Thanks to our wonderful wedding photographer, Stephen Tang, I have some new headshots. It took a while to contemplate the pros and cons of the mustache look. Here are the results:
New headshots
Paso Robles – Our last road trip of 2023
I have always enjoyed traveling during wintertime. Most of my happy solo backpacking trips back in India happened during winter. So did my long motorcycle trips with my partner in crime, Nikhil aka frozencolor. Many a time on such trips as a bachelor, I used to imagine a future when I will be embarking on such vacations with my soul mate. Now that I have found her, it’s an exciting time in my life as I get to explore some wonderful destinations with her. For our last trip of 2023, we chose to do a road trip and stay within California in the interest of time and convenience. Also, I have come to learn that this state is a country in itself with everything you might look for in a vacation spot, readily available someplace nearby. And the weather is almost always just… heartwarming! We planned a week-long cusp vacation to bid goodbye to 2023 and welcome 2024. Our pick to ring in the new year was someplace pretty, quiet and peaceful – not a dead town with nobody around but not a bustling city with ostentatious bells and whistles on New Years Eve either. There were quite a few worthy contenders but the winner this time was Paso Robles.
Having been to Paso a couple of times already, we knew what we were in for. The drive was spectacular with California 46 bringing the drama. Magnificent skies and open roads flanked by hillocks, rainbows, meadows graced us all the way till Paso Robles. We arrived in time for our check in at The Adelaide Inn where the lobby was spruced up for the holidays with a festive Christmas theme. Our receptionist guessed that we were an Indo-American couple from, well, our looks. She mentioned that she would love to attend an Indian wedding someday as there is always some drama and an angry “aunty”. I joked that there was nobody angry at our wedding (that we knew of). We then proceeded to our room that was simple, clean, spacious and provided all the comforts we could ask for. The television cabinet was pretty neat with sliding doors to conceal what’s inside i.e. the TV. I got excited about the Starbucks across the street and got a coffee as soon as we settled in. The weather stayed around 50-60 degree F (10 to 16 degree C) making us feel the cozy, holiday charm of winter.
We were quite well-prepared for this 2-night stay at Paso Robles, having made reservations for most major meals. Our first dinner was at Taste Craft Eatery – a wonderful slider and cocktail place in the heart of downtown Paso Robles. We got there ahead of time so we walked around the streets, as we usually like to do. We entered a general store called “General store” with a cool collection of items. Here, I indulged in my last impulse buy of 2023. You see, I have been growing a bit of a paunch, giving me a cute but undesirable ‘skinny everywhere else but big and round in the middle’ kind of shape. My goal for next year is to make my body a bit more symmetric and desirable to people who don’t love me already. So when I saw a book titled “Salads”, I knew I had to buy it so that I can incorporate it in my meals for all of 2024.
Two young ladies greeted us outside Taste and one of them escorted us to our table deep inside the space. Our drinks and food at Taste were quite delicious. I am usually a beer guy and Summer, though not a big drinker, likes whiskey better than beer. This time, we switched preferences with me getting a whiskey sour and Sumer going for a blood orange beer. The Hometown house salad was very satisfying and our variety of siders (two “Duo”s) did the trick for a nice, satisfying dinner. The next morning, we simply walked to the nearby Margie’s Diner and had a lovely breakfast sticking to our usual choices – Denver omelette with potatoes for me and oats with fruits for her.
That afternoon, we had a reservation at Calcareous Winery – one with some fond memories for us. On our last trip to Cambria when we got engaged, we had driven down to this winery to make the calls and inform our loved ones about my moment of courage when I went down on my knee, and Summer’s moment of weakness when she said “Yes”. This time, we were visiting this beautiful winery as a married couple. We took in the gorgeous view, enjoyed their tasting with an impressive list of wines (one white, three red and a bonus), and split a lip-smacking burger that was brought in looking like Julius Caesar.
