Dallas Despatch –III

Hello out there!

“If winter comes,  can spring be far behind”, is what I has said before signing off my last blog. However, on all occasions, we had missed Spring by the proverbial whisker.

So, when is it Spring, actually?  In the  Army, jerseys came off on 1^st March ., without a murmur.  It’s another matter that it invariably rains that day. Then there’s Basant Panchami, that is supposed to herald Spring. But each year, the date differs! Out here, there is this thing called daylight saving, where the clock is set back by an hour. In the first week of March, the time is put back to ‘normal’ by One hour. This is really “stretching” time. (Back home, each person has his own calculation!!)

This morning, when I was out for my walk, a  Blue Jay,  though not very melodious,   was in full flow, right on top of the tallest branch. Similarly, the Mockingbirds, Starlings & Cardinals, were  trilling away to glory, incessantly. I found the calls of the Mockingbird quite  varied & sweet; have yet to hear it’s so-called ‘mocking’ cry! Although there was a slight cloud layer, the sun was able to send some light (& warmth) below.

Fallen flowers....

And the birds knew, this is Spring. That answered my question. Spring is when Nature tells you so. And she has so many different ways of showing it. Within a period of 3-4 days, buds which one could hardly see, have blossomed. Some trees are already in full flower, only to wilt away, to make way for the new leaves. It is as though wild flowers are swaying to the birdsong! No man-made barometer or any other device, will ever be able to pinpoint the exact point of  change in the weather. And that’s the most beautiful part of Nature. 

A lone Robin!

It only reinforces my conviction, that weather dictates our moods. Just as a dark & overcast sky makes us feel ‘low’, fresh blossoms, birds chirping and all the tell-tale signs of Spring, literally put a spring in our steps!!

 Grabbing the opportunity of a double whammy (Sunday+ sunlight), we decided to explore some parts of Dallas.  As mentioned earlier, Dallas is a big place & the numerous flyovers  that are a part of the landscape, are engineering feats!

Multi-tiered flyovers

6th Floor museum

A drive of approximately 40 minutes, saw us at the Sixth Floor museum. A  former school depository, from which, President Kennedy was shot at,  it has now been converted into a museum. This, (to the right)

Elm Street (where the motorcade was, during the shooting) & other places, were full of people, from all over, giving a very ‘touristy’ look to the place.

Elm Street

Of course, here, as I’ve noticed elsewhere, (on every visit), the area was  spotlessly clean  and the traffic well-behaved (vehicular & people). And all this was in the absence (physical, at least) of any kind of enforcement persons!!

From here, went all the way back to Preston, a fairly up- market area, where you name it & the brand/chain  is there. The list is too long to enumerate!! Reshma was doing her ‘last-minute’ shopping, before leaving for home on 20^th March. Modern technology has been able to denote a “split-second”, besides other ‘nano’-related periods. But we have not been able to find a word or words, to describe precisely, what is “last-minute”!!

We also took advantage of the good spell to visit  an area called Richwoods.  True to  the word, this a very, very top-of-the-order housing complex. And  one can visit some of the houses (referred to as ‘Open House’), that are up for sale. The lowest rate was  500 K USD!!   Some areas of the house were a bit too ornate, for my liking, but overall, they were superb. And all these houses, besides being functional, were also well stocked with water, coffee, cookies (biscuits yaar!) Lunch was at “Applebees”, a typical American Diner.

One of the many houses in Richwood

Wine cellar!

As I write this, J & J have just returned after the ‘baby’s day out’, if only to the Doctor & all is well!!

Thinning Out! This has nothing to do with health, diet etc. vis-à-vis ‘Pigging Out”! It’s a typical Army term that describes the gradual withdrawal of troops! (why is the ‘s’, of the second  vis, not pronounced? ) Mr. & Mrs. Jacob left for home (Thrissur, via B’luru) last week. The ‘Full House’ began losing the ‘fullness’ with their departure. This week,  Anshuman, Reshma & Samruddhi are leaving for home, which will further magnify the emptiness !  Janu, Jenny are definitely going to miss Samruddhi , for, as I’ve said earlier, she’s bonded beautifully with her aunt &  ‘kaka’. (actually, she started off by adding the suffix of the relationship,  but soon switched to the American way of first-name addressing!!) The good spell was also fully utilized to have a family photo-shoot, for the records. It was a DIY affair & the results are here to see! 

