Tuesday, December 15, 2009

California Dreamin'

Highlight of the month.. California! Finally I made it to the West Coast. As my fortune be, it was one of those family trips where you end up meeting scores of old family friends and family. The ones you like and others you'd try to avoid. All in all it was a good trip. I managed to persuade the folks to take a trip to Alcatraz and San Francisco. Surprise isn't the word I'd use to describe when it took over 8 hours to drive from LA to SF.
San Francisco is a dream. I'd go there in a heartbeat. Probably one of the prettiest cities I've seen so far. Then again, I saw very little of it. Was able to squeeze a few pictures off while on this trip. Here is a link to my picasaweb album http://picasaweb.google.ca/gautam7/CaliforniaTrip#

Now, looking out of the window, seeing the snow bellowing from the cold North, I close my eyes, California Dreamin'...... on such a winters day...

Monday, May 18, 2009

Archives

It seems that I have quite a few posts over the last few years that
are still in drafts and in private view form. There might have been a
reason why I didn't publish them at the time, but whatever be the
reason, I can't seem to remember why. I've decided that I should
release one or two every week or so till there are none left.

In advance, if I do end up embarrassing some of my buddies, I do
apologize ahead of time.

till next time.

GJ

Friday, April 17, 2009

Letters

Letter writing is an art form. Many years ago back in middle school a teacher once introduced this art to his pupil. He began with the general structure and the usual salutations. The one thing he emphasized was on how you address the person the letter was intended to. He said the first and biggest mistake was using the phrase 'Dearest'. He said reserve that for just one person. Everone gets either 'Dear','Sir/Madam' etc. It is not to be used for parents and friends either. Another aspect he points out is the sign-off. Classic ones include Sincerly, Respectfully, 'I Remain'... reserve 'Much Love' for someone who you might be friends with but it is an indication of interest or affection and lastly 'Love' only to the one who was addressed 'Dearest'.

Over the years I remember that first class on classic letter writing. The ripples of giggles and winks through the crowd of tweeners. I remember making a mental note regarding the Reserved words.Over the course of the next decade or two, several sweethearts and several heartbreaks, the one thing I always held back were 2 songs and the reserved words. Finally at the turn of the century, I met someone who was to make a huge impact in my life. From the moment I first saw her, there was a sense of familiarity. I knew her from somewhere. It was something elemental. I just know that I knew her from somewhere. We drifted in and out of our respective lives for the next few years, being there when we need someone to listen or talk to. Circumstances and a series coincidences brought us back to a place where we had a choice to make. This time around, we saw each other. We found each other. I knew

Our journey has only just begun and the road ahead lies in shadows. But least we have each other to travel with and with every step we take together, the shadows seem to retreat.

'Love will find a way, Darling Pretty
Find a Heaven for you and I.'
-Darling Pretty - Mark Knophler (Golden Heart)