Thursday, November 30, 2006

IFC Nominations

Yay! The real nominations are here! Not to diss the Oscars, but they ALWAYS overlook the truly talented, subtle performances, many from newly arrived actors (including many minorities), and some noteworthy, innovative, and thought-provoking screenplays.

The IFC nominations just came out the other day. And..the wonderful Little Miss Sunshine and Man Push Cart have been nominated!! So has the documentary My Country, My Country (a really great doc!) and Thank You for Smoking. Check out all the nominations here.

posted by payal @ 4:37 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

I Think I May Have Met a Celebrity...

BUT..I'm not sure!!!

This ALWAYS happens to me!!!! Always! And this is the 2nd time in the same city!!!
Either I run into a celebrity but didn't even know that he/she was one...or...I run into one, even have a pleasant conversation with him/her, but then have no camera to forever remember that moment and rub it in the face of my friends!!! Life is SO unfair!

So I was in L.A. (L.A.!!! o.k. but that's for a whole 'nother post!) recently and attending a certain family desi function. I happened to be sitting at one of the front tables right near the stage, the center of the hall, and near the mcees. So the mcees for the night were these 2 desi men who walked on stage with some strut and style and proceeded to put on some skits and give mini-speeches. And they were HILARIOUS. No really. They were good. And good to look at too ;) Which is not always the case in certain desi functions, especially family-related ones (both the mceeing and the looks!).

These two managed to connect with the audience and ran the program along smoothly in a timely manner with their random comments and witty banter during periods of technology difficulties (isn't that always the case!) and long, boring, unimpressive speeches by people who should really not be speaking in public to begin with (sorry, but its true! You know what I'm talkin' about!).

So while I'm sitting there listening to these mcees, I'm thinkin' Damn!! Who are these people? (I didn't manage to get their names when announced at the beginning, and no one at my table knew either). Usually non-professional desi events don't have the strongest of mcees and certainly not the funniest. So I was quite impressed.

Even more impressive, was the fact that one of the mcees looked awfully familiar. Like I had seen or heard about him before somewhere, but couldn't imagine where. Afterall, this was freakin' L.A where everyone is practically a celebrity or acts like he or she is one. But I've spent practically all of my life in the Midwest (Holla!!!) so there was no chance I somehow knew this guy (although, it has to be said that there's like 2 degrees of separation between all of us Gujjus in America.)

I didn't know this guy, had never met him before, but for the life of me, knew that there was something about him that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Lo and Behold, the evening flew by, my face hurt from laughter, and before I could even finish my lassi or grab a spoon of dal makhani, these boys seemed to have disappeared. I couldn't find them anywhere afterwards and sadly, didn't even see them on the dance floor bustin' some moves :( !!!

Who was this guy and where did he come from!!!! Talk about using your connections! Where, how, when, did my extended family find this guy!!!!
It was driving me insane...

So after a few days, when I returned back home in the flat, cold, cloudly Midwest, I happened to be checking one of my older emails that I had gotten but never opened. It was an email describing a new start-up desi clothing business and had a link to their website. I clicked on the link and was perusing their website in hopes of finding what was so cool about this new clothing line. One of the links on the webpage was to a page with photos of desi celebrities wearing the clothing at various parties and events and showin' some love towards this new product. A rather direct, convincing marketing tool to say hey "if Kal Penn wears this, so should you!" (add big cheesey smile here with several thumbs up actions!!!) . Well, as I'm looking through the pictures, there, right in the center of the webpage, is the photo of a desi hip-hop group reppin' the t-shirts. And I think my MYSTERY MCEE DUDE was in it!!!!!! He was in the hip-hop group!!!! I'm pretty sure it's the SAME GUY! How could I have not known that! Geez...I'm totally missin' out on my street cred these days.

I had so heard about this guy and read about him in other features! If I'm right (and I'm pretty sure I am), Mr. Funny Mcee Dude is huge in Cali and is a rapper, musician, comedian, and apparently also an mcee on his down time at random desi events that I attend!!!! How cool is that!!! Meeting a random desi celebrity (hard and rare enough as that is!) while I'm in L.A, at a big (but not nessarily huge or well-known) desi event, a family event no less, and who was standing just a few inches away from me! What was the likelihood! And to think that if I had only paid attention to those damn youtube videos and random magazine articles of him beforehand, I could have known all along who this cool dude was for sure and might have even got a picture as proof for this long-winded blog post.

