Tax filling in the year you transition F1 to H1B

We think that there are so many Indian / foreign students coming to the US that the tax calculating softwares already know about all the special cases. But as I soon found out, that is not the case. Going to a Tax consultant does not help either, because, as I said this is a special case. What we need to do is do some online search, and fill up your own forms. And it is not at all difficult.

I have to thank my senior friend who had told me long time ago, that tax is less while on F1. Thanks to that, I did not rely on the tends to zero number quoted by the tax software, and crunched my own numbers. This is just a summary of my net search to help other fellows in the same boat.

1. Medicare, Social Security:
No tax should be cut while on F1 for Medicare and Social Security. If it is cut, then you will get it back from the company itself once you point it out to the HR.

2. Resident alien or Non resident alien: 
Note: this is for tax purposes 
Substantial presence test: If days of stay in US while on H1 <  183 then you are non resident for tax purpose
Note: This applies only for the 1st year, when you are transitioning from F1 to H1. You will get the H1 sometime in October. So for the 1st year of transition you are a non-resident alien.
Forms: 1040 NR 
Form 8843 to prove that you are Non resident alien: there will be columns to count your days in US while on H1B.

3. Tax Treaties
According to the country of residence, you are eligible for Tax treaties.

4. How to fill the form:
For Students from India: Refer worksheet 5-1.   page 28 pub 519.
This number is your Standard Deduction.
Write the description for that as US-<your country> Tax Treaty
Write this number in form 38 of 1040NR or line 11 of Form 1040 NR EZ. 

You can only use one deduction at a time, so if you have donated to charities etc you cannot claim tax benefit for that this year when using the tax treaty.

Rest of the form is pretty straightforward once you know the number in Line 38/ Line 11.
Gross Income - Standard deduction that you just found out = Taxable Income
There will be a huge table in the tax instructions (i1040nr.pdf). It is called Tax Table. See the tax according to your Taxable income range and Marital status.

Tax return = Tax that was cut from your salary - Tax according to the Tax table.


Reference: 
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Substantial-Presence-Test
http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/forum6-non-immigrant-visas/23171-f1-opt-h1b-tax-filing.html

http://www.quora.com/Taxes/Is-Standard-deduction-benefit-under-US-India-Tax-Treaty-available-for-someone-going-from-F1-to-H1B-visa-in-a-tax-year

http://taxes.about.com/b/2007/01/31/refund-of-social-security-and-medicare-taxes-for-nonresident-aliens.htm

http://www.visataxes.com/form1040nrez_home.php

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-10381.html

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110720125858AA6MsBq

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p519/ch05.html

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/taxes/us-india-tax-treaty-f1-opt-h1b-448705.html

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/pay/nonresident/taxtreaty/index.html

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/1079356/

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/advice/t-10%3C/t-7993.html.

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Claiming-Tax-Treaty-Benefits

http://www.irs.gov/Help-&-Resources/Tools-&-FAQs/FAQs-for-Individuals/Frequently-Asked-Tax-Questions-&-Answers

Dentist - 2

Tuesday 23rd April: A month after I knocked out my fillings, it is hurting just a bit.
Trip to Christie Dental for a 2nd opinion. 39$ new patient exam, sans x-ray because I have quite a recent one. What I liked about Christie is that they gave me a sheet detailing what is wrong with each tooth + their estimate for it. Now stupid me mixed up rights and lefts.. hell i am an engineer and was exposed to this numbering few days ago. Now the thing is I have lost fillings in the 6th tooth on L + R from centre in the lower jaw (numbered 19 and 30, and 30 is the one which is aching + the one Aspen lady said could grow to a root canal + the filling is from back surface and so I cannot see how bad it is = paranoia).  Thanks to the mixup, i got appointment to fix 19, which means I am spending 300$ more to cover something which isnt so serious.

Friday 26th April:
Step 1: Dentist's assistant dabs a pre-number on a big earbud-like thing and i am to hold it for 5 mins. I gag on it in the first minute. The lady replaces it with a smaller earbud. Few mins later, doc walks in with a machine that will give me the "shot" of the "real" anaesthetic. Wait for a long time for numbing to kick in.

Step 2: drilling ..the scariest thing for me
Step 3: Doc cleans the cavity with "hypochloride". I see the instrument which he uses. This is my 1st indication that the cavity is not a teeny weeny cavity that it originally was but a gaping hole by now.
Step 4: Filling in , light cure, test bite and I am out.

Step 5: I ask to see a mirror. Shock Shock Shock, for a little cavity, I have lost a large part of my tooth. The filling now covers not only a teeny weeny 2 mm max hole but covers half my tooth. No wonder the bite feels off.
The bite is meant to interlock the triangular serration of tooth with ridges in the opposite tooth. The filling is not a ridgy topography but a flat/ straight one. That's how my bite is off. Like my upper jaw is hanging on a single tooth instead of the 16 teeth that usually support it.

Step 6: I go back in and ask to be fixed. It still doesnt feel perfect, but I am too numb.
Takes about 4-5 hours for the numbness to wear off. I eat a burger for lunch. Bite is definitely off. Thanks to the elevated filling thing, my biting surface is reduced to only 2 teeth instead of the 6 sets of molars. Call the office for another appointment to refix my teeth.

