tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30641582024-03-08T02:16:39.169-08:00ARNABlogby Arnab Senarnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comBlogger567125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-88448058158104524522017-01-02T14:48:00.002-08:002017-01-03T08:14:43.786-08:002016 - The Year in Cities <div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nrx0QUeEdUU/WGrXnZxemtI/AAAAAAABid8/k2M5oGfALacmqBPgXcdsRMa0dxMszYdnACK4B/s1600/IMG_20161225_174247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nrx0QUeEdUU/WGrXnZxemtI/AAAAAAABid8/k2M5oGfALacmqBPgXcdsRMa0dxMszYdnACK4B/s640/IMG_20161225_174247.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My travels were limited to 8 cities in 3 countries in the Americas this year as I completed my metamorphosis from a dashing adventurer into a caring family man. The domestic outings consisted of a road trip from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon via historic Route 66 and a 34-hour train ride on the California Zephyr to Denver from Oakland. The only nights spent away from towns, villages, or cities in 2016 were at the Samona Lodge in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador, with the rest of the journey to the middle of the world spent in and around the capital Quito or in the enchanting Galapagos Islands.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMMnx_36S6c/WGrXntM6iAI/AAAAAAABieE/iLjVZWRtw7cGA_csEEu1D30j8suUgYqCQCK4B/s1600/PANO_20160825_150725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMMnx_36S6c/WGrXntM6iAI/AAAAAAABieE/iLjVZWRtw7cGA_csEEu1D30j8suUgYqCQCK4B/s640/PANO_20160825_150725.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b> <b>The 2016 List</b></div>
<ul>
<li>Colorado Springs, USA</li>
<li>Denver, USA</li>
<li>Las Vegas, USA</li>
<li>Puerto Ayora, Ecuador</li>
<li>Quito, Ecuador</li>
<li>San Francisco, USA</li>
<li>Vancouver, Canada</li>
<li>Williams, USA</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_vl3zHUe28/WGrXnNmrQbI/AAAAAAABid0/Cb1dXyll8iA0qmVsYno-Lc0v7dnS86FfgCK4B/s1600/IMG_20160825_135613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_vl3zHUe28/WGrXnNmrQbI/AAAAAAABid0/Cb1dXyll8iA0qmVsYno-Lc0v7dnS86FfgCK4B/s640/IMG_20160825_135613.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Past Lists</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2016/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2015.html">2015</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2014.html">2014</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2013/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2013.html">2013</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2012.html">2012</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2011.html">2011</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2011/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2010.html">2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2010/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2009.html">2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2008/12/year-in-cities-2008.html">2008</a></li>
</ul>
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*****</div>
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<i>Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.</i><br />
- Eudora Welty</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-46837495452597605822016-01-09T09:18:00.003-08:002016-01-09T09:18:50.116-08:00RoastedA friend speaking at my wedding reception in Vancouver:<blockquote>
When Arnab asked us to roast him at his reception, we thought it was a strange request. We asked him what we should speak about. He said to talk about his good qualities. Two things become abundantly clear. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
1. Arnab has no idea what a roast is. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
2. This was going to be a very short speech.</blockquote>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-39600686988108578712016-01-02T21:06:00.001-08:002016-01-02T21:06:13.597-08:00Arnab's Year in Cities - 2015<div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_jED--l9E0Y/Voiqsh9GpSI/AAAAAAABVN0/b5V8BVJit_s/s1600/IMG_20151115_121035_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_jED--l9E0Y/Voiqsh9GpSI/AAAAAAABVN0/b5V8BVJit_s/s640/IMG_20151115_121035_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Although the ARNABlog took a well deserved back seat to the ARNABride in 2015, the world travels dipped only slightly from previous years. The final tally for the year stood at 21 cities across 7 countries after a whirlwind of weddings, receptions, and honeymoons. A series of road trips around California and its adjacent states was bookended by some wanderings in the Middle East at the beginning of the year and Central America at the tail end. Despite a horrific bout with <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2015/04/life-after-pox.html">chicken pox</a>, I did not visit Seoul for <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2013/07/arnab-and-plastic-factory-bk-plastic.html">reconstructive surgery</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syK6Dsxi8SU/Voiqs3dWFpI/AAAAAAABVNw/UsnHXcQbviI/s1600/IMG_20151128_154446-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syK6Dsxi8SU/Voiqs3dWFpI/AAAAAAABVNw/UsnHXcQbviI/s640/IMG_20151128_154446-PANO.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The 2015 List</b></div>
<ul>
<li>Bakersfield, USA</li>
<li>Cambria, USA</li>
<li>Doha, Qatar</li>
<li>Dubai, UAE</li>
<li>Fresno, USA</li>
<li>King City, USA</li>
<li>Kolkata, India</li>
<li>Las Vegas, USA</li>
<li>Los Angeles, USA</li>
<li>Modesto, USA</li>
