Finally, my real Xmas tree

As some of you might remember, I have always wanted a real Xmas tree, but last year we only managed to get a Rosemary plant instead as we couldn't get the stand for the tree, hence couldn't buy one. Cute?

This year, we finally got our first tree. It is a small tree, (haha, shorter than me) but it is a real tree. And I was wondering how to decorate it without spending much (since US is not exactly our home and don't want to accumulate waste).

So this is what we did.

Some close up

And instead of a star, we have

Yosemite National Park - half dome

My Name is Ram

My love for ads continue. Have been looking for this ad on YouTube for some time now. So glad I have found it.
With such material, I think they are on the right track to getting back some confidence.


Yup, I know they have a long way, but everything comes with one step. Important thing is to stay the course.

Culture Shock

Having been here for almost a month now, I still wonder why I struggled so much to settle down. Afterall, this is not the first time that I am in this country. This should have been the issue last October, not now. But why? Why am I so convinced I don't understand the people of this land and also convinced that they do not understand us. 


I wondered why have all my years of working with Americans, British, Koreans, Japanese, Thai, Indians, Chinese, Australian, New Zealanders, to name the majority nationalities in my line of work, would I be hitting a road block? I mean, it is not as if we have a language barrier here...


The more I think about it, the more upset I am with myself. I wondered whether age has eaten up the openness in me, or having been out of the scene for awhile now, has killed my love for being open and embracing new cultures and new people. If anyone of you wondered what kept me working so hard, for so many long hours, much of the motivation really is in the many cultures I get to cross everyday. That is exciting to me. Sitting at my seat, running through my mind before picking up the phone, "how do I put it across so that they understand, so that a relationship can be forged?" I love every chance of being able to put that to practise. I think the hardest for me was in understanding my scottish staff. But they turned out brilliantly nice to work with, once I come to understand their world of English. 


But being here makes me wonder if I have forgotten to pack that skill in my luggage, amidst all the things I have forgotten to pack, like winter wear or enough tops. I have less than WEP. My goodness. I am really living on bear minimum here. So pardon me if my outfits become a little too familar over the course of time. 


Anyway, back to the main topic, I think I got a eureka today. I think there is such a thing as an international culture, you know a code of behaviors and language, of values and morale that are wired into people involved in international business, and military is also part of this. I think for people who are very involved in the international scene and exposed to vastly different cultures over time have this wired in, conciously or subconciously. Which explains why we have no problem last winter (we are in a military community and also a city with many travelers). 


And it is for me a humbling experience. That I cannot presume to say I understand a culture by just the people I meet at the workplace or any place. I have forgotten that culture really is a complex thing, woven in it are life experiences, traditions, community, economy and nature, all at play to shape the place, meter by meter, mile by mile. 


So let's learn culture, religion, people, race, one person at a time, for there truly is no generic in any of this. I now understand why it drives a friend of mine up the wall by the slightest bit of stereo typing we let ourselves in for. Well, guess his wealth of life has backing for it. 


Share your thoughts, would love to hear your point of view too. 

Motivation...

Hmm, finding the motivation to write....

If you are still convinced, check this out

The following are taken on 29Sept and this is not a special day. It is pretty much any other day - sunset @Coronado Beach

Sunset - moment by moment

Plane landing at sunset 

(moment by moment)

29 Sept - To our fav little island: Coronado

Here is where we lived our last winter and this little island still charms me the same way it did.

I miss it so so much.

Coronado Bay Bridge

San Diego downtown skyline - From Coronado

Little sandal who has lost its way....

Seahawk in the sky

(reminds me of how I used got woken up each morning by the sound of helicopters)

Palm trees and blue skies (Love it)

Rainbow in the sky. Nice!

Cutest accidental photo by WEP!!! Dog on his evening walk.

After all these photos, are you sure you are not convinced that this is the place to stay?

For the laidback, this is the place, slow, nice, warm. but if you are the party sort, then I don't think it is for you.

Guess you know which I am?

Partying days are over. Yes, for those of you who have seen my crazier days, you must be surprised.

And those who happened to manage to get enough drinks down on me, you got a glimpse and count yourselves lucky, doesn't happen often...

And for you who have been trying so hard to get me to that zone, first, you got to get hold of the person who unknowingly got me drinking enough. I don't even think he know he did. Hahaha.

Nope, not WEP.

So, to encourage me to write more, let me know you are reading and letting me know if you are now sold - "Coronado is a beauty?"

29 Sept - Lunch before heading to Coronado

Yup, we are still on the topic of food.

Sashimi from Mitsuwa. Yum yum. We had ramen too, but by then, we are too hungry and the ramen too yummy, we forgot to take photo again. What is new....

SASHIMI!!! And inexpensive too, coz from supermarket.

And I got Amaebi!!!!!

There is salmon, tuna and I think hamachi. (was it hamachi?)

And WEP never likes tuna, but he loves this one. Really good.