Conclusions:
1. Indian dentist can accurately fill a 2mm cavity with 2 mm filling.
2. I now realize what that "crown" was all about. The US crown is not what an Indian dentist will put after a root canal, a US crown is a filling that covers your teeth and basically renders it useless unless it is going to be fixed in the next appointment.

Work Visa - VI

When I went for my F1 visa, we had a google group where everyone had posted their visa interview experience. This time as a work visa interviewee, there was no such support system. So here's my "been there, done that". Hope it helps someone.

1. Photo: You do not need any hard-copy photo. You do need a soft copy though. The visa application website provides a tool to get a photo of correct dimensions etc.
Both CVS and Walgreens said that they only give hard copy of the photo. Sure, there is a scanner, but I paid a dollar or two extra at Walmart to get the softcopy on a CD.

2. Home Address: I used my India address , and not the US one.  Once you get the visa, the passport will be mailed to this address, and hence it is essential that this be an Indian address. (My passport was mailed to the local passport centre, but there is a way you can pay 300 Rs after the VI and get the passport delivered to the home address.) The US one did feature on the application as the address where I intend to stay in the US.

3. Previous Work exp: I listed my volunteer work with my Professor too, as I think it is updated with SEVIS by my Grad Advisor. I did mention in the job title that it was a volunteer post.

4. Visa Fees: When you come to the fee-paying step, you will get a unique number. My parents quoted the number and paid at an Axis Bank. I could book appointments the next day. (Allow some processing time.)

5. OFC appointment day 1, VI appointment day 2: i took both on consecutive days.

6. I carried docs like my Educational transcripts, etc Your company will give you a comprehensive list. But in reality only I797 and passport is needed. Out of the 20-30 people who had their VI's with me, only one was asked to show his transcripts.

This is a questionnaire based on mine + other people's VI:
1. Which company, which location, nature of work, how much you earn.
If your company is in India: how long are you working with them, etc.
2. Are you single.
Spouse's work details.
Carry a good wedding picture, must include some ceremonies like a photo of walking around the fire, a photo of the guests. Please have good quality photographs with you.
Accurate info. of kids' birthdates, wedding date etc.
3. Previous visa details: Which University for Higher Education etc
4. Which other countries have you visited.

My passport was couriered to the facility in Pune. You need an Indian identity proof + its photocopy to get the passport.
Best Luck!

Sasta roye hazar baar

Saturday 03/23/2013: Bought a Smilesonic replacement brushhead to replace my Philips Sonicare toothbrush. It knocked off my dental filling in the 1st brushing itself!

Sunday: Searching for low-cost dentists. I know that there are dental students' clinics which offer services at a lower cost. I check out the nearby BCC: cleaning only, no fillings.
UF dental clinic needs a commitment that I will be able to make 2 trips a month!

Monday: Visit to Aspen Dental on my way back after dropping my roomy to Orlando airport (more about that day's scary drive later..)
Aspen insists on a X-ray. I highly covet my brain and don't like the concept of X-ray so close to my brain. The lady assures there will be a shield.

Tuesday: Bought a Dentek purple colour 6$ 12-use mini-bottle as a temporary filling. Its real temporary.

Thursday 03/28/2013: My dental appointment with Aspen. I fill out a form about my dental history, reveal my SSN etc. (I am sure they will track my SSN and the cost quote will depend on that :x).
Step 1: X-ray. The shield only covers your body and not the head. Hold a real big rectangular piece in your mouth. At least the lady is sympathetic and gives me breaks to swallow. Remove the piece and reinsert that one or a wee bit smaller one 16 times to get X-ray of the whole mouth. Step 2: A different X-ray machine which goes round my head. God save my brain!

Step 2: A hygienist checks my gum health. She tells me it will be rated 1-3 for good, and 4 onwards for crumbling bones and all. Pokes around my gum line with a pointed instrument. Ouch! It hurts. My numbers are 2's, 3's and some 4's. She doesn't "recommend" but insists on scaling + fluoride treatment.
Note to self: I have visited 2 dentists in India, just a month ago, and both did not mention that I need scaling.

Step 3: Dentist steps in. Indian lady whose hubby is from Mumbai, and speaks Marathi at home. Asks me where I am from and quips "Ranade" will be a Maharashtrian. (I guess concept of "2 states" type weddings was unheard of at my parents' time? Though my parents' + grandparents wedding story is from 2 states) Tells me that all 4 wisdom teeth need to be extracted. Tells me that I have cavities in all teeth except canines.
Note to self: Both dentists back in India counted only 3 cavities. One recommended that 2 wisdom teeth be removed, whereas my regular one filled one in, and recommended to extract only 1. The costlier dentist had said she could remove the discoloured fillings and redo it to which I yell WHAT!! (If it is not broken don't fix it!!)
Dentist insists on scaling n the hygiene thing, and says right side one tooth needs ASAP attention.

Step 4: Office Manager: Calculates cost for me. My "complete treatment" quote is an astronomical figure that will cover 4 India trips. Just the cost for the one that needs fixed ASAP will cover 1 trip. The cost to get the knocked out filling = hygienist + filling is half a trip to India.

To top it all, I have scratched my blemish-free car on a parking column, plus  a150$ change fee to cancel my Washington DC trip - my clairvoyance was making me uncomfortable when I was booking the ticket, but I failed to recognize the signs! Might have to drop the Iph 5 plans as a tiny chipping in compared to the 1000's that are looming large.
Lets out a howl!

