Santa Barbara

Here I am living in one of the lovely places in US of A. This is the first time I am living in Sunny California. The weather I am told is the best in the whole of the Country. It is Sunny, but not hot or humid. Cool breezes keeps blowing in spite of the Sun. We live very near the beach. Just 5 minutes drive from the beach.

This is a suburb called Goleta in Santa Barbara. I have always associated humidity with any beach and this one is very different. The beach itself is not big, but the view is fantastic with so many curves and cliffs can be seen from the beach. The water is also not pristine blue but muddy and also dirty with lot of sea weeds. The town is not very big but very neatly spread out with one storey houses (two levels). I am told that there is restriction in building more than one floor, so even the banks and the hotels are not the multi storey buildings but just one level or two levels.

The time of my visit being summer I see lot of flowers and what I see is big 'arali' plants with lovely white and pink and magenta colours. I don't know what it is called in English it is called as 'kanigale hoova' in Kannada. I have seen so many of this bush back home and also in KL where I have one plant in my little garden which, with so much care gives one or two flowers a day. This flower is sold in India as it is used in 'pooja'. These bushes have to be seen to believe it is this flower as the bush which stands on the side of the road is full of flowers completely hiding the bush itself.

I see lot of Eucalyptus trees and also healthy hibiscus shrubs.

Anand's one room first floor apartment overlooks a tree which has a mapelish kind of leaf. I can see the tree from the kitchen window and it is as if it is saying 'hello' to me every morning. He has a small kitchen garden in his balcony where he has planted some cherry tomato plants and also some ladies finger plants. The cherry tomatoes have started yielding where as the other plants does not look as if it is going to yield. I was so thrilled to pluck some eight little tomatoes and use it for my cooking and the dish also turned out so well.

Santa Barbara has a beach which is about half an hour drive from here and it is a tourist centre. The whole place looks like an European town and I need to go by walk in those roads where there are malls which look like some old building. No modern high rise buildings are called Malls which I am so used to in Malaysia, I would like to go and see those shops. I am told the wares are quite expensive over there and so I would like to do some window shopping.

A mountain range over looks this little town and there are few houses dotted in the lower level of this mountain range. We went to a Vedanta Centre which was in such a place . It turned out to be a place which has a meditation hall and the centre is formed by was followers of Ramakrisha Paramahamsa. The hall had a serene atmosphere where no external sound was there being in the middle of no where and it was a good experience to sit there and meditate.

Latest journey to US

Well I am back in US for holidays this time to the West. This time we tried a different airlines Delta airways operated by China airlines. (called co sharing). I was kind of apprehensive about the airlines thinking it might not be good. We had changed over to this option since it was cheapest in this sector that is KL to LA.

While checking in itself there was some delay since the computer systems were down. Suddenly there was a flurry of activities and some personnels from Air china appeared and helped clear the queue. This flight was going to LA via Taipei (Taiwan). The passengers going to Taipei were checked in first and also passengers without any check in baggage and of course first class passengers. I waited patiently(!) in the side lines and was checked in after some time what they called mannualy. I was little worried about my check in baggage. In this milee my luggages were not weighed and just got checked in. Though I had heavy luggages I knew I was well within the limit allowed to me. There was a big queue even after I checked in.

I casually went in after having the customary milk shake in the Mcdonald's thinking the flight will be delayed due to the confusion outside. When I went to the gate I could see that people had already started boarding the plane. The China airlines staff helped me change my seat numbers which was not given next seats for me and Tejas intially. They changed the numbers for the onward flight from Taipei too. We got very comfortable front seats with lot of leg space which I needed badly as I had hurt my toes earlier and the doc had said it has to heal by itself with rest. Tejas was very happy to see a tv terminal next to his seat with facility to play games. I had told him not to expect that! The service and the interiors of plane was very good and I was impressed.

I was pleasantly surprised that contrary to my expectations the service and the airline was quite good and efficient in spite of being the cheapest. I was given some good vegetarian meal too.
We landed in Taipei from where we had to take on the next flight to LA. The airport was so clean and good it left me the usual longing within me 'when we are going to go any where near these international airports.' I had taken some food with me, for tejas and myself which we ate while waiting.
This second flight was a bigger one a Jumbo and the service was equally good if not better. When we both refused food , the airhostess was really concerned! She offered us some fruits and juices . I have not seen this concern in any airlines for quite some years now.
I found there was a hindi cinema also in the video section of the flight.

Comparitively the journey was shorter than I normally undertake since I was not taking any connecting flight in LA.
We landed in LA and again there was some 'system down' this time with the immigration. I was almost in front of the queue and so we just stood there staring at the immigration officers. After about an hour or more we could come out.

Tejas helped me all through in taking and moving the hand luggage in the escalators and walkalators in the airports and also in loading the check in luggage to the trolley. He has indeed grown into a big boy.
At last I came out and could see anand waiting for us with a big grin. We travelled another one and half hours by road to reach his place. By now I had lost count of time and any way it was night and so I could go to sleep and hence lucky did not get into the trap of jet lag this time. I have started my stay in this lovely place, Goleta in Santa Barbara.