jason194
male - 59 years, MUMBAI, India
Blog 117
God's presence is unquestionable
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One week at Fairfax
One week at Fairfax-----------------
The Fairfax county is second richest county in USA, and it has best schools, so upto high school level this county has best schools. We had been to A RESTAURANT called Bombay tandoor in Tysons corner, and the food has been as good as any restaurant in India. The main feature of this county is its vegetation. Thick and gigantic trees everywhere and well maintained forests in urban centers is marked speciality of Fairfax. I was thinking only San Francisco has big gardens in the city but Fairfax without gardens is perhaps the best wooded city. Another feature of this county is that there is no mountain or hill in this county, turn your gaze anywhere, you will not find a small hillock. God has been lavish in bestowing natural beauty on Fairfax without big gardens and mountains.
Our first week has been busy with Shri Ganesh pooja and its emersion in a temple at a place called Chintally. At Ambranath these two days are full of tension for me because emersion has been a contetious issue. My wife insits on emersion in public place where I like private place. But at Fairfax and San Fracisco our Ganapathy had been peaceful and full of joy. This because there was no tension about emersion, it is done by temples. We had just to hand over our idol to the temple authorities. So all the musical commotion in India at the time of emersion was avoided, thank God! All the learned and talented people, Mahendra and Madhura’s friend circle, had come on first day to worship the Lord Ganesh. Parag Desai, Jayesh Jadhav, Sunita and Gaurav Chikara, Kapila and Keshav Gupta and Chandana and Rammana, all had come and made us happy. Yesterday for emersion we went to Chantilly temple called Rajdhani. The temple complex stately and large, there is again one gets the peace of mind. We placed our Ganesh in many Ganeshas brought by people from far off places. Our Ganesha looked happy and contented.
Fairfax county is less populated and less noisy, I feel. In San Francisco we have access to market the sooner you step on the street outside your home. In Fairfax this is not so. San Francisco is far more cold in this season as compared to Fairfax. But the climate of Fairfax is more extreme because in winter it snows here and Summer the temparature is in the vicinity of 100 F. America is clean and beautiful everywhere. This is emphasised on our minds but Rascals have come to this land also. -
Shri Ganesh in Fairfax in Washington
Friends believe it or not but Ganapathi Bappa has appeared in our home at Circle Towers, Fairfax near Washington.. we celebrate Ganesh Utsava.My son in law had booked the idol long back. he braught the idol on Saturday. we performed pooja today and my daughter Madhura decorated the Lord. my son in law Mahendra did the lighting and embellishment. it is moment of greqt happiness and pride for me. Melodious songs and bhajans by Lata and Asha, the children played. on this happy occasion, how can we not remember our grand daughter, Kashmira, my son Amol and mydaughter in law Bageshree. if she was here, Kash would have takeen the lead in everything to be done. Kashmira is bubbly chatter box who never misses the smallest utterance by her Aaji or Grand pa. The distance between San Francisco and Washington is formidable, otherwise i would have gone to SF and brought my chirping nightingale to our home on this Ganesh chaturthi day. Bola Ganapathi Bappa Morya!
