NYC Subways

NY subways are a pulse of the city. The subways traverse through what must be, yard-for-yard, the world’s most ethnically diverse area, where immigrants from several countries live side-by-side. As one rides through this incredible ethnic patchwork, amidst the clattering cacophony of the rails, you realize that the entire world is right here!

The subway was started in 1904 in New York, the Mecca for successful enterprise. In an incredibly short time (about 4 years only), inspite of legal and civic hindrance, construction of one of the most stupendous feats of business and mechanical engineering, the world had ever seen, was accomplished. New York made the joke of "fifteen minutes to Harlem" become a reality. Till today the subway provides vital assistance to its citizens, in their hurly-burly existence. Running 365 days a year and 24 hours a day it definitely stands true to the spirit of New York – the city that never sleeps!

A NY subway ride requires all your five senses. You can feel, taste, hear, smell and see the city’s diversity in these trains. Keeping to the fast pace of New York, this rapid transit rail system is the fourth busiest one in the world. It is a mirror of the vibrant life of New Yorkers. As your train car rumbles out of Manhattan's Times Square/42nd Street, you hear multiple languages being spoken at once. In case you have an adventurous palate, you can try cuisines from different parts of the globe at the concourse at the Grand Central. If you are riding a train that pulls into Queens, it rises out of the city's depths onto elevated tracks. Turn your head behind and you can capture the breathtaking view of Manhattan's skyline. On the other side, you see Queens, the lively borough who is perpetually eclipsed by her glittering sister.

Art and entertainment of all disciplines pervade the subways. The tile artwork tradition which started in 1904, continues even today. You will find interesting mosaics, murals and photographs in many of the stations. The sheer diversity of musicians plying their trade under the traffic-clogged streets of New York makes it perhaps one of the most vibrant performance spaces in the country. You will find a mix of melody, jazz, hip-hop techno and noise in the subway music. For many tourists in the Big Apple,subway musicians add local color to what can be a frustrating attempt to navigate the city’s labyrinthine transit system. For New Yorkers, live tunes make their stuffy commutes a little more pleasant.

This post will be incomplete, without mentioning the bizzareness that you encounter on a subway. The incidents can be surprizing and sometimes shocking to the extent that you may need to get off the train at times! You may encounter strange people you would generally label as a single sample of a differnt species.During Halloween and New Year you will witness the wierdest tattoos and costumes on the subway. You will more often than desired witness the unimaginitive methods of public expression as well. It is sad but true that the crime rates in NY subway is high. Hence you should avoid travelling alone at late hours.

Inspite of the rising crime rate, NY subway remains the fastest and most convenient mode of transport carrying 3 million commuters everyday. To allow New Yorkers to re-live their past, a special holiday service, using train cars in service from 1931 to 1977, started as the 'Nostalgia train'. Never mind the dirt and crowd, the NYC subways remain more than just a mode of transport for New Yorkers. It definitely brings back memories of the city to all commuters, regular and tourists alike. 

Vegas - The Sin City

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Yes and its true as you cannot pen down the excitement the city offers you.....

Vegas has something to offer to everyone! The city is throbbing with excitement all night and there are so many avenues to enjoy, you just can't get enough of it.....Don't ask about the day time activities coz probably like everyone else U'd be tucked in your bed till late afternoon :)

Well renowned for the umpteen number of casinos. clubs, mega hotels, Vegas is a glittering city amidst the desert zone of Nevada. If you are going to Vegas for the first time, do stay on the strip..... There are 5 strips with plenty of hotels (East, West, North, South and Center). You can probably visit Vegas anytime of the year. It does get pretty cold in the winters and vey hot in the summers, but that does not stop the inflow of tourtists to this place

List of 10 things, I feel, you must do while in Vegas:

1. The Cirque de Soleil show (I would recommend 'O' as one of their master pieces) - Cirque is a Canadian troupe globally renowned for their acrobatics and synchronized performances. As you have to pay a price for most good thing sin life, watching a Cirque show is no exception to that....the prices of the tickets range from $200 - $500. However the good news is there are half price tickets or discounts available throughout the year and you can get tickets as low as $60 (though it would probably be the balcony or last row) to about $150 (front rows).

