“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
– Julia Child
Vegetarian pho and sweet potato truffle fries, Pho 69, San Jose
(Bad picture because we were eating with a couple I just met and I didn’t want to be ‘that girl who photographs her food’, who I actually am and should be proud of.)
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
– Virginia Woolf, A Room of On’e Own
Falafel burger, Robbee’s Falafel, San Pedro Square Market
Yesterday I watched the ‘greatest sporting event in the world’, American football. Greatest sporting even in the world because half the world just wanted to watch the half time show and the remaining half is America. I don’t understand American football. I don’t want to even attempt to understand it. Because it’s sports and I’m a woman, so according to GoDaddy’s controversial Super Bowl ad I’m just supposed to wear lipstick and look like Bar Rafeli in a mini dress while men, specifically fat nerds do all the work.
Beyonce performed at the half time show. Girlfriend wanted to prove that she could sing after the inauguration lip sync fiasco so she wore a costume that proved as a necessary distraction. Man, you should have seen her strutting her stuff on six inch heels. The only reason I liked Beyonce was because she promoted a good body image for young girls. She isn’t emaciated thin but round and curvy and girls know that it’s okay to be that way and not anorexic. But wearing glorified lingerie even if it is leather and Chantilly lace is taking things too far.
Are we now telling girls that strength is determined by how little clothes you can wear? That confidence can only be shown by showing how “comfortable” you are with your sexuality? We are saying no, sex isn’t just for the bedroom, it’s okay to walk out and say it like you mean it. Some people call this pop culture. I’m sorry, but I think is just a poor excuse.
Girls need to have stronger role models. Women who have stood up and fought for what’s right, women who are smart. Not a woman who is SO confident with her sexuality that is ready to wear only highly essential pieces of clothing.
The world is so biased that young girls who look to music as an escape from a terrible present are presented with a fatwa since music is considered ‘bad’ on one side of the world and the other end of the world appreciates how finely Beyonce gyrates.
Finally, 31st January. I’m amazed that I actually kept up and managed to post something every day. I may have cheated by scheduling posts but that’s allowed. It was a challenge finding time and a topic to write about. But I would like to thank Life for constantly keeping me entertained and giving me inspiration to write.
Today I overcame my fear of self waxing. I am so proud of myself. I managed to do so without ripping off my skin or crying. It takes guts to put yourself through self inflicting pain. It doesn’t hurt as much when Nepalese Aunty rips it off without any consideration for your well being. But when you have to do it on yourself the pain is magnified. I flinched a bit but it didn’t hurt as much as I imagined it would.
So far this year hasn’t been that managed. Managed to overcome a fear by January 31st, not bad at all.
Today I put a bunch of clothes in the washer. Actually, I put too many clothes inside and the washer stopped working. So I took out half the amount of clothes and a red dress whose colour I know for a fact runs. I put two cycle of clothes in the washer. I thought I was smart, taking out the red dress and all. I opened the washer and the clothes looked alright to me. I put them in the drier, happy that I had accomplished this task without any major blunders.
Fourty minutes later the drier beeped. I opened the drier and found that the green color from some random piece of clothing had managed to run. A few of my clothes had grey/green streaks all over and my white t shirt was white no more. I’ve now learnt my lessons : two loads in the washer, one for color and one for white clothes. Also, don’t think you are smarter than the washer.
I spent the better part of my morning searching for my house keys which happened to be in the first place I looked. I then went for a run and got some strange looks and a half smile ’cause I was the crazy girl with a red turban on my head. I saw a homeless man and a lady with a gorgeous Gucci bag. I managed to turn away from getting my hot chocolate fix at Starbucks which wasn’t too difficult ’cause the new barista there doesn’t make it the way I like it.
I then came home and spent a couple of hours making a fabulous lunch/dinner (linner? dunch?), which I then proceeded to eat while watching Friends. Now I got coffee from the apartment lobby and started typing out this blog post forcefully. I will continue to wait for Jay to come home so that we can eat my fabulous dinner, watch Pretty Little Liars and sail away to a happy oblivion.
I miss Madras. I miss waking up to the crows cawing. I found them extremely annoying when I lived there but now I miss them. The only animals (not that I love animals) I come in contact with are obese cat and huge, mutated squirrel. I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with cockroaches and lizards in this country. But I did have a little somethin’ somethin’ with the bed bugs. On a cold night. With no comforter. Not a very pleasant experience.
I may not come in contact with too many animals on a day to day basis but I do find myself running away from the most perfectly behaved dogs. The dogs here are creepy. They are so well trained that they do not bark. At all. I find this unnatural. In Madras where I lived there was a dog on my street that would bark at and chase every moving vehicle that went across. Ok, that might have been the rabies barking, but still, I’m used to stray dogs growling at me. That gave me the reason to cross the street to the other side. Here I don’t have a reason to run away from the dogs and that irks me to no end.
I live in an apartment that is dog friendly and I jump a mile when there is a dog in my vicinity This somehow insults the dog owners and they tell me “It’s okay, he’s friendly.”. I get that lady, but I’m not friendly.
There are some dogs that sens my dislike even behind closed doors. I have a neighbor who brightens up my mornings by playing the piano. She/He also has a dog in her/his house. This dog has the sixth sense because every time I walk outside his door he CAN SENSE ME WALKING AND HE BARKS EVERY TIME. And I run every time, but you know that already. Maybe I might lose some weight that way. Just keep a doggy at the end of the treadmill and watch me fly!
Sesame onion bread and garlic lamb, Darda Seafood.
I saw Vishwaroopam today. It was only okay. My all time favourite Kamal movie will always be Michael Madan Kamarajan. There was no big story line in the movie. Kamal Haasan looks very obviously old. So his make up artist has done a decent job of hiding the wrinkles and filling the circles under his eyes. Kamal plays a Muslim Indian Army soldier. There, I gave away the story. The lady who plays his wife ties at first place with Annoying Asin from Dasavatharam. Andrea Jeremiah had approximately three one line dialogues. She just followed Kamal wherever he went. Rahul Bose took acting classes from The Godfather.
Also, what is with American theaters not having an ‘intermission’? My bladder is accustomed to being relieved after the first hour of watching the movie. I found it hard initially but then I found a solution : DO NOT DRINK A BIG TANK OF COKE. It helps with my sugar high too.
What is with this country turning my already below par skin into a flaky, itchy mess? No amount of moisturizer and Chanel powder can cover it up. My face is shedding it’s skin at such a rapid speed and I am not a pretty sight at all.
After a debate of frozen burritos to Domino’s pizza for lunch (Domino’s won) we went to Stanford University. How beautiful is that campus! And huge! We only managed to see the Main Quad area. There were many statues around the area so I had to have an impromptu photo shoot. We then walked down downtown Palo Alto, had coffee at Starbucks and got back home in time to watch the last half of Jab Tak Hain Jaan. I loved SRK with all my heart a few years back but the man really needs to cut down on acting young, no doubt he does look smokin’ in his army getup. Anushka Sharma really needs to eat a burger. Or two. I want to take her to my favorite Indian restaurant and buy her a whole tandoori chicken. The poor girl deserves that much. Katrina Kaif has her pretty mouth and bouncy hair so she is set.
WANT : Kat’s luscious Burberry trench coats. So fab! Yes, I say fab now.
Maybe In Madras 