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Circle Towers in Fairfax
Circle Towers, Fairfax-------------------------------
A very beautifully planned housing complex in Fairfax very near to DC. In the complex three gigantic multi-storied buildings and scores of row houses separated by side walks. Surrounded by three highways, US 50. Lee highway and freeway 66, the location of circle towers is enviable. And surrounded by thick vegitation that is the forest like which wonderful. The whole DC area is engulfed by thick forest and Fairfax is no exception to it. Yesterday we took a round of circle towers on the insistence of Mahen and it was wonderful experience but tiring for me. The complex is very big to walk and in the center are two very big grounds for recreation at two levels one upper and other lower. I liked the whole complex very much for walking and enjoyed the whole experience. Since it was evening the whole community was out on the ground so to say. We took a stroll and settled down in the lobby to rest. The entrance to building is always locked with every household having a key to the lock for entry. The entire complex is standing on a slab and slab covers a gigantic garage which houses the members cars, the lift reaching to garage level. At the lobby level, there is vast expanse of a play ground beautifully decorated by lights which glow in the night time. You go for a walk on the ground or just sit in balcony of your apartment enjoying evening sun after a tiring day. It is peaceful community but lately the peace is in jeaopardy as it is disturbed. Lot of desi, Chinese, Mexicans and people of many hues have crowded the complex and as result the amicable atmosphere in the society is having hiccups. -
Family Get Together
Family Get together----------------
It was a family get together par excellence. Our meeting with Vasant Mama’s family or rather Shaila Mami’s family in Riverside the ancestral home of Prashant, the son of Vasant & Shaila. Vasant mama’s sad demise in 1992 forced the family to defend their honor and own this new home on Oswego drive in Riverside near Los Angelis. Incidently, Shaila mami is the leading figure in the neighborhood and in cultural programs of Indian community there. We were happy to learn all this and more. The yesterday’s kids, Prashant and Sonal are now Dr. Prashant Phatak MD and Dr. miss Sonal Phatak MD. And the last daughter Miss Anita is soon enrolling for doing MS in surgery. We felt really proud of our nephew and nieces. To make his mom proud, Prashant has acquired engineering skills from father in remodeling their house and cars. Incidently they have five cars in their home including one large van to take family wherever they want. I personally was very impressed seeing all this. After late Vasant Phatak, his family has progressed so much, it is only possible due to able and skillful guidance of Shailaja Phatak. Without the support of her husband to rear the children single handedly in a foreign country is feat unthinkable and excellent. Really my hats off to Shaila vahini. May God bless the entire Phatak family. -
Advertising in America
Supposing two people are talking seriously and a number is given below , then we understand it is a lengthy advertisement. It is most boring form of advertisement, to see those people day in and day out. On American tv several channels are booked by commercial conglomerates for advertising of their products. They can make it interesting by introducing certain episodes besides advertisements. Originally the advertisements were interesting but over the same faces, same theme, and same story-line have rendered them very cumbersome. Mixer, grinder or juicer or home carpets or implements such as electrical brooms are popular form of advertising. Or some beautiful women measuring their ass or waste saying they have lost 15” in six months. The body reduction techniques are most popular among the ladies. Or on a channel, young damsels and guys are continually dancing aimlessly. Tiring themselves. Hundreds of guys and girls in scant attires, dancing, gamboling God alone knows what for? In fact America is country with vast and rich animal kingdom to fall back on. But they have used their advertising techniques with absolute irresponsibility. Or perhaps the talent in this field is waning. Or it may be that Americans are ignoring tv. Because they are more interested in computer and laptops. Americans are more technology savvy.
