Today …apart from being my graduation cum getting a job treat day was the second anniversary of my arrival in the US …yipeee!!!… no really , I guess this was one of the anniversaries that deserved to be remembered….last year I was in India at this time …so in effect this is the first and most probably only anniversary I’ll spend in Tuscaloosa….
I remember two years ago I was at the airport in LA… first just assimilating the fact that I was in an AMERICAN airport ..i.e. I was in America…. I spent most of my dollars tasting Haagen Dazs ice cream for the first time in the airport lounge….I was stuck there for twenty four hours after a twenty two hour flight, because my flight to Atlanta kept getting delayed /cancelled .. Well made it to Atlanta and Birmingham and finally Tuscaloosa …( not all the way to t-town via Delta..but you understand)…And the rest as they say is HISTORY : ).
Showing posts with label alabama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alabama. Show all posts
Friday, December 29, 2006
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Marriage article links
There’s really a lot of Shaadi stuff in this blog, at this point it isn’t even me putting up what’s happening in my personal life, I would like to say it's an issue that I have interest in , that is proving to be popular, that I’m looking at from the perspective of a neutral spectator ….(believe that if you will…). But yeah keep the comments coming and I will keep posting on the topic as and when ‘inspiration’ strikes……
This is a good essay on Marriage that Sharath gave me the link to, I’m sure it won’t be earth shattering for most people and I assume many people feel like the author , but nonetheless give it a read,I do have concerns with regards to “’keeping things as they are” and that ‘most age old traditions are there for a reason’ , but the comments section is insightful in this case
Jane Galt on Marriage
And t-towners… Tuscaloosa is mentioned ‘marginally’ …. some where in the beginning........
Also I can’t believe Rashmi Bansal is writing about marriage now, it's pretty much the same old argument , matrimonial ad’s , the question about whether girls were pressurized to get married etc etc ,(I admit I haven’t witnessed any terrible ,terrible marriages, only happy ones )….. some people think girls sound like people out to “lootofy” their husbands, you know I wish I could sympathize with the guys , I’m trying hard to , but when you have been conditioned pretty much your whole life to get married ,is it too much to ask for this person you get married to ,to solve all your problems??? I know it’s a lot of stress, but life’s stressful deal with it!!! Also , for all those guys who are scared of being duped; a person who looks after you, your children , your parents , your siblings , your extended family, ( believe me all women I know do this , its ingrained and its conditioned ) is worth her weight in gold!!!!
Guys, You’re lucky to get married!!!!
Read the post here :
The Marriage Market
Also does questioning the "Status Quo" equate to "Rabid Feminism"??? Ratsss!!!!
This is a good essay on Marriage that Sharath gave me the link to, I’m sure it won’t be earth shattering for most people and I assume many people feel like the author , but nonetheless give it a read,I do have concerns with regards to “’keeping things as they are” and that ‘most age old traditions are there for a reason’ , but the comments section is insightful in this case
Jane Galt on Marriage
And t-towners… Tuscaloosa is mentioned ‘marginally’ …. some where in the beginning........
Also I can’t believe Rashmi Bansal is writing about marriage now, it's pretty much the same old argument , matrimonial ad’s , the question about whether girls were pressurized to get married etc etc ,(I admit I haven’t witnessed any terrible ,terrible marriages, only happy ones )….. some people think girls sound like people out to “lootofy” their husbands, you know I wish I could sympathize with the guys , I’m trying hard to , but when you have been conditioned pretty much your whole life to get married ,is it too much to ask for this person you get married to ,to solve all your problems??? I know it’s a lot of stress, but life’s stressful deal with it!!! Also , for all those guys who are scared of being duped; a person who looks after you, your children , your parents , your siblings , your extended family, ( believe me all women I know do this , its ingrained and its conditioned ) is worth her weight in gold!!!!
Guys, You’re lucky to get married!!!!
