Ever since I've joined this holiday sales job, I've been acutely bitten by the gift buying bug. Maybe it is due to seeing people spend so much on gifts. They're getting stuff for their husbands, wives, granddaughters, grandsons, girlfriends, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers. Often they're buying for the home. Things like electrical appliances, kitchen tools, home furnishings, Santa paraphernalia...
There is so much stuff out there, it is mind boggling. Large department stores are slush with things that are mountain high. I'm not used to seeing so much stuff in the shops and stores earlier as I see here now. There is a wide variety and choice of goods, and dazzling displays aimed at attracting customers. On top of that, due to the slow economy, stores are also encouraging people to buy with heavy and sometimes multiple discounts.
The war of attracting customers by slashing prices and projecting higher discounts in the media is for everyone to see and make a note of. Mails and flyers arrive on the post, with coupons attached, which can be used on the dats/periods printed. So what could people do in such a scenario.
Due to the holiday season, they are obliged to look for gifts. It is not merely obligation, but also a willingness to share love through gifts. Christmas is the most significant festival for many people in the Western worl, for which people wait the whole year. With the approaching of year end, the planning and anticipation starts. It rises on the graph as December progresses, and by the third week of the month, it is at its crescendo. There is a frenzy of buying and gift wrapping.
There have been ups and downs in the economy over the decades, but people do not completely ignore such important festivals. Even with the high unemployment, the overall problems that people are facing, the slashing of budget, the stock market losses of retired people, festivals such as Christmas are unerasable from the identity of a culture and community.
Whatever may be the rewards, the hardships, people buy gifts to that they could share their love and bond as family and friends all over again. To start another new year. Until that year ends and it is time to bond again with renewed enthusiasm and buying frenzy.
Showing posts with label Central Library of Santa Barbara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Central Library of Santa Barbara. Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Ah! The Rains after Sunshine
The drought in California is a known fact. The fire prone state has seen several major fires in its forests and populated areas last year. Early this year, we had to pack bags and run away from Santa Barbara to safer places. First to nearby Carpinteria where we spent one night. Afterwards, we sneaked closer to town, and passed two nights in a hotel closer to the watery ocean front, which, people said, would not be as much affected if the fire spread into the town.
So many houses had been gutted. The lovely green mountains had been scarred and left blackened by the devastation. A fear psychosis has become part of people who've lived here for long, now settled to the idea of the occasional fires as part of life.
If it was not for my neighbour this year in May, when I saw for the firt time a forest fire's flaming tongues from the window of hour building, I'd have had an entirely different experience to talk about. She was kind enough to wait for me until I picked up my luggage, although I did not get time to change my clothes, and escorted me through the traffic jam and the blackening clouds that had shrouded the skyline that day.
This is the same neighbour who has been picking me up from my holiday job. And today, when I had an early morning shift, she dropped me too, in the midst of heavy rain. And when she arrived to escort me home after work, in the pouring rain, I hadrly had any words to thank her for all her help.
In both fire and rain, this neighbour has been with me. On the earlier occasion, my Equal Half was at work. And when he wanted to come to pick me up, he was caught up in the traffic jam like thousands of others. And today, in the rain, he is in Dallas for some work. If it was not for my neighbour, I would have had enormous inconvenience in this weather. Carrying my jacket, my umbrella, my water bottle, my googles in its case, my purse. etc etc.
It is like having a messiah come from heaven. Or a Good Samaritan.
So many houses had been gutted. The lovely green mountains had been scarred and left blackened by the devastation. A fear psychosis has become part of people who've lived here for long, now settled to the idea of the occasional fires as part of life.
If it was not for my neighbour this year in May, when I saw for the firt time a forest fire's flaming tongues from the window of hour building, I'd have had an entirely different experience to talk about. She was kind enough to wait for me until I picked up my luggage, although I did not get time to change my clothes, and escorted me through the traffic jam and the blackening clouds that had shrouded the skyline that day.
This is the same neighbour who has been picking me up from my holiday job. And today, when I had an early morning shift, she dropped me too, in the midst of heavy rain. And when she arrived to escort me home after work, in the pouring rain, I hadrly had any words to thank her for all her help.
In both fire and rain, this neighbour has been with me. On the earlier occasion, my Equal Half was at work. And when he wanted to come to pick me up, he was caught up in the traffic jam like thousands of others. And today, in the rain, he is in Dallas for some work. If it was not for my neighbour, I would have had enormous inconvenience in this weather. Carrying my jacket, my umbrella, my water bottle, my googles in its case, my purse. etc etc.