I mean DAMN! I so could have met a celebrity! And that's important stuff people! Who cares about studying, helping others, getting a career and all that, when you can MEET a celebrity!!!!

Sigh. Next time, people, next time. Whenever I go back to L.A. again, I'm keeping my camera with me at ALL times. In L.A., you never know who you're going to run into. Even with random aunties and uncles. And I swear, I WILL make sure that there are some photos with celebrities.
Photoshopped or not!! ;)

posted by payal @ 3:50 PM 0 comments

Upcoming Writing/Acting Workshop

Just received some news on the following introductory writing/acting workshop by Rasaka Theatre and DesiLit. Sounds pretty cool, sign up if you can!


Rasaka Theatre / DesiLit Creativity Workshop

Saturday, December 2, 2006
Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Avenue, Rm 720

DesiLit and Rasaka Theatre cordially invite you to participate in our introductory creativity workshops!9 - noon: Morning session: ActingAn introduction to acting. This workshop is geared for beginners -- no experience needed! We'll do group and individual exercises designed to unlock your inner actor.
Instructors: Anjali Thawani and Bobby Zaman.

Noon - 1: Lunch (brown bag)Bring your lunch and join us for a discussion of the life of the creative artist; we'll talk about finding inspiration, finding time and discipline to create, and if time permits, we may even talk about starting to market yourself and your work.

1 - 4: Afternoon session: WritingAn introduction to writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. This workshop is geared for beginners -- no experience needed! We'll do exercises that introduce you to all four genres, and by the end of the workshop, you'll leave with a complete piece of writing. Instructors: Bobby Zaman and Mary Anne Mohanraj.

Cost: $30/session; $50/entire day.Space will be limited to ten participants/session.To reserve your spot, please e-mail Mary Anne Mohanraj at: info@desilit.org

Instructor Bios:
Anjali Thawani is delighted to once again be working with Rasaka Theater Company. A graduate of the University of Illinois BFA program in Acting, she has worked throughout Chicago in various venues, including The Stage Left Theater, and with The Steppenwolf Theater Company (Summer Arts.) Favorite roles include Darlene in Balm In Gilead, Viola in Twelfth Knight, the Infanta in Stories from a Garden (world premiere cast), and of course, any role that she has ever played for Rasaka.

Mary Anne Mohanraj is the author of BODIES IN MOTION, a set of Sri Lankan-American linked stories, covering two families and three generations (HarperCollins). She teaches fiction at Vermont College and Roosevelt University, and is working on a follow-up book, THE ARRANGEMENT, a contemporary threesome novel (forthcoming HarperCollins). Mohanraj recently received an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Prose. She currently serves as the Executive Director of DesiLit (www.desilit.org), an organization that works to support S. Asian and diaspora literature, and also directs the Speculative Literature Foundation (www.speclit.org). Mohanraj was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. http://www.maryannemohanraj.com

Bobby Zaman is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with degrees in English Literature/Writing & Theatre. He has been working as a playwright and actor in the Chicago theatre scene for the past 12 years. During this time Bobby has worked with such companies as the Next Theatre Company, Keyhole Theatre Company, Saint Sebastian Players, Polarity Ensemble Theatre, The Theatre Building Chicago, Arts Lane Absolute Shakespeare Company, Rasaka Theatre Company and many more. His latest play THE PALACE received a staged reading with Rasaka Theatre Company in May of this year and is currently being shopped around for near future production. Bobby is currently at work on a trilogy of plays.

posted by payal @ 3:39 PM 0 comments

A Sad Thanksgiving for Some

I'm finally back from my looooong weekend. More details on that later, hopefully, if I get a chance to blog about it. But I came back and read this sad bit of news that happened last week in my hometown.

Hopefully these shop owners can get their businesses up and running soon!

