How long does it take to bond?

The title of this post has been baffled me over and over again in the last few days, primarily because there have been times when I've lost trust in a friend even after knowing him / her for more than 3-4 years; while, on the other hand, there have been times when I put in my complete trust into a person the very first time we met each other. What is that element that decides the rate at which people bond. I do not know what it is, but it definitely gives you a strong and discerning feeling that "This is the person with whom you can share whatever you want.  His brain is wired just like yours." And you make the brave attempt to start the conversation and surprisingly it never ends. It has happened to me a few times in the past. But it was quite different this time.

The wonderful man named "Chris". I fall short of words when I think of describing him. Clicked at "Perkins"

It was Chris. The same fatherly and brotherly figure whom I had introduced in my previous post. As mentioned, I had met him on my flight to Pittsburgh. I became friends with a British born American even before I reached America. It felt incredible. On the flight I shared a few movies and played a few Rahman songs for Chris. He started admiring Indian culture and Indian music. We were in the midst of a rich conversation and soon we heard that the plane was supposed to land. :(

It took me almost a week and a half to set up the entire house and explore the marvelous city of Pittsburgh. But even while I was going around settling and getting adjusted to the new place, Chris constantly took efforts to send me emails and share new types of music. I could feel the extent to which he was connected with me. When my new phone arrived I made my first call to Chris and told him that I would be glad to join him at his residence in New Castle the coming weekend. Chris was overjoyed. He bought a cricket bat and a few balls. But even more, he carved out a few stumps with the wood that was available in his backyard. It was really very sweet of him to do that.

The Cricket Bat and Balls which waited for the Big Game

 Finally the D day arrived. Chris came to pick me up from Pittsburgh. On our way to New Castle I was talking to him, when suddenly, he pushed a button and I was amazed to hear "Yuhi Chala Chal Rahi" play in his car. I screamed out in excitement "Hey man! It can't get any better". We were tapping our feet, head banging and singing along.

Chris' Huge House

Me with the sweet lady "Phyllis"

When we finally reached his place I was amazed to find that his house was in the midst of woods. It seemed so pleasant, so serene. Phyllis, Chris' wife opened the door to welcome us. And I was blow away by the interiors. It was so warm and cozy inside. I was amazed to find a huge collection of soft toys that Phyllis had painstakingly collected.

Phyllis' collection of soft toys. Sweet!

The Beatles

 I was overjoyed to find pictures, DVDs, Books and t-shirts of  the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen all around the place. It was such a lovely home to live in. After some delicious breakfast the three of us went to Phyllis' parents,  for lunch I was honored to meet all the members of Phyllis' family. Phyllis showed me the room where she used to live and all those book and records which she had collected since her childhood. I was super excited when I saw a 1960s organ in their living room. It was an unbelievable experience.

George Harrison

During the rest of the day we played cricket at Phyllis's dad's, watched "Planes", "School of Rock" and "Rang de Basanti". I even tried my hand at the auto-gear, left hand drive in Chris' beautiful Honda Civic.  Not to forget those long hours of conversation.

Me and Chris after the game of Cricket. It was fun to play International Cricket ;)

At the theatre - watched my first movie, in the US, "Planes"

The Paul McCartney T-shirt that Chris and Phyllis gifted me.. I love it so much!

At the onset of dusk, Phyllis put pieces of bread outside the house for the timid Racoons that usually came out of the woods only during the night. It was a pleasure to see the turkeys, chipmunks, racoons, a possum and of course "Franklin". Franklin is a tiny little hamster who lives with Phyllis and Chris. I envy him.. He has an entire room dedicated to him and received more love and care than me.

