I was thinking about that last night...and this is what I drew up...
- Boston trip this coming weekend! Going to celebrate Ships' bday...and meet some other friends.
- Possible ski trip in Feb (if there is any snow!!)
- A hike/camping trip in March
- Unforgettable Fire St. Paddy's Day show in March
- Coldplay concert in March
- Sibling turning older in April...LOL!!!!! this is gonna be priceless. From April 24 till Aug 6...Andy will be 3 yrs older than me...instead of 2....Ahh!! Good times! ;-)
- Graduation in May!!!! :D This will hopefully be accompanied by parental visit :) :) :)
There is something which is getting me blue...so this list is to counterract that...
Cheerio :)
-Ams
Monday, January 30, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Quick Hit...
First...Music review..
1. The Beta Band's album "Heroes to Zeroes": Pink Floyd meets Beatles....I never thought that was possible. Also a strong feel of The Flaming Lips. Really fresh and peppy. Listen to them.
2. Jamiroquai's album "Dynamite". This guy continues to amaze me. Really simple tunes....but the flow within each of them...will keep you dancing. Good trance. Must listen.
3. Jack Johnson's new single "Upside Down". I love this guy. His tunes are always so earthy. This single is for the movie "Curious George".....cute and catchy. But too much radio play will kill it....as is done with most songs unfortunately. Savor it.
resurrected: Adnan Sami and Lucky Ali....must go back to my blogs from 2003 to figure out what I thought of them then. Maybe later.
Now....Movie reviews...
"Match Point": Great ending. Jonathan Rhys Myers needs to work on his acting though.
"Rang De Basanti": 1st half rocked. 2nd half was luke warm. good movie though. Being a not-Amir Khan-fan.....i still enjoyed it. (*sob* they showed so much of Delhi that I wanted to cry of happiness and longing)
"Sideways": Ok. Made me smile now and then....but gets kinda boring....too much hoopla me thinks.
To Pod or not to Pod?
The Answer: To Pod.
Yes. I bit. iPod Nano on it's way. Jeeyaaazus....
(@aBeee...dont die...it was bound to happen eventually!!)
1. The Beta Band's album "Heroes to Zeroes": Pink Floyd meets Beatles....I never thought that was possible. Also a strong feel of The Flaming Lips. Really fresh and peppy. Listen to them.
2. Jamiroquai's album "Dynamite". This guy continues to amaze me. Really simple tunes....but the flow within each of them...will keep you dancing. Good trance. Must listen.
3. Jack Johnson's new single "Upside Down". I love this guy. His tunes are always so earthy. This single is for the movie "Curious George".....cute and catchy. But too much radio play will kill it....as is done with most songs unfortunately. Savor it.
resurrected: Adnan Sami and Lucky Ali....must go back to my blogs from 2003 to figure out what I thought of them then. Maybe later.
Now....Movie reviews...
"Match Point": Great ending. Jonathan Rhys Myers needs to work on his acting though.
"Rang De Basanti": 1st half rocked. 2nd half was luke warm. good movie though. Being a not-Amir Khan-fan.....i still enjoyed it. (*sob* they showed so much of Delhi that I wanted to cry of happiness and longing)
"Sideways": Ok. Made me smile now and then....but gets kinda boring....too much hoopla me thinks.
To Pod or not to Pod?
The Answer: To Pod.
Yes. I bit. iPod Nano on it's way. Jeeyaaazus....
(@aBeee...dont die...it was bound to happen eventually!!)
Saturday, January 28, 2006
This is Art...
"This is a t-shirt.
This is art.
Art isn't always something you hang on a wall,
or see in a museum,
or as part of a publicly funded installation in front of a municipal building.
Sometimes it's a t-shirt.
Sometimes you are the gallery.
This is art.
Wear it. "
(found on the tag of my Express tshirt)
This is art.
Art isn't always something you hang on a wall,
or see in a museum,
or as part of a publicly funded installation in front of a municipal building.
Sometimes it's a t-shirt.
Sometimes you are the gallery.
This is art.
Wear it. "
(found on the tag of my Express tshirt)
Friday, January 27, 2006
GO ASATW !!!!!
Good luck to A Sheep At The Wheel for BATTLE OF THE BANDS 2006.
All the best guys.......CK...rock the house baby!! rooting for you.....
Song of the day: "Fade" by ASATW ...cos they rock!
