additional less deep thoughts

I just love tweeted Seth Green. 

deep thoughts

If the planet is overpopulated and we are running out of resources shouldn't being gay be considered evolution?

I hate this part right here

Say what you want about the pussycat dolls but they got this song right.

I think one of the rudest questions a person can ask when you inform them you have broken up with your bf is, "why?"  Now this isn't true for all people, particularly friends who have shared in some of your relationship up and downs, or have provided guidance and support over it's course, but what about those peripheral people you just know from work or friends of friends?  What are they expecting, a flood of personal and emotional issues, perhaps some very embarrasing information which would incriminate either you, your partner, or both?

I say this because I am dreading the conversations that will inevitably come up when people ask how Eric is and I have to tell them that we broke up.  I don't know who reads this blog, but even the anonymity of this would not allow me to share all of the things between Eric and I and how they were working or not working.  The short of it is that we are just not able to support each other at this time.  I waiver from thinking this was the right choice to thinking I lost the best thing that will ever come into my life.

Coping is always something you see in movies and seems so dramatic, then when you go through it the movie version seems so trivial.  I have watched a few movies, "Sex and Breakfast" which was  horrible and Top Gun, which I haven't seen since perhaps 1988 and was by far as fabulous as it was back then.  Damn I love that movie.

Eric doesn't want any contact with me, at least for now.  It hurts, because he is so integral to my days.  He is my check in and my baseline.  I've truly lost my best friend.

CSA, an investigation

Excited I was to join a CSA (wtf, why am I talking like yoda?) but when the box of goodies arrived I was a little flummoxed, and somewhat embarrassed - and will only admit this on my blog which allows access to everyone in the world for eternity (this is really an overall poorly thought out stream of consciousness) to realize I had no idea what veggies this farm had given me.

I trampled over to Stop and Shop (distance, approx 200 yards) and walked the produce aisle to try to find something resembling the green and other bits of farm freshness.  I am happy to report that after scrutiny (and yes, some questions to produce people) I discovered I had in my possession bok choy and chicory.  Two things I've never cooked, and possibly never eaten, in my life.

As an ode to the first CSA drop off I thought it best to try to find multiple recipes due to the fact that it was most likely I'd get another batch next wednesday.  So here is my bok choy recipe I made tonight which was surprisingly scrumptious.  I am going to make the sauce as a veggie stirfry tomorrow with rice, but plain with bok choy was yummy.

Spicy Bok Choy in Garlic Sauce
from Allrecipes.com

• 1 pound bok choy
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Trim off the ends of the bok choy and chop, keeping the white parts separate from the green as they will need to cook longer. Rinse and spin or pat dry. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl or cup, stir together the vegetable oil and sesame oil. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the water, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Set this aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy stems first; stir fry for a few minutes or until the pieces start to turn a pale green. When stems are almost cooked, add the leaves; cook and stir until leaves are wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the bok choy to a serving dish. Pour the sauce into the skillet or wok, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour over the bok choy and toss lightly to coat.

Thank you Amazon!

There are 2 annoying things about the kindle:

1. When you are on a plane it counts as an electronic device.  Therefore you have to have it turned off through some of the most boring parts of your travel time
2. It's an electronic device.  Usually when electronics break I go to a book.  When my kindle breaks, I'm royally screwed.  Like now, 10% from the end of this book that I'm dying to know how it ends.

So I write to amazon, prepared to deal wtih a large argument.  To my surprise, they quickly take my info and tell me I'll be getting a new one in 2 days.  Now that's what I call customer service.  I guess my kindle is over warranty so I asked them why they were so willing to send me a free one.  The guys said, "we are looking at your account activity and we feel that this is the right thing to do."  And I said, "so what you mean is I spend a lot of money on my kindle and you don't want to lose my business."  and he said, "yes, basically."

That made me smile.  But new kindle on the way, exciting!!

What I really remember about Sandman was not only the fantastic stories and images I so lovingly read and stared at for hours, but the world I was currently in while reading them.

These were nights of hot cozy dorm rooms, a mix of smoke swirling around our collective heads, coffee, dim christmas lights, pizza boxes, and coca-cola splayed out on the floor, and of course, Portishead playing in the background.

I am not sure which came first - the Sandman trades or the Portishead album - but the two merged with my memories to create the perfect marriage.  Sad, slow, electornic notes flowed together with a crooning melodic female voice to images of dark, drastic, edgy colors and dialogue straight from the masterstorytelling abilities of Gaiman.  The images of his characters in NYC, living the 20 something squallid life, resonated with me so deeply and romantically that I have always found myself drawn to the yearings of it.  While my early years in boston represented a portion of this lifestyle I found it unappealing.  ON the page, it was magic.


 I write this because I found myself listening to Portishead again (Dummy is by far the best album imo) and it similarly reminds me of my youth and my freshness with everything around me, but also of my love of Sandman and comics.  I am curiously reminded of them equally.  And I find that it still remains a perfect partnership.

wine + introspection

I am drinking wine on my porch and reading a book of short stories by Banana Yoshimoto.

I look at the cover and think for the 20th time what a stupid name Banana is, even if it is Japanese.

I think about how I could write better short stories, ones that capture the essence of the time and the feeling of the author, not this weird psuedo fake mystical bullshit I am reading.

I remind myself that I am not only unpublished but I am also empty  of a portfolio consisting of anything that would be consiered a story, short or otherwise.\

But I have a lot of great ideas.

