my 100th post

7 weeks into my expedition in Dallas, I finally have the opportunity to sit still for a second and write a posting, and my 100th one to top it all off :). Life's been pretty fascinating since I've left Baltimore.

The week long trip to TO was a great excuse to enjoy my mom and sister pamper me, meet with friends and essentially rejuvenate for a brief bit before the long haul to Dallas. We actually drove to Dallas all the way from Baltimore in our sweet lil Kia, which looked like its belly would burst open if we took a curve too fast..lol..we drove through some beautiful scenery, stopped in Abingdon and Memphis on the way to Dallas. The second day of our trip it was raining constantly, dangerous to drive potentially, but made the scenery even more vibrant.

When we finally got to Dallas, life seemed to go from 0 - 60 mph in 3 seconds flat. Settling in, unpacking, buying new furniture, starting a new job, meeting new people, adjusting to 100+ deg F temperatures, tornado warnings, not to mention a long and fabulous visit by my family for the July 4th weekend, has left me happy, tired, exhausted, stressed and contented..all in parts, yet the sum is greater than the parts I believe.

Health care as an industry has a vibe to it, which may take you a while to understand the depth and the passion people have for it, yet once you see it or feel it, you know that the passion exists for life. My stay at Children's has barely begun, yet the complexity of strengths and weaknesses that make the hospital are unendingly fascinating to me.

Personally and professionally, my move to Dallas has been anything but slow / stagnant. I can't wait for what's in store next!

Murky skies..

I see colors
blue, gray, pink and black
mixed in with a dash of white
the colors of the murky skies..

As words threaten my life..
words spoken by others..
words I wish I had spoken..
words I fear I will speak soon...

Life's ambiguities I'm not sure I understand
Fathom, like, comprehend, approve of..
yet we are all forced to expand our horizons
into the murky skies, even as we desist..

What can I do to minimize the destruction?
If there is any to be visualized..
What can I do to visualize the damage..
if what is lost is internal and personal...

Depth of words
Depth of thoughts
Depth of emotions
I lack nothing thereof

Yet expressing the most basic words
turn the colors darker and drearier
The blacks and grays overwhelm the pink and blues
turning the murky skies into the dark night...

By,
Angela Archana Vincent

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!!

2008

I am back in Toronto, and it seems like I never left this place. I guess there is something to be said about home and the familiarity. I landed in Toronto with the flu, and this past week has been somewhat miserable, yet I probably couldn't have chosen a better time or place to fall sick :) Now, I'm feeling 90% better, and definitely looking forward to the rest of this year :D.

2008 has been a pretty amazing year for me, a lot of twists and turns, some highs I never thought I'd reach or aim for, and a few lows, nonetheless it's been a good year for me. This year has witnessed a lot of changes in my life and in the lives of people I know. Personally, I've made new friends, travelled to different places on my own, tried and failed at so many things, yet I've also succeeded at others, learnt a few hard lessons along the way, about myself and those around me. I finally got to see my beautiful niece and nephews in India, spent a long vacation with my grandmother without worrying about work or school, started grad school, made some lasting friendships, succeeded at cooking for more than 3 people simultaneously :).

As I look back at the past year, the most important thing seems to be my yen to look forward to the future. My experiences in 2008 have brought me to this point, where I have so much more to look forward to than I would if I just looked behind me.

Isn't it so fascinating, the way we emphasize our highs and lows based on the people we share it with? Be it our parents, sisters, brothers, cousins, family, friends, spouse/partner, or colleagues, the moments we remember, the memories we create, the emotions we feel, are all the stronger because of the people we associate with those moments, memories and emotions.

Here's to my last blog for the year, and hoping everyone has a fabulous 2009 with people you love and trust. Cheers!

Toronto...

tender flakes swirling by
melting as they touch my cheek
I feel the ice in my veins
even as I try to catch the drops on my tongue

I face the sun
with my eyes closed
and arms outstretched
yearning to reach the warmth

Snow storm all around me
Blinding white in its beauty
The sun shining bright
keeping the illusion of warmth nearby

People thunder by
snuggled warm, as they trudge to work
A snow storm is all in a day's work
for those around me today

A land of diverse natures
the first home I know
Snow storms, wind chill, bright and cold
Toronto, in all its different flavors...

By Angela Archana Vincent

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!!!!!!)

mood mimic..

have you ever notice how the weather seems to mimic your mood..I know, I know, a true metereologist will tell me, I'm being silly, weather does not mimic people's moods, it follows certain wind patterns, blabbedy blabbedy blah...

Yet, I love and despise the idea that I have a mood mimic. For example, I am in a really c****y mood today and my mood mimic seems just as dismal :D...that simple thought of a mood mimic helps restore my spirits somehow..lol...

Oh well, am off to cheer myself up a lil bit with some desi goodies I made yesterday..enjoy the weather ya all!!

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

nature's rang :)

Rang means color in hindi, and yesterday when my mom and I went on our usual evening walk, we saw the most gorgeous display of colors in the evening sky. Here are a few images from my erstwhile companion..ta-da..the cellphone..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!)..:) :) :)

news bites in the New Year...

Happy New Year everyone!

I know, I know..it's almost the end of January already!! I can't believe it, I'm still in the mood to decorate the tree or eat that nice chocolate cake or wait to spend the holidays with my family..yep, I'm still in December :)! Atleast, I wish I was..I had an absolutely fantastic vacation visiting family and friends in the US, but now I've been dragged kicking and screaming into 2008 and back to Toronto...and it's good to be back...atleast that's what I have to tell myself to brave the -28deg C windchill factor for the past few days..brrrr!!

Anyway, coming back to the topic, tonight I felt I had neglected my blog long enough, and it was time to flex my mental fingers and the literal ones as well..and write something noteworthy. Alas, before I started writing something philosophical and very meaningful (I could write something like that you know..now now, don't be mean buddy..I saw that snicker!! ;) ), I came across this, James E. O’Shea's farewell remarks after he quit his job as the LA Times Editor. I particularly liked his speech - somewhat pithy, convoluted and journalistic enough that it's mindboggling in certain sections. But overall, it had some very reproducable quotes, and here are the ones I like:

"The formula for success? A small investment in new resources more than pays for itself with added revenues"

"Journalists and not accountants should seize responsibility for the financial health of our newspapers so journalists can make decisions about the size of our staffs and how much news remains in our papers and web sites. The biggest challenge we face -- journalists and dedicated newspaper folks alike – is to overcome this pervasive culture of defeat, the psychology of surrender that accepts decline as inevitable. This mindset plagues our business and threatens our newspapers and livelihoods."

"A dollar’s worth of smart investment is worth far more than a barrel of budget cuts."

"We must tell people what they want to know and — even more important — what they might not want to know, about war, politics, economics, schools, corruption and the thoughts and deeds of those who lead us. We need to tell readers more about Barack Obama and less about Britney Spears. We must give a voice to those who can’t afford a megaphone. And we must become more than a marketing slogan. "

First Snow of the Season

Yesterday night, at 2am I was staring out my window when I saw the season's first flakes hit the ground. I woke up today and saw a white carpet outside my window.

Everytime I see the ground carpeted with the season's first snow, I am fascinated.

I wish I was 5 years old, and I could run outside and make snow angels or have a snow fight with friends. We have a 2 year old in the house today and his excitement is contagious. Children have a way of making you forget everything except their instantaneous pleasures :)

As I write this, I am brooding over a lot of different things, but I hear his little feet thundering outside my door, and that brings a smile to my face. For little pleasures, I am thankful today.

Happy thanksgiving!