Read the post here :
The Marriage Market
Also does questioning the "Status Quo" equate to "Rabid Feminism"??? Ratsss!!!!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Spooky Tuscaloosa
Thanks to a conversation I had with Shweta , I found out about the Gorgas Library ghost….. So here’s some info about ghosts in Tuscaloosa.Of particular interest are University of Alabama ghosts…hmm wonder if I’m going to walk late night in the quad , now??!??Anyway I don’t go to Gorgas library much :)
Around Campus..
Legend has it that, once upon a time in a house on Thomas Street, a man axed his daughter to death and buried her in the walls. Her name was LaDonna. Chi Phi Fraternity later moved into the house; doors mysteriously slammed shut, chairs moved, and members encountered apparitions. LaDonna followed the Chi Phis to their second house, which is now the Student Publications building, and later to their house on New Row.
According to popular belief, LaDonna has plenty of haunting company.
The Quad -
Located between the armed forces & library buildings, it’s said to be haunted by the ghosts of four civil war union soldiers who were killed here. It’s believed that they still haunt the area.
The guard shack next to Amelia Gorgas library is haunted by a man who hanged himself there.
Mrs. Amelia Gayle Gorgas is said to haunt the library which bears her name. Dr. Jerry Oldshue, The University Historian, said that the elevators can be locked so that they don't stop at the fourth floor, which houses W. S. Hoole Special Collections. He says that there is a solitary elevator that comes and goes as it pleases. The door opens, and there's no one in it. Then it closes and moves on its way. Dr. Oldshue believes that it isAmelia Gayle coming to check on things, make sure everything is in order.
Her husband, General Josiah Gorgas, can sometimes be heard walking up the stairs of the Gorgas house, his sword banging against the wall. The Chief of Confederate Ordinance during the Civil War, Gorgas also served as president of the university in 1878 and died in the home named after him.
The University's oldest ghost inhabits the Observatory, which was built in the 1840's. A nineteenth-century professor whose house stood near the Observatory was seen sitting on the Observatory steps the day after his death.
Around town….
The Old Bryce Mental Institution and Hospital -
The ghost of mental patients that were tortured, beaten, and killed in the institution are still said to be roaming the halls. Considering the history of this facility, it would be more surprising if it wasn't haunted. There have been reports of strange noises being heard, cold spots & telephones ringing, and writings on the walls. This building was abandoned in the mid-60's after being used for more than 100 yrs.
Drish Mansion - The Drish Mansion is an old plantation home now in the midst of Tuscaloosa. It was built by Dr. John Drish for his wife Sarah. When Dr. Drish died, Sarah burned candles while he lay in state. After the ceremony, Sarah locked away the candles and asked that they be burned at her funeral. As Sarah’s health declined, she became somewhat obsessed with the candle burning. Then after her death, her friends and family were too busy to look for the candles, and Sarah was buried without the ceremony. Shortly after, the tower where the Sarah burned the candles for her husband, caught fire. But as fire crews arrived, the fire was gone. There was no evidence of burned wood, not even a wisp of smoke. The ghostly fire happened a few times more and people began wondering who was starting the ghostly fires. Then one night after one of the fires mysteriously vanished, the ghost of Sarah Drish appeared.
Maxwell Crossing - Confederate soldiers still roam there.
Old Public Library on Greensboro Ave –“ Presence felt in round room on left side of building as if watching over you and protecting you. Upstairs leading to top turret, black evil presence felt as if trying to make one fall down the stairs, felt sensation of something against (narrators) back and the feeling that whatever was up there wanted to do (narrator) harm. Another presence felt in main room at window, sensation of someone looking out and waiting. In lower basement level there were tunnels where soldiers hid during Civil War, presences can be felt there as well.”
Stillman College - Hay Hall - In Hay Hall on the 2nd floor on the left side there have been reports of one of rooms being haunted by the a girl who use to live there. Also you can hear voices and loud sounds coming from the 3rd floor of this hall…..it kind of strange that the noises are there cause nobody has gone on the 3rd floor in years.
