chicken dance from arrested development..

ok.. i chickened out of the car conversation... bad, bad, bad dreams... and some doubts..

going to watch tristand and yseult this sunday! hooray!

when is jk rowling going to update us about her progress??

hmm.. the day of reckoning approaches..

big day tomorrow.. have to negotiate a car for myself.
umm.. i'm nervous?

Brand new day...

2 hour heart to heart with big brother. Da Vinci Code, X Men: The Last Stand (my first X Men movie) and Mission Impossible 3 (my first MI on the big screen).

decent day! I'm gonna keep my days busy, its how I like them best. Strong, confident, young woman with brilliant, bright future!!

You know when you are fricking bored that you..

desperately hope for the vacation to end, so you are not quite as bored at home as you are at work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

/me is very, very, very bored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
stupid cabs take an hour to get here and don't accept ruddy credit cards. what if i get stuck downbloodytown??? is there a point to making money if you are bored out of your sad, teeny, teeny little mind??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

"If you could see her through my eyes.."

That's a song from Cabaret. I watched that music four years ago at the Robert Ferst Centre at GATech. I barely remember the intricacies of the plot now. It must be special, feeling strongly enough about someone that you are the only one who sees the beauty in the person. Love the song, except for the part where he giggles before saying "... gentlemen ...".

I think I caught the plague, my chest hurts - I keep thinking of the third Alien movie, where Ripley is Mommy Alien. Here's hoping that I sleep off whatever it is before going back to the salt mines on Tuesday. Would hate to be the means of propagating the plague.

Nice thought I heard of yesterday: (paraphrased poorly by, of course) Everything eventually comes together in Life's tapestry.

He said.. "Were his teeth for real?

I think they were surreally white.... " This is from earlier this morning. Poor S must have been wondering what sort of train hit him this morning - a couple of jokers at his door wanting to drive his Toyota Camry!!

Oh, and just so I don't forget, 2A is a dude who likes wearing his birthday suit bright and early on Saturday mornings! Very friendly too, he will be happy to tell you exactly where 2H is, while he is still dressed in his birthday suit, barely hiding behind his front door.

Note to people reading this: If you are butt naked and someone knocks on the door, take a damn minute and throw something on so you don't have to hide your potentially massive frame behind a flimsy door while attempting to carry on a conversation. Its awkward for all involved. He he. :-P

SO BORED!!!!!

I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
v

v
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(v
v
vI am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(I am bored :(vI am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(
I am bored :(

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Latin Golightly

Funny how one tune can evoke so many thoughts in one heads. As I am writing this post, I am listening to Mancini's tune called Latin Golightly. I am guessing this is a part of the Breakfast at Tiffany's ensemble. Well, first of all its a very retro tune. Complete with the little bells, people humming and the wind instruments. It is a very playful tune that is as tantalizing as the character that I am assuming it has been named after. Very dainty, ofcourse and danceable in my opinion.

So, I have never read Capote's book, but having watched the movie I most humbly submit - I kind of sort of get it, and I kind of sort of don't. I think the basic, primary, most overriding message of the movie is that Holly Golightly, and most all other unfortunate souls will survive allowing someone else into their existence. That they can go ahead and unpack their bags, name their cats and belong to someone. (dejavu - I think I mentioned something about this earlier in the blog?) If I screwed that one up, then its just as well - I didn't think that message was for me.

Some questions about the movie:
1. During the party, are they all high or something? I think they must be, but there is no overt mention made relating to this.
2. What exactly is her profession? What exactly does "going to the power room" entail?
3. What was the point of adding the most annoying Rooney character? How does he contribute anything to the plot or the story?

Sidebar: Loved the I heart NY episode of SATC where in the end they play the Moon river theme as she walks down the street.

I think this time it is for real!!

That's right, I think this time I may actually work up the guts to buy a car!
Send me happy, car-owning thoughts!

The sweetest thing.

Someone did a really sweet thing for me today. I must say that I really am very, very lucky with making fantastically awesome friends. You guys rock! :-)

I'm bored.. not much to do..

So, today went by much faster than most days. It may have something to do with the fact that I got to work a little late. Random thought that plays on my mind often - who cares about actual hours spent in the building, its how much work you get done that matters, right? Also, when are they going to institute corporate nap-time?!?!!