Really, I do.  I can't necessarily put them into a book, I can't concentrate long enough to focus on the type of words and construction that would make a story work or be somewhat readable or interesting.  i do however have a lot of desire to sit around a beach house, drink wine, and pontificate.  That should count for something.

You know what stephen king?  fuck you.

Summer Reading

I hate typing the title of this post as it means the end of summer is imminent.

Here are my favs from the past few months:


Strangely loveable book with the main characters voice one of the more interesting I've read in awhile.  Very easy beach read but it still makes you think.  A very pleasant summer surprise.

Dark, violent, graphic but oh so relevant.  This won the Hugo this year and it's very easy to see why.  Pablo writes like a journalist (or rather writes like journalists SHOULD write) which gives you the reader a lot of room to think. 

I love this book.  I really do like everything about it.  Perfect mix of young adult angst, sci fi, and human emotion.   As my friend Jane pointed out, it's a shame that Orson Scott Card is such a jackass. 

Any fav books this summer that you read?  Tell me about them!

Restaurant Week! (which in August is actually 2 week so it’s a bit of a misnomer)

This time, unlike most other restaurant weeks where I feel accomplished if I hit up one establishment, I managed to make it to 4 different restaurants - 5 if you count a wine/cheese stop last Friday.  I will never do that again.  Not only am I just generally exhausted I feel like I do not need to eat for another month and my tummy now hangs out over my pants.  THE HORROR!

However, I feel required to document my fabulous excursions.

Wednesday, L’Andana

L’Andana is very yummy but too overpriced so the 3 course 33 buck deal was worth it.  I went there with Rums and the place is very romantic which made the two of us feel awkward.  Or just me maybe, I didn’t actually ask him.  I downed a few glasses of wine and managed to make it home before 9pm.

Friday, Papa Razzi

I stopped here before going to a cocktail party for some pre cocktail cocktails.  I ate some food too.  I think it was fried cheese.  We sat on the deck and it was nice. 

Sunday, Capitol Grill

Haha, the pescatarian goes to the steak house, sounds like a sitcom.  I had the salmon.  And a $120 bottle of wine for 60 bucks.  People said they marked it up from 60 to 120 just so the place could say they “gave you a deal” but what the f ever, I’ve never had a 60 or 120 dollar bottle of wine (or let’s be truthful, anything over 20 bucks) so it was worth the adventure to me.  I went with a bunch of my gamer friends which was fun.  Then they claimed that I was weird b/c I admitted to treating people differently if I knew what they made for a living.  I was subsequently vindicated of “being weird” as every other human I’ve asked agrees with me. 

Tuesday, Rialto

Ah, great company (Kristen and Justin!) and great food.  The 3 of us have managed to successfully traverse restaurant week for 3+ times and I look forward to continuing the tradition. Even though it was butt ugly outside with cold sheets of rain and I looked like a wet dog I still really really enjoyed this place.  I’m still thinking about the tomato risotto appetizer. 

Thursday, Gaslight

I went with Eric.  We both got the Gnocchi and I loved mine.  Eric didn’t like his.  I’ve never had it like that before, it was soft and squishy potato bits in a flavorful broth with roasted tomoatoes, roasated peppers, olives, and goat cheese all swimming in the lovely soup.  YUM.  Banana and caramel crepes for dessert, also delicious.  Scene was trendy and hip and I want to live on Harrison Ave.

Results:

Fav Spot:  Gaslight

Fav Food:  Rialto

Fav Wine:  Capitol Grille

Fav Overall:  Gaslight (but I think that was mostly b/c of my bf being there with me)

Butter Beans?

Butter beans are nutritional goodness.  They are like green lima beans but white and buttery.  And I always love their consistency and starchy like flavor (hiding tons of protein) but could never really cook them very well.   Luckily I have eradicated that problem and now pass on the perfect coupling.

• Rinse can of beans
• Chop up 1 small shallot.  
• Warm butter (2-3 tbs) in pan, add shallots.  Let cook for a few minutes.  
• Add beans, stir.  Add salt.
• Let stand on low for about 3 mins to allow the beans to soak up some of the butter
• Add fresh chopped sage (I haven't perfected this measurement but start out with 1.5 tsp of fresh)

Serve with glee.

Top 5 Underrated Movies

1.  Dark City

Before the matrix, superhero movies, inception, or any other mind bending reality there was "Dark City."  It was brilliant in 1998 and everytime I watch it (probably a total of 30 times) i still enjoy it.  These days the images are a little grainy and the visual effects almost campy in their effort but it doesn't take away from the sheer creepiness of what you are watching.  It's fantastic sci-fi and it set the bar all by itself for the next 10 years of the genre in film.  ....sleeeep.....

2.  The Hunt for Red October

I still think this is the best put together film ever.  The sound editing, direction, the music, the fact that a lot of it takes place in the way the actors look each other in the eyes...it's true!  Just watch it.  Trust me.  Also it was the good old days of spies being just normal human beings with standard issue homo sapien muscles, strength, and a dandy does of courage.  Now it's like you need to be a mutant to even think of the CIA.

3.  Kalifornia

Anyone who was surprised Brad Pitt could actually act in Fight Club obviously never saw Kalifornia.  White trash, serial killer hotspots, and a killing spree right up there with natural born killerz.  Good stuff.  Every single line of dialogue is a gem in this movie and I am only slightly embarrassed to admit that i could probably do it on verbatim - IF - the movie was playing in the background.