Compiled from the internet
http://www.psychosylum.info/content-64.html
http://www.geocities.com/parapsyse_agrs/
whats_haunted_t_list.html
http://www.juiceenewsdaily.com
Around Campus..
Legend has it that, once upon a time in a house on Thomas Street, a man axed his daughter to death and buried her in the walls. Her name was LaDonna. Chi Phi Fraternity later moved into the house; doors mysteriously slammed shut, chairs moved, and members encountered apparitions. LaDonna followed the Chi Phis to their second house, which is now the Student Publications building, and later to their house on New Row.
According to popular belief, LaDonna has plenty of haunting company.
The Quad -
Located between the armed forces & library buildings, it’s said to be haunted by the ghosts of four civil war union soldiers who were killed here. It’s believed that they still haunt the area.
The guard shack next to Amelia Gorgas library is haunted by a man who hanged himself there.
Mrs. Amelia Gayle Gorgas is said to haunt the library which bears her name. Dr. Jerry Oldshue, The University Historian, said that the elevators can be locked so that they don't stop at the fourth floor, which houses W. S. Hoole Special Collections. He says that there is a solitary elevator that comes and goes as it pleases. The door opens, and there's no one in it. Then it closes and moves on its way. Dr. Oldshue believes that it isAmelia Gayle coming to check on things, make sure everything is in order.
Her husband, General Josiah Gorgas, can sometimes be heard walking up the stairs of the Gorgas house, his sword banging against the wall. The Chief of Confederate Ordinance during the Civil War, Gorgas also served as president of the university in 1878 and died in the home named after him.
The University's oldest ghost inhabits the Observatory, which was built in the 1840's. A nineteenth-century professor whose house stood near the Observatory was seen sitting on the Observatory steps the day after his death.
Around town….
The Old Bryce Mental Institution and Hospital -
The ghost of mental patients that were tortured, beaten, and killed in the institution are still said to be roaming the halls. Considering the history of this facility, it would be more surprising if it wasn't haunted. There have been reports of strange noises being heard, cold spots & telephones ringing, and writings on the walls. This building was abandoned in the mid-60's after being used for more than 100 yrs.
Drish Mansion - The Drish Mansion is an old plantation home now in the midst of Tuscaloosa. It was built by Dr. John Drish for his wife Sarah. When Dr. Drish died, Sarah burned candles while he lay in state. After the ceremony, Sarah locked away the candles and asked that they be burned at her funeral. As Sarah’s health declined, she became somewhat obsessed with the candle burning. Then after her death, her friends and family were too busy to look for the candles, and Sarah was buried without the ceremony. Shortly after, the tower where the Sarah burned the candles for her husband, caught fire. But as fire crews arrived, the fire was gone. There was no evidence of burned wood, not even a wisp of smoke. The ghostly fire happened a few times more and people began wondering who was starting the ghostly fires. Then one night after one of the fires mysteriously vanished, the ghost of Sarah Drish appeared.
Maxwell Crossing - Confederate soldiers still roam there.
Old Public Library on Greensboro Ave –“ Presence felt in round room on left side of building as if watching over you and protecting you. Upstairs leading to top turret, black evil presence felt as if trying to make one fall down the stairs, felt sensation of something against (narrators) back and the feeling that whatever was up there wanted to do (narrator) harm. Another presence felt in main room at window, sensation of someone looking out and waiting. In lower basement level there were tunnels where soldiers hid during Civil War, presences can be felt there as well.”
Stillman College - Hay Hall - In Hay Hall on the 2nd floor on the left side there have been reports of one of rooms being haunted by the a girl who use to live there. Also you can hear voices and loud sounds coming from the 3rd floor of this hall…..it kind of strange that the noises are there cause nobody has gone on the 3rd floor in years.
Compiled from the internet
http://www.psychosylum.info/content-64.html
http://www.geocities.com/parapsyse_agrs/
whats_haunted_t_list.html
http://www.juiceenewsdaily.com
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Neighbours....
