Saturday, January 31, 2009

22:365

work holiday party-two of our good friends. had tons of fun. had lots of food. had lots of drinks.

Monday, January 26, 2009

18:365


this is my attempt at creativity. if you notice the bottom left side of my dash it says 5 degrees F. IT WAS SO FREAKIN COLD TODAY. walking from the bus to class was awful today. i thought i was going to die. but i didn't!

class has become soo stressful, i gotta get back to my routine. working and school and homework and this new blog project of mine is too much. but i know i can do it and in the end everything is going to turn out really good. i'll have a career. a career. oh i can't wait!

so i apologize for not blogging as much. but i will go back and take pictures for days 16 and 17. so make sure you use google reader so that you can tell when i update the older posts.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

16:365

This was our clean up brigade for the day: a few of us at church decided to take on a huge task of cleaning every nook and cranny of the church. and we had success. we did such a good job and i am so proud. this picture was taken during exhaustion, kfc eating, pre emergency room visit, post tons of carpet hauling to the garbage. we have so much fun when we all work together!

Friday, January 23, 2009

15:365

Larimer square was totally beautified for christmas this season, but it hasnt been taken down yet... so maybe its there for good. its so glamorous and i love walking under it. reminds me of indian weddings.

i did the unthinkable today, i joined a gym. its fun. and not too expensive. i think this will be good for me.
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Thursday, January 22, 2009

14:365

found this picture online, by a very skilled artist named Waswo x waswo. what a creative name and a beautiful picture. this was my favorite one out of the collection. i love how the guy is so "cool" and the girl is so traditional. and i think the overbearing bag just totally brings the whole going to the market, riding on the scooter look that u see quite often in india together. im surprised he didn't include a couple of babies in between the two adults.

writing intelligent entries is getting very tough as i get home later and later in the evening and as i run out of energy throughout the week.

Thursday is a rough day for me. very longg hard class after a long day at work. staying in downtown for so long really sets u in a different mindset. i usually catch the 10:30 bus, which means i walk through downtown to the station and pass many stores, restaurants, bars... and clubs. Downtown folks take "thirsty thursdays" seriously. It is so hard for me to walk by people who are having so much fun, while i'm dragging myself home. People are going to shows, eating dinner, have dates, dancing, and drinking. The streets smell sooo good, like beer and smoke and vodka.

A coworker and i decided that if we didnt have jobs and responsibilities to attend to the next day, we would definately become alcoholics. If i didn't have such strict parents, if i didnt live at home, if i could throw down money for hotel rooms, or if i had enough friends to just crash on a couch--i would probably take a couple shots on my way to the bus.

i am so jealous of the people on the streets on weeknights. today the weather encouraged people to swarm the downtown streets. i was tempted by clubs I've gone to with friends, by bars that are perfect for happy hours. bouncers invitingly try to get you into their hot spot every night. unfortunately, i get the feeling that backpacks and textbooks are not allowed...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

13:365


I had made this wordle this weekend as a cover photo for my 365 album. this morning i stumbled over an article regarding wordles-and inaugurations! Someone took the words from yesterday's speech and made it into wordles and compared obama's wordle with bush, clinton, lincoln. kinda interesting, but not very accurate. wordle lets you shuffle around the word and each time u shuffle different words are emphasized. so this comparison is a complete fabrication, but interesting still. plus it gave me a chance to show off my wordle. strangely, i have quite a few similar words as obama's cloud.

i've started school again and so it is harder to stay up and post. i've been exhausted lately. however, it does give me a chance to see cooler things, since downtown is full of interesting people places and things.

i have an evaluation at work tomorrow. so i'm slightly nervous about that! so glad the week is almost over.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

12:365


today was a beautiful day. historical day. hopeful day. i spent so much time trying to fix these pictures together, i dont have much time to write about it. i felt so proud to be american today. to be a non white american. i am so proud of obama, his family, everyone who was at the national mall, and of course us voters.
picture #1: my friend brought a tv to work! but we couldnt get reception... after much frustration we decided to watch the show on the spanish channel with the sound down and the radio up high. worked pretty well. #2 our office intently watching, left side are coworkers, right side are our patients! time almost stopped at 10 am this morning. #3 two great men, as one door closes another one opens.

please read one of my favorite bloggers' account of her day for the full inaugural summary. her writing is really good and she was very up close and personal.