The Two 'Apples' of our eyes

Gen II & III

The 'Head Girl' & her wards

Reshma has been a tremendous help all these months. Anshuman chipped in too, especially in ‘sitting’ Nikita. It’s a good thing Samruddhi qualifies as a full-seat passenger, thereby eligible to carry 2 suitcases! This has been a godsend, taking care of all the shopping that Gunes Jr. have indulged  in!!

At the time of writing this post, Anshuman, Reshoo & Samruddhi have left for home. The weather was gloomy as ever, which added to the mood of the moment. Janu, Jenny have returned from the airport with news that all went well, from check-in to boarding. The house now wears a more vacant look .

At the Temple....

...& the Church

The weather has been good all these days, so we have been taking advantage of the same & ‘stepping out’!. In keeping with all good traditions, Nikita, on completing 40 days of her birth, was taken to the Hanuman Temple (coincided with Ram Navami) & the Church.                                                                                                           


Thereafter, we trooped into  The Hacienda, a typically TexMex kind of a place for lunch…at 4 p.m.! The décor speaks for itself & the food was definitely worth  the wait.

The Hacienda 

Dallas Arboretum

This Saturday, we took a trip to the Dallas Arboretum, situated a good 30-40 mins away. This a  beautifully laid-out garden, with the best of Spring blooms (mostly Tulips, Poppys )on display. The vast parking is underground & from there itself, an elevator takes you to the desired level, from where, a walkway, under the highway, takes you to the garden across! Being a holiday, & the weather Gods being in a benevolent mood, it appeared though half the town was at the gardens, not to mention a few ‘about to be married couples’, in their wedding attire! The garden, like all parks here, are huge, well manicured &  clean. 

The usual curio shops, cafetarias are all there for your pleasure. His was followed up for a latish snack at IHOP, since there was brunch a la udipi cuisine! A quiet evening, after a well-deserved rest, was just what the doctor ordered. Jenny went off to the church for Easter Mass. Later, there was a typical ‘home’ meal of Beef Chilli, Appams etc.!!

Easter Sunday was  a relaxed affair. Kalpana  re-arranged the guest room into a kind of coffee (‘wine’)  lounge. She’s always been good at such things. Her ‘driving’ ethos being simple, “since you can’t change houses at will, change the arrangements”! Nikita was all dressed up in a full pink ensemble, gifted by Dipti & looked every inch the ‘Little Princess’. We did a notional inaugural of the coffee (yes, yes, wine) room. Pic alongside for the record.  

Inauguration of the 'Coffee' Room!

Then drove straight to the Black Pepper resto, which serves a Kerala lunch buffet on Sundays. (Have you noticed how spellings have been shortened? I would like to believe that remembering the correct ones may be difficult, So, restaurant/  restaraunt, calendar/calander, etc.etc. Hence Symbiosis becomes Symbi!!)

The food was good, but somehow, the “first time’ always seems better!! Being Easter, the place was pretty packed. Nikita slept throughout the meal, good girl. Post-lunch, went to the Stonebriar Mall to pick up some ordered items & back home.

Time to sign off for the present! Do try & enjoy this piece. 
Take care all of you. Missing you !!
Ashok

                                                             Dallas Despatch  II
Howdy folks,

The delay has been due to a ‘scheduled’ halt on the 17^th, i.e. the birth of Janu’s baby.

So, 17^th morning saw all of us at the Baylor Women’s Centre, at 7:30 am. BWC, is just a part of the Baylor Med Centre, and it is huge. The waiting hall is more like a star hotel than a ‘typical’ hospital. And there was a total absence of the odors (disinfectants, medicines etc.) that normally greet us in hospitals.  Only Jenny was allowed to be present during the procedure & he too was scrubbed & attired accordingly!

 - Nikita, our second granddaughter arrived at 10:40 am, all of 6.14 lbs & in good shape!  But it would be a while, before we could see her. That happened at 3:30 pm! 



Of course, the hospital had all the signs of efficiency & more, that are commonplace, but out here, taken/implemented seriously. BTW, the restaurant gives a discount to customers, who have relatives admitted. As regards the professional care, most jobs are done by nurses, the doctors coming on the scene only for  specific jobs. Besides, there was  staff from the pantry, hospitality etc. Frills like pink/blue coloured stickers saying ‘Sister/Brother’, wrist bands,  free meals for One person accompanying etc. are routine fare.