Oceanside picnic

Had started in the morning to check out a car. It took a bit longer at the mechanic's and I missed the bus. Since it was the lunch break, the next bus was after 2 hours. I tried going to a couple of delis, which were closed for some reason (later realized they were serving at the festival). That was when I heard music at the oceanside.

The saturday post thanksgiving is when the US dons a informative role, I had already seen a bible parade earlier this day. This was the Ocean, Beach and Reef festival. Catered towards families with kids, it had several stalls like "what do you spot on the beach", "what lives in the sea", "which part of the beach to steer clear of to save the turtles", beach cleaning signup, kayak/surfboard rentals etc. There werent just posters around, but each stall was manned by Professors from the nearby Florida Tech University Oceanology Dept talking to the kids. (Again one cant help wonder why do such things dont happen in India.)

some cool thing on display

After checking out a few stalls I headed out to the beach for a stroll.

शंख शिंपल्यांचा सडा 

I highly recommend the Indian Harbour beach, and also wish that I had spotted this stretch of sand earlier. It is an amazing beach, and this was the first time I saw heaps of conches and shells.

In the US, the food stalls at football games, or festivals like theses typically serve hotdogs; but the planner in me always has a backup lunch stashed no matter how early in the morning I have started. I just had to get Cheesy dips from a nearby CVS to make the lunch less dry, and off to an impromptu oceanside picnic!

After I returned from my stroll + lunch with more conches and shells than ever, I waited for my turn to talk to the Professor to help me identify the stuff. I spoke to Prof. Richard Turner, and we had an interesting talk. Before talking to him, everything was just "शंख शिंपले " to me, he helped me identify the different types. 

Thanks to Prof. Turner, I can now identify "olive shells" (bottom left set of 2), "moon shells", "ears" made by scallops, and pigmented "arcs" of snails..can also identify how eroded arc Vs non-eroded arc looks like 

While I was waiting for the bus, my cell was low on battery. The infodesk lady pointed out that all the beachside pavilions have an electric socket. I was so impressed that I couldnt help but blurt out "I love USA". The point to be noted is that these pavilions were at a small town, and not a popular tourist destination like Miami. Yet, all the pavilions are equipped with a drinking water source, a tap to wash off the sand, barbeque spots, and my recent discovery - electric sockets. The point also to be noted is that such pavilions are present every half a mile down the beach, and note once again that this is not a spot that features on any "top 10" lists. I was appreciating some artists's stalls when he came over to chat, asked if I was an Indian, and told me that he has learnt many of his techniques from streetside painters in India. The infodesk lady gave me a free bottle of water, (cant help but compare to overpriced water bottles bought during Mood Indigo! )

Indians will keep on debating whether US is advanced because it has good roads or vice versa. Many mayors and whoevers keep on visiting the US on official visits. Why cant we ever learn these tips about how to project India as a tourist friendly nation.



P.S: Shrikant, you are so right about the "Life in the US" blogs being super-convergent about comparing US and India!! Cant help it :P Just waiting for you to come to the US and then let's see if you dont compare things in your head if not on the blog :))

Thanksgiving P-log

While we were hiking down a unused trail in the Sebastian Inlet State Park, my colleague asked me what do I do with the many pics that I take, do I even see those later. She suggested I have a picture blog, and I thought it was a great idea.

My plan for a perfect Thanksgiving 4 day off was:
Day 1: Everglades in the morning, Miami by night. Spend the black friday night/early morning shopping in Miami.
Day 2: Explore Miami
Day 3: Start early, scenic drive to Key West + water sports. Hope there's at least a single spot in Key West where you can see both sunset as well as sunrise the next day. Find that spot and camp there.
Day 4: The long drive back home.

**RANT ALERT**
But both Sasa and my colleague had Thanksgiving dinner plans. My colleague told me she had to go to the office to check if anything needs to be done and then we'll start. जो दुसऱ्यावरी विसंबला तो संपला.. A day that could have been spent car shopping when the mechanics were open. The plan was then modified to a short daytrip on Saturday to nearby Sebastian that should encomapss hiking + water-sports + beach. Parasailing and kite surfing were both "windependent". I really hate it when I end up planning for nearly all the trips and hence if the trip goes wrong the onus is mine! (Thank God that I have plans B/ C).  (Harry, Rutu n Aswin - wholehearted thanks for donning the planning cap :) ) .  Modified plan was -  go to State park, go for parasailing, if time permits go kite surfing.
What happened was - Start late, dont trust that I have correct GPS co-ordinates to park, go to Parasail place instead, ponder what to do till the Parasailing appointment, (My back up plans were jet skii and paddle surfing), try paddle surfing, go parasailing, then hike at the State park, and catch up an amazing sunset Note: sunset at East Coast = jumping at the opportunity nature gave us.
** Rant Over**

Its thanksgiving my dear..be thankful that you have a colleague who has just 3 more weeks to go before her intern ends, and is bound to be busy in the last month of her intern. Be thankful that you dont depend upon smartphone, but are smart and spirited enough to plan your day on your feet. Be thankful that you have a friend who agrees to your "tends-to-dangerous" plans of hiking on any trail you see.. And never the least, be thankful that your "wish I were in Dallas" mood-offs stay only for a few minutes and you can lap up the natural wonders of Florida.

