Desi America

Its been about 3 weeks since I have been visiting the gym after relocating to Sunnyvale. It is located close to our apartment and so different from the that at the University. I am used to hitting the university gym quite often. If I had to choose between playing squash or badminton or mere working out, it meant shifting between the basement and first floor . Here things are very different. I meet atleast one desi everyday .

On the first day of my gymming I had in mind the University facilities as I walked into my apartment gym. Atleast 25-30 machines and catering to all needs, etc.Here I saw only three machines. A stepper, a treadmill and a cycle. And the space for gym was less than 1/10th of the space allotted for work out in the university gym.Hmm...!

And then a lady walks in salwaar with chappals (with heels!). She has lived in the same apartment complex for three years. But she has not visited the gym until she developed high blood pressure. She kept asking me what each button meant. It was really not a bother! She was actually sweet and her chappals provided suitable music and rhythm for exercising. This was Desi number 1 at the gym.

On day six, there came another lady. She has also lived in the same apartment complex for about a year and a half. She did not ask me how to use the machines, but she kept telling on and off that she was not working because of her kids and that she had all the requisites to get a job. And it was her husband who asked her to stay home. Poor her....she should have spent all that energy in talking for stepping effectively. She promised to meet me same time everyday. I havent seen her since! This was Desi number 2 at the gym.

On day ten, there came another smart young lady. She smiled and dint talk much. She dint even ask me how to use the machines. But after her came her kid. And after the kid came its grandma. The grandma was trying to feed the baby delicious dhal chawal. All inside the gym! It was steaming hot and smelled good. It kind of made me go home 10 minutes earlier than planned and buy ingredients for dhal and cook it that day. This was Desi number 3 at the gym.


And after the sixteenth day , I decided to join 'Power Yoga' classes. The first class went on for 1.5 hours. Only one hour more than my regular schedule! At the end of 45 minutes I wanted to scream out loud- 'I need air'. In the entire 1.5 hours of Yoga at an elevated temperature, we were allowed fresh air only twice! And then I came home sore every-possible-where!

Havent been to Power Yoga since!

And now I continue to gym daily. There is another person I see everyday. I havent really spoken to him. I talk to his kid though. Because she likes me so much. She follows me everywhere. Even when I go to the rest room to geta tissue to wipe off the sweat. Sometimes she gets so close as to be touched by my foot as I cycle. So I have to kind of baby sit her as her father is busy on the stepper with headphones on! This was Desi number 4 at the gym.

I can go on but may be I should stop......All in all I am living in a Desi-America! Or atleast close to it.....

Savor the peace

Quiet Thursday morning. Don't know who takes the credit. Is it the luscious green airs of California or the stillness in my mind?

The new place we have moved into seems like a small nest and needs to be made a home. The footsteps I used to hear seem to have fallen in frequency. So also the noise around. In an unguarded moment, I sometimes miss the buzz of life at school in Philadelphia.

This part of Cali reminds me of Bangalore. In many ways. The weather, the people, their attitude towards life. Basically there is so much attached to silicon and savings!

I am glad to see that I am getting to explore many aspects of living I had never thought about. Its an easy life here, but that makes it more challenging.

Before I switch over to the noisy mode in every sense ..... wait a moment , till I savor the peace!