After the short drive back to town, we visited the cute Spearhead Coffee Shop for a little sip-and-chat. We then made it for our reservation at Buena Tavola for some cocktails, salad, and pasta. My experiment with Negroni for a cocktail did not go down well with my taste buds (lesson learned!). The ambiance at this restaurant was akin to what I had watched in the movies. It was a cozy Italian place with tables near enough to each other that it felt like one big community dinner. We could easily overhear conversations but we tuned into our own in a few minutes. I tried my best not to stare too long at other people’s food. We finished the meal with a memorable chocolate soufflé which was plated like a champ.
Our next plan of action was to take a sneak peek at the big event that was the talk of the town – the bonfire. Wherever we went, everyone we interacted with asked us if we were going to the bonfire. Naturally, we were intrigued. Thankfully, the downtown park where this event was happening was just a block away from Buena Tavola so we found a convenient parking spot nearby for the whole evening. As we started walking towards the park after dinner, we could already sense the hustle-bustle from a distance. The whole town seemed to have assembled at the downtown park for this bonfire surrounded by well-lit, decked up trees and happy party-goers grooving to a LIVE band. And here I witnessed the irony of life, as I saw three firemen throwing huge logs in a bonfire to keep the flames going up.
We walked around the bonfire, clicked some pictures, exchanged some smiles with strangers, danced to the music for a bit, and decided to call it a night to head back to our champagne and chips at the inn. The remainder of the night was spent watching the saucy Sigourney Weaver, sipping champagne, and finally wishing each other a Happy New Year at midnight – our first one as Mr. and Mrs. 😀
The next morning, on New Year’s Day, we took off on our first road trip of 2024. More on that in my next post.
Monster Mash – My California Stage Debut
After striking out on putting up my own production on stage in December 2021 due to the onset of the Omicron variant, I was deligted to be invited to play Dracula in MeMain Productions’ Monster Mash. Teaming up with an impressive, fun, enthusiastic group of artists (including my better half), I had a wonderful time rehearsing for this goofy show which went from scary to funny to emotional with no warning. And then, the shows themselves turned out to be a happy experience for me as an actor, and an exhilirating roller coaster for the audience.
I was ecstatic to be performing for a LIVE audience after four years. The last time I was in front of a LIVE theatre audience was The Rocky Horror Show in Dallas where I also got a chance to a do a little pre-show stand-up act. Then, I graduated, the pandemic hit, I moved to Los Angeles, and got busy with my day job as a Biotech Data Analytics Manager.
Thankfully, I had kept myself active with other gigs like stand-up acts, workshops, and lessons. It came in handy when I stepped back into my stage shoes for this extremely well-written show. The audiences were generous, some of them friends and family, others happy strangers who were sweet enough to stop by afterwards and pay a compliment. All in all, I would say we did quite a memorable MASH!
Coming Soon – A Halloween Special!
I am excited to share that I will be back on stage soon. Rehearsals are in full swing and this cast is a delight to work with. Stoked to see how this turns out! Also, it’s my first time professionally acting with someone special 😉
The bring-take and come-go conundrum
I “take” Summer to my friend’s party but she “brings” me to her parents’ house. When I’m going to an event, I ask her if she wants to “come” but when she is going to an event, she asks me if I want to “go”. When deciding what she will do for lunch at work, she says she will “bring” the salad that’s in the fridge. I would have said I’ll “take” the salad. What is this conundrum?!?
My logic is – anything that’s coming where I am is being “brought” to me and anything that’s going away is being “taken”. So since the salad is going from my fridge to the office, I am “taking” it and not “bringing” it. Similarly, if I am going somewhere, then anyone accompanying me is “coming” with me while I myself am “going” there. No?
Potato song – My vegetable series
I have been meaning to do this for a while – a simple vegetable song series to get kids to eat their veggies. Starting with the one that’s a great source of vitamin C and potassium!
Playing Guide and Tourist in Hollywood
After fighting the Mumbai Vs Delhi battle for years in Dallas, Nivesh and I had a new one to fight now – New York vs Los Angeles. He moved for work to New York and I to LA. So it was natural that we keep the tradition going. I visited NY last year and he finally decided to visit me in LA this week. While continuing the banter, he was able to take in some pretty things this city has to offer.
