Dear Diary,

Ok, I know that my bday note is due, and I am going to write that, but before that I want to write about, where I was this bday.

United States. This is going to be a reallllly long note.

A year ago, I did not imagine or remotely imagined that I would be going to US this year. But that’s life, so many things happen when you least expect them.

Ok, without any more philosophy, I want to tell you all about the trip.

I’ll start with New York.

I arrived in ew York, wearing my new brown leather shoes and my travel jacket.

[PHOTO]

It was just me and Chetna in New York, I think I have bonded very well with Chetna, I like these trips with her. She isn’t a go go do do person, she is like me. And we find alignment so naturally.

It’s funny how I keep meeting such people I vibe with, chetna asked me the same.

But I guess I am lucky in that regard, I keep meeting people I connect with so well. Once again, thank you god for giving me friends in life.

In new York on the first night we went to the time square and Rockefeller center. It was freezing cold, literally freezing cold, but I am glad that it din’t stop us from doing things.

It was also a very good time to go to New York, it was so christmasy everywhere, decorations and Christmas trees were so beautifullll.

[PHOTO - CHRISTMAS Tree]

We took sooo many photos, went to grocery stores and roamed on streets near time square. One thing I want to slightly mention that was surprising for me was the crazy people I saw on streets, it was scary.

But our hotel was nice.

[PHOTO Hotel view]

When coming to hotel from airport the taxi driver told us that the only free thing in New York is the Staten Island ferry tour. So next morning we went for that.

I had never seen a ferry such advanced, it is huge, it’s double decker, has very nice seats, walking gallery and elevator inside. This is USA.

We saw New York skyline from the boat, and I can still feel the chill in the air that I felt standing on the boat. Looking at tall buildings and the seagulls circling the boat.

[Photo - ferry island]

Then we went to see the Brooklyn bridge, smoked a cigarette there and then we went to Wall Street, saw New York stock exchange, took photos with the bull.

It was so painfully cold, we gave up on going to the Empire State Building.I remember standing at the corner in front of the bull, i remember the sharp wind hitting my face. It was painful but i still like the extremes of cold.

[Photo with the bull]

DALLAS

We arrived in dallas all broken, went to the hotel, my roomate is Diego, he is from some central american country, speaks spanish, it was nice to meet him. One thing i have reaslised after being in canary is that now i feel sooo ok and comfortable when i am being with people from other nationalities (It was soo funny, i once mentioned this as race to chetna, i always chose wrong words 😂).

The next two days in dallas were probably the best fun filled days i have ever been to.

BDW, to give you some context, this is camp canary event, which is happening in dallas and this is what has brought me to US. This also happens to be my birthday. Ok now -

OHH MY GOD, The event was sooo well planned, structured, i can't imagine an Indian company or any indian org organising it soo well.

We had ice breakers, awards, team activities, and parities.

First, planning of the team activities, and official part of the events, really shows true leadership qualities of the Harman & SJ. Emphasising on vision and team values, giving awards based on values, the ice breakers, the presence of mind and quickly switching gears if something is going unplanned, it is just hats off amazing. For sure i believe now, how much is the leadership important.

The story forming was the best activity

The boat building, teams coming together to really build that boat was amazing.

In ice breaker, i told about me that i can sleep while standing. And i found out how everyone in the team are sooo amazing, they have soo many amazing qualities in them.

[Story telling Photo]

Then the evening parties.

The first night we had Big shorts golf pary, we all hit golf balls, never in my life i had courage to pick a golf club, thought i could never do it. But here i was, swinging the club (I did it like a cricket bat swing, seems like that was working very well 😂 ). But then matt taught me some stuff, and by the end of night i was hitting descent, my highest was 200 yards or something. It was an amazing night.

[Photo Big Shorts]

Then we had Smores, SJ taught me how to make smores also.

Then we had White elephant competition, it's somewhat like secret santa but a competition, it was amazingggg.

EVeryone brings some gifts and keep them on a table and then everyone steals or trades gifts in rounds, it was amazing. After maybe 5-6 rounds i finally got to keep the purple bottle.

I went all the way with the alchohol bdw. I had all types of drinks.

AT some point i was trying to play happy birthday on the grand piano in the lobby with luke and Sarah. Yeah, i kind of kept looking at her too often 😂 🤦‍♂️, i wish i didn't do that. But she has gray eyes and she is just toooo pretty. She is very smart also. Ohh man 🫠.

The next day

The next day was even more amazing. We had awards, team photos, then the catapult building competition (OMG, i cant believe that our device actually worked with that accuracy). It was really an aha moment for me, i realised that if you are optimistic, you have a team and keep doing something, just something with everyone's mind, you'll be able to build something for sure. All 12 teams made completely different new designs of catapult in an hour, it was really stunning to see that. I also think it is the quality of the team we have at canary, everyone has a presence of mind, everyone has go do it attitude and everyone is smart, i feel very lucky to be surrounded with these nice people.