4.  Drop Dead Gorgeous

Why haven't more people seen this film?  It's epic.  The scene on stage with the wooden dummy... I can't even speak about it, you have to see it for yourself.  Granted I have a soft spot for high school movies but if you liked election you will enjoy this one.

5.  The Thomas Crowne Affair

Renee Russo singlehandedly brought the sexy back to older women.  Pierce Bronson made art nerds cool.   And the movie reminded us all how damn good Nina Simone was as a singer.  This film is smart, fun, enticing, romantic, action packed, tasteful, and just one of the best snapshots of hollywood.

Sometimes the best part of blogs...

Are the comments.

I was going to write up a meatless monday recipe but compeltely destoryed my attempt this weekend at making something new.  So eat some spaghetti today.

Now, to prove my point, here are some comments on blogs that I've found freakin hilarious:

I unfortunately cannot give these people the credit due as they are anon or random internet handles.  BUt here you go:

On release of new game trailer (assassin's creed:brotherhood):

• "I have watched this trailer 5 times in a row which puts me 17 minutes closer to playing the game."

On Mass Effect Figurines released:

• "Now these are figures I would consider.  Why not?  I plan to be single for a long time and I love mass effect." - phatsmahoney

On Joss Whedon named to direct the Avengers Movie:

• "Aw man, does this mean they are going to cancel it before it's finished?"  - the smack

And finally, what happens when you put right wing zealots who scream "god hates fags" at comic-con?  Here is your answer.

God, I love geeks.

To Sims or To Life

While at dinner this weekend with friends my boyfriend launched into the behavior of my Sims addiction which goes a little something like this:  “She buys all the games and expansions when they come out, installs them, plays them for 3 hours, then calls me to bitch about how much money she spent and how lame the game is and then never plays it again.”

 

After his..strong statement, one might ask him, “well how many times has this happened exactly?”  And his response would be 6 times.  Unfortunately he is not exaggerating.

 

Okay.  So I have a problem, I admit it.  The games go for around 40 bucks with expansions around 20-40 so it’s not really a cheap thing to do.  On the other hand a nice dinner for 3 hours would cost me more than 40 dollars and I shit that out.  At least I have the game disk and packaging when it comes to Sims.  I know this is a really pathetic justification but it makes me feel better, okay?

 

When I was little I was really obsessed with those cardboard cutout models (paperdolls) that you would buy and then you could put on the different paper outfits on them with the paper hooks.  I made up all sorts of fun stories and problems that they would have to act them out to my whim, dressed appropriately of course.  Sims is really just the paperdoll passtime on the computer. But they move on their own and have little houses and it’s clearly a step up.   

The problem with the sims is that it sounds cool but then you actually play it and the monotony and sheer will of energy to make your virtual people do the things you want and act out your own stories is exhausting!  And you are sending your people to work, having them fall down tired because you made them have 12 kids, and the kids are all running around not doing their homework and then all of sudden the social worker is there to take them away, then the husband starts cheating with the live in maid…I can only take it for a few hours before I think…WTF am I doing with my time?    That is when I resort to the /motherlode cheat but by then it just isn’t fun anymore.

 

So okay okay, 6 times.  Learned my lesson!  But, but but but but the new Sims 3 nightlife looks so cool!  There are skyscrapers!  Rooftop Hottubs!  Seedy jazz clubs and vampires!  I mean….maybe it will be cool?  I think I should at least give it a try.

City Gardening

So I live in Boston, in a condo that doesn't have anything green around it.

In order to compensate I used my back 3 season porch as a garden. This has done nothing but kill everything I put in it. (I should  note that I have never once in my life a) gardened or b) successfully taken care of any living thing.  My family nicknamed me "the fishkiller" when I was little)

I  decided to put herbs in the cinderblocks around my house that separate my driveway from my neighbor's driveway to get some outdoor light and rain.  This I thought would be the sure fire way to kill off anything left remaning alive.

Surprise surprise, the stuff starts growing like weeds.  Here is what I picked today -- just a few stalks of the many overgrown basil and rosemary!

I took some and cooked with it and now I feel really cool, like I'm almost self sustaining.  That's what using a fresh herb will do for you, it will give you the feeling of being immune to famine. 


Healthy but oh-so tasty Pasta with Buttered Pumpernickle

1 onion sauteed
1 garlic clove, sauteed with the onion for a few minutes
cherry tomatoes halved or a big tomato cut up and cooked with onion and garlic for a good 5 mins (til liquid released)
Salt and pepper
Throw in basil at the end and let wilt
Handful of whole wheat pasta, almost done stirred in with above ingredients.
Serve with bread of choice or salad

Alex Freakin Wong makes me cry

So I am procrastinating, hence the blog post.

But it's a perfect time for me to talk about what a crybaby I am.  Alex Wong, DAMN.  That kid can dance.  And he is just so humble and modest, and did I mention his dancing?  I'm not specialized in dancing knowledge or anything of the sort  but he still brought amazement and joy to me every time I watched him.

So when he ripped his achilles tendon and it rolled down his leg and he can no longer dance (well at least for 3 months) I pretty much balled my eyes out.

Here is to you Alex.  Get well soon.

Curried Avocado Soup & Salad

Since it's so freakin hot I've been eating a lot of salads.  Also found a recipe for chilled avocado soup in the moosewood cookbook (the moosewood cookbooks are all excellent and  a very worthwhile investment for any type of diet however most meals are vegetarian.  None contain meat although a few have fish.

