WEEKEND GATHERING

Last sunday was awesome weekend.

After nearly 5 years of our BE graduation, a couple of my good friends had a chance to meet .

Murali who is currently working for CISCO and Lavanya came along with her family for dinner.

Adding a little more flavour came my Schoolmate Rajeev.

We had a wonderful time together with different kinds of discussions (of course from the men's side!)

i was trying to engage Baby Vainavi and make her comfortable at home!

Dinner went off well with Menu Card listed as:

• Rice Sevai - Lemon & Chutney
• Chapathi & Channa Masala
• Curd Rice
• Sweet: Mysore Pak
• GrapeMint Juice.

We liked the little gathering we had that we hardly looked at the clock. By the time it was 10 pm, we all decided this would never end , and winded up the talk keeping some for the next visit.

I was utmost glad to meet both my college buddies. Who would (out of the 3 of us) have imagined such a kind of reunion after such a long time??

Why Is Chatting and Driving Such a Big Concern?

We've told you many times that driving and talking on your cell phone is dangerous, and we're not the only ones that feel this way. On July 1st, California banned cell phone use by drivers. The law prohibits drivers under 18 from talking on the phone at all, and it requires drivers over 18 to talk hands-free. A similar law went into effect the same day in Washington state and legislation has already been passed in places like New York and Washington, D.C. – and more laws are pending. So why has chatting and driving become a big concern? Consider these details from USA Today:

• Just how dangerous is driving while talking on a cell phone? According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the risk of having an "injury crash" is 4 times greater when a driver is on the phone. Studies show the effects of driving while on a cell are comparable to drunk driving.
• So what makes talking on a cell phone more dangerous than talking to a passenger or listening to the radio? Think about this: A driver and a passenger who are having a conversation can both see the road. So, the conversation would likely stop if something unexpected happened. If a driver is on a cell phone, the person on the other end of the line can't SEE the road. So they’ll keep talking when something dangerous occurs, which prevents the driver from completely focusing. Radio doesn't cause the same distraction because it's passive – drivers just listen and aren't expected to respond. That frees up more brain power for focusing on the road.
• What about hands-free headsets? Is that safer? Actually, studies have shown that drivers using headsets are just as distracted. The bottom line is this: If you need to make a call, you need to pull over. You can STILL get in trouble for talking on a cell phone in a state that doesn’t specifically prohibit it. Most states have reckless driving laws that allow police to pull over anyone doing anything that they think is dangerous. In other words, if your conversation is causing you to drive erratically, you can get a ticket. So pull over!

JULY 4TH WEEKEND: FRIENDLY REUNION!

This July 4Th, long weekend, we decided to celebrate it in a different way.

Instead of the usual fireworks visiting...

We decided on with a POTLUCK.

We had invited Mr Ganga's Family. Mr. Ganga is a colleague and coworker of Ravi.

His parents have arrived from India and are staying with them for quite a while now.

Recently we had been to Baby Akshay's first birthday too.It was interesting and nice small gathering.

FYI: Today ( 8Th July , its Akshay's birthday star wise , which means to day they r conducting AYUSHAHOMAM and ear piercing for the buddy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUTTY!)

Actually Occasions like this only enables us establish our friendships a little deeper!!!

So we had planned on this small get together on Friday , July 4Th.

We met up for lunch at our place. I wanted to prepared all the dishes and give them a day off from their daily schedule. But Brehanya( Mrs Ganga) insisted on they too preparing something.

I was left alone with the choice of RASAM.

So made INGI RASAM.

The Menu finally comprised of :

• Rice
• Avial
• Carrot Kheer
• Ingi Lemon Rasam
• Paruppu Vadai
• Vathal , Vadam
• Grapemint Fresh Juice (Prepared exclusively by Ravi)

The day was really nice with the kid and the elders at home.

The next day we decided to head to Hercules, CA to meet my childhood friend PRIYA.

I haven't met her since like say what, Ages!!

We have had several conversations on phone, but paying a visit seemed more exciting. After planning for months and failing miserably to keep up, we finally got to meet.

We are childhood buddies, more precisely, RUWAIS BUDDIES!!

I have known her from the day my father went to Ruwais, Abu-dhabi (UAE) , but hadn't had much touch as we went on our own paths of life.

World is Small of course.

We drove all the way to Hercules, where she lives in her Sweet Home.

Her home I should say , as Ravi described it was a "VACATION SPOT"!!

Situated high above the ground, the view from their Garden Patio was just amazing. To top it off, it became more like a picnic spot with her preps of Steamed Corn , Tea and Snacks and Sweet!!

Did she leave us with that alone??? Not so fast! She and her hubby insisted us to stay back for dinner.

Her house was so beautifully decorated with her artistic works. So stunned to see her works on display!! Gosh had I known something like that to keep myself busy! one part of the walls was covered with these, what about the other part?? Oh!! with her family snaps...!

Their entire family I should say have a Photogenic Face!

Her Son often reminded me of her younger bro. The same similar kind of smartness and that excited to see people kinda guy. Aravind, you are lucky to have someone remind you of your mischiefs in the family!!!

Anjali , their younger daughter, was the quiet one in the house. Shy in nature yet she just covers people with her long lasting lingering smile!!

Mr. Priya (Ramesh) was a down to earth gentle person and often speaking to him reminded of our home , COIMBATORE!! 

A friendly Person with whom we can get along easily!

Priya?? What do I say about her?? She is the same old same old ... The smile on her face has not aged one bit from the time I got to know her!! (Thats the best part!)

I just have to pinch myself to believe she is a mother of 2.

Of Course , if I don't tell about the friendly elders in their home, the family will not be complete.

Its sometimes really nice to have people around reminding you of your yesterdays!! I felt at least a year younger (at heart) visiting her. Hoping to meet them once again sooner or later!!