Monday, May 31, 2010

Where my desiness* shines through

Needless to say, in so many ways. But, particularly, this. Showing off my ahem culinary skills. It is the thing I most love being appreciated for, more than just about anything else. Call me sexist, but I think this is somewhat complementary to the concept of the way to a man's heart being his stomach. Praise my cooking and my heart is won already. OK, I am exaggerating. Maybe. *Come to think of it, am I wrong in thinking this is the desiness in me speaking? I mainly think so, since a lot of my non-desi friends a) don't cook or b) don't care, while the majority of my desi friends love to cook and greatly appreciate compliments.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

This should have been part of

this post. But, it totally slipped my memory, somewhat like lacunar amnesia, but clearly not quite, since I remembered it again. After I got up on stage and before I walked across to get the degree, I was supposed to hand over a small piece of paper to the class marshal who reads my name off of it. Not that he doesn't have a list himself (thankfully, as I later find out), this is just to help him with the correct pronunciation. So, guess what? I drop the chit of paper. In a fraction of a second, I kick myself hard and try to pick it up. But, it is not within reach. I take a quick decision to ditch it. And, proceed with as much dignity as I could muster. And then completely forget about it, till a while ago. However, right now, I am actually a little proud of the fact that I am not beating myself down about it, which I am (OK fine, anyone is) completely capable of doing. [By the way, does that make me a completely sad person? No, don't answer that one, it is a rhetorical question.] I mean, it could have been worse. I could have tripped over, one of the heels could have come off, dress could have slipped, hair could have come loose... I could go on. Moreover, come what may, when it comes to on-stage blunders, I am never going to beat this* Err... Please, God, please don't prove me wrong on this one.

* I should have linked to the standalone version of the video but this one is just too good!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Graduation day reflections

Now that I have drawn your attention by this earth shattering title, let me go on to reassure you that it is worse than it sounds.

I have noticed that people usually start any speech they give on a campus with, "This is a great day to be on campus." Yesterday was no exception. I usually don't give it more attention than a mere shake of the head (not in the affirmative sense). But, this time, my reaction was like, really? What is great about this day, for God's sake? I don't feel great. I am apprehensive about walking out of the academic cocoon into the real world (for the second time). I know the real world is not as tolerant of my inadequacies, as indulgent of my experiments, as appreciative of my meager accomplishments. Even my own role is not as defined as it was in school. So tell me, what is great about this day?

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In spite of my apprehensions, it is difficult not to be influenced by the excitement floating around. It is not unlike the excitement you feel when you walk into a theme park or watch a match (any sport, for that matter) in the stadium. You can just feel the energy in the air. You cannot help but let go of your reluctance, participate in the goings-on, get pulled into innumerable pictures...




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I am the extremely sentimental type. If you are comparing me to the average cave man. However, when the dean mentioned during the acknowledgments that we should applaud our families for the sacrifices they made during the last two years so that we could get our degree, I thought of my parents sitting thousands of miles away and... felt a little choked. I may or may not have dabbed at my eyes for a brief second.

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The day itself was an epitome of operational efficiency. The last few weeks have a little bit of a blur, so I did not think too much about what I was going to wear (under my graduation robes) for the Dean's reception party. As G-day got really close and I didn't think I could go shopping, I decided on a simple black skirt and a blouse. But, the day before G-day, I couldn't help wishing I had a nice dress to wear. So, I decided I would look for a dress, the day of. I know, I know, recipe for frustration, insanity and the like.

G-day dawned. Not that I was up at the crack of dawn.

9:30a - I have overslept. But, I am determined not to give up on my brilliant plan.

10:05a - I catch the bus.

10:12a - I am at Target.

10:30a - I have tried on 4 dresses, one of which fits and I am as usual thinking if I should take the next larger size instead.

10:37a - Try both sizes, again. Contemplate.

10:42a - Heck, I am choosing the smaller one.

10:48a - Am on pins and needles. There is a bus at 10:55a and the next one is at 11:35a (frequency sucks on the weekends). There is a line at the checkout counter (leisurely Saturday shoppers w/ families). Thankfully, the family just ahead of me are shopping for a party they are attending (probably graduation) and have purchased just a few gift cards. Sigh of relief.

10:50a - I am out of there.

10:58a - Bus is late by three minutes. What ever happened to punctuality and efficiency, I say.

So, here goes.. the fruit of all my meticulous, mission-critical planning..



Oh, before I forget, I also cooked, ate, got ready and reached on time at 2:10p for the photos and line-up, all of which is, of course, not worthy of more than one sentence. Favorable comments on my efficiency are highly appreciated and most welcome. Suggestions of a gym subscription as a graduation gift, not so much. (I am willing to share the limelight though, if you have stories of your own efficiency).

And thus ends my G-day saga.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Growing up is such a barbarous business, full of inconvenience... and pimples.

I completely agree with J. M. Barrie. In fact, anyone who doesn't agree that growing up (in all senses of the phrase) was the toughest thing they ever did, is strange. Or has had a charmed life. Or let's just say I am too dense to fathom their depths :P While it is my earnest wish to describe the angst of growing up in a poignant yet endearingly rib tickling narrative, some people have already done that so well that I am not even going to try. My fave coming of age movies in no particular order (being a complete movie non-buff, I cannot believe I am actually writing about movies, but then why re-invent the wheel!):

1. Sixteen Candles - oh, the frustration of yearning for that elusive crush while having to deal with pre-occupied parents, self-obsessed siblings, odd house guests, irrepressible geeks and mean girls at school, confidence sapping self-doubts, what not ...







2. Dil Chahta Hai - Great portrayal of different shades of love.. being frivolous about love..

.. unsustainable 'love'..

.. forbidden love..

.. unrequited love..

.. and not to forget, learning to love..

All of this blended in so well and the flow so smooth that you don't even realize there are three sub-plots and feel the need to attune yourself consciously to what is going on. I could go on and on but let me just say perfection ko improve karna mushkil hota hai ;) Of course, my favorite scene is the funniest from the movie but quite traumatic for the guy who experienced it :D Who said growing up was easy? ;)







3. The Breakfast Club - another Hughes movie, I know. But, I cannot think of any other movie which brings out the pain of being slotted in a pigeon hole and tells the world that no one is a stereo-type. May be, an amalgamation of stereo-types, but never just one.







4. Reality Bites - Post graduation depression. Harsh subemployment. Sky high aspirations. Grounding need for money. Complex relationships. Intricate personalities. A sandpaper dry sense of humor. Of course, a dreamy Ethan Hawke :)







5. Mouna Ragam - don't think this is a growing-up movie? Revathi getting over Karthik and falling for Mohan makes this movie qualify as one, I think. Actually, Mani Ratnam is not my favorite director. I don't like people who have this smarter-than-thou attitude. For that matter, I don't like Mohan either. His 'romancing' grates on my nerves. But, this movie is an exception. (I think, the universal) favorite scene from the movie... :)







What are your favorite coming of age movies?

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The path to marital bliss ....

is littered with gems such as:

- In the partner requirements section of one matrimony profile - "Must take care of self and parents."

- At a "bride seeing" event - the "girl" comes in on request and sits down next to "Aunty". "Aunty" opens the conversation, "My elder DIL never sits down in front of me."

- Comment by the "boy's" mother on seeing the "girl's" picture - "Your daughter seems to be the chamathu* type. That won't work for my son."

- Conversation between the two sets of parents -

"We like the girl a lot. Go ahead and fix a date for the betrothal."

:genuine surprise: "But, you have just met her. Your son has not even met her."

:genuine surprise, again: "So?"

*Ram-ek-achchha-ladka-hai types for Hindi speakers. I don't think there is a perfect English equivalent. For obvious reasons :P Best I can come up with is overly-obedient-and-simple type.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Kindred Spirit

My favorite chick-lit heroine is Bridget Jones. If you are thinking that she can't walk and chew gum at the same time, you probably have only seen the movie and not read the book. Just like any movie that is said to have been adapted from a book, this movie bears minimal resemblance to the book, if at all. Moving on to just some of the reasons I 'get' her in no particular order...

* She is not really overweight, just that she can do better. Which is why she obsesses over her weight :)

* Her phone conversations with her mother are, ahem, a little challenging.

* She might be a bit of a dork, but she's not stupid. (If you don't think the two are different, we are not going to agree on anything anyway).

* She cannot bring herself to be rude to people who are rude to her.

* She decides to take on high-and-mighty social events but chickens out at the last minute :P

* She loves Mr. Darcy and Mr. Darcy.

* She cannot resist the temptation to day dream when she is supposed to be working :D

And now, how good is a post on Bridget if it does not include this? ;)







Over to you now. Who is your fave chick-lit heroine?

Small world? I think so.

This song was playing in a Starbucks in Dallas, TX a couple of weeks ago (when this blog wasn't born yet), I remembered it while drinking my coffee :)





Monday, May 10, 2010

The end.

The most time tested way of describing (a.k.a. cliche) something that whizzed past - it seems like yesterday when I walked into my post graduate orientation invoking all my favorite gods and beseeching them to make me not look painfully shy and not act like a blubbering mess. (I honestly believe it is difficult even with their combined efforts to make me a social butterfly) Lo and behold! I am graduating this weekend. Where did the two years go? Have I become old enough for years to slip past? Or, have so many things been happening? Regardless, me thinks it is not a bad idea to have a log of the present as it happens. And then, what are blogs for?
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