I am so tired of planning every trip

Amazing driving along US1

After falling off the surfboard twice, upturning it once..i finally GOT IT!!

Parasailing

Our boat, its wake, and the shadow of our parachute..parachute was harnessed to us + it's water underneath (though by Newton's 3rd law the fall would still be serious), so I was very relaxed even with the winds, unlike my skydive

View from top thru my cam..spotted a couple of dolphins and a turtle

Hiking on a unused trail.. with marina on one side and standing water on the other..I was worried there might be an aligator/ snake lurking. Seeing a mangrove forest for the 1st time..notice the stemmy projections

different type of खारफुटी /mangrove?

Random shots during the hike

Sunset from the easternmost strip of East coast..wonders of the world

Car search update

1. Used car Vs New car..
To put it in Sasa's words, I need a car just as a safe cube to get me point A to point B. My preference is definitely going places and flying to vacations than splurging on a new car. A thousand bucks saved on a car is equivalent to 2 vacations. US is a huge country and 90% of nice spots are out of Deepika's car range ( because she will still think about whether it is justificable to drive and waste fuel+harm earth than spend more money but fly there, that plane is going to be scheduled irrespective of whether Dee flies on it or not. )
My recent vacations in the past 2 months were Seattle, Atlanta and Dallas, and I would fly of course. Other top spots on my wish list are New York, a cruise in Alaska, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and Smokies. )

2. Used car..
In search of a "आखूड शिंगी बहू दुधी गाय" medium mileage/ relatively not so old, and a price tag that goes with both these qualities. But looks like I can only find 1 quality at a time. If there's a car that matches both qualities, It will have a "Call for price" written in the online ad. Yeah right, all people going for a used car are going to be so jobless that they have no other work but to call all the dealers for their "potential shortlist?" cars.

3. Features
Yet another group of cars will satisfy both qualities but lacks ABS/ Cruise control. I dont give a damn to whether AC works or not, or whether it has power windows - my parents car had neither and yet was comfortable. One dealer called me back to say there was no ABS but there was a Satellite Radio.
Quoting Shashank: Satellite Radio वर गंधर्व गाणार आहेत का? (Translates- Do I get to hear celestial singers if there's a satellite radio.)

4. Dealer fees
Either I completely lack negotiation skills or whatever. There was only 1 dealer who included dealer fees in the cost listed online, and only a couple others who bothered to list their dealer fees on their own website. Again apparently everyone has spare time on hands to call the dealer for the dealer fees (which ranged 249 to 999 in MLB/ MCO) for all potential shortlists.

5. Online price
Most cars will have a better price online, as one dealer said, to get your foot in the door.

6. Mechanic hunt
Most dealers will have a service branch in the same premises. Yet there will be no warranty on the car. You, with all the free time in the world, have to make a few more calls to find a mechanic in the area who charges the least for looking at a used car and giving their opinion about it.

7. Manufacturers warranty
You will find a 2011 rental car with "just" 30k miles on it. Its 5k less than a new car (=10 more vacations for me.) It will still have manufacturer's warranty left on it. If its a Nissan, chances are that the rental car has used it up - easier to reject it on the spot. If its a Certified Nissan/ Honda/ Hyundai, you are better off with the warranty. You call up Hyundai to confirm about it and they will give you a list of exclusions from the warranty.

8. Manual Vs Automatic
You find the purrrfect car, its 2011, still has warranty left, what you ignore to read is that its Manual. 2 yrs out of India I forgot driving anything, leave alone driving a Manual. You still brace yourself and go for a testdrive.. best luck with that!

9. Thanksgiving offers
Some dealers do have specials/ offers. But Mechanics are either booked/ on vacation. 

Thus endeth my 2 weeks since I started serious car search. Shortlists:
2003 camry 117k miles 9k usd - ranks 1st bcoz its the only one approved by mechanic so far, mechanic says its really good inside
the cost doesnt justify the miles at all.
3* 2011 rental cars ranging 30-35k miles @12k. 
2008 hatchback accent without cruise control - hey if I buy a car which is good enough to be taken for a longer ride, I surely wish for a cruise control and enjoy the drive!
Sasa specializes in sensors and actuators and claims that getting one installed खाउची पेंड नाही आहे! (not a piece of cake - hey this is one of the rare idioms that uses the exact same analogy in both the languages)

People's President

I came to know about President Dr. Abdul Kalam's visit to Florida through Team Asha. He was to speak at several lectures in UCF, Jacksonville, plus over lunch/ dinner at Ocala/ Jax.  Since the lectures were scheduled during UCF school hours = my work hours, Ocala it was, for me.

The organizers offered to fly him from Jax to Ocala, but he is a man without any airs and graces, and he suggested that he would travel by road. He entered the banquet hall amidst unanimous applause. He had refreshments right amidst people, another instance of the humble man that he is. (Another politician would have had food privately to emphasize how divine/ unlike common man he is)

As a school kid, I have heard him talk in person on 2 occasions in Pune while he was the President. This time, it was an completely different experience altogether. He started with a witty observation about how Ocala, which is  leading horse breeding city in US, now seems to be "breeding" doctors. A fourth of the crowd was 2nd generation Indians (since I was closer to that crowd, I also noticed that the 2nd generation kids seemed more interested in gossiping amongst themselves than hearing him talk). He addressed them, in a way completely different than what I would have expected an Indian President asking of NRIs. He said, if they wish to serve the society, they have to do it locally, they have to make Ocala a better place. Mind you, there is no imploring the kids, (whose only connection to India is their looks), to come to India and nurse its sick. Hats off Mr President, you won my heart right away.