I'm amused today. Not at much, except that I feel very, very close to buying a car. I don't know if I am actually close to buying a car, I have given up on cerebral exertion of most sorts so there is no impressively logical reason for my feeling close to buying a car as opposed to knowing that for a fact. Umm, did I make sense in that last sentence? Kind of lost my thread of thought half way through that line.. wonder how the hell I can code modestly complicated statements without screwing them up...hmm...

What do you do when life comes to a standstill? When life gets effectively reduced to five or ten people and two major confines - the office and the Cul de sac (apartment). It would appear that the answer is that you blog and think foolish, idle thoughts about the past, present and the future.

Some other random thoughts:
-- Hindi movies - QSQT was awesome! Anna and Akka fooling me into watching English movies by calling them Hindi movies with Hindi actors who just happen to talk in English was awesome!! Watching a movie on Doordarshan every Sunday with the entire family was awesome.
-- Ashish reads my blog.. I asked him a silly question this morning that I have asked 2 other friends at most (Ashish, I asked because I knew you'd answer - without too much of a fuss). His suggestion that I join the other team has left me reeling with laughter!! Just the thought that it may be the solution, to whatever problem I am supposed to have. Well, all I can say is, Ashish, I hope some day I get to join the other team, but currently it seems like too big a price to pay for too little - who knows what the future holds?
-- How conservative are the young people in India? (I mean my type of young people, yes, I think India is a stratified society with a rigid class structure. ) What happened to the stereotype of the Aadarsh Bharatiya Naari? I guess the hormones are certainly raging in the maatra bhoomi, because we certainly have the population to reflect it, but is everyone quite as casual about things as my conversations with my friends back home seem to indicate?
-- I need to read some new books, need to branch out and read something new. Get some new ideas in the ol' noggin. I hate droll books, who doesn't, I guess!?
-- Ulysses was an awesome poem. Two pieces of literature that influenced my life heavily - Pride and Prejudice and Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson. I hope I never lose passion in life. Without passion, all is gone...
-- Anyone who reads this blog who is not me: I stand by almost all that I say here, but don't judge me for the woeful decrepitude of this space - I started writing here with the intention of not sharing this space with anyone and I guess things have changed since... bottom line, be a friend, don't judge
-- Being a friend means not judging a friend, or if you judge, to accept that it is natural to judge, but that as a friend it is your job to not hold it against the person. Loyalty is underrated.

I think I am sleepy now. I've taken to hugging ol' Fitzy's bowl for support. *wistful sigh*

2 clean kitchen counters, 3 bags of trash disposed of

And one awkward question asked and giggled over at 7:43am... (I love ya buddy! Thanks for the honest response, I was just being silly and goofily bold)... :-P

Looking forward to Memorial day weekend.

And... Spaletto! 17 days of Charlestonian madness...

Gearing up to buy a car.

Vanilla Sky's biggest strength, in my most humble opinion, was its awesome ability to disorient the audience and translate/transfer the character's confusion to the viewer. I feel distinctly confused/disoriented these days. I've caught myself sitting at my paltry kitchen table looking at my surroundings and questioning what the hell I am doing in Charleston, SC.

I am not writing to trash this place, today. I am genuinely confused as to what is going on in my life. My tummy is on a war path, my pocketbook is on a war path with the credit cards (and my pay cheque), there is no cable in life and there is no hanging out with one friend or another every evening. There is work and then there is a rapidly deteriorating kitchen that confronts me every day. For someone who came from an ubebrclean and cleanliness conscious woman, I am surprisingly uninterested in any task relating even remotely to the Kitchen - all tasks except those that involve consuming the contents of the pantry and the refridgerator.


*Sigh* Bad dreams dogging me these days too, so my ultimate escape from reality is sort of blocked off as well. There are ups though, I am done dealing with evil Sears. I have a bed that I appreciate every time I lay in it. I am probably going to buy a car in the next 2 weeks. There is money in life, sort of.

*second sigh* Better get to bed, going to work bright and early tomorrow.

Argh! Another work week coming up...

