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11/09/08

Long(er) weekend in Logan, Utah !

I always hate the comment "Oh, you are so lucky." partially because I put in a lot of effort in things that otherwise might seem to be just fate... frankly speaking nothing, and i mean nothing works for me if there is no sweat !

However at times after I have started traveling out of the country, I do feel that Uncle God has been kind enough to me and given me some luck to cruise on ! One such thing is having a home outside home !!!

When I was in London, my homes were at Abhishek's place or Bharti's hostel... where I could just go anytime and be ! Abhishek even gave me the key to his house and was kind enough never to disturb me if I had reached home early and was sleeping... or when I was busy taking pictures inside the room and he was locked out !!! Bharti knew that I eat packed food, and was more than keen to cook for me, irrespective of the time I landed !

Luck it is to have people like this in your life... I must have done some efforts I am sure, but not that I remember in this life time to earn them !!!

So back to why I started this post... I went home in the US as well a few weeks back when I landed in the Salt Lake City and was driven to Logan... A small town of Mormons and Aggies located in a valley and home to the Utah State University where Tanu is doing her Ph.D.

Both of us know each other for about 3 years now, and have been talking off and on over various mediums, with the first phone conversation happening in July this year when I arrived in the US... Before I was coming here, she wanted to know if I would come to Utah for a trip... I said of course, and she said, ya right !!! and later when we made the plan, the "ya right" changed to "I don't Believe it" and it still says that way :)

I had an amazing 3 day vacation in Logan a few weeks back, thanks to Tanu who managed to take some time off from the research and made sure I was comfortable... and I was surprised to see her apartment too... She had shifted just a couple of weeks back in that house, and it was perfect !!! I guess the vibes of where you are and who you are with play a very very important role in how comfortable you feel. And I was feeling at home.. I don't think there is any other word to describe that place !!!

Rest let me leave to the pictures below and talk in between !!!




Still taken at the Gardner's Market... My first experience of a local market in the US and I must say I loved it... Thanks Tanu for that impromptu plan ! Or you had thought of it already?

It was a nice bright day with the sun playing hide and seek with clouds while I was sitting on the cool grass and watching people roam around the market...

There were some kids who were having a competition of sorts with their handmade boats... this young man was trying to make sure that his boat does not capsize and finishes the race...


We were back in a couple of hours from the market and decided to move out again in the evening... seen above is a flower against the setting sun...
We did not have much time before the sunset, and we tried to reach a view point but could not... We then went to a place where we just parked the car, switched on the music and sat without talking to each other much... I think we must have spent some couple of hours there before we decided to get back home... my favorite and requested Aalu Gobhi was waiting after all :)

The next day we decided to go out for a drive... and here is Tanu modeling away to glory... nice car too eh!

I was pretty happy too with how relaxing the last two days had been... Seen above is me trying to step on a few clouds :)

This is Bear Lake in the Garden City... some 50 odd miles away from Logan...
I have always liked tread marked in sand... could not resist taking this picture either...

We were back in Logan in good time (another driving experience that I managed) and took a few pictures of the sunflowers before we settled down to see the setting sun !

While I was busy figuring out how to take pictures of flowers like above, Tanu was busy climbing up a huge Ford truck parked nearby (seen below)... One crazy girl she is...

And the sun on my final evening in Logan finally set... and gave me a good view too... Thank you uncle God for the instructions you gave to Sun Unkil...

This was a small half court at one of the houses... what temptation it was to play !!! but no basketball :/

So we were back to the apartment... What you are going to see next is kinda eeeky... so enjoy !!!

This is the RAT that was kepy on my shoulder to freak me out by my dear friend Tanu before she clicked a picture of me trying to remove him from there.... ugh !!!

And she is a Frog Queen or should I say the princess... She keeps kissing frogs and because most of them don't turn into princes, she brings them home and they stay happily after... So here are the lucky kissed Princes of Tanu's world...

This was was the most real one... ugh !!! I did try touching it, but the feeling was too slimy...

Oh, and another one of the Princes...


And here is the Frog Princess herself !!! hidden behind her loved ones...


And she seems to be better than average painter too.. seen below are three of her water colors !!! lovely stuff...


Go to a Bengali's place and not find Ma... impossible I guess !!! Aro? Do you have one? Anyway... here is another picture...

On our drive back to the Salt Lake Airport, we found this cloud maker truck !!! See how the clouds are coming out of its back container...


And so my trip finished.... I have skipped the following parts from the travellogue above...

1. The smallest ever plane that I have sat in...
2. No food and half a glass of soft drink served on a 3 hour flight...
3. Tanu trying to but not being able to find me at the airport while I knew where she was :D it was super funn !!!
3a. Getting lost in Salt Lake City
4. The lovely food at her place
5. How I irritated her to the core when she was cooking food one of the two evenings and how much we both loved it :D
6. One of the cutest ever girls I met, Amrita, at Tanu's place... she was a real darling !
7. The Frog curtain in the bathroom...
8. Dabur Lal Toothpaste ( loooooooooved it)
9. Tweaking Tanu's car deck to deliver the right kind of bass and treble !!! Now the music sounds much better...
10. and loads of moments and go down as wonderful memories !!!

Oh, and I am on Tanu's Blog too... Model and all ;) check THIS out !

27 comments:

  1. abe tunne 'rattatui' ko kyon badnaam kia??

    And all those frogs choose me :), :D

    I didn't know you clicked those painting as well. thanks for the kinds words..

    thanks for the snaps once again, :)

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  2. how very sweettt!

    this is such a good log coupled with amazing pics

    and Tanu ...yaeecks u LIKE FROGS :-/

    so many of em around :D

    and wownice...water colors too :) nice very nice!!

