"The Fall" of Friends

To our generation Friends have become an integral part of our lives. We might have got independence 60 years ago as a nation, but I honestly feel that this generation is the most Liberated one in terms of thought process. We think of individuality, have the audacity to question age old traditions and not follow them in blind fate. For this, we have to be partly thankful to our parents aswell who provided us the financial independence. Cause i know for sure, at least in my case "Individuality" and "Rebelliousness" was not a luxury they could afford. They always had to take responsibility of others, first as children and then as parents. I dont have that restriction, I can spend my life as ME; not as my father's son or my son's father.

We have extended this right of choice and individuality in selecting the people whom we want in the 'Circle'. How close they are to our parents, or how close a relative they are, barely influences that decision. And, if we are perceived as being rude, in the process, so be it. We choose whom we want to be friends with. Its not that we nit pick our friends, but we do choose whom we want to spend our time with. These people with whom we enjoy spending time, become friends. With others we are just social.

When I left Mumbai for graduation 2 of my best friends were there with me. Then when I had to move to Bangalore for my job, I was very happy to know that one of them would be joining me. We somehow ended up not staying together, but it's still comforting to have your friend just a phone call away. Even after coming to US I was lucky enough to make a few new good friends.

But Today, I stand like a maple tree after Fall, just bare branches. Most leaves have fallen near the root, not with me but still close. But some, have been blown away to far off lands by the winds of change....

Today for the first time in my life I am feeling lonely... but not sad.....
I take heart in the knowledge that, like all winters this too shall pass and spring's just round the corner....

PS: On reading the blog I've realised that "WE" has been used a lot. It is entirely my opinion of "US", ‘our generation’ and you have the right to differ

Travel Blog cont... Day 3 - Golden Gate and SFO City

..finally the 3rd Part…. yes finally, it has been almost 4 months to the visit and now i am able to get through with the Final Day's updates.

My Best Friend Suraj
8:30 Got a call from Suraj, said he was going to be late but promptly apologised :). He is one of my best friends and has been since we were 16. It had been 4 years since I have last met him in person. We had been in touch since then via mails, phone and chats..... ( due to advancement in technology keeping in touch has been a lot easier). He got down from his car, gave me a big hug. The conversation just took off from there, as if we had just met yesterday. We talked about almost everything from college mates, professors, cricket to comparing US and India. Old memories weaved in between the discussions. It seemed just yesterday, that he and Parag had dragged me out of my house to tell me that he had proposed the girl he loved and that she had said YES. That was however 7 years ago. And now he's getting married in December but sadly I won’t be able to attend his weeding. An hour had passed by and now it was time to say goodbye. We took a short trip in his car, a snap together, a big bug then Adieu. Strangely I was not feeling sad, it was just a casual 'Bye', as if, we would be meeting at work the next day........ cheers to Friendship

.. Muir woods. - huge redwood trees, nice quiet place to take a walk. The wooden boardwalk however looks very artificial. It's convenient, but i would rather prefer walk on the jungle floor.

GOLDEN GATE
This has to be THE highlight of the trip. During our travels in and out of SFO we did cross the bridge a few times. But its only when you stop to take a look, you are stunned by its enormity. Then the elegance and beauty of it, keeps your eyes glued to it. I love architecture, mainly because the inanimate object that you are looking at is a product of one person's dreams, hardwork and genius. (read Ayn Rand's The FountainHead, you'll totally get what i am driving at)
Some of the best photos taken of the bridge are during dusk. This is what i read on a site.
"As the fog spills over from the mountains into the bay, only the two towers are seen standing over a bed of cloud. The late afternoon light adds magic to the panorama.
I was looking forward to see this spectacle. But..., :( To get a good view one has to be on top of the nearby hill, above the fog. We had a flight to catch in the evening......
(so much for the blue pacific and the magical 'Golden fog at the Gate')...

...SFO downtown...
after spending a few hours around the bridge we went to SFO downtown. The plan to visit Alcatraz also had to be scrapped due to time constraint. We walked around the bay, went to pier 9. There were a whole bunch of seals one a stone nearby, this has made the pier a popular tourist spot. I had never seen a seal before so was curious. Seals are ugly.. and i mean downright disgusting. Its like a lump lying on the ground. From pier 9 we made our way to some garden... (at this point i am not even trying to stress my brain cells for the name of this place, i just want to rush to the part where i sit in the plane and zzzZZzzzzzZZZz... :) )

.. back home.....
dropped the rented car at the Airport...
bought a souvenir at the terminus....
boarded the flight, cursed myself for not taking a direct flight back...
switched flights at ( i think washington...again.. rushing)
back at boston parking lot, deb's cars batteries had died down cause we had left the lights on...asked the lady at security for assistance.... the service van pomptly arrived and jump started the car...
finally............HOME SWEET HOME...

I hereby solemnly vow not to write another Travel Blog.... its 5:14 AM now time to hit the sac...
Photo Link http://new.photos.yahoo.com/sfx_mayuresh/album

PS: I would take this opportunity to apologise to my dear friend and roomie Parag Garg. It totally slipped my mind that he too was in SFO and i was not able to meet him. But in all honesty i always thought that his onsite was in Charlotte (lame but true). So the thought never crossed my mind to call him.
Parag, "I really am sorry and felt equally bad to not meet you".. maaf kar de yaar :)