Since it's Thanksgiving..

It's not like I need Thanksgiving to express gratitude for the many wonderful things in my life. But when the going gets a little tough, as it has these days, it can't hurt to remind yourself of why life is (mostly) good. And if you're dunking yourself in some good ol' American festive spirit, that can only help matters, right?

So here it is. I am thankful for:

1. My family. My wonderful parents, who make themselves all the more lovable as I see how hard they try to do right by me. And of course, my baby brother who's growing up way too fast for my good.

2. My friends. With every year, I appreciate you all much more than I ever have. Thank you for being you.

3. Roti, kapda aur makaan. (Special emphasis on the first, mind you) I could have been out on the streets on an empty stomach, like millions of other people across the world. But the only time I come close to looking like a homeless, undernourished (not unclothed even then, thank God) woman is when work takes over my life.

4. Roommates and friends who cook. Getting down to specifics now, we are. I'm glad someone in my house likes to cook and feed my insatiable appetite (all the while making fun of me for being perpetually hungry, but that's okay). I'm even more glad that we have an arrangement that lets me indulge in my Obsessive Cleaning Disorder. You cook, I clean. We're good.

5. Musically inclined neighbours. I'd like to say musically talented, but that would be an overstatement. Either way, dear neighbour, know that someone in the next building is glad for the entertainment while sitting buried in piles of work. Know that you make me happy, and if you ever hear a high-pitched nasal voice singing along out of nowhere, don't be alarmed. It's just me trying to keep up.

6. Laughter and smiles. When someone laughs out loud, whether in the next room, on the train, or on the street, it makes me smile. I love laughing, and anyone who can make me laugh is instantly my best friend. And oh, I'm very generous with my smiles. So, if I ever meet you in real life, don't be alarmed at my constant grinning. That's just me being me.

7. Music, books, movies. I am grateful for books that are their own world, for movies that make for a good escape, and for music, my constant companion. By extension, I also thank Apple for coming up with the iPod. And I'm not too sure I like the Kindle idea.

8. Hugs and kisses. Enough said.

9. The constant moving about. I grew up in a big city, moved to a small town, and then to an entirely new country altogether. I hope this goes on for a while; it's amazing how much it can teach you.

10.The somebodys I used to know. You left amidst hurt and anger, accusations and frustration. But you left. Thank you for the good times. But more importantly, thank you for leaving. I would have never known this was the right thing for us.

There are so many more things I could list here. But I like even numbers, and multiples of ten.

Happy thanksgiving, all.

New blog in the house! Make some noise!

I finally, finally put together a Wordpress blog. Of course, I needed some sort of push to do it, and a class project (I told you I go to a fun grad school) seemed to be the perfect opportunity to start.

So be a good blogger-friend and visit my new blog here. You don't have to like it or anything, but just remember I get graded on it :)

Off you go, now.

One mamihlapinatapai, please.

Ladies and gentlemen, mamihlapinatapai is my nomination for the Word of the Century. I found it on a friend's Reader and have been trying to memorize it since. Not because it's oh-so-beautiful per se, no, no. But because it has the most wonderful meaning ever.

According to the Best of Wikipedia, Mamihla (let's make things a little easy here) describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire, but which neither one wants to start."

How sweet is that? Isn't it amazing that one word, all by itself, can describe so much?  And doesn't it have the most adorable meaning ever? Or am I just the biggest sappiest fool out there?

Either way, I like the word. And I like what it means. And what's more, it makes me want some mamihlapinatapai. Just so I can say I got some mamihlapinatapai.

*Giggle*

Just a little note

Dear NRIs and ABCDs,

Not all of you. Just the stupid ones, read on.

Here are some things you should know in order to not appear like the self-centered, ignorant dimwits you seem to be right now.

1. India has a postal system, has had one for decades. No you don't have to mark your envelopes to be delivered to "the first left after the chicken farm." A simple address with the pin code, or zip code if you please, will suffice.

2. We know English. No, we don't type on keyboards with Hindi characters. We could if we wanted to, though.

3. Yes, we can sell your stuff to someone in your country, while sitting comfortably in our own, and get you to pay us to do it because apparently, you aren't smart enough to do it yourself. All this, while using "your" language, because the English, of course, have nothing to do with English. What a ridiculous thought!

4. A hungry tiger does not racially discriminate. Stop asking me if I have tigers in my neighbourhood. If it's hungry, it's going to come get me. It doesn't care if it's my country's national animal.

Oh, and by the way, I don't expect you to know everything about India, just in case that's the impression you got. It's completely acceptable that you know zilch about my country, but have the audacity to say so.

If you happen to be among the few who do know something about it, feel free to criticize it all you want. Take a stab at its poverty, caste system, corruption, stench, pollution and any other stereotypical argument you can make. Heck, I'll even join you. But for heaven's sake, say something smart and well-informed. That's really all I ask for.

Get your head out of the 1960s. Wake up.

Until the next time you make me mad,

Your Average Indian.

My new favourite movie

I went from ohmygodIcan'tbelievethisishappening to Ohthankyougodthankyouthankyouthankyou.

