Random

When we age, it does happen quite fast. The days fly by so quickly and before you realize it, another year has gone by and another birthday approaches. It is quite hard to digest the fact that a sweet sixteen was a long time ago, more so because of the responsibilities that people expect you to take over automatically, once you reach a certain age. These days, I can sense the pauses in conversation, as I don't want to talk about certain things. They are better left unsaid.

The city is becoming hotter. I remember this time last year, when I walked down Newbury steet with my friends, as we tried some of the fabulous culinary choices around the area. It was a carefree time, a life that I still yearn for. Somehow, things dont' feel the same anymore. New York, once so fascinating has now become routine. There are like, exactly seven places that I visit day and again. Yet, it does not have the same tranquil vibe as the Christian science center in Boston. A walk around the reflection pool was enough to pick up my spirits, any day.

The weekend was so much fun. My friends helped bring New York to life, and I struggled at one AM to keep my eyes open to enjoy the poker game that I kept cribbing about (well, thats' just me). Time flies so fast when you have company. I wish I could accumulate my days off and just enjoy them together with friends, rather than have restless weekend after weekend. I guess that it is not in my hands, like so many other things. Had they been, would it make things better? Or is the grass greener by the muddy bank? I wonder..

Another weekend

Has arrived and is almost over. I remember a time when Sunday nights would make me gloomy at the prospect of a long week ahead, after all those movie nights and game-filled days. These days the gloom is gone. So is the thrill on a Friday morning, over a highly anticipated weekend.

Of Course, Saturday mornings are always good, meaning that I can roll out of bed as late as possible and quietly sip a cup of coffee for a good half hour. But after that, is when I get restless. It is a new feeling, alien to me, something that I knew not when I was surrounded by friends.Somehow, in Boston, even a trip to the pharmacy or the grocer was fun. I loved my solo walk and back to the whole foods around the corner, now it seems rather like a mundane chore. I wonder why?

This Saturday was a lot of fun, as I spent it with my friends & their parents.. An otherwise long day became short thanks to the delightful company and interesting conversation...

I have gone back to my books, thanks to the graduation present I got from my friends. "Rebbecca" by Daphne Du Maurier.. This book was reminiscent of Jane Eyre, yet there was a mystique added to the well told story, a very English feel. Manderley remains in your mind long after you turn the last page. You are also left wondering about the elusive Rebbecca..

I am now reading "The Memory Keepers Daughter". It is extremely poignant and touching, bringing to your attention the joy and agony of parenting. To each of us, our offspring is simply the most precious.. Will you not want your precious child if she is not perfect? What if you were giving her up to protect another loved one? The book brings to life the truest of human feelings, loss, pain, regret, love... and redemption.

Graduation

It was the perfect weekend for a happy graduation cermony. Boston, welcoming as always, was crisp & cold. I did shiver, but I loved it. Starting from the trip to the temple on saturday morning in Santosh's new car, a rushed run to to Matthews arena after a long search for unavailable parking, I and Sudan finally made it to the stands, where Natesh, Prabhu and Vikram were already all set. We made it to the stadium, filled with happy friends, proud parents & relatives. A very elating ceremony, one school song and the star spangled banner later, we were the proud graduates.

Holding the diploma (that I received two months ago in the post, by the way), I felt happy, yet a small corner of my heart was feeling the sadness at the change that had set into our lives. Our sights of Boston this time were filled with the certain knowledge that we were not going to be hading back there anytime soon, living that tranquil life, chatting over coffee at the local starbucks, with trips to the local Blockbuster. I have never been as attached to any place.. this kind of reminds me of what my friend Preetha wrote; Somehow I do not think it is the people alone that make a place so dear.. there may be a variety of factors. Of course, good company is very important but there is something about certain places.. the magic aura is infectious.

We had the best two nights of poker, movie nights (Spiderman, which did suck), long holiday-esque lunches, great company and laughter, lots and lots of it..

I have had my share of good times and bad times in Boston, but my mind recollects the good times much better..I hope I can say the same of future days to come..