Monday, January 19, 2009

11:365


I love this picture, I've cheated again and stole another wedding pic from someone. but forget the bride and the flowergirls, i loveee the love connection going on in the corner. I wish love was that simple. I wish it wasnt associated with so many labels, ceremonies, or so many complicated emotions. i just wish it was simple friendship. pleasure.
like these two, having the time of their life just giggling in the corner while this huge event is going on on their left. I love that they're telling secrets that we'll never know. I love that they look like a mini bride and groom. I love that the boy is looking straight at her-it shows some sense of honesty. I love how the girl is smirking... like she's beginning to feel all those emotions that corrupts friendship in the first place. too cute i tell ya.
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Sunday, January 18, 2009

10:365


i saw nothing cool today except this truck. reminded me of my name. im grumpy. so i have nothing to write either. today was just a boring day. we had an beautiful mass at church. i hung out with my cousin and a friend. i ate good food. i watched brothers and sisters. but nothing spectacular happened.

i'm in denial about a lot of things.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

9:365 Baby Love


I thought this was cute! This kid is crazy funny and speaks malayalam like crazy. i wish i could get some tutoring services from him. nothing too exciting happened to me... weird.. nothing to write about. i sat in on a women's Bible study a few years ago, where all the moms' only concern were their children, and the kids' futures... and even their grandchildren. i thought it was the lamest thing ever. how can people be so self-less? how can all your concerns be focused on these little rascals that suck energy, time and effort out of you. they don't even listen to you. they don't ever appreciate you. but they are so so cute. and whenever i see a baby or a kiddo, i just want my own! lame lame. i find myself thinking about my kids.. and things i need to tell them about the world.. and my grandkids.. and how i want them to be successful. only a few years have passed and i've fallen in the trap too...

Friday, January 16, 2009

8:365


.... i'm a little hesitant to start this post. yes its about exercising. its about weight. its about... as oprah says... "falling off the wagon" (i had to throw that in there! its the phrase for 2009?)

but don't worry, its not a depressive post. I've actually been doing really good. Unknown to you I even have a blog just for my weight issues.

So yesterday I went to an actual facility to workout today. Usually I just run at home, so i was feeling very intimidated to go somewhere to do it. I am so overwhelmed by exercising somewhere where other people can see me... and judge me. So it is one of the fears I need to get over this year. Oprah calls this the "clean-before-the-maid-comes-and-judges-you" phenomenon. I want to work out at home and start looking good before I run around that lake in front of the whole neighborhood.

Anyhow the workout didn't go that great, I left the house too late, I spent most of my time getting used to the machines and I had already made plans right afterwards. Anyhow I think i will go back, at least once a week or so.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

7:365 Yearbook Days

yearbook days

I have a beautiful bookcase full of classics, indian literature, adolescent lit, Bibles and prayer books, and tons of junk. Last night I couldn't sleep so I browsed my shelf and picked something that I havent look at for years: my senior year high school yearbook. Whoa. the memories were flowing like crazy. as a book, it wasnt the best yearbook i've seen but there were so many notes and remarks from friends i thought i couldn't live without and pictures of events we though were "so cool" and so important at that moment. I read through every farewell note from my friends and its funny to see where we have ended up. Most of my comments mentioned "med school" and "indian dancing" and "have a great summer." It should have been more like have a great life cuz a lot of them i havent seen since then. Funny how people say high school molds you into who you are, but it is only the beginning of what you really become. No, I didn't go to med school like I had dreamed.... but I work at a doctor's office? (give me some credit-i almost stuck to the goal!) I am so surprised how many people were inspired by my rants on indian culture and my dancing. Now that i think about it, i was such a nerd for doing lil mini dance shows in every class, but reading those comments made me realize how cool people thought it was. And no i dont dance as much anymore...but a lot of my characteristics started from those years, a lot of my morals and ethics were set at that age. sometimes i feel so stuck in high school though. maybe its because i still live here, right next to the school, right by our regular hang outs. maybe because unlike most students i really had fun in high school. highschool didn't just extend to the walls of our school for me, it was really a culture that extended into our neighborhoods, our mcdonalds, our libraries, every morning, every evening, weekdays and weekends-it was a lifestyle. i just have to learn how to live differently.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