More later....must go and educate the future breed of geeeeeks... ;)
Happy Friday! :)
All the best guys.......CK...rock the house baby!! rooting for you.....
Song of the day: "Fade" by ASATW ...cos they rock!
More later....must go and educate the future breed of geeeeeks... ;)
Happy Friday! :)
Thursday, January 26, 2006
57 years
Happy Republic Day my fellow Indians... :-) ...57 years!!! I miss the cold winter mornings in Delhi when dad n mom would take me and bhai over to see the parade. We used to get treated to Dairy Milk chocolates for waking up early (those were simply the best!) :D The chairs at the parade would be wet due to the mist and fog....hahaha! India Gate and Rashtrapathi Bhavan stood proudly over the crowds....impressing upon them the sacrifices of their fellow countrymen...and the success of having created a democratic republic. My dad's chest would puff out with pride when he would see the army bettallions march by. He always loved the Rajputana Rifles. ...armymen with heavy mustaches...strictly disciplined....marching in sync. You cant help but feel over awed!!!
On another note....You know what the best thing about having an elder brother is??....besides the fact than mine's one my best friends? He buys you what you cant afford for yourself (among other things!!)... :-) :-) :-) You rock Andy... :x
Book that i'm reading right now: "A River Sutra" by Dipa Mehta
Songs of the day: "Rang de Basanti" from the OST, "Have a drink on me" by AC|DC, the album 'Mutations' by Beck
On another note....You know what the best thing about having an elder brother is??....besides the fact than mine's one my best friends? He buys you what you cant afford for yourself (among other things!!)... :-) :-) :-) You rock Andy... :x
Book that i'm reading right now: "A River Sutra" by Dipa Mehta
Songs of the day: "Rang de Basanti" from the OST, "Have a drink on me" by AC|DC, the album 'Mutations' by Beck
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Confessions on A Dance Floor
....Good album. It has a subtle 80's nostalgia to it. Madonna's voice is delicate and powerful at the same time. Definitely made me feel like dancing. I could picturize afros, bellbottoms, roller skates and disco lights in my head!! The album has a fresh feel to it and is a lot of fun to listen to. "Hung Up" is the star attraction of course. "Isaac" is very new....got an Arabic feel to it. Madonna's costumes are shocking...keeping with her spirit. Must buy this album!!
Other music that's got me hooked recently:
-Sean Paul's "Temperature"...I've really started appreciating his songs now. The beats really rock the boat.
-Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" - Did you know she was English? I had nooo idea! You cant detect the accent when she sings.
-Destiny's Child's "Check up on me" - I didnt like the song when I first heard it. But the adorable Pink Panther bg music and hearing it repeatedly in clubs did it for me I think. I'm hooked.
Movies that i'm looking forward to:
-King Kong (yes, I still havent seen it!)
-Da Vinci Code
-MI - III
-Pink Panther
-Ice Age - II
-Water
-Rang De Basanti (releases this Friday!!!! I dont really like Amir Khan....but I still want to see the movie)
Weather wise....apprehensive winter in NYC. It's been very warm for winter standards. Last January it was always below 20's. Now the temps are always above 30. Global warming ya think? It's worrisome. Especially cos i'm watching out for the snowstorm...which could be round the corner.
Hmm...Wed-dance-day tomorrow!!! :) Jazz in the morng....and Kathak in the evening.... :) :) :)
Other music that's got me hooked recently:
-Sean Paul's "Temperature"...I've really started appreciating his songs now. The beats really rock the boat.
-Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" - Did you know she was English? I had nooo idea! You cant detect the accent when she sings.
-Destiny's Child's "Check up on me" - I didnt like the song when I first heard it. But the adorable Pink Panther bg music and hearing it repeatedly in clubs did it for me I think. I'm hooked.
Movies that i'm looking forward to:
-King Kong (yes, I still havent seen it!)
-Da Vinci Code
-MI - III
-Pink Panther
-Ice Age - II
-Water
-Rang De Basanti (releases this Friday!!!! I dont really like Amir Khan....but I still want to see the movie)
Weather wise....apprehensive winter in NYC. It's been very warm for winter standards. Last January it was always below 20's. Now the temps are always above 30. Global warming ya think? It's worrisome. Especially cos i'm watching out for the snowstorm...which could be round the corner.
Hmm...Wed-dance-day tomorrow!!! :) Jazz in the morng....and Kathak in the evening.... :) :) :)
An amazing weekend!
Thursday through Sunday.....friends....music...food..drinks...much more music....and lots more dancing.....had an awesome time!!
