You've been warned!

So if you've even vaguely been following the news, you know that a variety of countries have issued a "security warning" for its citizens traveling to the Europe because of "intelligence" of possible "terror attacks". There. That's the exact language used and description given to us - the people who actually live in the Europe. And tell you what? It neither makes our life easy nor does it do anything at all. Unless there is some level of specificity in these warnings, its really as vague as being told not to cross a street for the fear of a moving vehicle killing you. Seriously. All that's happened in France over the past couple of weeks are a couple of evacuations of the Eiffel Tower and a couple of other Metro stations around the tourist hubs, all thankfully to no avail. The larger level of scrutiny has been seen only today when another couple of countries jumped the bandwagon to warn their citizens. And so our college, for the first time ever, decided to have a one-on-one checking. We had to flash our ID cards for detailed scrutiny everytime we entered the school buildings. Hardly efficient but barely foolhardy, too. 

So as a citizen who has to go about her everyday life in a country supposedly under threat, I just think its prudent for the governments of other countries to share any solid evidence/information with the governments here and issue specific guidelines rather than tell us what we already know - Oh that don't cross the road when the light is red.. or don't bang your car onto a walking civilian. Who does it help really? No one. All its done is to draw attention to the countries and have people sizing each other up with suspicion in a land of touristic bliss. Smart move, USA.

The USA Memoirs

Note: Another one of those USA Nostalgia posts...

The Miss list

1. Cincinnati - Its the place I've spent most of my USA life.. over 2/3rds of it anyways.. It holds my fondest memories. So it comes down to the mile radius that I existed in... with no car, with 4 of us crammed into a single-bedroom apartment hauling groceries to our basement apartment, the walk in the snow to school, the many many seminar rooms and classrooms that I have been couped up in writing my thesis, the Mainstreet Mart which was my personal Felix Felicis provider of Chai Tea, importantly my last 6 months in Cincinnati ever since S got his Solara and became the 5th roommate almost literally.. Even as he moved away from campus, he moved closer to us and we saw the real Cincinnati through the Solara that he had... The umpteen restaurants, the late Friday nights as we flopped with all of our laptops, did all our theses work and ran a parallel vein of conversations well into the night with the TV blaring some nonsense.. the evening chais at the Morgens verandahs, the latenight Clue with the roomies... crazy, unprecendented, irrepeatable fun.

2. San Diego - Just when I thought I had had the most of living a student life back in Cinci and had left my days back there, I moved in with SM and literally right in the middle of her friend's circle. And work life couldn't have been more fun... As a new gang that got together with multitude connections interwoven around us, it seemed like we couldn't get enough of each other. We meet almost every night.. for a movie... for dinner.. for dessert...for gym... for meeting. We're all professionals and we're all a wee bit crazy in the evenings when we get together. Be it cycling, be it just eating out, this gang has ensured that my last few days in the US are truly memorable. Thanks SM.

3. Few good friends - Some of my most cherished friendships were grounded here. You guys know who you are. I am glad I found you guys here.. Life really wouldn't have been the same without all those bitching sessions, nightouts and the solid support system that you guys formed around me. This also includes my handful of friends from India who are here as well.. Together, this network was my backbone in the US. And I want each one of you at the wedding. :)

4. The seasons - I have been spoiled by the East Coast.. I have seen 4 distinct seasons each year. And it's been brilliant. I have thoroughly enjoyed the brilliant colors of Fall, the flakes of snow in Winter, the sticky Summers and pleasantly rainy Springs. Fabulous!

5. The cuisines - Well, it all has to come down to food, doesn't it? Hailing from the country of spices, most of us Indians find it unsettling here in the US where steak and red meat rule, especially if you are vegetarian like me. But the varied cuisine is something I could've experienced just here... maybe to hunt for something veggie in any cuisine, maybe out of sheer interest. I have now developed for a whole bunch of cuisines, Italian, Mediterranean, Greek, Mexican, you name it. Technically the land I am headed to is very likely to have just as many cuisines, but this is where I fell in love with food. Before the US, I was never really hungry. My Patti took care of that.. feeding me at periodic intervals, hungry or not.

6. The malls - Yes, I have been in the Gulf. And I have seen the vast vast malls or soukhs as they are called out there. So yes I wasn't daunted by the huge Walmarts and Targets here the way some others have. But in the Gulf, Appa bought us everything we ever wanted. Out here, I had my money, my needs and my discretion to buy stuff. And I enjoyed it. I splurged sometimes, scrimped some others and had a blast overall..

7. The deals - Money rules... when you save it. Before the US I have probably not realized the value of electronics or the importance perhaps. Here I have been spoiled by the deals.. by the variety of things and the greed of requiring things... I have bought my famed camera, umpteen memory supplements, and the thirst hasn't been half-quenched. But then, it never will.

Three years of my life... A lifetime of memories. Fully worth it.

My USA

Inspired by my bro's this post, I decided to mark my own territory around the US with Google's My Maps feature. 19/50 states. View it here. A small percentage.. just 38%. But in student life? Pretty good I must admit! And it looks like the midwest and a lot of the south has been covered. The Northern, Eastern and the central portions leave a lot to desire. With the current H-1B situation, its anyone's guess where else I'll get to go. Good luck to me!!