Franklin, with a tiny Carrot in his hands

The next morning Chris took me to Perkins just before dropping me off in Pittsburgh. I enjoyed the "blue berry muffin" and "custom made omelet". On our way back to Pittsburgh, Chris played "Yuhi Chala Chal Rahi" again. I enjoyed the song, but somewhere it felt heavy the accept the fact that the day had passed by so soon. It was hardly 24 hours and just our second meeting and I was so attached those two wonderful people - Phyllis and Chris. It was hard to bid them before I left. They were so caring, so loving, so gentle that it almost brought tears to my eyes. It felt like God gave me a home and a family even while I was 10000 miles away from my own family. "Thank you God. May you shower all your blessings on the noble couple"

The Noble, Yet Humble, Couple

This is what Chris said about me on Facebook the next day. And I must tell you Chris, "I feel exactly the same"

"So happy that Adarshkumar was able to visit us on Sunday into Monday. You will not find a more caring, considerate and peaceful friend to be with. We were able to enjoy a quick game of cricket. lunch with the family, a first visit to a USA cinema, watching an evening movie and lots of great conversations...we even got in a quick visit to Perkins - Adarsh enjoyed a blueberry muffin......Adarsh is a credit to his family and his country and we are so happy and proud to call him our "Son" and I am equally proud and happy to call him my "Brother" (thank you to the Pavani family for sharing him with us) - seriously folks, when was the last time a friend said to you "I would like to sing a song for you" ? - thank you Adarsh for that wonderful and touching moment - we will cherish that forever as we do your presence here. We wish you love, blessings and peace for a great 2 years in Pittsburgh, USA"

A Warm Welcome by America

It all started on the day I left India to come to US for my Masters in Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. With a heavy heart I had to bid a goodbye to my family and friends. I was nervous about how I would manage to live in an entirely new country and with a completely different culture. While I had these thoughts running in my mind I happened to meet a great personality named "Chris Johnston". I learnt that Chris hailed from UK. We had a 9 hour long conversation on the flight about Mumbai, Indian Music, A. R. Rahman, Life in India,  Bollywood movies, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin etc. That was the shortest flight for both of us. We exchanged numbers, clicked pictures. We never realized when the plane took off and when it landed in Pittsburgh. I would speak more about Chris and about our friendship in my next post.

Chris clicked this picture of me in the flight from Paris to Pittsburgh

Me and Chris at Pittsburgh International Airport

As soon as we reached our housing we had some pizza and immediately left to take a look at one of the most prestigious Universities in the world :) ... The CMU campus basked under its own lights.

The passage way aside "Carnegie School of Drama"

It felt proud as I walked by the passageway aside the Carnegie School of Drama. I was blown away by the "Walk to the sky" structure that gave out a strong self explanatory message. Even the "Randy Pausch Bridge" was breathtakingly beautiful with its changing lights along the walls.

In the next few days I explored the area, bus routes, stores etc. I was surprised to not find any dust at all on the roads. I liked the way the traffic and crossings were organized. I was amazed to find that the vehicles used no horns, there was a 10 feet gap between 2 cars in case of a traffic and the drivers valued pedestrians a lot when they crossed roads. I enjoyed watching sports cars, Harley Davidson motorbikes, beautiful architecture and courteous people. The sun didn't set until it was 8:30 PM.  We were setting the house up with groceries and supplies. It felt great!

"Walk to the sky" at Carnegie Mellon University

A watch tower at Carnegie Mellon University

Main Campus Entrance of Carnegie Mellon University

A vintage car on my way to Craig Street, Pittsburgh

It has been almost 2 weeks since I landed in Pittsburgh and I didn't realize how time has passed by. I met a number of people during the orientation and during my visits to the main campus. It feels great to meet so many new people of diverse cultures in a reputed University like Carnegie Mellon. It has been fun to visit new places, to play football, to try my hand at pool, to click photographs, to celebrate Independence Day, to explore advanced technology and above all to  get accustomed to with new customs and traditions. People and quite gentle and courteous in their way of talking and their actions here. I love the way they say "Hi! How are you doing today," when you come to meet them OR "Thank you. Have a great day," when you take their leave. It makes me wonder why don't people from my country (India) be gentle and courteous. It doesn't take much to greet the person with a "Hi" OR wish them luck.

The traditional CMU fence painted in Tricolor during Indian Independence Day celebrartions

The mesmerizing, color-changing "Randy Pausch Bridge" during night time

While there are so many amazing things that I have been discovering throughout, I'm eagerly waiting  for my classes to begin. I haven't seen the Entertainment Technology Center yet. But, it's believed to be one of the most exciting places to go to. I should plan a visit in a  day or two.
For now, I must definitely say that America has given me an indeed "Warm Welcome".