Turntablist Guitar...
Thursday night was the Andre LaFosse guitar performance at The Monkey. Sheetal and I enjoyed the show a lot...but took turns zoning out...lol. Andrea's style was unique to say the least. He used an electric guitar and a sound board. This is how I understood his style:- he started by mixing sounds and then let the sound board repeat it...he added on tunes and melodies and with every stage it was as if the sound board learnt it and repeated it! (I'm not sure if that's making sense). At the end, he'd created a fantastic rythmic composition. One thing I really was impressed by was how he 'caught' notes and improvised on them... It was a spectacle. Small, intimate show....twas good. Followed by dinner at Saravanaas! Yummmy!(except for 3 obnoxious desis sitting next to us, talking abt their sex lives for all to hear! pbfftt...)
The Party begins!
The debauchery began Friday night with a grand zootopian dinner at Tony DiNapoli's. We had Clint for dessert! :P hehehehe. We created such a ruckus when he showed up as a surprise....I'm sure glasses shattered...15 or so ppl....ages ranging from 24 to 50...jumping up and down and screaming...what a scene!!! We headed over to The Saloon for the Unforgettable Fire concert. They were awesome as always. My friends also agreed. Mick is an awesome guitarist...i'm always overawed during the shows....
After the show, Clint was dying for Kati Rolls....so Clint, Noreen, Becca, Trish and I headed over to the Village...lots of memories from May....missed Niv! Then came time to get some beauty sleep. So we headed home. Sharon and Noreen were sleeping over at my "box" anyways. And I didnt want Clint to head back to Long Island at 3 in the morning, so we all squeezed into my box. Oh what a sight it was!!! lol
Sweeeet Saturday
Saturday morning dawned early for the box crew as we were all cramped due to lack of space.... :( sorry guys!! After a delicious breakfast at Tom's Restaurant (The Sienfeld restaurant - Clint was thrilled about this!), Sharon headed home and Noreen and Clint went back to LI. We'd made plans to hang out in the evening. Meanwhile, I caught some sleep and then as it was such a beautiful day....decided to hang out at Central Park with the Upper East side crew. So Steph, Erika, Becca and Trish...and me!....roamed around The Park. We took pictures of San Remo (Bono'a apt bldg), The Dakota and Strawberry Fields! It was nice to finally see the Lennon memorial. :)
We bid adieu to Steph and headed over to Noreen's place in LI....after a scrumptuous meal of pizza, beer and Smirnoff Ice, we headed over to Mulcahy's to meet Mike and have a few more drinks. The innocent plan turned into some serious mischief as shots after shots were downed....lots of dancing...obsessing over Clint's butt....etc. *ahem* Clint's wife should not be reading this blog. lol! a Billy Joel cover band was playing at Mulcahy's...so that was very cool too.
I was very sad to sat goodbye to my buddies....but we parted with a promise to meet again really soon...so all's good! :)
Super Sunday!
Spent the day with K-Man & Co. Had an awesome time! We went to the "Flamenco Festival" which was mind blowing. The Flamenco is such a beautiful dance! And the guitarists were exceptionally talented as well....especially Dennis Koster. Totally impressed !!!
Then Krish introduced us to a pastry shop in my hood...which I was unaware of ! ha! After indulging ourselves in dessert... (pre-dinner!)....we headed over to mid-town...where we *almost* had drinks at Banc cafe. After two failed attempts at ordering a drink there...I'm sure we have been blacklisted! haha. And then....I had Momos after forever....yay!! Overall, it was a perfect Sunday! :-)
And so...
So yeah...the weekend showcased lots of food....drinks...music...and the best part: my friends.
There were a gazillion pics taken of course. See them here!!!!
Turntablist Guitar...
Thursday night was the Andre LaFosse guitar performance at The Monkey. Sheetal and I enjoyed the show a lot...but took turns zoning out...lol. Andrea's style was unique to say the least. He used an electric guitar and a sound board. This is how I understood his style:- he started by mixing sounds and then let the sound board repeat it...he added on tunes and melodies and with every stage it was as if the sound board learnt it and repeated it! (I'm not sure if that's making sense). At the end, he'd created a fantastic rythmic composition. One thing I really was impressed by was how he 'caught' notes and improvised on them... It was a spectacle. Small, intimate show....twas good. Followed by dinner at Saravanaas! Yummmy!(except for 3 obnoxious desis sitting next to us, talking abt their sex lives for all to hear! pbfftt...)
The Party begins!
The debauchery began Friday night with a grand zootopian dinner at Tony DiNapoli's. We had Clint for dessert! :P hehehehe. We created such a ruckus when he showed up as a surprise....I'm sure glasses shattered...15 or so ppl....ages ranging from 24 to 50...jumping up and down and screaming...what a scene!!! We headed over to The Saloon for the Unforgettable Fire concert. They were awesome as always. My friends also agreed. Mick is an awesome guitarist...i'm always overawed during the shows....
After the show, Clint was dying for Kati Rolls....so Clint, Noreen, Becca, Trish and I headed over to the Village...lots of memories from May....missed Niv! Then came time to get some beauty sleep. So we headed home. Sharon and Noreen were sleeping over at my "box" anyways. And I didnt want Clint to head back to Long Island at 3 in the morning, so we all squeezed into my box. Oh what a sight it was!!! lol
Sweeeet Saturday
Saturday morning dawned early for the box crew as we were all cramped due to lack of space.... :( sorry guys!! After a delicious breakfast at Tom's Restaurant (The Sienfeld restaurant - Clint was thrilled about this!), Sharon headed home and Noreen and Clint went back to LI. We'd made plans to hang out in the evening. Meanwhile, I caught some sleep and then as it was such a beautiful day....decided to hang out at Central Park with the Upper East side crew. So Steph, Erika, Becca and Trish...and me!....roamed around The Park. We took pictures of San Remo (Bono'a apt bldg), The Dakota and Strawberry Fields! It was nice to finally see the Lennon memorial. :)
We bid adieu to Steph and headed over to Noreen's place in LI....after a scrumptuous meal of pizza, beer and Smirnoff Ice, we headed over to Mulcahy's to meet Mike and have a few more drinks. The innocent plan turned into some serious mischief as shots after shots were downed....lots of dancing...obsessing over Clint's butt....etc. *ahem* Clint's wife should not be reading this blog. lol! a Billy Joel cover band was playing at Mulcahy's...so that was very cool too.
I was very sad to sat goodbye to my buddies....but we parted with a promise to meet again really soon...so all's good! :)
Super Sunday!
Spent the day with K-Man & Co. Had an awesome time! We went to the "Flamenco Festival" which was mind blowing. The Flamenco is such a beautiful dance! And the guitarists were exceptionally talented as well....especially Dennis Koster. Totally impressed !!!
Then Krish introduced us to a pastry shop in my hood...which I was unaware of ! ha! After indulging ourselves in dessert... (pre-dinner!)....we headed over to mid-town...where we *almost* had drinks at Banc cafe. After two failed attempts at ordering a drink there...I'm sure we have been blacklisted! haha. And then....I had Momos after forever....yay!! Overall, it was a perfect Sunday! :-)
And so...
So yeah...the weekend showcased lots of food....drinks...music...and the best part: my friends.
There were a gazillion pics taken of course. See them here!!!!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Creativity and Cash
Hats off to Alex Tew! This guy has put some serious thought into milking the internet...and very creatively at that. So the idea is that he sells a pixel on his site for $1 and the goal is to sell 1,000,000 pixels. The funds from this go towards his college studies etc. Though the idea seemed ridiculous to me at first....it is actually an ingenious advertising opportunity. And believe it or not...he's actually sold 1,000,000 pixels!!! The last 1000 pixels were sold on eBay...thus skyrocketing the value of each pixel more. 1 brilliant idea, 4 months, more than 1 million USD! Awesome! That too at 21 years of age!
http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4585026.stm
On another note...Keane's "Somewhere only we know" just came on the telly...ahh...nostalgia hits!! Keane opened all the October U2 shows in NYC...and they were SOOO good. Good times. We need Time Turners man....*sigh*
http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4585026.stm
On another note...Keane's "Somewhere only we know" just came on the telly...ahh...nostalgia hits!! Keane opened all the October U2 shows in NYC...and they were SOOO good. Good times. We need Time Turners man....*sigh*
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Purged
Yesterday's rant helped clear my mind. I just got really wild due to the whole situation. I would have probably killed someone if I hadnt met K and Andy on Monday night. That helped me calm down....and was of course a lot of fun!! :-)
On to more fun things. Despite it's vices, NYC is a great city....mainly cos its so rich in arts ....which is one of the 3 things keeping me here.
