MY EXPERIENCES IN AMERICA

NIAGARA FALLS

2010-02-06T16:33:00.011-05:00

Seeing Niagara Falls is a dream to many,but that dream came true to me and I am very pleased to say that I am among the many who have traveled to see this amazing spectacle which nature has given to us......

As the memorial day is nearing by ,we get four holidays in a row, so we started planning where to go..this question arises everytime...As we are new to Chicago,i suggested to go in and around Chicago,but after a lot of discussions we decided to go to NIAGARA FALLS.....

Niagara Falls, one of the world's greatest natural wonders, can only be described as breath taking...Millions of tourists from around the world come by plane, train and automobile to experience the spectacular view of Niagara Falls....

Coming to the point I didnt expect this much earlier to see NIAGARA FALLS..and Without wasting time started packing , booked hotels and planned everything...

As per the plan We started at 6.00a.m....it takes 12 hrs drive to reach Niagara from Chicago..

Our journey to Niagara was very joyful and we were very eager to see the spectacular falls,but as the journey was too long, we took some stop overs in the middle..nearly at 5.00p.m we got to see the sign board " WELCOME TO NIAGARA"...HURRAY we shouted with joy..From the long distance we saw the water flowing and the rhythmic sound of water...

I read it some where that, human body consists 60% of water,and so attracted to water..how true it is..from kids to elders all are attracted to water and wants to play with it...that is the magnificent power of water....

After reaching the destination we checked -in the hotel and came out refreshed ,carrying our cameras we headed towards the falls..then the time was 6.30 p.m...we dont know how Niagara looks like ,so when we saw the stream of water we thought "is this Niagara falls "......and then we followed some tourists and viewed water falls from long distance.....We were very upset because this is not what we thought..it is said unlike CANADA , we get to see only some part of falls from U.S side..

As it is getting darker,the crowd is growing and we came to know that Each night, various-colored lights shine on the falls. Blue, yellow, purple, green, and pink light up the falls, creating a flowing rainbow of water for all to see and at 10.00 p.m fireworks ..

We satisfied a bit after seeing this colored water falls..and went back to our hotels as we tired very much of the day journey..

Next day we planned to MAID OF MIST..This is a boat ride which gives a close up experience to Niagara falls .The boat starts off at a calm part of the Niagara river and takes the passenger into
the dense mist of water spray.....we get into the boat and waited to see view ..and here comes THE AMAZING,SPECTACULAR AND MAJESTIC VIEW .THIS IS WHAT NIAGARA FALLS IS.....

No one could imagine the actual size and greatness of the falls.Our imaginations could never give us an idea of the actual beauty .The natural beauty and magnificence of the falls can only be seen through your own eyes....To fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the amazing falls, you should have to visit them personally......

I am pleased to say that I am among the many who have traveled to see this amazing spectacle which nature has given to us,we could never capture the wonderful rushing sound of the water pouring over and splashing into the basin below with just a click of photograph....

CHICAGO

2010-01-08T17:31:00.014-05:00

Because of the economic crisis my husband got rolled off from the project in kingsport..I was upset for sometime because ,the place is like my home town and now we have to leave it...

After awaiting for 3 weeks one fine day he got selected for the project in Naperville(suburbs of Chicago).I jumped with joy because we are going to see Chicago...My husband said Naperville is like another Kingsport (a small town ,which is 30 miles away from chicago city)

We packed our things and left for Chicago within 2 days...When we landed at Airport,I first saw lots of snow all over, as we came in the month of january.......Chicago is famous as a Windy city and very very cold in winters..

As it is winter we dont want to go out in the chilled weather ,so we waited for summer to come.As Summer came we started going to see all the Chicago attractions.....

Sears Tower is the first place we visited......Currently Sears Tower is the tallest building in United States and recently it changed the name to Willis Tower.... and they attached glass balcony .It is sooo beautiful to see the whole city through the glass balcony...

Millennium park is another major attraction...and is famous for its modern architecture.It is a worth seeing..The park is soo wide and has many attractions ....As we went in summer the crowd is thick and good to see many people around us...

As we want to see leisurely ,we covered each attraction on each weekend...

