Happy New Year 2011

I'd like to use this opportuity to reflect on the significance of the beginning of a new year. What does the new year mean? Is it just an opportunity for people to let down their hair and party all night, get drunk, hang out with friends. Or is there something more to the beginning of a new year.

Personally speaking I come from a totally different culture where a New Year doesn't begin on January 1st, rather our new year is on the first new moon day after the Spring Equinox. This day is known as Ugadi and we celebrate it by eating a neem flower with brown sugar with a promise that we will accept both bitter and sweet experiences in the coming year equally. This is quite significant to me because there is some kind of meaning to the beginning of a year.

I still don't understand the main significance of January 1st apart from the fact that it is the beginning of a year. Of course some people make resolutions and try to keep them up in the coming year, but most of us generally party hard, drink and forget all about the day once we are back at work the next day.

Poolside Barbeque Party

What do Texans do on weekends? Poolside Barbecue in summer and Estate sales and shopping in winter. That pretty much sums up the activities possible here. Dallas is a pretty boring place, flat as a chapathi and boring as a solid state physics class. People here have invented pastimes such as eating out (Dallas has the largest number of restaurants per capita in the world), shopping, estate sales and the most favorite Texas Barbeque.

Being vegetarians we don't fit into a Barbeque party where meat of every possible animal is smoked over coals and consumed. But our host invited us to have fun by the pool and have salad. Well we agreed and proceeded to Ben's home for an afternoon of fun by the pool. Ever played pool volleyball? Well it is lot of fun, string a net in the center of the pool and start hitting the ball across and that is it.

During a break from the game our host asked: "Are you vegetarian for religious reasons?". "Well!" I replied, "I am an animal lover, so I don't like them being killed to end up on my plate,". Ben laughed out loud and said: "I love animals too. Whenever I see a cow, I think of what a tasty steak she will make.". Very funny and totally different perspectives I thought.

Anyway after few more games and a dinner of salad and veggies we returned home tired and sleepy.

Thanksgiving Party at College

Today the Collin county community college has organized a Thanksgiving party for all international students in association with the International Students Organization and Christ Church Plano. The event is by registration and as a person curious about traditions and cultures I registered to attend the party.

I am hoping that the party will be enjoyable and informative about the American Christian culture and will help me learn about the diversity in the world. Thanksgiving, I believe is one of the most important festivals in this continent-sized country and this is the time for grand shopping, family reunions and holidays.

Let us see how this party will go. Will try to capture some nice pictures and post them over here later. For now I am off to the party.