Taste of Alaska

I’m in Alaska for a week. Its an amazing world out here. Very huge Glaciers every where, lots of wildlife viewing opportunities. I will be here for another 4 days. I will give an detailed trip report with lots of pictures once I get back home.

Taste of California

I have uploaded few photos from California ( Hollywood, Golden Gate Bridge, Redwood trees, Yosemite National Park). Now, you know where you can plan for your next trip.

It would take atleast 1 week to see from Mt.Shasta ( North California to San Diego). That would include SFO, LA, Silicon Valley, Redwood forest, Lake Tahoe, LA and San Diego Zoo.

More pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/life.strikes/California

Trip to Arizona and Utha

I have uploaded the wilderness photo. It was amazing place to visit Arizona, Utah, Nevada state. I had a chance to go on a business trip and above all got chance to see few tourist places. I saw, Glen Canyon Dam at Page, AZ, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and few other lakes and marina. If you guys planning for a long weekend trip or Grand Canyon is well know place, but there is more to it in the surrounding areas. I have uploaded few photos at

http://picasaweb.google.com/life.strikes/ArizonaUtha

If you are visiting Zion National Park, make sure you go all the way to the end in the shuttle bus and go for a walk on the Virgin River. Zion photos are stuck inside my crashed HDD. Figuring out a way to take it out and couldn’t find time to fix it.

Lufthansa Business Class experience : Students

Wow! that’s what I would say. After long struggle to get F1 student visa, day came to fly out from Chennai. I arrived late in the airport. Flight time was 1.45 AM. I was in the airport around 11.30 PM. Took my bags to check-in and got the boarding pass and moved towards the security check.

It was my flight experience and I with other students planning to fly, were waiting in the hall and I was surprised to see 8 students to same university, yes that’s right, University of Texas at Arlington( few years back, now things are real good at UTA). So, we were checking everyone seating to see if anyone is next to each other.

All, I knew is that I paid Rs 40,000 for 1 way economy fare. One of guys said, did you have Business Class boarding pass. They were boarding for First and Business class. So, I wasn’t sure and I asked the gate Lufthansa agent and they said, its business class boarding pass and I can board. Wow-o-Wow.

I didn’t realize till I flew in economy class from Frankfurt to Dallas, how good it was to be a Business Class passenger in Lufthansa. It was very nice experience. Later, I learned, if Economy class is overbooked, they will give Business Class free upgrade in airlines.

I have to add topic about flight overbooking and how to take advantage of it. You might get upto 700 Euros flight voucher.

Don’t be late to the airport!!

End of July

I was thinking, its end of July, what kind of posts will really help students, who are planning to attend school in Fall 2007. Some of you should have already got your Visa ( I know how happy you will be, how’s your packing going on?).Some of you will be busy preparing the documents for your visa. Maybe few will be still trying to decide ” Hmmm, which school shall I select among the 3 admits I have. Shall I go with low ranked school with Aid/Tuition Waiver located in remote places or select a better school without Aid in a city”…

So, to help you out I decided to give my helping hand… keep waiting. Next post will be about Shortlisting universities.

Who am I?

I have been doing this for sometime now. I tried my hands in creating a website to share my thoughts, experience and exposure to students who are trying to get admission in US universities. Finally, I decided to pen down my thoughts and answer few(maybe more) of the questions that will in every students/parents minds.

I had to face an uphill battle in getting to US to do my Masters and that’s history now. I will try to post atleast 1 article per day, that will help students. If possible maybe few information about different schools.

Good Luck and hope you enjoy my blog.
Raghuram.