Canada Day

I worked today on July 1st Canada day as I chose to take July 4th off instead. The otherwise busy subways and buses were empty today. Makes me wonder why US and Canada dont share the same holidays? Its anyway most of the times a few days apart. I guess they want to maintain their identity - fair enough!

10:30 pm I am finishing pending stuff at work and can hear fireworks outside my apartment window followed by the emergency sirens and in between can hear the flights just before landing and immedeately after take-off. It would be so empty without this noise, I value the presence of mankind around me (atleast most of the times ;) ) :))

Voldemort effect?

I hope it was one off and not series of it. I felt it last couple of days - brought back the lousy 2007 memories. crib! crib!

Anyway spent more time at airports than anywhere last couple of days. My flight from South Bend to Chicago was cancelled and passengers advised to take a bus instead. A 3 hour bus ride, but got to see some parts of Indiana I wouldnt have ever chosen to go and see. The United Airlines employee was unable to rebook me from Chicago to Boston (cos I would miss my connection due to the delay in reaching O'Hare). She said all flights were booked and she would wait list me - yes the next 2 flights to Boston and even to Manchester (NH).

I sat in the bus and called the United customer service and one very kind Indian customer service rep over the phone helped me and booked me with a confirmed seating. It will remain a mystery as to why the employee at South Bend could not do the same! (BTW wonder if United has outsourced their customer service to India, I seem to be getting quite a few Indians over the phone, should ask next time. I am calling United every week these days, following up my mileage rewards etc)

The bus was packed with students from University of Notra Dam returning home for holidays, kept me entertained with their views on religion, food, and so on.

Once I got to Chicago airport, I just had 40 minutes to board the plane once the bus reached the airport. I thought I will skip check in and just carry on and find a zip lock to stuff my liquids. But realized it was easier to check in than go hunting for a ziplock. Learnt my lesson. I always ensured I carried liquids less than 4 oz s that in case of lack of time I neednt check in, never realized I need a ziplock bag too. Realized the flight was late by an hour. Ate dinner, coincidentally a great middle-eastern sandwich - or was I too hungry as I had skipped lunch?

After boarding the plane, the crew member announced that some valve in the fuel tank had to be changed. it delayed by another hour. Finally reached Boston at 12:30 am instead of 8:30pm Friday night.

My return flight Sunday night to Toronto too same story; delayed by 2 hours and finally reached at 12am almost. This is not even half the Voldermort effect I experienced though.....the remaining best left unsaid. I have to move on.

Cross border travel by road and some work travel again

I thought my last bus trip from Toronto to US would be the last one. But it wasnt. This time I was to travel whole week in US on work so decided will spend 2 consecutive weekends in Boston. So I made the trip from Toronto to Boston this time Friday night. Toronto to Niagara/Buffalo - a fairly smooth immigration. BTW I managed to click a couple of pictures. One is the entrance of the immigration officer cells, in which they sit and conduct their check at the border. The other (not so clear picture) is how the trucks crossing the border get scanned. It was interesting to see this small truck carry a piece of scanning equipment that went all around the trucks and scanned them.

Then the bus directly took me to Syracuse from Buffalo (no stop at Rochester - Thank god! and hence no extra Border Patrol officer check either). At Syracuse had a layover of about 1 hour. It was around 2am and the bus to Boston was to arrive at 3am. I relished the Dunkin Donuts coffee to the last drop.

Then an elderly Canadian lady and I started talking. She told me about her life. How she got married at 18 had a kid at 18 and her son got married at 18 and had kids at 19-20 years. How she had eloped to marry an Air Force officer in Michigan and settled in Rhode Island after marriage. And eventually after his death moved back to her home town in Canada (North of Toronto somewhere). It was interesting. This time I also I didnt sleep much. But managed to doze for 5-10 mins about 3-4 times. The break at Albany around 6am was lousy. Mainly cos the bus station as mentioned earlier was dirty (mainly the Restrooms). The driver this time again had issues finding the way - exits and getting back to the freeway. And this time it was a male driver, so obviously he wouldnt ask for directions (the female driver last time, promptly stopped and asked, such an obvious difference in approach :)). I got off at the Newton Bus station, which was very close to home (5 minute drive) and husband came to pick me up.

Relaxed over the weekend completely. Even watched Sarkar Raj. It was a total surprise that Abhishek gets killed. Monday evening I flew to Philadelphia, had a meeting with the customer at Dover in DE. This time I decided to save my company some money and stay with friends at Wilmington instead of Dover Downs. So I drove to the meeting Tuesday morning at Dover. Got back and stayed with another friend (whose house was closer to the Philly airport and I had an early flight to South Bend via Detroit, Wednesday morning).

Wednesday today here I am in Elkhart Indiana, this small town about half hour away from South Bend. So it has been busy travel week. But this time the GPS with the car rental was a huge plus, last time I wasnt too comfortable with it in DE. At South Bend, being a small place, the car rental folks dont carry navigation systems, so luckily I had the Google maps printed to help me.

Have some meetings here and plant tours to attend then again fly back to Boston on Friday via Chicago this time.

Jail return

The other day in the bus, a caucasian man (maybe in his 30's) got up and went to the driver and asked if the next stop is Kipling station (bus terminal). The bus driver said yes. Then he started talking loudly that how he had just got out of the jail and everything has changed so much. For a second there was a silence in the bus. A girl and I exchanged glances, gave that man one look and almost felt uncomfortable. Did he just say Jail - and he was so casual about it? The person started swearing and said how he avoids cops, he hates talking to them and sounded a bit hyper. The driver said calm down and take it easy. Phew!

This just happened in a matter of minute or two. For some reason I get really uncomfortable if I hear (I avoid hearing) anything to do with violence, crime/criminals and people who have completely lost their mental balance. Maybe being too judgemental and even a coward? I really understand its not an easy life for this person, what ever it is he has done, whatever it is he was punished for; but........

DJ

First time I have seen a store - a retail outlet for the brand 'Roots' in Toronto (Eaton Mall) having their very own DJ.

New product trial

I seem to have fallen in love with 2 of J&J products:

1. No more tangles - leave in moisturizer
2.Clean & Clear soft in shower facial

Fine lines

Is there really a fine line between 'showing concern' and 'interference' ?

Is there?