2009..month 2, post 1

Sigh..it's 2009 already, I'm back in Baltimore and it's February 4th..yikes!! where did the time go? I still feel like I'm in Toronto waiting for the vacation to set-in :D

Oh well, it's true what they say..time flies by, when you are too busy to take note. The holiday season was chaotic, fun, stressful and relaxing in equal measure. Being back in Baltimore took a little getting used to, but home feels good! Classes and deadlines keep me on my toes, the interviews for next year's field placement keep my busy busy busy...and my family keeps me grounded in reality :)!

Life's been pretty good, for the most part. The weather in Baltimore has been quite perfect - a few cold days, mostly 'fall' weather - my favourite...The next few weeks are crucial and exciting - so a toast to warm memories and exuberant anticipation :D

Oh, and yep, I'm already planning my Spring Break...vacation, here I come!!

holiday cheer

so it's that time of the year again..when we all scramble to buy gifts, plan our holiday travels and are generally excited for the holidays or morose about being apart from family/friends!

The attack on Mumbai left quite a few friends devastated and very upset about the lack of appropriate action by the authorities in India. Yet, as usually witnessed following such terrible attacks, everyone seems to be moving on with their lives. The disparity of sentiments and actions always astound me about the capacity of the human mind to bear witness to tragedy yet balance it with light-heartedness.

On Friday, Hopkins had candle light vigils for the victims of the attacks. Yet, except for a select few, most everyone seems to be unaffected by the terror across the ocean. The rest of the world is scampering to buy christmas gifts, plan their travel and enjoy the next few weeks of fun, food and family.

I sound like a Hallmark card, don't I? To be honest, I love this time of the year..I get to relax, decorate the house for Christmas and generally eat lotsa good food. I never realized how much I love it, until I thought about going home this year. Two weeks and I'm counting down..I get to go home to my parents, my friends, sis nd jiju, Christmas gifts, decorations and lotsa food :D..

I wonder if I'll miss being at my place and doing things with new friends...yet the idea of staying at home with my family and friends has me so excited! I can't wait to land at Pearson, run out into the arrival area, meet my family and then..my most awaited dream..a Tim Hortons iced cap..hehehhehehe..my sister has promised to have one ready for me as soon as I land in TO...yey!!! (my mom has also warned me to dress very warm since its apparently been snowing constantly in TO and its freezing out there...yey!!!!!!)

my personality...

...according to the personal DNA..

whether the weather will change....

yep, today's very mundane topic is whether the weather will change (pun intended)..and I mean, specifically in Baltimore. I've been talking to my family in P'burgh and Toronto, and the temp there is mid 40 and 50 F. In Baltimore, we are still experiencing late 70s to mid 80 F...booohooohooo :( I want colder climes. It's the end of October, and I demand the need to use my thick fall jacket, not a sweatshirt..uuuggghhh!!

The saddest part...not a single soul recognizes my wish in Baltimore..lol :D...all my friends are ecstatic at the mild temperatures. Oh well, poor souls, I guess they will never understand the pleasures of bundling up in your winter jacket and trundling to work in a feet or two of snow..AAAAhhhhhhh...I miss Toronto and our beautiful weather... hehehehe...

ooooh and yes, my Tim Hortons Iced Frapps..totally miss that too!! I have a standing order with my closest friend and my sister to get me to a Timmy's as soon as I land in Toronto..the dreams keep me going forth :D

a new start...

Ever wonder how time flies by? I usually don't, either I'm too busy to notice the time or I'm so relaxed, I enjoy the spare time..lol..yep extremes exist, even in my mundane life. I remember talking about grad school in August last year, and it seemed so far away. Now it's here already. Tomorrow, I fly out to Baltimore to start grad school at Johns Hopkins - this experience is a first for me in a multitude of ways - my first graduate program, my first time without my family or close friends, my first time in Baltimore..I could go on and on. It's scary, thought provoking, exhausting (never knew planning a move was such a massive task!) and downright exciting. I was talking to a very good friend a few minutes ago, who was preparing to defend her Master's thesis tomorrow (besta luck you-know-who-you-are), and she described our emotions perfectly. I quote "It's scary, exciting and extremely scary!"..lol..couldn't word it better!

I'm actually amazed at the student community at JHU. Even before I land in Baltimore, I've made friends - other incoming and continuing students. Helpful and friendly. Let's hope the next year is as calming, exciting and educating, although I wouldn't mind if it's a little less scary.. :)

Well, for the next few days, I'm going to be busy shopping, cleaning, settling in and typically driving everyone around me nuts! To that end, Baltimore here I come.....

Oh, and before I end today's ravings...I was feeling a little lost the other day because I felt like I couldn't write 'poetry' lately..kinda like a writer's block. I just realized that this year alone I've written 3 poems so far..woohoo..the feeling cannot be decribed or understood unless you've experienced it yourself.. :) :) :)

I want an elephant..:)

Everytime I see a cute animal, I turn to my family and saw 'I want **enter cute animal**', and they will humor me by replying 'yes, you can get one when you have kids'..lol..this is my little play-along scenarios, where I know I am never going to get the cute pig or donkey or tiger, rather a situation where I can voice my reactions..childish, maybe..but nonetheless entertaining.