2. The laser show - Vegas downtown has laser shows on weekends. I am not sure if there are shows on week days as well during tourist seasons.

3. Walk through the strip - There are plenty of mega hotels and walking through each one of them would probably take 2/3 days. Each of these hotels have a unique architecture.
Luxor is designed as the pyramid, then there is disney land, new york new york, mgm grand, mandalay bay, paris, venice, stratosphere and so many more ..

4. You can catch one of the hyonotic shows - magicians include the audience for these acts....I wont leak this one....check it out!

5. The Bellagio Dancing Fountains - You must and should see this in the evening. You can watch it on youtube to get a preview and know why I recommend this one. The synchronization of the fountains is perfect. It was one of my best Vegas experiences.

6. If you want adventure in Vegas, go for the stratosphere ride. From the top of a very tall tower, you almost hang and then spin around to catch one of the best views of Vegas. Its thrilling and one of the scariest rides.

7. Casinos - Invest some amount (start small as the city sucks ur money forever) to play on the tables or slots. There is a high chance you would not win anything but you never know.....Blackjack, poker, roley and slots are one of the few choices available.

8. Buffet - These buffets have a huge variety and its worth your money. Most of them are $20. But some including alcohalic drinks can cost you between $50 - $100. We had ours at Luxor. I would recommend the desserts.... there was a large variety and it was delicious!

9. Clubbing - If you love to dance or booze, there are plenty of choices from cheap ones to super expensive ones. Ladies you can skip paying as several clubs allow women in for free! :D
So enjoy your advantage as one amongst the fairer sex! I would recommend going to the club on the top of Mandalay bay, great view, classy place. Make sure you know the dress codes. Most of these places will not allow you in jeans and t shirts.

10. limo ride through the strip - I will recommend this to a group of friends. Probably will be fun to do it after you are really drained out by dawn.

So GET, SET and Go Wild in the Sin City!

Kam-pei HanGawi! - recommendation for best Korean vegetarian food in New York City

With plenty of time today, I thought I should definitely pen down my last nights experiences....

If you are in NY and want to get the best vegetarian healthy meal....this is the place to go....
HanGawi -on 32nd between 5th and Madison Av. http://www.hangawirestaurant.com/
The philosophy of this resturant is to introduce in your food by adding nutrition, taste and peace to make it one of your best dining experiences.

From the external look of the place, it definitely does not seem like a great place for dinner, but as you pass the waiting zone to the dining zone, you are definitely transformed to a venue where u can just forget everything and be ready to enjoy one of the best meals....

You are not allowed in the eating area with your shoes, so get comfortable and relax....This is restaurant has a unique ambiance....low tables, bamboo straw mats, Korean clay and wooden dinner sets and above all authentic Korean cuisine. The service is great too which makes it just the perfect.

If you are a birthday boy/girl, 'Kam-pei' or Cheers as they call it.....be prepared to click a picture with your traditional Korean attire and hear the gong....

I definitely recommend this with 5 stars to all my vegetarian friends....and for the strictly non-vegetarians....its worth a the experience and I can bet you wont be disappointed at all!

Fun places in Pittsburgh

They say if you love the Pittsburgh weather, wait for 5 minutes. :)


Excuse the unpredictable weather and Pittsburgh is not all that bad....The city is not as fast paced as New York or sunny as California but it definitely has its own charm. There are a lot of good places to drive to in and around Pittsburgh. Depending on your mood and the weather, you can go to a variety of places: Mt Washingon, Station square cruise, adventure sports (sky diving, white water rafting, skiiing etc), Carnegie museums, Cathedral of Learning are just some of the attractions. You can also catch some great shots if you are here in the Fall season.


In the following part of this post, I have added my review on some of the places in and around Pittsburgh where one can go and enjoy a day of fun and frolic.

Mt Washington: Situated just 6 minutes from downtown, it is one of the best spots overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline and the confluence of the Alleghany and Monoghella river. This spot was rated the second most beautiful vista in America by USA Weekend (and the best urban vista). Its fun to go by train to Station Square and go uphill by the the Monogahela and then enjoy the view and come downhill by the Duquense inclines, the oldest continuous inclines in the world. Its an amazing place to watch the sunrise or sunset from or just go with friends during New Year to watch the fireworks. 

