Of Willy, Shamu and San Diego

I wish we had watched Free Willy, a whale movie in theme park setting, before we did the Sea World in San Diego. I reckon Sidharth and Nikhil would then have had a better understanding of Shamu the whale at the Sea World.As it happened,they came out of the Shamu Show drenched, bleary eyed with sea water, and blaming it all on the poor whale.
Nikhil said he didn't want to revisit Shamu who had splashed the pool water on him. Sidharth took it sportingly; said it was fun getting soaked at the Shamu Show.
We were seated on the sixth of the first 12 rows designated the 'soak zone'. We were at the venue an hour before the show,to be able to get seats upfront. But then Nikhil did not expect Shamu to do what he did to him and his clothes.

But then after watching Free Willy and the sorry plight of the whale in the movie Sidharth/Nikhil changed their mind on Shamu. Sidharth wondered who, and where Shamu's mom was. What, if a mean man drained the water from Shamu's pool, as he did, from Willy's pool? Who would save Shamu, as Jessie did Willy at the movie ? Wouldn't the whales at the Sea World want to get out into the open sea?
When she heard of their concerns, Sidharth/Nikhil's mom reckoned that it was just as well they didn't watch Free Willy earlier. If they had , they wouldn't have wanted to visit the Sea World.

A highlight of their San Diego trip was the visit to the beach, from where Sidharth and Nikhil brought back a fistful of seashells. They spotted several seals at the beach; it was the world's only beach where the law gives a free run to the seals, and an official notice says seals can move about anywhere there, and they cannot be legally removed or disturbed by people.

Seals are a tourist attraction on the waterfront of Hyatt Residency, from where you get a water taxi to the Sea World. Jeniffer, who piloted our taxi boat knew a thing or two about seals. She told us they brought in a boatload of fish caught in mid-sea and dumped them every other day all along the hotel waterfront. Which explains why seals flock to the water front.






Sidharth/Nikhil realized there was more to San Diego than the Sea World when they got to ride a speedboat driven by dad/mom.

San Jose Tech Museum

Doing San Jose Tech museum with grandsons - Sidharth,nearly 6, and Nikhil,3 plus - made me wonder if this was what Nehru had in mind when he talked of creating a scientific temper in our young minds.The museum exhibits with interactive features invite children to try their hand on colouring a digital sketch, web-designing, bridge-building, and a host of other activities.






Sidharth/Nikhil,among other things, created their own websites and designed a roller-coaster ride that they could test out in a simulator.They experienced the thrill of riding the roller-coaster they structured on a computer. The tech museum has scores of other hands-on exhibits to engage children. So excited were my grandsons that they wouldn't want to leave when a the security guard reminded us politely it was time we left. The museum closes at 5 p m.







The next day Sidharth asked if he could upload some photos from his baseball camp in the blog he created at the tech museum. Such was the impact of a visit to a place, so unlike most other museum where exhibits are kept in a glass case or cordoned off with a don't-touch signboard.

San Ramon, July 2011

Sidharth and Nikhil were having their afternoon nap when we got in from the airport, after a 24-hour flight fro Chennai.But they had a left this notice taped to the front door of their San Ramon home.
It has been two years since our last visit.Sidharth is 6, has started going to regular school and got a blue belt in taekwando. Brother Nikhil, 4, in pre-school, finds himself literally in his brother's shoes .

The brothers have taken over the garage, in addition to their play-room.

Until the next time

Have taken scores of pictures during the four months we spent with Nikhil and Siddarth; but the picture that stays in my mind wasn't taken with a cemera. It's an image embedded in my mind, of Siddarth held in the arms of his daddy at San Francsco airport. Waving out to us, from behind the security cordon Siddarth burst into a nursery number, 'Goodbye now...'.

It was, indeed time for 'goodbye'; and the clock said it was time for us to leave. Unlike at an earlier send-off when Siddarth wouldn't let us go, he was cool this time, and even smiling, as we proceeded for the security check, disappearing from his view. It was not until the subsequent morning, said thier parents, the kids learnt that thatha-patti were not to be found anywhere in the house; and were gone, for a while.

The last few days we spent together were fun-filled, with a touch of sadness at prospects of parting. Here, some pctures that remind us of that time.Nikhil, helping grandma with the packing.

And his parents, presumably, discussing the logistics of having to fit in four adults with two car-seated kids, plus four outsized travel-cases, in their SUV; for our drive to the airport.

A haircut is bearable, can even be fun, if he could have it done at the wheels of a Porche

Companionable Siddarth.

Maybe not quite so companionable, at times. Tiff here was, perhaps, over who would take the driver's seat.

At an outing in San Francisco, where they have a weekly farmers' market on the sea-front.

Nikhil, holding on to the living room couch.

Siddarth puts in his thumb where some others put their foot in, at times. I keep telling him, if he keeps doing it, the thumb would melt into Siddarth's mouth, like a choc-bar. Siddarth remains unconvinced; and he is willing to take chances with his thumb.
He is not so willing, though, take off his favourite GAP shirt, if only briefly, for a bath.

Nikhil at the book-shelf upstairs. Lord save the books.

Elder brother Siddarth poses no such threat to books. He likes them; and has mom/dad read out for him a book or two he picks up from play-room, before going to sleep.

Hanging out at the door, for someone to take him out into the backyard.

At Santana Row on a Saturday, determined to make the most of the afternoon. Never mind the sleep time. He can/does snooze in the car on way home
Ready for home-cooked uppu-thupu-anna, in the ambiance of a Mexican dhaba at Santana Row.

Strikes a pose, at Little Italy segment of Santana Row.

Mischief in his eyes.
and innocent laughter, as he watches the milling crowd from the sidewalk in front of an ice-cream shop .

The face I miss in Mysore.