The world around me

Graduation day is fast approaching, and so is my enthusiasm rising.. I am looking forward to see dear Boston again, along with all of my friends; a chance to play yet another round of poker and giggle with friends..

Last weekend I saw a movie, "In the land of Women". My friend Jayshree was convinced that the movie basically sucked, but somehow I found that I enjoyed it. It was a simple but moving portrayal of a perfect looking family, good enough to put in a J. Crew catalogue, but still so dysfunctional. A stranger moves into the neighborhood, as he gets over a relationship that didn't quite make the name and to bond with his Grandma. Somehow, as we all know, it is a lot easier to talk about your deepest fears and insecurity with a relative stranger. Is it because you know it cannot hurt you or is it the other way around? You do not always say what you think to your loved ones, for fear of hurting their feelings.

Somehow all of us need that friend, someone to talk to, someone to confide with, someone who listens as we speak.. and for a mom of two stuck in a suburb, the stranger is of course the best companion. It was a very nice portrayal of a good friendship, not too many words, yet a lot said..

The weather is great these days.. the earliest shades of green are out, after the blossoms. It looks almost like a spray of green.. dandelions are everywhere and so are the tulips & hyacinth blossoms.. Spring is one of the prettiest seasons.. it does make the mind sing on your way to work..

Fitness freak..

Or at least something I have been aspiring to become, over my lunch breaks at work. Ever since I joined the Wellness exchange at work, the group classes encompassing Yoga, Pilates, boot camps, steps & cardio kickboxing have been lots of fun! The exercise does make me pretty hungry as I head back home in the evening, but it is totally worth it.

We are all obsessed with health & fitness in some way or other, be it the diet coke we substitute for our regular fizzy soda, or the extra spoon of oil that we avoid while cooking. We have our own reasons, that range from losing weight(duh) to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Of course, like everyone else, I have tried the fad diets and the green teas. But now I am increasingly beginning to see that what matters is a healthy nutritious diet. So here are some of my tried & true observations:

* It's all about the calories. Eat what you like, but keep it under your daily requirement.

* Anything that is natural is good for you, even if it is not low fat. (Think milk, avocados, Bananas)

* Don't snack on an energy bar before hitting the Gym, that stuff is for the serious athletes. You will do just fine with a banana.

* Cut out the multiple servings of fluid calories (the second coffee with cream, soda,juice). If you must drink, go for herbal teas and diet soda(not regularly). Skip the fruit juice & opt for the fruit instead.

* Do not replace your favorite foods (potato chips etc.) with low calorie substitutes. It will not make you lose your cravings. Have a smaller portion instead.

* Lots of veggies, low on the carbs.

* Try different exercise routines everyday. If you are not a gym rat, try walking around your apartment for an hour.

The above pieces of advice are from me to my own self, as I struggle along with my fitness regime, just like you all do!

Nilaa Sadham..

Yesterday I had my all time favourite dinner.. thair sadham and urugai (for the uninitiated, yogurt on rice with spicy Indian pickle). It made me think of those happy childhood days long gone..

Me, Anuj and Vats would be vacationing at our grandparents place during yet another summer holiday. A summer with my cousins always meant tons of fun! Starting from the long walk early in the morning to see the new railroad, to the castles we built on the pile of construction sand from the beach and whole cities with roads and rail tracks meticulously drawn by us with chalk, we were always on the out look for the most creative thing to do. Our grandparents encouraged us so much that we even had drawing classes, dance classes and music classes every day! Of course the tomboyish me and Anuj used to smuggle out instead of singing, while Vats was always the model student!

Thatha would take us to the stationery store, to buy the crayons and pencils we needed to create our artwork. I remember him urging us to try hard. He got us all the things we wanted, even as much as getting a carpenter to make us our very own set of wooden toy trains!

I can never recall calling my grandma "patti". To me she was always "Ambu" (a short form of her name), a name that I innocently gave her, and it stuck on, so that every one of my cousins and my brother would call her that.

