Collage of good travel times

My Office Trail

Getting accustomed to a new country and new set of culture is no doubt challenging. I am right now is facing the same challenge. Hartford aka Insurance capital of America has a lot to offer. The buildings are a visual delight. The huge office buildings , the overall architecture found over here are very conventional. Every street you turn you come across any of the hugely known insurance names like Travellers, Aetna, Hartford, Metlife, ING. The down town area also boasts of many cultural landmarks like the Wadsworth Antheneum, the old State Capitol Building, The oldest Baptist Church of America, the Bushnell park to name a few.

Now, going back to my daily schedule definitely includes me going to office and what i do before and after it. To my utmost dislike, the last direct bus from downtown Hartford to my ING Office at 1, orange way leaves at 7.10 am in the morning. Needless to say whether I like it or not I have to get up early in the morning and drag myself to bus stop. However one particular thing that has happened to me every day is .. whichever time I go out for office it invariably rains these days. As soon as it rains the weather becomes chilly as winds start to blow. This calls for an extra luggage that's the sweater/jacket. Ironically enough, when I come back from the ordeal it becomes bright and sunny turning the sweater into a complete burden.

The roads that lead to my office offer a very good view. Its lush green and dotted by very beautiful cottages spread here and there. Oh, I forgot to mention that my office is located at Windsor CT a very picturesque place indeed. Many a times I had wished to take snaps of my way to office.. but thinking of the funny scene that I'll create in the bus I restrained myself from doing so. Coming back to my bus journey, the bus starts from downtown Hartford and takes to freeway # I91 to reach the area called day hill and Marshall Phelps in the Windsor area. Thats where my office is. Its located on an undulated terrain and the view around is wonderful. This facility has a strategically placed cafeteria that offers you a green wash of your eyes i.e. every direction you look at has a a good landscape to offer.

Here are some more snaps of Hartford CT

http://picasaweb.google.com/ipsita25c/HartFordCTWeek1?feat=directlink

My First Day at USA

06/06:
My port of entry to USA was Chicago, the first experience there was immigration check and customs. At customs I was summoned and told that I was carrying something that a sniffer had actually found out... it was a bag full of curry leaves, bay leaves peppers and some other organic food that my mom had lovingly put into my bag. So i bid adieu to to my spices and move ahead at the Airport. That was a fabulous experience it was one of the most beautiful airports I'd seen so far. Starting from the lighting to amenities everything was great...but i was still so preoccupied with the loss of my spices..I couldn't take any snaps.. but in my memory I'll always remember the vast airport with trains/car assistance/ beautiful & decorative lighting's/ lots of shops and what not!!


From there I had to go to Bradley Intl airport to reach Hartford.Bradley was a different Experience altogether. I was expecting my friend to come and pick me up..but he couldn't be found any where. I went into the port again to make a call from the public booth..strangely those godforsaken booths just ate up all my quarters and couldn't connect me to any of the numbers that i was trying to reach. Luckily, i had two colleagues along with me who had their hotel booked. I joined along with them and reached a hotel called Extended Stay America, located at Windsor CT. But inside i was pretty unsure whether at all I'd reach the apartment that i had planned to move into.Finally I was able to contact my friend from that hotel and he along with a very helpful senior colleague picked me up from that place and dropped me safe to my apartment. On the way to the apartment My senior offered me dinner and i was ready to oblige :)


Coming to my apartment i.e. 250 main street, downtown Hartford appt #815, i found that it was empty and the roommates whom I'd never met weren't even there. I was kind of disoriented to find out that people could actually go out without locking their homes. It left me confused on whether i should be worried or be relaxed & comforted about it. My friend was in a hurry and he left me safe but alone in that new apartment. Soon I was relaxed to see my roommates enter. They were very kind to bring me some food from the Indian food joint that they had ventured while I was waiting alone at the apartment for them to return. Readily they arranged mattresses and all or me to sleep. I took a shower after a tiring 34 hrs journey.. it was very relaxing...I went off to sleep needless to say before I knew I was fast asleep.

More information and updates will be there on my next posts.. stay tuned!

Tryst with cooking Biriyani....

The name Biriyani though reminds one of the royal cuisine of the Mughal and Nizam era, is still a very tasty dish in many places. Kolkata is one such place where people have adapted to the tastes of Biriyani so well, that it has therefore created a different but enriched taste of the Biriyani. Arguably Kolkata can now boast of the most tasty variety of Biriyani. The names that automatically gets associated with Kolkata Biriyani are Aminia, Shiraz, Rahamania, Zee shaan not to forget the latest addition Ali Baba. Being a true blue "Kolkata basi" I am also at times attacked by tremendous Biriyani pangs. Those are the times when a box full of the aromatic yellow rice called biriyani can bring peace to my soul. However, this time the desire was completely different. This time the dormant chef in me just woke up and took charge. The desire was to cook a Biriyani dish that I could proudly proclaim as mine. The taste should be unique and lovable. After 2 weeks of mental preparation, 2 days of Internet research and a weekend of consolidating all ingredients I came up with my version of the elite dish. And, you know what, the dish turned out to be pretty tasty. Like all other jobs that I undertake, this one one more which I executed damn well.( Just think how modest I am! Got good food reviews from my family members. This blog is to thank all those people who have at one point of time posted the Biriyani recipe on the Internet and specially to Mr.Chowdhury who had the patience to provide me the step by step instruction of how to go about it, and last but definitely not the least my assistant in this project, my mom with 20+ years of cooking experience and lots patience to tolerate my "un-chefly" behavior. The pic above is for those who couldn't taste the delicacy I prepared on Last Sunday!!

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