6:365 Wedding Bells


I dunno if these folks care that they are on my blog or not... but they are still in india so i cant ask! this is my cousin and her new husband-a picture from their reception in india. congrats to them! they are starting the domino effect of weddings in my immediate family. i'm gonna miss her so much cuz she is moving! but as much as i love her-im so tired of people telling me i'm next! i know already. u don't have to remind me. i know i'm moving. i know my wedding will be in india without my closest friends and family. BLAH.
i'm getting more and more nervous about this whole wedding extravaganza. everyone has so much advice and suggestions but... nothing is even planned yet. so stop telling me cuz when everything really starts happening i'm not gonna remember.
the only good advice i've gotten so far is: bring pillsbury frosting for the wedding cake cuz indian frosting is gross. (my sis is smart sometimes)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

5:365

this is the reason i love driving to work every morning. my view is jaw dropping and i never get tired of it. the beautiful snow makes the mountains look amazing. and i love how it reminds me of college. our campus was so gorgeous on snowy days. this is also one of my most fav times of the day when the sun is only halfway shining. and... being the radio junky that i am, i'm usually listening to hilarious talk shows and dialing as fast as i can to win the prizes! i am so addicted to my talk shows, and it has been hard during the holiday season without them! so moral of the story is: don't be like me: driving, texting, dialing, laughing, drinking (coffee that is), remembering, snapping photos like me.

Monday, January 12, 2009

4:365

God's really up there and laughs at us sometimes

HA! I guess i spoke too soon about the gorgeous weather! i work to 1 hour of crazy snow in northern denver (but of course, followed by bright sunshine for the rest of the day). today is one of my last days before school starts so i did ... nothing! i ate some yummy waffles though (picture two, whipped cream and berries). don't you hate it when you only have one or two ingredients for a dish and never all of the items together? when you have milk, there is no cookies. when you have beans and cheese, there are no tortillas. i finally had waffles, berries, and whipped cream for this delicious favorite.

just a few notes...i did spend time "Sprucing" up the blog a little. please try to visit the links and blogs i'm following when you get a chance. there is a link for the 365 day project also, which will be awesome once i have more pictures in the series.

i'm reading a book called Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. very interesting and different from my usual Indian fiction. First of all its non fiction. Sudhir gets involved in poor black communities when researching for a graduate school sociology class. so far its interesting, will update when i am done.

also i watched Superstars of Dance, it's a creative show. Both entertaining and educational. I havent caught a performance by India yet, but i really like South Africa! I was disappointed by USA's representatives: all of our dances are "street" hip hop type. We should have picked something more American: Native American dancing, square dancing, tap dance?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

3:365

crazy colorado weather today. this morning at church was cold. this afternoon was beautiful (picture 1) and the sunset was amazing (picture 2). i kinda cheated and put two pictures up-but the subject is the same-the infamous colorado sky! we have so many beautiful days, even though we are so extreme-snow one moment and 90 degrees the next, i feel like we are spoiled with wonderful weather. i love that i can walk around in summer clothes, barefoot in the grass in January! i hope i can adjust to other climates in new hometowns that seem to be in my near future!

congrats to slumdog millionaire for the 4 golden globe awards. i watched the movie again and love it just the same! hope you all get a chance to watch it.
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Saturday, January 10, 2009

2:365

SECOND ONE! i made it...

today i went to lunch with my old high school friends. WOW. everyone has become amazing adults. and wives. and husbands. and managers. and teachers. even home owners. where did the time go from us being over dramatic about prom dates to being 23 yr old adults? i love meeting up with these old friends cuz its not like my other friends. with these ones, we just pick up conversation exactly where we left on graduation day. we spend obnoxious amount of time at restaurants taking over 4-5 tables just talking about what we are doing, remininscing, and dreaming of our futures. this group is our safe zone-we can be who we are however we want to be with this group.
So these are the boys (i wish i had time to upload an old picture of them) i didn't get a picture of the others: left-->right
C-i went to elementary school, middle school, and high school with this guy!! we don't keep in touch that much, but he cracks me up and we always have that elementary/Northglenn/Fundamental Program (yea i was a nerd even in elementary school) connection.
R-grandpa: i met him in middle school in health class and throughout IB we have become really good friends. I have so many memories of hanging out and doing random things during the summers with R. and my mom and dad really like him so i was allowed to hang out with him whenever.
T-he cracks me up like crazy!!! i love it, and i miss him, and want to keep in touch with him much better. he has become so handsome. you've come a long way.
B-one of the best guys i know. again another middleschooler to high school friend to college friend. i'm glad we've kept in touch and have so many memories of doing projects and presentations with him! congrats on your amazing job!!
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Friday, January 9, 2009