<li>Monte Verde, Costa Rica</li>
<li>New York, USA</li>
<li>Oakhurst, USA</li>
<li>Punta Cana, Dominican Republic</li>
<li>Reno, USA</li>
<li>Sacramento, USA</li>
<li>San Diego, USA</li>
<li>San Francisco, USA</li>
<li>San Jose, Costa Rica</li>
<li>Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic</li>
<li>Vancouver, Canada</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-52_qPTcdeWU/Voiqst0ZAJI/AAAAAAABVNs/oj3189oy0RE/s1600/IMG_20150618_162947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-52_qPTcdeWU/Voiqst0ZAJI/AAAAAAABVNs/oj3189oy0RE/s640/IMG_20150618_162947.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Years past</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2014.html">2014</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2013/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2013.html">2013</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2012.html">2012</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2011.html">2011</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2011/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2010.html">2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2010/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2009.html">2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2008/12/year-in-cities-2008.html">2008</a></li>
</ul>
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*****</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands. </i></div>
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– Richard Burton</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-37534369416221494652015-04-26T01:15:00.000-07:002015-04-26T01:39:14.232-07:00Why is the Tenderloin Called the Tenderloin?Me:<i> Look... Here is a map marking all the places people poop on the streets in San Francisco.</i><br />
Friend: <i>You live right in middle of the large brown spot!</i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rP__ny7P9D4/VTyajQWnJ0I/AAAAAAABKyI/1b39gZrGHSI/s1600/_Human__Wasteland.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rP__ny7P9D4/VTyajQWnJ0I/AAAAAAABKyI/1b39gZrGHSI/s1600/_Human__Wasteland.png" height="518" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: <a href="http://jennz0r.github.io/wasteland/">(Human) Wasteland</a></span></div>
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My friend had correctly identified that the large brown spot was <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/07/the-tenderloin.html">the Tenderloin</a>, my residential neighbourhood in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The filthy downtown district consists of historical buildings, good nightlife and dining options, and a community of homeless (but not hopeless) people, drug addicts, nutcases who had been released from asylums and left to fend for themselves without any societal support, and other maladjusted individuals.<br />
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More loin than tender, I wondered how the area had earned its moniker and did some investigation. It seems the original Tenderloin referred to a seedy section of New York in the 19th century that shared many of the same characteristics as its present day San Francisco namesake.<br />
<br />
Dirty cops earned so much money for looking the other way at the sinful activities taking place in their precincts, that they could now afford to eat expensive tenderloin steaks rather than the cheapest hunks of meat that their meagre salaries would otherwise allow for if they had not engaged in graft and bribery. The San Francisco version had borrowed the name as 'the Tenderloin' became a more generic term for crime-infested red light districts across America.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-1503239240805224562015-04-12T11:25:00.000-07:002015-04-12T11:25:06.619-07:00Life After PoxFriend: I can barely see anything. Your face looks fine. I don't know what you worry about. I can literally see nothing other than a tiny thing on your forehead.<br />
<br />
Me: Before <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2015/03/thirty-years-hunk.html">the pox</a> my skin was very smooth, with no blemishes. Now there are holes on my forehead, cheek, and nose.<br />
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Friend: Dude... I was expecting something way worse.<br />
<br />
Me: Sorry to disappoint.<br />
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Friend: Yes! shame on you! You can't even get proper chickenpox. Useless. Completely useless.<br />
<br />
Me: Now I look like a normal human with blemishes.<br />
<br />
Friend: It gives your perfection a human touch. It makes you more relatable for other people.<br />
<br />
Me: That's a good way to look at it.<br />
<br />
Friend: It's the only way to look at it.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-79516679176101460702015-03-30T19:55:00.001-07:002015-03-30T19:55:13.211-07:00Thirty Years A HunkI suffered a terrible bout of adult chicken pox, leaving my previously unblemished skin tarnished. Once I was no longer contagious I returned to work.<br />
<br />
Coworker: How's your chicken pox? All recovered?<br />
<br />
Me: There are scars and holes all over my face. It's horrible. I had smooth skin for 30 years.<br />
<br />
Coworker: I hadn't noticed all the scars till you mentioned them.<br />
<br />
Me: I noticed the scars.<br />
<br />
Coworker: But honey... you're vain.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-44634703119971299022015-03-09T19:03:00.000-07:002015-03-09T19:03:11.038-07:00A Goodly Woman for a Goodly ManI received an interesting email today:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hey.
