Thursday, August 28, 2008

In-laws

When I mentioned to my colleagues that my in-laws were going to spend the summer(a mere 3 months) with us..most of my lunch-table-diversity-club went..OMG..You poor thang!!Hmm..that was not a reaction you get when you talk about elders(be it in-laws or parents).Well the thing is..Americans are much more conscious about independence and freedom than credit card debt and savings.
We in India accept this as social norm and families are close knit with 3 generations living under one roof.Of course we do have the newer generation living across India on their own..but this might be due to better opportunities and not mandated by a dislike for family traditions.
Anyways we had a great time and the kids enjoyed the grandparents company.I think for the next generation a good dose of living with extended family is a lesson in sharing and connecting and living for more than just themselves.That's why we want to let the kids have their summer in India next year and hope they come back with much more than they left here with.

Yearly Goals

Unlike others I make up my goal for the year ,around April..Why?After spending 6 months in the cold I am ready to go waste some money and also that's the time my company passes me some Bonus moolah(woo hoo).This year my goal was to setup a true 5.1 channel Home theater.
Now speakers and receivers can cost from the low thousands to the upper tens of thousands.Obviously if budget and room size were not a limit(and If I were not married or had kids) this would have been an easier task..easier because there are literally 200+ speaker makers to choose from.And the worst part is you have to listen to the exact speakers IN your home before you can buy them!!!
What started as a goal has become an obsession,but at least I can fulfill my goal this year.AND I DID..This is awesome..Movies sounds like we are in a theater..Music is very satisfying(and I listen to a lot of those) from Alan Jackson to
Yuvan shankar Raja..
So what is my goal for next year..Save up..America is going belly up..and cash is King..We have cut down on all holiday shopping and birthday gifts(except for the kids)...Invest the savings for better times ,hopefully in 2 years..