A Student's Nightmare

I wrote this in Aug, 2002. At that time, Anand, my friend, was also my roommate. Now, he's a happily married man, living in Seattle, having recently moved there. (That's where I was on the long weekend)
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Have you ever studied something, only to have it come back and haunt you when you least expect it? Well, it actually happened to me one time! Read on ...

I personally dislike heaters. If it is cold, I would rather throw on an extra layer, than turn on the heater. As it happened, my roommate subscribed to the opposite point of view. I never realised this bone of contention would have interesting consequences.

Belmont is usually a little on the cold side - even though we Indians have been tempered by the cold of such places as Pittsburgh and West Lafayette, the long stay in the cozy confines of the Bay Area, and SiliconValley have softened us back again. My roommate, more than anyone else.

He complained about one colder than usual summer night, and set the thermostat at 67. I boldly upped it to 68, thinking it would never hit it anyway! Boy, was I wrong.

I hit the sack a little early. Sometime after, the temperature continued to drop, and the heater finally kicked in. Here is how it is for a thermophobe like myself:

The relative humidity of this place is somewhere inthe realm of 4%, if I remember correctly. Hot, DRY air is blown into your room in an effort to warm it up. With our heater not having been used for a while, I suspect it spewed out extra carbon dioxide (or perhaps carbon monoxide).

For a while, everything is alright. As your inner struggles with the discomfort begin to lose, you find yourself suddenly awake. To wake up with a start, with a strange, dry feeling on your body, and a sense of suffocation, is to say the least, my friend, rather unsettling. I woke up, turned off the darn heater, tried to ventilate my room with fresh cool air, and sleepily plonked back into bed. That's when it happened.

In this twilight between wakefulness and sleep, as I tossed and turned sleepily in my bed, trying to get back to sleep, here were the thoughts going on in my head

"Recunoscator" (grateful - masculine)"
Recunoscatoare" (grateful - feminine)"
Adevarat" (Really?)
.....
"Kya aap angrezi bolthe hai?" (Do you speak English?)

The last one did it for me. I was wide awake at this point, chuckling, wondering what my Romanian and Hindi lessons were doing to me!

-Sridhar

Samovar Tea Lounge

Hi,

Last weekend, I had been to a place called the SamovarTea Lounge. I had seen this shop a while back, while driving by, and the name made me take notice.

I had first seen the word Samovar in "War and Peace",a book by Leo Tolstoy, considered a classic. While I'm not going to rave over it, it certainly was a well written novel, beautifully covering the lifestyles and events of old Russia, and the French invasion. In that book, Samovar referred to tea, rather a high tea,where tea was served with some snacks. I found out that Samovar actually refers to a Russian invention to boil tea, and literally translates to "self boiler".It became a symbol of Russian hospitality and family comfort, as well as a sign of prosperity.

Tea has been consigned to second rate status in theUnited States. I have seen very few places with really good tea, and even there, it awaits patiently by the side, away from the lime light of coffee, America's favorite drink. Therefore, a dedicated tea lounge in the middle of Noe Valley, close to home, was definitely an intriguing prospect.

Last weekend, I decided to check the place out.Carrying along volume 5 of Ponniyin Selvan, I drove down to the Samovar Tea Lounge, and was happy and surprised to get parking right across the street from it.

Inside, they had a huge assortment of teas from around the world - green, white, and black teas. I still haven't found out what white teas are! But I was really glad to see Assam tea there. I decided to give it a try, and was not at all disappointed. A huge ceramic pot of tea, with about 5 smalls cups worth. It was accompanied by a nice fig cake.

The place had some interesting dishes as well. I decided to make a lunch of it, and also ordered some samosas. They were both delicious, and going by the appearance of the other dishes that other people ordered, it all looked really good.

The tea was served on a tray lined with bamboo, with a nice wooden container for the sugar cubes, and a ceramic container of milk, and a small ceramic handleless cup for the tea. The decor was definitely east asian, with a Buddhist decor, and music that ranged from mridangam, to salsa.

I later on tried the Darjeeling tea too, and am now waiting to try the Nilgiri, before moving on to someJapanese varieties.

Daddy, I think you will really like this place. Infact, I was thinking of you on my first trip there,and how you will like it.

-Sridhar

Train Journey

I wrote this while traveling on a train in India, from Madras to Bangalore (or Bangalore to Madras), sometime in December. I love train journeys, especially in India. You keep the door open, sit on the foot steps, with a cup of chai in hand, and maybe some peanuts, and watch the world go by, as the landscape alternates between farm, desolate countryside, and bustling little towns about whose inhabitants and their lives you always wonder about.

Train Journey
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Where the wind always blows, and the world goes by
Fields of emerald, and houses that fly
Villages and towns, and wilderness that flees
I sip my tea, and watch with glee

Time flows like a brook, crystal clear
And slows down, from time to time.
A shepherd boy herds his goats in a line
The sky darkens, like a child crouched in fear

The stars open their sleepy eyes
And twinkle with delight at their friends
A faint strain of music wafts by
For which over the soothing click-clack I lend

Eventually, like light at the end of the tunnel, I see
With the screech of the wheels and the wail of the horn
Loved ones meet and greet with ecstacy
Recognition and smiles their faces do adorn.

The sights and sounds are a treat for me
Hues and tones that tickle the mind
A voyear maybe but just a role
As I enjoy my train journey.

-Sridhar Rajagopal