After giving a pause for sometime we went to Navy Pier by train ...This is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan..It is Chicago's number one Tourist attraction..It include Sightseeing cruises and Water Taxi service, etc., Other attractions include rides like the Ferris Wheel along with many seasonal festivals for Halloween and Christmas. The pier has fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights during the summer and Friday and Saturday nights during the fall.

we see a lot of crowds in summer ..people in chicago enjoy each and every minute in summer as they have only short summers...

WASHINGTON D.C

2009-12-02T19:39:00.009-05:00

WASHINGTON DC is the capital of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA..

We went to DC in the month of November ie., for Thanksgiving holidays.It was a peek winter time.

From Tenneessee to DC it is 6 hrs drive....when we started the weather was good ,but in the middle of our journey it started snowing..

OH MY GOODNESS .....its such a beautiful scene and its really so beautiful to see snowing .I really enjoyed but my husband ,who was driving the car felt sooo scared.it is very dangerious to drive in snow as it skids..

He slowly drove the car and we entered The DC...I was so thrilled to see the capital of AMERICA ..Roads are wide and so much of traffic.It was the first time i saw a lot of traffic in America...As it was winter everyone covered with woollen coats from top to bottom..

We checked in the hotel ,dropped our luggage and nearly at 8.00p.m we went out to see the city in the night lights..it was amazing..i felt like i was dreaming...we went to near by malls and came back after 2 hrs.

Next day morning by bus we went to see WHITE HOUSE and CAPITOL BUILDING,LINCOLN MEMORIAL and lots of museums .All these are located in a walkable distance to one another....

Because of the security reasons we are not allowed to go near The White house..but the view from the long distance is tremendeous..

As the christmas is nearing they put a huge christmas tree near the White house.It is good to see a decorated christmas tree at christmas time..

Museums,Lincoln memorial s are very huge.though it is winter,the crowd is thick...

Though we have limited time we covered each and every thing....We went to Wax museum...All the celebrity statues made by wax look like real...It is a worth seeing.

By the end of the we returned back to our place by local train.

As it is a Thanks giving day next day,many are closed and the public is very thin on the roads..we also took some rest and returned back to kingsport...

NEWYORK

2008-11-19T21:36:00.005-05:00

Iam writing all my experiences in america...but i dont know how i missed writing about NEWYORK..

NEW YORK was the crowded city i had visited in U.S.A.. it is one of the largest cities in the United States. The city has been home to the tallest buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building and the twin towers of the World Trade Center.(ofcourse they got demolished and now it is known as ground zero)Manhattan is the downtown area of NEW YORK and commercial capitol of the United States and is famous for the city's skyscrapers

There is so much to write about this city..

When ever i think about my trip to NEW YORK it remembers me all the sweet memories.

I started taking photoes since i boarded the flight ...that high my excitement was..

I was very eager to see THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. so our first visit was to this place....this palce has a historical background .It was presented to the United States by the people of France as a gift of friendship ,and is Located on a 12 acre island.

We reached THE STATUE OF LIBERTY by a ferry...when i was going nearer to that statue i felt like i was the luckiest person in the world to see the wonderful statue in person..It was amazing.

Really this is so wonderful than i thought ..we stayed there for some time and we need to have reservation to climb up the statue ..as we dont know that before,we didnt get the chance to go up
Next day we went to see the down town of the city..ie., the MANHATTAN .As i said before this place is very big and famous for skyscrapers...no one in the world can explain this place in one single word..... so awesome.We made a full downtown tour by the double decker topless site seeing bus.Night Tour will get an amazing view of the illuminated Manhattan .

We visited ground zero and spend some time at times square.Times Square is a major intersection in MANHATTAN.On every december 31st there will be a lavish fireworks display from the top of the building. On this night hundreds of thousands of people gather here to watch this NEW YEAR EVE.

NEWYORK is a must see city in U.S.A. Roads are always crowded with people..

ATLANTIC CITY

2008-11-19T18:18:00.005-05:00

Newyork trip is not complete without seeing ATLANTIC CITY.

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean.