To digress a bit, another thing I noticed is that there is a  large number of  ‘Indian’ stores, selling typically Indian groceries & vegetables. Some are huge & it will not be out of place to put them in the same league as say Sams or even Walmart, though of course, these are basically selling provisions & vegetables (Farmer’s Market!) … and also  diverse commodities, from  ‘Pooja’ items to costume jewelry !. Inference drawn is that we have a lot of country cousins in these parts. Didn’t see too many of them elsewhere, but they were all at these ‘markets’.  Of course, I did not expect any of them to even raise a brow in token of acknowledging my presence, so I was not disappointed!

But…. but, I am greeted warmly by so many people when I go for a walk each morning, total strangers, but this small gesture gives a great start to my day. And to prove the law that exceptions are the rule, only this morning I crossed paths with a ‘man from back home’, who gave me a nod, (in return of my Hi!), as though it was at gunpoint!! This has been a constant feature during all my previous visits, & I have made a mention of this in every blog I wrote. Not that I need any explanations, but if someone could shed some light on this ‘acquired trait’, it will help me put it out of the way. Some of my young friends have been here for a while & if they access this blog, I would really want their views. I was explained, that back home (India, that is!) we are not in the habit of wishing everyone and anyone, except known persons, so the habit is bbf! Perhaps. Anyway, this is the burden of my song each time I come here & I guess I shall carry this burden for life!

But to get back to the business at hand. Yes, I was ‘swamped’ by so many friends asking me if I was going to write something this time. My immediate response was that since we weren’t going to be travelling & most of my blogs were travelogues (incl local outings), I was not sure whether there would be the required motivation to do so. Fortunately, inspiration came, as it does to the famous, like a flash, at the most unexpected moment (& place!)

Anshuman flew in from Galveston after signing off, which was a big relief, as earlier, he was to have flown to Mum, stayed a night & taken a flt to Dallas next day! Galveston is four hours away(air + road), so those inclined to some quick calculations, see how many hours (& hassles) he saved!!

So, after years of planning (& hoping) the Gunes are finally together, in the US of A!  Anshuman, Reshma & Samruddhi are staying at an ‘Extended Stay’ hotel and are  enjoying every moment together! 

They shift back here on Monday .

About a fortnight back, I got dropped off at Barnes & Noble (the very name sounds so refined/high brow!), perhaps the best book store chain here, to do some browsing & possibly pick up a good book. To add to your comfort, there’s a  Starbucks Coffee  counter , with lots of seating. So, settling down with a book of your choice & a hot cup of drinking chocolate (or coffee) and your day is made. I bought a hardcover biography on Gen George S Patton, one of the most outstanding officers (& highly controversial, to the rest of the hierarchy!) of our times. Having served in the Armoured Corps, the book meant much more to me, as Gen Patton demonstrated, with great success, what Armoured warfare was all about.

As I write this, the Jacobs are back home, Gune Jrs are back here from the hotel and life at Aptt 614  revolves around Miss Nikita Jacob, now 16 days into this world. The weather too has been pretty severe, with  Sparta, the winter storm, depositing tons of snow all over the country & Dallas too has had more than it’s share of snow, ice covered roads & chilly winds, the last mentioned being the worst! However, this has not deterred the die-hard  shoppers in the family from stepping out, every other day.

As has been proved again & again, for centuries and in every household across the world,  the arrival of a baby, completely alters the routine (& behaviour) of the household. Honestly, I can’t remember having been so (‘grand’) fatherly, when Janu, Anshuman were born; though the kids aver that we were ‘like this only’. God bless them! So, meal timings, personal grooming & v imp, volume of the TV, are all changed, to suit the princess! One hears that Queen Victoria & her ilk had just to make a tacit gesture & the realm would be in a tizzy. Here, Nikita doesn’t even have to do that! She’s got everyone on ‘stand-by’ mode!! But no one is complaining.


A word here about Samruddhi.  Pending the arrival of Nikita, we were all wondering how Samruddhi would react to the new cousin (& cynosure of all eyes). 

We had heard stories of sibling reactions, ranging from outright jealousy to an overprotective attitude. Samru has been neither!. But Samruddhi has always been very different (I know, I know, all grandparents think that their grandchildren are special) right from the beginning. Fiercely independent, it has always been,  “Samru karte” (Samru will do it) whether opening a bottle, eating or any other activity, she has stubbornly spurned any effort of assistance! Her elder sister act has been the best.

Crossing her legs, she has been holding Nikita (as with cousins Aarav & Aishanya) most comfortably on her lap, planting small kisses on the head. Of late, she has been conversing only in English. Completely self-taught, she puts across exactly what she has in mind. To use a cliché’, a picture is worth a hundred words, please see alongside!! Frankly, you can never have enough of her (TW!) God bless her!  

