The Treadmill Dance

Here's a video by Ok Go called "Here it goes again". It is by far the funnest (not funniest) video i've seen. Watch it baby! :)

A stranger's touch

Day to day life has a tendency to make you forget some of your goals or desires or even a part of yourself. How do you rediscover them? I've been realizing that sometimes complete strangers rekindle such lost or forgotten emotions; desires and ambitions. And what comes around goes around really.

Forgotten wishes...

As I threw myself into a cab this rainy New York morning, I gave out a big sigh when I realized how long the day was going to be. It was 6 am and I was already drained (else I would have taken the subway!!). To avoid sinking into melancholy, I started chatting with the cabbie who turned out to be from Egypt!!! Egypt is the one country I want to visit as soon as I am able to save up enough and get some vacay.......so I perked up :) He gave me advice on places to visit and things to do. We also went on to discuss politics and careers and I was definitely awake and alive by the time I reached work. He sent me off with a very sincere "It was really nice talking to you. Have a great day". I wished him a good day too and jumped off. So a complete stranger put some life in me...and made me remember by dream of visiting Egypt!! It was an awesome feeling....

Spread the love ....

On the subway. I felt as if I were in the twilight zone ...sheer exhaustion after a very frustrating day. I was slumped in a seat and directly across from me sat a middle aged guy with a few bags. He honestly looked as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I felt really bad for him. He was writing something in his planner and dropped his pen my mistake. I dont think he even noticed it...he looked that dead. I waited for half a minute....walked over...picked up his pen and gave it to him. The man looked startled for a second...and then his face broke into the most blessed smile i've ever seen....filled with gratitude as if I'd saved his life. I was overwhelmed but smiled back at him with as much cheer as I could muster. I felt alive...he felt alive. Together, we had had managed to share one little ray of hope.

The Supercool Cabbie

This incident makes me laugh. I was stuck in heavy traffic in a cab. The cabbie was supercool. He had good music playing and we were chatting about random things. He mentioned that he had transported many celebrities in his 30 years or so career of cab driving. I was impressed...so I asked him who was the most important or biggest celebrity to sit in his cab? Pat came the reply ... "My mom". I was floooored....gave him a big tip too ;) Isnt that the sweetest thing you could've ever heard? Just made me re-remember how cool and important my mom is.

Never say die..

A couple of weeks back, I was riding the subway and sat next to this old man who reminded me of my grandad which is probably why I shook his hand when he introduced himself. He was telling me about his jewellery business and inquired about what I'd studied etc. So I told him that I studied Comp Sci at Columbia. He was suddenly really excited and wanted to know all about doing a Master's degree in Comp Sci. I discussed the options available at various unis in New York. But he said: "No! I'll study only at the best. I'll go to Columbia". I was filled with respect and admiration for him. Imagine, here was a 65-70 year old man shooting for the stars at the time of his life when most people dream about taking an extended vacation in the Caribbean. It put my life in perspective for sure...

Crazy!!
-Amrita


P.S: Songs for the Day:-
1. Give it up to me - Sean Paul & Keyshia Cole (LOOOOOOVE this song)
2. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

Dear Pluto

Dear Pluto,

Please accept my deepest condolences on being demoted to a non-planeteray object status after 76 years of loyal service to the solar system. I, for one, will miss you dearly.

My mind cannot wrap around the fact that my solar system now has only 8 planets. All the paper mache models that I made and all the diagrams I drew in school, now stand invalid. But, I've always thought that you were the cutest to draw or model or paint. Something about you, dear Pluto was happy and childlike.

So what that you have a "funky" orbit or that you lie among larger sized universal debris? I still think your planethood should not be taken away to whimsical 'galactic grumblings'. Well, you have my support and I will always consider you the 9th planet.

Give my regards to Charon!

Galactically yours,
-Amrita Rajagopal

a room with a view

...err...kinda! :)
The bright blob you see is the sun shining through and you can actually see one inch of the Hudson river from the window.

so yeah...this is my new casa...

From the heart

Long time no see. How are you all doing? Good? Excellent! :-) Not good? ...here's a big HUG!

Out of joy of seeing a post from me again, i'm sure all of you are going to leave me comments right? right? you better... :P

It's very unnatural of me to be gone for such a long period of time without posting...considering I go extempore even while on vacation. Ha!

There's too much going on in my life....actually flooded with things to blog about. But, it's in this stress that somewhere I lost the will to articulate my thoughts into blog entries. I have about 10 different drafts lying around my Blogger dashboard waiting completion.

In the last few weeks major events happened....

20 something...

I had myself a happy birthday on 6th August :-) Ushered in a brand new year flanked by friends and family. Never before have I felt so special, fortunate and blessed. The wishes from those near and far meant a lot. Many friends actually took the trouble to fly/drive in to NYC to celebrate ... that was just amazing. And celebrate we did.....night out at Crobar where we celebrated both mine and Krishna's birthdays....lazy brunches....dinners at home....chilling at central park...Gooood times!

Unfortunately, it was also one of the most stressful weekends of the year....maybe cos I was imploding.....too many people around and I couldnt spend a lot of time with either of them. That's natural I guess.

Potha actually said..."You just completed the best 25 years of your life. It's all downhill from here" Maybe so, but I choose to think not! :-P

Talvin Singh

My 6 year love story peaked on 13th August when I saw Talvin Singh live for the first time...at Central Park Summerstage. He was (is) my first love in fusion music....I remember falling for his music in freshman year at college. It was quite surreal to see him performing a few feet away from me. I would have preferred a live percussion session of course...but the DJ set was quite awesome too. Sheets said she ran into him at Starbucks down the street the next day...I was like....whaaaaaaat?? Not that I would have said anything to him...cos I'm usually starstruck. Ah well. It was good.

Happy Independence Day

Just have to achnowledge 15th August 1947. It's the 60th year of India's freedom now. We had a small celebration at work during which time I cried silently....out of pride and love for my country. I'm so sappy sometimes....but I couldnt help it.

Loving the new casa!

So it's officially been a month since I moved in to my new apt in Manhattan. Never in a million years did I think that I would achieve the dream of setting up my own pad in the world's craziest city. As I lie here typing out this blog entry on my very ethnic seating mattress by the window....it feels too good to be true. Touch wood! :) I am stocking up on coffee table books.... ;)

Ciao for now...

Dont know when my next post will be...but stay safe...peace! It feels good to be back here :)

Albums for the day:

- Jhini by Indian Ocean
- You could have it so much better by Franz Ferdinand
- Vira by Talvin Singh and Rakesh Chaurasia

Lonestar, Amrita

Fly by

...just a quickie post to say...

I just completed 6 years in the USofA!!!! I cannot believe it at all.

Jeez....time flew...and then maybe not.

Beezy bee
-Amrita