Talking / Video sharing - life is busy, technology makes it easy

Recently I have started talking on Skype again. Skype is a wonderful tool as it allows free calls to another user and also free video conferencing. Actually BSNL calling cards have become very cheap, one can call to USA at Re 1.00 per min !!!!! ... even the cheapest calling cards in USA charge 0.03 cents per minute , which is more than Indian Re. 1.00.

Though I was talking to Ma , Ritu, everyday, I did not get the chance to talk to Sonamoni. Yesterday and today , I spoke with Sonamoni and even saw her pictures. She is so cute. In the video I can see her, doing all sorts of pranks and telling me "Baba, bhalo theko". She has just turned two years this 1st December , the day I started working in USA .

She is wonderful . I captured some snapshots of her while talking to her. In the snapshots she was drinking water ... the pictures are so sweet .

Today I had been to Kohls to get some dresses for her, but as it is winter, they dont have dresses now... most of them were winter dresses, nice dresses with fur lining, not suitable for India, unless we move to Kashmir .... which is a absurd idea. So I bought three tops for her. I shall check in Mayfair mall tomorrow, to see if I can find something for her at GAP .

I also brought wrist watches for Rangapishi, Chotokaku, Ritu and Baba. I bought a pair of comfy slippers for Ma, - probably they shall be better than the massage slippers Ma wears right now.

Could not take anything for my Baba .... how I wish he was there ... he is there by my bedside ...he is always with me.

Winter in Wauwatosa

Winter in Wauwatosa,WII have come to Wauwatosa on the 29th Nov 2008. It was a nice feeling coming down to USA, even though I had to change four flights. In fact this was my first international trip.

I had landed in Wauwatosa, or Tosa as it is commonly called by the locals here around 5:30 pm. While landing , I was coming from Minneapolis - Tosa on a connecting flight, I saw everything was white ... by snow. I had started thinking how can live here, I was just wearing normal clothes and a jacket ; the thermals were inside the suitcase. It was very nice to see the snow, but I was thinking to myself how shall I manage it.

Unlike the other airports, Milwaukee Airport was a very small airport, a small passage, everything was small. I had come through Schipol, Minneapolis, and so this one seemed a really small one. After collecting my luggage, all of them which were intact, I proceeded to collect a trolley. But somehow, the trolley would not come out. Then I saw that it was a pay trolley - one needed to pay one dollar in a vending machine to get a trolley !!!!!!!! I collected all the three luggages and dragged them out of the airport , as the trolley machine was not working. There I stood for sometiime and got a cab, which took me to the motel I was supposed to stay in. .. Extended Stay America, Wauwatosa - the cab driver took $36 , and I gave hime $4 as a tip !! I thought it was okay, but later I found out that $4 could have bought me a nice dinner!!

The hotel was nice; and the rooms even nicer. I was very tired , as I was travelling for 25 hours by flight, I had a good shower , and then went to Denny's a nearby food joint to have my dinner. I did not wear my thermals till that time, and I was enjoying the cold weather. .. well it was still manageable. I am putting up a photo of Wauwatosa, WI, which I got via the Zementa plug in ... its a plugin every blogger should have.

After my dinner, I came back home, and called up Ma, and Ritu .... it was 5 am at India. I checked the television for sometime, there were only 14 channels in the television so it was not DTH ... I was used to 120 channels in India. The premium US channels were missing. .... what a bad luck .

The next day was a Sunday, so did not much of a tension for office. Went to sleep quite late.

P.S. The post date was showing the date and time ( IST ), I changed it Wisconsin Central time.