YOSEMITE: WHERE I DISCOVERED I WAS VERY SMALL There are places that make you feel small. And then there is Yosemite. We entered Yosemite Valley expecting beautiful scenery. What we got was a lesson in perspective. Granite walls rose around us, almost casually, as if someone had decided that ordinary mountains weren't quite enough. And … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #43
Tag: perspective
America, One Moment at a Time — #25
Who Really Owns the Park? One thing I’ve noticed during our American sojourn: The wild squirrels and rabbits in the public gardens seem remarkably unafraid of people. They simply carry on with their lives, right among us. And then we spotted something I hadn’t expected. A wild rabbit with its baby, living right there in … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #25
America, One Moment at a Time — #24
A Hot Dog and a Little Bit of America We went out for a hot dog. Simple enough. But at KC’s Classic Burger Bar, even a hot dog comes with neon, vintage cars, ice cream… and a little history. 😄 The sign outside said: “IF YOU’RE READING THIS, YOU NEED A BURGER.” Fair enough.We went in. … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #24
America, One Moment at a Time — #23
The Dogs Have a Life of Their Own The other day, I was reading the Boston Sunday Globe when I came across an article about a hotel guest kept awake by a barking dog. “Barking mad: Loud dogs, sleepless hotel nights…” It made me smile. Because, as a visitor to the US, I’ve noticed something … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #23
America, One Moment at a Time — #21
Lynn, Lynn… The City of Sin? When we came to Lynn, I knew very little about the place. Then I heard its old rhyme: “Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin, You never come out the way you went in. Ask for water, they give you gin — It’s the darndest city I’ve ever been in.” 😄 Not exactly … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #21
America, One Moment at a Time — #20
The Shadows and Shades of the Boston Public Garden Boston Public Garden was bright and sunny the day we visited. The kind of sunny day that makes you reach for your sunglasses... and then wish you had brought a hat as well. 😎 But what caught my attention were the shadows. They were everywhere. The … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #20
America, One Moment at a Time — #19
When the Water Looks Too Shallow — Finding the Channel From our apartment in Lynn, I’ve become quite used to seeing the ferry that carries passengers across the water to Boston. But today, something about it made me stop and look twice. The tide was out. Very much out. The harbour looked as though someone … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #19
America, One Moment at a Time — #18
The Road to Ogunquit We left Boston and headed north. The first part of the journey was pretty much what you would expect from a road trip. Highways, traffic, bridges and plenty of road ahead. Then we crossed into Maine. And there it was: “WELCOME HOME.” We had just arrived. So apparently, Maine was already … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #18
America, One Moment at a Time — #17
Fluent in What’s Next I went to Best Buy to buy a new Mac laptop. I wasn’t expecting to come away thinking about the future. But then I saw this: “We’re fluent in what’s next.” Interesting. Then I saw another young face beside the same words. And another poster said: “Giving teens the tools for … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #17
America, One Moment at a Time — #16
A Question That Goes a Long Way We were sitting at a traffic light when I noticed a message on a billboard above the road. “Are you okay?” At first, I smiled. Because sometimes, when someone does something irritating, those words mean quite the opposite. 😄 But this time, the question was meant differently: “ARE … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #16
America, One Moment at a Time — #15
The Place That Wasn’t on My Bucket List I came across a sign at Niagara Falls: “CHECK THAT OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST.” It got me thinking about my own. The problem is… I don’t really have one. 😄 Well, except for one place. Revisiting Calcutta, my birthplace, which I left for my home in Kerala … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #15
America, One Moment at a Time — #14
Bet You’re Still Smiling What makes you smile? A good joke. A kind word. Someone holding a door open for you. Sometimes, it’s something even smaller. A stranger smiles at you, and you smile back. Especially in a new country, these little moments can feel surprisingly warm. You may never know the person’s name. You … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #14
America, One Moment at a Time — #13
Niagara Falls — And Everything Around It We went to Niagara Falls to see the Falls. And, of course, they did not disappoint. There are actually three waterfalls here. The American Falls, the smaller Bridal Veil Falls, and the much larger Horseshoe Falls, which curves around on the Canadian side. Together, they make up what … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #13
America, One Moment at a Time — #11
Nobska — A Lighthouse With a Long View We had seen photographs of Nobska Lighthouse before, but seeing it in person was different. It stands on a little rise at Nobska Point in Falmouth, overlooking the water. It is one of those places where the lighthouse isn’t the only thing worth looking at. There is … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #11
America, One Moment at a Time — #10
Nahant — Just Across the Water From the apartment where we are staying, we can see Nahant. Not all of it, of course. Just a stretch of land across the water, with a narrow strip of road leading towards it. I had been looking at it from our window for some time. It was close … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #10
America, One Moment at a Time — #9
Chatham Has More Than One Story Chatham, on Cape Cod, seemed like one of those places made for postcards. Beautiful buildings, colourful gardens, blue water and boats everywhere. We passed the Chatham Bars Inn, and it certainly didn't disappoint. But a little farther along, we saw another side of Chatham. There were fishing boats moving … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #9
America, One Moment at a Time — #8
The 6 O’Clock Horn From where we stay in Lynn, this is the view across the harbour. The breakwater stretches towards the Atlantic, with the distant residential shoreline beyond it. Every morning, at around six o’clock, a ferry leaves Lynn for Boston. I don't see it every morning. But I hear it. One short blast … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #8
America, One Moment at a Time — #7
The Lighthouse That Learned to Move Nauset Light—with a little taste of Cape Cod. My daughter spotted the coincidence: the Cape Cod chips she had brought along featured the very lighthouse we were standing beside. I have always thought a lighthouse was supposed to be one of the more settled things in life. It stands … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #7
America, One Moment at a Time — #6
The Ocean Doesn’t Take Appointments We boarded the whale-watching boat at Hyannis with one simple objective: Find a whale. The instructions seemed straightforward enough. Go out to sea.Look at the ocean.Wait. The last part, as it turned out, was entirely up to the whale. We had cameras ready. Phones ready. Eyes scanning the horizon. Everyone … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #6
America, One Moment at a Time — #5
When MIT Lets the Wind Decide MIT sailing on the Charles River There they were on the Charles River… little red sails carrying three very familiar letters: MIT. I couldn't help smiling. Somewhere behind those sails is an institution associated with equations, algorithms, engineering, artificial intelligence and people clever enough to understand things I have … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #5
America, One Moment at a Time — #4
Boston and the Seagull Boston across the water A few days ago, Red Rock Park had me looking at the American flags flying at half-staff and thinking about Dolly Parton. Today, I found myself looking across the same water at Boston. Boston was there, beautifully distant. Its skyline rising across the water. Looking rather impressive … Continue reading America, One Moment at a Time — #4