Point State Park - Amongst the numerous crazy things we did, Malay & I spend a winter dawn sitting on the ledge of this park waiting for sunrise. I will not recommend this to you. But I will definitely recommend visiting the park in good weather to enjoy the sunrise with the view of confluence of Allegheny and Monongahela river. This park also has a fountain at the head of the Ohio river, which shoots water upto 150 feet. Today the park provides recreational space for workers, visitors, and residents in downtown Pittsburgh and also acts as the site for major cultural events in the city, including the Venture Outdoors Festival, Three Rivers Arts Festival and Three Rivers Regatta

Schenley Park - Want a walk through the tranquil forest, Schenley park could be the place of your choice. We used to frequent this place on late nights for a stroll. If you walk down to the place below the bridge on a sunny morning, its a beautiful site with butterflies fluttering and ducks swimming in the lake. You can feel the strength of the wind and enjoy the site of the stars if you stand on the bridge on a clear night. The lake is frozen in the winter and it offers skating also. If you want to go for a picnic or enjoy a nice drive, this park offers it all.

SV temple: My first visit to the 'Tirupati of the West' was in Fall'07. After that I have been to the abode of God Vishnu once or twice every semester. The temple is not as big as Tirupati and definitely not as crowded but it is one of the most serene places. The temple is situated on a hill top near Rodi Road and mind it you will never find it with the GPS unless you enter the address: 1535 McCully Rd., Monroeville, PA 15146


The temple opens at 9 AM and closes at 8.30 PM. There are bharat natyam classes and music school at the temple. One of the attractions at the temple is their awesome south Indian cuisine. The temple sells $2 dishes : upama, sambhar rice, curd rice and pulliogre (tamarind rice). On celebration days pulao, eggless cakes and other special dishes are also served. Most Indian/Hindu visitors to Pitt do not miss the SV Temple. So if you have about 3 to 4 hours, do make a trip to the temple.


Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium - Most people skip this one not knowing what they are missing. Its one of the fun places to visit (especially if you love animal photography or have kids). It costs $8 only but its definitely worth the price. Apart from the well fed His and Her Highness of the jungle, the yellow n black stripped soul, the horned rhinos, the long legged ostriches, and giraffes, elephants you will find the milky white playful polar bears which are one of the main attractions in this zoo. The PPG Aquarium is also just awesome. Colorful fishes, hammerhead sharks, jelly fishes, penguins and putins are only some of the residents of the aquarium. It houses a lot of exotic flora and fauna. There is also a glass pool where you can pat sting ray and baby sharks. The Zoo and aquarium would almost take 4 to 5 hours. It opens at 9 AM and closes at 4 AM,


Sever Springs - Situated about 1.5 hrs drive from CMU campus, this is also an amazing place to go to in the winter and the spring. The best time to visit would be early spring when the snow has not melted from the slopes and it is also not bitterly cold. There are seven slopes and pretty much from beginners to professional skiers will have fun here. They also have lessons for beginners. Whats amazing to watch at seven springs are some of the 5 to 6 yrs olds who can ski better than most of us. Its a treat to watch some of the professionals skiing gracefully down the steep slopes. Skiiing is a must if you are coming to Pittsburgh in the winter and now you know where you would need to go for that. :)
Kennywood - We had a lot of fun at this amusement park. 1st sem @ CMU, Fall 07, a bunch of the INI gang left for Kennywood. We took a convenient bus ride from school. You can easily spend a whole day at the park. There are fun rides including an old bumpy wooden roller coaster. Thunderbolt and phantom's revenge were awesome rides. If you love the splash, do go for the Pittsburgh plunge.

Lake Erie and Presque Isle State Park - Malay and I planned a picnic to lake Erie in our last spring semester at CMU. It was about 4 hour drive from Pittsburgh. Erie is one of the great lakes. Its vastness gives an effect of a pseudo-sea where you cannot see the shores on the other side. When we arrived at the venue it was quite cloudy but beautiful. Given the weather there were very few people and it was quiet and serene. Right after we munched our sandwiches we thought of wading in the water and oops....it was REALLY cold. We walked for a while, enjoying the breeze and before we could soak the beauty of the ambiance we literally got soaked in the rain :)

Falling Waters - This place was strongly recommended by a  friend and I am thankful to him for convincing me to visit it. Falling Waters is organically designed house on top of an active waterfall. Without disrupting the harmony of its surrounding, this weekend home of the  Kaufmanns, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is considered an architectural masterpiece. The house has small bedrooms forcing people to walk into the balcony to enjoy nature. Going uphill the house are the guest quarters. The guest quarters feature a spring-fed swimming pool which overflows to the river below.