One day after finishing our lunch we headed towards ATLANTIC CITY.Around 4pm we reached there.When we were entering the city the traffic was moderate and we went to the seashore and spent sometime on the boardwalk .

As it was becoming dark,the traffic came to its maximum.There were lots of people coming from different places to visit the CASINOS.We entered one of the CASINOS.OH GOD!!!!!! I had never seen such a crowd before in U.S.A.People were busy in gambling and for seeing this place two eyes are not enough ....I wanted to take some photes but it was not allowed.We played some card games with the minimum amounts, but there the gambling goes with higher amounts.

This place is good for the people who like to play gambling.

We were back to Newyork at 3.00am

Whenever i play cards i remember ATLANTIC CITY...

PHILADELPHIA

2008-11-19T16:23:00.014-05:00

When we were in Newyork,one of our family friends suggested us to see PHILADELPHIA.I dint know the significance of that place.so i asked the same.They said it is the historical place where AMERICA's independece declaration was made.

I was so excited and wanted to see.so went to PHILADELPHIA.

PHILADELPHIA is 1 and half hour drive from newyork.one morning from New jersey We directly went to the historical site ,where AMERICA got declared independence. Here we see America's most sacred historic sites like, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

The Liberty bell is known as most famous ringing occurred on July 8, 1776, to summon citizens of Philadelphia for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. This bell is also known as Independece Bell.

we spent some quality time there and took the siteseeing bus to make a tour to downtown.we boarded "ride the duck" it is a bus cum boat.It leads you through Philly's historic streets and a splash into the Delaware River .We enjoyed that ride very much.We never saw that before , the bus converting into a boat and splash into the river.It was a good experience.

On the same day we returned to Newyork along with the memories of PHILADELPHIA.

ORLANDO

2008-06-27T11:11:00.009-05:00

Now a days i feel lonely and having no interest in anything .on one weekend my husband said "why dont we go to ORLANDO".i didnt take it seriously......because i heard its all about rides and basically kids will enjoy it............

after 2 days my husband said that he booked tickets for ORLANDO.......i was sooooo excited and started looking for that trip on the net...

ORLANDO, The city is well known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the Walt Disney , SeaWorld and Universal studios ....

Walt Disney World is most visited theme park in the world. At over 25,000 acres, the massive property features four world-renowned theme parks............

SeaWorld is the world 's premier marine adventure park with incredible ,thrilling rides and up-close animal encounters.

Universal studios has two amazing theme parks in one convenient location......

after getting the information, i came to know that it will take 62 days to complete the orlando in full........oh god!!!!!!! we have only 3 days in hand.........and we want to see the maximum........is it possible ...i dont know...........

we started our journey to orlando..........

first we want to see Universal studios .I didnt get the sleep previous night because of the excitement...........we got up ready and went there early.........

seriously each and every bit excited me a lot and we wanted to cover everything...but as i said before there are two parks and each one is sooooo huge ..so atleast we wanted to see one of them completely so we went to Universal studios...............

there are lot of rides and 3d and 4d shows......till now i know abt 3 D shows but there i saw the 4 D show.its really good..in 4D shows we feel like we were walking ,riding etc..,its sooooo amazing.its been night when we came back...i was so tired on the first day itself............

next day we dint feel like going because of the tiredness but we have to see lot more in 3 days...

so we went to SeaWorld ......... The parks feature sea lion, and dolphin shows

One of the biggest attractions is the Shark Encounter,and the Penguin Encounter.....................

SeaWorld's main attraction is its shamu show. 'Shamu' is used as a stage name for adult Orcas in performances at SeaWorld parks...............we get to see all types of sea animals in one place......oh god why didnt i go before to see thisss...

after seeing sea world we got recharged for the next day....we got new strength .......

last day we went to Walt Disney....here we have 4 main parks to see.but we have no time to cover the 4 ....so we planned to go to Magic Kingdom and Epcot

first we went to epcot....... Epcot, is divided into two unique sections - Future World and World Showcase. Future World consists of the environment, imagination, energy, space, technology, and the automotive industry. World Showcase is made up of pavilions representing 11 nations along with food, entertainment, architecture, and attractions.

in future world i liked every thing .....but i liked soarin even more.........its a thrilling ride..this is one ride you don't want to miss on your next trip ......

world showcase we covered only half because we have a plan to see Magic Kingdom also

from Epcot, to Magic Kingdom we went by monorail....it takes 10 mins to reach from one park to another.......

