Greenfields Resort, Avadi

Recently we had a chance to go to Greenfields resort situated at around 3 kms from Avadi. It has got an excellent Swimming pool well maintained by the resort. Anish loves swimming and we had a chance to drench out from the hot sunny weather of Chennai. They also have a good Chinese restaurant in the resort and a good way to appetize after a good work out of swimming. Definitely a place to be during the weekends. Whether it’s a stay over the weekend or simply an evening filled with activities, Greenfields has options for all.   

Thirumala Tirupati Worship

Recently we had a chance to go to Tirumala with the family located in Sapthagiri hills to worship Lord Venkateswara. It’s always been so special to visit this temple especially by driving a car in the hair pin bends with climbing up/down the mountain. After nearly a decade, I tonsured my head along with Appa and Anish and we all had a nice Darshan. The laddus from this temple is known for its quality and awesome tastiness. The temple is located on the seventh peak of the Tirupati Hills and is also known as the ‘Temple of Seven Hills’ and is one of the famous and richest temple in India. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Anish real 1st Birthday - Leap year kid :)

Anish celebrated his first actual birthday on 29 Feb 2016 even though he is four years old since he happens to be a leap year kid. Time really flies away and it happened like yesterday that I cut the umbilical cord and hold him with both my hands. Taking in to consideration of the tough pregnancy Anita had, I am so glad that Anish is healthy, happy baby now and wishing him the best in the years to come. Thanks to German medical and insurance system which gave us the biggest gift of our life. He is presently enjoying his Upper Kinder Garden (UKG) in Chennai. Anish will be exactly 20 years old if he virtually completes 80 years old :) God Bless Him. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S 

European Endeavors -> American Adventures -> Sub Continent Flavours

Recently we moved as a family from NJ, USA to Chennai, India since my mom passed away, dad being alone and as a single son without brothers and sisters and I felt it’s high time we need to be with my dad for some time. Eventually I have renamed my blog to Sub Continent Flavors from American Adventures and previously it was European Endeavors. I am glad that I am returning to my city Chennai where I was born, grew up and lived for first 23 years of my life. It would have been so nice if my mom would have been there but unfortunately life doesn’t go as one expects. Looking forward to my second innings in my favorite home town and great south Indian city Chennai. I would like to continue my writing documenting the experiences which I have been doing it for the last 10+ years.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

San Francisco, California

After exploring Canyons, Vegas and the Disney’s we finally arrived at San Jose in Bay area to meet my school friend Saravanan and his family. It was so nostalgic to meet Sarvan after nearly 10.5 years and time really flies away. Sarvan had a daughter Sasha who is also of the same age like Anish and they both had a great time together. Golden gate bridge was always a picturesque scenic post which hangs in most of our houses during our childhood days and it was always my dream to explore this wonder one day and finally the dream came true. It is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait covering around 4.8 kms between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. 

It is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. After exploring the Golden gate bridge we had a chance to go to Palace of Fine Arts which was very impressive and indeed a beautiful place. 

Next day we went to Mystery Spot which is a visual illusion based tourist attraction near Santa Cruz in California. The illusion experienced by visitors results from the oddly tilted environment as well as standing on a tilted floor. Inside the tilted room of the Mystery Spot, misperceptions of the height and orientation of objects occur. Then we went to Santa Cruz beach and Anish enjoyed playing in the beach sand and he built the sand castles with his mommy. It’s a nice beach to hang out on a sunny day. Thanks to Sarvan, his wife Anusha and his daughter Sasha who gave a great company for us, their hospitality and helped us to explore the great city of San Francisco and it was indeed a trip to remember in our lives. 

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Disneyland, California

Walt Disney World Resort, known as Walt Disney World or Disney World is an entertainment complex in Anaheim in California. Initially I had the plan of taking the scenic route of highway one between Los Angeles and San Francisco but many recommended to go to Disney Land skipping the scenic route mainly for Anish. I must say one day was not sufficient to explore Disney. There are two theme parks: Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park and if you are the first timer and with time constraints, I would recommend to go to Disneyland park.

This iconic amusement park features around 8 themed lands with rides, shows and costumed characters and it requires minimum four days to five days to explore the whole of this great adventure park. Fireworks at around 8 o clock were definitely worth experiencing. Anish enjoyed most of the rides and it was certainly a day to remember. Thanks to my friend Krishna who accommodated us in his house for couple of nights and we had a great time with Krishna and his wife Jyotsna.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Las Vegas, USA

Las Vegas often known as simply Vegas is a city in United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial, commercial and cultural center for Southern Nevada. The city bills itself as ‘The Entertainment Capital of the World’ and is famous for its mega casino hotels and associated entertainment. 

It's located in Mojave Desert and the temperatures were soaring high even in March. Most casinos in the downtown area are located on the Fremont Street Experience and Las Vegas Strip. Honestly Las Vegas didn’t impress me a lot probably because I went with my family and thank god we just stayed only for a night in Plaza Hotel. Vegas is OK for one time and didn’t live up to my expectations. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River on the border between the states of Nevada and Arizona. Its construction was the result of massive effort involving thousands of workers and cost over hundreds of lives. It’s on the way from Grand Canyon to Las Vegas and very close to Las Vegas around 30 miles. 