The theme of his talk was, "what can I do". He spoke of a man who donated his kidney to a stranger, of a non-Indian lady doctor, who made India her "karmabhoomi". Another fourth of the crowd was UF students. His message to us was, dont come back to India as a job-seeker, return as a job-creator.

We soon started with a Q&A, where we realized for the 1st time that the enthusiastic man on the dias is an old man, and hence is hard of hearing. His assistants were live texting the questions to him, plus he had a hard time figuring out the accent of the 2nd generation kids. But the kids, who are not even at a fraction of wisdom or maturity that he has, wasted no time in laughing at his disability.

The questions ranged from what can be done about the pollution in India, or if veterinary science be chosen, or what in his opinion is an upcoming field in the next few years He cited an example of the stent for bypass surgery in  heart patients that he has helped design. He told us not to limit ourselves to just one field but expand our horizons to conglomeration of 4 technologies - nanotech, infotech, life science, (and something else that I missed).

After the Q&A, at lunch, people (including us) looked for an opportunity to take a photo with him; till the organizers had to announce to let him have food in peace.  Post lunch, the organizers announced that Dr Kalam would come to each table, to enable everyone to have a photograph and autograph with him. If I was just impressed with him earlier, I was completely bowled over. This is the President of India, mixing with people without any security personnel closing off people from him. He is the one who is talking to everyone, asking them what do they study, and if its a kid he is talking to, then is the kid a good girl/boy. When he came to our table, I thanked him for being a people's president.

But just being in the company of a good man doesnt make us any better humans. After the President had retired to his room to rest, there were queues of people hankering after him right in his room on the 6th floor. Couldnt they see that he is a 80 year old man who has flown from India less than a week ago, has driven for 4 hours a short while back, and is probably tired after speaking to everyone? Indians! when will we ever have a sense of responsibility for anyone except ourselves! He is one of the most popular Presidents, he has proven to be the People's Presidents, but when will we live up to be President's people? 

Austin, again!

I have been going places since I started working/ learnt driving and so I thought I could combine my weeklong Dallas training with a weekend Austin trip. Last year, we had been to Mt Bonnell, and I fell in love with one of the winding + hilly roads there, and it was one of my driving goals to drive on that road. My colleagues have scared me with anecdotes of fast and furious Texas drivers. I wasnt sure if I could brave it on my own, so asked my friend Aswin, whose driving experience runs length and breadth of the US, and his roomy to accompany me.

Aswin had warned that the I-95 (the highway, not the immigration document) would be busy, so we were to start early. By the time we reached Austin, and picked up my UF friend Kapil, it was late enough to have no good restaurants open. But Kapil has contacts (:P), and he literally  cajoled the maharashtrian cuisine restaurant owner. Its mind blowing to find a Maharashtrain restaurant in the US, and I had bhareet + bhakri (in India I used to dislike bhakris, its amazing how 2 yrs away from India changes you). I was worried about how spicy its going to be, as I told Aswin - my community eats less spicy food, and other people are known for the amount of spices they add! Aswin asked me to announce my surname on arrival and then the waiter should intuitively know how (un)spicy the food ought to be. Sure enough, the bhareet was so spicy that I had to ask for yogurt to calm my inflammed tastebuds. Nevertheless, Austin suddenly shot up in my list of favourite cities by simply having a Maharashtrian restaurant.

Now that I am in Florida, Aswin claims that I had no choice but adapt my choice to age 60+ men. Our night at 6th street hence involved me pointing awesome gals to Aswin, and Aswin pointing aged guys to me. My gang dared me to ask out a 60+ guitarist, he dint know English, and kept saying "yayayayaya".. which then became the mantra for our Austin trip.

Next day, we revisited the capitol. Last time, Aswin and I had chanced upon a portrait named "unknown judge". This time we decided to simply seek out the unknown judge, take a pic with him, and then explore the capitol lawns which we had skipped last year. Unfortunately, neither recalled where the judge was, and we ended reading the names of all the portraits in the capitol. Earlier, Kapil had pointed out the restaurant called "mirabeau" in his office and we had passed by the Lamar street. I was pretty excited to see the portrait of a guy called Mirabeau Lamar.This time around, I noticed a lot many paintings or floor-markings which had completely skipped our attention last year. I wonder if thats how it is if one returns to any place!

We were joined at the scenic Oasis hotel by another friend, who was with us in our last trip. We next went jet skiing. This time around I was much better than my previous attempt. But the showstopper was undoubtedly Aswin. Aswin shot around at 47 mph with me riding pillion and the jet ski literally bouncing off the waves. Ride of my life, followed by an amazing sunset at Mt Bonnell. We couldnt find the road near Mt Bonnell that had enchanted me last year..Austin I will be back - to taste the maharashtrian food, to look for my favourite drive, and to catch a closer glimpse of the lit UT Austin tower.

Car shopping

It is never the time to take a plunge. Personally, I like my current setup. The buses work okay with me, and I get to see a few other people than 8 at office at 3 at home. In the US or I guess everywhere in the world, life has been more about "keeping up the appearance" than being what you really are. My office folks expect me to buy a car asap. I know that 1 less car on the roads wont do much to help the environment, but if I can really pull it off then why not? The only initiative I have taken so far was to get a Drivers License.

