Happy Anniversary MnD... from Bryant Park NYC

Happy Anniversary to MnD (the short form I use for my Mom & Dad). Today is their marriage anniversary, a lots of great wishes & love for my most awesome Mom & Dad... I am sitting at Bryant Park in nice cool weather; it's still kinda chilly but nice. The weather has been nice today and most of the week has been good. Its May starting & it's still kinda chilly, which is really weird. But what can we do. Bryant Park is cool, I like it. It has Wi-Fi, has seats, fountain & I hear they have shows & performances here as well. I heard a a lot about Bryant Park but never came here. I must've crossed it put I always thought it as "some park" cuz it's kinda small. From what I had heard, I expected it to be huge & big like Central Park. But it's not, which is good I guess. I had a nice week I guess. Not lot of activity like last weekend but nice..... Keep coming back and feel free to comment & surely check your reaction below. Thanks, take care & JAI HO!!

If you are Smart & Persistent Customer, Good Customer Service may make up for bad shopping experiences...

LONG heading I guess. But this is true, dunno if it's cool though. You shouldn't HAVE to be Smart & Persistent customer to get good service. But I had to. Remember (don't? then read it)my last blog below where I shared tons of bad online shopping experiences. Have sent emails for other issues which are currently on & will try to get whatever solution I can. Sometimes you just gotta act & be persistent on getting right service which is your right. This should give you some hope that if you DO ACT, you can get what you deserve. Here's what I already did...

• Emailed & then called Amazon. Good customer service they got. Just explained what happened & they gave me $7 credit to my order. COOL..
• Called backjoy 2nd time & made them not only refund my money with shipping but give me free upgrade to their highest model (memory foam) with expedited shipping. NICE.

Haven't talked about other stuff in a while I guess (You ppl must've been missing, NO??). The weather is finally getting WARMER, now in April end. Still is rainy/cold sometimes but kinda okay. Been very busy at work (as you can see)... Continuing the Chiropractor & Acupuncture which has been helpful but not as much as I would have liked. & suffering from hurt shoulder (again!!) so off GYM for 3 weeks. Will try to update more over the weekend.... Until then Good Bye & JAI-JAI HO!!!
P.S. Congratulations to Will & Kate on there wedding today (that's all I got for Royal Wedding)

Online Shopping & Service SUCKS??

I am MAD right now, at F-AMAZON. I am an Amazon Prime member & been looking for a Back Pack. I found this nice looking High Sierra Access backpack & chose the one color to buy. Different color somehow had different prices. I decided that i'll order it in evening cuz didnt wanna do it at work. I go home in the evening & the price was bumped up by $7. What the FUNK? Just in few hours, in the same day, the price of particular model i selected got bumped up. All other models/colors are priced SAME. WTF... Online shopping sometimes really SUCK because of this (apart from all other reason - u cant see the stuff in real, no guarantee of quality, sometime, shipping issues etc). I am SO MAD. Like ometimes same happens for flights/hotels & whatever. I have read that sometimes these guys bump up prices jsut for the customer who was looking for it & all that. I kinda like AMAZON but this was bad. Sending them an email complaing about this to see what they can do. I have had other sucky experiences as well.

• Like I recently ordered BACKJOY from backjoy.com, a seat pad to help you lower back etc. It never came to me. Those guys put wrong address on the order even when I gave them right address. WHen I asked for my money back, they tell me they can only return the price but not shipping. WTF?? After long argument, they said they'll put a request. Because of my persistence, I was able to make it alright but will share more about it later.
• I had also ordered Seating-Solution from Amazon, which is a seat cushion. Had great reviews & was nice in beginning. But started getting compressed & doesn't seems as useful now for long use. Also ordered battery for my phone & they guy never sent it to me. They did return my money but I didnt get what I needed in time.
• Reminds me of eBay incident. I bought this watch & accessory set from eBay few years ago & the seller never SHIPPED my item. No response to email or whatever & just disappeared. eBay later disabled her account but WTF?? I lost my money & didn't get anything. Recently bought a head/ear phone too which seems to be broken in few weeks. They didnt send me what I asked for, changed (upgraded) the order & now this. eBay is really SHADY sometimes.
• There is this site I recently found called 1saleaday.com, I really liked it in beginning because of nice looking deals. But the first order of a watch which never showed up was really disappointing. Got few other small things like cuff-links, card-holders etc which are all very poor quality or not really good. I thought it would be my DEALS2BUY.COM (which I like) but...

There is so much I can write now if I think. I also have complains from so many places.... American Airlines is really sucky as I shared my experience I guess (did I?). Had a tussle with Hotels.com, still in progress on that. Can't remember it all & don't wanna fill this whole blog with RANTS & RAVES, but ONLINE SHOPPING sometimes really SUCKS!!

