Highways in Texas

This is the picture of the Central Expressway in Texas, US. I took this picture while walking under the bridge in one of the rarely seen foot paths. I guess this trail exists because it is part of a walking/ bicycling trail system in McKinney Texas, my new home city. It is interesting to notice the amount of space that is left open in this country. If there was this much space in India I am pretty sure there would be either a few families living here or couple of small stores operating a thriving business selling pan, cigarettes and odds and ends.

Bizzare News: American Woman stores husband's body in Freezer

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The above video is of a news clip I found online. Apparently this woman kept her husband's body in the freezer so that she could continue to claim his old age pension and live off it. She reportedly expressed remorse about her act when she was near death herself. Now both are deceased and this news has gone viral on the internet.

Wonder why people have to resort to such means for basic survival in the world's richest nation, i.e. United Sates of America??? I still don't understand this.

Suing as a way of life in the US....

A year ago I had to take a sociology class and the opening statement of the professor was "We are a very litigant society." It is true, America is of the world's largest litigant societies. People and corporations sue each other at the drop of the hat. It is not a big wonder that Attorney's/ Lawyers make a lot of money in this country.

This afternoon while after checking my e-mail I saw a screaming headline on MSN.com talking about some women who fell into the icy waters of a Mall fountain as she rushed in busy texting on her mobile phone. Apparently the woman had been so preoccupied with her mobile phone that she failed to notice that she was walking into a fountain. The security cameras captured the video and it went viral thanks to someone who posted it on youtube. The lady became an overnight sensation across the country.

She grabbed the opportunity with both hands and went on air on CNN and other popular media claiming that she would sue the mall authorities. Well the latest on that is that she has her own set of legal issues.

Anyway the point I wanted to make was that, this woman was foolish enough to get so engrossed on the phone and fall into the fountain. After making a fool of herself, she is now trying make money out of it by suing the mall. That is why I get the impression that suing is a way of life in the US.

Customer service promises

The US is a highly capitalistic economy. Businesses in every sector have to compete for every dollar they earn. The customer is spoilt with choice and corporations try everything possible to lure them into the door.

I noticed this hoarding enroute to school and truly I'm wonderstruck by this kind of promises made by a hospital. On one side hospitals are trying to cut staff and increase profits and on the other they want to promise the moon to the consumer. This kind of advertising even before the healthcare facility has been built.

I wonder tomorrow when the hospital is complete how they will live upto this promise.

The American Way: Lose Weight or Lose Job!

The single greatest obsession of almost everyone in the 300-million strong population of USA is looks, figure and youth. It is proved every four years when the presidential elections takes place, it is almost every time that the better looking candidate wins. Coming to the subject of this blog, I saw this news video on MSNBC about a waitress at Hooters, she became slightly heavier than the company's diktats and was asked to shape up or leave. That is America for you...

I wish they would bring about a similar set of rules in every profession.

Interesting and Strange Signboards

America is all about business and marketing. Everyone here wants to sell something to you. These people have certainly mastered the art of selling over the past few generations. Everything here has a price tag attached to it... that is capitalism I suppose. But as a country which respects its history (very short), heritage and the contributions of most of its citizens (born or otherwise), I really have great respect for the US.

I have been living here since the past year and a half and have seen many interesting, beautiful and sometimes downright funny sights. I'd like to share some of them in this blog.

You can't get a decent funeral without paying a lot of money. And funeral homes compete like FMCG brands for business. This can happen only in a highly capitalistic economy like the US

One can view numerous memorial signs across the US, honoring the memory of people who worked for this country. Respecting those who contributed for the nation is very integral and should be emulated everywhere else.

And this is also possible in the US... I wonder whether the board has been purposely placed reverse or it is a mistake...

Suspended for winking at the President

This video newsreport stuck me by surprise. Apparently a Cleveland fire fighter band member John Coleman winked at President Barack Obama as he participated in the inaugural parade and his superiors took serious exception to this act and suspended him for six weeks.

Coleman, a member of the Cleveland Firefighter's Memorial Pipes and Drums is clearly seen winking at the president in the above video. It is a miniscule... quite negligible gesture but the bosses of Coleman are not happy, they feel that he has broken protocol and compromised the decorum of the band.
I wonder what would happen if someone in India were to wink at the Prime Minister during the Republic day parade?? :):D

Williams Waterwall, Houston

The Williams Waterwall is my most favorite place in Houston. Situated near the Galleria, Williams Waterwall is a cool, refreshing and soothing oasis that attracts visitors and locals in droves. Built in 1985, the amazing 64 ft tall man-made waterfall drops thousands of gallons of aqua fina every minute. In my opinion there is no better place in Houston than the Waterwall to cool off after a long day at work. Especially considering the chaotic traffic in Houston, this provides a pleasing respite.

This gorgeous piece of architecture located contiguous to the Williams Tower is in the shape of a semi-circle and has water cascading over it and down a series of steps towards the bottom. Standing in front of it and feeling the cool spray emanating from the fall is bound to be a grand experience. When I stood in the middle of the semi circle frothing water I never wanted to leave. And in the night when the lights come up.. it is a particularly spectacular sight. And of course the waterwall has a small park (large in Indian standards) attached to it and is a great place to spend a quality evening.