My name is Ekaterina :) I'm from Kirghizia and very goodly woman! and I'm trying to find goodly Man ;) If You are interested ;) reply me ;) I can send You my photo attached, good bye)
</blockquote>
Unluckily for her, this goodly man has already found his goodly woman. arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-18910054988004434042015-01-11T22:50:00.002-08:002015-01-11T22:55:26.702-08:00The Living Root Bridges of Cherrapunjee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmqMI7S9si8/VLNsn1I2zVI/AAAAAAABJMI/x9URnHSrMM4/s1600/DSC07727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-po3Ddlzt_YI/VLNtY5VByRI/AAAAAAABJMs/o3HG1Kug2pI/s1600/DSC07737.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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We walked down the rough path leading to the river by the village of <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2015/01/asias-cleanest-village.html">Mawlynnong</a>. As we approached an jaw-dropping sight awaited - the living root bridges of <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2015/01/the-wettest-place-on-earth.html">Cherrapunjee</a>. It takes a lot to impress me, considering what I see in the mirror each day, but I was truly in awe.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmqMI7S9si8/VLNsn1I2zVI/AAAAAAABJMI/x9URnHSrMM4/s1600/DSC07727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EmqMI7S9si8/VLNsn1I2zVI/AAAAAAABJMI/x9URnHSrMM4/s1600/DSC07727.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before I could explore it further I was asked to partake in a Bollywood-style photo shoot, heroically posing with my driver’s girlfriend as he captured the magic on camera. After quite a few pictures had been taken, the couple wandered off and I made my way to the bridge to explore it in detail.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jj6wbc5aVwQ/VLNsn01QpKI/AAAAAAABJMM/MTEBs-gvWDw/s1600/DSC07729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jj6wbc5aVwQ/VLNsn01QpKI/AAAAAAABJMM/MTEBs-gvWDw/s1600/DSC07729.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Often compared to something that came straight out of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, the fantastical living root bridges of Cherrapunjee are in fact a harmonious collaboration between the forces of nature and humanity.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M295B-Iyo1c/VLNsn6aQJ0I/AAAAAAABJME/0Y4qKouEJdg/s1600/DSC07731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M295B-Iyo1c/VLNsn6aQJ0I/AAAAAAABJME/0Y4qKouEJdg/s1600/DSC07731.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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The roots of living banyan trees on one side of the river banks are guided towards the other side using a tree shaping mechanism developed by the indigenous (and ingenious) Khasi people. Betel nut trunks that point in the desired direction that the banyan tree should grow provide a skeletal structure for the roots to wrap themselves around. When the roots reach the other side of the river they take take hold in the soil.<br />
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Ever strengthening, the roots grow thicker and thicker as the years pass. The suspension bridges can support up to 50 pedestrians. They have lifespans that can extend to over 500 years. There is even a double decker bridge with two trees stacked on top of each other. It is unknown when the first such bridge was constructed or whose brainchild it was, but the living roots remain one of the world’s most renewable and remarkable constructs.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zIywdCbHdQ4/VLNsqMbDMbI/AAAAAAABJMk/wrjzFb-XFlE/s1600/DSC07740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zIywdCbHdQ4/VLNsqMbDMbI/AAAAAAABJMk/wrjzFb-XFlE/s1600/DSC07740.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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*****</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.</i></div>
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~ Aristotle</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rvArCWnItOI/VKuJcbAza7I/AAAAAAABI28/N8aJcH0Pj-8/s1600/DSC07705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rvArCWnItOI/VKuJcbAza7I/AAAAAAABI28/N8aJcH0Pj-8/s1600/DSC07705.JPG" height="96" width="640" /></a></div>
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As it was Valentine’s Day, <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2015/01/the-wettest-place-on-earth.html">my driver</a> asked for permission to bring his girlfriend along on our day trip to Mawlynnong, Asia’s ‘cleanest village’ and home of the spellbinding living root bridges. A true romantic, I acquiesced to his request. He picked me up outside my hotel early in the morning and we headed over to his aunt’s place for breakfast. He belonged to the Khasi tribe, a matrilineal clan that calls this region home. Thankfully the Khasis enjoy a meat-centric diet. I immediately dug into some tasty pork meatballs. <br />
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The driver’s girlfriend was taking a while to get ready, so he dropped me at the nearby Elephant Waterfalls while he went to pick her up. After wandering around three different waterfalls I met up with the couple at the exit of the popular tourist site, where we exchanged pleasantries and had some tea at a stall before starting our road trip in earnest. On the way we stopped at a roadside Khasi diner for more delicious delicacies consisting of animal flesh and internal organs.<br />