Yesterday me and the only other young woman from work stopped by a car dealer simply to check things out. The car that really hypnotized me was a Red Pontiac. My friend was surprised at my choice of flashy car. We discussed what could be the characteristics that I would seek in a car. My 1st was a roomy 4-door car, if my parents do decide to visit me. I do really care for the leg space considering that my whole family is taller than average Indians, and yeah would be tall enough in the US too. The Red Pontiac didnt meet the criteria, and was passed over. :(

I found another which was considerably new, had less miles on it, but I didnt like the colour. My friend chided me again that the engine performance was more important than the external appearance.

She told me about the AAA membership, which will help me out if I ever need help. She told me I should google stuff and really research a lot - which car has cheaper parts, what are the user ratings etc. My roomy who recently bought a car had a car mechanic accompany her.

Looks like it really isnt a casual buy :P  

The "langdi" foot

As a kid, my playmate gang always thought that we all have a "langdi" foot, the stronger of the 2 feet, on which if we play langdi its faster and better.

Its been a while since I last played langdi.  I had even forgotten which one is my langdi foot. Recently I am teaching self skateboarding. I discovered that I can balance myself much better when my left foot is on the board n I am propelling myself with the right foot. Now that I think of it, probably left foot was my langdi foot!

Apart from learning to skateboard, I also learnt about some more gender-conceptions. When I went to Walmart to buy the skateboard, the guy, though very helpful, said, "but girls dont do skateboarding!" I said - well I will. Then he said that girls dont like skinning their elbows and knees. I dont like it either, but I dont mind skinning them once in a while. While I was practicing in my apartment complex, I did hear "are! yeh to ladki hai!" from ladies strolling with toddlers. And yes, there was whistling too, because apparently no other Indian girl makes her presence felt on the apartment complex road. Demurely in wraps shut inside the apartment?? In your dreams!!

I had no say in the state of affairs when my teachers taught me writing. But this time I am going to make sure that I can balance myself on the board equally well on either foot.. ambidextrous! Call it putting my best feet forward :) 

On Missing + Moving On

When I first left Dallas, i had an empty feeling. A feeling that I never had when school/ college was over. One expects the school/ college graduation and looks forward to the new beginning.
Yes, I did look forward to meet my friends in Gnv, and the new semester. Yet, I could not shake away the emptiness.. the apprehension when you leave something dear behind and wonder if you would ever get it back.   

This time, as I leave Dallas, my bag is full. I have a job to look forward to, at an scenic location. I have reconnected with my friends and cousin in Dallas, and this time its a 'we'll meet again soon" not a "God knows if we'll ever meet again".

Yet, when my cousin was driving me back to the hotel after spending a weekend with her family, and when I pointed out my favourite buildings in the Downtown Dallas to her kids, the weird empty feeling returned again. I am in love with the city. I am gonna miss the weekend outings. I am gonna miss my gang, who, each weekend, did agree to the ventures chalked by me. Where else can I meet a puneri ragini out-of-blue 4 yrs after we last met?

Change is the only thing permanent in life.. moving on.. starting afresh.. exactly an year after I started my journey to Dallas, I start from Dallas to the road ahead..

Airport बैर port हाय रब्बा

Was to travel to Phoenix, Arizona (PHX). First leg of this journey was a 10.50 am flight to Charlotte, NC (CLT).  I reached airport (GNV) at 10 am when was told that the flight is delayed, and eventually it was cancelled at 11 am. An ensuing queue to reschedule flights,  so long a queue that the person manning the counter got fedup and setup a special phone # to help reschedule flights in parallel. I did call on that #, but there wasnt any option to get to "reschedule my flights" or talk to customer representative! Special phone number it seems :x.

When it was my turn at the queue, I was asked if a 3.30 pm flight from Jacksonville (JAX) was okay. Now I havent driven in US, which means I havent driven in like 2 years.. A flurry of calls to my roommate, and friends- Bhargav and Shashank if they could drive me to Jacksonville. My roomy was busy, I couldnt reach Bhargav so Shashank had to do the honours. All this while I was on phone with Shashank, and he asked me to hold on till he reaches airport.. (Hate him for that). In the meanwhile, the guy at the counter gave me a slip of what I thought was just the flight description on a flimsy sheet of paper no better than a hotel tissue. Shashank made it to the airport and I joined the queue again to confirm the reservation. The slip of paper had some weird name on it.. and I was put on a plane from JAX at 5.30 pm, this time the ticket printed on a paper that looked like ticket paper. 

My roomy had a GPS, but she wasnt at home. We decided to go ahead with just the written/ offline directions from maps.google.com. (Dont know about Shashank, but I was confident about MY navigation skills. ) Google maps rocks and we could reach JAX on time without a GPS (even though I was confident about my nav. skills, I still consider it a achievement). Few minutes into the JAX airport, and it was announced that the flight from JAX to Charlotte was cancelled for maintenance. There were no other flights from JAX to PHX via anything else even through other carriers. I was now rescheduled for a GNV to CLT flight, on the next day, at 5 am... I was again given the flight description on a sidey piece of paper, and thats when I realized that I had actually been put on the 3.30 pm flight, and that flight had followed its course. Several mental hate words for Shashank, the poor guy who had missed work because of me.  

