Obama will have 5 hours to move into his house. How long did it take you to move your current home?

That’s not surprising considering now that he’s got people doing things for him he’ll have plenty of help and White House staff to move in his stuff to the White House. And I’m sure his previous house was smaller than the White House and it’s always easier to move from a smaller house to a bigger one. Its always tougher and complicated to move from a big house to a smaller one. My current apartment took me 2 days to move in cuz I moved in all by myself with no one to help me.

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Currently
Tempest
By Jesse Cook

my friend’s new Labrador Puppy & Reunion Dinner Plans

Well I had a blast this past weekend, so much that I didnt go to work Monday or Tuesday to enjoy the weekend some more!! I know naughty naughty me, but I just couldnt’ help it! My friend R & F (they’re boyfriend and girlfriend) they just moved into this amazing brand new 3 bedroom apartment and had invited me and my bf to the housewarming. Now with so much space they’ve been talking about getting a puppy and so the day of the housewarming they finally got a puppy. It was shoooo cute. They named him from the movie Zohan, i thought it was a cute name. He was so adorable and I got to babysit him for the days I stayed over at their apartment. It was so much fun. (besides dealing with my friends absolutely annoying drive me up the wall room mate!!! She’s the type of person you try, want to be friends with but it’s just so impossible with her nagging and annoying mannerisms..) It was adorably cute how he would wake up from a nap get up just to snuggle up closer to me. He had this thing about being comfortable when sleeping only when he was around someone. Here’s some pics of him, then you yourself can judge how cute he is and not just take my word for it.. hehe…

Well for the housewarming I made the best pasta I had ever made up until this point. One of the girls coming to the party wanted chicken in the pasta so I made it with chicken for the first time and it was a biggg hit, everyone wanted more and more  and more… Oddly enough I have to make it this weekend as well because this Saturday evening I’ve planned a dinner party at my place for all my classmates from school where I was for one year in 7th grade. It was only one year that I went to school here in India (then of course I got homesick and had gone back to the US to finish up my highschool) but It was a very special year in my life where I made some friends for life. I bump into some of them every couple of months and others I havent met in years and most of them are ready to come so Im really looking forward to this dinner. Im also making/cooking everything from scratch because Im on this cooking craze for some reason. heheh… This is the menu I planned for the reunion dinner party Im having:

White Sauce Chicken Italian Pasta
Garlic Bread (That of course will be store bought!)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Fresh Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
Guacamole with Tortilla Chips
Make Your Own Sundae (for dessert, Im going to buy a big huge amount of vanilla ice cream and have different toppings like chocolate sauce, roasted almonds, butterscotch topping, sliced bananas soaked in honey, fresh cut strawberries, and strawberry sauce for people to choose what they want on their icecream)

Im super excited and drooling just thinking about it… I charged my batteries so I can take some really nice pictures of my friends and this dinner. Looking forward to this dinner. theyre very bubbly and friendly more so than my college group of friends… lalala such is life. I honestly want to add one more side dish to the menu above because I dont think this is going to be enough or just in case so there’s enough food to go around… so going to go back to my recipe hunting. wish me luck!!

Currently listening to Insane In The Membrane
Greatest Hits
By Cypress Hill

My Streaks, Xmas Pics, & Wall Paintings

Well back in December for my birthday I had decided to treat myself and get my hair streaked. I originally wanted to do blue or purple streaks but the salon guy said the color would come out in 1 or 2 washes, whereas red will last at least 2 months. So I finally got a chance last night to upload some pics that have been long pending…. here they are VOILA!

I really like how they’ve turned out in spite of the fact that I couldnt get a color like purple or something..

here is my Christmas tree I put up in December, I still have it up since I dont have the heart to take it down yet. Cmon, it’s just January!! (I had a french teacher in highschool who used to finally take down her christmas decorations and tree right before easter so I’m much better than that!)