Me no wanna go work.. me want weekend to never, ever, ever, ever end.. me also want to be 5 years old again...


Wah!

Game night #2

Wow! I had just titled this post as Game night #1 when I realized that last weekend was the first Charleston game night ever! Last Saturday, after enjoying many gastronomical delights (brownies with gelato and a fantastic cheese dip) we played Taboo!, Turbo Cranium and charades. (E & I won Taboo! ofcourse, girls are always better at communication than guys and I discovered that I absolutely suck at Turbo, we (D & I) lost, and W/L won Charades) Good fun!

Last night was phase 10 night! (Da, Dh and I)Da kind of sort of won the only game of phase 10, he left early and was the first to finish phase 7? (I don't think it really counts as a victory). Dh and I played a speedier version of the game and I won that (some would argue that it doesn't count either!).

Wish that we could have played a few more games, but that's what future game nights are for I suppose!

Oh, btw, Radiohead rocks! :-)

Nightmares..

So, I don't think I am going to have the opportunity to share my nightmare with anyone and I really need to talk about it to someone. Yet again I turn to the most faithful companion (faithful due to fact of electronic slavery and lack of choice, but we shall ignore that) and pour my turbulent imaginings on this canvas.

Before I went to sleep the day before, I had read an article about this guy who had beer bottles, bear cans and other beer paraphernalia overflowing through his house. Basically the guy had some sort of a breakdown and literally drowned his existence in beer. Naturally this led me to worry about the direction my life is taking - I seem to be giving in more and more often to the slob-like tendencies that ocassionally rule my life.

Basically I dreamt that somehow I ran into this old couple that lived in a house, maybe they were my neighbours or something. I looked into their kitchen and saw that it was littered with hair and nail clippings. Approximately 42-50 sq ft of hair and nail clippings, 3 inch thick layer. For some reason, I offered to help them clean it up; some nagging thoughts that they seemed too feeble for hardy labour like sweeping etc.

Anyway, this is where I think my dream borrows from Life of Pi. As I continue cleaning their floor, I start realizing that the hair that I am sweeping away is way too dark to be their hair, and that's when I start thinking that maybe the hair doesn't belong to them. Maybe they are cannibals or something? In Life of Pi the cannibalistic tree on the bizarre island had Pi fooled for the longest of time.

I turned around to look at the couple and the look in their eyes is totally disconcerting. There was a greedy and opportunistic gleam in their eyes that was extremely worrisome, especially in light of my suspicions. Out of the two of them, I remember the old lady most clearly, she had grey hair that were curly and short and beady, large eyes that looked at me with a lot of anticipation.

I think she made a move to catch my arm or something, but I woke up around then. 2:30am. The apartment here is much less scary (except for the possible gators lurking in the swamp) but it didn't feel safe right then. Called family in India to feel some security, sort of worked. Spoke with Mummy, Anna and then Kaajal.

Anyway, nightmare on the following day was worse because it actually has some bearing on my life and reminds me of sad diminish of great friendship.

Good times from back in Atlanta...

I know that I am going to lose track of all my pictures at one point or another.. so I figured I'd put them up here, and let the computer and my feeble words to the remembering of good times from days in the past..

This is from my birthday this year (2006)..
Left to right, standing: Virginia, Oanh, Erin, Mina
Left to right, sitting: Eddie, Mummy, YT, Priscilla, Laura, Ashish

The first official game night... thanks for coming, I wish you folks were here now, I own Turbo Cranium now!! :-) (Seriously, I miss you all, come to Charleston, I'll sleep out with the alligators to make room for you folks!)



I am particularly proud of this picture! This was taken on 14th Street(?) in Atlanta. I was in Ben's car, we were waiting for the light to turn green so we could zoom on to Gainesville (Ben was taking Calculus and needed help.. he doesn't need any help! He's brilliant!) That's right, I took this picture while sitting inside a car, rushing against the changing light to capture the shot...


When you want something done right, you do it yourself. After losing track of how many rounds I had stagnated for, I finally dealt myself a winner of a hand! :-D Boo ya~


Mina's birthday - I have a video of the cake being cut if anyone is interested..
(Thanks Virginia for the wonderful ice-cream cake!)