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A View from my Window
AVFMW------------
Park Presidio is large area of San Francisco city and white man’s residential quarters. Ocean beach, Golden Gate bridge and Bakers beach, Lincoln Park area, Veterans hospitals and many historic sites are included here. Presidio area is green, wooded, and beautiful area with lovely beaches. There are three large parks for children to play in this area. Lake Park with a large area for dog park. Dog park is an area for dogs to play and gambol. In the park wherever dogs discharge any night soil, the owner of the dog has to clean it. That is why the owners usually carry plastic bags with them. At one corner of Lake park there is beautiful lake with lot of seagulls, water hens and pigeons. It is richly wooded area very near the Golden gate bridge. Lincoln park is another park in presidio area for children again having large area for dog park. Masonic buildings are situated near this park. A museum of wars is being shown in Masonics. Close to Masonics is hospital for war veterans which is big hospital of its kind. Near the 48th ave. is Sutro park which is property of Sutro family. From Sutro park a bird’s eye view of majestic Pacific and ocean beach is beautiful. How beautiful is ocean beach is really seen from Sutro park. The hill is a vast forest of pine and oak trees. Only the weather of this beautiful place is eccentric. -
A View from my Window
View from my window 3---
Oakland is an independent city with large port area. There the port property is tremendous and large ships dock to the port after crossing Golden gate bridge. San Francisco is a not port but Oakland is port and natural port at that as it is inside bay area, wonderfully protected by bay. I have several times visited Oakland but never made stop in the city. Oakland has crime rate higher than San Francisco lot of young men have murdered there and gun battles are common. But San Francisco tops in crime against women and in general sexual predators are more in the city. San Francisco night life is famous and people from far off come to San Francisco for enjoying night life. Right from our Geary Bulverde the night clubs crowd are seen, and people stand in queue for entry in night clubs. Then several massage parlors and brothels cater to our every need. In addition there are trans sexuals and beautiful and natural eunuchs. Of course I have not visited them but seen the advertisements. Yes in San Francisco the advertisements for such places are openly seen in press as well as while going on the roads. That way the people of San Francisco are quite outspoken. I like this habit of American people, they will deter while calling spade, a spade. This healthy attitude about sex has avoided many cumbersome problems in life, isn’t it, gentlemen? -
American Advertising
American Advertising-------------
American advertising both in print and visual media it is equally unimaginative. Especially on TV it is at once boring and time consuming. One man giving lecture on how a particular product is superior continuously day in and day out, is extremely boring, isn’t it? Or two women emphasizing how an implement is better than others 24/7 on tv, tell me gentlemen is not it yawning! Just because a channel you can hire, you go on doing on it unlimited publicity of your product is it fair? People switch on tv with some expectation of entertainment, it is slap in their face, isn’t it gentlemen? This system of incessant advertisements, how the American people tolerate I wonder. Perhaps very few people watch tv, that seems to be the only explanation to it. And many people in America do not take tv seriously. Computer has mounted such big competition to tv that tv has become insignificant before it. Big stores like Costco, Toys R Us Walgreens do not require advertisement. The wise which require advertisements, do in a limited manner. But overall talent which seen in Mumbai is rarely found in America. Advertisers in India tell something in least possible time is remarkable. To tell your message in few seconds is skill mastered by our men in industry. Americans have plenty of time at their disposal. -
Borders, a shop for books
my son Amol took me with along with his daughter Kashmira for a visit to Borders, it is huge book and play things store, he said. accordingly we visited Borders store on Daly city side. it is wonderful store with virtually millions of books magzines, periodicals, and what not. virtually everything in print media is here. plus a well arrranged cafteria and tables laid out for reading books, operating laptops and play things for small children. this requires space and Borders has vast space that is why rows of books and magzines spread out before you and what to select is problem. i saluted the ingenuity of Americans for doing for younger generations so many facilities, i wonder.
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Yogesh's party
Yogesh’s Party------------------
Yogesh or Yashwant got engaged to Manasi Dharmadhikari, and there was lot of excitement in our camp as to how to celebrate the event. Of course the venue was fixed and menu was fixed by Bageshree. All agreed to it and we set out for the party. That day the atmosphere in Dosa restaurant was little subdued but for us, it was glittering for us as we were charged with party spirit. Kashhmira was full mood as if she was determined to felicitate Yogesh. The owner welcomed us and played Hindi songs on pa system.
We all congratulated Yogesh whole heartedly. Yogesh was dignity personified. Of course he liked preparations of Dosa very much. He had lamb curry whereas I had Goanese prawns and coconut rice. The dim lights, soft music and sumptuous meal had beautiful effects on Yogesh. In fact everybody enjoyed the evening very much. Kashmira danced around tables but we took it patiently as she was in a playful mood. I wonder why she is not interested in food as she tasted everything but ate very little. On Manasi topic we teased Yogesh but praised her beauty. The general consensus was Manasi has reached her home in finding Yogesh. A wife is selected by God for everybody and this is the wife for Yogesh.