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Home to approximately 100 households, Mawlynnong was arbitrarily named "Asia’s Cleanest Village" by <i>Discover India</i> magazine several years back and the moniker stuck. All the waste generated by the households of Mawlynnong is collected in bamboo dustbins and composted, while littering is a fineable offense. The entire community is aware of the need to coexist with nature and boasts a 100% literacy rate too boot.<br />
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Tucked away in a remote part of northeast India 90 km from Shillong, the village is cleaner than the balance sheet of a firm audited by a Big 4 accounting firm. The forest cover around the village is not especially dense, but a canopy of trees provides sufficient shade to comfortably drape the entire village. Agriculture is the primary industry and betel leafs the main crop. Pathways wind around the homes and lead to a staircase down to a nearby river where the most magnificent site of Mawlynnong awaited.<br />
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*****</div>
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<i>Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean. </i></div>
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~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-25456961277189325622015-01-03T22:28:00.002-08:002015-01-03T22:28:57.807-08:00The Wettest Place on Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Resuming my journey in the northeast of India, I caught a bus to Shillong near my lodge at <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/02/kaziranga-land-of-rhino.html">Kaziranga</a>. The capital of the state of Meghalaya, Shillong is a scenic hill station nestled among rolling green hills. My thirst for cheap accommodation left me, as it often does, in the seediest part of town. The hotel I was staying in only housed a vegetarian restaurant, so I had to venture out into the night in search of dinner. Narrow alleys, uneven mud caked streets, and a winter chill greeted me. Wrapped in shawls and warming their hands around bonfires, locals eyed me with intrigue. Who was this handsome stranger?<br />
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I found an Islamic restaurant open after a lengthy stroll and ordered a chicken biryani. The taxi driver who dropped me off at my hotel had left me his phone number, and I gave him a call while waiting for my meal to arrive. I arranged for him to pick me up early the next day for a trip to Cherrapunji, the wettest place on earth, as my dish was deposited roughly on the table in front of me.<br />
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Holding the records for both the greatest total rainfall in a month and in a year, Cherrapunji (now once again referred to by its original moniker Sohra) is almost a kilometre and a half above sea level and a spectacular winding drive away from Shillong on mountain roads.<br />
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Despite its claim to fame, Cherrapunji was bone dry during my visit. The winter months face water shortages and California drought-like conditions, with the bulk of the rain hitting the region during the monsoon season. The tallest plunge waterfall in India, Noh Ka Likai (Leap of Ka Likai) trickled weakly like urine down the streets of San Francisco.<br />
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The most memorable aspect of the waterfall was the grisly tale of how it got its name. Ka Likai, was a widow with a child who was forced to enter a loveless marriage with a second husband. When she was out running errands one day, the jealous husband cooked her baby. Tired, the wife returned home and had a meal before going out to find her child. When she found a tiny bone but not her baby, she went wild with grief and leapt off the cliff. <br />
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A friend of a friend had been stationed in Sohra as an administrator by the government. He gave directions over the phone to my driver on some sights I should see before heading over to meet him for lunch. I met my friend of a friend at his office and we soon headed out after he wrapped up a few orders of business. We dropped by his residence for a tasty home-cooked meal, and then he gave me a tour of the township before we parted ways.<br />
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Although less than 60 km separates Shillong from Sohra, there is a lot to see on the road to Cherrapunji. There is a viewpoint at Duwan Singh Syiem Bridge, named after a former chieftain of the region. Unfortunately haze shrouded my glimpse into the plains of Bangladesh as I stood on the cliffs of Cherrapunji, my broad shoulders dropping in disappointment. At the Mawsmai Cave, sharp rocks, slippery pathways, and narrow openings allowed for some spine-tingling exploration of eerie limestone structures. As we returned into Shillong, my driver and I agreed to continue our partnership into a third day for further adventures.<br />
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arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-57069556414428355752014-12-28T13:28:00.002-08:002014-12-28T13:29:43.872-08:00Arnab's Year in Cities, 2014As the drums of Bosingak ushered in the new year in the heart of Seoul, my time in Korea came to an end. I spent the first third of the year wandering through lands both familiar (India and Thailand) and slightly less familiar (Philippines and Sri Lanka).<br />