Evenings meant dinner in the moonlight. Ambu would get a large bowlful of delectable thair sadham, and we would pick our favorite pickles. Lemon, Mango, Tomato, Neem leaf, Raw mango.. the list was endless. One variety was never good enough. Ambu would bring a plateful of all the pickles and would dole out small mouthfuls into each of our outstretched little hands..

Then it would be bedtime, which meant us cuddling together in the hand stitched quilts, and whispering conversations as Ambu urged us to sleep.

Even today, as I sit in my apartment eating my plateful of rice and pickle ( alas, I am old enough to be happy with one variety), my mind goes back to those wonderful days of infinite joy and not a care in the world. I realize that it was the infinite love that our grandparents showered on us that made those summer days even more sunny and beautiful..adding to our kaleidoscope of happy memories for years to come.

A cup of Java, or hot chocolate maybe?

I am one of the several million coffee lovers in the world; the kind that takes great pain to buy an espresso machine and brew that perfect cup of coffee. And yes, I am one of the several Starbucks lovers who loves the smell of perfectly roasted coffee beans wafting up as you walk into the shop, the extremely pleasant ambiance where its' always great to chit chat over coffee with friends. Sometimes I just crave the caffeine, like many others do; but even then no bad coffee please!

The other Java is something I work with a lot, and get engrossed in :)

Today, I went to a sweet little chocolate shop called Leonidas, in the heart of the financial district. My colleague got a cup of coffee there on our way to an investment seminar. I love Belgian pralines (Cream filled delights), and I decided to come back to get some. On our way out, however I saw a sign advertising hot chocolate. I was intrigued. What better place to try hot chocolate than a chocolate shop?

On my way back home I decided to make a little stop. At $4, the drink was pricey, but it did come with a Belgian praline! and the store claimed that the hot chocolate was made from melted chocolate!

I walked out of the store, cup in hand, eager to taste that first sip, though it burnt my tongue. It was probably the best cup of chocolate I had ever had; a creamy delight straight from heaven! As I made my way back home, I contemplated several future visits....to my new found culinary crush!

Women

I was reading a very interesting post written by my friend Divya. You can find it here. The post reminded me of something Carrie said in Sex and the city..

"Are women just waiting to be rescued? If prince charming had never come by to kiss her, would snow white still be lying there? Or would she have eventually woken up, got a job, a baby with the help of her local sperm bank and moved on

Power and Glory

Last weekend, I did something that several of my friends did as well.. I watched the movie 300. Despite the terrible New York times review, the movie was not "gorier than Apocalypto". I did enjoy it very much, along with a very enthused crowd, who applauded several times.

We are not even sure if the battle of Thermopylae happened as it was screened, and definitely there were no giant rhino like creatures involved, nor did King Xerxes have so many piercings, but the quest for power has been a true rage, right from those times.

We all long for power and recognition. Right from school where we compete for grades, or when we compete for that promotion, that chance to lead a project or make that acquisition. In days B.C. the quest for power was perhaps too straightforward.. it was decided on battlefields and courts of counsel and law. These days, it is anything but.

To be known, to be a someone for generations to come; to make use of this chance called life bestowed upon us.. is what would be wonderful. Sadly, not everyone of us can make it.. only when there are several stars, do we name one the brightest.. but to try we must, all we can.. in whatever ways we can..

Code, Party, Cold and the like

I guess the title kinda sums it up. I have been doing a lot of the first, attended the second today and have been tolerating the third (if not yelling back at it) for a week. I went to Ikea last weekend with my friend Jayshree. It could only be described as a perfect day.. Shopping with a friend.. We spent five (yes five) hours at the store! It was chilly that day, but I have learned to like chilly thanks to Boston. But what came later; to say the least, was not pleasant stuff.

Later on Sunday, me and my friends went to this very good Indian restaurant (If they have masala dosa and mango ice cream on the buffet, then hell yeah, it's good). Then we wanted to check out Zodiac, but we went to Wild Hogs instead. It was silly, but funny.

Back to the work week, I guess the cold has given me the flu.. The illness sucks, but at least you eat less ;-)

Looking back to this time last year, in Amsterdam.. It was cold but we were too exited to notice. The canal tours, The Anne Frank house that I wanted to see since I was a little girl, and tours to places known and unknown..

Have you ever noticed that a perfect day is more perfect when you rethink it? It may have been but a run of the mill ordinary day, but the people that enriched it and the lights and the sounds make you want to hold on to it forever? If we only chose to rethink every day as a tranquil one, does it just require a strong mind and nothing else? Sure a day with friends beats everything, but sitting on sateen sheets and thinking of life and everything about it is not too bad either!

Company of course rocks, but spending time with your own self is not too bad either! As you are with someone whom you understand the most :)

Corporate life

It is so tough to digest that you are not a student anymore, getting up when you please and working late into the night and watching the crack of dawn beckon to you from your windowsill. These days my alarm is set to early morn, and yet I always get up before it rings. Then comes the obsession to clean everything in the apartment before I jump in the shower; a few minutes checking messages and then setting off to work.. a crowded PATH train, where it has never been possible to read the book that I carry.. unlike the typical New Yorker who balances his paper so perfectly as he checks the headlines. Ten minutes and the train sails into the World trade center, and up the flights of stairs along with a thousand others, who are in such a hurry that they push past you. Then comes the ten minute walk to work.. and then a busy day that goes on until six for me, mostly later for the rest.

The sun has set when I step out in the evening. As I pass the church and the Borders store, it is so tempting to just step into a blissful world of books and silent readers, but I hurry on, back to the PATH and then home. Then it's a quickly made meal, which just suits my taste, unlike the ones I made in Boston, according to my friends preferences.

I switch on the DVD player & TV and get into bed with F.R.I.E.N.D.S, until I get my comcast connection. Then sleep takes over, until tomorrow.

Life is so fast, and the days are short. A month has gone by before I realize it. Time moved faster in Boston as well, but over there it was measured by company and never ending trips and laughter over Poker.

I have been visiting Boston for the past two weekends, to catch up with my friends and Gala night at the ISSI. It always feels great to be back there, as the city is filled with the most wonderful memories of beautiful days and happy faces.

Boston Beautiful

Someone said that change is the only constant thing in our lives. When it comes, it does not come by as a breeze, but rather as a whirlwind, a vortex that sucks up everything in its path and replaces them differently.

My move to New York has been one of very mixed feelings. While the job ahead and the thrill of having your own apartment delight me immensely, it is also tough to let go of the safe school environment. Life at Northeastern University has been phenomenal, to say the least, be it the wonderful friends I made or the lovely times I had with the ones

I already knew and the countless intercultural experiences thanks to what is probably the best International Student organization in the whole of the United States.

Working in an environment of intellectuals has been a blessing too. I loved every assignment, lecture and test, through all that cribbing.

And Boston, it has been a home away from home. Even after two and a half years, the beauty of the city continues to mesmerize me. The slow winding subway, the cobbled, ah so European footpaths, the busy yet peaceful downtown, Harvard square, the Charles bridge, the Cambrideside galleria, the Fanueil hall marketplace, the hay market, the public garden, the common, the fen way & the AMC theaters across it, Newbury street, the Prudential center, the Church of Christ the scientist and Copley square; every one of these places have been visited and revisited by me and my friends. Boston is a city of feelings, very much like its European counterparts. The buildings speak poetry and so do the people. It will always be one of my loves.

The rooms at Snell library and ell hall will be revisited by many more students, like us. They will likewise laugh, cry or otherwise live life as they tread those steps to the buildings over & over again. I bet the school remembers all those footsteps as it silently stands watching a new incoming class every year and a class bidding fond farewell, and she always welcomes the new kids as her very own.

