San Francisco Diaries - Day 1

Google's ample love for me put me on a crazy countdown, and on a flight to sunny California. Am going to be here for a week - a really short week that's already flashing past.

Flew in with some 50-odd other Googlers, nice flight, saw half a dozen movies and drank beer and wine. All through the flight, it didn't seem like I was really going abroad for the first time, so many familiar faces and all that. And everywhere we stopped -Singapore and Seoul - there were hundreds of Indians there too...

So until I finally landed in SF, got past customs - fingerprints taken - and got out and got my first breath of such sweet smelling and cool air, and saw a few delicately gorgeous pine trees, did it really sink in. I was finally in the city I'd read and dreamed so much about for years.

We're staying at San Jose, at the Hilton, (was slightly disappointed not to find fluffy hotel slippers that 5 stars in India generally provide) but since am not paying a cent/paise, I shan't complain.

Lucky for me, last week we had Google Visitors from Mountain View in Hyderabad - Hendrik and Anthony, and since I took them around in Hyderabad, I insisted that they return the favour to me.

So, we swung into Hendrik's supergoodlooking brand new BMW convertible, and got the best and fairly packed first-day evening in San Francisco.

I must stop gushing.

First, we drove out of San Jose, on the freeway, staring all around and asking ridiculous question, and headed off to a Mexican-Spanish part of San Francisco for some authentic local tacos and melon drinks. Very tasty, and super-cheap.

Next was Haight-Ashbury street - hippieland. The store outside which we parked, had two junkies sitting right outside, rolling joints and greeted us with a Hare-Krishna. Graffitti on the walls, music posters and Tshirts of the legends, absolutely colourful streets. And one really gorgeous fellow playing the violin outside a bar. Quite a few fake hippies, but of course.

Walked around there, and then drove across the city past the beautiful Golden Gate Park, to the Golden Gate Bridge, and caught sunset. Then, drove far over the hills towards a tiny lighthouse we'd spotted. It was pitch dark by then. Driving with the top of the car down, and the radio unexpectedly played my current obsessed-with song - Foo Fighter's The Pretender. I really felt as if the universe was conspiring to make me explode with happiness. Nearly.

We saw two deer by the side of the road. Really rare, said Hendrik. More lucky us.

Boy, going to the light house was totally awesome. The road to it was blocked - it shut down at 3:00pm, but we felt adventurous and decided to walk anyway. It was lovely. Really chilly wind, and stars slipping out, and the ocean lashing at the rocks, and pretty San Francisco glittering at us from beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.

Eventually, we didn't make it to the lighthouse, after a long walk, we came to a tunnel that was shut and we couldn't pass it. But, lovely nonetheless. I was thrilled to have already been to a place that wouldn't really be on a regular tourist's first day (or at all) agenda. Point Bonita - Lighthouse.

Drove back into town, over GGB, and to see the skyscrapers - The Bank of America Building. And then headed to Little Italy - a locality in the city that had lovely cafes and bars and nightlife slinking out.

We went to San Franciso's oldest pub - The Saloon and saw an ancient, but excellent live band. Rock and roll, with a lady saxophonist. Oh, and outside the pub, this really old man asked me for age identity, and happily let me in when I showed him my tattered Indian driving licence.

It was great to go into a pub and not have to drink Kingfisher. Really. I think the bartender (old chap again) was so drunk that he gave us an extra glass of beer. But maybe it was complimentary. Everyone has been extremely nice and friendly so far. Lots of people came up to us - I guess Tasneem and me were probably the youngest in the pub, and Tasneem's colourful burka certainly got her noticed. A few people asked us where we were from. And a lady insisted that I dance with her. She was fairly drunk too, but it was fun anyway.

I didn't want to leave - but considering tomorrow (today, damn it) is Monday, and WORK, and I have to not be jet-lagged. Well, 4 more nights to go in SF, and coming up tomorrow morning, my first glimpse at Googleplex. Someone put me into bed.

Oh, one last thing. I love India. Everywhere I look, I seem to compare to back home, and in most counts, am fairly impressed by what we have. A few problems to solve, but my lovely country is the only place I could live at.

Midnight Again

Michelle says, over wine and sun -

We all have kinks. We all love kinks. Something off, something imperfect. Perfect beauty is not easy to live with.

Afrin says -
The stars must shine so much harder to be seen in a city. The survival of the brightest.

Afrin says -
Men are illusions of a woman's needs.

Afrin thinks -
My underlying unhappiness makes me compromise everything I do.

Love, from Goa

Bring-aways from Goa -

1. You really know how close you are friends with someone when you travel with them.
2. When you're staring at the sea, and the stars, and you're one with the universe, the universe listens to you.
3. I love Michelle D'Mello.
4. Three Paul Frank Tshirts and a bottle of wine.
5. New favourite song - Foo Fighters' The Pretenders. Thanks, Nigel.
6. Renewed faith in self.
7. Memories of a friend taken away. And a broken heart left behind.
8. Anything is worth it, if you want it 100%.
9. You can tell a true hippie by his silence.
10. Brownness.
11. Ten postcards, and 500 photos.

And a warm happy feeling yesterday when both Nigel and Michelle said that they're having Afrin-withdrawals.

RIP Aadesh

A wave came and swept me away. The salt filled my lungs. The air got squeezed out of my body. Every inch of me - I couldn't move a muscle. The sea took me, soothingly carried me away.

I thought of the girl on the shore waiting for me. I saw a sunbeam. I died.