Awake thou wintry earth

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

We, in Minnesota, are yet to see Spring in full green. I think it is just a few more days of wait, after all no winter stays for ever and no spring forgets its turn.

Snow covered car

Snow cover on Toyota Camry 2011 over night. Have encountered worse than this though! Waiting for the summer now.

Posted for Thursday Photography contest

Ring out the old, ring in the new

With fizz of champagne
And sparkle of fire works
A New year begins

Light the lamp of hope,
Of freedom, but leave behind
despair of darkness

Here is wishing you all a prosperous new year. On this New Year, let us for a little bit pause ourselves from the mad rush of our busy lives in the rat race for success. Let us revive ourselves and think of the little change we can bring around us for the good. Let us ring out the old, and ring in the new. Let us ring out the darkness and ring in the kindness.

New Year Wishes from Minnesota; Photo from Minnehaha Creek, Minneapolis

Although written about two centuries ago, this particular poem still stands good in the current scenario also. And this is 106th Canto of "In Memoriam A. H. H." written by Lord Tennyson.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind

For those that here we see no more;

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Snowfall

A new beginning
Echoes with the leafless trees
Clad in silky snow

Snow started all of a sudden this year. What was a pleasant sunny city until yesterday morphed into white color completely after the sudden 6-inch thick snow fall today. Here is another photo of this place early this morning and the snow-lady we built for the record. :D 

Posted for

Haiku Heights

One Single Impression

Fall colors

A treat to the eyes
When nature tries to show off!
Rejoice the colors.

It's about time for Fall colors. Last year we didn't have proper colors due to an early winter. 2008 was one of the best in terms of colors. Here is a picture of 08 colors from the Minnesota campus.

Last Saturday, I've been to Duluth along with friends exclusively for Fall Colors. Although the colors are not at their best, it still was a feast to the eyes! The picture below is from Savannah State Park, Duluth, Minnesota!

Posted for

(Prompt: Rejoice)
&
One Single Impression (Prompt: Try)

All is good with me!

Remember, remember the fifth of November.

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why the gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot.

Ever after watching the movie V for Vendetta, I just remember this rhyme on every Nov 5th though I really don't know the very serious historical importance behind this. 

The Diwali event organized by the Indian students wasn't that happening despite the huge expectations. Nothing much is happening in life apart from the usual classes and homeworks. I was told more shouldn't be expected from the life of a grad student, and yeah now I feel thats true. And the other good thing is, I am happy with the way we are cooking and eating for dinners atleast. I happen to skip most of my breakfasts, eat some junk for lunch and that makes me crave for a good dinner. And wat else? 

• People say history is made with Obama winning the presidential elections. Congratulations to Barack Obama.
  
• Good bye Jumbo, you have contributed a lot to Indian cricket. We miss you. 
  
• And recently another Indian student studying in Seattle, USA was found dead. This makes me fear, the fear of how safe International students are in this country.

A quick question on the ending note: Are you feeling the effect of this economic recession on you? 

Diwali Time :)

Diwali Time again! It feels good to not lose the festive mood even in this distant land. I open my mailbox to find n number of emails from various people wishing me Happy Diwali. And majority of my friends' status messages in my IM client are "Happy Diwali". I open my Orkut and FaceBook accounts to see notifications in the status messages of many of my friends' accounts to 'Happy Diwali'. 

Adding to this, we have Diwali celebrations in our U by the Minnesota International Students Association on Saturday, Nov 1st. Hope it will be a colorful day (its truly gonna be, with all the desi girls dec'ing up in traditional dresses :P atleast hoping so). And yeah, we are celebrating Diwali in our own way with a Puja followed by Potluck. What more should I expect!  (Crackers ? Not sure about that though! When I say Crackers, its fireworks - not the crackers these people have with their soups - working in the dining services makes me very conscious of the words I choose).

Lo, Happy Diwali! And wish me the same :) Time to call my parents back in India and wish them. Have a safe Diwali people.

A New Beginning

Lotsa new experiences! What do I start with? Where do I begin? First and foremost thing is attending classes after a long gap of 2.5 years, it just reminds me of all the fun I had in good old days of undergrad. But classes here are much different, I find grandfathers taking the same class I take, may be its the 'Gnanam Param Balam' motto that they follow and polish their knowledge every now and then. A special mention goes to the babes out here - somehow i don't feel like calling them gals and addressing them as ladies makes it much formal, so lemme stick to the word babes. But whatever be it Desi gals are the best, last night I attended an Indian students gathering and there is this one cute desi gal who stole my heart. Couldn't stop staring at her until all my friends made fun of me.

The other day I was shocked when an American colleague of mine asked me "Who's your favorite actor in Bollywood?" When I asked how he knew about Bollywood, his answer was "Everyone knows about Bollywood, it makes large number of movies every year, isn't it!" I suggested him to watch Om Shanti Om when he asked me for a movie, because with all the reincarnation, flashy and colorful sets, dancing numbers and all it will give him a good idea of what Bollywood movies are. Americans have a general idea that Indians movies are full of dancing.

What else! Its Minneapolis. A cool place with generous and friendly people, they say its one of the safest places in this country. And at the same time people scare me with all their experiences about the harsh winters here. A few days back watched pre-screening of the movie Death Race, which deals with the extremely fictious state of this country in 2012 after the downfall of its economy. And also had been to Minnehaha Falls, Lake Calhoun and Mall of America here in Minneapolis. When I tell people that I had been to all these places, they say I pretty much covered majority of the places in this city.

PS: Yay, got my brand new Dell Inspiron y'day!! :D
PPS: Thats Stone Arch bridge across Mississippi river in the second pic.