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I abruptly shifted gears from the high density, historically rich societies of Asia to vast stretches of asphalt and wide open spaces where nature and burger outlets take the spotlight for the latter half of the year. I returned to North America after almost a decade away, gradually exploring the west coast of the United States bit by bit from my new home base of <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/07/the-tenderloin.html">San Francisco</a>.<br />
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Statistically speaking it was almost a mirror image of 2013, as I stayed overnight in 31 different cities or towns in 7 countries. I also made some interesting day trips which are unaccounted for on this list - stopping over to enjoy the company of some old friends and some delicious Hai Di Lao hotpot in Shanghai, exploring the ruins of Ayodhya, whale watching in Vancouver Island after taking a seaplane to Victoria, and entering <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/08/the-streets-of-mexico.html">Mexico</a> by foot at the San Diego-Tijuana border crossing.<br />
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<b>The 2014 List</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<li style="text-align: left;">Seoul, South Korea</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/05/a-day-by-manila-bay.html">Manila, Philippines</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">El Nido, Philippines</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Puerto Princesa, Philippines</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Bangkok, Thailand</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Kolkata, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Varanasi, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Jaipur, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Jodhpur, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Udaipur, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">New Delhi, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/02/monkey-king.html">Kaziranga, India</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Shillong, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Mumbai, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pune, India</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Galle, Sri Lanka</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Kandy, Sri Lanka</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/03/colombos-bat-park.html">Colombo, Sri Lanka</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Negombo, Sri Lanka</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Dalhousie, Sri Lanka</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Vancouver, Canada</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">San Francisco, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Monterrey, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Houston, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Lake Tahoe, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">San Diego, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Las Vegas, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Willits, USA</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Chicago, USA</li>
</blockquote>
</div>
<b>Years past</b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2013/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2013.html">2013</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/12/arnabs-year-in-cities-2012.html">2012</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2011.html">2011</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2011/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2010.html">2010</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2010/01/arnabs-year-in-cities-2009.html">2009</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2008/12/year-in-cities-2008.html">2008</a></li>
</ul>
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*****</div>
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<i>You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>― Wayne W. Dyer</i></div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-57572914410186003442014-12-28T13:13:00.000-08:002014-12-28T13:15:50.102-08:00SycophantsI asked an ex-colleague in Korea if he was a <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sycophant">sycophant</a> after observing how his behaviour changed whenever he was taking orders from his boss. He did not know what the term meant. I explained that it was someone who continuously sucks up to the person that they want to impress.<br />
<br />
He considered my explanation for a moment and then replied <i>"You… you... you are cutie girls sycophants!"</i>.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-74152521875330338482014-12-28T13:03:00.000-08:002014-12-28T13:38:51.051-08:00Radish and Hoe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In Beijing, my colleague and I were returning to the office after lunch. A girl passed by in front of us. Her boyfriend, obediently carrying her purse, followed a few steps behind. She was not aesthetically pleasing, causing my non-judgmental eyes to widen. <i>"Even she has a boyfriend!"</i> I exclaimed. <i>"Every radish has a hoe"</i> explained my coworker, unperturbed by the whole affair.<br />