It is like having a messiah come from heaven. Or a Good Samaritan.
Monday, November 30, 2009
At the DMV office - California Driver's Test
Did I ever think I'd learn to drive a car? It's been a long time since I was born, a long time since I was a teenager. And now, when I am in the US, when driving a car has become a necessity, I am reading up the Driver's Handbook and writing tests and praticing driving on the road.
I got my Learner's Permit a year ago, in November 2008, at the first attempt at the written test. That itself was awesome, considering that I had never thought I'd ever drive a car in my life. I was handed the license. But what next? It took me many months to make time to go out and hold the steering wheel.
The first issue I was faced was the lack of large parking lots in Santa Barbara, unlike in big cities, to start the first stpes to using the steering. My Equal Half was too scared to set me out on the road right away, so I had to have a few hours at least, learning to turn the steering.
We found a moderately sized parking lot near out house, close to a park, where I practised for a few evenings. But one evening, we were shoo-ed away from there, as they wanted no one around that parking at night. If I was not to practise at night, there was no place to practise during the day, when almost all parking lots are filled with vehicles.
With no place to learn the first lessons, my practise stopped completely for a few months. Then, one day, my Equal Half and I were passing a school on a weekend, and noticed the vacant parking area of a nearby school. From then started my weekend practise sessions. Almost every Saturday and Sunday, I would make rounds of the area, on the road. That was where I learnt to make left turns and right turns, to reverse the car, to park, and to horn.
A few months on, graduated to main road. First, it was the smaller ones, then the others like Alamar and State Street. In September, I went on the highway for the first time on our way to our Sequoia National Park vacation. Since then, I've been consistently at it, gathering the 50 hours of practise and more.
And now, the big problem has confronted me. My Learner's Permit has ended, and I need to get another one, so that I could give my Behind the Wheel driver's test. One more written test to get a Learner's Permit? That's a lot. Wan't it just last year that I wrote one?
I got my Learner's Permit a year ago, in November 2008, at the first attempt at the written test. That itself was awesome, considering that I had never thought I'd ever drive a car in my life. I was handed the license. But what next? It took me many months to make time to go out and hold the steering wheel.
The first issue I was faced was the lack of large parking lots in Santa Barbara, unlike in big cities, to start the first stpes to using the steering. My Equal Half was too scared to set me out on the road right away, so I had to have a few hours at least, learning to turn the steering.
We found a moderately sized parking lot near out house, close to a park, where I practised for a few evenings. But one evening, we were shoo-ed away from there, as they wanted no one around that parking at night. If I was not to practise at night, there was no place to practise during the day, when almost all parking lots are filled with vehicles.
With no place to learn the first lessons, my practise stopped completely for a few months. Then, one day, my Equal Half and I were passing a school on a weekend, and noticed the vacant parking area of a nearby school. From then started my weekend practise sessions. Almost every Saturday and Sunday, I would make rounds of the area, on the road. That was where I learnt to make left turns and right turns, to reverse the car, to park, and to horn.
A few months on, graduated to main road. First, it was the smaller ones, then the others like Alamar and State Street. In September, I went on the highway for the first time on our way to our Sequoia National Park vacation. Since then, I've been consistently at it, gathering the 50 hours of practise and more.
And now, the big problem has confronted me. My Learner's Permit has ended, and I need to get another one, so that I could give my Behind the Wheel driver's test. One more written test to get a Learner's Permit? That's a lot. Wan't it just last year that I wrote one?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Cycling uphill wasn't Easy
As I had promised my husband, an hour after breakfast, I got ready with my bicycle. Today was my action day. Some working up of the leg muscles had to be urgently done.
The wind was cold and strong, and at first I wished I had my full jacket on, instead of the down filled vest. I breezed through the neighbourhood lanes, looking at the world with my goggles protected eyes. The world wasn't rose tinted but dark, as was the colour of my glasses.
I'd found this pair after lot of searching, on a shelf in Big 5, and I had stuck to it. It was the right one for the dryness of eyes that I had to reckon with. The goggles were silver rimmed, but large and covered the eyes complately, and much of the forehead. Very little air could reach the eyes when I cycled wearing it.
When I came across CVS on State Street, I was compelled to stop. For long I had made a list of things I needed to get from there. There was no designated cycle parking spot. For the first time in the US, I was parking my bicycle and securing it with a lock.
CVS took some of my time, and when I was done, I wanted to explore the road to the library. But I could have waited a few more days, a few more cycling episodes, to be practised enough for such an uphill road. The return journey taught me a sweated lesson, as I had to stop at several places to catch my breath and push the cycle uphill. With a cruiser bicycle, such slopes are difficult to surmount.