What’s with that house across the street.. it always looked spooky.. now someone’s started playing( loudly I must add!!!) the organ (or at least it sounds like an organ)at night. I half expect bats to fly out !!!! And tonight getting back home I saw two Men in Black type people walk into that building…Hey don’t get me wrong I’m all for the Adams’ family staying next door…will definitely add some more excitement to our “quiet” neighborhood!!!??!!
Friday, March 24, 2006
Uni Life....
Thanks to Niharika for the forward….reminds me of Welly and applies to Alabama as well…gosh eight years in college…… I’ve been postponing the real world for way too long…...
TOP 10 REASONS WHY UNIVERSITY IS LIKE PRESCHOOL...
10. You cry for your mother.
9. You cross the street without looking for cars.
8. Snack time is a necessity.
7.You bundle up for the outdoors without caring what you look like
because everyone else looks as stupid as you do.
6. You stay at home and play games with your friends.
5. You wear your backpack on both shoulders.
4. You wear big mittens.
3. Playing in the snow is a legitimate activity.
2. You take naps.
1. You look forward to cheese toasties. (I misss toasties..basically grilled cheese sandwiches)
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN AT UNI TOO LONG WHEN...
You actually like doing laundry at home where the washing machines
work.
Two miles is not too far to walk for a party.
You'd rather clean than study, esp. if an essay's due.
"Oh crap- how did it get so late" comes out of ur mouth at least
once a nite!
Home cooking becomes something u desire, not avoid.
U plan your classes around sleep habits & soap operas,
You know the take out guy by name and don't even need to read the
menu
You go to sleep when it's light and get up when it's dark.
You live for getting post.
Looking out the window is a form of entertainment.
Prank phone calls become funny again.
You start thinking and sounding like your friends and your accent
becomes a hybrid 0f their accents
Highlighters are the coolest things on earth.
Rearranging your room is your favorite pastime.
Rubbish cheap shops are so cool.
The weekend lasts from Monday to Thursday
TOP 10 REASONS WHY UNIVERSITY IS LIKE PRESCHOOL...
10. You cry for your mother.
9. You cross the street without looking for cars.
8. Snack time is a necessity.
7.You bundle up for the outdoors without caring what you look like
because everyone else looks as stupid as you do.
6. You stay at home and play games with your friends.
5. You wear your backpack on both shoulders.
4. You wear big mittens.
3. Playing in the snow is a legitimate activity.
2. You take naps.
1. You look forward to cheese toasties. (I misss toasties..basically grilled cheese sandwiches)
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN AT UNI TOO LONG WHEN...
You actually like doing laundry at home where the washing machines
work.
Two miles is not too far to walk for a party.
You'd rather clean than study, esp. if an essay's due.
"Oh crap- how did it get so late" comes out of ur mouth at least
once a nite!
Home cooking becomes something u desire, not avoid.
U plan your classes around sleep habits & soap operas,
You know the take out guy by name and don't even need to read the
menu
You go to sleep when it's light and get up when it's dark.
You live for getting post.
Looking out the window is a form of entertainment.
Prank phone calls become funny again.
You start thinking and sounding like your friends and your accent
becomes a hybrid 0f their accents
Highlighters are the coolest things on earth.
Rearranging your room is your favorite pastime.
Rubbish cheap shops are so cool.
The weekend lasts from Monday to Thursday
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Sweet Home Alabama Part 2
Alabama Facts and Trivia
1. Alabama introduced the Mardi Gras to the western world. The celebration is held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
2. Alabama was the first state to make Christmas an official holiday in 1836…
3. Alabama workers built the first rocket to put humans on the moon (after coming to the states I’ve heard a couple of conspiracy theories about this ..you know who you are!!! But whatever).
4. The pecan is the Alabama's official nut. ( I love Pecans, wish I could eat Pecan Pie more often!!).
5. Many scenes from Forrest Gump where shot at the University of Alabama. Tom Hanks’ character studies here. And that famous run across the Football field takes place in T town’s Bryant Denny Football stadium .