Days of bittersweet farewell. Time to go, but I sure as hell will miss ya! No point in trying to express how I feel about the campus, just know that I loved it and hated being ejected from it.


The campanile.. one of the most memorable incidents of freshman year, Madhu and I being accosted by a "dude" at 3am in the morning.. chances are, you've already heard the story!


Blake Ragsdale Van Leer, 777 Atlantic Drive. My true heart and home at Tech.
Gotta love ECE 3042 with Brewer.


One of the many game nights...


Ru San's (sp?)... What was Oanh's dinner at some point..


Mina's birthday celebration #2 - Moon rocks? (some bar or the other of a similar name, in Buckhead.. we played poker into the wee hours of the morning when the Sun started to peek... )


Last game night in Atlanta - day I moved to.. well, we all know where. Sorry about the evil red eye, Eddie.

That's all folks.

I know why I am here...

It is my penance for all my past crimes... my stint in Charlesbloodyton. Please, please, please let me climb out of this abyss of solitude and isolation.


My tummy hurts... :(

What gives?

So I have been introduced with the Charlestonian custom of turning down an offer twice/thrice before accepting it. Hello!! This is circa 2006! What happened to genuine emotion and sincerity?? How can you have ruddy donkey punching and whatnotting be considered cool and have issues with someone accepting someone's offer of help (the first time round?))????

I think this is a cultural gap that I can't bridge. Why make an offer of help if you aren't sincere about it? I don't get it..

Just been informed today that apparently this is only involved in case of offering/accepting help/money/whatever.. does not apply to invitations... OK...(hmmkay...)

#Occupants at the cul de sac = 1 (again)

We had a great time yesterday, at the Battery and downtown. Awesome gelato! I am growing to like the downtown area, it reminds me of the VT/Churchgate area in Bombay. Had dinner at Hyman's.. V and O gave me a Hyman's polo shirt that is truly neat and classy.


They left today.

V and O are in town..

:) More on that later, but I am glad they are here! Wish they didn't have to go...

Let your soul be your pilot...

So, its official.. I have nothing to do!! Nothing that I want to expend my energies on, that is. I can't believe that I am back at the blog.. I am actually talking to the Oanh and only.. and still.. I feel the need to talk to someone else..

You know when you want to talk to someone, and tell them all these things... I am so lucky with all the great, awesome, understanding and fabulous people that I count on as friends.. and yet, sometimes, I am sitting across from the friend, or holding the phone and its like this deep chasm stands between myself and the other person.. and I can't form the words that express my thoughts/feelings, no matter how much I try.

Things I wish for:
1. I didn't gossip as much as I do now
2. I wasn't as clingy/needy as I am
3. I was happy with what I had
4. I had a car
5. I had a license
6. I could read Pride and Prejudice again
7. <...>

Ok, so I think I am starting to get sleepy now, which is good.. because I have to wake up ungodly early tomorrow morning!!

Oh, Wash by Lifehouse is a fabulous song!! (good night! sweet dreams.. please, don't read this blog, its pathetic and so am I.. )

Yay!! Starbucks!!

So, I think I have officially adopted the blog as my new project for the next few days. It kills time, very efficiently too!! And I can vent without feeling guilty about being whiny.. somehow when its impersonal, its much easier to whine.. ;)

So, I spent the afternoon/evening at the close by Starbucks working on something. I didn't achieve my goals, not by a wide berth, but I got started on the task. Good enough!!

I love caffeine! It rocks my world!! I am not one who experiences being "buzzed" often.. but gotta admit, if it is anything similar to how I feel right now, it might be worth a dekko.

On a completely separate note, I love the Hermione-Ron angle in the 6th Harry Potter book! Especially the bit when Harry ponders the depths to which girls will sink to get revenge, reminds me of those awesome Hiranandani days when, albiet not romantically motivated, Vidya and I used to pick on Wormzy. I seriously think that my sense of humour has really suffered in its passage through time... :(

Don't tell me if it has... I'm still adjusting to life in Charleston and have enough on my plate as is..

God!! I am really, really, indubitably, completely, absolutely, thoroughly, abso-f***ing-lutely bored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A tolerable Sunday afternoon.

