http://stephandranjit.org/blog Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:33:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Sunset in Oxford, 11 December 2008 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=558 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=558#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:33:14 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=558

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=558 0 New York, Nov 15 2008 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=538 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=538#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:36:41 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=538 Sometimes things come together serendipitously – such as the weekend of Nov 15, when we were able to combine a conference trip for me with a visit to New York the weekend of Rohit’s orientation for his new job.  And we were able to see Hero and Rishi too! It was a hectic weekend, but a good one.

Click below for photos from our Saturday in NYC.

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=538 1 NYC to Boston (via Westerly and Providence) http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=529 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=529#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:16:22 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=529 (Saturday in NYC post coming soon)

Sunday morning was a whirlwind of activity as we got ready to leave Flushing.  We were headed to two different airports – first, La Guardia to pick up our rental car, then JFK to drop off Rohit for his flight home.  We were headed to Boston for the second purpose of the trip – a conference for me on monday.  Surprisingly, though Ranjit used to live in New York and New Jersey, he had never driven north!  So this was new for both of us.

Highlights of the trip were a stop in Queens to see Hero and Rishi one more time; a visit to Westerly to see Nick, Aleida and Maya; and a whirlwind trip to Providence for takeaway and a brief tour.

Click on the photo below to see the slideshow!

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=529 0 Thor http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=525 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=525#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:36:53 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=525

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=525 0 Nov 4, 2008 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=522 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=522#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:45:21 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=522 ‘My’ polling place, just before the polls closed here in Ohio.  The people with the banner are supporting Issue 16, the funding levy to build a new high school (which passed on this, the third try).  New Zealanders, note the yard signs!!

Election Night

Election Night

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=522 0 Savannah, Nov 3 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=519 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=519#comments Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:18:51 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=519 On our last day in Savannah Ranjit had to work, while I took the last opportunity for some sightseeing in the morning before work and travel in the afternoon and evening.

I woke up early to take dawn pictures. It was a cloudy morning, very still, though activity had already started up at the dock. The sun was shining through the cloud to the east. View down to the courtyard by day The ferry cast off for its first trip across the river... (The gold-topped building is the City Hall.) ... and a big ship made an early morning arrival. The tugs were already hard at work. Two hours later, the cloud had given way to blue sky. (Yes, the ferry did go back and forth several times between these two sets of photos!) The swimming pool and snazzy boats by daylight. More boats, and people breakfasting by the lawn. Apparently they play croquet there in the afternoons... A view north, by day River St Ships - The two riverboats are the River Queen and Georgia Queen. At 10:30, I left Ranjit working and headed out for a last bit of sightseeing. This is the view east from the elevator lobby; you can see the development on the island associated with the hotel (particularly the golf course). My first stop was the Wormsloe plantation, famous for its 'tabby ruins' (tabby is concrete made with seashells) - but it was closed on Mondays. Still, the gate was interesting... ...and the live oaks along the driveway are incredible. Instead of Wormsloe, I took a drive around the 'Isle of Hope'. Marshes and docks from the bridge leading off the island on the other side. Live Oaks on the road to the 'marina' on the island. These houses are completely off the tourist trail, but just as grand as those in Savannah. The marina - right across the road from the big white house. After the island, I drove about 5 miles to Skidaway Island State Park. I opted for the Ferry Loop, which i would have to do in a hurry! The old ferry road - this used to be the island's main road when ferry was the only way to reach it. A freshwater slough on the island - the terrain is so low, but very fertile, as the rising and lowering water level brings nutrients. Tree Trunk Leading off the ferry road, the trail became narrower and more windy. This shell midden (like a village rubbish pile) dates from Native American use of the land - and centuries later the shells were used by settlers as a source of building material Skidaway Island and other sea islands were a key site for moonshine production - it was easy to sneak in on a boat. These barrels have slashes in, from a raid. Moonshine was produced here right up until the site became a state park! The sky is reflected in the still waters of the salt marsh. Yet another period of human history - the Civil War. Slaves were recruited to dig a long line of fortifications, across almost the whole of Georgia. Most were never used for fighting, though. After walking/running most of the trail (i didn't have much time before ranjit was expecting me for lunch!) I reached the lookout. Crabs scuttled below me as I clumped along the boardwalk. View across the marshes to the other islands Looking from the lookout back to the state park. The live oaks in Georgia remind me of Texas - but the salt-tolerant palmettos let me know i'm on the coast. After getting back to the hotel (15 minutes late - oops) we headed across to Savannah for an excellent lunch at the Harris Baking Company. Table decoration at the Harris Baking Company. Back at the hotel, the cloud had descended and Savannah was decidedly misty. The tugs were still chugging up and down, though... Ranjit's workstation for the day. Ranjit on a conference call. Tough working life... I took a last look around before we checked out. The ferries are named after famous women of Savannah - including Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts. Looking up to our room. Ours is the second to top floor, fourth balcony along in the center area. ]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=519 0 Savannah, Nov 2 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=422 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=422#comments Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:41:23 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=422 Sunday saw us out for breakfast early (not too early, thanks to the time change) and then a day spent exploring the Sea Islands area and South Carolina.  Then it was back to Savannah for a night at the Westin hotel, across the river from Savannah.