I've modified the recipe slightly from the moosewood and it's so easy - takes a total of about 2 minutes to make.  The salad is my own creation from leftover stuff in the fridge - I rarely use dressings, imo a good salad just needs a little seasoning and oil or a light sheen. 

Curried Avocado Soup (2 servings)

2 avocados
2 1/4 cup veggie broth
1 tsp curry powder
1/8-1/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup lowfat milk
1-2 TBS of low fat cream cheese
(The moosewood calls for 1/2 cup of heavy cream instead of last two ingredients)

- Put avocado and half the broth in blender.  Blend.
- add rest of ingredients.  Blend.  Chill.  Server.


Arugala Salad w/ blackberries (1 serving)

1/2 cup arugala
1/4 cup goat cheese
blackberries (to your liking)
-mix a bit of olive oil with 1/4 tsp of rice wine vinegar.  Add pepper. Dress salad.

Enjoy!

Spring Reading

Been awhile since I updated my books.  I liked just reporting my favs so here they are, from Feb on:

Brandon Sanderson's Hero of Ages (Mistborn Series #3):  Great finish!!  Very sad Felicia Day was not a fan.  But then again she likes that harlequin stuff.  I guess she can't be perfect.

  White Tiger by Avravind Adiga.  Writer completely immerses himself (and by extension you) into character.  Pretty amazing.

  Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts.  One shot sci-fi with more historical fiction elements that science fiction elements.  Still good.  Laugh out loud writing.

The Immortal LIfe of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  HeLa Cells...and their story.  Well written - especially in translating the information to nonscientific audience.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest  by Stieg Larson.  Goodbye Lisbeth Salander!  I will miss you.  I blame Stieg, for dying.  And yes, I blame robert jordan too.

Meatless Mondays

Johns Hopkins is starting a campaign for people to reduce eating meat on Mondays. I like the idea because it makes you feel like you are doing something without the pressure of going completely vegetarian. If you do not eat meat on Mondays you will reduce your meat intake by 14% - pretty significant if you think about it. You might not care at all about what you eat which is fine. If you do though, Meatless Monday is a great way to contribute without the full on commitment.

In order to add my measley support to this initiative I have decided to share a veggie recipe on Mondays.

 AJ’s Tabouleh (Hind Matthews/Ina Garten)

This is my Nana’s recipe (ingredients). Nana was born in Iraq and lived in Lebanon, Egypt, and Turkey (among other places) before settling down in Pennsylvania. I’d love to tell you this particular combo of Tabouleh is from a specific region of the middle east but frankly I have no idea and I doubt Nana would either – I think it’s a combination from several regions.

It’s important to note that I am using Ina Garten’s method for cooking Bulgur Wheat. Must give that fabulous cook her due.

In the summer I always have tabouleh in the fridge. It’s my go to snack. It’s a refreshing salad but it’s delicious if you throw some hummus in a pita and stuff it with tabouleh. It can also be wrapped in grape leaves.

1 c. bulgur (you can find near the dried beans or in the organic section)

¼ c. olive oil

2 ½ tsps salt (kosher sea salt is best)

1 ½ c. boiling water

2-3 green onions, minced (you can use other types of onion but I don’t recommend it. Use the green!)

1-2 tomatoes (more if you like them)

3 TBS chopped fresh parsley (I eyeball this but I’d say 3 tbs)

2-3 TBS chopped fresh mint (I eyeball this, go a little lighter on mint than parsley)

Juice from 1 or 2 fresh lemons

• 
  
  
  
  Put bulgur in bowl with olive oil, salt and pour boiling water over it. Mix and let stand 1 hour.
• 
  
  
  
  After 1 hour mix the rest of the ingredients together.

I’d recommend chilling it before serving. Making the night before works best as the flavors really meld over night in the fridge. Keeps great!

You can also add cucumbers, black pepper, allspice and cinnamon if it strikes your fancy.

Bulgar Wheat nutritional info:

1 cup of unprepared bulgur contains approximately:

• 
  
  
  
  Energy: 1500 kJ (360 kcal)
• 
  
  
  
  Dietary fiber: 8 g
• 
  
  
  
  Protein: 12.5 g
• 
  
  
  
  Carbohydrate: 69 g whereof 0.8 g sugars
• 
  
  
  
  Fat: 1.75 g whereof 0.2 g saturated fat
• 
  
  
  
  Potassium: 410mg ^[4]

Eye Candy

The only thing worse than being a female gamer and being forced to play a male avatar is having to play an ugly male avatar.

 This angers me considering how much hot female ass I have to watch through multiple cut scenes.  Do they make men ugly b/c they want male gamers to associate with them more?  Really, I have to wonder.  Maybe it’s the designers; look guys, it might be hilarious in the studio but it’s not cool or even fun to put your f’d up nose on the guy.  

Enzio from AC2 (that’s Assassin’s Creed 2, not Asheron’s Call 2) is butt ugly.  Luckily I only have to look at the hooded back of head most of the time.  Niko from GTA4 was stocky and busted (and frankly reminded me of Ahmadinejad).  And don’t get me started on Alan Wake – although to be fair his wife is pretty ugly in that game too.

                                                        Niko or Iranian Prez?

Even Bioware, my favorite company in the world has given me shit options for male romance in the past several games.  Let’s see, I get Zevran the gay elf or Alistar the crybaby warrior.  Oh wait, there is Leilana.  She’s a girl which means I get to go lesbo.  Awesome.  Again, designers, might be fun in the studio, not so much in the home.

Meanwhile I get to watch slow moving cam shots of Gloria’s thighs as she takes out multiple hordes of demons in DevilMayCry4.  I’ll give them a pass though since Nero is pretty hot – probably the hottest guy in video games.  But it still would have been much cooler to play a girl. 

Gloria, butt-kicking.  Literally.  DMC4

ME2 makes me cry with joy and then pass out with exhaustion

 I can't say enough good things about Mass Effect 2.  So I'll stop there on the positives b/c they would just go on forever.  But trust me, if you game, you really need to play this game.  If you like sci-fi you really need to play this game.  If you get enjoyment out of tabletop rpg's that let you explore character motivations and personality you really need to play this game.  If you like shooter/adventure games you really need to play this game.

Visually stunning, conceptionally innovation and with absolute perfect storytelling I cannot rave more about this franchise.  Mass Effect 1 is necessary to play 2 (you import your character and all your decisions into the 2nd one and it DOES make a difference) and that was one of my all time top 5 video games so it's not like you need to trudge along and play ME1 - that game is phenomenal all by itself.  But ME2 - it just adds something to the industry that I cannot put into words.

I started this game on Sunday night.  I had been playing dragon age, beaten it, but due to an xbox glitch with downloading my gamertag to a new xbox machine i lost like, 300 gamer points.  So I was all set to restart the game and replay it to get my points back.  I told this to my online gamer friends who all immediately replied, "Dude, seriously, dragon age was a great game but everyone i talk to who replayed it was like, 'i'm gonna beat it before i play me2' and then they played me 2 and they were like, 'why the f did i wait so long to play me2?'" so based on this riveting and completely strong argument I popped in ME2 last sunday night.  Even though I said, "i don't necessarily want to play me2 right away because after playing me1 i was so sad that I would have to wait years to play me2."  And they said, nooo don't worry, it's worth it.

Those fuckers are probably working for Bioware.

4 days and 34 hours later I had beaten the game.  And now all i can think about is the DLC just waiting for me (that's downloadable content for you gamer newbs).

Screenshot of Mass Effect 2 male shepard.

Mass Effect 2 DLC (which I'll be buying tomorrow, damnit!!)

New blog, same addy

So I am supposed to be driving to rochester at the moment and true to form my procrastination has instead led me to the computer where I obviously need to update my blog that has been neglected for over 2 months before I take off.

I'm here again b/c most people say, "how was india?" and it's not really an easy question to answer in the space of a 5-10 minute conversation.  But usually what I find myself inserting into my now rehearsed and shortened reply is that the biggest thing for me is "the reconcilliation of my views after returning from a completely different culture."  Here then is a good place for me to put those thoughts down.  As well as rant about anything else I feel like it.  Like Twitter.  I want to just shut down my twitter.  I'm hesitating though because Jeremy Scahill, my celebrity crush, follows me on twitter and it's not like I can send him a note saying - here's my email!  Well, Maybe I can.  I don't know.  Anyway, due to my indecision, passivity, and procrastination, I'm now, as those kids say, "blogging."

I've been home for almost 3 months.  In that time I've gone to a few bbq's, started normal work again, kept with my strange diet of pescatarian w/ bacon, had a few guests stop by, visited Maine several times as well as Williamsport & Chicago, read a few books (mostly sitting in the chair attached), beat a few video games (most recently dragon age), cooked a few horrible indian meals, made some decent ones, went golfing for the first time, attended a gaming convention.  But back to Dragon Age.  What a great game.  HOwever Bioware forums completely blow.  I can't upload my screenshot of my hottie mage (or my even hotter rogue which I just had to start and the rogue is so much more fun than the mage.  I realize this makes me predictable for anyone who has ever gamed with me).  I can't even register my games on the site.  Why Bioware must you make life so difficult??

To blog or not to blog

So I've decided to give up on twitter b/c as Jeremy Scahill so eloquently put it, it's a lot of "blahblahblah."  I also feel too much on "the grid" with the thing.  I'll probably still check it for news updates, etc while I'm traveling but I already feel an unleashed burden by just saying "screw you twitter!"

Blogging is a stranger more abstract tie in and one I am considering now that my India adventure is over.  Blogging can be a great reflective area but also one ripe with landmines.  There is an excitement there as well as a deep level of wariness of who could possibly stumble upon your page.

What are your thoughts?  Why do you blog?

And does google have a quiz maker for their blogger?  That would be fun.  I love quizzes.

 

Home again

Hello!  I've been meaning to write up this post but to no avail, time and life are once again in crazy full swing now that I'm back in the USA.  That's a great segway to inform you that I do in fact miss a lot of India - mostly the quiet times (errr. loud enviornment) but also my alone time.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE seeing people again, and I hope to do it every day onward but life without plans and agendas is pretty darn sweet.

Since I've been back I've barely finished a 300 page book (normally a 2 day reading affair for me in India).  I've eaten Indian food about 10 times and I have  realized just how great a cook Anand was.  I've also done my laundry and cleaned which totally sucks.  And of course Nitin the chai guy is sorely missed.

Culturally I'm still going through a process of reintegration.  I'm not like, really reintegrating but what I mean is that in a very personal and internal sense I have a lot of reconciliation to do.  I'm adjusting to different stimulus, ways of thinking and perceptions and trying to make sense of all my new found information in a world that is so familiar but is also being seen in a brand new way. I suddenly realize what people mean when they say we are "wealthy."  We are so wealthy it's actually gross.  Space and size seem overdone and egregious.  People's problems (as a society) with government and lifestyle seem indulgent and frivolous. 

But I'm glad to be back with my friends, with my familiar, and the day to day things that make me smile- I find that I missed a lot more than I realized.  I am glad I got to experience my heritage and see how "my peeps" live but I'm also glad to be back to my life.

Thanks for following me on my adventures.  Your comments and your support have meant more than you know.

Happy Holi!

The adjective "colorful" is often used to describe India and Holi is probably the best festival which captures this idea.  It is, actually, "The Festival of Colors."

I don't know much about Holi.  It seems to incorporate many portents for celebration.  It has a Hindu flair (little holi, the night before, celebrates an old story by the lighting of bonfires) and a more druidic or natural piece as it falls on the last full moon day of the winter season.  I believe it is more of a xmas type festival where it's merged mutliple historical contexts into a large party day.  It is a national holiday (most festivals tend to be regional, this is one of the few that is celebrated throughout) and it's ALL about color.  Mostly throwing color powder or water.  On people.

For those of you who happen to be "amazing race" fans you might recall the espisode where contestants had to run through a crowd of people throwing colors at them.  I've also seen TV commericials in india with people holding someting similiar to a water gun which shoots out the stuff.  It's pretty damn impressive.

I have been warned and told not to leave my house tomorrow as I will most likely "get colored" and some of it will not wash off with ease.  I am going to try to make it to the apartment complex festival and hopefully will be able to take some pics of the fun from the gates.  I'd like to experience it somewhat!

Happy Holi! 

Hookas are fun!

I need to get me one when I get back.

So far my fav type of flavor = Nirvana (strawberry/mint).

Games Galore

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS Version) is my new obsession.  The game was released in 2007 and I'm just getting around to checking it out.  Playing it gives me severe anxiety and shakes, like a crack addict on withdrawal (not that I would know anything about that…).

Why? You might ask. It reminds me how far behind I am and how every month I stumble way back.  Here is my to do list when I get home:

1. Dragon Age (need to finish it)
2. Arkham Asylum
3. Borderlands
4. Army of Two 2
5. Left4Dead 2
6. Bioshock 1
7. Bioshock 2
8. Mass Effect 2
9. Assassins Creed 2

Seriously, I’m not even joking. Wouldn’t this give you a massive case of how the hell am I going to keep up jitters? OH AND THEN ON TOP OF IT, in the next 3 months (which let’s be clear, if I took those 3 months, didn’t work and stayed home every weekend strapped to my couch and did nothing else at all besides pee and close my eyes for a few hours a day and snort massive amounts of amphetamines, I wouldn’t get through the mess above) I have the upcoming titles that I will be way behind on:

1.  Final Fantasy 13 (SS -->)
2. Alan Wake
3. Risen
4. I am Alive
5. Dante’s Inferno
6. Fable 3

Oh and just to prove how unhealthy a problem I have, there are a few ps3 exclusive games that I am very much interested in trying out and on principle I’ve withheld getting them b/c it’s monopolizing – at the very least they can put it out on PC. But I’m starting to fold just on the sheer pressure of not getting to see this technology feat as it’s happening

1. Heavy Rain
2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
3. Kingdom Hearts
4. Ok, I’ll just throw it in: Persona

 So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm glad I caught up on my reading while I was here.

lunch talks

Monday

Vishal: So what is the religion in the US, Christianity?

Me: um…well, no. I guess maybe it’s built on Christian principles but we aren’t a ‘Christian’ Country.

Vishal: What kind of country are you?

Me: We aren’t meant to be a ‘religious’ country per se.

Vishal: What’s the majority?

Me: I guess Christianity. Although I’d estimate we have equal parts jews/non-believers so all together that makes up the majority.

Vishal: What are you?

Me: Me? I’m nothing.

Vishal: You are a nonbeliever????”

Me: Yes.

[silence]

Varsha: You don’t pray…at all?

Me: No.

Varsha: Wow, I spend so much time praying.

VishalG: Well then what do you do when you need to do really well on a test? Who do you thank if you get a promotion?

Me: I study. And I guess I thank my luck.

[laughter]

Vishal: I guess there is something in that, You are completely responsible for yourself.



Wednesday

Vishal: Are you going to have your cook learn Indian food when you go back to the states?

Me: [snort] Yeah, I’ll make sure to teach myself.

Vishal: You cook?

Me: Yes, I do everything.

Vishal: Your laundry? [nod] Your dishes? [nod] Your ironing? [nod] Your driving, your car washing?

Rupal: It’s cleaner there, they don’t need to wash their cars.

Vishal: How much does it cost to clean your car?

Me: 10 bucks for the outside.

Vishal: The OUTSIDE? I pay 4 dollars a month and I get it cleaned every day. How much is baby care?

Me: Women I know don’t go back to work because they’d lose money paying for daycare even with their jobs.

Vishal: I don’t understand, don’t you have any luxuries? I thought you had Mexicans?

Me: See? We don’t have time to pray.

Vishal: I feel better now, I like being Indian.

I do!

 India has given me a completely different perspective on a very specific thing: marriage. I certainly don’t consider relationships the same way anymore.


Here there is a very distinctive difference between arranged and the opposite – what Indians call “love” marriages. It’s pretty common for everyone to know about other people’s marriage situation and sometimes it pops up in conversations unexpectedly (ex: at lunch someone has a dessert and the comments fly, “oooh of course you got that thanks to your love marriage….”).