The primary reason for writing this entry into the blog is not the avowed, noble reason of vindicating Charleston in the spirit of fairness, but rather a baser need to procrastinate the most abominable task of laundry.

(Wow, that was a long sentence!) So, Charleston is not bad per say, there's good and then there is bad. I am sure that if I owned a car and had a social circle established, Charleston would appear to be a fairer city than it does right now.

Things that I have so far liked about Charleston:
1. The gelato place downtown (although the dude is creepy)
2. The Battery... reminds me of Bombay.. Nariman Point..
3. The houses... very pretty
4. The men's barberspa.. smacks of the pretension of the place.. but still, so novel and amusingly over the top!
5. The Whole Foods... this may not be so much a tribute to Charleston as to the venerable chain itself..

Eh... I was going to write up a list of reasons why I don't think Charleston is suitable for me right now.. but I have made a new resolution to only focus on the positives in life. In all probability, it will only take one bad day for the list to be published, though! ;)

It looks like its going to rain.. so.. I guess nature doesn't want me to do laundry either.

I moved to Charleston, SC on the 31st of March. This is a land where not having a car will break you. I never realized that moving can be so hard on one's soul. I desperately miss my friends from Atlanta. Also, I am left wondering what direction my life is taking.

I don't want to lose sight of Systems and Controls and the dream of being a hardware oriented person who makes things happen. I rent 890+ square feet of room and find it exceptionally lonely and empty. I probably just need to buy some new books.. I already have a fish. I think a cat would be great company.. but why lie, I will never appreciate the cat to its full potential because I'll have to clean the litter box.

I have met a few nice people here, one of them is an exceptionally brave soul! Poor chap. Here's hoping that I get a car and a handle on my sanity soon...

For posterity's sake.. my conversation with Sears

So, the following is the original copy of the email that I wrote to Sears after a lot of drama and agony... (#1 reason Charleston sucks )

I wanted to express my utter disgust, disappointment and frustration with your service. I ordered a Sealy mattress and foundation on the 29th of March. I was promised delivery on the 8th of April. I got two phone calls on the 8th informing me that the mattress and foundation would be delivered late, and then a third informing me that the foundation would not be delivered until the 22nd of April. The mattress did not arrive, nor any phone call to inform me of its lack of arrival. Apparently, Sears doesn't care about the value of my time!!

I called you on the 11th of April to ask regarding the mattress and informed the lady who offered to reschedule it for the 12th that I won't be home until the evening. Nevertheless, you scheduled the delivery of the said mattress at 9am in the morning! (Apparently I don't need to work to pay for that mattress.)

Following this fiasco, I spoke to yet another representative regarding rescheduling my delivey, and they offered to send it on the 14th of April. However, on the 13th I received another phonecall informing me that the mattress delivery had been delayed to the 15th. On the 14th I received a phone call informing me that the mattress was actually going to be delivered on the 22nd, along with the foundation.

Somewhere along the lines, your representatives were kind enough to refund my delivery charges, probably to make amends for your dismal performance in that department.

When the mattress and foundation arrived on the 22nd, a full 45 minutes late, both the mattress and foundation were damaged. Would you like to sleep on something that has unidentifiable gunk on it??? However, I had spent 22+ days sleeping on the floor, so I accepted the mattress delivery, in hopes that you will be able to provide monetary compensation that may attempt to make up for all the stress and angst caused by your incompetent organization.

I spoke to your people on that day, while the delivery people were here. I was promised a call back on that same day. No phone call!! I had to call your people on the 26th to hear about what was going on. I have received no genuine apology for this ordeal and the people I spoke to had no concept of customer service.

I had heard good things about your company from my friends and family. However, I am completely appalled and shocked at the treatment that I have faced!! My move to Charleston has been completely miserable thanks to the incessant phone calls with your representatives which only disappointed me each time. Your company is a disgrace to corporate America.


I chose to drop the last sentence in my final submission of this email, thought it was too harsh. However, when I had trouble submitting my damn complaint on their crappy complaint page, I tacked on a last sentence about their shitty website being the icing on the cake of their incompetence. :-P I felt better at the end of the exercise, it was worth it!