1:365

This is my first picture of the year post. SHOES! my sister and i went to payless today and got some great deals. i remember my mom used to take us shopping to kmart or target and drag us to the purse shoe section and look at accessories for what seemed like an hour or two. now my sister and i cannot go a week without buying a new pair of shoes, a new purse, new earrings, new scarf--SOMETHING!

funny how we're all turning into our moms slowly huh?
From left-up-right-down:
1.) black short boots with rounded toes-my sisters pair-today i found out that she has an abnormally large left foot
2.) brown boots-mine-this is the shoe that started the fiasco at payless...they are sooo comfy
3.) black sandals-mine/my mom's-perfect for spring/summer with my work clothes... and only $8
4.) loafers!-mine-my joint pain kills, so i needed a good sturdy closed toe shoe for work/school/riding the bus. im such a grandma
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We're not all Doctors & Engineers

I've perfected Butter Chicken curry as of last night. the only thing left to do is a side by side taste test of my curry vs "restaurant" curry. but really, if you have restaurant curry around, why would you make your own? one day though i will because hopefully one day i will take my cooking seriously.

-like my parents do-

its amazing: its stereotyped that so many ABCDs are "forced" to become doctors, engineers, businessmen, lawyers, nurses... but i have to disagree. are we actually forced by our parents or by our community to become these things? or do we really choose to do it ourselves? are we just looking for job security-something when we were young, we believed was the only concern of our parents?

i think there are a few things that lead us in these directions.

growing up, i don't think we are well aware of all the opportunities in this world. most of the time, our parents only talk about the selected few approved careers. how would we know about anything else?

secondly, my parents never made me work as a teenager--or "allowed" me to work. so i wasn't even given the opportunity to learn that fast food places have huge advertising/marketing agencies, that IT fields had free lance writers to write their manuals, or health fields had huge administrations that care about the patients just as much as the doctors do.

my parents were neither doctors, engineers, nurses, or even gas station owners. they worked side by side with real American people-white people. even trailer trash sometimes (no offense, but many Indian's don't come in contact with those kinda people). they worked hard and had overtime hours.

But now my parents really believe in me, while learning to believe in themselves. they know you can succeed in America as long as you have a dream. Last night my dad was like what the heck are you doing working in health care, business, admin: go write a cookbook. go work with Rachael ray. teach people. encourage people. do something you are good at.

it makes me laugh actually. he's always encouraged this. first it was journalism, then my graphic design, now my cooking. he's always disagreed with my choice in health care. but i'm scared. what if i dont make it in the world of martha stewart, food network, and so many aspiring talent. where will i live? what will i eat? will i have money to go shopping? :) dont get me wrong-i truly care for health care, but my dad thinks my talent is definitely somewhere else.

so one day i will take my cooking seriously. hopefully when i move to the big city i can pursue it a little more. that's when i will do the side by side taste test. you'll have to wait till then for the recipe.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

I Can Hear How You Feel

i wanted to document a very exciting moment today. we called india yesterday because a very distant relative's daughter got married. It was the most exciting sound ever-almost like movie weddings. there was so much going on in the background. people were so happy. the phone was passed to atleast 5 people, some we know, some we didn't, telling us how amazing everything was, how happy they are, how they felt blessed, how thankful they were to God.

i know in a couple days when i read back on this post i won't remember the sound exactly. but i think i crave that excitement of a wedding. i crave the happiness and assurance-everyone is certain that this is the right thing, at the right moment.

i dunno if i'll ever have that. not with the way things are going these days. everything is so awkward, it will probably be the most silent occurance ever. and that's not how i've imagined it. i wanted to be the bride who genuinely smiles in her wedding pictures.

yesterday-the aunt was excited, the grandpa was excited, the mom was happy in a sentimental way, the dad was grateful. the groom was ecstatic, his father was proud. even the girl. even she was happy.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

new year, new you

i need to write up resolutions. i just dont want to commit. this year is going to be enough commitments as is.

i do need to lose weight as usual.

today i was in the car, driving, and sippin' slimfast when the car in front of me had the top part of a target bag peeking out saying "eat well"

oh the irony.

my photo thing didnt work either.. i cant find the camera!