But the love marriages themselves are seen as practical and it’s insightful and dare I say – a more mature process – than what we have in the US. Even people wildly in love are not necessarily considered perfect matches and it seems this concept is more obvious and less of a learning experience than in the states. One friend at work was telling me she and her now husband were crazy about each other but never considered actually marrying because they were so different. Finally after a few years, they got together and asked each other the questions that most couples ask before hitching up: “How many kids do you want? What are your life ambitions? What are you working for and towards? Would you stay late at work instead of going to a child’s bday party?” At the end of this they realized they were finally on the same page. The question that lynched it? She asked him, “If your mother and I got into a fight, whose side would you choose?” His answer: It would depend on what the argument was about but I would talk to both of you privately to resolve it.

Conversely, but equally interesting: people that I've spoken to without love in their marriage treat this as just what was the luck of the draw. But it doesn’t detract from the concept of having a rewarding and successful partnership.  There are of course exceptions to every rule but I find what I've expressed above is more of a majority than not.

I believe the thing that differs between our two cultures is people’s expectations. Without these notions of the other person ALWAYS having to agree with you or ALWAYS being there for you or ALWAYS being passionate with you or ALWAYS just knowing what you want and how to satisfy you – it definitely lends to a more practical partnership in life. The concept overall really balances with my ideas of why marriage exists and it's benefits .

Woe of the time: 'shockingly' complicated

This is not a picture of my place, but I can empathize.

One international travel frustration that is usually overlooked is electronic paraphernalia and electrical issues.


I was frustrated and confused about my xbox not working here but it seems that I’ve grown accustomed to jimmy rigging all my other electronics to somehow work decently. When I was home for 2 weeks I had to constantly remind myself I could directly plug something into the wall and charge it.

Currently my electronic boutique consists of my india phone, US phone, kindle, computer, hair straight thingy, Nintendo DS, and 2 cameras. I think that’s it. While I have 8 major devices I have over 30 cords for them (between electrical cords, usb cables, battery chargers, etc) Beyond the straight up plug modifier you need to worry about amps in each of the devices, whether or not you need a converter, as well as potentially needing a stabilizer. My kindle is a world adapter cord with built in USB and wins the best design ever award. From me. Even though I have india adapter cords w/ reduced amps  for my phone and comp they seem to really dislike the voltage and though they charge up full they die inordinately fast.

Additionally, my plugs that convert two to three prong (or vice versa) have been royally fudged which means my cords no longer stay in them, they slide right out. This sucks because I have to plug a converter into the actual device plug and then attach the India plug adapter to the converter but the converter falls out, making charging anything impossible. On top of that they aren’t actually labeled well so am I using the European version? The Australian? The African? I have no idea. Does it seem to fit into the wall? Yep, sure okay. I now charge most of my electronics through my computer and usb port, which is another exercise in jimmy rigging and how not to electrocute yourself as some of my devices don’t come with a usb plug. I have one remaining prong converter which doesn’t let my converter/plugs slide out which I use very sparingly as it’s what I use for my hair straight-ner and if that goes I’ll be a total ugly mess.

January Reading

Instead of going over every book from the month since it’s very redundant with my goodreads page, I thought I’d just report on my favs.


This month I had 3!


The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
 
This is really a tome. A TOME I tell ya.  But worth it.  I also rewatched 'V for Vendetta' this week and was joyfully surprised at all the references I got.
 


Nothing to Envy:  Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

This is nonfiction but written more like a historical fiction novel with not only political insight but how it touches individual lives.  I highly recommend this book.



The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

This one hit my all time favorite book shelf.  Very graphic but the writing was extrodinary.  Looking forward to Davidson's new book.

Come join me on goodreads!  I love this site.  My Goodreads link:  http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2810793-aj

11th Hour

Well I made the huge mistake of watching the 11th hour which gave me a bonafide ulcer on the state of the environment. I knew things were bad but that made it sound really really bad.

I’m hoping people can give me some ideas on little ways to make less of a footprint. Below are some of mine. Please let me know if you have any better ones or additional things you do on a daily basis. If we all make one small difference it’s better than nothing at all, right?


1) I’ve been eating less meat. Obviously this is a personal choice. My digestive track seems to appreciate it though.

2) I will be more discerning with fish products. Great link for educated fish buying:

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx

Additionally this is updated monthly:

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_health.aspx

3) I use reusable grocery bags. Plastic bags in the USA alone use over 37 million barrels of oil to make! I have several and they are very big and strong – I keep one in my car so I don’t have that excuse of “oops, left it at home.” Also if in tight spot, ask for paper bags and then use them for recycling paper!

4) I think I’ve become addicted to recycling. In boston we are very lucky as the towns give you free recycling bins and picks up your recycling curbside. Hopefully everyone else has similar options. If not, write to your town hall!

5) I only use cold water for your laundry. Such a small thing, really. And your clothes don’t care. Plus there are lots of detergents now made specifically for cold cycles.

6) I buy recycled toilet paper. It’s TP – what’s the diff? 7th generation makes a decent type. If everyone in USA alone replaced one pack with recycled we’d save 1.3 billion gallons of water.

7) Bought a prius. If you happen to be in the market for a car, just keep hybrid options open. I know it’s not the only factor but don’t rule them out! They save a lot of money on gas.

8) I subscribe to a “green” blog that gives me additional ideas.



Do you do any of those already? If not, any one of those sound like a small change you could make? Throw yours at me!