Magic Kingdom is the ultimate...........the photo i posted above is the highlight of magic kingdom.....it is the Cinderella Castle .................its like a dream world to me.some times i felt like iam dreaming...............here also there r so many shows and rides .........one of the biggest attractions is the night colourful parade and fireworks...........

this trip is really a memorable one to me and built memories that last a lifetime and you will momentarilly forget the realities of every day life ,of schedules and obligations when we go from one adventure to the another

i dont want to go again and again because i want to remember this as a memory for my life time.

SPRING TIME

2008-04-13T16:58:00.006-05:00

After the winter in USA, i wait for the spring season.....because its a season of flowering.........all the trees which loose their leaves in the fall season begin to flowering in the spring time and Its the season of growth for the plants from the cold winter........ its beautiful to see all the trees in their fullest with colourful flowers

spring starts officially on march 21st and lasts until 20th of june

in between this time we see different trees with different colors like in falls time..........people get bored sitting in the indoors in the winter start coming out and enjoy the spring time.trees getting bloom gives us some excitement in life

every where the grass looks green...lakes which were frozen for winter become thawing.............

we have to be very careful in this season...because people say that we get a lot of allergies......

by taking some precautions we can enjoy this season ............

MY JOURNEY TO BUDAPEST

2008-01-31T12:10:00.007-05:00

One day when i was chatting with my brother(who is staying in budapest for 4 years)he casually asked me to visit their place .........then i didnt take it seriously............. but after some time i came to know that europe is a beautiful place and we should c it one's in our life.........

I mailed my brother that iam interested in coming to their place and to send me the related documents ......

The very next day my brother called and said he was happy for my decision and looking forward for the day of my arrival in budapest and sent the formal invitation which should be sent to hungarian embassy..............

I applied for hungarian visa and within 2 weeks i got the visa for 3 weeks..............

I was very excited to see my near and dear ones as well as the new place........

I packed a few things and got ready for journey..................

After coming to US this is my first travel to a long distance in flight ...i observed each and everything very carefully and remembered my first flight journey to US...

I boarded the flight and my first stop was Atlanta..i got down in atlanta and finished the required formalities ....................they took some of my papers related to US..and said those will be handed over to me when i get back to AMERICA.....

Iwas waiting for my next flight, which goes to FRANKFUT..in the meanwhile i started thinking about my EUROPE trip...i remembered my brother telling me that, in BUDAPEST people talk in their local language and some shop owners dont know even english also....

This point scared me a bit...because how can i communicate if i get a problem???.........

After some time i heard my flight announcement and i boarded it...in my next seat i had an indian so i didnt get bored. the flight took 9 hours from ATLANTA to FRANKFURT..... i had a great time in flight

HOOOOO i entered into EUROPE................

At FRANKFURT i saw many indians, because its a transit place..people change flights here to different destinations...

In FRANKFURT we have to get trains for going from one terminal to another.....that much huuuge airport......................... its a different experience......

From there i took flight to BUDAPEST,my last destination....in that flight each and everyone was talking in local language.... i felt alone...........

After 2 hours i landed in BUDAPEST... i finished my customs formalities and came out ....my brother was waiting there............on seeing him i forgot my strain and strees ............

It took me 14 hours to reach my destination............here we have to change our time .they r 6 hours before US

We took taxi to their place which is 30 min from airport..in taxi my brother was talking to me but i was watching outside ....all buildings were of same type.......... old and strong construction.I WAS OVERWHELEMED BY THE SHEER BEAUTY OF THE CITY

We reached home and i felt happy on seeing my dear ones...i had my lunch and took rest as i was feeling some jet log .next day morning i felt fresh.....we had a lot of fun .as it was cold outside we preffered to stay at home for some days.....................

As my stay was for 3 weeks we covered each and everything very leisurely..