Luray Caverns & Shenandoah National Park

I was at Luray Cavern yesterday. I had never been to a big cave system so this was nice. It's very commercialized with stairs & flooring & lights & everything, but I think it's good (& probably needed). Natural cave system might be SCARY. I already do enough scary things in my life, don't need to add more at this stage I guess. It's filled with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc). Cool stuff, huh?? They even have one of the biggest organs in the world which actually plays by hitting on those formations. They have an audio tour there which is FUN (the kids one is even more FUN). Takes around an hour & they have set path to walk around with information from audio tour & rangers available to ask any questions. They also have a very cool but small/squeezed Old Car Museum there with cars from 1800s & 1900s (probably older carriages etc too). It's all & all a nice place.

Also went to Shenandoah National Park for the first time ever (surprising, considering I have been int his area for 4 years). They had free entry because of something which was cool. Drove on Skyline Drive & did hiking on Hawksbill Trail. The north face of Hawksbill Peak is a 2,500-foot (760 m) drop into Timber Hollow, which is the largest elevation change in the park. As per the chart this was supposed to be 2+ hours hike but got to the top in 20 mins straight (AWESOME!!). Like manged to finish Grand Canyon hike in great time too (don't exactly remember though). The whole day was fun cuz it didn't rain as it was supposed to & the weather was nice & I had great time in great company with lots of FUN..... Give it a shot if/when you get a chance & lemme know what you think.

Family song from EK RISHTA... & Fun song from KHAKEE

Jai Mata Di, Let's Rock... Chiropractor/Acupuncture :)

Jai Mata Di, Let's Rock... well, if you are wondering what's this, this is what Himesh Reshamiya used to say as his famous quote on Zee Saregama show; & I like it!! It's last day of Navratri today & y'day was my last fast for this one. Today was supposed to be my Tuesday fast but I'll skip on it for this time, too much fasting going on. Also I had one full week (or more) of all Vegetarian/Vegan diet. Not American Vegetarian where not only eggs & stuff is ok but Fish is considered Veg too (when did fish start growing on trees? may be in US they do, I havent seen it). Didn't go to temple yet but maybe tonight or this weekend. There is only one Hindu temple in Manhattan.

Yesterday I had my first ever Acupuncture session. It was not scary/bad. I guess I have a phobia of needles (as kid, for getting shots, I used to cry even before the needle got in) like most of us. But Acu needles are hair thin & at most feel like a mosquito bite. The Acupuncture Specialist was talking abt Chi & something and how 10 session will do lot of good for me. We'll see... I have been trying Chiropractor (which is ok too) for my back & now got referred to Acu. Maybe I'll write  a detailed blog about all of this. So thanks for reading this... Jai Mata Di, Lets Rock!!

A.A.M.W.

A.A.M.W. - Another Awesome Movie Weekend (after last one)!! That should tell you that I saw movies (more than one) over the weekend. All on Awesome NETFLIX. Here's the list:

• Hot Tub Time Machine: 7/10 - It's a nice fun silly movie. Like Hangover but more crude. Had some shitty humor in beginning but got lil subtle by mid. Good performances & interesting concept I have to say. More fun if 80s was your 'coming off the age' period (not me!!), or otherwise too. Rob Corddry is funny (funny looking, too) and others did well too. Everyone may not be able to connect that well though, & also kinda a stoner movie so not for everyones genre.
• Raajneeti: 8.5/10 - Awesome... It's Indian Mahabharat in modern times Politics world with a hint/touch of The Godfather. I liked it more than Godfather in some ways. Godfather is just an awesome movie, I might give it 10/10. But this movie did very well on some scales. Like taking no sides & making all characters with a mix of all shades. Performances are good, not awesome. Ranbir is good but not awesome, he had scope to do much more. I think Abhishek was better in Sarkar. But the story line, camera work, screenplay & direction is great. Lot of credit goes to Prakash Jha, the director of this movie. I really liked this review of the movie. Maybe should give 9? Maybe write  a separate full blog about this...
• 127 Hours: 7/10 - One of the biggest problem is that you know the plot. You know he's gonna get stuck & then cut his hand to get out. It's all about when & how? But the good thing is, its a true story. James Franco is very good, I like him. Danny Boyle has done great job with his direction. Camera Work is really nice. All & all an interesting movie to watch, but nothing too awesome or mind-blowing about it.

The weather was finally lil warmer over the weekend. Not warm/fun enough for Spring I have to say. Was mostly home except lil shopping/exchange. I had 3-6 months old Trouser pants from Macys & Boots from Burlington Coat factory. I just bought them out of shopping impulse (spent lot of time & chosing & deciding) but found the shoes really tight fitting & trousers too expensive later. I went w/o receipt so they cant track dates. Burlington gave me store credit for $10 less, as the new price on bot was $10 less. However Macys could trace the purchase by scanning the pants and they gave me full refund on my credit card, WOW - I like MACYS. So that was the weekend, hope you had a good time too. Keep visiting, reading, commenting (no one does any more) & enjoying.... JAI HO!!

