Seattle Desi Kids

When I was five years old, I went to Marymoor Park and played on the slide. I enjoyed playing on the sit and spin and spent a long time on the swing. My dad was exercising with the equipment available, and there were high school students playing football/soccer. I think it was a tournament between schools. There were also many tennis courts, and I fell in love with the park on my first visit. Today, I visited the park again with my dad on our bicycles. He promised to take me around the whole area, and we came via an iron bridge that was not our usual route. We stopped on the bridge and enjoyed the beauty of the river, watching a few birds. As we crossed the bridge, we saw several baseball courts and a playground, but I didn't play today. I noticed that all six football courts had electric bulbs fitted. I remembered my mom telling us to check on our garden. She had hired a small patch of land for us, and our tomatoes had grown well. This is helpful for those who live in apartment co...

My father had bought me a co-pilot bike trailer, and we had ridden it a few times inside our gated community. I had been eagerly waiting for a long journey on it, and today was the day. We were going to ride our bikes around the Sammamish River Trail. My dad and I got ready by putting on our cycling outfits and helmets and filling up our water bottles. My dad also brought some snacks for me. I was enthusiastic and excited about this trip. Our journey began, and we had to travel alongside other speeding vehicles on the main road. Though my dad was riding, I was a little scared by the noise of the speed, but it was also thrilling. We reached Marymoor Park after crossing a small bridge and started riding along the banks of the Sammamish River. The river was gushing, and there were many other riders and walkers like us. The road beside the river looked beautiful, and the river flowing alongside the road was exotic. First, we stopped below a bridge where a few ducks were swimming. While we ...

A decision was made through a WhatsApp message to go on a cycling expedition around Samammish Lake at 12 noon. They added Chandramohan to the group, but he excused himself as he had to take his son to a class. I checked the air pressure in my wheel and it definitely needed to be filled. Deciding to fill it, I pulled out my pump, but the air wasn't going into the wheel because the nozzle of the pump was broken. I took the bicycle in my car and went to a cycle repair shop. When I arrived, there were two people in front of me in the shop. One guy was buying spare parts for his son's cycle, while the other was buying all possible accessories for his new bicycle, like an air pump, cell phone stand, puncture kit, and more. He finally finished his payment and moved on. The shopkeeper was polite to appreciate my patience about waiting and asked how he could help me. It was a beautiful moment. His unkempt hair and professional pride made him truly likable. I filled the air in the cycle ...

It is very common to hike mountains in summer, but to hike in the winter season on snow-cloud peaks is adventurous and difficult. It is a fresh and new experience. One winter, Karthi, Guru, Ganesan, and Sendhil set out to trek. Early in the morning at 5 am, they got ready and went to the Issaquah bus station to begin their adventure. After introductions, they discussed Thirumandhiram, the oldest Tamil book that speaks on both physical and mental health, yogic practices, breathing exercises, and more. Ganesan reminisced about Silambam (a folk art of fighting with sticks), and his Silambam teacher who worked in a tin factory. After his work hours, around 9 pm, with great commitment, he would burn old tires and teach Ganesan the art of Silambam. Those days, teachers were intelligent and trained with full commitment to what they did, serving as role models to youngsters. These days, such passionate teachers are rare and scarce. Students are even more scarce. Karthi expressed frustration th...

Train journeys are always very interesting. We can see everything through the windows while travelling. We can also walk inside the moving train, eat good food and snacks, play games and converse during our journey. Overall, it's an enjoyable experience. I have travelled from Seattle to Portland. We arrived at the station on time, queued up, and had our tickets checked. The staff confirmed our coach and seats, collected our luggage, and checked them in. The ticket conductor's uniform was impressive. Once we completed the formalities, we boarded the train. Railway stations always have their own unique fragrance. It's fascinating to see the parallel tracks converge and diverge. I never tire of watching this. Seeing the graffiti on the walls along the way was new to me. When we passed through villages, children waved at us. I waved back, but I'm not sure if they saw us. Our train had an observation and viewing car from where we could see all the scenic beauties. It...

Sammamish Lake is a lake with a 10-mile around trail. Vimal decided that he wanted to cycle around the lake today. Marymoor Park is located in the north and Interstate 5 is in the south of the lake. One can go around this long oval lake on a bicycle. Vimal started cycling from his house on the western side of the lake. Sammamish Lake's west side is full of independent houses. These houses are on the slope of the road. If you see them from the lake side roads, only the roof of the houses will be visible. The roads will be on the higher visibility and the houses will be in the valley. There is a bicycle lane around the lake, and Vimal was cycling on that road. The road is upward inclined, and Vimal was huffing and puffing as he cycled. Soon, Vasa Park would come up. Vasa Park is a private property, and the cycling track is only on one side of the road, making it difficult to face the speeding vehicles. Since there is no scenic beauty, it was not boring for Vimal. He often check...

Idylwood Beach Park is a cute little park located on the banks of Lake Sammamish. It features a children's play area, a designated swimming area for kids, a sandy beach, and several other interesting spots for entertainment. The park is home to several ducks, who often walk gracefully in a flock and capture the attention of visitors. It's a beautiful sight to see them silently swimming in the lake. There's also a floating platform on the lake that allows visitors to stand and appreciate the beauty of the water. The gentle rocking of the platform creates a pleasant experience for those who take advantage of it. Walking on the sandy beach is also a great experience, and kids can play with beach toys, build sandcastles, and dig pits. The play area features swings, slides, and monkey bars for children to enjoy, while there's also a handball court and a walking trail in the park. Additionally, the community center hall is a popular location for birthday celebrations. One uni...