Post script: keying out the blog entry from the Charlotte airport. The chairs are uncomfortable and have armrests, so I cant even stretch out and grab some 40 winks.
Whats silly and super irresponsible is..though many people were rescheduled from GNV to JAX, the counter guys made no arrangements for us to go GNV to JAX. Neither are we entitled for any compensation for making our own travel arrangements. Incidents like this are isolated..agreed..yet I have already made up my mind that I am not flying with this carrier any more.   

I FLY

My roomy told me about the Groupon coupon for Skydiving in Tampa.. we form a group of 5 in no time n book our skydiving slot.

Day before skydiving: I google to see skydiving accident rate is like 1 in 20K.. I see you-tube videos of skydiving n my friends' pics on Facebook.. everyone is shouty at the start and smiling end-to-end during the dive.. which helps a bit to soothe my nerves.

On the day of skydiving:
I am chosen to be the first group to skydive. I dont get to see others' videos because I am putting on the "jumpsuit" and the harness. I keep feeling that the shoulder straps are too loose and my hands easily come out of it. The plane is small..and the 4 of us sit in the Cessna. I am sitting on the floor of the plane, and can feel the flight..The door of the plane is not shut yet and I am scared for my friend Shashank who is to jump first. The instructor shuts the door soon and the plane ascends faster. Shashank is super cool, and smiles reassuringly. The instructors connect the harness to them in-flight. And the door opens..

A huge gust of wind screams in. My friend swings out his legs and off they go. I scream louder than the wind. The instructor cajoles me that it will be ok..and off we go..
The jump is the BEST part of skydiving. My heart is pounding for the whole duration of free fall..when I am finally sure that the 4 hooks will hold me I stretch out my hands.. But its already time to open the parachute.. and the fun part2 begins.. I am relaxed now and start taking in the breathtaking view.. The instructor trains me to lift my legs high up.. and its a super smooth landing.

I wanna jump again.. but this time I want my own parachute.. ZNMD style..

Galore' de Gator Nights

Penning this entry as an audition for a student blogger role :)

The gator audience joined forces with Theseus and Phaedra to check whether their souls are immortal + divine. With a steady supply of popcorn and cold drinks to support their mortal cravings. :P

For all those Adams and Eves out there who wish to take a bite of the Apple, Gator Nights supplied a plethora of skins for those sleek gadgets. Gator Nights also gave fellow gators a chance to impress the shutterbugs at the red carpet. For those who stay away from the public eye, there were wacky n witty dog tags to help rescue hungry gators in distress. And to top the rescue mission, there's always a pancake or 2 at the Midnight Breakfast.
Our verdict: Spring break round the corner..Will miss you Gator Nights!

Ganz N Roses

I have a Parsi friend, and he recently invited us to the Baha'i prayer meet hosted by his friend. After the prayers and a jam session, there was an open house of sorts. His friend and the friend's wife are globe-trotters and have spent years in Cameroon, Brazil, Israel, India, Korea..the list goes on. The group that got together was also of a mixed ethnicity and religious adherence. We spoke about global peace and spiritual awakening. Stories were narrated to stress that tolerance can be brought upon only by opening our hearts.  

A critic once critiqued something. The manager of "whatever-he-critiqued" was extremely angered by the unflattering critique. He wished to prevent the critic from sending out further articles. He sent out 3 goons, who simply stood outside the critic's house threateningly. The critic was a brave man. He trotted up to them, and asked if they were thirsty, and told them that they could use his loo. Initially, the goons were gruff to him, but soon they warmed up..and even dropped in for lemonade or to watch TV.

A guy was about to be mugged. He said to the mugger.. "whoa! I have money simply to buy me dinner. But why dont we go out together and share the meal." The mugger was taken aback, and spared the man.

All I ask for, is that the aggressors give the peace-talkers enough time to atleast get their thoughts across. 

Carmina Burana

I was  spell-bound by Black Swan, and thrilled when a ballet- Carmina Burana was organized at the University. Attending a high profile performance is a beautiful affair, and it was cool donning my dream dress.

It was funny when the choir entered from the audience, my friends had a good laugh over it. Also my 1st contact with western classical music sung live, which is several octaves different than the Indian music.

It started with a performance by defrocked priests and nuns. I was surprised when the dancers danced on their entire feet, and not just on their toes as I had expected post-Black-Swan. The bleak dressed dancers soon exited and we saw Adam-Eve and the serpent. The trio were on their toes, and an excellent performance by the ballerina playing the serpent. Soon Eve succumbed to primal attraction (KUCH BHI story..as if God intended the PG-13 version, where stork visits the couple and drops the baby in mom's lap!!!!). The next scene was springtime- to symbolize the joy and life of procreation. Brightly dressed performers performed acrobatics-modeled steps like cartwheels, modified trapeze where the girl swings from  one guy's arms to other's. In the second act, the indulgence in games and alcohol was portrayed to go out of control. This act featured an intricate backdrop and vibrant costumes.

The third act, as the performance's website rightly calls it: is both profound and profane. Adam is crucified, is resurrected, renews his proximity to Eve post-resurrection with extra vigour, and reaches spiritual heights through carnal pleasure. Osho anyone? This would be the last performance by the prima ballerina (Eve), and judging by the rounds of appalause and the standing ovation, this was a fitting farewell. 