I like getting creative and the paint in my apartment is chipping all over the place so designs like these, I feel, make people focus on the paintings instead of the cracked walls and chipped paint… It also makes me feel its more of a home than just a roof over my head… Im particularly proud of this one… Simple but pretty, both I’ve done in my bedroom…

Here’s another one. I swear it looks prettier in reality than in this picture. The other thing is that I keep my room looking quite warm and inviting and pretty with a glow by not keeping any big lights on and having lamps in particular comfy corners So the yellow light from the lamp casts a glow on the painting giving it a really neat effect. Because my camera has a flash it wasnt able to capture the glow and instead made it look ugly as you can see here. I have better pics on my phone camera so hopefully I will be able to upload those pics in this lifetime to show you how much nicer it looks!! lol…

Currently listening to Didi
Milk and Honey

What are Your 5 Favorite Days in the Year?

October 31st- Halloween, because you get to dress up in a costume, eat lots of candy and be creative about what to dress up as,

The 4th Thursday in November of every year- Thanksgiving, I just love the warmth and family togetherness on this day… and the chance to meet cousins who I otherwise don’t get to see year round.

December 20th- MY birthday- the one day in the year where I can get pampered by all those that love me at the same time without feeling guilty!

December 25th- Christmasssss!!!! (I would like to say Diwali as well but the day changes every year according to the Hindu calendar so I can’t…)

December 31st- New Year’s Eve, to partaaaayyyyy and reflect on the year we finished and SURVIVED!!

What are your 5 favorite days in the year and why? They don’t have to necessarily be holidays or festivals it can be any day in the year that is special or important for you…

Currently listening to
Cool
By Gwen Stefani

What city were you born in? Do you have any memories attached to it?

I was born in Mumbai.

I think of Mumbai as hot and humid but fun to go shopping and hang out with friends. I love the ethnic restaurants and shopping at Linkin Rd and Bandra. I dont really have any big memories of Mumbai because even though I was born there I didnt grow up there. The few memories I do have are of our family house at King’s Circle in Mumbai…. Mostly running around the corridors of the empty house… and sitting on the veranda watching the world go by. I also spent some months there on the weekend with a really special guy i was with… that was pure fun.. mall crawling, mcdonald’s just chilling out together was fun… i think we spent so much time laughing and just having fun that it didnt matter where we were… ahhh getting carried away… memories *sigh*

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How different is your blogging persona from your actual personality?

I think I am more real in my words than in my actions and day to day life. I treat xanga like a journal so it is the true me inside and out. In my actual persona I may feel shitty inside but if someone comes across me I will put on a mask and say hello and pretend like nothing’s wrong. On my xanga I can say what I actually feel inside without feeling inhibited or conscious. i think im more real on xanga than in real life because in real life most get inhibited by what people will think or say whereas on xanga i feel free enough to say what I want no matter what people comment. I also feel free enough to express my true emotions on xanga so If Im sad I come out and say it. But in real life. Real life can sometimes be too busy to stop and absorb your emotions. If you’re going to work or school you’re not always going to tell people if you’re feeling low or shitty inside cuz sometimes its too private or you dont feel like sharing it. But on xanga atleast I keep an anonymous diary so I dont feel inhibited to talk about my feelings and I can say it like it is. Either way, I dont think its a bad thing. Whether your blogging persona and actual persona are the same or different its not a big deal as long as they arent too different from the real you. If you’re being true to yourself then there’s no problem.

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P is…

I think I’ve mentioned before that I do a lot of blog research in my line of work so I come across some pretty cool ideas to write posts about. Here’s one that I found. You mention the city you’re from, you live in and you finish the sentence with different endings that you can think up of. try it and let me know what you come up with. Here are mine below… let me know what you all think :)

P is… a nice city in India to live in because it’s cool and dry instead of hot and humid like the other Indian cities around.

P is…like Mumbai’s little brother, still a small city but has a lot going on.

P is…the best place for breakfast on FC Rd at Vaishali, for a scrumptious cheese onion uttapa with coconut chutney and a nice hot filter south indian style coffee…or an SPDP like no other in the evening…

P is…fun sized in the way that you keep on bumping into friends and family as you go about your daily life…

P is…cool with all the funky little places to go and chill at Koregaon Park and Wanowrie.

