this, that, and .....

I wish...

2011-12-23T02:00:00.004-05:00

I wish I had a way with words. I wish I could be creative. I wish I could write poetry that could take over all your senses, transport you to a magical place, make you feel what I am feeling. Instead, I'll use Shelley's words... Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle;
--Why not I with thine?

See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven,
If it disdained it's brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;
--What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

And...

2008-05-03T22:05:00.000-04:00

I am back... probably!!!

Love it, love it, love it..... absolutely love it!

2007-04-23T17:50:00.000-04:00

This is by far the most (only??) romantic song by Bon Jovi, by my standards. I feel all so mushy inside every time I hear it. It's like it does something...

Make a memory

Hello again, it's you and me
Kinda always like it used to be
Sippin' wine, killing time
Trying to solve life's mysteries

How's your life, it's been a while
God it's good to see you smile
I see you reaching for your keys
Looking for a reason not to leave

If you don't know if you should stay
If you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be

You want to make a memory

I dug up this old photograph
Look at all that hair we had.
It's bittersweet to hear you laugh
Your phone is ringing I don't wanna ask

If you go now, I'll understand
If you stay, hey, I've got a plan
We're gonna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines

You want to make a memory...

If you don't know if you should stay
And you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be

You want to make a memory
You want to steal a piece of time
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple of lines

You want to make a memory...

A real eye-opener

2007-04-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

One thing the Virginia Tech incident has opened my eyes to, is this: life is very unpredictable and death is too. We never know when we might lose someone forever. Not that I didn't know this, but these unexpected deaths of so many young people has kind of shaken me. More so, because most of them were students at the university just like my friends and me, and the others were professors just like mine-I identify more with this group of people.

I was reading the comments people left on CNN- "I wish I had told him earlier what a great professor he was."

Why do we wait for grave things to happen before we decide to actually appreciate the people in our lives? Why are we so afraid to be more open about our feelings? Why do we have these enormous egos that stop us from admitting our appreciation and acknowledging the wonderful people around us?

Tears don't help anymore

2007-03-16T09:33:00.000-04:00

She had always dreamt of a fairy tale love story. Dreamt of falling in love unexpectedly. Falling in love with the most unexpected person, at the most unexpected time. She had dreamt for long, and it just hadn't happened. Then, she stopped. Gave up all hope, and with the passage of time forgot all about her dream. "Falling in love with a nice guy" was for lucky girls. She was never meant to have in any luck in love.

Here she was in a foreign land. Her life was all work. She'd see happy people all around her. People in love, and she'd be happy for them. Well, just because she didn't have a love life didn't mean no one else should. Anyway, she had her work- her endless research, her experiments, those long hours in the lab, that never-ending fidgeting with apparatus trying to get decent readings.

And, just when she had completely forgotten about her dream, it came true. He was a new employee; had just joined their group. In a land where there were so few people from her country, it was a pleasant surprise when he turned out to be of the same nationality. It was good to be able to converse in a language that was closer to the heart, and with a person who was closer to home. Familiarity led to liking and liking led to love. And, one morning she woke up and realized she was in love. How beautiful a feeling! How good it made her feel! Every moment she spent with him was more beautiful than any other. How perfect everything was! How unexplainable the joy that her heart felt!

And, now he was gone! Gone forever! Never to come back! Never again would she see him look back at her with his eyes brimming with love. Never again would they hold hands and just sit quietly next to each other, and feel like they'd had the most beautiful conversation ever. Never again, would he laugh at her for saying silly things. Never again would she get mad at him for not wiping his feet before walking in.

In those last few days that he was in the ICU, she had gone from immense hope to complete despair. One moment she'd feel that surely this was a joke or some miracle was bound to bring him back- she'd been good all her life. Why was she being punished like this? The next moment she'd lose all hope and feel that that was the end of it all. She spent days by his bedside, watching him on life support, willing him to wake up. And, he had simply slipped away...

She had cried alone- for hours. She felt betrayed- by everyone. And, a sort of numbness set in. She said nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing.

End of the year blogging

2006-12-31T12:14:00.000-05:00

Hmmm... another year comes to a close. It's been okay I guess. Nothing spectacular- a few gains, a few losses. The last few days have been more productive than anticipated. I finally learnt how to work the LaTeX thing. I have also managed to get done some of the things my advisor suggested I try. Overall, the past year was a great learning experience. I figured out that certain small decisions could make huge impacts on not only my life, but also the lives of people around me. I figured out the true definition of "friend". I figured out the distinction between "friend" and "acquaintance".

The single most admirable quality in a person, I think, is honesty. Yesterday, I was at a friend's (really a friend) place for dinner, and I volunteered to make the dessert. I made this Indian sweet dish with carrots. I didn't know how it would go down with the American crowd- but it was worth trying. Anyway, it turned out alright. The funny part was when my friend's roommate went, "I like it. You know, when I first saw it, I thought I'd hate it. Honestly." I couldn't stop laughing... so, he added " Well, maybe I shouldn't have it put it that way. But, you see ..... so on and so forth. "
Honestly, honesty done in a great way.

The loves of my life

2006-12-30T00:07:00.000-05:00

The other day I noticed something interesting. All the loves of my life have names that start with C. Be it Chocolate, or Coffee , or Cheese. Even the first guy I fell in love with. I also noticed that none of the things I love, are any good if in excess. In moderation- Yes.

By the way, I love my parents and my brother- but they are not in the same category of "loves" as the ones above.

long time no write!!!

2006-12-11T11:18:00.000-05:00

It has been ages since I wrote, so I thought I'd get down to it.

The quarter has ended, and so it is a bit more relaxed. I've been catching up on some reading, and movies. Watched "Madagascar" for the nth time. In fact, it is playing again for the n+1st time right now. I just love the dialogues. It is definitely my favorite Ben Stiller movie. And, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Rock... in fact everyone is so great. The penguins are so great. I just adore this movie.

Have to watch: Little Miss Sunshine

Am reading: Angels and Demons

I have been cleaning up in general- the home, office, mailboxes. And, I found this. Now that the guy isn't around here anymore, I thought I could share it. It's kinda cute, more so because it is so simple.

"Dear ****,

When I said that "wow, my favorite girl is here..." -I meant it.

By the way, I really liked the white outfit, which you wore today..... You
just looked like an angel. :)

Oh one thing, do you know that you have such a wonderful smile on you? That is
the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. Just keep it up. Your smile is so
angelic. Whenever I see you, that makes me feel so GOOD! :) "

Are you ready for the biggest game of the century?

2006-11-17T23:29:00.000-05:00

Even BBC is acknowledging that the Ohio State -Michigan game is HUGE! People are going crazy here. All you could hear all week was people going O-H-I-O, and playing the famous Buckeye tunes. All you can see is people sporting their Scarlet and Gray. Hopefully people will behave, and there will no riots.
Click here to read BBC's report. It's funny.

Okay, Columbus. The spotlight's on you.

2006-11-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Ohio State- Michigan game , for once people are paying attention to the ongoings of Columbus, Ohio. This is our 15 minutes of fame.

Oh, shouldn't forget the 2004 elections. We created quite a stir then, too.

Funny... he! he!

2006-11-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

I was watching Jay Leno last night, and he made a few very very very funny jokes. Don't remember all of them, but here's a couple:

1.) A doctor has said that Fidel Castro isn't doing well, and will probably not last past the year 2007. Also, Castro is worth some billions of dollars... so, Anna Nicole Smith was seen canoeing towards Cuba earlier in the day.

2.) Last year Wal-Mart employees couldn't say "Merry Christmas!" This year they can. They've learnt enough English by now.

3.) Wal-Mart is coming out with its own wine, which costs $2.00. Also, Mc Donald's is bringing back their Mc Ribs. Seems like K-Fed will have a decent Christmas after all- wine from WalMart and McRibs from McD's.

... and a chill ran down my spine...

2006-11-13T00:10:00.000-05:00

I read this article on BBC today. The article talks about the most dangerous road in the world. It is about a road up in the Andes, in Bolivia. Seems that, an estimated 200 to 300 people die every year on that stretch of road.
It seems so weird that... on one hand we are sending tourists to space, and on the other, we cannot have safe enough roads on Earth.

The real Sacha Baron Cohen... very nice

2006-11-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a clip fron CNN that reveals the guy behind Borat, Ali G, and Bruno: Click here.
I was totally taken aback by the transformations he can make, WOW!!!

Whoa! Too close for my comfort...

2006-11-09T09:14:00.000-05:00

Two commercial airliners belonging to Lufthansa (left) and Air France appear to pass at close range in the skies over south west London. Photo: Lewis Whyld/PA (BBC news)

How annoying...

2006-11-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

Was at the gym today, and was merrily doing my thing on the EFX, when a guy steps onto the machine next to me. And, the next thing I know he starts singing. He had his iPod on- and was very evidently listening to something very close to his heart. Thus, he kept bursting into songs... Quite out of breath, and panting, he would in spurts start singing and then be quiet for a couple of minutes, and then repeat his previous actions. It was funny for a while, but later it got a wee bit annoying, because I was trying to read something, and would forget what it was that I was reading as soon as he started singing.

Checked my weight. Have lost a couple of pounds again... and now I am definitely underweight. But, thankfully I don't appear to be... since my frame is not very narrow. I wish I could figure out how my metabolism works. I am eating just as much, and exercising just as before... so, what's going wrong?

GRE prep flashback :)

Borat is Hilarious!!!

2006-11-04T11:03:00.000-05:00

I think I understand why the Kazakhs are offended, but there seems to be a lot more to it than potraying Kazakhs in a "different" light. YOU MUST WATCH THIS "MOVIE FILM"!!!