The New York Guitar Festival is going on right now...and I want to attend almost every concert. But I cant afford that. I definitely do want to see the following artists:
Andre LaFosse - Jan 19th - his style is called 'turntablist guitar'. I'm just fascinated by the term itself. I will definitely be checking this one out.
Dominic Frasca - Jan 20th - he won the Guitar Player Magazine's Guitar Hero contest. 6 and 10 string electro/acoustic guitar. I really wish I could see this show. Dominic is such a nice guy! But I've promised a dozen zootopians that i'll meet them at the Unforgettable Fire show the same night!! So....I'll have to pass this time. Hope to catch one of his shows soon.
"Flamenco in the City" - Jan 22 - Dennis Koster's flamenco soul performance. But expensive for me...25$ ....little much...well...I might just go anyways.
And of course...Si*Se on 26th....it's a musical month!! :-) And I'm loving that...
On to more fun things. Despite it's vices, NYC is a great city....mainly cos its so rich in arts ....which is one of the 3 things keeping me here.
The New York Guitar Festival is going on right now...and I want to attend almost every concert. But I cant afford that. I definitely do want to see the following artists:
Andre LaFosse - Jan 19th - his style is called 'turntablist guitar'. I'm just fascinated by the term itself. I will definitely be checking this one out.
Dominic Frasca - Jan 20th - he won the Guitar Player Magazine's Guitar Hero contest. 6 and 10 string electro/acoustic guitar. I really wish I could see this show. Dominic is such a nice guy! But I've promised a dozen zootopians that i'll meet them at the Unforgettable Fire show the same night!! So....I'll have to pass this time. Hope to catch one of his shows soon.
"Flamenco in the City" - Jan 22 - Dennis Koster's flamenco soul performance. But expensive for me...25$ ....little much...well...I might just go anyways.
And of course...Si*Se on 26th....it's a musical month!! :-) And I'm loving that...
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Harassment
This is going to be a graphic rant. You have been warned!!
Fresh off the boat from the west coast and chicago. Happy, cheerful and optimistic...I step out on the streets of NYC. I had forgotten about the harassment doled out by the 'dudes' who roam the streets. It hit me like a ton of bricks the moment I stepped out of my dorm. Two guys in an SUV parked at a STOP sign called out to me and started making sexual noises. I was about to cross the street but changed my mind and walked the other way. One of them called out "Where can I find a woman like you?"...I'll tell you where...you sick son of a bitch!!!
I can handle these situations when I face them....but it's the aftermath which is such a killer. I felt violated. The subways are another trap. These dudes come sit next to you...or for the sake of chivalry...they find an excuse to make you sit next to them. The eyes....that's what's really scary...they bulge out as if they just spotted a prey. And you can almost see the drool. I no longer sit in subways.
I was on my way to watch a movie with a friend...by the time I met him...I was in a foul mood. Why does it affect me? Cos I feel unsafe and dirty.
I had told Maddy about these stories...but she couldn't believe it. Till she saw it for hersef when she came here. Do these guys think it'll entice any woman with an ounce of self respect if they made grunting noises in her direction? That if they stand in her way and call her 'a sweetheart', she'll be floored and not kick them in their balls?
Why must i feel dirty for absolutely no reason? Why must I think twice before dressing up or down? Why? It's not fair!! I used to wonder why eve-teasing was such a big deal when I was a kid in India. Till I faced it here in NYC......it is a big deal. It shakes your core.
The easiest way for me to deal with this ....has been to ignore all advances. And of course using the excuses that I am either: married...or have a boyfriend studying in NYU. Ha! These stories have evolved over the past one year.
Anyway, rant over. For now.
Munich
Brilliant movie! Spielberg is amazing! Eric Bana is gorgeous! I would say more about this movie...but i'm not up to it right now...
Fresh off the boat from the west coast and chicago. Happy, cheerful and optimistic...I step out on the streets of NYC. I had forgotten about the harassment doled out by the 'dudes' who roam the streets. It hit me like a ton of bricks the moment I stepped out of my dorm. Two guys in an SUV parked at a STOP sign called out to me and started making sexual noises. I was about to cross the street but changed my mind and walked the other way. One of them called out "Where can I find a woman like you?"...I'll tell you where...you sick son of a bitch!!!
I can handle these situations when I face them....but it's the aftermath which is such a killer. I felt violated. The subways are another trap. These dudes come sit next to you...or for the sake of chivalry...they find an excuse to make you sit next to them. The eyes....that's what's really scary...they bulge out as if they just spotted a prey. And you can almost see the drool. I no longer sit in subways.
