Behold West Coast, Here I come!

My exams got over on the 10th of December and man, what a great start it was to the holidays! Since the evening of 9th, it had become very cold in College Station and when I woke up in the morning on 10th, what I saw truly shrugged off my sleep in a flash. There was a blanket of snow outside over the roofs and cars! It was a beautiful sight, more because in the history of College Station, or in general in most of Texas, it doesn't snow often; or should I say it snows very rarely? Well, by the time I went to appear for my last exam, it had stopped snowing and when I returned, it again started snowing heavily afternoon onwards. It kept on snowing until night and we did not waste the opportunity to get into our thermals and rush downstairs to enjoy our first snowfall in the US, and at the most unexpected location! We had amazing fun, playing in the snow and throwing snowballs at each other. The joy was compounded with the relief of the semester getting over.
Well, next day, dad was supposed to reach Houston and so I got a ride back to Houston on 10th itself, around late evening. I reached home and next day we went to the airport to receive dad. It was a good feeling to be with the whole family, something that happens in rarity in our family. We came home and showed dad around brother's house (or townhome, to be perfect).The day after the next, we went to College Station to show dad my magnanimous university first and then to San Antonio for enjoying the riverwalk there. Dad was truly amazed by the brilliance and the expanse of the university. Has to be, my university is the 4th largest in the US :) Bro and I showed him around (mom and bhabhi have already been there). Later, the trip to San Antonio was memorable too, especially with Christmas round the corner. Last time when I'd been there, it was good but not AS good! Came back early morning the next day.
The same day, I started my driving lessons - gave the theory exam easily as the tutor with whom I'd signed up to learn driving had a 'question bank' of all the possible questions that may be asked on the test. It was a sail. I also wanted to give the road test as soon as possible and hence I learnt US styled driving from him for 3 days. The best part about his teaching is that he teaches only for somebody to get a driver's licence that's it. Once we get a licence, there's still loads to learn by practice.He taught me everything that the examiner (DPS official who sits besides the applicant during the road test) look for in one's driving. I went for the test on the 4th day and bingo! Cleared it at the 1st attempt! As expected, I was asked to take the same route that I had already practised on, many times before. Though, people find it very difficult to clear the road test at the first attempt; because of the larne number of observations that the officer makes and the rudeness of the 'kallu' officers. Driving is simple here but it's the large number of rules and the discipline that makes it dificult. Got a temporary licence immediately (awaiting the actual one by mail in a couple of weeks).
Ya, also in the meanwhile, I got my grades of the 1st semester - a 4.0 pointer YAY!!! all A grades!
Well, the next couple of days were spent in packing for today. today? What's there today? Well, right now, I am in Continental flight CO631 on my way to San Francisco with my family for a 10 day vacation in the most beautiful places in the US. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, etc. We'll be visiting Universal studios, Hollywood, Disneyland.....hoping for a wonderful year-end!
Refreshments are being served and am dying to hog. More blogging to follow in the coming days (if I get time :) )

Last blog of the semester!

Here I am, with my last blog of the first semester in the US. I might have missed last weekend's post but sometimes I just don't feel like blogging. On Fridays, while going to Houston, I'm so exited to be home that I think I'll blog on my return. On Sunday's, by the time we leave, it's so dark that I start getting a headache straining my eyes on the keyboard, lit dimly by the light from the hanging laptop screen. But still, I believe I've done a fair blogging job this semester, haven't I???
Well, my semester ends 10 days from now, i.e. on Dec 10 2008. These 4 months have felt like 4 years! man, it was tooooooo busy and filled with activities. This time I had an extended weekend with Thanksgving holidays on Thursday and Friday. I left college station on Tuesday evening itself, having nothing to do on Wednesday. Although I did not go for any doorbuster deals during thanksgiving, waiting in long queues outside stores to get those few envied deals, I managed to get a couple of things that I wanted to online. Me and bro got a lappy for mumma, I got a new electric shaver for myself, got a 'dot com' domain for my website (only for a dollar!), magicjack adapters for mumma, cordless phone and a wireless router for bro, all very cheap. It's madness outside stores on thanksgiving eve and bro rightly suggested that it's not useful to stand in queues in the cold weather.
Well, on 11th December, my dad is coming to USA. Ain't that great? I've my final exams on 8/9/10 consequetively. I don't think I'll be able to get back in time to receive him at the airport. Anyway, I'll try to find a ride on 10th evening.
I watched Dasvidaniya a few days ago. Awesome movie man! I was almost crying at the end, especially when the song 'Mumma' was being played. Vinay Pathak rocks! And now I've seriously decided to prepare a long term to-do list for myself. Who knows what happens tomorrow? At least that will give my life some direction, which is going a little wayward at the moment. I left behind things that I liked, am doing those that Im not liking, and even this sacrifice won't guarantee me a stable path later. My actual trials will begin next semester when mom will be gone to India and I won't go to Houston frequently (don't want to trouble brother much with my frequent pick ups, drops).. Though he does not feel troubled at all, but I feel so.Oh ya, with the mumbai terror story closing down, actually, I wanted to write about that too but I thing this post is already too big. Pro'lly, next time!