Breakfast at 700 Drayton - Ranjit's excellent restaurant choices continue. Armed with coffee and OJ - waiting for omelette and croissant. Like the Gryffon Cafe, the decor here was also accented in orange - Ranjit liked this version, though! Note bright orange chest of drawers behind me. Really a beautiful building, and the hotel next door had a great art gallery and equally incredible decor. The grounds of 700 Drayton Forsyth Park, a huge park on the west side of the city. After breakfast, we headed north to South Carolina for the day! These long docks are pretty archetypal in the marshy 'low country' area of the East Coast. Our first stop was Beaufort, SC, a town even older than Savannah. True to form, we quickly cracked down a coffee shop. Not a bad location! St Helena Church dates from the early 1700s, and has witnessed much of America's history. The church steeple. The church has been added on to several times, but has remarkably never been burnt down or destroyed. Plaques commemorate events in the church's history. The church ground is mostly occupied by a graveyard; this grave is from the Revolutionary War period. And this is a Civil War grave. There are several family crypts/mausoleums too. The most recent gravestone I saw was from 2001. McKee House is also known as the home of Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls was born a slave in the slave quarters behind the house; after emancipation, he became its owner. Robert Smalls took in the widow of his former owner, and cared for her for the rest of her life. We had a range of options for our day in SC, but the gloomy weather in Beaufort led us to push north to Charleston, along a country highway. We crossed this bridge... ... and turned off to Patriot Point, which turned out to be a military museum (complete with aircraft carrier) Charleston has some truly impressive buildings and a lot of history. But we were exhausted from the week and the drive, so we decided to head back home after a quick look around and a few photos. Little Girl Statue/Fountain Impressive houses, as mentioned earlier. Grander than Savannah, but a slightly less walkable scale. Of course, there was another reason we wanted to get back - our night at the Westin, complete with Heavenly Bed (it is!)... ... and complimentary chocolate. The view's not bad, either... You can sail/drive your boat to the hotel. Directly across the river, we had an amazing view (and could hear the sounds and music) of River Rd After dinner at the hotel restaurant, we headed down to look around. Fancy elevators = many ranjits. We lounged in a hammock... ... admired the view (from lower this time) ... noted how lucky we were to have a balcony (thanks to ranjit's super duper status)... ... and played with the camera timer! Looking toward the hotel from the courtyard. More timer fun... ... admiring the gorgeous luxury boat, the view... ... and each other (awww). ]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=422 0 Savannah, GA: Oct 30-Nov 1 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=416 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=416#comments Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:32:15 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=416 I was lucky to get a paper accepted to this year’s American Educational Studies Association conference, which was held in Savannah, GA.  I was even luckier that Ranjit could come with me for the whole trip, as he is ‘working from home’ for a month.

Savannah is a really interesting place to visit.  It is quite small by American standards – only about 150,000 people.  It is on the coast – sort of.  There are several islands between it and the ocean, so its shore is a sort of brackish river.  It was first settled in 1733, making it pretty old (again, by American standards) It has a huge historic district, with a unique layout of green squares amidst the buildings- over 20 – that have were part of the original town plan.  The town has seen a lot of revitalization over the past years, with all the opportunities and challenges that that brings.  There is a roaring trade in ghost tours and carriage rides!

Ranjit was working and I was occupied with the conference from Wednesday to Friday, so these photos start on Friday night.  Mouseover for titles – click for bigger pictures and (sometimes) longer descriptions!

