Casual Indian Camper

We recently went to the Yosemite national Park in California. I made a list of stuff that we needed on the trip and they came in quite handy. Subhash said it might be useful to people if I posted it on my blog. Most of the items, we needed. We thought about two or three things that might also be good to have. Besides, we stayed at this lodge where they had an arrangement called Custom Camping. Which basically meant, we didn't have to do anything in terms of tent and setting up equipment. They neatly laid out a tent for us with airbeds inside and sleeping bags and toiletteries. yes, my colleagues at work made ample fun of me and asked me why I didn't just stay at a hotel instead. But people, I was looking for a cabin, but got a tent instead. So anyway, here goes my list:

CAMPING TBD
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I Personal Items
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1)Toiletteries
2)Towels
3)Hand Towels
4)Paper Towels
5)bath tissues (in case we don't find them in restrooms there)
6)Camping clothes and shoes
7)Surplus pairs of socks (very essential, if cold when sleeping)


II FOOD
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1)Bread - 2 types
2)Jam
3)Cheese/Butter
4)Mashed Potatoes
5)Sour Cream
6)Cereal - packet and bars
7)Milk
8)Buttermilk (in bottle, the tetra pak doesn't work well for camping)
9)Pickles
10)Preservable dish
11)Tortillas
12)Milkshakes - take some bottles
13)Slim Fast, Complan, Instant Coffee
14)Noodles packets -Maggi/Cup'o'noodles
15)Plum Cake ;)
16)Eggs?
17)Salt, Pepper shakers
18)Ketchups/Sauce
19)Muffins
20)Tomatoes/Onions -For sandwiches
21)Mint Chutney
22)MTR/Priya Ready-to-Eat packets


III SNACKS
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1)Chips - two to three big bags of different flavors
2)Gum
3)Sodas
4)Indian snacks - Some packaged types
5)Marshmallows


IV WATER
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1)Buy some gallon container?
2)ICE - Buy at Walmart before leaving
3)ICE BOX
4)ICE --VERY VERY IMPORTANT


V BEDDING
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1)Some sheets - as extras/to use as picnic sheets
2)Sleeping bag just as an extra
3)Small chairs
4)Comforters


VI GEAR
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1)Backpacks - Our laptop bags should do - 2 nos.
2)Torchlights
3)First Aid Kit -Pack some medicines at home, no need to buy
4)Camera/Handycam
5)Umbrellas
6)Batteries - Both for torch and cameras etc, take all sizes you use.
7)Knife, can opener, scissors, egg slicer
8)Paper cutlery
9)Dish soap
10)Ziplocs
11)Plastic Bags (For trash, carrying food etc)
12)Matches
13)Mobile charger (we used the mobile as camera so even though there was no signal we kept the phone on)
14)Pan to heat water in.
15)Plastic Glad Boxes - to eat and serve in - one for each person.
16)Ladles - 2 nos at least



VII ENTERTAINMENT
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1)iPods
2)Games -Pack of cards, CLUE, PICTIONARY


VIII MONEY
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1)Cash
2)Quarter Roll

We had a good time at Yosemite. It was very beautiful though a little cold still. The best part was where we went horse-riding:) I looked like Shikari Shambu (from TINKLE) ;)

How do I protect my kids?!

The other day Subhash and I were watching some Indian music videos on Sify's channels. Boy! What ARE they trying to send across. This video was called Lady Bichua, and it was the most attrocious video I have seen to date. I am playing safe and saying its one of the most attrocious videos I have seen as I don't know how many more are out there. But this video made me twitch in nausea seriously. The obscenity totally lacked any sensual touch, the profanity was uncalled for and the promiscuous behaviour totally perpetrating the lesson of cheating on your partner! Why in God's name do they make videos like this I know not! Entertaining the audience is the last thing it did. Sensuous was the last thing it was. Nauseating IS the word for it. I guess the only people who would be affected by this would be pre-teen kids and in all the wrong ways!

Ahem! for Indian music videos and the way they are going! And god bless my to-be kids! I know not how I will protect them from all these media assaults:((

What a drive!!

One of my colleagues forwarded this email on one of our mailing lists. This guy has to have SOME DRIVE to drive all the way;)

Cisco engineer gets prize for longest commute
http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060412/1271956.html?.v=1

Mariposa resident Dave Given makes a 186-mile drive -- each way -- five days a week to his job in San Jose.

The electrical engineer has been doing that commute since 1989, spending seven hours every day getting to and from work at Cisco Systems Inc.

>>>>>>>>>

Original Article on Yahoo

Cisco engineer gets prize for longest commute
Wednesday April 12, 1:36 pm ET Mariposa resident Dave Given makes a 186-mile drive -- each way -- five days a week to his job in San Jose.The electrical engineer has been doing that commute since 1989, spending seven hours every day getting to and from work at Cisco Systems Inc.

Given is the "ultimate road warrior," according to Midas Inc. (NYSE:MDS - News) and drove home with its first-place prize in the nationwide search for "America's Longest Commute." Givens out-drove thousands of other entrants to take home $10,000 in gas money and a range of maintenance services and products.

"I have a great job and my family loves the ranch where we live," Givens said. "So this is the only solution."

On his long trek he said he listens to the radio, keeps his eyes on the road and drinks "a lot of coffee."

Published April 12, 2006 by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal