Thursday, February 3, 2011

Ann Arbor Michigan

From New York we left for Detroit, and from there to the University town Ann Arbor. This is where our son has been living for the last 3 years, having completed his MS in Automobile Engineering, working and pursuing his PhD.
We were there for about 2 days, and we all left together for San Francisco, from where our journey was to begin in a rented car.
Ann Arbor is a quiet place, there is nothing much to write about it . You would find a lot of young people everywhere, for it is a University town. It is quite pretty with beautiful landscaping, lakes and malls, restaurants and theaters, Indian shops, hospital etc, 


The University of Michigan boasts one of the best college towns in the country: Ann Arbor, only 45 minutes from the city of Detroit. Freshmen are guaranteed housing but are not required to live on campus.
Our son lives in an apartment sharing it with one of his class mate. These buildings are mostly occupied by foreign students mostly from India, China and  Korea. All these apartment buildings face a beautiful lake and the landscaping around is very beautiful. 
Ann Arbor has a lot of parks, where one can find students jogging, running, cycling or just doing nothing.










Some facts about University of Michigan as found in the Internet:
Michigan’s graduate programs include the highly ranked Stephen M. Ross School of Business,School of EducationCollege of EngineeringLaw SchoolMedical SchoolGerald R. Ford School of Public PolicySchool of Public Health, and School of Nursing in addition to the well-regarded School of Dentistry and Taubman College for Architecture and Urban Planning. The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers is ranked among the top hospitals in the country. Former U.S. President Gerald Ford, actress Lucy Liu of the Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill film series, and NFL quarterback Tom Brady all graduated from Michigan.
Picture of Janardhan  during a presentation.


The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through pre-eminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. Students have the opportunity to work with world-renown faculty. There are literally hundreds of clubs, groups, and organizations covering a variety of social, cultural, and  academic interests. The University abuts the city of Ann Arbor, which has its own thriving social and cultural identity. There is literally something for everyone here.


Since Michigan students are generally considered well rounded academically and socially, many companies are eager to hire Michigan graduates. It is not too big, its not too small. Its a perfect fit size wise.   Once you're a Michigan student, You'll always be a Michigan student. There's an intangible element of Pride that becomes part of you and can never be removed. The place kind of grows on you, and you become so comfortable, that living somewhere else becomes too difficult.
Our son likes this place very much, he has free access to do a lot of research in his chosen field, and is confident he would get a good job. He had worked hard to get into this University, for it is supposed to be the best for Automobile Engineering. From a very young age he was only interested in automobiles, and his intention of joining this University, finally got fulfilled.
He has decided that he would be settled there only forever. The opportunities that are there for him to pursue in his field cannot be found in India. Maybe if the situation in this field in India changes, he would definitely come here. I wish he had chosen some other field to pursue, that way he could always think of coming back to India at the right time.
So, although he might be satisfied with the right kind of job, I feel sad that he has chosen to live there, for after sometime he would want to come back to India, and like many others he would never be able to come. I know how lonely life can become after sometime, for no country can be as vibrant and so full of life, ever changing like India.
But  I guess to get some thing you have to give up something. As long as one is happy doing what one likes there should be no problem.
There is the Henry Ford Museum to see, and they organize a lot of automobile exhibitions, and there a few  other interesting places to see if one has the time. Every place in Ann Arbor can be reached in just 10 mins, it is a nice peaceful town.
May be during our next visit we would be able to explore a little more.

21 comments:

  1. Michigan is such a great school!! It was some of my cousins' top choices in colleges. I've always wanted to go to Ann Arbor. It looks beautiful in your pictures :) Sounds like your travels have been going very well.

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  2. Lovely description Rama. Learnt a lot about Michigan.

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  3. While I have never been to US but the way you are describing the places I am feeling like having a virtual tour there. :-D

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  4. Talha this was the first time for me. My husband was totally not interested in coming for he has seen it, though years ago, and kept on telling me all American cities look the same. But, I had made up my mind, for I felt if I didn't get to see these places now, then when will I ever go about seeing it. I am already 52, I intend to see as many places as possible before I leave this world. Although, seeing places is not all that important in life.

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  5. nice pics of you and your son though living someplace else might provide a lot of things you might not get back in India but one thing you always miss is family, nothing can make up for that

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  6. kuch pane ke liye kuch knona padta hai!!

    Now a days, Indian returning back to there home land after education and experience have increases compared with the last few decades! They r studying and earning and bringing the technology and the economy!! I guess u dear little boy have taken right decision!!

    I will go throu the site of the university and c if I get the course I need!! Thanks a lot for that!!

    And one more thing I need to admit it to u is, thou u being 53, u really does seems so young and really seems like a teenage at heart! I am quiet sure ur son is lucky to have u !!

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  7. Nice pictures and very good description. I am sure you are very proud of your son.

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  8. Hello!
    I also agree beautiful pictures and good description!

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  9. beautiful info with pics
    like the pics

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  10. I hadn't visited Michigan though I lived in the US for 2 years. Great info about the Univ too.

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  11. It was an interesting trip. Interesting photos, text sincere

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  12. I feel for you with your son living so far away, but he does look happy and it is a lovely place. Glad you could visit him!

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  13. You are very right that seeing places is not everything in this world but none the less pleasure of seeing new places is always a wonderful experience :)

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  14. very informative post!

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    do visit my blog ragetobe.blogspot.com. it'll explain my interest in reike.

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  15. Thanks for sharing the info on Michigan. Looks like your son is pursuing something he is really passionate about. Good luck to him. Someday, when he things he has achieved what he has set out for, he may return to our very own country!

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  16. Thank you Amin. Have a nice weekend.

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  17. It is a small world Rama. I got on your blog from Alli's and I see pictures of the town that I live in though obviously pictures from this summer as everything now is coated with a foot of snow. My son is an engineer for a car company too and very much likes it though he just has a BS.

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  18. My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!

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