Ok, in the night we had the cowboy theme banquet. Ohh my god, it was the best birthday ever. Everyone came in the cowboy costumes, we played games, we had drinks and the best part we had Karokeeeeee.

We all sang songs, once again, the team is just very talented in all aspects not just work. Everyone is just very cool. I sang a song or two, Sj & Harman called out my bday and everyone were soooo nice, i think it was just the best baday celebration ever.

I danced with Tarra, and the things i talked with Zi & Jean was another highlight 🤣. I went overboard on drinks again 😂🫠. We traded a pack of cigarettes from the receptionist for 20$. I wish nobody was there to see when i said yes on winning that pack🫠. So i embarassed myself a little, but it's ok. It's not the end of the world. I was the last one to go to bed.

[Photo from banquet].

SAN FRANSISCO

One of the things i am always really thankful about in life is friends. On the bart station when i saw meera, it was just wow...

It's been literally years and it's still the same b/w us. Going to the pizza place and talking to her felt so like, sooo real, naturaal, and so like home, like we know everything that has happened in each other's lives in years. I stayed on the couch in her home in Berkley. More on that later.

I always thought of the US Cities as like ultra modern place, and before coming the exiciting factor for me was to go to sillicon valley and be part of some startup meetings etc.
But the first 2 days we ended up spending sitting near the beach, drinking our beers and walking in the golden gate park and along the ocean beach 😂. We actually liked it, me and chetna are somewhat good trip buddies, we don't have many conflicts.

The city is not too modern, it's just too expensive, more expensive than London $$$. Small train rides cost 5$, pack of cigarettes is 18$, i bought packet of bread for 6$ and beer can in store cost 5$ and meals are also very expensive. But i had the best apple of my life there.

We walked in the streets, looked at the beautiful houses (all of them were so unique and soooo beautiful) and the trees, the weather it's great. No area is too rushy, you dont see too many people. Walking feels great. We went to the Land's end point. Saw sea lions, went to different piers, did shopping, ate cheese cake from the cheese cake factory. Had not so great veg burger and a some mexican food.

It did not feel very safe in night, so we used to head home early.

We were in SF, so we had to try the edibles. We got a box of candies, it had 10 balls, chetna took 1 and i took half. And i kept talking gibberish about the painting and ram das and more which i dont remeber now 😀.

Then We went to our SF office, on Friday it was just me and harman in office, he took me for lunch, we talked abt a lot of things, he is very genuine and a very nice person. Really a good leader. Does not have any attitude at allll. Never considering himself as a boss, rather just a teammate.

Then chetna went home. During the week, i used to wake up, have my triple bread sandwich and the almond milk, walk for 18 mins on the shattuck street to the bart station, and take the train to the office and work from there and come back the same route by 7, then me and meera would go for dinner/shopping and walk back home, drink wine and talk about our day and things in life, i think it's the little things which we forget to cherish is how beautiful it is just to talk to someone who is at same intellectual level as you are, and you know that in this conversation, you both really understand. I have this with meera and dawrani and sometimes others too.

We ordered boots, which i had to return :( But meera says that it's a sign of universe wanting me to return to the states 😂. We talked some philosophy, some destiny too. She is a really good person, much better than me 😀. All those days, i kept wishing that she gets a job and when i go back home, she would tell me that she got it, it didn't happen :( But, i think that's life, some things take time and you have to be strong and hold yourself together and wait for your song to come. I think i have got things fairly easily in my life and that is why i feel i am missing on some important lessons in my life, maybe it's in my curriculum for later part of my life. But seeing her holding herself together is just great, she has amazing strength.

On weekend we went shopping, we went to japan town, meera likes japanese stuff, we tried Mochi, Ramen (I did not like it), she said i have to acquire the taste of japanese stuff, and also probably cut down on the hot sauce.

I felt the japanese food so flavourless (I was shocked she could taste different flavours in the mochi or when she said she could taste the lemon flavour in my ramen).

On sunday we went to the university, it was greattt, the library, the campus, it was very beautiful.

While leaving for airport, it felt heavy to say goodbye to her, to the house, to this life. I really stated liking the routine here and sleeping on couch in cold and waking to the view of the bridge going office, and coming home and talk to her.

I think i did not miss home much, i did not miss my life in hyd. That's the thing with me, i keep forgetting the past as i go on living. Not sure if it's good or bad(most likely a bad thing).

But that's all. One more trip has ended and i know some of it has remained in me forever.

Until next time!

Love ❤️❤️

--panda--

Rainbow2822's Dear Diary