Wow that makes you look fat

One of the more prominent cultural differences between east and west is the way people speak and interact with each other. People here tend to be a lot more blunt and upfront. Although this is something that I originally noticed it is something that continually surprises me.


For example the other week, as I got dressed with my female co-workers for a work party. If you want to know how you REALLY look, just get dressed with a bunch of people who are not Americans. Here is a sampling of the commentary:

“No, don’t wear that color, it doesn’t suit you.”

“You need to comb your hair.”

“Don’t use that type of brush, it makes your hair look bad.”

“You need to start oiling your hair.”

“You are going to put on some makeup I hope.”

“You are putting that eyeliner on wrong. Let me do it.”

“You should wear skirts more. Pants don’t work for you.”

It's humbling but also nice to know that if you do look fat in something, you'll be told.

Late Night is Early Morning!

I really really wish my boyfriend could keep this straight. He always asks me if I’m going to sleep and I’m like, dude, I’m at work.

Speaking of Late Night, I have to comment on the NBC insanity. It totally pisses me off. I don’t have an opinion of Leno or Conan nor their shows but the principle is fundamentally wrong. It stinks because it’s a reflection of everything the US has dealt with in the past year: rewarding failure.

Ok, Leno, you screwed up the 10pm slot, you lost news viewers, your lead in was so awful that it decreased late night viewership so guess what? We’ll give you your show back.  

Hmmm, where have I heard that methodology before?

Oh yeah, and here is another lesson I learned. Eating in the lunch room is great for commraderie but bad for your food. Everyone just eats your food which is fine, I always get served a lot, but it does nothing to ensure I keep my cook. Everyone loves Anand’s cooking…

Misculture

So I kind of got in trouble today because my boss sent me a message and I didn’t get it. Well I “got” it but I didn’t look at it. It was sent via SMS (ie. Text) and who the hell in the US sends business info via SMS? My comp and blackberry were open, but I didn’t have my Indian cell phone out…jeeez. I don’t understand why if you are looking at an email on your blackberry you send a SMS instead of replying to the email. Whatever.


Also, we are moving offices. At first I was excited. “Oh will it be quieter in the new area of town?”

“Quieter?” My co-workers say to me incredulously.

“yes…quieter?”

“This area is quiet. The new area will be loud.”

Oh.

Mumbai in one word.

When I was home I tried to sum up my experiences in as short a timeframe as I could and I often found myself trying to whittle down the life of Mumbai to one word (an obviously futile exercise but one due to timing; not wanting to repeat myself continually I tried to do in order to be gracious to people who wanted to hear a little about it without a 5 hour lecture from yours truly). I usually would say: chaos. On coming back after my brief respite home I realize that my word choice was incorrect. It should have been: juxtaposition.

I have not communicated how strange and sometimes wonderful, sometimes shocking, the worlds and lives of Mumbai intersect. There seems to be many different types of life here, ranging from the poorest you can think of to the most decadent you could imagine.

Walking outside and glimpsing the activites happening you can catch the varying differences. Old school cabs mixed with new Mercedes. High skyscrapers and racing technology mixed with carts driven by ox or people pulling them. It’s like a fantastical gateway of two planes of time colliding – one, not able to catch up, the other too far distant to hold back.  It's one of the many many things in life that can only be experienced in India.

 

December Reading (a little late)

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson

I returned to Sanderson’s world after reading his first book in October. I really enjoyed the second installment – kept up the action and emotional impact very well from the first. I was so into it that I decided to download the 3rd book in the series to my kindle and then had the unpleasant realization that it’s unavailable as an e-read. Damnable.



Kleopatra by Karen Essex

A little strange. Mixes historical moments with a very modern style of writing which makes it seem a bit more like a romance novel and less the serious book I think it was meant to be. I wouldn’t tell anyone not to read it but it didn’t stay with me very long after I finished it. I did still clench my fist as I read of Pompey’s landing even though I knew what would happen. The book did help me understand the Egyptian politics behind that whole incident a bit better.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

A free book from Kindle, whohoo! Geez who knew how incredibly messed up my mind was about Frankenstein thanks to Hollywood! I now hate Frankenstein and will always have a soft spot in my heart for the creature. And where the heck is Igor? The history of this story’s creation rivals the story itself (from my goodreads review): I remember learning that Mary Shelly wrote this as part of a rainy summer spent telling ghost stories with fellow writers in Europe. This is also the same bonfire that spawned the idea of Byron's vampire, later imortalized by Polidori in The Vampyre; a Tale, the father of all modern vampire including Dracula.



The Serpents Tale (Adelia #2) by Ariana Franklin

I read the first book last year and I think it is enough commentary to say I had no memory of the details to know what was really going on in the second with character relationships. Historically accurate background (Henry II time period) with a murder mystery plot seems like a great formula for a book. This one starts it’s formula with the lead characters getting lost in a maze and I feel the story never got itself out of it. Too much going on at certain points, not enough at others. I didn’t care what happened to anyone at the end.



The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Great book. I love female heroines and I love books. I hate reading about the holocaust but this one has enough humanity and new perspective to warrant a high recommendation. It’s also classified as a young adult novel so the details are never horrifying but that should not be mistaken for lack of emotional connection.

The Stupidest Angel […] by Christopher Moore

I’m not one for bizarre books and narratives built for a laugh (I like my books strictly serious) but this one was rather enjoyable. I’ll probably pick up “Dirty Jobs” by Moore which a few people recommended.