Happy Navratri-1 2011... Fasting is Good!!

Jai Mata Di.... Let's ROCK. I wish Happy Navratri every year, here's the one from last year & from year before that. So, just wanna say one thing, FYI: Navratri is twice a year... One is Vasant/Chaitra Navratri (around March/April) & other is Sharad Navratri (around October/November). Seems like most of the Indians in US (specially Gujratis) think its only once a year in Winter with Garba & stuff. So I'l be doing my fasting for 1st & last day, which means Fruit & vegetables only diet, same as I do every Tuesday. Navratri-1 2011 started yesterday with my 1st day of fasting and I have my Tuesday fast today, 2 days in a row. And restricted diet for rest of the days. Fasting is good, read this article from New York Times which says that too. So... lets all fast together, get healthier & live life better. JAI MATA DI!!!


One small update I forgot to mention. I went to get my fruit Salad at the Cart on Wall Street but I forgot to take my wallet. I talk to this guy every time I see him, say Hi & stuff. As I didn't have my wallet, he was totally cool & said I can pay next time. Just mentioning here, that how small things like making contacts/relationships & being nice to people can pay in any/many ways & is good....

India won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2012.... & cricket explained!!

Yes, India totally did it. After defeating Pakistan in last match, India defeated Sri Lanka in an awesome match played at Vankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India. I am very-very happy. last time they won was 1983, I wasn't even born then. They really had to wait a along time to win it again... considering Cricket is like the National Sport of India; which it actually is not, the official national sport is Hockey or Field Hockey as american's say it. But India really won & its AWESOME.

You know what, let me take this opportunity to explain cricket here. FYI: Baseball is something like Cricket. In Cricket, there are 2 teams with 11 players each. Both the teams get to Play 50 overs. One over has 6 balls, which means the bowler throes the ball to batsman 6 times in one over. The toss between two Captains decides which team selects to bat or bowl first & the other team does the other. The batting team sends 2 batsman on field to face the bowler. The bowling team does fielding as well, with one bowler bowling and rest 10 fielding i.e. trying to catch/stop the bowl. The batsman run between the two wickets & every one complete run gives one RUN/point. If the ball is hit directly outside field boundary, its 6 runs & if it drags to boundary its 4 runs. If the ball hits the wickets (the tree stumps behind batsman), he's considered OUT & replaced by next batsman. Even if the ball is caught directly after the batsman hits, its a catch & the batsman gets out. There are lost of other details but forget about it for now. Once the first batting team is done playing either 50 overs or until their 10 batsman last (last batman can't play alone), they have a score fro the other team to chase. The 2nd team tries to make that score in 50 overs & within its 11 players (10 batsman to get out). 1st team tries to get them all out before they can make score or not let them make that score in 50 overs. The team with more score at the end wins. SIMPLE!!!

Yesterday was April Fool's Day. I celebrated this day as a smart person doing smart thing. Might have started as a fool actually; someone knows what I am saying.... LOL. So again -> CONGRATULATIONS to all my fellow Indians or Indian Tea supporters for this awesome win, we made it happen. We did it.. Thanks & have FUN..... WE ROCK!!!!!

April Fool... Some funny Practical Pranks!!

So, today's Fool's Day. Read my last blog from 2009 here, pretty interesting actually (like all my awesome blogs). Anyways, enjoy this:

Toilet Trouble

Put a piece of bubblewrap under the toilet seat so when your victim sits, they are surprised by a loud POP!

You Spilled What

Find an old bottle of nail polish that you don't want anymore. Unscrew the cap and set it sideways on a piece of waxed paper, letting the contents flow out into a puddle. When it dries completely, peel it off of the paper. Now you can put it anywhere and trick someone into thinking there is spilled nail polish. Works best on something your victim cherishes or on one of their important documents!

Forgetful

Tape magnets to the bottom of an empty coffee cup, and attach it to the top of your car. Laugh at all the people who frantically try to get your attention as you drive by.

Two Black Eyes

Put a dark substance around the eyepiece of a pair of binoculars (we recommend dark eye-shadow instead of the black shoe polish used in the classic prank of yesteryear). Hand them to your victim and point out something for them to look at in the distance. Then laugh at the dark circles around their eyes.

Trip and Slip

Wait until your victim is in the kitchen. Come in and start filling a bucket with water (tell them you're washing the car or something). Only instead of actually filling the bucket, just pretend. Lift the bucket with both hands, acting like it's heavy and filled with water. Take a couple of steps in the victim's direction and suddenly "trip" and aim the bucket right toward them. They'll duck thinking they're getting splashed!

Do the Splits

Find a scrap of cloth. Place a dollar on the floor and stay nearby. When the victim comes by and bends down to pick up the dollar, rip the cloth loudly. Most people will reach back to see if they ripped their pants. One of the original classic April Fool's pranks of all time!

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!!!