Our dinner spot on Friday night. Where the magic happens. The Express Cafe and Bakery's delivery vehicle. The conference venue. This atrium is amazing, especially when a ship is going by. The pool is kind of... conspicuous, though. We stopped by the conference to pick up books (grad students get 2 free!) and show R around. Where I presented my paper the previous day. The view from the deck at the back of the Marriot Fort Jackson, right across from the Mariott Smiley Ranjit I love tugboats. We walked down River St and came across this statue of one of the famous faces of Savannah. Every kind of peanut imaginable. Note 'flying taffy' sign. Catch! where it goes if it doesn't get tossed! That's the Westin in the background. The (female) announcer kept making innuendo-ish comments about 2 guys and 1 girl, despite the fact that that girl is about 12 and those men are.... older. Good skiing though! Note the facades of the buildings - they are built along the bluff There's a lovely Maya Angelou quote, and the hands - praying on one side, reaching on the other. Savannah is about 50% Black, though sometimes you wouldn't know it when in the historic district. It was particularly nice to view this statue in the context of the last days of the election. The owner came out and asked if we wanted a picture. Each table had these journals on for guests to write in - fun to read! Most of the entries were 'here for our anniversary!' - type things. This was a notable exception! I like the stone-brick combo. (a model of) the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. We went to pick up our rental car, then drove around to look at some of the beautiful buildings. SCAD = Savannah College of Art and Design, an endless source of disaffected art students to run coffee shops and make elaborate Halloween costumes. Owned, and i think decorated, by SCAD. I love the orange chairs! (Ranjit does not.) Used to be an apothecary - note stained glass A work of art in stained glass. Our service was comically bad here - 25 mins for tea and scones, with a few bloopers along the way! - so there were MANY photos taken. Still waiting, still taking photos. Not high tea, but good all the same. One of the most famous houses in the historic district. (note disaffected art student employee) Don't know what this building is, but i love the top of it. Pretty good coffee, great atmosphere! The 'founder' of Savannah. Ranjit loves to say his name. This picture doesn't really do the sunset justice. note rolled up, faded, American flag. Vinnie Van Go-gos Pizza: Cute, poky, awesomely named. Good pizza too! We capped off the night by picking up dessert from this dessert-selling bar right by the hotel. I loved this pair of paintings. In case it's not clear, one picture depicts a soldier and the other an 'iraqi' (it's ambiguous as to militant or civilian) The box itself was a work of art. as were the desserts - strawberries, 3-mousse thing, and lavender chocolate. The perfect end to a night. ]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=416 0 First Farm Inn http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=341 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=341#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:43:24 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=341 Well, it’s been a weird week here in Ohio after the windstorm last Sunday.  I don’t quite know how to describe it – ‘the biggest in history?’  It was certainly big in retrospect and in effect but at the time it just felt like a bit of wind.  There wasn’t even any rain!  It certainly paled in comparison to the effects of Hurricane Ike in coastal regions Nonetheless, it took out our power – and 90% of the households in the region. Though most of our street had power by Tuesday, we were still in the dark on Thursday and I was starting to reach the end of my rope.  Not to mention we were about to have houseguests!

Then my phone buzzed with the best text message ever:

“When you come to pick me tonight bring dogs and pack a duffel with clothes for  2 nights. :) ”

So I did.

I love B&Bs, and I love my dogs, and I love my husband, and my family and friends, so to have them all rolled in to one was great.  Jen and Dana, the owners, as well as their daughter Tatiana, dog Fluffy, and assorted cats and horses, were all great hosts.  It was great to have a 4 person room to host our guets and the dogs. The days were a bit chaotic – work, Rohit and his friend Jerry coming in to pick up the car, a woozy post-anaesthesia Thor, and the whole no power thing – but ‘going away’ was wonderful and really improved my frame of mind.  The 1-hour massage Ranjit booked as a surprise to me (on Friday morning) didn’t hurt either.

As we relaxed in the spa pool on Friday night, Ranjit said to me – ‘this feels like the night after our wedding’.  And it did.  Rushing rushing rushing, happy but very busy, followed by that moment of …’ahhh’.  Just what I needed.  And a lovely way to celebrate the 4 wonderful years since we began dating!

Our room at the First Farm Inn Two loungers, one with a bone. Ranjit and Loki - one with a bone, the other calling Thor. Ranjit and Loki, hangin' out. "The hands of a married man" - Ranjit Now you see why we were lying on the floor.... Looking from the steps of the First Farm Inn Sunlight through the mist over the pond Taken from inside the horse barn. A couple of cats came to see what we were up to. Jen's artfully arranged collection of horse care stuff - some new, some wonderfully old. The doors slide sideways on castors. Jerry took a peek out into the horse paddock. Farm sign, blown over in the storm. The pond, and the rising sun. A highlight of our stay was Jen's breakfasts Ever seen a horse in glasses? Those same barn doors as before, now with horses poking their heads through! Ranjit is blinded by the superlative glory of Gandalf's steed, apparently. Beautiful horse, beautiful pond. The four of us outside the inn. Eyes only for... well, if you're human, each other; if you're a dog, a passing cat. Mwah! Dana thought Loki wanted the Frisbee - really, he wanted a hug. Fluffy is the gorgeous, calm, part-chow guardian of First Farm. She was very tolerant of the crazy youngsters (all four of them!)

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=341 1 A busy… um.. year. http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=339 http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=339#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:23:21 +0000 ranjit http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?p=339 ‘Nuff said. Back now!

]]> http://stephandranjit.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=339 0