Life in the time of a pandemic

 Michelle Obama, in her autobiography, refers to herself as a box checker, someone who thrived to do everything they are supposed to do in life, planning every detail. It would be scornful to compare myself to her, but I think I turned into one somewhere along the way too, diligently carrying out all that …

Little things…

I always think that it is the little things that make us happy. I am trying to remember few such little things that made me incredibly happy in the last few days. I made some carrot halwa the last weekend, with a lot of hard work which included grating seven carrots all by myself, …

Lost, not quite…

There is a trail by a river right behind our apartments which I had explored in part on my numerous attempts to make it a habit to jog regularly. It is called the Guadalupe river. One fine Saturday morning, I and my roommate decided to cross over to the other side and follow the …

All by myself

Inspired by all that I read and see, I dream of going on a backpacking trip all by myself across countries, across continents. While I waited to start my job, I made a small promise to myself that once I receive a few paychecks and have enough money to spend for myself, I would …

I smiled when the driver asked me if I had a cold. Both of us knew I was crying on board the shuttle to the Los Angeles International Airport from the place that was home for two years. I am not sure if I could not hold my tears back because I was leaving …

A turning point

When I finally have a reason to be happy, I seem to be indecisive. One fine day I cannot stop crying over an interview reject and the next day, I have a job. It feels like all that happiness that I felt cancelled out the extra sadness, but I still have some of it …

When nothing seems to go our way and an opportunity strikes, catching us unawares, we eye it with cynicism, not letting ourselves believe that we do have a shot. This is how I greeted the news of my invitation for an onsite interview with Amazon. I knew what I had to do was to …

Brain teaser

Our professor talks about how we should emulate nature while designing any complex systems. In his view, the solution to any problem we face can be found in our surroundings, only if we care to observe. This is apparently why he believes in god. He even shared a story about a girl who had …

Of dreams and despair

Sometimes when any one of my roommates walks in late in the day, I am reminded of how my father came back home from his trips across India and always brought something for us. I foolishly hope they might have brought something for me too! Little do I realise that I should not expect that …

Disillusioned

“Disillusioned” is how I would describe my state of mind these days. Disenchanted with the idea of finding a ‘passion’ and living happily doing what I love, disappointed with myself, but still not discouraged. Those were all the synonyms I could find. Waking up to find my favorite YouTube video removed and attending classes …

The final stretch

The final stretch of my master’s, the culmination of all hopes! The time when everybody wishes it will be done soon and that we do not have to study anymore, but with the sadness of realizing that we have to be accountable for a lot more as we go onward, and cannot be as …

“Yes Ma’am, just for you!”, said the driver of the bus I was in, to a lady who enquired if it would take her to the USC health science campus, situated a few miles away. She hopped right in, beaming. I got a ‘transfer’, so to say, for my last couple of months at …

The old with a dash of the new

How my Instagram feed has changed over the last two years is truly an indication of how my life has changed! From the photos of Hesaraghatta lake to the photos of Austria, from Bangalore college campuses to the sunset pictures at the beaches of California, from first time dishes to exquisite fares, from Mysore …

Musings on heroes

In between friends who call me up because they are too scared to walk home alone from office on a scary street and friends who call me on a weekend while ticking names off the list of people not in touch since a while, life goes on. People can never stop surprising me. They …

Goodbyes are not forever

 Parting is always painful. Another semester has ended and this summer was not going to be like the last one, when the only worry I had was how I will work 9 to 5 every single day at my on-campus job and make as much money as possible. My home away from home is …

Of hopes and woes

  I had assumed it would be easier for me to leave home this time as I was not going to an unknown place now. However, as the day of the journey approached, I could sense myself feeling more and more nostalgic. I felt a tad better when I entered the airport and spotted …