Enjoy the pictures

NASA Rocket Park - Last stop of the tram tour

I have already blogged about my experience of visiting the Space Center Houston and going through the numerous high-security buildings in the NASA. Well the last stop during our tram tour of NASA was at the Rocket Park where numerous rockets which were built but never launched are kept on display for visitors. The most notable among the rockets was the Appollo VI which was built to go to Moon but never launched because the US congress closed down the mission.

Anyway the rocket definitely looks impressive, I can imagine how tall it would look if placed vertical. The rocket is placed on wheeled wagons as if it is ready to be assembled and taken for launch. The engines, fuel tanks, astronaut cabins etc are all complete and it definitely presented an impressive sight. Here are some pictures of the same. Enjoy!!!

Rocket on display

Engines of the Appollo, impressive indeed

This is one huge rocket!!!

This is one huge rocket!!!

Engines of this rocket - another view

Nasa Tour at the Space Center Houston

One of the memorable experiences during my visit to the Space Center Houston was going on the Tram Tour of NASA Campus. Being a high security area everyone who wishes to go on the tour is photographed and given a boarding pass which he/ she has to carry throughout the tour and return on completion. (It is another matter that the museum tries to make money by selling the same pictures superimposed upon a fantastic space picture for $20).

Before I continue I would like to inform my readers that entry to space center costs $21, but since we bought a Houston city pass for $34, it worked out economical for us. The city pass allows entry to seven popular destinations including Houston Zoo, Museum of Fine Arts, Downtown Aquarium, Geroge Ranch Historical Park, Space Center Houston, Children's Museum Houston, Houston Arborateum and Natural Science Museum. Entry to each of these destinations cost anywhere between $8-30. A city pass is a good deal for those of us who wish to take in lot more than just one destination.

Anyway quite a number of people lined up for the Tram Tour of NASA. The NASA Tram is more like a long road train, like the ones that are commonly seen in children's play areas in India like the Toy train in Bal Bhawan, Bangalore. Anyway we were all assigned seats by friendly ushers (probably high school kids working part time). This is a great way to make kids responsible for themselves, I think we in India should employ high-energy high school kids in museums, parks and similar establishments for maintenance, guiding etc. The energy and enthusiasm of youngsters can be utilised for national good through these measures.

As we proceeded deeper into the NASA campus we were informed through a recorded commentary that the campus housed 10,000 staff and thousands more commuted from outside to work on the cutting edge space research here. The land was donated by a cattle company, whose herds of cattle are still raised on vast pastures inside the campus. I would call them "Space cows" because they helped put men on space.

Space cattle in NASA Campus

Our first stop was the Historic Mission Headquarters, a large window-less building from which six lunar missions were launched off. To reach the vantage point from where one can see the mission headquarters one had to climb 87 steps. From our viewing gallery we could look down into the headquarters which a large room full of gadgetry, monitors, large TV screens, public adress systems etc. A short video presentation showed one of the lunar missions which were launched from the control center in front of us.

The window less Mission Headquarters building

Inside the Mission Headquarters

Inside the Mission Headquarters, another view

The Mission Headquarters, another view

After a short while we were taken to another windowless building in which scientists and technicians were busy building rockets and space stations. This apparently is the training location for astronauts and space explorers. We could see through glass the goings on in the large... I'd say long (about half-a-km) workshop had all the materials and resembled a rocket lab. There were images of space explorers, astronauts, a brand new vehicle was being prepared to be despatched to Mars, there was a space station being built where astronauts would be trained to handle loss of gravity etc.

Rocket under construction

One thing I really felt impressed in all this machinery was the fact that the Americans put their national flag wherever they get adequate and suitable space. On space ships, on walls, on the uniforms of astronauts etc. In sharp contrast the Indian consulate in Houston didn't even have a trace of our national flag. What a shame for us, even the consulate doesn't have our national flag. I wish national pride among Indians improved.

Vehicle to go on Mars Mission

From the Rocket building station, we proceeded to the Rocket Park, where I saw a real rocket which was manufactured for the seventh Lunar mission but never launched. I will blog about it tomorrow.

What Astronauts prefer to travel on while not inside rockets

The Space Cemetery inside NASA campus
This is the place where people who lay down their lives while exploring space are laid to rest. In the shade of these oak trees they lie amidst quiet and knowledge filled surroundings. Our own Kalpana Chawla is also resting in this location, a place which she really loved and which helped her attain great heights!

Smaller motorcycles from Harley Davidson???