P is…brimming with BPOs.

P is…the quietest in Aundh.

P is…annoying when all the fun dinner and dance places shut right after midnight.

P is…beautiful and refreshing during the monsoon rains

P is…where I got drunk for the first time, had my first kiss, got stoned for the first time and lost my virginity!!!!

P is…envied by other cities for having Kayani Bakery, the one and only genuine bakery in the world that makes Shrewsbury biscuits.( A piece of buttery heaven.)

P is…full of people who have road rage and drive the wrong way.

P is…a needle in a haystack when it comes to finding the perfect tailor for stitching outfits, but once you find one it’s like winning the lottery!

P is…religiously admirable with its fine collection of select Ganpati idols scattered around the city, the synagogue in camp, mosques, shrines and pretty churches.

P is…full of warm interesting people to befriend but have some closet drama queens as well (And I’m not talking bout just the girls, mind you!)

P is…nothing without Chitale Bandhu Sweets, which I may I add, is the best in the country.

P is…hopefully going to make an effort to reduce pollution and garbage and the increasing crime…

P is…waiting for a nice new dance, lounge place which will last more than 2 months and not be shut down for one reason or another.

P is…full of cute stray cats, dogs, kittens and puppies which I feel like taking them all home!
(This picture is taken by Michelle Lohutko who has taken pictures of India’s strays to get people to notice their plight.)


P is…overcrowded in certain areas with those overly commercialized and expensive Barista and CCD outlets and needs to focus more on genuine personalized places to hang out instead of stupid clone cafes.

P is…waiting for the recession to ride over…

P is…lacking libraries. We need more books people!

P is…amazing because of its shopping nooks like Hong Kong Lane, Lakshmi Road, MG Rd, Appa Balwant Chowk, Fashion Street, and Koregaon Park, where you can get cheap and chirpy stuff. (I know a place where I can get black market Pumas for Rs.600 so beat that!)

P is…yummy with felafels and shawarma like Hite Bar serves!!!!

okie… it’s the end of the day, Im hungry as you can see with all my P food obsessed comments.. see what you can come up with about where you live?

Currently listening to
Phenomenon
By LL Cool J

New Year’s Eve

Well I havent posted lately cuz Ive been so focussed on just spending every minute I can with my dad while he’s in town visiting. I have been having a great 2-3 weeks spending every evening with my dad, spending all of my weekends with him and just being around him as much as I can. Growing up, especially when I hit highschool things really soured between me and my dad and it left a little void in my heart since then. These past two years things are turning around and we are both focussing on getting to know one another better and having a healthy relationship with each other. He’s also realized Ive grown up and Im doing the best I can at being a substantial and healthy and good citizen of this world and he’s also come to terms with the past so it’s really been good spending time with him these past couple of weeks. My dad is really an amazing guy. I know it sounds silly, me being his daughter making such a statement (it’s as if Im complimenting myself) but he really is. My dad’s pretty old actually which makes me more focussed about spending as much time as I can while’s he’s here. I know one day Im going to really really miss him when it’s his time to go and that’s why I want to make the best of my time while he’s here. living and breathing. I guess we grow up thinking we’ll all live in one happy family forever and ever but after a point, (For me it’s my 20′s) you come to terms with reality that we’re all going to pass on one day. This trip, my dad coming to visit me in India has been an emotional milestone for me because he’s really opened up and was able to tell me about pieces of his life and experiences I had never heard of before. These stories were so profound, it felt it was an honor to be told about these memories of his. Most of his stories went into his years when he first came to America, his college days at Columbia University, how things were back then, finding work after graduating,  people that meant something to him, his relationship with his dad and mom, etc. I love listening, discussing, and reading about life experiences. I think that’s why I enjoy reading certain autobiographies and biographies with a passion.