BUDAPEST is a tourist place.so we see all types of people like germans ,french,dutch etc.,........and the local language is hungarian, but we hear mixed languages......It is the capital of hungary and a big city with huge constructions..their currency is forent(HUF)they count it from 1 to 1 lakh .they dont have any decimals....isnt it funny.....

The city is divided into two by DANUBE river.one side is BUDA and the other is PEST...Chain Bridge is the central point of Budapest.Trinity Square is at the heart of the city and usually thronging with tourists. we covered the parliament ,museum ,parks,underground trains ,malls,.....

They have a good public transportation with busses and trams available very frequently .In winter it gets dark at afternoon 3.30 itself.......i experienced more cold when compared to US.........sometimes my hands get burning sensation and become red because of cold...........

I dont know how my 3 weeks stay got completed... and my return date arrived .....its a beautiful experience for me in my life.

I promised my brother that i will visit that place again when time permits and took leave from them......................

MINDBLOWING DEALS

2007-10-04T11:42:00.003-05:00

One day my friend called and asked "did u buy the printer"...............I asked what was that.........she said it was a deal and we r getting that in free .......i thought she was joking and laughed but i was mistaken. she was telling it seriously ....................i asked her with the confused mind how can that be possible............

She said companies in US have a concept , which people are habituated to call "deals",and is aimed at increasing sales for a particular product. But whatever may be the motto behind this marketing strategy we get the items almost free.... but i wonder how can we get a thing without paying a penny........

It looked strange and i wanted to try it because of my enthusiasm .......

I ordered the item which she told.....we have to pay when ordering the item.then after receiving that particular item we have to submit a form for the money back.............this is the procedure....but we r not sure that we get our money back 100% ...sometimes we may miss the cheque sent by them,or the mailed form we sent may reach them after the due date etc...but once we get habbituated, it is difficult to come out of this situation........whether we get the money or not...........

After that every now and then i visit some sites for any deals...we get good deals very rarely.......at the time of THANKSGIVING in USA some of the stores put some good deals for the public.......at that time we get some of the electronic goods for less price when compared to other days......

some people wake up early and some may even don't sleep on the night before the particular day for getting the deals .............................

Whatever may be the case I believe this is a great time pass with some value addition.

911 IN EMERGENCY

2007-09-26T13:53:00.001-05:00

Here in America we have a good facility........that is calling 911 in emergency .......I came to know about this only after coming here....

This 911 call is for emergency......Everyone needs to know about calling 911 in an emergency......... police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, and so on are our emergency workers.....

In olden days people had to find the right phone number in an emergency............If there was a fire people phoned the fire department........ If there was a crime, people called the police.......... If someone got hurt, an ambulance had to be called....... Finding a number for any of these emergency workers could be very confusing - especially if a person was in a hurry or in an unfamiliar area.......

In 1968, the U.S. government worked with the phone company to establish 911 as a central number for all types of emergencies..........When you call 911, an emergency operator, called a dispatcher, immediately connects you to the person you need ........

Today, it's as simple as dialing 911. With those three numbers, you can reach the fire department, the police, or an ambulance........

In schools also kids are taught the importance of 911.....

I want to share one incident with u all regarding this

One day one of the neighbours of my relative invited her for lunch ........when she went there the situation was very serious ...........she saw the ambulance and cops over there......she got confused and enquired ..........cops said when her neighbour was cooking food suddenly she fainted and her 1st grade son called the 911 . The cops also said "she got fainted because of anemia and now she is ok " ......... by knowing this my relative didnt get any words to express about the amazing usage of 911........

she was very thankful to the emergency system and the child who responded timely.....

when she told this to me i felt soooooooooo amazing......isnt it good?....then i came to know the importance of this emergency number.
Every now and then we hear such an amazing usage of 911

This number is so handy and very easy to remember even for kids also...............

VOLUNTEERING IN SCHOOL

2007-09-26T11:17:00.001-05:00

I want to write about my volunteering experiences in school........when i was in india i heard a lot about schools in america .whenever any one tells me about education system in america i used to listen with opened mouth.

