Aug 2005 – Sept 2006

The most

1. I saw the most no of english & foreign movies [french, spanish, italian, israeli] in the last one year compared to the movies seen in the rest of my life put together. Same goes for television series
2. I thought and thought. I probably did the most amount of constructive thinking and retrospection in the last 1 yr
3. I spent the maximum amount of money out of my pocket in the last one year – tickets to US in aug 2005, laptop in sept 2005, travel to Europe & back in aug 2006, round trip tickets to India and back
4. I gained 15 kgs (~33 pounds) of weight.
5. I missed Indian food the most in the last one yr. Also home & Diwali.
6. I cooked more than ever
7. I ate the most amount of junk food, skipping breakfast
8. Some would probably say I am very independent now, I paid an electricity bill for the first time myself last year. By mailing a check :P

The least

1. Watched the least no. of hindi movies compared to the no. every other year
2. Least amount of physical labour. No laundry, no sweeping, mopping. That explains point 4 above. way too sedentary

Achievements

1. I quit Microsoft and rejoined Microsoft as an intern last summer
2. I joined IU
3. I got a drivers license last summer
4. I cook non-veg. Chicken & pork. Tried fish & prawns once and may be the last time for a while.
5. I ate seafood. Shrimps, mussels, clams & crabs cooked in sauce. An year ago, if somebody told my future as me wearing an apron to eat steamed seafood in its shell using tools, I would have never believed it.

Realizations

1. I should have learnt Haskell or scheme as my first programming language
2. I work great as long as I stay excited. The excitement rarely lingers
3. I have a long initial warm up time. It took me 2.5 semesters in undergrad and 1^st semester in grad school.
4. I never wanted a million dollars before. In other words, I started wanting to be a millionaire starting last year.
5. I had the best summer. Seattle was great, made some new friends, kept all the old ones.
6. I feel more mature & cynical. I also get occasional pangs of “what is left in life to do”, I called it enlightenment once but Anil pointed that then in the same breath I wouldn’t crib about how life in most parts of US is built around the assumption that you have a car. Oh well, I am growing old.
7. Life in Bloomington is a lot fun-ner with a vehicle. Bike can get me to places foot won’t, but cannot get me to several places. I need a car.
8. I need to see a lot of the US – Manhattan, other parts of NY, museums of DC, the Niagra  falls(sounds so absolutely desi, J), at least I have photos at universal studios & Disney world to add to my desi profile ;)
9. I know more about the world, I understand that I don’t understand American politics very well yet. I don’t particularly want to either.
10. I always believed in multiverse, now I hope that I would either be able to go into outer space or have an alien encounter in this lifetime. No, I don’t want to do anything in this direction to make it happen. Its one of those things you just want to happen somehow. Wishful thinking huh.

Things I hope to say next year

1. I go to the gym
2. I am back into sports – play something regularly – Frisbee, squash, badminton – something
3. I am eating healthier food
4. I am thinking about getting married
5. I blog
6. Travel in India (I want to go back and see Rajasthan)
7. I have the digital photo frame among other gadgets
8. I am enjoying work
9. I have a car
10. I tried sushi [read as sashimi]

[Update: Added links to seafood]