J for..

While driving back from San Francisco over the weekend we crossed a sign that said "San Jose"

The little one is now into reading every sign and billboard that comes her way. She will read, then look at me in the rear view mirror to confirm that her dad is indeed beaming with pride.

Daddy is a little tired of all the beaming over the last week, but intends to keep up with it till the little girl gets tired of it and just accepts the fact that she can now read fluently..

Every now and then though, we hit a rough spot or place, like San Jose.

She read out loud "Saaan Joe-ce, Next EXIT"

Jr. who was watching and getting tired of the "reading little one and proud daddy" routine jumped at this opportunity and said "Ha, you are wrong! It is not Saaan Joe-ce, it is pronounced Saan Hosay"

The little one was visibly upset and cried out

"I know we call it Saan Hosay, but why is it spelled with a J and not H?"

Had to intervene and say Jose is a word from Spanish and J in Spanish says H in English and also went on to say H in Spanish is G in English...

She took a few seconds to digest that and asked me a very profound question

Daddy, when a Spanish person writes "pass me the Jam" do they really want you to "pass the Ham?"

Well, it was one of those times where different people reacted differently to this question.

Jr., San and the MIL started laughing.

Daddy went back to the beaming routine and this time it was for real!

The little one's brain works in mysterious ways...


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X-mas in the Park - San Jose - Photoblog

A street in downtown San Jose filled with rides and lights, two dozen mini Christmas trees decorated with everything from lights, ornaments to music CD's, twilight giving bright hues and saturated colors..

Here are a few photographs..



























Did get to practice motion blur shots and pulled off one with San and the little one on a swing ride. All the ideas not tried this year or ideas that came to my head only after reviewing the photos at home will be tried at the next opportunity.

When you see a Ferris wheel after dark, one should at least take one shot with long exposure times with a high f number and a curtain flash. Try it.

Here are some HD videos..













If you live in the bay area, X-mas in the park is definitely worth an evenings visit!

Walking around is free. The rides cost you tickets. An arm band for 13 bucks gives a kid unlimited rides. However, the kid has to be at least 42 inches to ride alone. If shorter an adult has to accompany the kid.

That costs you a lot of tickets or a screaming kid... your choice!

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Happy New Year 2011

We had another week that was a close approximation of the practically every week last year...

Some ups, some downs, but never a dull moment!

The internet connection got terminated yet again with no AT and T person capable of even figuring out why it was cut. We finally decided that enough was enough when an AT and T representative said "even I go through the same thing with AT & T because our systems are too big and they store information in multiple places and it is difficult to get answers". We then paid a hefty price and got a U-Verse connection.

It is fast and we do get 11.43 Mbps on a test, so all is well that ends well.

Watched the latest Kamalahasan movie "Man Mathan Ambu". Not sure if that space was a font mistake on the Tamil title or an intended gap. It makes sense if you think of it as Mannar, Mathanagopal, Ambu. The movie gave such high hopes of being classy by intermission time only to be a dud slapstick.

Considering this was not your run of the mill movie, but a premium price movie, it failed to make a special impact that even off beat movies are able to create these days. Kamal has his flashes of brilliance, but he continues to insult the intelligence of his audience.

Note to Kamal: If you want to make a slapstick comedy, keep it light throughout the movie. A scene or two where you show the audience you can do the crying bit like nobody's business is okay. Anything more and you are misleading us.

If Kamal ever makes porn, there is a good chance we will see the heroine use glycerine instead of massage oil... anyways, I digress. No point venting on Kamal. Hopefully he continues to make movies along the lines of PKS or Panchatantram if he intends to do slapstick!

The year did round off on a great note. We went to downtown San Jose for Christmas in the park with the cousins. It was a great evening with well lit streets, rides of all kinds for the kids, smiling faces all around..

One thing 2010 seems to have taught us is to take things in our stride and fighting over silly things is not worth it. We still start fighting and drop it before it escalates. Guess one has to be married for 10+ years to hit this stage!

The kids have grown a year older and have figured out new ways to taunt us. The good news is we are growing older as well and are figuring out counter strategies with equal gusto.

2011, here we come!




Older and as the little one would say "wiserer"!


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