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For every 100 girls born in China today there are around 120 baby boys born. It is estimated that there is a surplus of more than 33 million men in the mating market. With so many young men and so few women, the situation I encountered is not altogether unsurprising.<br />
<br />
A desire for a son is common in societies across the world. In Korea, sons are expected to carry on the family names - Kim, Park, and Lee. China is no different. This preference combined with limitations on how many babies can be popped out in major cities has led to a severe shortage of the gamete producers in recent decades. The sex ratio imbalance means prospective husbands must possess either higher and higher net worths or lower and lower standards if they wish to be betrothed, while aspiring wives have the pick of a rather unimpressive litter.</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-72986144536794548332014-11-23T19:50:00.001-08:002014-11-23T19:50:28.960-08:00Two Worlds, One Francisco<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUSHQI46P2g/VHKYank_kQI/AAAAAAABHsQ/TtnBuy0PyDQ/s1600/IMG_20141023_173238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUSHQI46P2g/VHKYank_kQI/AAAAAAABHsQ/TtnBuy0PyDQ/s1600/IMG_20141023_173238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUSHQI46P2g/VHKYank_kQI/AAAAAAABHsQ/TtnBuy0PyDQ/s1600/IMG_20141023_173238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GUSHQI46P2g/VHKYank_kQI/AAAAAAABHsQ/TtnBuy0PyDQ/s1600/IMG_20141023_173238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><i></i><br />
<i><span style="font-style: normal;">With its Soweto-like living conditions and Swedish level cost of living, modern day San Francisco is a curious place. On one hand there is the decaying infrastructure and the complete absence of a social safety net for its many impoverished and insane citizens. On the other are wealthy Silicon Valley nerds who drive up rental prices and bring their dogs to work after receiving a corporate shuttle ride from the city to their coding farms in the soulless suburbs of Cupertino, Mountain View, and Palo Alto.</span></i>
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<span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-style: normal;">These two segments of society collide with predictably unsavoury results, one left behind and the other pushing ahead. Newcomers to the city such as myself are left hovering somewhere between these two worlds, working in one but living in the other. </span></div>
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<i>****</i></div>
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<i><i>Either you have money, or you have time. Then you move to San Francisco... and you have neither!</i></i><br />
~ Remark by a Spanish friend of mine who recently moved to the Bay Area to attend a short term study program</div>
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arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-87198535837843766762014-11-19T01:19:00.000-08:002014-11-19T08:28:52.659-08:00Talk to MeFemale coworker: This guy never talks to me.<br />
<br />
Another coworker: Really?<br />
<br />
Me: No, that's not true. I said goodbye once.<br />
<br />
Female coworker: That is true. He did say goodbye once, but that was right after I had asked him to have a one hour conversation with me.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-81047562829440200392014-11-16T16:15:00.000-08:002014-11-16T16:21:13.618-08:00The USS Midway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Decommissioned in 1992, the USS Midway now calls San Diego home. Once the world’s largest ship and now its most visited naval ship museum, the USS Midway is so large that it cannot make it through the Panama Canal (imagine a Texan trying to squeeze into a standard size airplane seat). In service for an astonishing 47 years, it played key roles in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War, upholding the American ideals of strength, freedom, and peace across the globe. </div>
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Interestingly enough, the USS Midway was also summoned to Korea to provide a show of strength during Operation Paul Bunyan. After the <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2012/11/dmz-joint-security-area.html">axe-murder incident</a> where North Koreans offed several American soldiers using said instrument when they were trying to chop down a tree in the DMZ that obscured the view between watch posts, an overwhelming show of force was demonstrated by the United States. The Midway stood guard while the tree was successfully cut down 3 days after the initial incident. </div>
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Entering service two years after the end of World War II, the ship is named after the pivotal Battle of Midway. Several hours to a day can be spent exploring the many decks of the vessel, home to 225,000 seamen over its decades of service. Elderly volunteers explain the inner workings of the engine and boiler rooms. Aircraft adorn the entire stretch of the almost 1000 foot long flight deck, along with Chinese tourists taking silly photos. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w8WtIopqBGc/VGk81jGQYdI/AAAAAAABHU8/RR_A8vFsySo/s1600/DSC00128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w8WtIopqBGc/VGk81jGQYdI/AAAAAAABHU8/RR_A8vFsySo/s1600/DSC00128.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a> </div>
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*****</div>
