright, that seemed like a much bigger coincidence earlier than it sounds right now. And the buildup to it sounds like such a waste. Sigh!

Its always sunny on Hulu

So. I'm watching "Its always sunny in Philadelphia" on Hulu. I dont know if there is a syndrome named after this phenomenon but this is how it goes. The show is over two years old and my brother asked me to watch it because it is really really funny. But I didnt. It was showing on tv once when I was super bored and I still didnt watch it. I think I saw Judge Judy instead. But..but I read in the news yesterday that Hulu is taking down episodes of "Its always sunny.." because the networks asked them to. Apparently it was getting too popular or something..I didnt read through the article completely. So now Hulu only has 5 episodes at any given time. This drove me into a panic..what if they are really good and I dont get to see them before they are taken down. So, I'm done watching 3 episodes today and intend to watch the remaining two now. Maybe, after drinking some chai..or groceries. Dont you love 24-hour grocery stores close to home?

In other news, I met the guy from Classical Rev whom people confuse me with. He looks nothing like me. He is Indian, of course.. but he looks nothing like me.

Honestly, I thought there was nothing to say today. But things keep popping up now. I have to go pick up my bike tomorrow from the bike shop. I'll be picking it up a week late and hopefully they wont charge any fees for that. I need to buy a lock before that, so the damn thing doesnt get stolen again.

Bay to Breakers is on Sunday and I really want to go but I doubt if I'll be able to because I'll be in San Mateo on Saturday night. It would take a lot of motivation to get up early and come back to the City. Hope everybody's week is going well. Sunshine continues and will spill into the weekend, so everybody enjoy some time outdoors..

Browser's block

As a proud master procrastinator, I've always been able to find new ways to put off work and occupy myself ungainfully. Then, one day, the mother of all coincidences happens - it is raining outside, the cafe is haunted by a dreadful experimental musician, the tv's latest and greatest digital reception is patchy and halty, out of groceries to cook, etc.

And as I am fumbling through all my hence-reliable options, I realize that I really should be working/studying. It is time to gather up all the determination and discipline that my parents always hoped was somewhere hidden inside of me, and sit down to business in front of the computer. Of course, hope is just hope and I tell myself that I'll browse around for 15 mins(which is important because knowledge is power) and then start. But bahhhh!! there is nothing to browse.. how can I stop if I cannot start??? None of the old faithful sites have much on them. Mondays!!!!! And in a panic, I ping other friends to chat... and realize the beginning of the week is the least popular day to chat! There are no mails to reply to and basketball games are horrible to follow on a website!!

Minutes turn to hours and there is still no start in sight...

The day is ending and nothing has been accomplished. Heres to a better tomorrow.

Twitterish - regret

I should have gone out tonight or not gone out tonight at all..

Twitterish - Trains and Automobiles

I cant say I am completely enamored by public transit and windy San Franciscan weather these past couple of days. I am officially sick of chasing and waiting.. for now.

Describe

What is my blog about. It was originally started to document my last days in San Francisco. But it hasnt quite turned out that way completely. Last night, I was telling my friend that it doesn't matter to me how many people read my blog. It was certainly true in the beginning when I knew that nobody knew about it and so it didn't matter. Now if the people, who do know, aren't reading, then are they passing a judgment on my abilities, my life..? So, I'm not so sure.
What I probably meant to say was I'm not going to try..

What is my blog about? As I told a friend of mine - "It has got nothing clever, political, philosophical, artistic or related to sports, current affairs, etc." Then?

My blog is about me. The part of me that I'm willing to share.