After coming here to kingsport(tenneessee)some of my initial days i felt so exited....each and every bit is very precious to me.after some days passed i felt like boring.... and at the same time one of my friends was going to school to pick up her son .As she dont know driving she used to walk to school.so i thought of going to school to give her company.

One day when we were in school , one lady(office assistant ) was standing and distributing papers....... i got curious and picked up one paper .that was about wanted volunteers.......that lady said "if u r interested u can sign and join as volunteer in our school".

WOW i didnt think about volunteering in America.......i took that paper and came home and consulted my husband.....he said its good for me as i dont have any other time pass ,but iam scared to sign those papers.....there seems so many rules and regulations but my husband said thats nothing just some formality........then i signed those papers and the very next day i went to school to submit those papers.

I said that lady, " iam very much interested in volunteering and i will come daily at my convience"........so that i can finish my house hold works

That is elementary school.It is upto 5th grade.

Next day i went to school with some excitement.she gave my name tag and told to hang it around my neck.........at that time i felt like a queen and walked around the classes.......that day was like a dream to me.All kids(whites)were moving around ,.......and i felt like iam in heaven with all angels.........All children were looking at me and some were asking about my bindi,nose stud,bangles etc..........when iam telling them about all that they didnt understand and its hard for me to explain them about those things........
In my initial days i didnt get to understand what the kids were talking about.Their accent was very different when compared to adults.it took time for me to understand..but now and then i get confused .....

I used to sit in the office room whenever i had work.....sometimes they used to give me lot of cutting stuff and my fingers get tired ........ if i dont have any cutting work i will assist in the spanish class.Spanish teacher is very good and she teaches the children very patiently.she never scolds anyone in the class room.she told me that in America we should not even scold a child,if that child complains to their parents it gets worse.....

I like the system of not scolding the child.but its very difficult to teach a kid very patiently when they r not good in studies without scolding............ofcourse some kids are very naughty in the class.

In the beginining i was very afraid of touching any kid...

school staff was very good and kind to me even though i dont talk much .

some times i go to assist kids in their physical activities .Its like a fun to me.

One day they offered all volunteers a free lunch,but i didnt go...........as..i dont know what the food will be...i mean being a vegetarian i didnt try any american food stuff.......so i was missed on that day.......

If a kid wants to discontinue the school and continue it in some other places he/she doesnt need to take any transfer certificate from existing school, as they fax the related certificates to the new schools. The very next day they can join the new school...isnt it sounds good...........

On the last day of the academic year , they will give all volunteers a appreciation certificate .When i received mine i was on cloud nine......

FARMERS MARKET

2007-08-14T12:16:00.001-05:00

There were very few Indians at our place , which is a small town in the state of tennessee. Every now and then we have gettogethers and habituated to discuss from recipes to our new inventions to space, virtually anything and everything. Once in such a meeting one of my friends told that here in kingsport, between may and october we will have farmers market.i thought its a joke and laughed because I heard about farmers market happens only in India . I thought she was making some fun .but later i realised that it is not a joke ,when i browsed the net.
and yes ... she was right..

I waited eagerly and the season came. We landed there in the first week of May,But alas ! it was a bit diappointing and we did not find much there. After giving some gap again we were there in August , wow! we had what we thought. We will get some Indian vegetables too. I was impressed a lot and understood that the peak season for the farmers market is only from August to October.

Though it was disappoining that we have this facility only for three months I was happy to see lot of varities of vegetables and fruits at a reasonable price. In India we see this farmers market throughout the year.

FUNFEST IN KINGSPORT

2007-08-14T11:48:00.001-05:00

My friends kept telling me that in kingsport we will have funfest in july month. I dont know what is that, but i was very exited and looking forward for that...

Funfest is the summer festival commonly known as Kingsport Fun Fest ,began in the year 1980 when Kingsport Chamber staff and board members conducted their annual weekend retreat to discuss matters of paramount importance. , the group sought to create a program that would build a more positive attitude about the Kingsport community and a more friendly nature among its residents.

Fun Fest's sole objective was "to promote unity, harmony, fellowship, and cooperation among people". all events (to the extent possible) here will be free of charge or at a low cost, and open to the general public. Events are appealing to all age groups, and to people with varying interests.it is an event for one week.