Thanksgiving fire shatters dreams on Devon Avenue

By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah
Tribune staff reporter
November 25, 2006

The smell of smoke and charred debris hung heavy Friday over the heart of Devon Avenue, a boulevard of American dreams built by immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.Just like the nation's retail giants, these North Side sellers of lentils, spices, saris, jewels and Bollywood videos depend on long holiday weekends for their livelihoods.But a fire Thursday morning ravaged most of the south side of the street between Campbell and Maplewood Avenues, closing 15 businesses and 11 apartments. Friday morning, shop owners gathered across the street in Zam Zam Restaurant to commiserate, compare losses and try to find a way to smile through it."Outside I'm laughing, but inside I'm crying," said Abdul Wahid Butt, whose Sabri Nehari Restaurant had been so popular that patrons often waited an hour for a table and a chance to sip the nehari, a spicy beef stew. Friday it was boarded up, its roof collapsed, its green and white sign blackened. "Thirteen years of hard work and I've been left on the street," he said.Estimates of destroyed inventory and lost business ranged into the millions.Mohammed Rehan, the owner of Sur Sangeet, which rented Bollywood movies, had just taken ownership of the store a month ago. He didn't have insurance.Hamid Mirza, the owner of Chandni Boutique, a clothing store, reflected on how eight years ago when he first came from Pakistan, a house fire left him homeless. He and his family survived and eventually started the boutique, only to have another fire devastate them.Outside, people gathered in groups across from the burned-out block. Some looked lost. Others wondered whether their favorite restaurants or stores--some of which draw customers from around the Midwest--would ever reopen.

"Each and every shop has its own unique presence on the street," said Mahesh Sharma, 50, who had walked down from his own business, the India Book House, to take a look. "Everyone comes here from a different part of the world to make a living. People here put in a lot of hard work, so when something like this happens, it really hurts."He noted that Raag Music, one of the affected businesses, was the only store on Devon that specialized in music from south India in Tamil and Telegu."No one else had the variety he had," Sharma said.Shujaat Ali, owner of Sohnny Jewelers, walked into Zam Zam with relief in his eyes. He had been allowed into his store Thursday night and his glass showcases appeared intact. There was no water damage in the store. His goods were locked away in a safe.But as long as the store remained closed, he was losing sales."We were really waiting for this special Thanksgiving weekend," Ali said. "We were expecting a lot of business."Others had not been inside their businesses yet. They had no idea how much they had lost.The fire began at about 4 a.m. Thursday. Three buildings share one facade along the block. Fire officials said flames were initially reported in the rear of one of the buildings and quickly spread across the roof.Although firefighters were able to get the fire under control within two hours, they battled hot spots throughout the day Thursday. They returned Friday morning to put out rubbish that had rekindled.The cause remained undetermined Friday, said fire spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez. But firefighters had some much-needed good news for occupants: The buildings were no longer in danger of collapsing.Butt welcomed the news. Since first arriving 27 years ago on a temporary visa, the Pakistani businessman has struggled to make a life in America. He lived illegally before being granted amnesty in 1986. He is now a U.S. citizen. For many years, he drove taxis, 14 hours a day, saving money for a business.

Two decades ago, he started his first restaurant on Devon. It failed. He started another. It failed too.Sabri Nehari was his first success. Butt opened it 13 years ago in a small storefront, east of Western Avenue. He said he put 16 hours a day into his restaurant, cultivating customers and developing a loyal following. Eventually, he moved the family eatery to the current, larger site west of Western. He now owns other businesses in the area and in DuPage County as well.But Sabri Nehari on Devon was where many of his family memories lay. Recently Butt, 52, had bought the store next door hoping to expand the 140-seat capacity."It was the No. 1 restaurant on Devon," said Rohit Maniar, vice president of the National Republic Bank of Chicago and an unofficial expert on the strip.Qamar Churra, who walked by across the street, had eaten at the restaurant the night before the fire. He wondered if he'd find another eatery that was as friendly, a place where he could hang out with family and friends."I come and eat here every other week," he said.Butt said he has been getting calls from patrons, expressing their sorrow and pleading with him to reopen soon.On Friday, in between pep talks with other business owners on his block, telling each to have faith in God, Butt was busy trying to secure financing and looking for another site along the street where he could open another Sabri Nehari--ASAP." I have a lot of customers," he said. "I have to open as soon as possible."

nahmed@tribune.com
Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune

posted by payal @ 3:19 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Thanks and Happy Giving

Hey all....

I'll be away from the blog for a few days. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it, and a wonderful weekend. Give a little thanks and have a good one!

posted by payal @ 11:34 AM 0 comments

Monday, November 20, 2006

And you thought debate was just a club...

Oh Hell No!!! It's a sport. Or also known as...how to speak 150 words a minute. Intelligently. And while breathing. This is some real talent y'all. And it's even broadcast on College Sports TV. Love that!

Just saw the video of the 2004 National Collegiate Debate Tournament on Google Video.

It was fascinating. And yes, I know. I'm a dork.

No but seriously. The schools, the teams, the upsets, the triumphs, the underdogs, the tears, the joy, the cockiness, the school bravado, the nerdiness, the ambitions, oh more nerdiness, and the sheer amount of verbal aggressiveness was astounding! These are some smart, driven students. Apparently these undergrads do as much research for their arguments as those completing their Masters thesis. *bowing in respect of just how serious (and just a little geeky/crazy?) these students are.

Unfortunately, didn't see my alma mater, University of Illinois represented. But there were Berkeley and Michigan St. competing against each other in the final round (that's right. Northwestern and Harvard were outta there! Haha:)) and a Berkeley desi debater featured as the best speaker in the country.

So I guess it's about time people started realizing they shouldn't mess with the nerds!

Or as my lovely button says: We are the future of America. Be Afraid. Very Afraid. ;)

posted by payal @ 3:20 PM 0 comments

Friday, November 17, 2006

A Dress-Sari?

So as I was procrastinating on my paper, I saw this pic of J.Lo in Rome for TomKat's wedding:


(picture courtesy from People magazine)

Is it just me..or does this sort of look like a sari cut short and worn off the shoulder?? I mean, it looks beautiful, but the way the pallu is worn is kinda like a sari, no?

posted by payal @ 8:23 PM 0 comments

Personal Rant of the Day: Don't act like you know me

*Directed towards a certain individual who decided to talk behind my back, as I was listening (!), and went on to make certain presumptions about me. *

First of all, I hate it when I can't turn back and shoot an equally insulting comment back at someone during the moment when someone is trying to undermine me. I don't know why. I always wish I was one of those girls who could come up with a witty, burning comment right at those moments. BUT, of course, I am too overwhelmed, confused, or simply too nice to say something back. Something in me just always wants to wave it off, ignore it, and move on.

But really, how dumb/unaware/nice do you think I am? To be sitting there right behind me, making indirect comments (but yet so direct since you were looking at me and since there was NO other brown person there other than me) about who you think I am and what my personality is like. I've talked to you like 2 times, both times with a smile on my face and with considerable kindness. I've never been mean to you.

But just because you're brown and I'm brown, DOES NOT mean we have to talk to each other, become best buddies, hang out on weekends, or even eye-fuck at each other. Maybe I'm a little shy, a little introverted and maybe you're a little outgoing and extroverted, so you're having trouble understanding why a fellow brown person isn't automatically bffs with another person who also happens to be brown and all eager to hang out with just fellow browns. Well, "Mr. Are you brown enough": Let me break it down for you.

DON'T act like you know me. DON'T tell me how desi I am or am not. DON'T label me and tell me what a Desi should/would act like. Don't take mere observations and extractions of random conversations to presume that you know who I am, where I come from, what my upbringing is like, what my beliefs are, what my friends are like, what I think it means to be a brown person.

But most of all, don't EVER tell me how I should identify as a brown person and what I should act like. Because, the truth is, with your convoluted vision of who I am, you'll never figure it out and you'll always put me in your make-believe "this is how desis should act/feel/hang out with" box. And I'll just never fit in.

Seriously, who do you think you are to be telling me what it means to be a desi, to be assuming that just because I hang out with a diverse group of friends that has a lower number of desis which apparently doesn't fit your quota/standard of enough desi friends to have to be a true desi, that I am somehow less desi because of it? That I am somehow losing my culture, religion, beliefs by hanging out with people that I actually like, that are smart, funny, caring, and good people rather than a few extra browns to fill your supposed quota just so I can say/feel like I'm desi enough.

Because let me tell you. That is some messed up idea of what it means to be a desi. For you to say something so asanine like, "Well I guess brownies just ignore other brownies here, you know, that's just how some of the brownies I know roll here I guess..." In what planet did you think that I would just let that go by and how dare you think that just because not every brown person is friends with every other brown person, that somehow we are ignoring him/her or denying our identity in some way. Seriously, man. I want to know. Because you are apparently coming from somewhere I CANNOT relate with.

Maybe it's because you live in a town with a much smaller desi population and so everyone knows each other and therefore every brown person MUST be friends with each other. Well, I hate to break it to you. There's like this big city like 3 hours away from here where there's like 200,000+ desis. And not everyone knows each other (unless you play the six-degrees-Kevin Bacon game!) and not everyone feels the need to either. Nobody CARES!

You're just being an idiot. People like you upset me, anger me, because you try to pigeon-hold all of us in some sort of complex-standstill-narrow minded concept of desiness that people like me will never adhere to. Everyone has their own way of identifying with their brownness and don't need to follow your stupid standards or quotas.

I'm secure with who I am, what my identity is, how I define desi for myself, who my friends are, what my interests are, and how my brown self wants to "roll."

I guess I could drop to your level and question why you act so gangsta (when you're clearly suburban), why you feel need to act like such a pimp (as if that really attracts all the ladies), why you are so arrogant and judgmental when somone doesn't act in a way you don't agree with. But you know what, I'll NEVER equate your behavior, beliefs, actions, as being any more or any less Desi.

Because guess what, you jerk, being desi isn't about all that. That's all just you. There's no one definition for it. You are who you are and you live the way you want to. There is no one way that an individual desi must act in order to be an actual desi. There's no written script or rulebook for it. There's never confusion. You shouldn't be bound by some arbirtrary boundaries. And never according to just one defintion. We all have our own evolving identity.

Desis come in all forms yo! Live and Let live!

Peace,
From the "I-don't-need-to-define-myself-to-you" secure brown sista sitting infront of you.

posted by payal @ 3:10 PM 2 comments

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Go Fug Your Bollywood Self


So as some of you may know, I am quite selective in which Bollywood films I watch. It depends on the actors (I will NEVER watch a Salman Khan film. EVAH!), the script/plot (seriously, Black is one of the worst movies I have ever seen!), possibly the director (I'm biased towards most Bengali directors, Deepa Mehta, Aparna Sen...but need to be insane to ever watch a Karan Johar film), and the genre (I refuse to watch horror films).

But...(you didn't think there would be a but did you ;)) ....I may be influenced into watching a film for its asthetics. That's right people. I have my priorities. Clearly. And if it looks really pretty (ahem..Devdas, Umaro Jaan (and coincidently, both contain a certain actress, sadly)), then I might just go see it. But cinematography and scenery aren't enough.

FASHION! I love fashion. Even if I don't/won't/shouldn't wear any of the clothes that are displayed, I love looking at the designs, fabrics, colors, and various ways such clothing can be worn. And if a movie has fabulous fashion.....I'll watch it too. I know....I have way too many exceptions;)

So for the past month or so...I've been stalking my favorite Bollywood fashion commentary site, Ugly, Ugly, Bollywood Fugly. (And shout-out to one of the writers who is an Illini!)

Love the blog...Go check it out, it's so NOT fugly:) !

PS...Ok so the photo has NOTHING to do really with the post, but no matter how much I dislike Ms. Rai, I gotta say, Damn...that is one pretty pic!

posted by payal @ 9:58 PM 0 comments

Getting Filmi

Want reviews about the latest desi movies? Want commentary on movies you know you'll never be able to watch but so wish you could because you're stuck in an educational dungeon in the middle of nowhere? Want news, opinions on indie (as in independent:)), diasporic, and documentary features?

yes, Yes, and YES!!!!

I recommend filmiholic. Love her site and well...am a little jealous she got to see all those movies!

I am so greatful for her commentary from the recent IACC movie festival in NY on movies such as Nina's Heavenly Delights, Punching at the Sun, Hiding Divya, Gandhi at Bat, etc. A wonderful way to enjoy those movies vicariously through her writing. Especially since I know it will be a pain to track them down if I ever do get a chance to see them.

Take a break, and enter her filmi duniya! You just might get addicted :)

posted by payal @ 9:44 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

It's All About Consolidation

I read the following op-ed in the Tribune today morning and it made me laugh. It's by the one and only, Garrison Keillor. I thought I would share it with you all. My favorite part:

While we're at it, let's admit that Utah, Texas and Vermont have never been completely comfortable as part of the United States. They've tried to fit in but it just isn't working, so let's allow them to pull out and find their own path. You could attach Nevada to Utah and make a lovely little desert nation out of that, and let Vermont join Canada, and make Texas a republic. Add Oklahoma to it. They really are part of the same thing. This leaves us with 43 states, which we could reduce to 40 by joining Rhode Island and New Hampshire and making Idaho part of Montana and combining North and South Dakota into one state called West Minnesota. It's called consolidation, folks. It goes on all the time in corporate America and also in local school districts, so let's make it work for America.We Democrats will personally foot the bill for the new flags.

Find the full article below.
Warning: If you're a Republican, you might not laugh! :)


Goodbye, Utah, Texas ...

--------------------Garrison Keillor November 15, 2006

I'm sitting under a banyan tree in Honolulu with a big glass of pomegranate juice, and the sea is glittering and surfers are skimming in on low waves, and the election is over, so let's all relax and quit irritating each other. OK? Nancy Pelosi, the she-wolf from Sodom, is about to become the madam of the House, so you Republicans just get over it. Cash in your blue chips and invest in gold ingots and maybe real estate in Costa Rica. The black helicopters have landed. Live with it.Democrats intend to bring reform to Washington, and why not begin with the United States Senate? It has been sorely in need of reform for a century or so. Two senators per state is a good idea in theory, assuming they are half smart, but then you look at George Allen, a lumbering frat boy from the state of Madison and Jefferson, and you think, whoa, something is wrong with this picture. We need some horizontal control.Let's start at the beginning and redraw the map. First of all, is there a reason for Wyoming to exist as a state? I have often wondered about this. Why give two Senate seats to a half-million dime-store cowboys while California gets two seats for 34 million people? (Wyoming has roughly the population of Sacramento.) It's OK if Wyoming sends somebody with brains and an independent streak, but when they send a couple of Republican hacks, then it makes no sense.The idea behind the Senate was to create a sheltered body of wise counselors who, because they don't have to shill for money perpetually, can rise above the petty tumult and think noble thoughts and do the right thing in a pinch. Can you think of a time when Wyoming's senators have done this? No, you can't. So let's bite the bullet and make Wyoming a federal protectorate and appoint an overseer.This would be a good assignment for Halliburton. It's done a heck of a job in Iraq, and let's give it Wyoming and, while we're at it, Alaska. A wonderful postcard place, but what have its congressmen done other than grub for federal largesse for Alaska? Change the name to Denali and put Halliburton in charge of it.

While we're at it, let's admit that Utah, Texas and Vermont have never been completely comfortable as part of the United States. They've tried to fit in but it just isn't working, so let's allow them to pull out and find their own path. You could attach Nevada to Utah and make a lovely little desert nation out of that, and let Vermont join Canada, and make Texas a republic. Add Oklahoma to it. They really are part of the same thing. This leaves us with 43 states, which we could reduce to 40 by joining Rhode Island and New Hampshire and making Idaho part of Montana and combining North and South Dakota into one state called West Minnesota. It's called consolidation, folks. It goes on all the time in corporate America and also in local school districts, so let's make it work for America.We Democrats will personally foot the bill for the new flags. This is a promise.We now have 40 states and 20 extra Senate seats to parcel out. Give some to ex-presidents. This would rescue them from their lonely lives on the lecture circuit and lend some pizazz to the place since they'd be free to spout off and say whatever they think. People would sit in the galleries to listen to Bill Clinton. He'd be down there sawing away with Jimmy Carter and Bush 41 and maybe some former secretaries of state and chairmen of the joint chiefs. Let them in the club and put that experience to use. And add some city senators. Give one to New York, one to L.A., Chicago, Seattle and so forth. This would definitely add color.And that is how you create a permanent Democratic majority. Tom DeLay showed us the way. Learn from the master. Those dinkeldorfs who ran the show for 12 years must never be allowed to return to power. Take those suits to the cleaners. Subject them to alternative interrogation techniques until we get to the truth. George Allen would make a decent host of a daytime quiz show. He came dangerously close to running for president. Ai yi yi yi yi. Let's get to work.
----------Garrison Keillor is an author and radio host of "A Prairie Home Companion."Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune

posted by payal @ 2:15 PM 0 comments

Rockin' out to Raman





















I wanted to point out 2 tracks that I've been listening to recently from one of my favorite artists, Susheela Raman. Both can be found on her myspace page. The first is Same Song and its an extremely beautiful song with the wonderful line, "Nowhere to go but the horizon/ Where then will I call my home."

The second is the yet unreleased collaboration with my fave, Karsh Kale, titled Waiting in Vain. I love the slow, subtle start and how it starts out with her English lyrics and then flows into Hindi lyrics sung by male voice. Lovely!

Although, of course IMO, I enjoy all of her tracks on her albums, Salt Rain (I love the song Mamavatu) and Music for Crocodiles.

Check them out!

posted by payal @ 1:55 PM 0 comments

Friday, November 10, 2006

Nancy Giles


I just came back from a wonderful conference titled, Women in Law with amazing sessions and speakers. The keynote speaker for the dinner reception was Nancy Giles currently on the CBS Morning Show. She was so amazing and such a vibrant, engaging speaker. I loved listening to all of her experiences from NY to college to her acting career and radio show. I especially liked how she would occasionally digress into random rants, songs, and side anecdotes in addition to the already tangential stories she was mentioning. She's loud, honest, and SO funny. I loved her and her spirit. She talked about empowerment and how what were initially negative experiences, later on became the most benefitial lessons and motivational moments in her life. I got a chance to meet her after her speech and she was extremely nice, funny and stayed an hour after to talk to all of us and listen to our comments and stories! There were many highlights during the conference which I will blog about later, but I just wanted to give a shout-out to an inspiring, funny, smart, and wonderful woman who's speech and personality was refreshing and gave me an emotional high! Lots of respect yo!

posted by payal @ 4:24 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Boston Highlights

On my recent trip to Boston, I saw Death Cab for Cutie in concert. I've never been so in love with a bunch of dorky looking guys before. They were adorable and incredible! Our seats were two rows away from the stage. I could actually see them spit (and to be honest Ben Gibbard, the lead singer did). But when you sing like that, all is forgiven! They setlist included tracks from Plans, The Photo Album, and Transatlanticism. The Base player was kinda scary, doing his little dance and blocking the oh so cute drummer. So if you haven't heard any of their stuff yet, I urge you to do so. You won't be sorry!

Stay tuned for actual photos from the concert, taken up close and personal!

posted by gayatri @ 10:40 PM 1 comments

A New Desi Comedy?!!!

CBS has put up pilot episodes of a new comedy from the writers of Borat and the Da Ali G show:
The Papdits.

It's a show about a Kashmiri family immigrating to the U.S and finding a place to call home as they travel around in their RV. There's a camera crew following them to see how they go about realizing their American dreams.

I just watched the pilot episodes online and some of it's funny. It reminds of Arrested Development in the way it comes off as a reality show and how it portrays expressions of the outside actors, aka, the Papdits' interactions with the Americans.

Plus it's got Nitin Ganatra (of Bride and Prejudice fame(That guy with the speedo. Yeah. Him.) among other shows and movies) who's got great comedic and acting ability. In fact, he was the only redeeming quality of that awful, awful movie. (If you haven't seen it, DON'T!!) Additionally, Madhur Jaffrey plays the "widow" in the show.

posted by payal @ 1:46 AM 0 comments

Friday, November 03, 2006

The Brown Terror Alert Levels

I read this HILARIOUS feature today titled: THE TERROR ALERT LEVELS: A BROWN PERSON'S GUIDE.

It's so funny, and yet in an odd way, likely to occur someday given the current state of affairs. Now get your brown radar on and ALERT yourself! :)

posted by payal @ 7:03 PM 0 comments

One November Morning....

8:15 AM: SHOOOOOOT!

I woke up late. I had class in a half an hour and I was running late! Nothing new, as I'm ALWAYS running late for my morning classes. Seriously. It's so bad, the professor no longer even notices as I walk in late because well, it's to be expected. Yeah. I've become one of those students. But in my defense, I've never been a morning person, I'd rather pull an all nighter than wake up at 6AM for a class. But then again, I'd rather sleep than eat too....so yeah I have some issues ;)

I'm getting therapy.

Well, someday.