Hershey's Chocolate Factory - On a spring weekend, I had managed to convince Malay and 2 of our common friends to drive down to Hershey's chocolate factory, luring them with descriptions of how we would see chocolate being made in an actual factory. It was quite a let down when we visited the place. This factory was definitely one of the best places for kids but I am not sure how the 3 grown up kids felt about sitting on the chocolate train and tasting 'kisses'. I would recommend it for families with kids as they would enjoy the colorful setting and the fun miniature chocolate making machine. But for others, I guess a happy hour at CMU might be a better option :)


Pittsburgh cruise ride -

Mayakoba, Riviera Maya

One of the best perk which an employee can get is a holiday to Cancun with your loved one to celebrate Valentine's Day! While at HRT, I was part of the lucky lot. Being in the transition phase of F1 to H1B, I was quite skeptical if I would be able to make it  but alas Malay and I were booked for the trip. Tons of thanks to Julia!

Malay and I were to meet at the Cancun airport. Malay was flying all the way from India. I flew from New York to Cancun with a stop over at Charlotte. When there are hurdles you can never rest till you have reached the final destination of travel.  As I arrived at Charlotte, we got to know all flights ( to Cancun and Hawaii) were overbooked. Some flights from New York arrived pretty late due to the stormy weather. As extra flights have been scheduled to accommodate passengers, the airlines was in short of pilots! I was quite scared to know that passengers were stuck in Charlotte for 2 days! The crowd was getting so impatient that volunteers started coming up for flying the plane! The airport was a complete chaotic scene. After a long wait of 6 hours, the good news was finally announced that a plane has been scheduled. Hurray! Oh wait! The bad news was of the 200 waiting passengers about 120 would be allowed on the flight. They declared people with seat numbers below 23 cannot board the flight. My seat number was 23F! When luck favors you nothing, you breeze through all problems without doing much. I was really lucky to be on the flight and even though I felt sad for the ones who would have to wait for an indefinite period at the airport, I was could not help grinning broadly. What could be a better than being able to spend 14th of Feb with him on the sunny white beaches of Cancun!

I captured this breathtaking shot from the flight. Finally I landed at the Cancun airport. Malay had arrived from Mexico City and was already waiting for me. Clearing immigration we started towards the Riviera Maya, our last and final stop. Mayakoba, the Fairmont resort is tucked under a forest canopy. It was dark by the time we arrived. Escaping the New York snow and cold weather, this place was heaven. After a quick check-in we were transported to our casita (villa) in a golf cart. 

The design and decor of the casita was in complete harmony with the mangrove forest around.  They never fell short of ways to perfectly pamper us. The luxurious bathroom had a soaker tub and a garden next to it. Malay and I decided to have a quite dinner at La Brisas Restaurant. There was sensual harmony about the place. Hearing the waves of  the wonderful  Carribean Sea we enjoyed our wonderful dinner. We went to  bed looking forward to the next 3 day of fun and frolic. 

After an good breakfast next day, we went for a walk around the resort. On the way we met several friends from HRT.  Mayakoba had a network of crystal clear waterways. It offered the feel of 5 different ecosystems - mangrove, tropical forest, lagoon, water canals and coastal dunes. As we reached the beach we were stupified by the breathtaking blue lagoon infront of us meeting the blue sky in the distant horizon. Julia had booked a super fun suite with an infinity pool for all of us. We lazed on the hammock and gazed at the sea. 

After a while we decided to take a walk on the beach. As we strolled, it felt like we are time warped. I was walking on the soft white sand, dipping my feet in the warm and crystal clear water, letting the wind in my hair, in the arms of the guy I am going to spend the rest of my life with.... Every moment felt like I was living a dream. 

Later that afternoon we went for a horse ride on a more secluded side of the coast. Malay's horse was galloping in parts and mine was quite excited about trotting on the water, playful and joyous.