Finally the day arrived and one fine evening we went to see what it was .All kingsport locals gathered there and there were few food stalls also.We had groups of people hanging around, busily engaged buying,eating,chatting and enjoying .There was heck of a lot activity.As it was one week event and it will held in differnt places in kingsport.Every day we had different kind of activity. The day we went was a balloons day.They put big balloons sponsored by different organisations. When it became dark the balloons were glowing and it was so amazing to see.Out of seven days we went for only two days.

Last day was fire works day.It was a great event and one should not miss.but unfortunately we missed that day.

ATLANTA TRIP

2007-02-02T15:07:00.002-05:00

As the christmas vacation is nearby we, all indian families r thinking to spend vacation on going out and seeing the places .15 days before the vacation time we all started planning. gents r making plans in the office and ladies r planning on their own .first we decided to go to florida and booked rental car and ladies even completed planning what to wear ,cook etc., but due to some reasons we cancelled that florida trip and planned to go to atlanta which is 5 hrs drive from kingsport.

I got very excited about the trip as it was the first long drive in US......

Atlanta is the major commercial and transportation hub of the southeast United States, and its international airport is one of the busiest in the world.. and Atlanta is home to many major corporations, including Coca-Cola, which was founded there in 1892.it is also a major educational center, with many prestigious universities ....

In Atlanta ,fiirst we went to see coke museum."ooooohh" there r different flavours of coke with different tastes made by different countries.ofcourse i liked indian coke. hahah

Next day we went to CNN. it is a huge building .The studio tour features a number of behind-the-scenes demonstrations. Here you'll learn just how they make images--like weather maps--appear behind the anchors and correspondents. Here you can make a video of yourself reading the day's top news stories, or have your picture taken with a variety of Turner personalities on the Studio Chromakey.

Control Room Theater---A one of its kind, re-creation of CNN's main control room, where guests will see and hear the truly behind-the-scenes elements of 24-hours news, live. this is worth seeing......

Next we went to GEORGIA AQUARIUM.It is the Largest Aquarium in the World .Georgia Aquarium opened on November 23, 2005.The Aquarium will enhance Georgia tourism and provide local residents with a world-class entertainment attraction they will want to visit again and again .it has More than 100,000 Animals from 500 Species and Eight Million Gallons of Fresh and Marine Water . Located in Downtown Atlanta, across from Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center. "aah" there r so many places to visit in Atlanta..

Zoo is also Worth watching.From there we went to INTERNATIONAL MARKET., ah i was dying to c that market as i heard that there we get all types of vegetables ,groceries which we find in India. But this place is incredible and it has a mind-boggling selection of international foods and all sorts of standard and unique veggies and fruits. Infinitely better quality than those available in standard stores. I was really confused what to pick and what not,but made a big bill to my husband.Its a long time we were on roads , so decided to go back to rest.

Next morning it was raining a lot but we decided to see the temple in Atlanta,which is very famous..."oh" god it is really good.... .Indian temple in usa "WOW"that too beautifully constructed .I felt blessed seeing lord Venkateswara..The main IDOL really look like tirupathi Venkateswara..

Our trip was completed and successful with many worth seeings ..

But this trip was incomplete if i wont mention about INDIAN RESTAURANT .On our way back ,we landed in MINERVA restaurant .After a long time we tasted Indian food stuff in USA..While we were entering we got to hear a lot of old hindi movie songs which i cant forget...there we ordered large pesarrattu,uttappam etc., and enjoyed a lot.. With a joy filled heart we returned to kingsport

This trip had a great experience ,which will remain as an indelible memory in my life

INDIANS IN KINGSPORT

2007-01-13T10:27:00.001-05:00

There are certain special things that one never forget in ones life and my stay in kingsport is one among those.It was my first place in U.S; with a calm and peaceful scenic surroundings...

Kingsport ,Tennessee in Sulivan county,is 20 miles nw of johnson city, Tennessee and 132 miles nw of Charlotte, North Carolina. The city is located in the Johnson city Kingsport- Bristol metropolitan area.