But back to my rather interesting story. So I'm practically running down the hallway of my apartment building in heels (because it's Friday, dammit, and despite my "messy look" and my "it's too early to think" mindset, I'll look like a doll today if I want!) like a maniac to catch the elevator down. Just as I get inside the elevator and the doors are about to close, this tall, cute guy with a warm smile tries to get into the elevator. So being the nice person I am (I swear, I am, even in the early morning :)) I attempt to hold the door open. Attempt being the key word there. In moments of time pressures, I, of course, become the most chaotic, uncoordinated person evah. So of course, being the dork I am...I hit the "close the door" button. Crap! Then I hit the "Alarm" button. NOOOOOOO! (which is NOT a sound you want to hear that early in the morning!) Finally, my hands coordinate with my brain and bad eyesight to actually hit the "open the door" button with me literally yelling out (i'm not even joking) AHHHHH out loud because I couldn't even press the correct button! Geeeeeez.

I'm such a loser.

But seriously, those were some stressful minutes, yo!

Meanwhile, the man already has smoothly made his way into the elevator and is watching me fumble around with the buttons in an "attempt" to help him. I swear he had the biggest smirk on his face.

And it lasted the WHOLE freakin' elevator ride down.

And then he looked at me and I gave him this nervous, embarassed smile as if that would mean anything next to his smirk. He made some small talk and we both laughed. I, because, I was already a mess and am prone to being very gullible before my morning coffee. He, I presume, because he needed to let out his laughter in some manner over some silly girl in the elevator before proceeding to his MBA class.

Sigh. These were such memorable moments.

I walked into class late as the professor didn't even blink an eye and as my fellow loyal students had already collected all the handouts for me and stacked it on my seat. Well, hey, at least I'm consistent!

Class is over and I rush back to my apartment before returning to my educational dungeon. I'm waiting at the signal light. Waiting calmly and SO happy I had found some caffeine. But of course, you knew the story couldn't end like this!

Enter Mr. Smirky Cute Elevator Dude. WHY! OH DEAR GOD WHYYYYYY! His class just had to end at the same time as mine. I try to look away, hide behind a pole, act like I've NEVER seen him before. That this morning was just a hallucination.

Damn. He looks over and smiles at me. Without finding anybody else to chat up and forgetting to wear my bitchy-I-don't -want-to-talk-to you blinders, I smile back. He asks me about the books I'm carrying. Sees me walking in heels and says, well, wow, you do a mighty (his word, NOT mine) fine job carrying those heavy books and walking in heels. You must be used to to it he says. We laugh.

I, because, I had no idea what to say. I mean, what do you say to something like that? Yeah I'm a woman who can walk in heels and carry books! Deal with it yo! He, because, he needed to let out his laughter after making a silly comment to a girl while crossing the street at a major intersection where no one cares to talk because everyone has a life to get to.

Also, was he flirting with me???? Elevator people should not flirt with you in the real world! It's just wrong. And really uncomfortable!

Just as we are reaching the end of the intersection, something wonderful and yet sad happens. He trips over himself.

He looks away. I smirk.

We walk away and get separated by other people at the intersection. I enter my apartment building and walk into the elevator and hit the "up" button, still smirking about the RANDOMNESS of this day.

And...I hit the button for the WRONG floor.

Dude. This shit never gets old!

posted by payal @ 10:51 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Beneath a Book Club Sky


I just saw on CBS NEWS that this book, Beneath a Marble Sky, is flying off bookshelves, about a 1000 a week and becoming rapidly famous in book club circles. As a way to increase sales and his popularity, the author, John Shors, wrote his email address and a short letter in the new printing of the book. Apparently, many book clubs began contacting him and booking him to come and talk at their book clubs. Now he's booked almost up to 2008!

I hadn't even heard about this book before, but it's gotten some decent reviews. Who knew that there was a book out there written by an Iowan male author about an Indian princess in the first person narrative!

From Amazon:

"Shors's spirited debut novel tells the story of the eldest daughter of the 17th-century emperor who built the Taj Mahal. From her self-imposed exile, Jahanara recalls growing up in the Red Fort; the devotion her parents, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, had for each other; and the events that took place during the construction of the fabulous monument to their love."

Have any of you read it or heard about it?

posted by payal @ 6:06 PM 0 comments