_IN_YOUR_FACE

Wow!!!! Been such a long time since I visited this page....much thanks to Sudhi who got me thinking about blogging once again...So, folks, how are y'all?
Well, I must confess that life is VERY different from the last time I blogged. I am in an alien nation, making friends everyday, discovering more about myself and in the process surprising myself too about many things, been pushed to work like never before....and how am I doing? ...Well, to be very honest, I am loving it :)
The US has some charm to it, I must say..I cant put my finger on it...not yet, but yes, there is something about this place that makes me see why they are as successful or as loathed as they are now. The one thing that keeps hitting me wherever I go is that everything they do, everythign they have, hits you _IN_THE_FACE. I visited Yosemite National Park a few weeks back, and I was expecting another one of those high mountains, with rolling fields...you know, the works....but it came as such a shock to me when I actually saw it!!! The gigantic mountains were beautiful, roguish, yet appealing. The lush greens were picture perfect...corny as it may seem, they really were like a page out of a calendar!! The view from the top was panoramic....really, the whole place hit you _IN_THE_FACE! Alright, so the mountains were done....so I rolled along to the seaside....ofcourse, I have visited KArwar people...dont think there is any beach that comes close to its beauty and serenity...but wait, Santa Cruz was truly beautiful..no, not for the sea lions we spotted right on the beach...but it was the general idea of fun, frolic and merriment....the beach was a place to hang out...with people you loved..and the whole idea was presented in such an obvious manner, that it hit you _IN_THE_FACE! Fine, you want me to stop talking about the 'holiday spots', ok, how about my college then? ASU is bang in the middle of a desert..and the warm air is simply outstanding....so is the program....the hard work, the high expectations, the competition simply does this to an individual...hit you _IN_THE_FACE! What about food? Oh..yeah..about that, I am shamelessly packing all the left overs after meals I eat outside...why? Well, simply because they serve SO much..that the portion size simply hits you _IN_THE_FACE!!! How about extravagance, lifestyle...well, I havent seen the affluent part of town too much, but I can safely state that for these people, materialism is a strong presence in their lives...and yes, they live so that their wealth hits you _IN_THE_FACE!!!!
So many things to say, but my time to take a break is over....before I roll back into my books and assignments, I would definitely say that there is a certain charm to this country...but it still doesnt feel like home.....I miss the fun, the laidback attitude, the genuine care, the warmth, the climate...but most importantly, all my friends - love them all, I do! - and ofcourse, my family....funny, how often I think of them and tell them how much I love them....things I should have said more often in the past...oh well, lets not go there right now.....coz I have to get back to my books before the prof hits me _IN_THE_FACE!!!