Summer started him off with a welcome walk in the Studio City neighborhood. We then ate at HOPE, a wonderful vegan place that has become one of my favorites in the area. I thought he would like that since it’s often difficult for vegetarians to find good food (as we had experienced on our New Orleans trip). We then did another short walk around Laurel Tavern in the evening (of course we had to! There’s a whole new post coming about this pub that’s like my second home). And that was his quiet first day in LA.
Our second day was dedicated to Santa Monica Pier. Summer drove us through Sunset Boulevard all the way to the ocean and then to Santa Monica. We are at the famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and walked on the pier. Then, we took a scenic canyon drive back home and kept it quiet and simple in the evening with some leftover food for dinner.
Finally, on his last day in LA, we decided to take the cliche Hollywood bus tour. That’s something I hadn’t done yet myself so this was a good opportunity out for me to play tourist too. Nivesh and I hopped on the bus at 1 pm from Sunset Blvd and the next two hours were dedicated to checking out some lovely houses, spectacular hilly views including the iconic Hollywood sign, and popular restaurants, clubs and hotels that are frequented by celebrities. Seeing all the fancy Mullholland and Beverly Hills houses was a special treat. We had no idea that our very own Shah Rukh Khan had purchased a house on Mullholland but sold it just 5 weeks ago.
After the bus tour, we hopped off the bus and walked around the popular Hollywood and Highland area. We spotted many stars on the Walk of Fame, checked out some cool and famous footprints at TCL Chinese Theatre, walked to the Dolby theatre and other Hollywood hotspots, and finally ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen (makes sense for a New Yorker, no?) before heading home.
Later that evening, we saw our friends Jeremy and Tushar at The Village. Nivesh called it a night after that as he had an early flight. And I went back to Laurel Tavern with my friends for some Saturday night drinks. It was fun to play both guide and tourist over a weekend to a dear friend, who might now have become a convert and lean towards saying – LA rocks!
Getting back into the work rhythm
And just like that, it’s two weeks into January and work has picked up. Morning meetings at 7:30 am, fires to put out, exciting new projects, nerves about the upcoming reviews and appraisal season… just everyday corporate things.
When I took a couple of years off from corporate life to explore (travel, acting, that kind of thing), it was this routine that I started missing the most. Even more than the monthly paycheck, it was the assurance of knowing what I was going to do the next morning. Having someplace to go, some target to hit, some people to meet. It often gets monotonous real quick but with the right job, the right people and the right incentive – like it is in my present case – it can be a breath of fresh air. Something you look forward to. Something that helps you grow, explore other exciting things, explore your own boundaries.
With this new year, as I get back into the so-called grind, my heart is filled with hope, excitement and a sense of adventure. Upward and onward…
The Aroma Cafe visit
Despite coming across it on and off for almost a year, I ended up visiting the Aroma cafe for the first time just a few days ago. One reason was that I always saw a long queue outside it every time I was in the neighborhood. This time, it was just a lazy day after Christmas and our timing was just right. There were just a couple of people ahead of us in the queue but soon many joined behind us.
The counter area looked pretty chic and cozy. Rates were affordable. We ordered our coffee, got a little token, and headed inside to be delighted by the fascinating Christmas decor.
I was also surprised at how big the space is. There’s a variety of seating (beautiful chairs and tables) and some cool art all around. It has a patio section as well as a cool, stretched out inner section. The overall vibe is very cozy, creative and elegant.
It’s a shame that I visited the next door Two Roads theatre so often but didn’t come to this joint for coffee. Well, may be this year!
Petrichor
My girlfriend’s mom who has been in LA for decades once joked on hearing the mention of rain – “that’s when water falls from the sky, right?”. It’s unbelievable how rain eludes this state of California. After witnessing monsoon for 4 months every year, it was surprising for me to see hardly any rain here in the last 2 years. Mercifully, this has changed in the last 3 days. It has been raining abundantly this week, leading to the reassuring sound of water hitting the roof accompanied by the heartwarming petrichor.
It’s interesting how the smell takes me back to childhood days when I used to take my shirt off and run into the little open space in my chawl to get soaked by the first pour of the season. This time I just stood in my balcony and let it hit my arm, as I gazed at the clouds and the trees outlining my building and sipped my coffee. Still pretty neat!