mina.

Dr. Seuss and the Grinch

If there's one quote I would live and die by, it's Dr. Seuss' "Be who you are and say what you mean because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

I'll be the first person to admit that I am not easygoing. I'm a type-A personality, a control freak, a neat freak and sometimes pretty damn intimidating. And I'm not going to apologize for it because that's who I am. That said, I don't treat people badly and I always make the time and effort for people who I care about. My friends and my family know this about me. They might wish I could change sometimes, but they don't expect me to; they understand that I will grow and change and learn for myself.

So, it really makes me upset when people decide that they always know better than I do. Especially those who consider themselves my friends because it's not their job to tell me who I am and how I should live my life. If I decide I really don't enjoy doing something, I'm not going to do it, regardless of who asks. If you don't like it, then that's just too bad.

There are some movies that will never go away - whether or not you like them, you have to live with them and shame on you if you've never watched them. Here are some that come to mind:

1. The Sound of Music - the iconic images of the Von Trapp children in their lederhosen in disport for the first time, the militant but grieving father, the nuns breaking into song in the courtyard and of course, who could forget do-re-mi? Fa - a long long way to gooooooo...

2. Gone with with Wind - I once read that Clark Gable actually had very bad breath and Vivien Leigh always hated having to kiss him but frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. When Rhett Butler kisses Scarlett against the background of the fiery conflagration that once was Savannah, I think my heart melted.

3. My Fair Lady - I love Audrey Hepburn and her cockney accent in this always cracks me up. The misogynistic Henry Higgins is a bit of a boor but is a nice compliment to the infatuated young Freddy questioning "Are there lilac trees in the heart of town?" in his love serenade to Eliza. Still like Audrey better in Breakfast at Tiffany's but no reason to not watch this one too!

My Fair Lady

Gone with the Wind

The Sound of Music

Ardhanarishvara

I read this article recently about Ram Charan, an uber-powerful consultant who wields influence over some of the most important CEOs in the world. The thing it made me realize is that while I would love to be someone who really impacted society and changed lives, I would never want it at the cost of happiness in my own life. I can't imagine for a minute not having a family, or friends or being able to laugh at random little things, or having a place to call home. As simple as those pleasures might be, to me, people matter more than money or all the material goods in the world. That said, I certainly wouldn't want to be on the other end of the spectrum either. It's not easy to not have money and to be living from paycheque to paycheque, constantly scrounging just to live a decent existence.

I suppose it's just trying to find balance, like pretty much everything in life. Easier said than done...

I reveal my geekdom in this post...

God, what a terrible movie... I wish I could get the time and the money back. At least I went to see it with friends and we could complain together. Hooray for solidarity!

Wii and Wiimote

I finally bought my Wii this past Friday and let me say, it is worth every penny! I also bought the Wii Play and Super Paper Mario. My friends who didn't have the Wii thought I was a bit crazy because I've been in "I want it, I need it, I have to have it" mode and the last time I did that was with the iPod nano and the Nike+ sport kit. Anyway, I was so thrilled to finally be able to walk into a store and just pick it up (Thank you J&R!). A few of my friends were over at my place this weekend to see what all the fuss was about and I think they are converts. The whole experience is just so cool and given that it's still cold outside in New York, the time is much more easily spent playing Wii indoors. I am really a much better Wii-bowler than a real bowler. I actually bowled a 200 and a 203 (my personal best) this weekend. Strike! Super Paper Mario is also such a kick - the idea of Mario being able to flip between 2D and 3D puts such an interesting spin on the typical side-scrolling action game.

But after hours of playing Mario, tennis, golf, bowling, pool, baseball and even fishing, I must confess that I am Wii-ed out!

I recently had an argument with a friend of mine about being Indian. I've always felt a bit confused, as I think most 2nd generation kids do. I moved to North America when I was 10 but never grew up in India. I can't speak Hindi or Hinglish, am not a fan of Shah Rukh Khan, certainly not up to date on recent Bollywood hits and I don't have the faintest trace of an Indian accent. In contrast, I study Sanskrit, follow Indian philosophy and spiritually, consider myself Hindu and practice that faith. So, where does that leave me? Am I a coconut or what? But I digress...

Anyway, the argument came down ultimately to one of marriage - does marrying someone who isn't Indian make you less Indian? I strongly disagree but my friend says otherwise. Her argument is that someone who isn't born and raised within Indian culture can never truly understand what it means to be Indian. So, by marrying that person, you're losing something of your own culture because he/she won't follow or understand those customs and values, no matter how much they respect them. Now, I can't agree with this but my definition is something quite different. I don't think that being Indian is defined by how you relate to other people within a culture. Rather, it's something much more personal. By marrying someone who isn't Indian, you gain perspective and understanding of your culture through someone else's eyes. I don't think that's terribly idealistic because I've certainly found myself attracted to and have dated people of other cultures who had such curiosity to learn more about being Indian. And as a result, by trying to explain things or answer their questions, I was forced to think more deeply about "Indian-ness", whatever that is...

I think a lot of this stems from the culture being so strong - religion and tradition are inextricably linked to everyday life that they can't be separated. Given a choice between two people who are equally good for me where one person is Indian and the other is not, there's no question that I would choose someone Indian. However, things are never equal and that's the problem but I don't think it means you have to give up being Indian just because you choose to spend your life with someone who isn't.

update - read this particularly interesting post on sepia mutiny

NOTE: It's been quite a while since I've posted and there are many things which I've meaning to write about but just haven't found the time so today might be a bit of a catch up day with many posts.

... camels walking along Wall Street

... children chasing bubbles in Central Park

... random subway compliments (with no ulterior motives)

... tourists taking photos as they pretend to run alongside on the Brooklyn Bridge

... being challenged to a race by a little boy on the Esplanade

... finding the perfect red shirt on a lazy Saturday afternoon of shopping

... freshly shelled edamame and a delicious bottle of Riesling from the Wine and Truffle Company

I recently threw a little dinner party for my friend's birthday and we had such fun! I wish I had a bigger house to entertain in because it really is a blast. Now, I love the Food Network, HGTV and TLC and really enjoy being able to put that tv-watching to good use. All the food turned out so well and there was nothing left over! I'm putting the menu below along with some fun links so you can feel free to try it out for yourself:

appetizers
- freshly-baked pita chips
- spinach-artichoke dip (from Trader Joe's)

first course
- organic mixed greens with mushrooms, tomatoes, caramelized onions, cashew nuts drizzled in vegetarian parmigiano-reggiano caesar dressing

main course
- potato-spinach firittata
- paired with a 2003 white from tre-venezie region

dessert
- financier chocolate mousse cake

all served with as many mandarin metropolitans as one would like... :)

I've lost my voice... literally. Yesterday, it was only partially gone so it had that sexy-raspy thing going for it a la Rani Mukherjee. Now, it's just kind of sad and pathetic. My cousin was talking to me on the phone and couldn't stop laughing. So much for sympathy, eh? It sounds like I'm on my deathbed although physically, I'm perfectly fine. 

I've been making loads of ginger tea (yummy) and speaking softly (no big sticks involved). Hopefully, it will be somewhat improved tomorrow.

Recently, I was talking to a friend about new media and digital publishing. Personally, I'm fascinated by how to have traditional print media converge with online content and her response was, "what's the big deal? just throw it up on a website." I was a little flabbergasted because there's so much to potentially explore in this area. Specifically, what I really would like to work on is how to take the magazine and convert it to a digital format.

The idea of being able to flip through the pages while actually interacting with the magazine holds so many possibilities. For example, let's say you're reading an article about Harry Potter - you could see a rotating gallery of cover designs for the latest book, immediately pre-order it and listen to a transcript of an interview with JK Rowling that offers some tantalizing hints of how the series might end. This is the richness of the user experience that online magazines can provide. It's not just about being able to throw text on a webpage, which anyone can do easily. It's about being able to think creatively about the framework and the tools available to you on the internet.

Hardware considerations aside (you try rolling up a laptop and fitting it in your purse), we're really progressing towards something that harnesses the power of the web in an innovative and interactive manner. You're more than a reader, you're a participant. For some interesting examples, see the following:

guys: Monkey
all: Blu

and a very interesting article on the so-called "war" between new and old media - http://nationaljournal.com/powers.htm

Einstein discovers that time is actually money

I just came back from my trip, which definitely helped me confirm some of the thoughts that have been buzzing incessantly in my mind. It's all related to the decisions I'm trying to make with my life right now. It was a much-needed trip and although jam-packed and hectic, very enlightening and a lot of fun.

But back to the title of this post - two things have really made this hit home....

1. I was originally supposed to fly back to New York on a late evening flight and get into the city around 11pm. Waking up in the morning and seeing the insane weather that the city is supposed to be having, I tried to see if I could switch around to an earlier flight. Of course, unless I tried for standby, it was going to cost me. But honestly, having to deal with the hassle of potentially getting stuck and having to find a hotel and then try to get on another flight, wasting a day and a half was just not worth it. $65 to change my flight time to earlier in the day bought me back to the city to enjoy a stress-free evening.

2. I'm still struggling with what to do next and I have a drop-dead date of two weeks to make up my mind. However, $1000 can buy me a month to think more about my decision. That might seem like a fair bit of money to throw around but when it's a decision that will change your life and you need the time to consider, it's nothing. In the long run, I'll be happier to be $1000 poorer right now, but still have my options open for the future.

So there you have it - time is money. Hopefully, the money will buy me enough time.