6. The University of Alabama also is home of the Crimson Tide, 12-time national football champions
7. The Birmingham Airport opened in 1931. At the time of the opening a Birmingham to Los Angeles flight took 19 hours.( Isn’ t much better now bro.. took me 24 hours to reach Birmingham from LA, thanks to Delta canceling my flight, and delays.. and this after a 24 hour journey across the Pacific ,needless to say I was pretty frazzled when I reached Tuscaloosa slept for 2 days straight after that I think.. the people who I stayed with thought that was a bit strange( you know who you are !!!) .FYI the flight from LA to Birmingham takes around 5 to 5 and a half hours I think).
8. Courtney Cox- Arquette (Monica from FRIENDS is from Birmingham,Alabama… you didn’t know that did you ???). Other famous Alabamians, Nat King Cole, Helen Keller, Lionel Ritchie!!! The Temptations and Condoleeza Rice .
9. Harper Lee the author of Too Kill a Mockingbird is from Alabama , and is an Alumnus of The University of Alabama.
10. Vivian Malone and James Hood both registered for classes in 1963 to become the University of Alabama's first two black students. This was the final battle to end racial segregation in American higher education. President Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, personally negotiated what was to happen in Tuscaloosa that summer, after Gov. George Wallace blocked the doorway to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama ,symbolically trying to prevent the African American students from entering ( not highly encouraging huh, yeah I learnt all this after I came here because in school they know of their disgraceful history and have spent 40 years to make up for it.. good job too !!!).
11. In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus and sparks the Montgomery bus boycott which brought Dr. Martin Luther King to leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.
Compiled from the internet…………
1. Alabama introduced the Mardi Gras to the western world. The celebration is held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
2. Alabama was the first state to make Christmas an official holiday in 1836…
3. Alabama workers built the first rocket to put humans on the moon (after coming to the states I’ve heard a couple of conspiracy theories about this ..you know who you are!!! But whatever).
4. The pecan is the Alabama's official nut. ( I love Pecans, wish I could eat Pecan Pie more often!!).
5. Many scenes from Forrest Gump where shot at the University of Alabama. Tom Hanks’ character studies here. And that famous run across the Football field takes place in T town’s Bryant Denny Football stadium .
6. The University of Alabama also is home of the Crimson Tide, 12-time national football champions
7. The Birmingham Airport opened in 1931. At the time of the opening a Birmingham to Los Angeles flight took 19 hours.( Isn’ t much better now bro.. took me 24 hours to reach Birmingham from LA, thanks to Delta canceling my flight, and delays.. and this after a 24 hour journey across the Pacific ,needless to say I was pretty frazzled when I reached Tuscaloosa slept for 2 days straight after that I think.. the people who I stayed with thought that was a bit strange( you know who you are !!!) .FYI the flight from LA to Birmingham takes around 5 to 5 and a half hours I think).
8. Courtney Cox- Arquette (Monica from FRIENDS is from Birmingham,Alabama… you didn’t know that did you ???). Other famous Alabamians, Nat King Cole, Helen Keller, Lionel Ritchie!!! The Temptations and Condoleeza Rice .
9. Harper Lee the author of Too Kill a Mockingbird is from Alabama , and is an Alumnus of The University of Alabama.
10. Vivian Malone and James Hood both registered for classes in 1963 to become the University of Alabama's first two black students. This was the final battle to end racial segregation in American higher education. President Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, personally negotiated what was to happen in Tuscaloosa that summer, after Gov. George Wallace blocked the doorway to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama ,symbolically trying to prevent the African American students from entering ( not highly encouraging huh, yeah I learnt all this after I came here because in school they know of their disgraceful history and have spent 40 years to make up for it.. good job too !!!).
11. In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus and sparks the Montgomery bus boycott which brought Dr. Martin Luther King to leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.
Compiled from the internet…………