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<i>Sign on, young man, and sail with me. The stature of our homeland is no more than the measure of ourselves. Our job is to keep her free. Our will is to keep the torch of freedom burning for all. To this solemn purpose we call on the young, the brave, the strong, and the free. Heed my call, Come to the sea. Come Sail with me. </i>― John Paul Jones</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-81414547671613279102014-11-09T08:54:00.000-08:002014-11-09T08:55:56.036-08:00Roaches to RichesFriend: Did you find a place to stay yet?<br />
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Me: Yes, but it's in the <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/07/the-tenderloin.html">Tenderloin</a>.<br />
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Friend: When is your housewarming party?<br />
<br />
Me: The place is so small that no one else will fit inside.<br />
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Friend: Really? So your parents won't visit?<br />
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Me: Then I'll have to sleep on the floor... with the roaches.<br />
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Friend: What bs. You can complain to the city if you have roaches. You do realize that?<br />
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Me: I only complain about the decrepit state of America in <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/10/bart-ride.html">general</a>.<br />
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Friend: Haha, then go back to Canada... or Korea. If you are not one of those people looking to go from roaches to riches then America is not for you!<br />
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<br />arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-40242918712215758652014-11-06T07:23:00.002-08:002014-11-06T07:23:39.015-08:00Beets MeTwo American girls came and sat at my table at a mall food court while I was in the process of consuming a chicken burrito.<br />
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Girl #1: Are beets vegetables?<br />
<i>Girl #2: Yes.</i><br />
Girl #1: Oh, I didn't know that. Anyways, I'm thinking of stopping being a vegetarian. I'm feeling tired a lot these days.<br />
<i>Girl #2: That's why I quit being a vegetarian. My energy levels were sooo low and I was craving meat all the time. If your body craves something that badly you should just eat it. I mean it craves it for a reason, right?</i><br />
Girl #1: Yeah, that's right.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-59422413699654062842014-10-09T07:15:00.000-07:002014-10-09T07:15:22.984-07:00BART RideBART is shorthand for Bay Area Rapid Transit. It is not to be confused with the character of the same name on the long running American cartoon show <i>The Simpsons</i>. BART is an aging system of trains that pass for public transportation in the region. The signage is horrendous and the intercom barely audible. The trains are infrequent and most ticketing machines are out of order. If a station once had a functioning escalator it has most likely reverted back to a staircase long ago. The stations also serve as homeless shelters in a nation which has as little regard for its poor as it does for its public transportation infrastructure.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6bOJRfO3YjU/VDaVnNaHL3I/AAAAAAABFyE/eUDChtq7fKQ/s1600/IMG_20140622_192735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6bOJRfO3YjU/VDaVnNaHL3I/AAAAAAABFyE/eUDChtq7fKQ/s1600/IMG_20140622_192735.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Entrance to a BART station</span></div>
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While San Francisco is a large open air urinal for many of its wild and wacky inhabitants, BART is a veritable bathroom in motion. The only reason it is not called BARF is because that would not encompass the entirety of the human deposits left behind on the train over the decades. Many of the train carriages on BART come with wall-to-wall carpeting. The aged fabric is splotched with the stains of time and puke. Sometimes the floor is sticky. Occasionally, the seats are as well. The fragrances on board are in sync with the stains on the floors.<br />
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*****</div>
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<i>“A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes - and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside...” </i> ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-12244307830846472702014-09-29T22:52:00.001-07:002014-09-29T22:52:36.041-07:00Like a VillainCoworker: Where do you live?<br />
<br />
Me: In the <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/07/the-tenderloin.html">Tenderloin</a>.<br />
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Coworker: Oh, I never go to that part of town!<br />
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Me: Why not? It has character.<br />
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Coworker: Like a villain has character.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-56668421561348726552014-09-15T08:04:00.000-07:002014-09-15T08:04:40.118-07:00Standard DeviationManager: Why isn't anything working today!?<br />