The gigantic bridge connecting the two states of Nevada and Arizona is really breath taking and gives the panoramic view of the Colorado river. It was really hot even during the month of March and just can’t imagine how it will be during the peak summer. Definitely worth watching if you are on the way to Las Vegas. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

Grand Canyon is a steep sided canyon carved by the Colorado river in the state of Arizona in United States. We landed in Phoenix, AZ from NJ and stayed in our friend’s place for a night and we drove to south rim of the canyon. The south rim is open all year round weather permitting. The north Rim is generally open mid-May to mid-October. 

It was my childhood dream to visit the Canyons and we had a great time exploring it and the weather stayed fine all throughout the day. Thanks to Rajesh and his family for accommodating us for a night in Phoenix and celebrating Anish 4th birthday – the first real birthday since he happens to be a leap year kid. If you are in West Coast, Grand Canyon is a must see place. After exploring the Canyons, we stayed in Flagstaff for a night. There are lots of activities which can be done in Grand Canyon like rafting, hiking, museums, camping etc. There is also helicopter ride from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon which has some breath taking views. All in all it was a day to remember.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Christmas Holidays Minnesota

 Recently we had a chance to celebrate our Christmas and New Year vacation with our in laws in Eagan, Minnesota. Anita’s sister in law Kanmani was working there, her parents were already there and her brother came from India for vacation for two weeks and it was a perfect family get together for Christmas which we never imagined before some months. It was very cold out there and relatively huge amount of snowstorm when compared to NJ. We got a chance to make snow man in the biting cold and Anish simply loved it. The baby showering festival for Kanmani took place very grandly and we all had a great time with delicious sweets, snacks and breakfast.

We celebrated our new year’s eve in Mall of America which happens to be the biggest mall in America. Another notable thing in Minneapolis is the Sky Walk which connects the different buildings and it’s highly beneficial during biting winters. We had a chance to visit many temples (Hindu Temple of Minnesota in Maple Grove, Sri Venkateswara Hindu Temple) nearby. We had a nice get together with Kanmani’s colleagues and it was awesome Biryani prepared by Brutto. Copper Pot Indian Grill is a decent Indian restaurant in the downtown of Minnesota and Genghis Grill, the Mongolian BBQ grill – build your own stir fry was a fascinating experience as well. All in all it was a nice Christmas break to spend time with family, friends and relatives to gear up for the next year.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Company's Christmas Party 2015

Recently we had a chance to celebrate our Company's annual Christmas party with  our family members in the New York cruise which departed from Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. The lively dinner party atmosphere of the cruise made a lasting impression among us. The majestic New York City skyline could be watched from the dining table and many had a chance to head out to open-air observation deck to get the panoramic view of New York City. There were some incredible sights throughout the cruise including Freedom Tower, Statue of Liberty and iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Music was provided throughout the evening by onboard DJ which encouraged our colleagues to kick up their heels on the dance floor. It was a great evening which made everyone to celebrate the year’s hard work in a festive way.  

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Mom.. Rest in Peace... :(

On October 2nd at around 4 o clock in the morning, I got a call from India… the call which I was fearing to get one day over the years … ‘Mom is no more’.  I had a birthday wish from her on Sep 30th, had a usual talk in phone on Oct 1st and never even expected that I will hear the most tragic news of my life on October 2nd.  We could reach on time and I could perform the last rites to my mom which I was very much worried about being miles and oceans away.

2015 has been very turbulent year for the family, she was in death beds in the beginning of January, recovered very well in Feb, March and she could stay with me in US for three months and spent two months in India before she passed away. Initially she suffered with Arthritis which blocked her movement totally outside and confined to just four walls of the house and later we figured out she has cardiac complications. The main reason for her health deterioration is mainly because of my absence at home for the past 10 years. Being the only son and no brothers and sisters made it even harder for her after the retirement and her constant wish of me returning back to India never happened at all made it even more worse.

I can undoubtedly say I failed miserably in my duties as a son to take care of her. I was just chasing for money, career, education and all materialistic worldly stuff but never gave the happiness by staying with her even during her death bed situation. I promised her that I will return back after my studies, then said will come back after work experience in abroad, then said will get married and spend some time with my wife in abroad, then said will have my son spend some time in abroad and she referred saying ‘Yes, you will definitely come back when I am in coffin’ and that’s what finally happened.

I very well remember that she was crying in 2005 in airport when I first left home for higher studies and 2015 I was crying in the airport that she is no more. After 10 years, I couldn’t still figure out whether it’s a curse or a blessing that I left my home and searched for fortunes in abroad. I know every expat had to deal with this situation with their beloved ones far away and in my case it was even more since I had no siblings at all. Hats off to my dad who dealt these difficult and turbulent times and completely took care of my mom in all aspects. Had it not been his efforts, I couldn’t have managed to study, work and continued my dreams abroad. In all these situations, not even one time, dad expected me or asked me to come to India to support them and he fought the battle on his own.