Today, I decided to invite you into my world..

I saw this cute post about elephants by Jai Arjun Singh.

He talks about everything from elephant dung notepaper and elephant skeletons to the battle of the sexes in elephants..lol..let me explain the last bit with this quote form Jai's blog..

"Lady elephants are better at public displays of affection, much the same way it is with humans. This one kept nuzzling her husband's belly with her trunk. He seemed to enjoy it but he didn't reciprocate - looked straight ahead."

And then he commits the horror of mentioning on his BLOG that his mom said his wife looked like the elephant (ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooo)...here's his quote and the picture he refers to....

"Abhilasha feeds a baby elephant. After seeing the photo my mother, in the tradition of all good mothers-in-law, remarked that they have exactly the same smile on their faces, though Abhi is definitely missing a trunk."

Now, I find this picture very cute, and I like to think that the chubby lil baby elephant is smiling because he is getting fed, but honestly you do not ever wish to be compared to a baby elephant...tut tut tut..lol...I just hope 'Abhi' enjoys Jai's sense of humor...

Before, I end tonight's mutual reaction session, let me post a few more cutesy elephant pictures...

I love this picture..look at that water spray..darn it, I almost wish I was the one taking the picture (and yelling at the elephant because he sprayed water on my camera lens..teeheehee)

Look mama, baby elephant, he is so cute, I want an elephant...(mama responds, yes yes you can get one for your kids..waaaay into the future...lol)

and the cutest one of them all, the mahout catches a quick wink as the elephant cavort in the water (love my words..cavort? and elephants? oh well..but this one looks like he is waiting for the mahout to hit the peak of his nap before spraying him with water...watchout mahout!!!...lol)

and goodnight my lovely audience, im going to go and dream about my little animal farm now..lol..

snowed in...

This winter, it feels like we have a snow storm perpetually every other day..Now being in Canada, I know we have no right to complain (paradoxical statement, since I consider the ability to complain/whine mankind's right and duty..lol)..anyyway..apparently Canadians should not complain about the snow, since its a fact of life..bah humbug..but this year, I am really looking forward to spring and summer..beautiful flowers, spring weather, bright summery skies, long evening walks, yucky sticky subway rides, but overall the feeling of not being snowed in...

What? You don't believe me...well here's a sample of my view on Saturday afternoon...

oh..nd tomorrow is my dad's birthday..so I (ahem...) we cut the cake early tonight, since we all have such conflicting schedules tomorrow..it had nothing to do with the chocolate cake (beauty eh!)..:) :) :)

bad day at work? probably not as bad as this..

This is such a funny video..To be honest, I've never had a day at work quite like this..:) :) :)..hahahhahaha..I'm still laughing after viewing this video..hope you like it too.....

12 days of Christmas..desi style!!

This is absolutely hilarious! Love it!

Strange rules at work...

I've heard of some strange rules at work, but I think this story is the best.

I disagree with the idea, and the suggestion. I know that you have lingerie models in the high end stores, but the idea of creating a 'Camisole Day' and asking your staff to work in their lingerie sounds weird. Personally, unacceptable.

However, in Taiwan this is apparently acceptable, as long as the participation is voluntary. Of course, there are diverse views on every topic, here are two differing viewpoints on this specific issue:

Zhang Yufeng, 32, a mother of two, admitted: "I have been on a strict diet to get ready for the day. When I was trying on my outfit at home, my husband told me I should dress like this every day."

Wu Juanyu complained: "Some women may feel forced to join in because of peer pressure and job competition. I don't know if the company is selling underwear or women's bodies."

We live in a strange world, and it becomes stranger as every minute passes on! :)

GMATs..it's finally over!..Almost..

I have blogged about my experience with GMAT prep a few times before. Today, I went in for the exam. Before I launch into today's events, let me backtrack a few days..

I took a week off from work to prep full-time for the GMAT, and it was relaxing yet nerve-wracking. I enjoyed staying up as late as I wanted, and waking up when I wanted. I did not enjoy the part where I had to sit with my laptop, a writing pad, and my GMAT books. All that practice! God! I can't believe I actually did that, on my own, without anyone telling me to study. That is an achievement. Especially, when you don't have a structure to your study material. In other words, I did not go for any of those GMAT prep classes, did it on my own; and after receiving my scores today, I must say, I'm very happy :) :) :).

Well, I cannot expand on my prepwork over the past week, without confessing that I was a bundle of nerves. As I was studying, I went a little crazy. Focussed, but crazy. I did not want to talk to anyone when I was studying, and during my study breaks, I would be so stressed about the actual exam, I'd drive my family and selected friends up the wall..literally :) . So, to mah family (mama, dada, boyfriend and mah darlin sister) and mah 2 friends (you know who you are), thank you for being there when I needed to 'talk' :) :) (yeah, yeah, yeah - enjoy it while it lasts!).