Here are some links for
1. Borat's interview from CNN
2. "Borat looks at America from CNN

By the way, Borat has his own official website .

A series of mini heart attacks

2006-11-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

... is what I had yesterday. I was in the middle of some work, when I realized I needed my flash drive. I started digging around my bag... but it wasn't there. My pencil case, my coat pockets, my lunch box... okay not the lunch box. It was nowhere to be found. Where did it go? I was in the computer lab when I discovered that I was missing my FD. So I ran up to my office... not on the desk :(
I had a class earlier in the day, and had a presentation. Checked the seminar room- there was another group in there! Will have to check back later. Checked the classroom- NOT there. Maybe I left it at home. Went home and checked- NOT there! Oh, by the way, I had realized in the meanwhile that one of the pockets of my bag was unzipped ... did I drop it somewhere on the way from one place to another?
Point to be noted: That FD belongs to the department, and has all my teaching stuff, and my "manual" reports on it. There would be multiple problems if I lost it- I would have to pay to replace it, and then all my slides, notes, etc. would be gone. That reminds me I should make backup copies of all my work.

OK, back to the search for the FD. I was still looking for it high and low- all the time undergoing mini heart attacks. Went back to the seminar room and checked- WASN'T there! Checked with the lost and found people- NOT there. Went back to my office, and just like the drowning man grabs at a straw, I start going through my drawers. NOT in the left drawers. But, IN the right top drawer!!!! Yipppeeeee!!!

Have no recollection of when I put it in there... but all's well that ends well. Other than the disturbing fact that I am spacing out too often.

I saw the sign...

2006-11-01T15:44:00.000-05:00

I think I have finally seen the sign I was waiting for... :)

Well, my patience has paid off. I was at the gym this afternoon, and something really sweet happened. And, that's all I am saying about this... Well, I just want to keep track of today's date.

Besides, things are going well at school...

Edit: Just wanted to add this... article on cnn about American car buyers.

Ordered to get married...

2006-10-31T09:15:00.000-05:00

Bulgarian soccer player ordered to get married, by the club. This is funny. But, what is the legal age to get married in Bulgaria? The kid is only 19!!!

After all the work I did this week, I deserve this...

2006-10-29T07:05:00.000-05:00

Ohio State beat Minnesota 44-0 yesterday. I was at the 'Shoe for my first ever Ohio State football game. We have really great seats... great view, under the shade... so, minimum wind, no rain, ... really great seats. Since we are right next to the press box, the band faces us when it performs. Got a real nice view of the formations, and script Ohio, etc. Jack Nicklaus dotted the i. The attendance was 105,433. Maybe, I will go to the Michigan game.

After that we went to see Jon Stewart and The Daily Show guys. They were at Schottenstein Center- taking questions and showing clips of the show. There were around 7000 people- so the stands were quite packed. Funny thing, the auditorium lights had already been turned out when the crew walked onto the stage. So, they could just see the first 5 rows of the floor seats. At the end, the lights came on and that's when Jon Stewart realised how many of us were there, and he went "Holy Sh*t! If we'd known that so many of you were going to be here, we'd have prepared something." Do you think that was part of the script? I wonder...

After that we went to this Irish place "The Brazenhead"... it is nice, and in a very pretty locality, and they make their stuff well.

... yes, it has been quite a busy weekend so far. Let's see how the rest of it goes...

I wish for clear blue skies...

2006-10-27T15:51:00.000-04:00

What is with this place and grey skies and rain? In the last 2 weeks we've one day of sunshine... and guess what day it was... game day- Saturday. The only day we had any sunshine in Columbus (in the past few weeks) was last Saturday, when OSU played Indiana. It seems as though even the weather god supports OSU's football craze. And, my what a beautifully glorious day it was...

Strike a Pose

2006-10-27T07:40:00.000-04:00

2006-10-26T14:49:00.000-04:00

change

Whoa! Whoa!

2006-10-25T09:28:00.000-04:00

"An Eastern White pelican eats a pigeon in St James's Park, London. The pelican is predominantly found in South East Europe and Central Asia where it feeds on small fish. Photo: Cathal McNaughton/PA"- BBC News

How about this? raised eyebrows

2006-10-25T01:14:00.001-04:00

Pretty people on screen

Hungry?

2006-10-25T01:06:00.000-04:00

Funny article here .

It is that time...

2006-10-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

... when everywhere I look I see nothing but darkness. I've been working all weekend (except for going out to dinner on Friday and Saturday), but I absolutely cannot see any sign of light at the end of this tunnel called "research."

Just when I think I got it figured out, everything comes crashing down. And, it doesn't help that I have got myself involved in one thing too many, and the stupid weather keeps getting more and more grey, and more and more depressing and gloomy. It doesn't help that the area I work in, is too "discrete" (that's the spelling) for anyone to have written any code for the available software packages.

*^*^&$!!! ^%%#%!!!^&^%&*$&!!! ^@@!&$%&!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh !!! If there is any good left in the world, I absolutely need to find out NOW. Tomorrow might be too late.

On the other hand, does all this matter? Does anyone care? Will it matter to me or anybody else, all this stuff I am working on? One thing is for sure though, if I survive this quarter, I'll survive graduate school... But will I survive? Do I have to learn to survive, to learn to live?

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

2006-10-17T20:56:00.000-04:00

We were coming back home from someplace in the wee hours of Saturday morning... about 2.30 a.m., when my friend says "Oh sh*t! Cop car," and slows down, and ultimately comes to a halt. We sat there... wondering what we had got ourselves into... I was the only one who hadn't touched any alcohol... but that didn't help, because I wasn't driving. The one who was driving had had one beer an hour ago, and he was driving pretty well... so why had we been pulled over?
Were we speeding? Who knows? ... so, there we were trying to murmur among ourselves, and figure out what it was that had gone wrong.
A couple of minutes later, a cop comes over and shines a flashlight through the window, and asks "Sir, do you know why I pulled you over?"
My friend says, "No. Why?"
"Did you know that one of your headlights isn't working?"
"Really?!?!?" We murmur among ourselves about what a shock it is to all of us.
"Also, Kenny is a 35 zone, and when I clocked you, you were doing about 47 or 48."
"Oh. I am sorry."
"Okay. Do you have your driver's license? May I have a look at it?"
He walks to the patrol car, and comes a couple of minutes later.
"I am going to give you a warning. Get the headlight checked. And, go slow."

Phew! Off we go... this time very slow at 30. And, my friend goes, "Thank God, he didn't ask for my insurance, because I think that's expired."
"What?!?!?"
"No. Actually I renewed it, but I don't have the new papers/card."

Thank God! Really!
It was very funny after it was over.

Nice article

2006-10-16T15:49:00.000-04:00

Do's and Don't's for interviews.

"Let's waste time...chasing cars"- Snow Patrol

2006-10-16T10:16:00.000-04:00

We'll do it all ...Everything ...On our own

We don't need ... Anything ...Or anyone

If I lay here ...If I just lay here ...Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know ...How to say ...How I feel

Those three words ...I said too much ...But not enough

If I lay here ...If I just lay here ...Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told ...Before we get too old ...Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time ...Chasing cars ...Around our heads

(I need your grace ...To remind me ...To find my own )

If I lay here ...If I just lay here ...Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told ...Before we get too old ...Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am ... All that I ever was ...Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where ...Confused about how as well ...Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here ...If I just lay here ...Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Sweeeeeeeet......

PG 13- under 13 read only if accompanied by parents or guardians

2006-10-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

I watched "The Departed" on Saturday- yesterday. Very nice! Every minute was worth it. A couple of unnecessary scenes- but a couple, literally. But, a very well made film. Everyone is so good- Martin Sheen is great, and so is Alec Baldwin. Mark Wahlberg is so good- I wanted to punch him in the face, in the begining, when he was being a total pr**k to Leonardo di Caprio. But, by the end I loved him. I hated the guts of Agent Sullivan (Matt Damon)- only goes to show what an absolutely great job of acting he did.

But, the best of the lot was Leonardo. Oh! Specially when he took his shirt off. I had eyes only for him. I don't think tattoos have ever looked that good on a guy. That guy is sizzling hot!!!

I told my friend that "All I want for Christmas is a shirtless Leonardo."

We got pulled over when we were driving home later at night... but I'll save that story for tomorrow... it's a fun one...

Nice, eh!

2006-10-14T09:55:00.000-04:00

I was reading this article on CNN today. Pretty interesting. But, I wonder if it's going to work.

Fun at the conference

2006-10-13T18:13:00.000-04:00

The conference has ended. It was a nice break from the daily routine. And, it was nice to have it right here, in Columbus. It saved me a whole lot of trouble- traveling, waiting at airports, staying at a hotel, among other things. And, with good timing, I also got to attend my class on Friday and teach on Thursday. Well, I like to see new places- but it is difficult to mix business and pleasure. When I am vacationing, I like to keep my mind relatively free of work-involved thoughts- well, I try. When I am working, I am really working.

Anyway, so the thing is that the speakers were given Ohio State T-shirts. And, Norman Draper (one of the great D. of E. people) having spoken yesterday, had received his tee yesterday. Thus, today he was walking around in an OSU T-shirt, which he had worn over a full sleeved formal shirt. He looked so cute. I wish someone in our group had a camera. It would have been wonderful to get a picture taken with the whole Ohio State group and Norman Draper (who is from U of Wisconsin) in an OSU tee.

Actually, I might have learned a few things at the conference, too. This I thinks counts as a good thing...

I stand corrected.

2006-10-12T21:06:00.000-04:00

There were a couple of mini-tornado sightings around some areas last evening. Those taking notes, please change that from last class' (yesterday's) notes (posting.)

I was at a conference today. (It is a 2 day conference- so there are some talks tomorrow, too.) And, I got to see some of the biggest names in Experimental Designs.

At the "welcome" talk, the speaker was talking about a conference series GRC that used to take place till the year 2004. And, he said that those were great because they were about 5 days long, and everyone got to know everyone, because there were so few people. At this point, a member of the audience volunteered the information that things were so intimate at those conferences that- he got to share a swimming costume with Scheffe.

Wednesdays and Tornadoes

2006-10-11T19:39:00.000-04:00

...so what's the deal here? Trying to set a trend, are we? Last Wednesday, there was a severe thunderstorm, there was hail, even a tornado somewhere a little to the south. And, again today on a Wednesday. Well, there was no tornado, but plenty of warnings and sirens, and advice.

Anyway, so I watched "An Inconvenient Truth." Most of us probably already know all the facts, but this movie does a great job of putting it all together. Just the fact that we are still in the middle of October, and we have snow on our forecast for Friday is proof enough that global warming is for real.

Is anybody listening???

Minghun- a Chinese tradition

2006-10-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

I learnt about this from some Chinese friends in the department. And, I found it very interesting...

This is how it goes (if I understood it correctly...) Suppose 2 people (traditionally, of the opposite sexes) die, and at the time of death they are both unmarried. The parents (or close relatives/ friends) concerned about the dead ones' need for a companion in the afterlife, get together and marry them off. The remains of the girl are dug up, and she is laid to rest, next to the boy's remains. Thus, the boy and the girl are now married.

Interesting, huh!?!?! Parents never stop worrying about their children, do they? Kinda sweet!!!

Please feel free to leave comments if you know anything else about this custom. Correct me if I am wrong ...

Of Mice and Men- by John Steinbeck

2006-10-08T21:24:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to reading the book. It is very short and an easy read. Hardly took any time to finish.
Very sad, and very true, though. Why is it that no one has everything? Why does good luck in one sphere of life, guarantee pain and disappointment in another?

Finished reading "Pride and Prejudice," too. I had read it when I was in school. It was fun to read it again. Observation: Words are spelt weird. Choose= Chuse. Showed = Shewed, etc. etc.

How do we define the word "human"?

2006-10-05T14:01:00.000-04:00

I read this article on CNN's Anderson Cooper's blog today (October 5, 2006) and wondered, what exactly distinguished us from animals...

What hurts the most...

2006-09-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

... is that the weekend is gone, and how much work have I done? None. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Well, I did take care of some laundry, and did some reading.

Anyway, so far it has been okay... a nice relaxing weekend. Watched "The Devil wears Prada" on Friday... have to give it to Meryl Streep. The older this lady gets, the more sophisticated she looks. Quite a watchable movie. It has its moments. Went out shopping Saturday evening. Friends and I cooked dinner :-). OSU won big time against Penn State... woooohoooo!!!
Went out to lunch Sunday afternoon... was great... got to dress up after a while.

Love Story

2006-09-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

My cousin is in love with a girl in his class, and he makes no attempt to keep his feelings for her a secret. He has made it known to everyone else in his class that he likes Carmella (I'm not sure if that's how her name is spelt.) I am not sure if Carmella knows how he feels about her, and I don't know if he has talked to Carmella about it. What I do know is that school is much more attractive because Carmella is there. What I do know is that he loves to protect her, when the other guys act wild. What I do know is that he absolutely cannot hear anything anti-Carmella. And, most importantly, what I do know is that he is only 4 years old :-)

I went to visit him and his parents (my uncle and aunt) for a couple of weeks. Twas a lot of fun.

Well, now it's back to the madness, the grind, I mean, school. 3 days of school and I feel like I'm dead already. We'll see how the quarter goes.

You said...

2006-08-28T00:37:00.000-04:00

... that time heals all wounds, so why is it that mine only get deeper with every passing moment? I don't believe in "time" being the "greatest healer" anymore...

Forgot to mention... watched "The Triplets of Belleville" on Friday night... seriously, haven't had to use so much brains for an animated film ever. It took the joint effort of my friend and mine to solve the mystery... well, it being Friday night we were exhausted and all. But, this film is a great one to watch. The French sure have a "different" sense of humor. Thankfully, there is almost no dialogue... although D knows some French, it would have been difficult for us to solve the mystery and translate at the same time.

Also watched "An affair to remember." Deborah Kerr is so beautiful...

"May your voyage home be a pleasant one."

2006-08-26T23:53:00.000-04:00

Hmmm... so the quarter is done. Well, almost. Still some paperwork that needs to be taken care of..., but other than that, it's done.
I am looking forward to spending a couple of weeks with my cousin... apparently the temperatures in TX are not as bad as they were a few days ago. It has been raining, so let us hope for the best. I haven't seen my cousin for more than a year... he's such a riot... it should be fun.

A friend took me to watch "The man who knew too much" on Saturday afternoon, at the Ohio theatre. Wow! This was my first time at the Ohio- it is such a grand looking theatre- really beautiful interiors. As for the movie, as soon as I saw the first scene, I remembered that I had seen it before. The whole storyline came back to me in 5 minutes. Since my friend hadn't seen it before, and he liked it, that was all that mattered. Actually, I had talked him out of seeing "Chinatown"- so was hoping he liked this one :P

The best thing about this afternoon at the theatre was that there were so many old people there- it is so nice to see them up and about, and enjoying life, and going out, and chit-chatting, rather than sitting in a room, pondering gloomily about the past, present or future...
Two old ladies even complimented me... said I looked "so pretty" and "charming"... that was so sweet.

The day ended with my friends and I making a full-course dinner- it was really good! We had made brunch too- we are being good about eating well on the weekends :)
And, of course all this only meant chit-chatting and more chit-chatting...

"It Happened One Night"

2006-07-30T19:14:00.000-04:00

I have no clue why I like this movie so much. Maybe it's the fact that the storyline is so simple and yet so sweet... maybe it's the sense of humour..... maybe it's because Clark Gable is so charismatic. What a guy! What a pair of eyes!! And, though I don't think of Claudette Colbert as a beauty, she does good justice to her role.....

Another "reporter" movie that comes to mind is "Roman Holiday"- a great movie.... but sad ending... and "sad movies always make me cry....."

"Roman Holiday" reminds me of another hunk- Gregory Peck ... watched "Snows of Kilimanjaro" a few days back... thought it was okay...

While I am at it, I should mention Paul Newman- another guy with great eyes- a look that seems so piercing, that it feels like it could pierce through your whole being... I should watch "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" again ...

They don't make them like they used to... I mean, guys and movies ....

You're my wonderwall !!

2006-07-26T23:48:00.000-04:00

... hmmmm been quite a decent day! Actually, my dad called last night, and I got to talk to mom, and my brother , too.... so I went to bed happy. I had some weird dreams though... as usual.

Taught in the morning, took a test in the afternoon, ran some code, did some homework... came home watched a movie, and made some slides for my presentation. Then went to play tennis with a friend and her labmate... he asked me if I was really good- I couldn't stop laughing- hadn't played in months.... so it was great to be playing again. But, 30 minutes into the game, and it starts pouring cats and dogs. It was fun to get soaked in the rain....

When there is so much that life has to offer, why do people go around fighting, killing, shedding blood..... why do people get drunk till they have no clue who they are, where they are, ... why do people smoke,...... get high on weed.... why?

Why do these insane things... which only bring pain and unhappiness.... when we could be doing something constructive... ?

Are these only ways to distract ourselves from the utter failures we are as human beings? Or does doing such things really cause immense joy?

Weekend! Oh Weekend!

2006-07-23T20:17:00.000-04:00

This has been one of *the* most productive weekends I have had in the past few weeks.
Got back from school on Friday, and read up some stuff. Had dinner with a friend, and watched a movie. Then did some more reading (good girl!)

Woke up bright and early on Saturday, worked for a couple for hours. Then got together with friends to make lunch. Everything turned out very well! We made appetizers, main course, chutney, dessert, and fruit salad. We made Indian bread, too- chapatis. Great food! Really! I know I am not being very modest, but we did a great job :-)

Then took a quick nap, and got back to my reading. Went out in the evening with some other friends. Actually, a friend's mom was visiting, and he wanted to have us meet his mom. We went to this place called "Happy Greek." Cool place, and greek food is always great. Then went over to another friend's to chat, and have ice cream! Got back at about 1 am, and THEN I sat and wrote code for a couple of hours! Can you believe that?!?!? I am turning out to be pretty good, eh?

Sunday, pretty Sunday- has turned out to be quite decent so far. Woke up pretty early and got to work. A friend and his wife stopped by to get some stuff that had been mailed to my address. It was great to see them after so long. Talking on the phone isn't as much fun as talking face to face. Then I cooked some stuff that I will consume for the rest of the week. That takes one thing off of my mind. At least I won't have to worry about what to eat for dinner every evening.
Then went out to lunch to "Taj Palace"- it's one of my favorite Indian places. Came back and made the usual weekend calls, took a nap, and now am back to work ......

I feel so proud of myself :)

2006-07-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

I can see clearly now the rain is gone....

2006-07-22T08:33:00.000-04:00

....and outside it started raining....

X -> Y

2006-07-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

There is only one kind of ex. And all ex's turn into Y's. But there are 2 kinds of Y's- the first being "why? oh why, did I let him go?, and the second kind being "why? oh why, did I ever date him?"

Just a random thought .....

"Love actually is all around"

2006-07-19T17:58:00.000-04:00

...so I watched "Love Actually" again ..... I absolutely adore the "Colin Firth and Aurelia (Portugese girl)" story... it's cute because they don't speak a common language, but still totally understand what the other is saying or feeling or thinking ..... very beautiful ... actually. It's true, but quite funny what the 10-year old says, "Worse than the total agony of being in love?" Well, for the ones who haven't watched this film- absolute must watch :-)

Some people think it's boring when you can read your loved one's thoughts, that the relationship has reached a point of predictability..... I think it just means there is at least one person who truly understands you, knows exactly how you feel about something, and can understand what you are going through .....

Called home. Ma hasn't been keeping well. She worries too much... about me, my brother, Dad, Grandma,.... I wish for once she'd forget about us and live for herself. There has not been one single day when she has wished something for herself ....

Why is there so much hatred, so much pain?

2006-07-09T00:19:00.000-04:00

Since I had been working all day, I thought I very much deserved to take a break, and I watched "The Pianist (2002) "- a masterpiece by Roman Polanski.
It made me realize that though the story is based on the time of the Second World War, it is very relevant to today's world. What is it about religion that turns one human being against another? Wasn't the whole concept of the engenderment of religion based on the hope of helping people be more loving, compassionate, kind, gentle, and humane? Why then is there so much bloodshed in the name of religion? What is it that drives one man to kill another, whose only crime is that he is belongs to a different religion? What kind of man kills so that he may attain salvation? Certainly not a religious one.....

When are we going to realize that a lifetime is too short to throw away on feelings of hate? I am not asking anyone to love everyone... that is too difficult a task, and the day we succeed in loving everyone alike, we will not be humans anymore- we will be gods. But sure it is not so hard to be indifferent. It is not hard to overcome murderous desires.
Because, no matter what.... we are human beings and were endowed with a conscience ...... and a will power ......

4 great movies in 2 days :-)

2006-07-07T23:28:00.000-04:00

1. The Emperor's Club (2002) : Amazing story about a teacher in a boys' boarding school.... one of the great quotes from the movie goes like this - "The worth of a life is not determined by a single failure or a solitary success."- Total must watch

2. Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939) - Another most delightful story of a schoolteacher, and how he succeeds in becoming the most loved teacher of Brookfield Boys' School. Based in England, the film is full of British English slang- "stinker", "rotter", etc- and of course the British accent is always great to listen to. ... brings tears to the eyes- tears of joy and tears of sorrow- Another must watch!!!
Mr. Chipping's future wife Kathie says, "It must be tremendously interesting to be a schoolmaster, to watch boys grow and help them along; to see their characters develop and what they become when leave school and the world gets hold of them. I don't see how you could ever get old in a world that's always young."

3. Twelve Angry Men (1957)- A masterpiece with Henry Fonda as the main protagonist. The story of a jury where 11 men find the defendant guilty and 1 man feels the defendant is not guilty of murder. Can this one guy convince the others to not send the man to the electric chair, because there is room for "reasonable doubt"? 10/10

4. Eight Below (2006)- Very sweet.... story of the friendship between a man and his dogs- 8 of them. Fun movie to watch- really- specially if you like dogs. Actually the main guy Jerry is kinda cute, too- was in "Running Scared" as Joey Gazelle.

Hmmmmm..... should I go watch "Pirates" or wait ... the reviews are kind of sad .... but then what do I care what other people say. Right?

I am still in shock....

2006-07-05T15:01:00.002-04:00

over Germany's loss to Italy. Well, I have to give it to Italy for being really creative and playing wonderfully.... but still. I don't know if I'll get over this. It is just as disheartening as it is "when you love someone but it goes to waste."

I mean ...come on.... 2 goals in the last 2 minutes of extra time. And here I was, praying that the game went into penalty shoot out. I was so shocked that I did nothing for the rest of the evening... well, I wouldn't have done anything anyway ... this just turned out to be a good excuse.

.... so I guess this means I am now supporting Italy. Wonder how French and Portugese are going to be doing today ....

Actually, as far as I am concerned, the World Cup is over ......

If you could see me now, ....

2006-07-04T09:27:00.000-04:00

You'd see the most ridiculously silly grin on my face. Why you ask? Because, someone called "off-beat guy" left *the* most sweetest comment on my blog, last night/ this morning. When I say sweet, I mean it in a good way- I am all for sweet. Thanks Off-beat guy! You made my 4th of July. (It doesn't take much to make me happy, eh?) Sometimes, I think you are someone I know .... are you ?

I am a little nervous today .... seeing that Germany plays Italy. Italy has been on top in past encounters. Well, Germany is my favorite, but I kinda like Italy, too.... so, if G were to mess up, I'd still have somebody to root for, in the final. But, I really really really want Germany to win. I don't care much for either Portugal or France. Keeping all my fingers and toes crossed .....

Thank you for making my day ....

2006-07-03T21:45:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed how, small compliments from total strangers, make you so happy?

The other day, I was sitting outside a store, waiting for a friend, when a guy happens to walk by. He slows down, and says "Hello!"... so I smile a little. And, he says, "Nice smile!"... And, so of course, the smile gets bigger ... almost from ear to ear. Then, he just stops, and stands there, and says " That is prettiest smile I have ever seen. I like it!"

Another incident from a couple of weeks ago. I went out for lunch with a few friends, to this "mongolian barbeque" kind of place. As in, you choose the ingredients, and the chef cooks it for you. .. So, I am standing there, with my plate in my hand, when the cook goes "You are so pretty." And then looks at my friend, who is standing in line too, and says to him, " Isn't she very pretty?"

I don't know if any of these guys meant what they said. But, it did keep me very happy for quite a while. Isn't it amazing, how a few nice words, from total strangers, can make you so happy? These are people you'll probably never see again. You won't even remember their faces ... but they affected your life. They gave you moments of joy, when maybe loved ones were causing you anguish.

Thank you strangers for making my day. I hope I can return/ pass forward the favors .....

Day of upsets in the Football world

2006-07-02T10:14:00.000-04:00

I still can't believe it- England got beat by Portugal, and Brazil by France. I still don't understand how. And, now Beckham's gone and given up the captaincy. I saw the pictures from the press conference- there were tears in his eyes. It is very sad to see someone go- specially since I grew up, watching him play.
But, then this improves Germany's chances of winning the pot- and that is always a good thing.

I watched "Troy" for the nth time yesterday. When I saw it the first time, on big screen, I admired the cinematography. But, now every time I see it, I discover something new- a line I had missed before, a scene which gets etched in your memory forever. Each time, I watch the movie, my appreciation for it goes up. I love it when Achilles says,

"The Gods envy us. They envy us because we are mortal, because any moment may be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we are doomed. You'll never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."

Tantara !! Way to go Lehmann!!

2006-06-30T16:43:00.000-04:00

There they go again ..... YAAAAAAAAY GERMANY !!!!!!!!!!
..... Got back from office a few minutes after the 2nd half had started.... was standing in front of the t.v. going through the day's mail, when Ayala sent that ball into the goal.... so I swore violently and then walked off. Spent the rest of the afternoon watching meaningless shows, and biting off my nails. Oh yes, once in a while I would check the scores- that means every 2 seconds. And, then danced around (almost the same steps as Klinsmann- did I ever mention how much I adore him?) after Klose equalized. I always knew there was hope. The whole extra time deal was a little nerve-wracking, and to add to it, the game had to go into penalty shoot out. Lehmann is a great goalie or what!! Were they great saves or what!
Love that team.
Problem is - I kinda like Italy, too. Now, 2 of my favorites are up against each other.
Anyway - how cute was Klinsmann, going all crazy when Klose equalized- love that man. Go Juergen!!

Well, so I have been lecturing for the past 2 weeks, and it has been quite nice so far. Students are pretty good, and seems like they enjoy being in class (either that or they are very good actors and actresses.) Of course, once in a while, there is one who thinks it is a good idea to sleep in class. Maybe, I have a nice, soothing voice. Well, in that case, I should have been a pschiatrist or yoga instructor- would have lulled people into a sense of peace and calm and security, without any effort.
I am going to stop- am sleepy and just rambling on .....

Football a.k.a. Soccer, Love, etc. etc. ...

2006-06-25T10:03:00.000-04:00

Go Germany!! Nice job yesterday. I am so happy for Klinsmann. I don't think I need to start about how great I think he is. Well, he's the first soccer player I had a crush on... so, like a first love, he's going to be in my heart forever. I am never going to get over him. And just as I expected, he's doing just as great a job being a coach, as he did as a captain of the German soccer team.
Ballack is doing very well too. It is just unfortunate that the Swede goalie was so good- and Ballack couldn't convert any of his shots.
Klose- the Budweiser Man of the Match- very rightly chosen. Amazing job of setting up the shots for Podolski.
Yay ! Yay! Germany!

Okay! so a friend of mine told me this about his advisor. There are 2 conferences in the middle of August- one after the other- and both about a week long. And, my friend's advisor is going to the 1st and not the 2nd- though the 2nd is more pertinent to his field. The reason?!?!? His wife can't go with him, and he can't stay away from his wife for that long. Awwwww...... one of the sweetest things I ever heard. I almost cried when I heard this.
Isn't it lovely to see older people in love. I remember, when my Grandpa was around, he and my Grandma used to argue so much- over little things. But, there were moments, you'd see them look at each other- and though I was very young, I could tell how much they loved each other. Public display of affection was not really encouraged in our society in the past.... so you'd never see people kissing or holding hands, but the way my grandparents looked at each other- you could see how they were so much in love. Even when they fought, there was a wonderful sweetness to it. Actually, my Grandpa never said much... he'd just nod and smile- and this drove my Grandma nuts and she'd get even madder.

I can't remember who sang it, but I love that song that starts with:
" Grow old with me ......"

Cheers !!

2006-06-04T13:19:00.000-04:00

What a great day it was yesterday!! The best day in a while. The sun shone, birds sang, there was music in the air, and it all made me very happy. I finished a presentation on Friday- so that's one thing I don't have to worry about. It's almost the end of the quarter. There is a ton of wrapping-up that I am supposed to be taking care of, but I have been very strangely distracted, and I don't know why.
There was a "potluck and poker" party at a schoolmate's place. Went there for a while- actually just passed by. I am not much of a poker person- first, I am too expressive to play poker. The commendable thing is that the poker playing involved no money. Being a grad student, I am totally against throwing my very hard-earned money away on pointless games- games that involve more luck than any real skill. So that was the afternoon.
Then, in the evening I went to dinner with some other friends. Actually it was a friend's treat. He just cleared his candidacy, and got an "outstanding research" award. Actually, he had already bought us drinks, the day he actually received the award. But, yesterday was for finally having received the check. Good job, S S!! We went to Buca di Beppo. Actually, I think I liked this time the best, out of all the times that I've been there. Maybe, it was really the company. B, S, and N are too funny. And, it is such great fun to tease them. Boys will always be boys, i.e. incorrigible!!
There was a lot of arguing over where to go after that. The girls, that is M and I, didn't want to go to any bars/ clubs- it's getting kind of tiresome- most of these places are too undergrad!! Then we decided to go to someone's apt. and play board games. And, as we were driving by the Oval, we noticed loud music, lights, etc. and stopped by. Apparently, there was a "Hemp Festival" going on. .... so that's where we hung out, till it started pouring cats and dogs on us. The music was quite alright, but the rain was a wee bit annoying ... so we left....

Today, it is cloud and grey, and foreboding.... as if warning me of the week coming up.... but I will be fine. I will survive .....

DaVinci Code, Ugly Tuna Saloona, et. al.

2006-05-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

All the negative publicity has worked very well for DVC.... I must say. My friends and I loved the book, so we had to see the movie on Friday (first day but not first show )..... Our quest to watch it first took us to Gateway, where it was sold out till the next 2-3 shows, and then to Lennox, where we just managed to get the last few tickets (Phew!)
I think the movie is done pretty well .... its already 2 and 1/2 hours long..... putting more details would only make it longer.... so, I don't agree with the critics..... this movie does more justice to the book than all the Harry Potters do to theirs. The only part where I found the movie lacking, is in the explanation of Teabing's role in the whole matter. Also, the movie left out the part about Sophie's brother still being alive, and the romance between Robert and Sophie ( thankfully !! ).

Why do people say things that they might have to regret later? We were at UTS (on Friday and Saturday.... the good thing about that place is that they don't have a cover and the music's decent... why should I pay a cover, when I am going to be paying for the drinks anyway?)..... and whom do we see, but this aquaintance of ours who had sworn she wouldn't date anyone who's not from the same country as she is. And of course, people have had to listen to extended versions of the stories of her long distance boyfriend ..... Well, guess what!! she's dating someone she wasn't supposed to ;-) ..... so, why do people say things, when there is always a chance that they might have to eat their own words.

Clint's Amazing Race

2006-05-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

.... was two weekends ago and it was great fun ...." Amazing" is the word. Although I did not participate in it, I helped, and it was very enjoyable.

The race is on lines similar to the TV show. Teams of size 3 or 4 register for it, show up on the day of the race, get a clue, and race around the city, neighboring states, etc. looking for more clues. A friend of mine and I were stationed at a mall (Easton Town Center). Clue # 7 was a picture of me and said that the teams were supposed to look for me in the mall, go up to me and say to me "it's a beautiful day for a race" to initiate a conversation. After that I was supposed to ask them a question, on answering which correctly, they got clue #8.

Those who've been to Easton know how huge a place it is, and can imagine what a task it might be to look for someone from a photgraph only. Well, I knew some of the participants, but I was to ignore them, till they said "It's a beautiful day for a race." It was funny to have people walk upto you, with a photo and trying to match you to it.

I know its been a while since the race ..... but I have been thinking about an honorable mention on the blog.....

Cheerio !!

Go Joe!!

2006-05-08T00:20:00.000-04:00

hmmm.... "Joseph and his amazing technicolor dreamcoat" was here the second half of last week. I went to see it Wednesday. Such a treat for the eyes and the ears. Theatre is so much more enthralling than cinema. The energy among the actors on stage and musicians is so evident, so palpable, so contagious ..... you feel like getting up and dancing to the music, and singing with them.

Actually, Joseph (Patrick Cassidy) was quite the eye candy. What a physique!!! I have never seen a guy with a better body. Complete with the perfect abs. I could not help but whistle everytime he came on stage; which was almost all the time. Since its based in Egypt, Joe was in an Egyptian skirt and topless for 95% of the play :-P Nice, eh !!!!

Andrew Llyod Webber's music was great as usual. There was a lot of creativity woven into the story. The king of Egypt was dressed like Elvis, and spoke and sang like "The King."
Did I mention that Joseph was really hot? That he had a great body?

The weekend was quite nice. Saturday was great fun. Sunday was mostly work, but I am happy. That's what matters, right? Heard from a few old friends.

Let's see how the week goes .....

gray day .....

2006-04-30T10:20:00.000-04:00

its gray and gloomy outisde .... and that's exactly how i feel. too much work to be done and i don't feel like doing anything.

there was this band called "Amongst the Grass" playing on campus last night. a friend and i, went out for a stroll, and ended up sitting and listening to them play .... was alright! i guess what really made us stay, was the ice-cream and some kind of sweet bread that was being given out. it was a quite a lovely night for outdoor concerts.

on our way back, we saw lots of people on the oval, with pillows and blankets, and all - maybe it was some "sleep outside, under the stars" kind of a deal.

i want to see the sun .... i am tired of gray skies .... i hate waking up to look out of my window and see grayness ....

blah blah .... Victory will be mine!!

2006-03-21T16:51:00.000-05:00

figured that i hadn't written for quite some time, so it was time i got online and bitched a little .... about life, universe and everything. Well, actually, there isn't much to complain about .. things are pretty decent. Got slightly hammered on St. Patrick's day though and spend all Saturday sleeping. Spend Sunday evening at a friend's ..... made dinner and watched "The Family Guy" -he owns everything about FG that has ever been released on DVD. That was fun.

Have been reading a few books - "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri - that book always makes me cry like no other. Well, being an Indian, actually a Bengali Indian, enables me to relate to everything that she talks about in the book. Well, I miss home ......

SELF

2006-03-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

I wonder what happened,
To the girl that I used to be,
To the one so full of life,
To the real me.

To the one who had no cares,
Not a single worry,
To the one who always smiled,
To the real me.

Where is she?
The one slightly crazy,
The one with dreams,
Where is the real me?

Did I lose her somewhere?
Oh! What a mystery !!
Or is she in hiding ?
The real, real me.

I think, she's still here,
Somewhere deep inside me,
I'll wake her up, and set her free,
And I'll be the real me .....

And the Oscar goes to ....

2006-03-06T00:33:00.000-05:00

Went to friends' place to see the Oscars ..... it was good, but not that great. Jon Stewart was great. If I ever met a guy who had the combination of his looks and intelligence, I would never ever let him go. Why are all the good guys either taken or of "alternate sexuality" ? Like someone said, " Great guys are like parking spots. The good ones are either taken or can be occupied by only those who have a certain parking pass. " I think only Jon Stewart's lines were funny. Everybody else was very average. Or maybe, I am biased.

Anyway, I think its great that "Crash" won the best picture. I loved that movie. It must have taken a lot of guts and insight to make a great film about racism. I love what Graham says. "It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something. " I think now its true about any city, any part of the world.

People are so wrapped up in their own worlds and their own worries, no one has time for others.

Waiting .... for you ....

2006-03-05T00:51:00.000-05:00

How will I know, when I see you,
That you are the one?
The one, that I have been waiting for,
For all these years.
The one that I tried to find,
In everyone I came across.
The one, who was made for me,
And, for whom I am here.

Will I know you,
The first instant that you look at me,
And I at you?
Or will it take a while,
To have us see,
That I am, meant for you,
And you, for me.

Plans go awry. Again !!!

2006-03-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

... so the Oscars are this Sunday, March 5, 2006. Of the five movies nominated for best picture, I have seen 2- "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash." I decided to make it three, so a couple of my friends and I decided to go see "Munich". Well, apparently it was only playing at 2 theatres, which we hadn't ever been to. But, we decided to take a chance. The only 2 shows we could make it to were 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. B had to go to bed early, because he had to drive to Cinci the next morning for some "String Theory" conference- so we had to try and make it to the 8 o'clock show. Well, it didn't help our nerves, that we started out at 7.30 and then got lost and reached 15 minutes late. What was worse was that apparently it wasn't playing in that theatre at all. So much so for updated information on the internet.
Anyway, we got dinner and then crashed at their place. Spent the rest of the evening gabbing and watching "Dirty Dancing." B kept saying that he thought Baby's mother was hot, and Z kept saying that, Freud would have a field day with B's comments. This led to a long discussion on the " Oedipus " and "Electra" complexes. Then, we got inspired by "Dirty Dancing" and waltzed and tangoed, till almost 1 in the morning. All in all, Friday was a good day :)

Movie ticket (we didn't buy)- $ 8.00
Dinner - $ 8.00
Downloading Swing numbers from the internet- $1.00 per song
Watching B fill gas in his car - Priceless

(Sorry I can't elaborate on this ..... )

Insecurity

2006-03-01T00:19:00.000-05:00

I don't know, what brings me closer to you,
Or what it is that I like about you.
All I know is,

I am happy and alive when I am with you,
I am hopeful when I am with you,
I feel loved and cared for, when I am with you,
I feel pretty and blessed, when I am with you,
I feel like I have all the riches of the world,
when I am with you.

I am scared, when I am with you .....
Scared that I am going to wake up,
And realise that I was only dreaming.

Let me not wake up,
Let this dream go on ......

One of the better days

2006-02-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

.... so yesterday was Valentine's day. After what has been happening in my life lately, I didn't have too many expectations from this day. But it actually turned out pretty okay.... maybe better than okay. Some of my friends had a party at their place. It was more like potluck dinner and a movie. We started at about 7.30 p.m. and it went on till about 1.30 a.m. Phew! That was very brave of us all, considering that all of us had early morning classes and meetings. By the time we got back home, it was past 2 a.m. But we all had fun ..... which is what the point of it all was.

The food was great, considering that it was made by us. The movie was great, too. Actually of the eleven of us that were present, only two hadn't seen it before. Meaning the other nine had a great time passing comments and ruining it for those two. He! He! Always fun to irritate friends. That's what they are there for.

George, one of the hosts, is so much fun. Right after the movie got over, he ran to his room, got his camera (tripod and all) and we had this hour long photo session.... most of it in the kitchen, because some people were doing dishes and the rest were just supervising (read- giving them a hard time.)

It was fun ......

Dead Poets Society

2006-02-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

.... I watched this movie for the second time yesterday. And I laughed and I cried ( well, not at the same time, if any of you smart alecs thought so). This sure is one of my "favoritest" movies. Comes side by side with Snatch, Life is Beautiful, Napoleon Dynamite and the others. (What an odd list, you might be thinking. Well, that's how I think it should be!!!!)

I think my favorite lines from the movie are
" That you are here, and that life exists, and identity,
That the powerful play goes on,
And you may contribute a verse.... "

WOW!!! This Whitman guy sure knew what he was doing.

If there is one inspirational movie I could recommend people to watch, this would probably be it. There are so many great lines in the film- some inspirational, some moving, some funny . All so pertinent to life, to what we may be, and what we may want to achieve.

Okay, all for now. Time to go "Carpe diem!" i.e. "Sieze the day!"

Do you believe in "Love at first sight" ?

2006-02-09T19:29:00.000-05:00

I don't. And I don't think its possible at all. How can you fall for someone after a single glance? Well it took me a whole 3 hours and a half to fall for even Aragorn- he being a totally made-up character.... with no flaws at all.

I don't think I have even met anyone who's been in this "love at first sight" business. Well, to believe in it, I'll have to experience it first, I guess. But, knowing me ( I should know me somewhat well by now, I hope ) I don't think it is ever going to happen. I believe in knowing someone for some time and then starting to like him. Since I am incapable of "love at first sight", does it mean it does not happen to anyone ? How am I ever going to find an answer to this? Its just like "Does God exist?" Okay! Okay! Its maybe not as serious and sensitive an issue, but its important .

Wondering .......

Did i mention that ....

2006-02-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

I absolutely HATE sympathy ? And that is all that I have been getting these days- looks of sympathy. Why can't people just tell me - "OK so it happened. Deal with it and move on." ? Why do they look at me like they really feel my pain? I know they don't understand. You never understand till you are one who is going through it.

My friends know what it is that I am talking about.

I think this is when I should go by what a friend says " At least I am not in jail or terminally ill." Well, though this is supposed to make me feel better and cheer up, it only makes me think- isn't physical discomfort much easier to bear than a heartache ?

If you never try, you'll never know .....

2006-02-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

When you try your best
but you don't succeed
When you get what you want
but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth.......

Its one of those days (again!!), when this song means a whole lot to me.
Just in case you think I am a hopeless romantic, let me clarify something.
I think this song is great because it offers so much hope.
It kind of makes you see how great your family and friends are, when
you need them. Of course, there will be the occasional back-biter. But,
they mean nothing, when you have real friends, by your side. And, oh yes,
I am a hopeless romantic and its sucks when "you love someone but it
goes to waste."

I learnt long ago, how important it was for girls to have girlfriends. No
matter, how great your husband or boyfriend is, there are somethings
that you can not talk to them about.

" a future that is filled with hope and promise."

2006-01-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

is what Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the newly elected president of Liberia, Africa, aspires to work towards. But, only the fact that Africa, has elected its first woman head of the state, fills me with hope and promise. Maybe, one of these days, the US will also become progressive enough to think about empowering women, and put into action their words, and elect a woman president. Why is it that, a country this size and being the "most developed nation of the world", has not been insrumental in producing a female head of the state? Does the problem lie in the minds of the people in general or the women of the US of A ? Is it hard for the people to envision a woman leader or the women not bold enough to step up to the responsibilities, and take over the reins of control? If they can lead men on space missions and archaelogical expeditions, what's stopping them from leading the country? Atleast, you don't have to wear a weird spacesuit or dig away in deserts.......

Another boring day........

2005-11-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

I'll be sooooooo glad when this damn quarter is done and I'll get to go home....... but the thought that I'll have to come back to this madness is killing me. Just the thought that I'll have to return, takes away from me, all the excitement and joy of going home. Wonder, how everything's going to be back home...... will things have changed a lot? Have I changed a lot? Things change every minute of every day and I have been away for so long now. I have to admit, that I am a little scared now... for me. I hope I haven't changed much. I hope I am still the same person, my relatives and friends knew and loved, when I left for this place. I hope my parents don't regret having supported my decision to come here. I hope..........

What is it about people, that makes us like them? ...............................

Yippee !!! We did it again!!!

2005-11-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

Drum roll, please!! Ohio State buckeyes beat Michigan Wolverines (on Saturday, November 19,2005), again!! Granted it was a close game, but what counts in the end is, who won. And, win we did. People went absolutely crazy. Though this was an away game,( so there were no "riots") the police had to round up some drunk guys on campus. A couple of years ago, the crowd had gone completely beserk, after OSU won a home game and they burned cars and stuff. Hence, last year, since it was a home game again, spectators were asked to sign the "scarlet and gray oath", which stated that no matter what the outcome of the game, they would not riot, that is, they would behave.

The weather was great!!
I had a great day. It turned out to be a better day than I had expected it to be.

Thus, Saturday turned out to be a day of celebration, in many ways. Hmmmm..... too many reasons... maybe some other day, when I have more time to write........

Oh no!!!

2005-11-14T21:39:00.000-05:00

It has started !!!!! It has been raining all afternoon/ evening and is supposed to be raining all night, too. I am pretty sure, the next thing is going to be that the rain will change to sleet and finally we'll have it snowing on us. I don't think I am mentally prepared for it. I don't think I'll ever be. Snow is very pretty- I admit. It looks great on trees and rooftops. It makes pretty pictures. But, I hate walking in the snow, especially when icy cold winds are slapping you on the face. Is there something that can be done about this?

Please don't think that I needlessly complaining. Where I come from, the lowest, the temperatures in winter go down to is about 4 or 5 degrees Centigrade, whatever that is in Fahrenheit (you can do that 32, 5, 9 calculation for yourself.)

The Buckeyes are really on a roll !!

2005-11-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

You know who the "buckeyes" are, right? They are the Ohio State Universitians and their football team won again. This time 48-7 against North Western University. They have been doing well this year and I hope they keep doing well. I am not into football- but it always feels nice to see your school doing well, be it any field.

The "Beat Michigan Week" is almost here. This year the Buckeyes play the Wolverines in Michigan, but we'll still have the usual events of "jumping into Mirror lake" and such, to show support. People will scream "F*** Michigan" at each and every gathering, they'll wear t-shirts with slogans that will state explicitly how they feel about the Wolverines, every example professors give in any class, be it Math or History, will be related to how dumb the Wolverines are, and various organizations will host events that will be titled "OSU-Michigan Bloodbath."

Oh yes, my project called "Be nice to people" is going very well. I have said "hi!" to many strangers and received good responses- some of them now say "hi!" to me before I do so...... so now they are strangers no more.

The Secret is Revealed !!!

2005-11-05T20:10:00.000-05:00

I think I have discovered the secret to a complain-free life. I start every day thinking its going to be a so-so day or a bad day.... so if anything that is even remotely nice happens, it makes it seem like a great day. This really works!! When you don't expect anything nice from anyone, even the smallest gestures of kindness, seem to bring so much joy. And, if anything goes wrong, I am prepared for it, because I had been expecting a bad day.... so I say "Chuck it !!" and move on.

Which brings me to the question, "how many times in a day, do I do something to make someone else's day better?" Not too many, I think, and I really need to work on this. I realize that even a simple smile or a "Hi!" from a stranger can make me feel cared for and worthwhile. It would cost me absolutely nothing to do and return such gestures, so why don't I go ahead and try to affect positively, the days of the people I come in contact with.

Okay, its a deal then. I will list here the outcomes of any such attempts from today onwards.

Its a Beautiful day!!!

2005-11-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

.... and it has been beautiful weatherwise, for the past few days. I wish it would stay like this all year around. Why do we have to have winters and summers? Right now, it is what heaven would be like- I think. And, this kind of weather definitely makes me complain and whine far less than usual. The sun is out shining, there is a slight breeze, the temperatures are in the high 60's and early 70's. Absolutely WOW!! Makes me want to run around in open fields, go biking, maybe go for a drive, go sailing- actually, do anything but work. But tough luck!! Have to work. And have to work indoors, have to be in the lab :(

Are there any Halloween songs?