Of Couture and more

Last weeked I dragged my friend to the Fashion show exhibit at the MFA. It showcased ten designers' looks for the season, the likes of Valentino,Chanel and Dior. I was mesmerized by what I saw. Most of my life, I have viewed poetry, painting and writing as art. The exhibit showcased a new dimension to high art. Most of the outfits took between 800 to 900 hours of work. It was beauty and more. Fashion is something that holds some appeal to all of us. It is a way of expression, like all art is. But It was really nice to see what goes into creating the perfect outfit. I was watching project runway, the reality show on DVD and quite frankly, I was taken in by what I saw.

These weeks I have become quite a movie buff, averaging 2-3 movies a week! There were the ones I loved (Deja-Vu, Babel), Liked (You, me and Dupree, Casino Royale) and hated (Rendu (Tamil)). It was fun to watch Casino.. as we have been playing a lot of poker recently and the game made total sense.

Two weeks ago, we had gone camping in RV's (or Caravans, as I knew them before) in the Rangeley lake region in western Maine. The barbeque and the bonfire were really fun and the campsite with the frozen lake did appeal to our inner serenity, but boy, was it cold! A part of the lake was frozen, but the ice was not thick enough to skate. But the Ice did not crack as we threw pebbles on it, and we had a lot of fun.

As the night dawned, we checked in to our two RVs'. I woke up at midnight, shivering. Then we realized the power was out in our RV. we lay there shivering, and at daybreak we went to get the ranger. It seemed that we had tripped the power, so he fixed it and got us coffee and doughnuts as a surprise! That did improve the scene a bit. So we had the coffee, and then I went back to blissful sleep, till we had to check out :-)

Day to day

The days just gallop by, with speeding weekends and work filled weekdays. Diwali came & went. But this time it was more satisfying as I got to speak to a lot of family members. We had a really good potluck, and played poker. Then we went over to the Virgin megastore & bought some stuff to make us all happy.

I am watching a lot of F.R.I.E.N.D.S these days and Joey has me laughing out loud. It sometimes saddens me to think that my so far academic life is coming to a bend in the road. Maybe I will return (which I seriously hope to). Maybe I will not. A new career beckons, along with the delightful thought of making money & acting responsibly, yet I do not know If i want to accept them right away. Given a choice, backpacking around the world would be a fine option, but I guess I will have to put that on hold.

Boston is turning colder. Winter beckons. I took myself on a stroll alongside the Pru yesterday. The wind chilled my cheeks, and the hazel leaves danced around my feet. I felt happy and at home. It would be nice to feel that way always. Here's hoping.

Iceland day 2

We arrived at the lagoon. As the bus came to a halt, we could see bluish side waters, and steam in a distance. The sign looked very much like a spa sign.

The side waters were blue.. a chalky blue. Kind of like the water in a swimming pool, except that there were no tiles underneath.

We went into the dressing rooms, and ran shivering into the pool area. The water felt gorgeous. It was warm, hot in places. None of us wanted to get out. We reached under water to look at the sand. It was grainy and white. You could use it as an exfoliant. It is against the law to take it with you outside the pool, however.

Finally, reluctantly, we got out of the water and went to take a shower. My hair was ruined by the minerals, and I had to shower three times to defrizz it.

We were a bunch of sleepyheads, as we went back, but no, we did not go to sleep at once. We walked to the church instead.

Hallgrimskirkja church stands at the heart of Reykjavik. It is a classical example of Viking arhitecture. There is an imposing statue of Ericur the Red, who discovered Greenland at the front. Down there you feel nothing, but yourself, the spire and the skies.


Then we were all sleepy, and we went back to the room to catch a nap. We woke up and went to get an early dinner at a Icelandic restaurant in the city center.

The portions were small, yet extremely satisfying. I feasted on bean cake with a vegetable sauce. We engaged in quality conversation. It was intercultural and peaceful.

Then we took the walk back to the hotel, marking the end of a wonderful day at Iceland.

We would head to Keflavik airport the next day to go over to wonderful Kobenhavn.

The Scandinavian adventure continues..