The wind was cold and strong, and at first I wished I had my full jacket on, instead of the down filled vest. I breezed through the neighbourhood lanes, looking at the world with my goggles protected eyes. The world wasn't rose tinted but dark, as was the colour of my glasses.
I'd found this pair after lot of searching, on a shelf in Big 5, and I had stuck to it. It was the right one for the dryness of eyes that I had to reckon with. The goggles were silver rimmed, but large and covered the eyes complately, and much of the forehead. Very little air could reach the eyes when I cycled wearing it.
When I came across CVS on State Street, I was compelled to stop. For long I had made a list of things I needed to get from there. There was no designated cycle parking spot. For the first time in the US, I was parking my bicycle and securing it with a lock.
CVS took some of my time, and when I was done, I wanted to explore the road to the library. But I could have waited a few more days, a few more cycling episodes, to be practised enough for such an uphill road. The return journey taught me a sweated lesson, as I had to stop at several places to catch my breath and push the cycle uphill. With a cruiser bicycle, such slopes are difficult to surmount.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday Morning Blues
It's Monday morning, and there's some blue in the air. It's chilly, looks like summer has come to an end early. Summer in Santa Barbara had been very short this time. It was difficult to figure out if there was any summer for any length of time at all, so soon it came, and then went away.
I've been trying to read books off and on, in between festivals and fiestas. The long line of summer celebrations seem to be unending. The number of programs taking place simultaneously during the recent Viva La Fiesta from August 5 to 9 was exhausting. At least three venues were packed with cultural programs, apart from the children's play and games sections and the food and drinks stalls.
Now that all that is behind us, the air would very naturally seem calmer, and hence, maybe, colder. So much gaiety has gone past. The frenzy was amazing, the drinking was ridiculous, the size of the crowd was incredible.
I've been trying to read books off and on, in between festivals and fiestas. The long line of summer celebrations seem to be unending. The number of programs taking place simultaneously during the recent Viva La Fiesta from August 5 to 9 was exhausting. At least three venues were packed with cultural programs, apart from the children's play and games sections and the food and drinks stalls.
Now that all that is behind us, the air would very naturally seem calmer, and hence, maybe, colder. So much gaiety has gone past. The frenzy was amazing, the drinking was ridiculous, the size of the crowd was incredible.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Libraries
The Central Library in Santa Barbara was the first place I went to the day after I arrived here. And I've never regretted that. In fact, one of the main reasons why I've become attached to this place is this library.
Over the months, I've seen new books come on the shelves, old ones being sold off at discount prices. I've seen innumerable events being organized in the three art galleries, and children's reading sessions, non-profit meetings, art competitions being held. I've been a participant and onlooker in many. And the experiences have been wide ranging.
The notice boards at the library are spots where one could gather information about the goings-on in the city, and the public magazine racks are the places where one could pick up something or the other that interests one.
The VCD and DVD/CD section is quite large, but the magazine and periodicals section is even better. I can get my favourite Artists Magazine from here, as I can get Saturday Evening Post, or anything I prefer.
And the reading rooms are welcoming. There are enough chairs to sit on, and tables if one required a flat surface to make notes.
The computer section is most of the time booked beforehand, and one has to wait to get one's slot. But that is ok. The service is commendable. And all this comes for free.
With so many books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, audio books, etc around, I think how different it is from countries that are less prosperous, that cannot provide such an extensive system and facilities to its citizens. I wish things were more equal in the world.
Over the months, I've seen new books come on the shelves, old ones being sold off at discount prices. I've seen innumerable events being organized in the three art galleries, and children's reading sessions, non-profit meetings, art competitions being held. I've been a participant and onlooker in many. And the experiences have been wide ranging.
The notice boards at the library are spots where one could gather information about the goings-on in the city, and the public magazine racks are the places where one could pick up something or the other that interests one.
The VCD and DVD/CD section is quite large, but the magazine and periodicals section is even better. I can get my favourite Artists Magazine from here, as I can get Saturday Evening Post, or anything I prefer.
And the reading rooms are welcoming. There are enough chairs to sit on, and tables if one required a flat surface to make notes.
The computer section is most of the time booked beforehand, and one has to wait to get one's slot. But that is ok. The service is commendable. And all this comes for free.
With so many books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, audio books, etc around, I think how different it is from countries that are less prosperous, that cannot provide such an extensive system and facilities to its citizens. I wish things were more equal in the world.
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