September Update

Hi folks, It's 11pm on September 30th, and I'm trying to squeeze a long update this month!!

I've been super busy this month, which sorta scares me. I tell myself that I have to stop to smell the flowers!!


This picture was taken in my apartment complex last month!
And yes, September has gone by real fast, and I did so much, and have so much more to do...........






Let me just highlight what I was doing in September, and I'll throw in some pictures. And be warned, this is going to be a long post as well!!


Early September, Prashanth, Jenny and I invited my friend Char to our apartment, for an Indian Home cooked meal. Jenny is a great cook, and Char enjoyed the food. We had a good time that evening....





That evening, I experienced my first earthquake ever!!
It was 4.0 on the Richter scale, and I could feel the apartment shake. It wasn't powerful enough to throw stuff off the shelves, but was strong enough to give me the tingles.
I'm not afraid of death, becoz of the assurance that God will take me to heaven. But nevertheless, after the earthquake, I did praise God for the breath in my nostrils till date!!

This is Prashanth and Jenny outside our Church.
Cute picture ain't it?








Robert & Sheila (Prashanth's friend and his wife), Prashanth & Jenny, and I went to Waterworld in Concord, California, which was just three miles from where we live. We had great fun for the few minutes we were actually on the rides. The 45 to 90 minute wait under the hot sun wasn't that great though. But we enjoyed ourselves!!




Some of you know that my school studies between the 4th and 10th grades were sponsored by a loving couple in Pasadena, CA, through an organisation called Compassion International. I went to visit them this time at their brother's place. So here is Uncle Paul and Aunt Karen with me. I had a great time with them, especially explaining to them how arranged marriages work!! They were so excited for me.



We visited Robert's home the same day, and here we are, trying to put together some shelves that Robert got from Target. We had good fun putting it together, while the ladies - Jenny and Sheila, looked on, and took some pictures!!





On September 18th, Prashanth celebrated his 29th birthday. He had a long day at work, and came home at 10.15pm, and so it was just Jenny and I who got the cake and candles ready, and had him cut the cake when he came home.
We bought food from an Indian Restaurant and had that ready for Prashanth too!!



Then on a Saturday, I went with some of my Church members, to Mission Dolores in San Francisco. I learnt a lot about the 21 missions in California, in a detailed tour. So here is an ancient Baptismal Font.






Native American head dress at the museum in the Mission.










This is a native American hut at the San Francisco mission.
And here's an Indian posing in front of the hut - not an American Indian, but an East Indian. I know....poor joke...... ;)






Then on Sunday, we had Homecoming carnival in our Church. I had signed up as part of the young adults to help with the Face Painting booth. I really didn't warn the others that I just can't paint!! But Andrew ever so nicely offered to help, and it was Andrew and Becky who did all the work. Lisa and I did the marketing if you will, and brought the kids to the booth!!




Becky's handiwork.....








Andrew's handiwork......








So here's Becky, Lisa, Andrew and ME!!!!








And also in September, I got a chance to present about the billing company to the doctors in our group, at the Board/Finance meeting and the Shareholders meeting. Even though I've made a lot of presentations in India, these were my first in the US. Char and some of the doctors said that the presentation was good.
So Char and I treated ourselves to Fenton's icecream in Oakland after the presentation. So that explains the tie...... :)





Then on the fourth Friday in September, some of the young adults at our Church met at this nice Indian restaurant called Swad in Lafayette. We had good fun, especially with Andrew who constantly reminded me how he was recruited by me to do the face painting, and how I just left him stranded there and went to get my lunch!! Thanks Andrew!!!




And we had Jenny's Aunt Bali and Uncle Prabha visiting us for a few days. They are a wonderful couple, and we had a great time with them. I should have taken some pictures. Hmmmm Where's my camera? Well, maybe next time!!

And last Sunday, I got a chance to speak in front of the entire congregation in our Church about the Young Adults Fellowship. I almost didn't make it to Church on time becoz I slept really late the previous night. I just prayed to God and promised that I'd be good if He enabled me to reach Church on time. And God, in His usual merciful mood, did get me to Church on time.
He is amazing, isn't HE??

The time now is 11.55pm, and so here ends my post!!
Thanks for being patient and reading all that I've written!!

Yipeeeeeeeee!!!!

Man, did I have an awesome Labor day weekend!!!
Yeah, that is me on a swing, after struggling to get on it
I was reluctant, but Char talked me into it..... More down below........