Today, I was actually quite surprised at how calm I was. I timed everything today! Woke up, gave myself 45 minutes to have breakfast/relax, another 45 minutes each to practice quantitative and verbal, and the final 45 minutes to get ready before I had to go. I did not cram on the way to the test centre, was quite calm, went in, started my exam, and came out very, very happy.

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Oh, and in case you're wondering about my score.....740/800. That, my friends feels absolutely fabulous!!

But wait, the story hasn't ended yet..next in line are my essays and grad school applications. Let's see where that leads...

Romance, Marriage and..Cash??

A triad of words starting with romance and marriage, typically end with something sweet/loving, right? Not in this case. I was reading something online today, and this sentence was so hilarious, I had to post it...

"Marriages are made in heaven, romances in hearts and cash in Bollywood."

Teeheehee.. :) :)

**Excuse me, while I roll on the floor, laughing**

People are so funny, and words are absolutely beautiful for their inane ability to make me laugh!!!!!

Australian astronomer?

Hmm.. apparently I am the reincarnation of an Australian astronomer/map maker in the 1800s. Isn't that fascinating. This website gave me this brief blurb about my 'previous existence'

Your past life diagnosis: I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern North Australia around the year 1800. Your profession was that of a map maker, astrologer, astronomer.

Your brief psychological profile in your past life:Timid, constrained, quiet person. You had creative talents, which waited until this life to be liberated. Sometimes your environment considered you strange.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:Your main lesson is to develop magnanimity and a feeling of brotherhood. Try to become less adhered to material property and learn to take only as much, as you can give back.

Do you remember now?

Actually, I don't remember any of it, and I don't particularly like this incarnation. Why couldn't I be a fascinating white tiger or Simba from Lion King, or something cool like that.

Oh, I just realized that I only want to have animal incarnations..hmm...interesting thought. A lion or a tiger, is much, much better than a slimy toad or a yucky insect. So, I guess those specific 'dream incarnations' aren't that bad. Come to think of it, I would even settle for being a very, very, modestly wealthy princess in a tinnnyy country with no war and no boundaries :) :) :) Oh, and I get to be young, beautiful, adored by millions, my family and friends around me, and ......................................... (never ending dream)....lol!!

A stretch of Beach, only for women....

I think this is probably one of the more innovative ideas I've heard to lure guests into a resort, especially women. Who can resist the idea of a stretch of beach, especially along the Italian seaside, without the intrusive presence of men? Woohoo..:)

I think, I rather prefer going to Marina Beach in Madras with my entire family, cousins, parents, aunts and a whole lot of men, women and children :) . I hate chauvinism, similarly I find this idea a little lame. However, I can understand the 'irresistable' attraction that of such a beach, to men (Amit, thanks for the enlightenment) :-)

Of course, I couldn't resist ending tonight's blog, without the following quote by Mr. Fausto Ravaglia, the owner of the beach:

"The lifeguard must be a man. Clearly, to save a woman you need a man. It's a question of muscles."

How sweet, how funny, and how very chauvinistic...

Connected words..

An amateur built an ark that survived a flood while a large group of professionals built the Titanic. - Bill Swanson

Words have always fascinated me. How they reflect our thoughts, our dark imaginings and our hopes and desires. The unimaginable becomes describable only through words..However, I love words for their simple ability to make me think, imagine, write, laugh and cry. The words in the quote above made me laugh, so I decided to add this note to my blog tonight..

Salman Rushdie's Knighthood

I am rather ignorant of some of the more mainstream news items, and Salman Rushdie's knighthood was a very tiny blip on my radar..Until I read this satire by Sanjay Sipahimalini. In fact, when I started reading Sanjay's blog, I thought it was true - Naive me.

Anyway, Sanjay's blog focuses on ridiculing people who use stupidity as an excuse for their various moral causes. Here is an excerpt from his blog:

“Rushdie has discriminated against all of us,” said the President of the association. “His novel Midnight’s Children is a deliberate and wilful act of provocation that has hurt the feelings of those who were born at other times of the day.”All copies of Rushdie’s novel, the statement said, ought to be pulped and the remains mixed with glue to create papier-mâché toys for the children of the association’s members. This, said the statement, will help soothe sentiments.“Rushdie himself was not born at midnight,” said one of the members at a press conference called to announce the protest. “He is full of self-hate and has crossed over to the other side to belittle all of us. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the only reason he wrote the novel was to poke fun at people born during the day”. Cutting a large chocolate cake, he went on, “I myself was born at 4.15 p.m. and as a matter of fact today is my birthday, so all of you can leave your presents in the large box beside the exit”.

I still can't stop laughing. Sanjay, thank you for starting my weekend off with laughter!