Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Lost...and Found!

Ok, well I really wasn't lost (take that Tanvi!) But, apologies for having been away for so long. Lots of things to write about, so little time! I'll put up some of my ramblings soon, but until then...read the archives, drink some coffee, surf the web at work:) and um...enjoy Star's(you know who!) woes (you know its bad [meaning of course, it soooo good], when Babara Walters claims she's "betrayed")!

P.S. Seeing that the only source of entertainment/bemusement/mockery is gone from daytime tv, who will watch the View now?

P.P. S. Oh come on, you know you hated her so much, that as much as it hurt you to watch it, you just had to catch a glimpse, just to make fun of her! Please, stop denying. Please.

P.P.P.S Any ideas/suggestion for her future career/path towards continued infamy;)

posted by payal @ 9:35 PM 0 comments

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Fear not, faithful readers!

Fear not, faithful readers! Despite all appearances, we have not abandoned you. I have been suffering debilitating technical difficulties for the past month that have crippled my blogging capabilities. On the other hand, my partner in crime, payal, seems to have actually disappeared. So far, I have some pretty brilliant theories as to her whereabouts...

the usual theories: abducted by aliens or joined the witness protection program
the scary theories: kidnapped by ‘aunties’ and taken to India to find her a suitable husband or brainwashed by corporate America to carry out their agenda against the rest of us
the impossible theories: she found cooler and better friends and has decided to phase me out (Like I said, IMPOSSIBLE! Who is cooler or better than ME?)
the likely theories: driving around the Chicago-land area completely lost because she did not take her totally awesome navigator, me, with her or visiting out-of-town family

Anyways, if anyone knows of her whereabouts or if you are reading this payal, please contact us. Where are you stranger? I am really worried……….Well maybe not REALLY worried but I am sort of worried…….…Actually to be perfectly honest I haven’t been worried at all. I am just curious as to how you, of all people, have a life all of a sudden.

Okay, enough about payal. Back to what’s important, ME! As I mentioned earlier, I have been experiencing some terrible computer problems that led to the temporary suspension of my internet access. It was torture, I tell you! Oh the drama! The pain! The suffering! The withdrawal symptoms! It was a total nightmare. I really don’t know how I managed to survive the past few weeks. There were several moments where I really didn’t think I could make it. My parents had just about given up on me. In fact, a perfect example of how dependant I am on the internet happened on the second day of my isolation. My dad called me and asked me to find the phone number to a local pizza place we love. Well, I couldn’t find the phone number anywhere in the house and the damn internet was not working. So I did the only logical thing, I called my father and asked him how he expected me to find the phone number when the internet was not working. He then re-introduced me to an old friend called the telephone directory. I felt like an IDIOT! I never even realized how much I rely on the internet until that moment. The rest of the last few weeks kindly reinforced that fact over and over again. It has been one heck of an experience. One I hope not to repeat anytime soon.

Well the whole point of all of that rambling is to let all of our loyal readers know that I am back! And once I locate payal, she will be back too. Stay tuned for more…

posted by tanvi @ 8:17 PM 4 comments

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Words are things...

"Words are things;and a
small drop of ink,
Falling like dew upon a
thought, produces
That which makes thousands,
perhaps millions think."

--Lord Byron (1788-1824), from "Don Juan"

posted by payal @ 9:19 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

The Namesake

I just finished reading Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. I know, I know. A few years too late. But hey, at least I finally read it. And actually, I was quite surprised. I really liked it. A lot of my friends disliked the book and said it didn't quite match their regard for her first book, Interpreter of Maladies (which I still liked, as seen from my profile). And so I was a little anxious going into the book.

I actually disagree. I liked The Namesake more than her first book. I could really picture the characters and their lives. I kept thinking about Gogol, Ashima, and Moushimi and the different directions their lives took as they grew, their changing emotions and attitudes towards their identity and heritage, how they dealt with Ashoke's death, Moushimi's affair, and possibly what the future held for them. While I didn't exactly have great regard for Gogol's character, I was nevertheless intrigued and very much curious as to what would would happen next in his life and what sort of actions he took, especially his changing feelings towards his family and identity.