    Chalo u had a very good time ! :)

    Have fun :D

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  3. Niceo! Some of the shots are awesome.

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  4. I think its worth all the sweat you have wasted..Good you enjoyed your trip so very much..

    The shots as alwys are amazing..specially liked the one ,with the flower kissing the setting sun..and you walking over the clouds..

    Iam sure Tanu is a great photographer too...checked out the wonderful snaps of yours in her blog..the one with a flute in hand ,and the other with a camera are i think the best out of them all..
    and yeah love of frogs..now thats something really different..have probably come across the first person ever , who like frogs so much..but some of them are cute for sure :D

    In all really happy for you..you have a home outside home..
    and yeah lest i forget ,finally after all the wait the blog is out :D
    Thanks for that..
    God Bless you!!!

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  5. Interesting account. The lake pic has a striking resemblance to Pangong Tso!

    I'll say your are lucky you get to travel so much :-)

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  6. Glad you had a great time and you took some super snaps. I particularly liked the flower in sun shot. Hope you get to visit more Farmer's markets - they are all the rage in the UK too. :))

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  7. awesome pics.. bro, if u have more snaps of the car, do share :-)
    Correct me if I am wrong - Isn't this a Dodge Charger Daytona RT? Drool drool..slurp slurp.... the beauty of an engine - the 350hp, 390lb-ft Hemi...
    tell me more about the driving experience, bro... :-D

    tanu hv got a nice home, and her sketches r nice... :-D
    loved the pics as usual...

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  8. awesome, awesome, aweosme...Om...what pictures man!!! You are a rock star...

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  9. # Tanu...

    badnam kya karna hai be usko... mujhe pareshaan kar raha thaa wo :P

    yea... the frogs chose you for sure !!!

    No problemo:)

    # Veens...
    thanks...

    yea, had a great time :)

    and yes she loved frogs..

    # Subbu...
    kaunse wale bhai?

    # Vaishali...
    thanks for the long comment... made me feel good...

    she likes real frogs too.. even though they are too slimy !!! ugh !!!

    yea, the post took sometime.. bahut busy hoon na aajkal..

    God bless you too..

    # Sangfroid...
    thanks...

    Oh you bet... Every picture that I have clicked reminds me of Pangong !!! the hills, the water, the color, everything...

    I am lucky... ok !! I am :)

    # Shuma...
    thanks...
    I hope to catch a couple of more farmer's markets.. lets see...

    # Anoop...
    Nai re... no more pictures of the car... I am sceptical about taking pictures of personal properties here... not sure how people react !!!

    This is the Dodge Charger yes... Awesome beast this one was !!!! but we were in Tanu's Accord :)

    thanks :)

    # Mon...
    thanks... You bet I am :)

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  10. i just discovered this blog today can you imagine?prashant i love this blog will be regular here too?
    can anyone send you a chai photo or you invite them?

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  11. # Megha..

    what are you talking about :)

    This is my main blog :)

    Would be great to see you around :)

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  12. Definitely these:

    The flower against the setting sun
    The stepping over the cloud
    The Bear Lake wave / water shot

    And the winner is the Ma shot for it's beautiful lights.

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  13. mazza aa gaya sir jee...

    all pics are fabulous but I liked the basketball net walli the most...
    wonderful game and an equally wonderful picture...

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  14. achi pics hai.....durga ma ones rock.......

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  15. First, awesome pictures like always and second, you really are lucky to have friends all over!! :)

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  16. # Subbu...
    the picture of Ma is my favorite too... I just with the glass jar was a li'il more clearer !!!

    The stepping over the cloud is Tanu's idea and clicked by her too..

    # Ankit..
    thanks...

    Basketball wali mujhe bhi bahut acchhi lagi!

    My favorite game for sure..

    # Deepu...
    thanks bro...

    # Sam...
    thanks...
    I sure am :)

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  17. Next time I will be there...for sure!

    You guys had such a great time! And is Amrita her new roomie?

    I hate frogs, but these are SO cute! And frog curtain! Really!? :) Cute!

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  18. Pakka Pakka... If i am on the west coast on the second trip... we shall plan a vacation together !!

    Amrita, the cutest girl I have seen in ages, is her roommie yes !!!

    Tanu likes the real ones too :/ the wet slimy ones !!!

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  19. Om - thanks for taking care of the replies to my frogs :)

    and the cloud '9' shot too :) :P

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  20. No problemo Frog Princess :P

    and the cloud 9 shot is a very nice one... love it...

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  21. Hey Fabulous pics..awesum!!I loved the one walking on the clouds...You are blessed to have so many friends..And the frogs look Slimy...Tanu really has something for fairytales haan ;-)...
    grt post-though first time here i could easily place u ,tanu, pics, frogs et al...

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  22. # My Space...
    thanks... I sure am :)

    and welcome to Chai ki dukaan :)

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  23. Frog Princess :)

    Cool shots and a great account of the trips as usual.

    Been busy with some stuff lately.. will be back to regular commenting soon.

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  24. khi khi so THAT is Tanu Blotter :P and I am not amazed at any of the stories you write about her...All witches (from Potter world I mean. These r nice witches) are supposed to behave like that..wink wink... seems u had gr8 fun..gooodie good...

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  25. # Kshitiz...
    thanks bro...

    no worries you take care of the "stuff"... will see you around !

    # Reeta...
    yea... she is a good witch... she does not boil them and make potions out of them to feed innocent people like me !!!

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  26. Whoa.. a long photo literature.. time well spent.. its always nice to make good memories.. :)

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