There is always one mom in life for everybody and one person who always want the best and right thing for her son/daughter and when I realize that person is not anymore with me hits really hard. Elders in older age can be very demanding, dependent on others but the moment you realize they are not with you anymore can be very challenging and depressive to accept it. Whatever little time we could spend with them in spite of our busy schedule in life are the defining moments and memories to look for when they are no more. Thanks to god who gave the last chance for me to spend time her for three months before she passed away.

I take this opportunity to thank all my friends and relatives who were part of my difficult times. Special thanks to my brother in law: Sriram who took all the responsibilities replacing me as a son and made sure I could see mom’s face one last time before we perform the final rites and rituals. She didn’t want to trouble me in any means, she came to US, went back and then left us. Had she passed away in US, I couldn’t have imagined the efforts to bring her back to India. She died in the place where she belonged to and she died on Oct 2nd which happened to be Mahatma Gandhi's birthday and death anniversary of great South Indian leader Kamaraj. She donated her eyes in the eye bank so those people who don’t have the eyes can get a chance to see the world as her last wish. The guilt of not taking care of her will linger in my life forever and I hope time is the best heal to come out of it. Let her soul rest in peace.

The article which I wrote about Mom's love before 9 years...  Mom's Love

Sathish Kumar S

Ganesh Temple, Flushing, NY

We had a chance to go to Ganesh temple in Flushing, Queens in New York city, was very first of the traditional Hindu temples in USA. While there are so many Hindu temples in New York city, this temple continues to be among the most prominent of them. The temple is constructed using granite and the rituals follow the South Indian tradition. The gopuram, the architecture, the interior decoration is definitely the master piece. My mom felt so happy when she had a chance to circle the Nava graham after really long time. The temple has a Canteen in the basement which one shouldn’t miss out. Definitely a temple to visit during Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Spruce Run, NJ

Recently we had a chance to celebrate Siva Anna’s birthday in Spruce Run recreation Area which is about 45 minutes’ drive from our place. It was bit chilly in the beginning and later sunny as the day progressed. New Jersey has got lot of National Parks and recreation areas and Round Valley is a close one near to Spruce Run. We had pot luck and everybody cooked different varieties of food and it was a feast in the end. We finally cut the cakes for Siva Anna and the kids had a nice time playing in the sand near the beach. Thanks to Siva Anna’s family, Sivaraj Anna’s family and Arun’s family which made our stay in US very memorable and joyful.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Recently we had a chance to explore Shenandoah region in the state of Virginia for the long Labor Day weekend. It was about 5 hours’ drive from our house to Shenandoah Caverns which is definitely must in that area. It has a mile long guided tour which shows the various facets of the Cave and the illumination with colorful lights adds glamour to it. The temperature inside the Caverns remains 54 F throughout the year. We had a chance to have our lunch at Texas Road House and I must say it was a great ambience and good food to dine out near the highway exits. Thanks to Torsten who motivated me to visit this place when he visited the same last year.

Next day we had a chance to explore Skyline drive of around 65 miles in Shenandoah national park which was simply breathtaking. There are four entrances to this national park: Front Royal, Thornton Gap, Swift Run, and Rockfish Gap. We did the drive from Swift Run to Front Royal on a nice sunny day. The panoramic view of the chain of mountains from the Skyline drive was phenomenal and awesome. There are so many parking spots in the skyline drive where one could get a clear view and can take photographs.   We had our lunch in Mexican Restaurant and I must say Mexican Cuisine has lot of varieties and bit similar to Indian one. All in all, it was a weekend to remember.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Crystal Golf Resort, Hamburg, NJ

Recently we had our team outing in Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ not the Hamburg in Northern Germany but in NJ. Most of the cities in North America have the names from Europe and got to show the amount of European settlements in North America. We had a cooking competition in the morning, split in to four teams and every team should make an appetizer, main course which will be tasted by the Chef and will decide the winning team at the end. The allotted time for cooking is 45 minutes. We had an international team with team members from India, Russia, Germany, Taiwan and Ecuador.

My colleague Sergej said in the brainstorming session that even if we lose never mind but let’s try something innovative. We decided to cook Go Cheese with Strawberry sauce with it. In addition to that we made Chicken, Shrimps and mushroom. It was so much fun wearing Chef Aprons, cooking gloves and it’s a perfect team building exercise. The results were based on the tastiness of the food, cleanliness, team work and presentation of the food. In the end our team emerged as winners and we were presented with a bottle of wine from California and 100$ gift card from Chinese restaurant. I think Go Cheese with Strawberry sauce did the trick for us.

Followed by this cooking competition was a nice buffet and we chilled around in the golf playing area for some time. Then comes an interesting sport ‘Soccer Golf’: hitting the ball with the leg but placing the Soccer ball inside the big Golf hole. We never noted down the points and we just played for fun by placing the ball inside the hole. The weather stayed absolutely fine and it was a perfect day for Soccer cum Golf. It was so much fun to drive the Golf cart between the flag sticks holes and drinking beer in between. All in all it was a day to remember and thanks to Werum for sponsoring such a team building event.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S