Talking about the snow, last evening, before the snow shut us in, we did a bit of essential shopping & the Indian Stores was on the list. Can you imagine, there was this sign that read, “I am clouse(sic) due to snow”!!  Coming from Mr Patel, (I presume that’s the owner’s name), we were more than surprised. I suppose the Americanisation of Mr Patel is complete!! Old ‘Mataji Super Market’ back home would perhaps even deliver your essential needs, in bad weather. Take your pick!

That’s it folks for now. As I write this, the worst of Sparta, the winter storm is over.


 The sun is out, & the ‘snow-white’ snow, is causing a harsh glare due to it’s reflection. From tomorrow onward, the weather should be quite comfortable, so activities suspended, should resume. Hopefully, I should be able to spot more birds now during our walks. The trees are already showing signs of sprouting buds, & so, Spring should be round the corner. ! Cheers to that!

Two things I would definitely like to see. One, a typical Wild West town (a la Rio Bravo etc.) with cowboys with chaps & ten-galloners perched on their heads & The Alamo, where Davy Crockett fought the famous battle. As I’ve mentioned in my blogs of yore, these are places, events & characters, one grew up, reading  and hearing about in school, along with  heroes from  India. They’ve made a place somewhere in your mind & hence the urge to set one’s eyes upon the real thing. Perhaps it would be disappointing, (like the all-American hot dog!!) or, perhaps even greater than what we read. We shall see, when we shall.

Till then TC you all.

Ashok Gune

This has been written over a period of   a few  weeks , therefore, events have been reported in that time frame!

 

 

Dallas Despatch -1

Hi folks,

We are back in the US of A & it’s ‘blog time’ again!

J & J (Janu & Jenny to the uninitiated) have since moved to Dallas, with bag & baggage…& a small package that Janu intends to bring into the world any day now! Yes, it’s ‘good  news ahe’ as they say in Pune. Op “Stork Visit" has been planned with near- military precision. The advance party consisting of Reshma, ably supported by Samruddhi  are ‘in situ’ since Nov, taking care of all the preparatory ‘fieldworks’ &  stocking up on provisions . Some specialist items were flown across, a la the “hump route”!  Reshoo has been of tremendous help, & although she is family, a gentle nod of appreciation her way! Samruddhi has taken her task of  being Janu’s ‘ & Jenny’s companion’ to the nth degree, & it’s a rare sight to see either of them not together!! Tremendous bonding. 

Samruddhi 'madat'!

Adv party stocking-up

The Main Party of 1+1 (K & A) arrived  23^rd Jan.  (Pl note the meticulous planning of dates of the cross-visits between USA & India, to maintain balance!) . Forces from Thrissur landed on 18^th Feb, to relieve troops in contact & Anshuman reinforced the deployment on 22 Feb! So much for the main mission!

We had the experience of flying the Airbus A 380  & true to it’s claim, the aircraft is really spacious & well done up. Point of dissent. My personal opinion is that Etihad served better food, with better service!

Samru 'Vaikuming'

Dubai airport, where we had to change aircraft, was a disappointment, at least the terminal where we were taken to. The bus ride from the apron to the terminal was never-ending. Then there was total chaos at the security check counter, what with one of the screeners breaking down. To make matters worse, an official of the airport, brought 20 odd passengers heading elsewhere & shoved them in the queue. The other terminal was definitely better, duty-free shops & restos, brightening up things.

The 14+ hours flight was pretty routine, in fact very smooth & due to the roomy interiors, we could walk up & down, as also indulge in some stretching excercises, to prevent ‘frozen’ joints etc.

Dallas is very very different from St. Louis, in that, the tree cover within the town, is not as profuse & appears more as an ‘organised’ plantation. The topo is definitely flat & rolling. Most of the living areas are ‘gated’, i.e. entry is restricted. There are  few water bodies around,  so obviously, I have not seen very many Geese, Ducks etc. Besides, most trees & shrubs are denuded of leaves due to winter, so birds are also hard to come by.

Radiant Mother-to-be!

Traditional Blessings

Anyway, before we could get acclimatized,  there was the first of the functions, that had been planned secretly between Reshma, Shubhi & Kalpana, i.e. ‘Dohaaljevan’ (Marathi),’ Godbharai ‘(Hindi)  & Baby Shower (Western word). The Marathi word comes closest to the event, as ‘jevan’ = food, which is the culminating point of most events. Why it is called what it is, in Hindi,  is confusing,  for obvious reasons! The last-mentioned is the current craze back home, in keeping with throwing out our own & adopting an alien name! Anyway, it was quite a full house with Jenny’s colleagues & family friends present for the event. The ladies performed the traditional ‘aarti’ on Janu & the ‘thali’, replete with all the ‘must have’ items was prepared by Reshma.

