Monday, November 12, 2007

Falling in Love

On a fateful day, many years ago (precisely 2) while visiting Pittsburgh briefly for a friend’s engagement ceremony at the Venkateshwara temple, I recall gasping at the lush green forests and delightful countryside of Pittsburgh. ‘What a tranquil place, I could definitely live here!’ I gushed while digging into the puliyogre rice that could be procured at your whim for just two bucks.

Note to Self: Never wish for something when you are hungry. It might just come true.

Before I knew it, hubby gave me a choice. ‘Cleveland or Pittsburgh?’

‘Chicago’

I like multiple choices that don’t make me go through the actual process of choosing. Apparently Chicago was not an option.

‘Does Cleveland have run down steel mills?’

Thanks to that important criterion, we moved to Pittsburgh. The rolling hills, resort-like apartment, unparalleled greenery, Andy Wharhol, Mount Washington, Oakland, Shadyside, Pamela’s Kitchen, Steelers, Strip District on Saturdays, Falling Water, the sandstones cliffs... everything Pittsburgh, everything that could have normally blown my mind away seemed to turn my nose up till I could feel mucus in my throat. Not even the puliyogre made me warm up to Pittsburgh! Pittsburgh to me would remain forever cold and I had made a steely resolve that nothing would make me love this place, not even my in-laws visit!

But like every relationship that starts with skepticism and hate, there is always a glimmer of hope that the two of you will never have anything to do with each other after a year.

‘My company hasn’t got rid of me yet,’ hubby breaks the news gently while handing me a ‘Things to shop around in Pittsburgh’ book as a peace offering.

But then something did happen that made me fall in love with…hold you breath… Pittsburgh. Fall. (Yes, the new shoes too.)


I was wonderstruck by nature’s partiality to Pittsburgh when it came to performing her greatest show. In Pittsburgh, she uses all her passion coloring the leaves. In Pittsburgh, she enthralls and entices and uses the mountains as her infinite canvas. I was done for, infatuated and giddy… Exclaiming in glee at every tree, gasping for breath at every bend. Almost rear-ended a few cars gaping at the colored hills that would make the driver in front actually forgive me. Glad I didn’t test that theory.


It was a torrid affair and lasted for less than a month for Winter coldly walked into the scene and stole the Pittsburgh I loved.

19 comments:

Ravages/CC said...

Phota you tooked? Birilliantu! Really!

(

Alpha said...

ravages: danku da! new camera does it..not me.

Anonymous said...

Was that how you took your car down the hill a few weeks back ?
And yeah, fall is my favourite season as well.

Anonymous said...

The title was so promising - I was hoping for a story of a real "torrid affair".

Regarding the pictures, let us credit nature, and not the instrument (or the person wielding it).

Alpha said...

bh: that time it was a mechanical failure...a handsome mechanic on the road.

parmanu: real torrid affairs cant be written about. You wife reads this blog.

regarding nature, its upto humans and their cameras to enhance her resume of Pittsburgh. Come visit!

Last year i missed Fall here as I was gobbling grapes elsewhere.

Sheeba said...

Lovely sentiment, "Winter coldly walked into the scene and stole the Pittsburgh I loved"

I think anyone who can fall in love with nature is easy to please :). Lucky KM.

Anonymous said...

Aiyyo krishna ! Now who is this KM ?

Alpha said...

rationale: thank you. such praises just make me look like a sucker. I dont want anyone other than me to be lucky!

bh: methinks you already know...but i will wipe your doubts away. Its my Kimono Maker..who gets inspired by nature for the patterns.

sssssssssssssss said...

my backyard in chicago looks like that!!!

Alpha said...

show off.. i do believe you as you really dont stay in chicago. pppfft! seriously i have seen your area in Wisconsin, but Pittsburgh is something else in fall.

Anonymous said...

Cincinnati can give Pittsburgh a run for the money in the categories of 'boring places to live' and 'awesome fall colors'. But you guys have something we don't - an IKEA!

AmitL said...

Hi,Twin...Pittsburgh looks like a lovely place-very Enid Blytonish.:)So glad you opted for this one than Chicago,which wasn't in the multiple choice question.Cheers!

Happy New Year(The Post Diwali one,not the 2008 one)...so,do we see regular posts from now on?I miss my daily dose of 'twin's-dhamaal'

Anonymous said...

aah! reminds me of Panther Hollow lake in the Schneley Park area!! I miss Pittsburgh :((

Alpha said...

anjali: Just for that I feel extremely lucky. So I could walk into IKEA to-

1. say, 'Shit this place is like a shack when compared to the one in Chicago!'
2. Get people selling me Amway products
3. Buy stuff I never wanted

twin-cup: yes, I hope to write more regularly from now on. two references to enid blyton is quite creepy in a week.

kirti: How lucky you are to be missing Pittsburgh...unless of course you are in Cincinati.

Anonymous said...

I was wonderstruck by nature’s partiality to Pittsburgh when it came to performing her greatest show. In Pittsburgh, she uses all her passion coloring the leaves.


I am awestruck by the pen's partiality to Alpha when it has to come up with adjectives to describe the performance of the greatest show by nature. In Pittsburgh, the pen has used all her fashion to help Alpha describe leaf colouring!! Wonderfool!!!

Alpha said...

zo: i am getting a major partial feeling that i ought to have ignored you.

Munimma said...

Yeah, fall in the pitt is indeed something.

btw, check out http://www.pittsburghindian.com/classified/?view=showad&adid=2003&cityid=1&lang=en - I didn't know there was one, or there could be.

Alpha said...

munima! Wow! Bhaaav! Thanks for the headsup...now I will definitely join. hopefully i can connect with rossan.

Hornswoggler said...

In perfect girlie mag style: oooooooooooooooooooooh!