US wants social media details for visa applications!

This is the only thing that could draw me back to my blog I guess :)))

Boss has been on my case to go to the US for at least half a year now. In fact one of my ex-managers and I had a bet on how much longer I can put off that trip to the mother-ship when I told him that I had never returned to the US after I moved back home for good. I "tried" opening a DS-160 in April, that is to say, I made a half-hearted attempt, filled my name and date of birth and then saw all the details they needed and just closed the application after saving the number. They want to know all details from my F-1 visa to the Green Card I abandoned, all the countries I have been to in the last five years etc etc etc. And NOW they also want this? I feel maybe getting a diplomatic passport or even investing a million dollars and getting a green card instead is a much easier option than applying for a visa :D And worse, this is when I don't even want to go :( 






It has been 14 odd years since I stood in a US consulate line and I am so NOT looking forward to it...

The BIG ten!

So, it has been ten years since we moved back to India! Time flies!!

Life has never been more content - all those little inconveniences notwithstanding. In fact someone was asking when we recently visited Hyd, about whether we have plans to immigrate and settle abroad. I said we were abroad and we moved back, and were particular about not having kids in the US, and they found that strange :)

As always, I hope fervently that the kids grow up to love India like we do!

There is only one motherland, there is just one India.

And even today, when I sing the national anthem, my eyes well up.

Every. Single. Time.

Jaya He!

Thirteen and going..

Today I finished 13 years @ my corporate Alma Mater - when I joined, I knew it was a long-term relationship so no surprises there!

I nearly forgot the day though. Pathetic! It also means, it's been ten years at the job in India - when we were moving back I was mighty nervous how it would be since I had never worked in India ever before. Boy! Did that turn out well. Of course I learnt a lot of lessons the hard way, and 9 out of the 10 years here have been in a people manager role so there were a lot of nice stories along the path too!

Here is to many more :)