In and around Gainesville

I was forever on the go for the past 19 months.. not that we dint venture out once in a while..but mostly weekends were dedicated to getting your work done. And now when we can afford to slow down and take in Gainesville..
Off track to Paynes Prairies state park.. stepping into tall grass.. and returning unscathed.. only when we returned to the starting point did we read the warning that one should not go to the tall grass..because 1. alligators lurk there.. and 2. alligators lay eggs there, and are aggressive++ if they perceive us as threat.. I guess the only reason we stepped out alive was that it hasnt rained in a while in Gainesville..and there isnt enough wet soil for alligators to lay eggs.

Trip to Lake Alice and UF Bathouse..took some awesome sunset pics there..
A visit to Butterfly rainforest and harn Museum of Art..
Trip to Devil's Millhopper..The largest sinkhole in Florida..
Impromptu Picnic at the Stoneridge Lakeside.. wonder how could we miss out these wonderful spots..
Bike hike to Hawthorne trail.. Off the beaten track..biking away to glory.. there was a pretty spot of Sweetwater branch under a bridge.. me and a friend climbed down to check it out.. again something which is highly risky in Florida..
Morning side Living History Farm.. whosssssssssh and the Time machine takes you back to the 1900's. Feeding the animals.. eating homemade biscuit..India-like butter and sugarcane syrup.. There was a family asking their kid to be bold and pet the cow.. Saddened me to think that the same family will go home and have hot-dog for dinner.. :(

Many more to come.. Life's good.. or rather it is as good as we think it is :) 

Harn Museum of Art

My friend from Dallas is visiting Gainesville. Had an impromptu visit to the Harn Museum in the University. Funny how I completely missed this one for so long.

We started with Sebastiao Salgado's Photography Exhibit. The 1st goody goody images were rajasathani toilers at the Canal project, which reroutes Sutlej and Beas waters to Rajasthan. It was good to read that the project attempted at planting trees to prevent the advent of the desert. The next subject was Dhanbad coal miners. British wanted to extract coal as cheaply as possible, who cares about destruction of ecosystem, or the weakening of soil structure. Apparently the British system of quickie-mining let in oxygen, and led to incarceration of the coal. The next set of disturbing images were sealing the oil wells post gulf wars, and extreme under-nutrition post exodus from the subjects' native land. These self-funded images have captured and kept alive a censored piece of history: a role-model for budding photographers.

The next cheerful section was contemporary art. One intriguing artwork was Oscar Wild, by Hernan Bas. B My friend thought it referred to grave-diggers. My interpretation of the hazy human figure was that it was an allusion to the Picture of Dorian gray..the hazy figure progressively looks more wicked and older.  One appealing feminist photograph was "I am not a Persian carpet". The female artist stamps her body with persian carpet motif to assert that there is much more to being a woman than just her beauty and nationality. "Old man's cloth" is a quilt made up of..wait for it.. made up of sewn together aluminium caps of wine bottles. Misnomer maybe. Should have been called a "teetotaler's cloth" :P. Two headless mannequins wore the "home-made bulletproof vests". They refer to a grim incident where the Romanov family heirlooms were sewn into kids' clothing to safeguard the riches, which couldn't prevent the kids' brutal death. 

The art in Harn Museum has a pervasive theme. The exhibits refer to unfortunate (and possibly forgotten/ fact-suppressed) incidents like rich enslaving orphans, assassination of General Sandino, Black Wall street, and Colonial imperialism. What triumphs is the artist's ability to seek out the silver lining in that grim cloud.

The Atlanta adventure

I had a 3 hour layover in Atlanta..i decided to put it to good use..
5 am in West Coast: My friend offered to call up his friend who has a bike. I texted my ex-roommate.
1.50 pm in East Coast: I reach Atlanta. My roommate doesnt have a car, and stays about 1 hr away from airport. But she searches for places to visit around the airport and asks me to check out a temple 7 miles away. But it is not well connected by public transport. Otherwise there is an Aquarium and a Coke factory to check out.
1.50 to 2 pm: My friend suggests to check out the Coke factory. I remember seeing pics on FB. So I think it might be a worthwhile tourist spot. I ask around at the airport.. some airport officials tell me to get down at the 5 point station. There are track repairs in progress, and the train at the station will be running late. I call up my friend for map support.
3 pm: My friend directs me over the phone, and I reach the Coke factory. It is a serious waste of time and money. All fizz and no substance.. A secret formula my foot!  My friend has contacted his friend, who will drop me to the airport.

4.30 pm: My friend's friend arrives on a super-cool bike. He got a helmet and sunglasses for me.. with a comment that with the sunglasses on I will have my eyes open. My 1st bike ride in the US. Also one after 19 months. I am super excited. I ask him to ignore if I scream.
But an excited giggle is all that I can manage for the first few minutes. We near the Expressway and the adventure begins. He accelerates..its enthralling..its speedy.. I see the dashboard flashing 96 mph before the sunglasses fly off and the helmet is thrust backwards. I now hold the helmet with one hand and steady myself with the other. A rush of adrenaline. I can feel my knees gripping the bike hard.
I reach the airport in the nick of time, and break into a sprint as fast as my shaking legs can manage. At the gate just when the Delta lady is about to call out my name.
Time of my life!