Kingsport has a population of 44,905. Indian population is abt 300 to 400.housing is very cheap ,rentals are also cheap. people say that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.well here it is.

Temp here
Jan 26 to 46
apr 43 to 70
jul 64 to 87
oct 44 to 70

95% of commuters drive to work. Commuting to work in Kingsport tends to be by cars. people elsewhere might commute hours everyday.,but generally not in kingsport,where the commutes are shorter than a lot of places.

We stay at Allandale Falls ,with a beautiful scenic view and a backyard . .when snow falls it looks beautiful...Here we have some indian families,who are always ready to help, and are very friendly with full of fun. Occasionnaly we have family gatherings,parties,etc., if one family hosts a party all other ladies go and help in cooking.its a lot of fun.........

FALL COLORS IN AMERICA

2006-12-19T15:12:00.002-05:00

Autumn (also known as fall ) is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition from summer into winter.Autumn is the season during which most crops are harvested and trees lose their leaves.From last september through early november the landscape undergoes a change of color. The timing of fall color change depends upon so many variables that the exact dates of peak season are impossible to predict in advance.from early to mid october , to enjoy the fall colors drive the BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY,or SMOOKY MOUNTAINS.Autumn is both a beautiful and a busy time in the Great Smooky Mountains.The annual show of fall colors attracts huge number of sight seers.

In the mid October we all friends made a plan to drive to Blue Ridge Parkway on Weekends.So one fine morning we got up early and drove to Blue Ridge Parkway."OH GOD ITS AMAZING" .We got to see so many beautiful colors all the way long .What a wonderful different colors God has created . At one moment i thought i was dreaming and felt not to wake up .Really its a very wonderful experience one should see and enjoy .Its the best i had ever seen...two eyes r not enough.......

As we had limited time we came back and planned to drive to smoky mountains next week.

I was very much excited to see SMOOKY MOUNTAINS in fall colors...As the day came we all went to THE GREAT SMOOKY MOUNTAINS. Its a mountain we have to drive to.It takes 40 minutes to reach the top of the mountain by drive. We took breaks in between to see the mountain in different angles. From the top of the mountain we will see soo many different colors mixing together and look like a rainbow in the sky.There r no words to explain this nature's beauty...

Next day we boarded the tram at the downside of the mountain to go to another point ...from there we went by the rope way to watch closely the colors of trees and reached 3000 ft point of the mountain .WOW!!! its a breathe taking view for different colors from the top of the mountain. ...

From then i started waiting for next FALLS...

MY FIRST VISIT TO AMERICA

2006-11-15T16:03:00.002-05:00

I want to share my feeling to u all who visit this blog!!!!!

As this was my first visit to AMERICA, i felt very excited and didn't know what to pack..
so i packed what came in my mind. As the security to US is very strict i didnt do much shopping.
The thought of going to America made me so thrilled.

My husband arrived AMERICA 3 weeks before mine,so i had to travel alone now....

Finally the day has come and i was happy to join my husband ,but at the same time missing my family members in INDIA made me dull...

Time never stops for anyone and its time to go to airport ...stopping my tears i said bye to everyone and sat in the cab which came to pick me, my heart stopped beating,when i felt "when i will be back and see my family members"...

When i reached the airport and saw the crowd ,security formalities ,customs authorities i got frightened and said to myself" no i cant do this, i want to go back to home" wiping my tears i turned back and saw my father waving hands .somehow i got courage and slowly moved and joined the line...

When all the formalities were finished and i boarded the plane, i got some new energy and was so thrilled to see different cultures of people....its most memorable and i felt like i was in a new WORLD.Slowly i started enjoying each and every bit like watching people , airhostess and seeing the world from the top etc, As it was the first time i felt excited...

It was a long journey from INDIA to AMERICA.There were so many break journeys like landing in AMSTERDAM was a 6 hrs break.I looked around for sometime in the AIRPORT .

After boarding the plane, airhostess announced that we were flying above the ATLANTIC OCEAN....WOW FLYING ABOVE THE ATLANTIC OCEAN MADE AN INDELIBLE MEMORY ............

Finally reached the destination without any obstacles and forgot the strain when i saw my husband waving hands...