It all started on Saturday with a BBQ at the Winery belonging to one of our doctors, Less Chafen. He had a Wine cave drilled into a hill, with a cellar and a dining room as well.

Here's me in the cave.....

The management team in my company.... (including me.... LOL!!!!)


Martha and Craig - a wonderful couple married for many many years!!

After the BBQ, my friend Char and I went to her brother Russell's ranch, where I had my first-ever horse ride.....it's true - I've never been on a live horse before!!

Russell's daughter Julie, saddled Jones, a wonderful horse and both Char and Julie taught me how to direct the horse. Jones was a wonderful horse, but I felt better control behind the wheel of my 133 horse power car, than on this one horse!!


Here's Char on Jones. Char didn't have to be led by Julie like I was. She is a natural when it comes to horses!!


Here's Val, Russ, Char and Julie...............

And from there, we went to a town named Paradise, where Char's parents live.

The town is really a paradise on the mountains, with many trees, and beautiful landscape. It was almost destroyed in one of the wild fires a little while ago..

Char's mother Vera, father John, Char and I went walking on a trail in paradise on Sunday and on Monday.

We stopped by the lake in Paradise to take a picture of this handsome guy in a beautiful background :)

Here's my wonderful friend with the canyon in the background.....

And here's Char's parents. They were awesome people. Char's mom Vera is on a wheel chair, but was a very gracious host - very caring and loving. Brought apple juice right to the couch when we were watching Bill Gaither on the TV. Both Vera and John were great to hang around with.

Char with her parents........

Char's parents with me....

Char's mom asked me if I wanted to stay for a few more days, and I responded that as much as Char is my friend, she is also my boss, and might put me on the next plane to India if I don't turn up to work today!! We had a good laugh, and I arm wrestled with Char and drove her car all the way back to our place. Made her a little nervous with my Indian styled driving, and she refused to take my advice of shutting her eyes..... LOL!!!

And here are my house mates - my buddy Prashanth and his wife Jenny, who happens to be an excellent cook.
Thanks Jenny, for the great food!!



If you are not able to click and see any picture, please click the following link to see a whole bunch of pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/alexannanagar/USTripAugust2008

Leave it with HIM

A friend of mine sent this thought and poem to me, and it was too good not to share:

LEAVE IT WITH HIM

"I need oil" said an ancient monk; so he planted an olive sapling.
"Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers."
And the Lord sent gentle showers.
"Lord," prayed the monk,"my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray Thee."
And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds.
"Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk.
And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.

Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience.
"I, too, planted a little tree," he said, "and see! it thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs, than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means.
'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, orf rost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"

Yes, leave it with Him,
The lilies all do,
And they grow--
They grow in the rain,
And they grow in the, dew--
Yes, they grow:
They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night--
They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the light--

Still they grow.
Yes, leave it with Him
'Tis more dear to His heart,
You will know,
Than the lilies that bloom,
Or the flowers that start
'Neath the snow:
Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,
You can leave it with Him--for you are His care.
You, you know.

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Quick Update

Hey folks,
Have been busy over the last couple of weeks - a lot of things happening in my life now!!
So, will split this to two posts - this one about my move.

I've moved my residence from Lafayette to Walnut Creek last weekend.

One of my buddies from my Church in India has come to work here in a company in San Francisco, and we decided to rent a 2 bed 2 bath place together, since the rent here in the Bay Area is so expensive!!

My buddy Prashanth and moi at the Lafayette Reservoir........

This is Prashanth's friend Robert and his wife Sheila....

Kitchen in our apartment....

Living room...

Gifts given by my office staff on the dining table...

Bed rooms....

View of the kitchen from the living room...

I'm doing the dishes when my buddy clicked this picture!!

Fitness Center in our apartment...........

Swimming pool in our apartment....

I thank God for all the wonderful people who helped me with a LOT of stuff as I moved in to my new apartment.

First, I thank God for Char, who was with my buddy and I the whole day, and helped us move, and thought of many small details like spoons, forks, plates, paper towels, toilet paper, sheets, pillows, bowls, etc, etc. Kelly and Keri, who are Char's daughters had given some of these things too!!

The staff at my office collected money and bought a whole lot of kitchen things. The list is too long to type here. Awesome people!!

My old house mates Mark and Cary gave a couch and Iron.........

I did drop the couch on my foot and it still hurts a bit, but I'll live!!

Well, with all these wonderful people's help, I'm settled in pretty well in my new place.

I had a lot of people praying for me, and I thank all of them!!

It's great to know that there are so many people who care.............