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Subordinate: You ask this question as if somehow today is a deviation from the norm.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-18919391209819706472014-09-12T08:19:00.000-07:002014-09-12T08:21:08.270-07:00Dumpster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KKlcpkVmFjs/VBMOU9EXzUI/AAAAAAABFH4/yAj5YsIhBwM/s1600/IMG_20140906_234301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KKlcpkVmFjs/VBMOU9EXzUI/AAAAAAABFH4/yAj5YsIhBwM/s1600/IMG_20140906_234301.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Me: There's a notice posted on the door of my <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/07/the-tenderloin.html">apartment</a> elevator asking people not to leave their garbage inside.</div>
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Friend: Arnab, are you OK with these restrictions on your freedom?</div>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-44365304742046634392014-09-07T12:53:00.000-07:002014-09-07T12:53:31.894-07:00Tales from the Taqueria Despite being plagued by a string of natural and man-made calamities ranging from drought and destitution to earthquakes and tech geeks, the Bay Area does have some redeeming qualities. Chief among them is the authentic Mexican fare found at franchises like Chipotle or at the many mom and pop taquerias dotting neighbourhoods like the Mission. The tacos, burritos, nachos, and a barley/rice based concoction known as horchata are all delightful menu items. Ordering these can get a bit messy when the service staff have accents thicker than a scoop of guacamole.<br />
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Me: Can I have super nachos with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo">chorizo</a>?<br />
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Waitress: Is that for here or to go?<br />
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Me: Chorizo.<br />
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Waitress: No, do you want it for here or to go?<br />
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Me: To go.<br />
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Waitress: With chorizo?<br />
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Me: No, to go.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-79834561342170991742014-08-22T06:45:00.003-07:002014-08-22T06:45:54.981-07:00I Can't Believe It's Not BetterKorean man: I'm the piece of better that is melting on the frying pan which name is you.<br />
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Korean lady: Butter.arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064158.post-71103514777721603272014-08-10T15:43:00.001-07:002014-08-10T15:43:59.329-07:00Scam Francisco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2CTOh4cl-k0/U-f1JA2FitI/AAAAAAABEg8/80b-WPlVZHo/s1600/IMG_20140622_113900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2CTOh4cl-k0/U-f1JA2FitI/AAAAAAABEg8/80b-WPlVZHo/s1600/IMG_20140622_113900.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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San Francisco's red hot <a href="http://www.arnablog.com/2014/07/the-tenderloin.html">real estate market</a> has drawn many rats out from the woodwork, and I am not referring to those that zip around the kitchen floors of restaurants in its historic Chinatown. While trawling the web for leads on any affordable and decent accommodation, I would sometimes find places that were both livable and within my budget. All of these turned out to be scams. The contact person would concoct various reasons as to why he could not give a tour of the place, but request a deposit or first month's rent to secure the rental property in my name. I did not fall for such tricks:<br />
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<b>Exhibit 1 - The Turkish Family</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Please be informed that the apartment is not available for immediate viewing or move-in until June 29th as the apartment is currently been occupied by a Turkish family and before they rented the apartment they requested for complete privacy which I granted. If the timing works for you and you do not want to miss renting the apartment, then you can have it reserve for you until you view/move-in with the payment of the first month rental fee plus the refundable security deposit.</blockquote>
<b>Exhibit 2 - The Man from North Carolina</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I will be very happy to have you as one of my potential tenants because i believe we will have a cordial relationship together. I will reserve the apartment for you till your move in date in order for you to be rest assured i want you in the apartment but i will need a serious confirmation or commitment from you because i will be coming all the way from Graham, NC to show you round the apartment/handover the keys to you because that's where i work. Secondly, as you know people are also making inquiry regarding the apartment and business is based on first pay first serve. Have had some difficulties with some tenants in the past who claim to be serious in renting my apartment but unfortunately, it all proof abortive and this has been causing some damages to me and my work because i need to travel all the way from North Carolina down to the city and i dont my coming down to the city to be like a waste of time which had happened to me in the past. There is everything needed in the apartment for you to live comfortably. Your details will be used to prepare your tenancy agreement form once we have reach an agreement. Hope you understand me clearly? Await your reply so that we can proceed further.</blockquote>
arnabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11752403386243529345noreply@blogger.com