Silicon Valley.

The sun is bright and there's a chill in the air. The jackets are out, suits visibly ironed and on show! Geeky engineers and suave businessmen zipping around in BMWs and Porsches.

The autumn colors add their charm to the intense technology rivalries between some of the biggest names around - Google, Microsoft, Apple and Orange (oops, facebook!). You walk by Orkut (the guy who's name the Google Social Network was based on, designed by him of course) in a store, and Nikesh Arora (swashbuckling Global Sales and Biz Dev head of Google Inc.) in the washroom - just like that.

Notably, there's a special buzz in the talks of foreigners (certainly Indians) in the pubs and restaurants lining one the most known streets in this area, 'Castro' ... a celebration of having made it till here.

I've spent some quality time in the US thus far. Loved the fun and frolic feel of Vegas, the touristy open feel of San Francisco, but, Mountain View and Palo Alto have formed a connection with me in a special manner.

Evenings are quiet and serene here. You can almost hear the fans of millions of systems cooling each byte of information ruthlessly processed by the brains staying back late at work. This area belongs to belongs to dreamers. To thinkers, doers and achievers. To decision makers and competition killing leaders.