Anyways, because of my dad being down I didnt get a chance to write about my new year’s eve night. It was really fun. I was in two minds about whether to go or not. I was going to this college friend M’s house for new year’s and I wasnt sure I wanted to be there because my ex-husband’s friends were possibly gonna be there and I didnt want to be the focal point of the gossip getting back to him.( I got married in 2006 to who I thought was the love of my life only to find out after 6 months that he wanted to divorce me because he didnt love me anymore and had fallen in love with a 16 yr old bimbo) My friend M has a tactful apparently unconcious way of bringing up people and subjects that touch a nerve, either making me feel uncomfortable or pissed off. And I had a feeling I wouldnt enjoy myself at her party. I have been tactfully avoiding her throughout the year, taking only sporadic phone calls of hers and conveniently being busy when she’s in town. But I knew it had to stop somewhere. So I faced her. I told her I was rethinking about coming because she brings up bad memories and people in my past that I dont want to remember and I dont want to bump into certain people at her party. And she nicely apologized for doing all that and assured me those certain people were not going to be present at this party and begged me to come. I ended up having a great time, for a party that was pretty much put together last minute, with a handful of people with no plans for new year’s, getting together to do nothing! lol.. it was great. I just told myself before getting there that I was going to enjoy the night and not worry about who thought what.  I met most of my college friends who I don’t meet up with often so it was fun catching up with them. I had not been feeling well that whole week and so I didnt feel like drinking any alcohol. I stuck to my one non-alcoholic sugary sweet love: Apple Juice  and enjoyed chicken kathi rolls with a pasta mayo salad (which i made and brought over) and yummy hot brownies with ice cream.

I hope all of you partied happily and safely. (I saw a car completely flipped over upside down in front of Meridien on the way home at 2am after partying on New Year’s Eve. I just hope everyone involved in that accident was ok!) Id like to take a moment out of my blog to wish everyone, all of you out there a HAPPY NEW YEAR! And as I SMSed everyone this year, (not just forwarded a cheesy corny new year msg) but actually took a moment to reflect on what I wanted to say to everyone…

“Here’s to looking forward to 2009, a fresh 365 days for all of us to learn to be better than we already are, rectify any mistakes made in the past and conquer our dreams.”

With all this birthday – christmas – new year’s eve festivities and family get togethers with dad being in town, i really have been pigging out on good food.  I went to Barbecue Nation the other night with some family which turned out to be this amazing barbecue joint (duh!) an all-you-can-eat for just Rs.450 a head with tons of different barbecues to try and a really nice buffet. I had a lot of fun there with my family just pigging out on one delicious thing after another. I seriously have never eaten the way I did that night. I didnt eat anything the next day until dinner that’s how stuffed i was. But it’s a great place to go to enjoy some REALLY good food. The best barbecues were the potatoes which tasted like a crispy baked potato dunked and oozing with cheese, the fish was really good and so was the chicken. They had a number of different dipping sauces like mint green chutney, chilli sesame sauce, mango chilli dip. Trying out a different barbecue with a different sauce in every bite was like having a different meal in every bite. My personal favorite was the mango chilli sauce. I think im going to experiment and try to make that dip at home for a party I have next time. It was like a sweetish mango pulp softened and pureed into a smooth dip with some chilli pieces added into it, to give it that perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Here’s a picture from my night at Barbecue Nation to make your mouth water. (I took this pic myself)

The trick to getting the maximum for your buck is to skip a meal before you head out to Barbecue Nation. So, if you plan on going there for dinner, skip lunch so you have enough room to stuff yourself with all the food you like. The desserts at the buffet were pretty good, I thought they could have been better. The hot mini gulab jamuns with ice cream were to die for though. yummy stuff.

Now that all the festivities, partying and get togethers are dying down I have promised myself as a new year’s resolution to shake off some pounds and be more physically fit. Im not fat or anything but I want to be healthy not just slimmer. hehe. As they say, just got a lil junk in the trunk! So wish me luck people, to losing some weight being healthy and quitting smoking. Those are my new year’s resolutions so far. what are yours?

Currently listening to My Love ft. T.I.
My Love, Pt. 1
By Justin Timberlake