2005-11-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

Wow!! I must have been really busy, if I haven't been able to blog for a week now. And, I didn't even realize till I checked the last post's date. Well, since I have been busy, mostly because I have been having fun.... I don't feel so bad. The past week was pretty good...

let's see, I last wrote on Wednesday.... Thursday was the usual- struggled to code some stupid problem..didn't make much progress. Though the assignment was due Friday, the professor gave us an extension till Monday. So, I didn't look at it till Sunday night... tried some more and then finally gave up on the part which was killing me..eh. Anyway, so what did I do all weekend, that I did no work?

On Friday, we went shopping for the Halloween party we had on Saturday. Then, went out for dinner and then went over to a friend's to play cards and stuff. Did some more shopping on Saturday morning, went over to a friend's to have breakfast- more like brunch. Made french toast- turned out pretty okay. No one died of eating them, so I guess they were alright....
Saturday evening was more partying...We had a Halloween party at our department. After that we went over to a friend's for dinner and then went to watch "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." It was alright. I have seen too many movies of this sort. But it was an appropriate movie for Halloween season.

Sunday was kinda relaxed... didn't do much except struggle with the aforementioned homework. Monday night was another Halloween party.....

Ah, gotta go now... am famished... gotta get something to eat.

Pretty uneventful day today....

2005-10-26T22:15:00.000-04:00

Should I see this as a good sign or bad? Well, nothing earth-shattering happened... so I guess that is nice. But, i didn't win a million dollars or even $5, either. So, "uneventful" is THE word.

Anyway, so Halloween is around the corner and all you hear on the radio, see on t.v. and read about in the newspapers, these days, is HALLOWEEN. This means that the holiday season is here! Yippee!! Meaning, Thanksgiving will soon follow and so will Christmas. I guess, what I am trying to say is that soon we'll be getting a bunch of holidays- break from school. Gee! I really make it sound like I hate school and work. But I don't.

I think HP has been hitting on me.....

2005-10-25T17:22:00.000-04:00

...for the past few days now. First he was just paying compliments about my shoes and hair and clothes, telling me how smart I was, how great I looked- all friendly compliments. Lately he has been asking me if I have a boyfriend, offering to take me shopping and I have been taking these as innocent, too. But, today when I was complaining about how cold it was, first he offered his jacket (very chivalrous- I agree) and then offered to hug me and hold me. And believe me, he did not look like he was joking. Hmmmm...... I wonder...

So, it did snow last night, but in the outlying areas.... spared us. It was cooooold this morning- but I had my hat and gloves- so I survived. The office is still freezing. Whatever was being repaired is still not fixed and might not be fixed even till tomorrow- it sucks !! Wonder of wonders, the computer lab is warmer than the whole building. Thus, I spent almost the whole day in the lab today. That might be the reason that I am still alive.

Other than the crappy weather, things have been quite good today- but the day isn't over yet. It might get better or worse. Somehow, my positivity keeps getting beaten up by some sort of pessimism- can't help it. Things can surely be better than they are now- a lot better. Please. I need a miracle. NOW!! I need to get back my positivity.

Just another MANIC Monday !!!

2005-10-24T19:21:00.000-04:00

Its back to the madness of the week.... and the horrible weather isn't being much of a help. Its been raining almost all day. The guy on the radio says there is a slight chance of SNOW after midnight. Has the weather god gone completely out of control? SNOW at this time of year. Its not even November yet- what does he mean sending in SNOW..... we've hardly seen all the fall colors, and already this talk of the whiteness of SNOW.

My office is freezing. Apparently, they are repairing something in someone's office and had to disconnect the radiator there. And since the radiators are all connected in series, they cannot send in hot water through any. Thus, we all have to be bundled up in 50 layers when in office and outside, too. It frigging freezing everywhere, except in my apartment where its a tropical 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures are centrally controlled, so no use trying to change it. Any movement would cause you to break into a sweat. Thus, all I can do at home, is sit in one place and sit very still...... But it is comparatively better to be warm, than be covered in 57 layers and still be shivering.

I got some compliments for my hair today : ) Hope they were being honest- I think they were.

Time flies... especially when there are deadlines to be met

2005-10-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

Sunday already and I have so little done. Am really glad that I have finally managed to submit the dratted paper. I don't know if any good is going to come of it, but eh!!......

What is it about alcohol that makes some people turn into such goofballs ? What is weird is that even though they are acting all silly and all, they are totally conscious of what they are doing. They might not remember doing it later, but they fully aware of their actions, when they are in the process of performing them. Thats why you hear them saying things like, " Please don't think any less of me after this." And of course, the sure sign of drunkeness is when people start saying, " I love you." This comes from having been to a friend's birthday party yesterday..... which compared to some other parties that I've been to, was very peaceful.....

Waaaaaahhhhhh!!! Don't wanna go to school tomorrow......

Things you never knew or thought about

2005-10-22T11:23:00.000-04:00

1. At least 5 people in this world love you so much, they'd die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, someone thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. If not for you, someone may not be living.
8. You are special and unique.
9. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look; you most likely turned your back on the world.
12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it; but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.
13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.
15. If you have a great friend, take time to let them know that they are great.

Take time ..... to live and love!!!

Is it you.... ?

2005-10-20T13:05:00.000-04:00

JANUARY:
Loves to teach and be taught.
Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses.
Likes to criticize.
Stubborn and hard-hearted
Ambitious and serious.
Hardworking and productive.
Smart, neat and organized.
Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy.
Quiet unless excited or tensed.
Rather reserved.
Highly attentive.
Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds.
Romantic but has difficulties expressing love.
Loves children.
Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous.
Very Stubborn and money cautious.
Always her self.
Sexy/ hot/ cute/ everything.

FEBRUARY :
Abstract thoughts.
Loves reality and abstract.
Intelligent and clever.
Changing personality.
Attractive.
Temperamental.
Quiet, shy and humble.
Honest and loyal.
Determined to reach goals.
Loves freedom.
Rebellious when restricted.
Loves aggressiveness.
Too sensitive and easily hurt.
Gets angry really easily but does not show it.
Dislike unnecessary things.
Loves making friends but rarely shows it.
Daring and stubborn.
Ambitious.
Realizing dreams and hopes.
Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure.
Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous.
Spendthrift.
Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Attractive personality.
Sexy.
Affectionate.
Shy and reserved.
Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic.
Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others.
Loves to serve others.
Easily angered.
Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness.
Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize.
Loves traveling.
Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners.
Loves home decors.
Musically talented. Loves special things.
Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic.
Decisive and haste but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself.
Strong mentality.
Loves attention. Diplomatic.
Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems.
Brave and fearless.
Adventurous.
Loving and caring.
Suave and generous.
Emotional. Aggressive.
Hasty.
Good memory.
Moving
Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest.
Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

Stay tuned for the rest of the months.........

Ed is my latest backup....

2005-10-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

Yes, Ed is the guy who wants to marry me.... he says he loves me and is ready to marry me, whenever I want to. Thus, I made "backup plans" with him. If we are both single when I am 40, we will get married..... Who says you never learn anything from t.v. shows? I learned this great lesson from "Friends"- you should always have a backup plan....

Its only Wednesday, and I am all ready for the weekend- have no idea what we are doing this weekend- most of us have exams coming up. Not that we spend all our time poring over books, but that thing called the "conscience"- it pricks when you have too much/any fun, especially with exams around the corner.... so I guess, we'll see ......

Some guy called James Blunt, I think, has come up with this song " You are beautiful"- which they are playing on the radio quite frequently these days- its quite a nice one- soothing music and romantic lyrics...... Nice combo !! Its my "Song of the day".

My plans for Sunday...

2005-10-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

....... didn't work out. The friend whose place we were supposed to meet at, let us down. He called Sunday afternoon to say, he was stuck at some friend's place who had come down from Michigan- so, our plans went kaput. The whole meet thing has been scheduled for the next weekend now. But, my other friend has 2 midterms next week, so.......

Anyway, this week didn't start very great either. It was Manic Monday yesterday and has been Trying Tuesday today. But, shouldn't complain, since I volunteered for this way of life.

I wonder, what in the world Rob Dickinson is trying to say in his song "Intelligent people." I wonder, how many people would want to "smile and hangout with" me. I wonder, what being "intelligent" means........

2005-10-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

So.... I was proposed to, by this guy, whom I have never met in my whole life. And, no, he isn't an internet pal. He works with a couple of my friends and was so thoroughly impressed by my sense of humor, that he asked to marry me. This sure is a first. No one's ever wanted to marry me for being the target of my practical jokes. At least, that was never the reason they gave me. Anyway, the funny thing is I know all about him. I know what he looks like, how he does his hair, that he hasn't smoked a single cigarette for the past month, that he graduated last year and now is working full-time, that he's going to apply to med school, but doesn't want to be a doctor. What ?!?!? And, yes of course, I know his name. My friend loves to talk about her workplace, and so, I know about everyone who works in that lab. But, he knows absolutely nothing about me.......

The weekend is almost gone......

2005-10-16T01:23:00.000-04:00

and I haven't even had enough fun..... but its always like that, isn't it?