Iceland day1

Reykjavik.is

As the plane glided into the barren airport, in the not so wee hours of morning, we gazed in ave at the scenery.. or rather the lack of it. Minutes later we were on the highway, speeding towards Reykjavik.

Miles and miles of land.. not a tree in sight.. the sky glimmering in a bluish grey.

We looked up to see if we could catch a glimpse of the promised famous aurora, but it disappointed us.







The speeding bus approached the city. We caught a glimpse of a few trees. Slowly, the bus made its way up the main city road, to hotels.
At every hotel, a couple of passengers would get off. The roads were paved with stones, making them fairy taleish.

The bus soon came to a halt outside our hotel, the hotel Scaljbreid. We checked in. Our breakfast package was for tomorrow. We decided to take a walk and get breakfast. Later we would head to the lagoon, as was advised by our hosts.















First view of Reykjavik city. So compact, yet so peaceful and pretty. European. You could feel the vikings. This was Nordurland, quite the heart of it. We went down the road, to the "downtown area". Downtown had like three people walking around.



We found a cafe. The coffee and pesto sandwich were delicious but pricey. We would soon figure out that everything in Reykjavik was.




We then found a tourism center. We gazed at the magazines, gathered some postcards and then decided to head to the harbour.

If you could picture an icy cold morning, with a dim light, motionless water and blue snow capped peaks in the horizon, that was the harbour. We stood on the volcanic rock, and looked at the water, had some interesting conversation, clicked some pictures. We were the "tourists".








Then back to the hotel, but not to rest. We took the bus to the lagoon. We had to transfer inbetween to another coach. The view was other-worldly.
Indeed the route to the lagoon is one of the most photographed.

Lagoon tales to follow..

Writing about travel

My travel diary...

It has been quite a long while since Ive blogged.. you could say that I was waiting for that spurt of creativity.. the origin of ideas .. but the truth is (As is usually) laziness, school work and the like.. But this is something that I have been wanting to put in place.. atlease for me to recollect on a later date, those amazing journeys and the scenic vistas once availed. It would be great, trust me to get a second opportunity to visit these pieces of paradise, and I hope for that. But atleast My experiences can live here, for me to revisit whenever I like.

So here goes..

New York

It's been a fabulous two weeks here.. in the city that never sleeps. I continue to be fascinated by its speed and style even now. The skyscrapers are awe inspiring (I love gazing upwards to the tops); The shops on 5th avenue even more so; Like for every other tourist, the neon glow of the Times square appears like a seventh heaven of sorts; Broadway seems like mecca.. A place to make weekly pilgrimages to..

I have seen Chicago & Tarzan already and I loved both the shows. Chicago, like the movie was scandalous, sexy and sultry. Tarzan on the other hand was sweet and soft. Disney excelled in the light effects, and the artists certianly did a wonderful job, managing to dangle upside down on their ropes while singing the songs of Phil Collins in the best tones. The lead actor & the actess were decidely cute; I bet every kid in the room loved the show. The lightning & storm scenes were realistic enough to make them scream.

Lower Manhattan has its own charm, with a business inspiring everything in the area including fashion; Takeout stalls for bagels & coffee & newsstands abound, streets get crowded during lunchtime.. every one looks perky and polished in the sharp clothing. The water taxi ride to Jersey can be choppy and enjoyable, offering scenic vistas over to Liberty & Ellis.

I can rant on & on.. but let me keep the rest for future sessions of blogging!

In short, I heart New York, as do countless others. Boston will always be home, but New York rocks !

Broadway

Saw my first Broadway show ( At Broadway I mean, don't count the Lion king at Boston).. Chicago... Enjoyed it more than the movie. The performers were enticing, seductive and wonderful singers. I loved the person who played Amos Hart. Billy was too good, and so was Welma & Rosie.. I was razzle dazzled; to say the least!

There are the other shows that I definitely want to see, Tarzan, Mamma mia , Beauty & the Beast , Three days of rain starring Julia Robers to name a few.. Lets see how many I make..

Two Quotes that I love, from the show I love

"After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away”

“But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.”