Samru applying 'attar'

The Jing Bang lot!

Having finished with the formalities, there were some games for all, essentially as ice- breakers, followed by dinner. The ‘basundi’,( ‘rabdi’ to those residing north of the Narbada & ‘chilled condensed milk’ to the Western world) was the crowning glory of the evening. Hand-crafted by Reshma!!   So                                                        much for the event.  

My favourite-The Male Cardinal

Squirrel foraging for food.

So far, during our morning walks, I have managed to catch sight of the Cardinal (Male, twice only), Mockingbird, Starlings in plenty, Rosefinches, Blue Jays, House Sparrows, Grackle & the Red Tailed Hawk. The last mentioned appears to be the most common raptor to be seen nearer human habitats. Most have been spotted in the general area of the Golf Course next to the Stonebriar Club, where a very small ‘stream’, lined with trees & large shrubs, runs through the complex. The Grackle too appears to be quite  a commensal of mankind, being at home in the various parking lots. Squirrels are few & smaller in size, though the hare are quite a common site, besides being quite inured to human presence.

The hare near the house on a clear day

The weather continues to be cold, though there have been days of sunshine & the temp going upto the high 60s. The country has been facing a pretty harsh winter, though thankfully, here it is not as bad as St Louis was. In fact, the last two days have seen sleet and roads being ice covered, forcing most people to stay indoors.

Dallas Snow-bound!

Snow on the house lawn

However, whenever ‘Ra’* was benevolent to shine upon us mortals, we made  the best of it. So, one afternoon, we (Jenny, Reshoo, Samruddhi ) were off to the Hope Park, one of the many here. The salient aspect of this park is that there is a huge play area for children, denoting the ages for whom the ‘rides’ were meant, with slides, swings, mazes, all erected on a surface lined with a foamy layer, to prevent injury! And this is a public place, not a play area of a community. (Are you listening, PMC/PCMC!?!)        [*Ra, btw, is the Egyptian name for the Sun God]
                                                        

Swinging Sam

Samru at Hope Park 

                                                                        Further down, there is a huge man-made lake (another regular feature) where families were having a time of their lives, fishing, including kids. All this was for fun only & the fish were dutifully released back, alive & unharmed! Samruddhi was quite excited to see all this & was further thrilled when a small boy, who had caught a fish, called her across to touch it, which she did, gingerly at first then petting it, as a dog! However, before the lake, there is an amphitheatre-like place, with a huge bronze ball in the centre and Four pillars across, each representing the Army, Navy, Air Force & Marines. This is one such monument to the soldiers of the USA. (Defence Ministry India, please note!!)

Memorial

Likewise, the food scene has been limited due to Janu’s condition (& diet) + the weather. However, among the notables, we visited a typical (whatever that means!) American Diner, “Pepper Smash”, & true to it’s name, the food was smashing. This was followed by a stroll along the lake, topped off with a halt at Cold Stone Creamery. This was at a place called Shops at Legacy, a very swanky place. ( & a must visit ).

At the lake of Shops-at-Legacy

Then there was a quick bite at IHOP once, and last Sunday, a typical ‘Mallu’ (Kerala) cuisine at “Black Pepper”. Boy, was that some tuck-in!!  However, an experiment in trying Greek Cuisine did not go off too well; and that too,   on Reshoo’s b’day!  The décor was typically Greek, with replicas of ancient pottery, paintings etc. adorning the walls. This was a BYB resto, charging 2$ per bottle.

‘Malling’, if that describes the activity, has been just like the snow, i.e. intermittent. Kroger is the giant as far as stores are concerned out here, though Walmart, Walgreen’s, Sams (all familiar to us) are also seen.

Dallas also has far more flyovers as compared to St Louis and one is left wondering at the meticulous planning & super execution of these, especially when you see them stacked three to four high!!   

My editing staff has put a red line after this para, with the note, “do not try the patience of the reader”! So, I shall sign off for the moment, to let you ruminate upon this dispatch, with the hope (‘ummid pe to duniya kayam hai”) that it has tickled your curiosity (?) & that the next dispatch will be eagerly awaited!! (how presumptuous no?)

Watch out for the space below for Pt II, coming up soon. Till then, TC, smile (even if it hurts!!)
This has been overdue, but then ......
Ashok