Globalisation is changing things across the world and the impact is being felt in the US also. The most favored cult brand in the US or rather I would say the world, Harley Davidson is facing the brunt of the economic downturn in the US. During the 1990s when the US economy was booming the bike manufacturer was the most favoured company of bike dealerships and stock brokers in wall street. But a decade down the line, US is spending billions of $s in fighting two wars half-way across the world and domestically people are grappling with steep increase in gas prices, home mortgage crises, rising unemployment (6.5 percent) and sky-rocketing grocery and food prices. Historically the motorcycle has been a symbol of prestige; a vehicle of pleasure and entertainment in the US and now people are so strapped for money that they are just not riding lesser and lesser as the days pass. The first to be hit in this flagging economy has been the motorcycle behemoth, Harley Davidson. The company has been experiencing sales at snails pace and is planning to cutting back production and laying off workers. Harley-Davidson stock split four times during the 1990s, but the last split was eight years ago, and shares in end-August were priced at $38.78, down considerably from a 52-week high of $55.41 reached in September of last year.

Since the US markets are pretty much saturated Harley Davidson is looking at international markets for sustainance. They are opening dealerships in South American and Asian nations in the hope of drumming up flagging sales. But in Asian countries where roads are narrower than the sidewalks in the US it is difficult to ride the elephantine Harleys. And perhaps for the first time in the history of the company, Harley Davidson is contemplating manufacturing smaller motorcycles. It would be sad to see the big-daddy of motorcycles falling from grace like this.

Oliva's Adobe near Los Angeles

During our recent visit to Los Angeles we took a day off to look around and explore the beautiful countryside. As we drove towards Channel Islands we saw brown signs directing to "Olivas Adobe". The brown sign indicated that it was a state-recognised park or historic site. We decided to take a closer look and detoured off towards the Adobe.

Fountain at the Entrance to Olivas Adobe

Entrance to Olivas Adobe

Main entrance to Olivas Adobe - Another view

Main entrance to Olivas Adobe - Close up

According to the information onsite this is the one of the earliest two-storey Adobe (I guess home or abode) in the Santa Clara river valley. This was originally built in 1837 and expanded in 1849 by Don Raimundo Olivas, a prosperous cattle rancher. This is a California registered historical landmark. There is nothing special about the home/ building except that it is built of brick, mortar and mud and not wood, foam and shingles. The Olivas apparently had 21 children and I must say I admire the woman who spent 21 years of her life giving birth to offspring. She must have been one strong woman.
Antiquated Machinery at the Olivas Adobe

The home with large front, side and back yards is completely self contained, there are classrooms, bedrooms, entertainment rooms and a large playground too. So pretty much I would guess the children were schooled at home. What I found really impressive at the Olivas Adobe is two large plants: a grape vine and a fuchsia bush. According to signboards both these plants were planted in the 19th century and have survived more than 100 years and continue to thrive.

The fuchsia was planted by the 21st child of the Olivas in 1899 and is recognised by the British Fuchsia Society as the oldest, still flowering Fuchsia plant in the world. This plant belongs to the "Schiller" variety and has flowers with white petals around magenta sepals.
Fuchsia Plant

The Grape Arbor was apparently planted in 1860s and still bears bunches of purple grapes and we did pluck and taste a couple. They were sweet and juicy. I am definitely impressed by these plants and the way they have been preserved even after a hundred years.

Entrance to a Golf Course adjacent to Olivas Adobe

Independence Day Celebrations - Radio Style

Today's India's independence day by date (August 15). Our compatriots back home have already celebrated this momentous occasion of India turning 61 and into a young, dynamic, fast-growing, vibrant nation in the world. As for me, I achieved something unique today, for our country and for our state (Karnataka). In the morning show of Radio Salaam Namaste 104.9 FM, surprisingly the presenter offered to play three regional language songs. And I was probably the first to call him and request for a Kannada song and I directed him to Geetganga.org, a website of patriotic songs compiled from all sources. The site features over 200 patriotic songs, mantras and couplets in different Indian languages. And within a few minutes the radio was playing my request and I guess this was probably the first time a Kannada song was played. I used to rue the fact that there were dedicated programs for all languages except Kannada and now I was finally successful in getting them to play a song in my mother tongue.

Travelling to Phoenix
As per our original plan we started off from home early in the morning and started our journey towards Phoenix, Arizona. It is about 1,000 miles away and the journey brought us through a completely different terrain, a facet of Texas we had not seen. Driving on I-20, we drove through thousands of acres of desert-like lands where we saw wind farms with hundreds of wind mills generating electricity and then we passed through vast tracts of ranch land with numerous oil and gas wells. This part of Texas between Abilene and El Paso seems to be rich with minerals, especially natural gas and petroleum. The number of oil wells quietly working away drawing gas and oil from the depths of earth is amazing.

Mountainous terrain enroute El Paso

Rolling hills is a pleasant change from flat Dallas

I hadn't heard or known much about El Paso, except that it was a city near the border of Texas-Mexico. I was under the impression that El Paso would be a small city, but we were in for a surprise. El Paso is a large and spread out city surrounded by craggy mountains. The open skies, beautiful cloud formations and mountainous terrain is awe inspiring. I would like to visit this city some other time with leisure and take a closer look.

Interesting cloud formations

Mountainous terrain and clouds with the stunning blue sky as background is picturesque

Right now we are checked into a room in a city known as Deming. Something interesting about this city is the fact that they organise a annual "Duck Race" in August. And unfortunately this years Duck Race is scheduled for next weekend (August 23-25). We will get to watch it some other time maybe.