Go Beach!

..time to take a brief pause from the last few hectic months. Hectic, but really enjoyable. I moved to Long Beach from Chennai last August to take up a position teaching and researching at Cal State Long Beach (also known as CSULB or Long Beach State). In the process, I am able to be closer to my wife (San Diego) and my sister's family (Los Angeles). Most of my school buddies, the ones who turn out to be irreplaceable, are also in the States. My folks are still in Chennai, living out their retirement.

California is traditionally called the "Golden state" - people here definitely seem pretty optimistic about achieving the American Dream, even higher than the 67% around the country who believe they can realize their dreams, even in these tough economic times. Hope springs eternal, and perhaps nowhere more than here. I'm no exception, except my definition does not involve a fancy house, car, etc. I cant afford that probably anyway:)..but a life of comfortably warm and sunny skies through most of the year, lots of great places to eat, good wine and golf courses is nothing to gripe about.

Teaching is pretty hectic and sort of chops your research into itsy bits of time that have to be utilized to the maximum. I'm also doing a lot more random reading around physics topics that describes historical pathways to existing inventions and famous discoveries.

Cant say i'm really introspective anymore, like I was when in India. Perhaps its a good sign:)