Earthquake hits South California!! Gearing up for me???

An earthquake hits California. LA to San Diego!! I think they will have to be ready for more serious troubles as I am going there!!!

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hmDhV6gNDMPIL69KOso6hTUWKORw

Tribute to Paresh Karsandas Panchal

26th July 2008. 20 blasts rattled the city of Ahmedabad but not the spirit of Amdavadis. At 6:45 PM every news channel came with their breaking news!! I came home and saw the news on TV. I was a little worried and I just decided to go out. I just thought that this was the time to act when your city or the country needs you. I just thought but someone actually acted!! Someone rushed to Civil Hospital and offered any possible help to the victims, oblivious of the fact that he would be one of the victims soon. After hearing the news Paresh Panchal, an Amdavadi, Whom can any Amdavadi be proud of, rushed to Civil hospital. He wanted to help, he wanted to give back to nation. But those brainwashed, blood-sucking terrorists didn’t even leave the trauma center. That was the most pathetic act. Even at the times of war, they leave the place with red cross. Paresh, who wanted to help got badly hurt by the blast at civil hospital and lost his life.

I really salute him and his parents who had brought such a brave man to our city. Paresh, Amdavad is proud of you. May god bless his family and provide enough power to endure this tregedy. May his soul rest in peace.

My visa experience – go get it!!!!

So, finally a long-awaited post!!

We left for Mumbai on Wednesday morning. Journey was quite comfortable and I killed my time reading a novel called The Kite Runner. I am surely gonna post a more elaborate review about that book when I finish it. Still 30 pages to go.. We reached Dadar at 5 o clock or so. We reached that Swaminarayan temple where we booked the room.. It was okay.. room was good, on 9th floor.. and kool.. Went to SiddhiVinayak Temple in the evening.. and i came to know about the spirit and faith about it.. truly awesome.. I had a sound sleep of 9 hours on the eve of my visa interview.. We all went to Mahalakshmi temple and then came back to VFS. We were taken inside at 9:45 or so.. After an hour so I was taken to consulate. They gave me token no 191, took my finger prints and then asked me to sit. I was sitting. That wait seemed endless. The silence was defening. The announcements for token numbers were hardly audible. It was a stressful hour. I could see the tension and agony on people’s faces. Some lady was waiting for approval to meet her husband and some child was waiting for approval to meet his daughter. Everyone had a little sign of tension on his face. Then announcement came.. token no 191, 193, and some others, please come to window no 14. We almost kinda rushed there.. There was sitting a white, young guy and looked quite decent from his first appearence. We were standing in a queue. I was third. The first one went in and he immediately came out with his passport in his hand. We were shocked. The second guy went in.  He talked to him for a while and finally came out with smiling face. Then it was me. I went in. I felt quite relaxed. He started with why USA? I answered him. Then why computer science? That was an easy ride till this. Now he asked why do you want to go to Northridge? I was like what? I replied that I didn’t want to go to to Northridge. I am going to SDSU. He said that I could not change the university there. I said I wasn’t changing it there i already had put note on my application regarding that. And he was like okay okay! Then he asked why did i have to change the school. I told him about the problem. He asked why did you write Northridge if I didn’t wanna go to Northridge. I replied I wanted to go to Northridge but when I received I20 from San Diego I changed my mind as SDSU is a better school. “Okay”, he said. Then he asked how was I gonna pay the fees. I said my family had enough finances for paying the fees as if I had millions in my bank account. ROFL!! He said who, in your family? I replied. He asked about my dad’s Job and all. And finally the words came out “I am issuing you a visa”!!!

I thanked him and I asked him about a piece of wood i was given by security that what i was supposed to with it. He almost laughed and said it was for security purpose!!

More on Mumbai trip, laterz…

OMG!! I was almost screwed!!

Phew** I never thought it wud turn out so freaking horrible. I had to submit my documents at VFS 4 working day prior to my visa call. Now I planned very neatly but how the freaking hell I forgot American Independence day. So I planned in a way that I could receive my I20 from SDSU by Thursday and I would make all the papers reach on Friday. But wait.. it wasn’t that smooth ride.. Due to American Independance day I had to submit my papers before 3rd July and that’s today!! So, in the morning I went to VFS. Neither did I have any documents nor I had my I20 from SDSU. First, I asked the lady at VFS that whether could I submit my papers on Monday or not. In came the reply and that was big NO.

I was like its okay there is always a plan B. I rushed to fedex office to enquire about my I20 shipment. Waited there for almost 2 hours and finally picked it up from there. I thought now everything’s gonna be fine. Then came home and opened my vfs application to modify the details in forms according to new I20. But what freakig hell do I see there? YOU CAN NOT MODIFY YOUR APPLICATION LESS THAN 5 DAYS BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT. I was like OMG! I almost ran to that angelic lady at VFS again. I told her that I managed to get that I20 but now there’s a new problem. I mentally preapared to take new date and all. But this time it was the most unexpected reply and she said “no worries, you bring both the I20s and filled up forms I will put proper note on it.” I was like thank god!! So I rushed to nearest cyber cafe, paid the sevis fee got the documents printed out. Stick the photograph, singed the docs, arranged them in order and submitted them.

It was really really hectic but somehow I managed to submitt them.

That was it.. Now let’s see what happens on 10th…