I was on my way to watch a movie with a friend...by the time I met him...I was in a foul mood. Why does it affect me? Cos I feel unsafe and dirty.
I had told Maddy about these stories...but she couldn't believe it. Till she saw it for hersef when she came here. Do these guys think it'll entice any woman with an ounce of self respect if they made grunting noises in her direction? That if they stand in her way and call her 'a sweetheart', she'll be floored and not kick them in their balls?
Why must i feel dirty for absolutely no reason? Why must I think twice before dressing up or down? Why? It's not fair!! I used to wonder why eve-teasing was such a big deal when I was a kid in India. Till I faced it here in NYC......it is a big deal. It shakes your core.
The easiest way for me to deal with this ....has been to ignore all advances. And of course using the excuses that I am either: married...or have a boyfriend studying in NYU. Ha! These stories have evolved over the past one year.
Anyway, rant over. For now.
Munich
Brilliant movie! Spielberg is amazing! Eric Bana is gorgeous! I would say more about this movie...but i'm not up to it right now...
Monday, January 16, 2006
Guess who's back?
Yup....back in NYC. You know you're back when you hear people curse each other at the speed of thought. More later....must unpack...
Friday, January 13, 2006
BOOOOOOTSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES YES YES YES FREAKIN YES!!!
Nine West, Black, Square cut front
Actual price: 110$
Purchased price: 37$
How cool is that? I'd been dreaming of these since 3 months....and I finally have them....muchos gracias to Maddy for buying these for me!!
*sigh* I could have gone to sleep in them last night....
Si*Se
I recently discovered that Si*Se is an NYC band..!! Their new single 'More Shine' is awesome. Genre: trance/urban/fusion. They're performing on 26th...I need some peeps to go with. It's gonna be a musical month in NYC....with the New York Guitar Festival too!!! Yess! Me happy.
Song(s) resurrected yesterday
'More Shine' by Si*Se, 'Take it on the run' by REO Speedwagon, 'Independent Love Song' by Scarlet, 'It feels so good' by Sonique
Nine West, Black, Square cut front
Actual price: 110$
Purchased price: 37$
How cool is that? I'd been dreaming of these since 3 months....and I finally have them....muchos gracias to Maddy for buying these for me!!
*sigh* I could have gone to sleep in them last night....
Si*Se
I recently discovered that Si*Se is an NYC band..!! Their new single 'More Shine' is awesome. Genre: trance/urban/fusion. They're performing on 26th...I need some peeps to go with. It's gonna be a musical month in NYC....with the New York Guitar Festival too!!! Yess! Me happy.
Song(s) resurrected yesterday
'More Shine' by Si*Se, 'Take it on the run' by REO Speedwagon, 'Independent Love Song' by Scarlet, 'It feels so good' by Sonique
Thursday, January 12, 2006
this and that...
Cool post of the day: The Golden Ratio
A fantastic picture of the Orion Nebula. The Hubble rocks!
Even Flickr.com has an API now!! God...I cant keep up!
Awesome Songs from yesterday: 'Sing' by Travis, 'Satellite' by Dave Matthews, 'Wonderwall' by Oasis
Interesting new dessert: Warm Belgian waffle topped with a scoop of icecream and garnished with maple syrup...heaven! Something like gulab jamuns and icecream.
New heart-breaker: Gael Bernal of 'Motorcycle Diaries' and ' Y Tu Mama Tambien' fame.
Weather report: awesome...sunny and windy day in Chi-town (or like aBee says: the Village of Schaumburg)
Song(s) of the day: 'Low' by Coldplay
O & O
-Amrita
A fantastic picture of the Orion Nebula. The Hubble rocks!
Even Flickr.com has an API now!! God...I cant keep up!
Awesome Songs from yesterday: 'Sing' by Travis, 'Satellite' by Dave Matthews, 'Wonderwall' by Oasis
Interesting new dessert: Warm Belgian waffle topped with a scoop of icecream and garnished with maple syrup...heaven! Something like gulab jamuns and icecream.
New heart-breaker: Gael Bernal of 'Motorcycle Diaries' and ' Y Tu Mama Tambien' fame.
Weather report: awesome...sunny and windy day in Chi-town (or like aBee says: the Village of Schaumburg)
Song(s) of the day: 'Low' by Coldplay
O & O
-Amrita
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The Constant Gardener
Amazing Movie. Go watch! It reminded me of 'Hotel Rwanda' a little bit.