And I teared up.

Yes, I'm an emotional fool.

Go watch the video now.

Bloggity Bling

So you know how I'm always whining about how pathetic my blog looks? (If you just tuned in, scroll down to point 5 on this post.) Well, I decided to actually do something about it for a change. I'm sure you can tell :)

I am the most technologically challenged person I know. If I have been surviving in a code-driven world for so long, it is solely because of a techie ex-boyfriend who has since been replaced by a sea of techie friends.(That's the advantage of being Indian -  you're always around someone who can fix your computer.) Anyhoo, given my lack of expertise in the field, coding (aren't you proud I know this word?) a whole new look for my blog was obviously not an option. Which left me with the only other way I saw out of this: stealing someone else's look. So I did. And by stealing someone's look, I mean I stole some "code." (I love saying code - it makes me feel so knowledgeable.)

It looks good, no? They had a lot of other good-looking templates too. I just happened to choose this one randomly. Sneaked a little preview, liked it, set it. I think this is the one thing I really, really resent Blogger for -- it has the same eleven-odd themes, and they're about as interesting as watching my hair grow. I've experimented with most of their looks as much as I could, but have never been happy with the results. This new look is the only thing that's keeping me from shifting to Wordpress. Oh, and of course, my laziness.

With that said, I leave you to drool over my blog's new look. It's so pweety, if I may say so myself! All thanks to some hot bliggity-ness. Of course, I would have liked to not have their little link on the top left corner of my page, but I guess the world doesn't, after all, revolve around me.

P.S. Check out their website. It reminds me of Handpaper World, and Rio Grande (Delhiites, you hear me?)  and all those wonderful other shops where I would spend hours caressing handcrafted journals. Sigh. I miss.

Never judge a book by its reputation

Visitors to my apartment often comment on the number of books I own. I'm used to it. While growing up, I often heard my mom complain that we would all have to move out of the house soon, just so we could accommodate my library. That day hasn't arrived. Yet. I'm guessing my move to the States has something to do with averting that tragedy. But I tend to go overboard with book-shopping, I admit. Hence, the resolution to become more of a book-borrower (yay for the BU library and the Boston Public Library!) and less of a book-buyer (Barnes and Noble, I'm breaking up with you.)

But that's not what I wanted to say. I digress.

A friend came over recently and made the customary you-have-so-many books comment (which on some occasions is also the you-have-way-too-many-books comment). She sat down in front of my pretty black shelf, and started scanning the titles. Then her gaze seemed to fix itself on one, and literally, I saw her expression change. Her eyes popped out and her face took on an aura of utter disgust and contempt. She turned to me, her finger pointing, but not touching the cursed book, and snapped: Yuck! Why on earth would you read that?!? She was appalled. I would have laughed at her contorted face had I not been the recipient of The Look.

She was pointing to a completely senseless, no-brainer, chick lit kind of book lent to me by M. "For your long flight back to the States. Don't worry, is mein dimaag nahin lagaana padta, aaraam se padna," were my instructions. She was right. It was a pretty random book, and I don't mean that in a good or a bad way. It was random. Forgettable. Ordinary. You get the drift.


Snap back to the present. So this enraged friend, she had heard about the book. She knew it was "chick lit." She knew what it was about. But had she read it? Nnnnope. Yet, she was quick to point out how that book just didn't "belong" next to Saki, Doris Lessing, Anita Nair, Nick Hornby, John Steinbeck and Premchand. They were distinguished, respected and superior. Agreed. That book was useless anyway.

What is my point? No, it's not that people should read books before pronouncing judgment -- that's obvious. But it's this: what's wrong with chick lit? (I'll admit I'm probably not its best defender since I haven't read any, barring this one example.) In fact, let me rephrase that: Why should I avoid reading something because it's considered "intellectually shallow" (and I'm borrowing this phrase from someone)? What does that even mean? Am I supposed to judge a book by its reputation instead of what's actually written in it?

I agree some books are highly superior for some reason or the other: Marquez for redefining a whole genre of writing, Shamsie for the absolute magic that her books are or Dickens for the absolute despair he can make you feel. I agree these people are universally and highly respected, and justifiably so. But that's not going to make me stop reading random authors. Simply because there's more to  book than (a) the author's reputation, or the lack thereof, and (b) the general perception about its genre.

The only exception to this rule? Mills and Boons. I judge people who read MBs. I read one when I was 14, I think. I barfed after the first 27 words. But even that has more to do with my utter dislike for them rather than how "uncool" (or maybe cool now? 14 was a long time ago) it is to be even seen with one.

My point, in a nutshell, is this. Why get so caught up in how we're supposed to react to something, based on its reputation? Go try it and if you don't like it, fair enough, you never have to look at it again. But judge it on its worth, not what it means to the rest of the world. For all my indifferent criticism of the aforementioned book, it made me laugh at certain points. Now, that's worth something, right?

Seriously. Let's drop the high hat. It just gets in the way of what can be fun. A different kind of fun, but fun nevertheless.