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Chennai to Chicago – A memoir
This is a memoir from a part of my life, filled with tribulations, heartbreaks, travel, and adventures in the US, eventually being hit by the routine, frustrated, losing purpose in life as a software engineer, packed everything back up, and backpacked around India on a soul-searching journey, discovering myself along the way. Webpage created for the book: https://www.chennai2chicago.com Here’s a…
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There Is No ‘Point B’ – Awakening of a software engineer
I wrote my first book, “Chennai to Chicago – Memoir of a Software Engineer” circa 2015. I shared the story of my journey from Chennai, to coming to the US for my Master’s, some heartbreaks, adventures, travels, and the spiritual quests that ensued. I was always seeking something throughout my life. As a kid, as a teenager, as an adolescent,…
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This is all there is!
It suddenly struck me that we only have 7 or 8 decades of life, and half of it is already gone. Life suddenly feels so short! When I was in the university in the US, I liked a girl, we used to cook and eat together, spent hours on the phone discussing a lot of things, she called me when…
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Do what you can
“Do what you can”. That’s what my Sensei told me when I was in Cleveland in 2009. It was snowing badly that day, and I wanted to skip the martial arts class that I had been going for a few months. That was a small non-profit dojo, very kind but talented martial artists. It’s called “Aikido”, a form of Japanese…
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A beautiful dream with Gwyneth Paltrow
I had a super weird dream. Somehow, I literally traveled back in time, to 1991. I was standing in the middle of a road confused, the place was kind of like those small-town uptowns in Europe, roads laid with hexagonal bricks, where people hang out in pubs and coffee shops, laughing and chatting outside, everyone knew everyone else. It was…
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Iceland
My trip to Iceland did not start off on a good note. I sat next to a guy on the plane whom I guess was having a Tourette syndrome. Tourette is when people have these uncontrollable ticks. His tick was pulling his hair, arranging his books in proper order on the tray table, and violently shaking his hands. He kept…
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Area 51
I landed in Vegas and booked a room for the night at the Luxor hotel. There was a heavy rush for the long weekend, full parking lots, cars wandering around trying to find a spot to park, long lines everywhere through midnight. I stood in line for hotel check-in, watching people losing money in slot machines, half-clothed drunk women with…
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Breathe… in and out… in and out…
That life in your breath, wetness in your heart When you… Drenched in the rain Held a puppy in your hands Felt that butterfly in your stomach looking at someone Felt that pang when someone betrayed you Held your first job offer in your hands Cried as an adult Felt a deep love in your heart Felt a scalding hurt…
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Dear Mother…
Dear Mother I entered this life through you You put skin on me Carried me right through the door As the door opened I heard the song of life What a glorious time it is! The life that gave me breath And sense And feelings And caring through my heart I walked on Trying to understand the mystery of life…
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Reborn at 35
“Cerebral Atrophy Empty Sella Tortuous Cornea Intercranial Hypertension”. I shuddered looking at my brain MRI scan report. The doctor said, “You have a small hole in your brain”. Is that it? Is that the end of this life for me? I started having high fever after my July 4th trip to the Big Bend National Park in Texas. I went…