Few more good ones: 'Maine Gandhi ko nahin maara', 'Syriana', 'Red Eye'
Song of the day: 'Last night' by The Strokes
Monday, January 09, 2006
Lights will guide you home
Vacation time is over. I'm still not back home ..... staying over at Maddy's place in Chi-town for a few days...chilling. But also working on a project for school. What can I say? I throw my foot on the axe sometimes! It's ok...I'm enjoying it. (yeah right...)
The weekend was funnnn. Ate good food, had kickass drinks and SHOPPED! Ate the best south Indian food EVER at the Aurora Balaji temple yesterday. Just HAD to pass on the information to the two K's in my life....both of whom would have died and gone to heaven. I think our motivations for going to the temple are skewed! :P I *think* we drove around downtown Chicago and lakeshore on Saturday night....but I was a little too happy (read: drunk) to remember exactly. I blame it on the 'Capriosca' we had at the Cuban restaurant....La Guardia. I had Chille Rilleno for dinner....it was fantastic!
Another very very good drink that I made up this weekend...try this at home....it's a martini...shake it or stir it...enjoy it...
1.5 oz Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Raspberry Juice/Liquor
How was that? Excellent right!? Ok, once more...
2 oz Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
Drink.
:-P
Now coming to shopping....something is wrong with me. I have never been one to shop a designer stores...cos I find them ridiculously expensive. But this vacation...I've found surprising good deals....beat this: Guess, GAP, BCBG MAXAZRIA...and of course my loyal New York & Company. I blew about 150 bucks....which is not criminal. Andy doesnt know it....but i'm gonna pull the little sister card on him for this.... hahaha! Evil pleasure.
Been listening to X & Y by Coldplay....on first listen I didnt like any song except 'Speed of Sound'. But a second listen got me fixated on 'Fix you'. Powerul lyrics. Here's a snippet...
The weekend was funnnn. Ate good food, had kickass drinks and SHOPPED! Ate the best south Indian food EVER at the Aurora Balaji temple yesterday. Just HAD to pass on the information to the two K's in my life....both of whom would have died and gone to heaven. I think our motivations for going to the temple are skewed! :P I *think* we drove around downtown Chicago and lakeshore on Saturday night....but I was a little too happy (read: drunk) to remember exactly. I blame it on the 'Capriosca' we had at the Cuban restaurant....La Guardia. I had Chille Rilleno for dinner....it was fantastic!
Another very very good drink that I made up this weekend...try this at home....it's a martini...shake it or stir it...enjoy it...
1.5 oz Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Raspberry Juice/Liquor
How was that? Excellent right!? Ok, once more...
2 oz Vodka
1 oz Triple Sec
Drink.
:-P
Now coming to shopping....something is wrong with me. I have never been one to shop a designer stores...cos I find them ridiculously expensive. But this vacation...I've found surprising good deals....beat this: Guess, GAP, BCBG MAXAZRIA...and of course my loyal New York & Company. I blew about 150 bucks....which is not criminal. Andy doesnt know it....but i'm gonna pull the little sister card on him for this.... hahaha! Evil pleasure.
Been listening to X & Y by Coldplay....on first listen I didnt like any song except 'Speed of Sound'. But a second listen got me fixated on 'Fix you'. Powerul lyrics. Here's a snippet...
When you try your best but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
The remaining days: A New Year
The last 5 days in LA were beautiful....
"God is a DJ....
...Life is a dancefloor
Love is the rythm
You are the music..."
I returned to DJing after a 2 year hiatus and it felt fantastic. I have always wanted to get into it professionally.... In Tucson, I created quite a few compilations and mixes...and there were only 3 people who I gave copies of these to. My LA buddies were among them....
So I DJed the road trips and to see my tracklists and CDs was exhilirating. Why? Dont ask..DJing does that to me....
I think I will return to it soon....
Malibu Canyon Road
Went to the Venkateswara temple in Malibu on 31st Jan. That was the day the deluge began in LA. We almost didnt make it to the temple. The Malibu Canyon Road that goes to the temple is narrow and curvy and it would have been crazy in the rain. But just as we were turning back, the rain let up and we decided to brave it. I am so glad we did. The views of the Malibu valley were breathtaking. Misty and green mountains beyond which stood the swollen ocean waters. The temple was very peaceful. They'd expanded since my earlier visit there.