Of course, I feel, as many do, that the book is still largely about Ashima, and the first generation (a generation that I think Lahiri writes with more lucidity and sensitivity), as they try to find a balance in their new country (America). I felt most connected with the Ashima towards the end of the book when Lahiri wrote about Ashima's life after retirement, a few years into her widowhood, and her final departure into a land she once considered home, but was now simply another nostalgic resting place. At the end, Gogol finally may have come to terms about the significance and his connection with his namesake, but I think Ashima also comes to terms with her American identity, the new hybrid culture she creates with her family, and how she has grown as result of her journey. However, home still seems like an in-between place for her, neither here nor there, but I think she finally recognizes and admires the significance, opportunities, and a certain sense of security that America provides for her and her family. A place where her son may finally understand and become comfortable with his namesake.

**********

So now that I've finally read the book, I can say that I'm thoroughly excited about the upcoming movie. [I'm more or less one of those people that likes to read the book/play/comic before watching the movie version of it. I just like the idea of knowing what the original story was like, what the prose and author's tone and voice is like before exploring a visual depiction of it.]

Here's the trailer. Tabu looks amazing and I'm interested in seeing more of Irfan Khan's acting. The movie looks to be amazing and while I'm not expecting it to be exactly like the book, I think (based on the trailer) that it will still convey the emotional turns, the descriptive connections with the characters, and give a sense of the overall atmosphere of a Bengali family living in America. I guess we'll see come November!

posted by payal @ 9:55 PM 0 comments

Office Space is too close to reality


So apparently, Payal feels that my nuttiness needs to be shared with the world. So here we go…this blog will now attract a whole new crowd of loons.

Work life has definitely exposed me to new experiences, and no I’m not talking about the usual glimpse into the cutthroat corporate world. This day in particular has been an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve managed to experience embarrassment, sadness, joy, giddiness, and a myriad of other feelings.

I started off the day by laughing meaningless, like an airhead, at my boss’ face. He, of course, not only catches me, but insists that I explain myself. Now I would love to tell you why I was laughing, but I don’t know the reason myself…how crazy is that? Now, if you’ve met my boss, you’d understand that he’s by far the coolest boss there is. It’s 8:30am in the morning, I’m cracking up right in front of him, while he’s seriously trying to explain something. Naturally, he assumes that I’m laughing at him. I don’t explain what’s going on, and he lets it go. Can you imagine how MORTIFIED I am at this point!

I feel I need to explain something about myself in order to complete this story and to tie it back to Office Space. It’s confession time…this is where the my eccentricity is portrayed.

I have a relationship with rain! ::GASP::

Hold on, before you judge me, let me explain. Now if you’ve seen Gilmore Girls, think Lorelai and snow. Looking back on our relationship, rain has always been there for me. It’s rained when I’m depressed or having a bad day, it waits on me when I don’t have an umbrella, slows down when I’m out, drenches me when I need to relax or have fun…ahh the good times we’ve shared!

How does this trace back to Office Space you ask? Well, Payal feels that I should be Milton, with a bright red stapler, which I’d have to steal, since my company is stingy. I should be in a bunker somewhere, mumbling/laughing to myself, plotting against the world, and hoping for rain.

Man the life of a hyphenated twenty something is sweet!

posted by gayatri @ 6:19 PM 1 comments

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Stop Discriminating Against Short People!!!

Well, at least fashion-wise. Read here. Although I don't shop in the petite department, this is not good news for my mother and other short aunties.

Dammit! Now I'm really going to have to learn how to sew!

posted by payal @ 10:03 AM 0 comments

Terror Fears Hamper U.S. Muslims' Travel


courtesy of NY Times

Azhar Usman [pictured above], a burly American-born Muslim with a heavy black beard, says he elicits an almost universal reaction when he boards an airplane at any United States airport: conversations stop in midsentence and the look in the eyes of his fellow passengers says, "We're all going to die!"


Here's the whole article (free subscription may be required) from today's NY Times regarding the continued terror fears forcing many Muslim-Americans to avoid traveling as much as possible.

posted by payal @ 9:54 AM 0 comments