The past 2 days have been pretty good!!! Friends have been wonderful, as always.....
On Friday, my friends and I went grocery shopping and on our way back, the bus took a detour and dropped us 10 blocks away from where we live. Why? Because, the roads were closed for the Homecoming Parade.....so, we had to walk down. It was fun though. We got to see the parade and witness the many people who, for the lack of anything better to do on a Friday night, sat on the pavement cheering the participants. I waved at some of them, as best as could, with my hands laden with grocery bags..... I am sure I made their day :)
Then we watched "National Treasure"- I, for the nth time- I think, it gets better everytime you watch it... you understand the clues better. Its nice, even though I am not a big fan of Nicholas Cage, the guy who plays the role of "Riley" is funny, cute, and keeps my interest alive..... gotta find out his name.
And then, we did what we almost always do on Friday nights.... sat up chatting till the wee hours of morning. But, this time we went to bed, before the newspaper man showed up. Thus, it was kind of a relaxed ending to a, well..., somewhat "eh!" week.

Saturday morning, my friends and I went running/ gymming. And, I discovered that I had lost 2 kgs ( so about 4.4 lbs) in the past 2-3 weeks.... which isn't good- because that means that now I am underweight. Ma will freak out if she finds out..... Anyway, to make up for the (my, actually) loss, we cooked a really big breakfast- it was more like brunch. Cooking can be so much fun...especially with friends. We are great at making fun of ourselves and each other.... so, we never cease to be amused.

In the evening, a friend took me out for dinner and a movie. If I had been good with words, I'd have let him know that "I loved it. Thanks!! That was one of the sweetest things someone has done for me. You are such a sweetheart. And, your hair looks great!! Just the right length!!"
Lets see, we went to this place called " Mongolian Barbecue"- its a place where you can make your own dish. As in, pick out the ingredients- meat, sauces, spices, etc.- and then walk over to the grill and the cooks, cook it for you. Very nice !!
Then we watched "Elizabethtown"- nice one!! Very appropriate, I guess, for someone in my situation. Of course, Orlando Bloom looks veryyyyy cute as usual. My friend thought it should have been inspirational for me..... I don't know... they never show what happens to the guy after the film has ended..... Forgive me, but this is just me being me.......

Well, I guess I should get back to finishing my homework ...... and then wait and see if my plans for Sunday work out.....

till then.....

Slightly better today....

2005-10-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

Looks like there is still some hope left in this world.....

My day had a really great start- my parents called!!! It is just so wonderful to hear from them. I absolutely am so lucky to have them for my parents- I LOVE THEM. And then I spoke to one of my aunts, whom I hadn't had the chance to talk to, for a long time. .....so, that was nice.

And, then something really sweet happened.... can't write about it.... will have to answer too many questions, if my friends come across this.

Had some good news in my first class this morning- and NO!! it wasn't about saving a bunch of money by switching to GEICO!!!! Meeting about some research went pretty well. Well, I admit some of the things that we talked about seem to be unachievable... but eh!!! I guess I'll keep trying....

I still don't feel very great physically, can't imagine how a weekend cold can leave me feeling so exhausted, but I think my heart and soul are in the process of healing.....

It's Thursday- definitely not the end of the week, which has been pretty disappointing so far..... but I have to say, I am GLAD TO BE ALIVE.... Things could have been worse. Like my friend says, I could have been in jail or terminally ill...........

The WORST day of my life

2005-10-12T23:23:00.000-04:00

...... that was today. You know that you've had the absolute worst day of your life when people try to sympathise with you and try to be nice.... you know that all they want is to kick your rear end and laugh at your misfortune......

Why did no one tell me, what I was getting myself into, when I was getting into this mess? I have decided, my children will not thus suffer. ( I am sure my parents don't want me to suffer either- its only that they let me have my way and get here.) Where was I? Oh ya, my children will not thus suffer- they will instead drop out of school and earn a living, the worry-free way.... whatever that is supposed to be. I have a friend who is working as a barrista at a coffee shop and he sounds happy with his life. Maybe, I'll have my kids do something like that. What's the use of spending your entire youth trying to better the future, which you aren't even sure exists?

If there is any good in this world, I need to see it and see it NOW !!!! I need a sign to show me that good things will come, that things will get better,..... I need some good luck and I need it desperately........

2005-10-11T21:36:00.000-04:00

I donno what to write. I am at a point in life that has me confused as never before. Do I know what I want in life? Do I want to stay in this place forever? Should I try to get a job and stop being a graduate student? Should I go back home and never come back? Does anything matter anymore? S***!!! I know this is NOT THE END. Life has far bigger and worse dissappoinments in store for me.... GEE!! Now I am talking like Marvin, the chronically depressed robot. But, I can't help it. Would it hurt FATE to be nice to me, once in awhile? It has really been eons since the last the time something nice happened to me. And, for the life of me, I can't remember what it was? Or was it? This is funny. I didn't know I could actually get this upset over anything. Well, maybe this is a sign of good mental health. I would be classified as a weirdo, if nothing ever mattered to me. Don't you agree?

**** (humming)**** I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin****** this could be the end of everything*****
(That was courtesy of Keane......)

Well then, I thought going running would help clear up my thoughts... but doesn't seem to have helped much.....

Oh!! the agonies of being a graduate student.......

Wish I could have the guts to wear one earring only....

2005-10-10T19:02:00.000-04:00

"Why?", you ask. Because, for some reason, I keep losing my earrings.

I have lost count of the number of earrings I have lost till date. Fortunately, they have always been the cheap ones that have gone astray and left me stranded. But, no matter how cheap they were, I always managed to get sentimentally attached to them. The most hurtful thing about this is that I never lost the whole pair. It was always one of the pair. And, then thanks to my sentimental attachment to them, I haven't been able to throw away the other..... so now I have a whole box of earrings, which don't have a matching pair. Thus, I wish I could be one of those freaks, who go around boldly sporting one earring. Or maybe, just be normal enough to throw away the useless ones.

Any ideas as to what I should do about this? All of them are so different from each other, that I can't even mix-n-match.

Fix you- Coldplay

2005-10-09T22:52:00.000-04:00

This song is for all my friends out there-
all those who endured me
through elementary school and high school,
college and later,
on the playground and in labs,
loved me for who I am ,
were honest with me about my flaws,
but loved me inspite of them.
This is to all my friends,
who thought I was worth spending time with,
worth sharing secrets with and above all,
worth remembering.
I know, you guys are busy with your lives.
But, you still drop in a few lines once in a while,
to let me know you care.
Thanks for that and everything  else........
love you all.........


When you try your best
but you don't succeed
When you get what you want
but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
when you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tickle Fights

2005-10-08T07:08:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine thinks that whenever two or more girls are all by themselves, they strip to the bare minimum and have a tickle fight. It sounds totally ridiculous to me. Being someone who shared an apartment with 4 other girls when an undergraduate, and lived in a girls' dorm, I can vouch for my friends and myself, that this wasn't our favorite pastime. Rather, it wasn't a pastime at all. Sorry guys, all your theories about what girls do, when there are no guys around, are all wrong. At any point of time, if you think you got us figured, think again.

Its only fair that you never find out our deep innermost secrets. After all, we don't know yours.

Finally...

2005-10-06T22:38:00.000-04:00

did I get around to buying my own copy of the "Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Now, I cannot imagine how I got by all these days, without it. Douglas Adams really has a wild imagination. I read his " Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul" some time back. That is a good book, too, but nothing beats the Hitchhiker's guide. When I heard that they were making a movie based on that book, I was pretty skeptical. But, I must say that, they did a pretty good job of it; but then Douglas Adams had a big part in the writing of the script. My favorite part in the movie was the "point-of-view-gun." Marvin, the chronically depressed humanoid only became my "favoriter "character. Alan Rickman's voice is perfect for Marvin. It reminded me of Snape in HP "Turn to page 394." Everyone was great, except for Zaphod- who did not appear goofy enough. He looked nothing like the Zaphod I had in my head.

What amazes me is that inspite of all the advances in technology we've made, and all the great special effects, books still are so much more fulfilling than movies. You know what I mean? I have been reading "Hobbit" by Tolkien. The descriptions are so vivid that you can actually see Bilbo and the dwarves going off on their adventure.

More later.... got school tomorrow. Have to finish up the assignment that's due.

Advil and going out for a walk really work !!!

2005-10-04T21:58:00.000-04:00

I have to say, taking a walk and getting some fresh air really help get rid of headaches. I had had this horrible headache for some 10 hours, and it was really getting to be a pain in the neck. Then I went out for a walk and took some Advil. Oooooh!!! Now its gone! I feel as good as new! I could take all of the day's classes all over again, do 5 homeworks, read 6 papers and then go dancing..... I could, but I won't do any of the above except for maybe the dancing......

On a complete tangent, why are they playing "Holla back girl" so religiously on the radio these days ? Have the radio stations gone "B-A-N-A-N-A-S" ? I wish they'd play Green Day's "Wake me up when September ends" just as religiously. That song sure is going to go on my list of all-time-favorites. I love the drums in that song. Woohoo!! I got my wish granted. They are playing my sweet song. You know what, the other day I received a copy of that c.d. "Ameican Idiot" in my mailbox- I still have to find out who put it there, so I can thank him (I have a vague idea who it is, but not sure....) , so that is all I listen to these days....

English can be Funny

2005-10-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

Spotted in a toilet of a London office:
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a London Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN
THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an London office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE
DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a London secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT
BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in London health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a London conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY
CARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR

Notice in a field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE
BULL CHARGES

Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET
LESSONS

On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR THE BELL
DOESN'T WORK)

At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Doctors office, Rome:
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

Hotel, Acapulco:
THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.

In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE SHOULD WAIT AND SEE THE
MANAGER.

In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WEEKENDS TOO.