We also went by Will Smith's house...hahah! how did we know it was his? Well, in Hollywood, you can buy maps with celebrity homes marked...lol!
Happy New Year
A new year. 2005 was a blur. 2006 is exciting and new.
Goodbye LaLaLand!!
I could almost not tear myself away. But keeping myself busy on the last day by cooking up a delicious south indian spread helped. Menu: Rava dosai, Masala, Sambaar, Vadai, Chatni (Kickass). It was awesome!
I am already missing my buds....but I'm glad we spent quality time together after so long. :)
"God is a DJ....
...Life is a dancefloor
Love is the rythm
You are the music..."
I returned to DJing after a 2 year hiatus and it felt fantastic. I have always wanted to get into it professionally.... In Tucson, I created quite a few compilations and mixes...and there were only 3 people who I gave copies of these to. My LA buddies were among them....
So I DJed the road trips and to see my tracklists and CDs was exhilirating. Why? Dont ask..DJing does that to me....
I think I will return to it soon....
Malibu Canyon Road
Went to the Venkateswara temple in Malibu on 31st Jan. That was the day the deluge began in LA. We almost didnt make it to the temple. The Malibu Canyon Road that goes to the temple is narrow and curvy and it would have been crazy in the rain. But just as we were turning back, the rain let up and we decided to brave it. I am so glad we did. The views of the Malibu valley were breathtaking. Misty and green mountains beyond which stood the swollen ocean waters. The temple was very peaceful. They'd expanded since my earlier visit there.
We also went by Will Smith's house...hahah! how did we know it was his? Well, in Hollywood, you can buy maps with celebrity homes marked...lol!
Happy New Year
A new year. 2005 was a blur. 2006 is exciting and new.
Goodbye LaLaLand!!
I could almost not tear myself away. But keeping myself busy on the last day by cooking up a delicious south indian spread helped. Menu: Rava dosai, Masala, Sambaar, Vadai, Chatni (Kickass). It was awesome!
I am already missing my buds....but I'm glad we spent quality time together after so long. :)
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Day 6,7,8: Life is good…
28th-30th December
Remington Steele reborn!
Over the course of these days, we relaxed, saw a dozen movies, and visited a few places like Hollywood and the Getty Center. An exciting find at the video store was the Remington Steele DVD. We just HAD to watch it, cos me and one my friends were big time fans of the serial when it used to air on the telly in the late 80s and early 90s. Even my mum loves it. For those who don’t know of it…Remington Steele was a detective serial starring Pierce Brosnan as Remington Steele and Stephanie Zimbalist as his associate Laura Holt. It ran about four seasons I think. Pierce Brosnan was drop dead gorgeous in those episodes… ;)
The Getty Center visit
The Getty Center sits on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was designed by architect Richard Meier and the buildings take your breath away. The Getty Center presents the Getty's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. The Getty gardens were beautiful….am sure my mom would totally enjoy it. Amongst the museum exhibits, I really enjoyed the manuscript of the Book of Hours. It was a haven for enthusiasts of photography…like moi! :)
Remington Steele reborn!
Over the course of these days, we relaxed, saw a dozen movies, and visited a few places like Hollywood and the Getty Center. An exciting find at the video store was the Remington Steele DVD. We just HAD to watch it, cos me and one my friends were big time fans of the serial when it used to air on the telly in the late 80s and early 90s. Even my mum loves it. For those who don’t know of it…Remington Steele was a detective serial starring Pierce Brosnan as Remington Steele and Stephanie Zimbalist as his associate Laura Holt. It ran about four seasons I think. Pierce Brosnan was drop dead gorgeous in those episodes… ;)
The Getty Center visit
The Getty Center sits on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was designed by architect Richard Meier and the buildings take your breath away. The Getty Center presents the Getty's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. The Getty gardens were beautiful….am sure my mom would totally enjoy it. Amongst the museum exhibits, I really enjoyed the manuscript of the Book of Hours. It was a haven for enthusiasts of photography…like moi! :)
Friday, January 06, 2006
Day 5: California Love...
27th December, Tuesday
Highway to Heaven
Sunny new day in California. We were refreshed after getting some rest the previous night. Drove down the Pacific Coastal Highway to Santa Barbara. Memories came flooding back from my first trip on the PCH with Maddy Pai. I *LOVE* this highway cos it’s got cliffs on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Malibu is another beautiful “town” along this highway. Pepperdine University is located on the intersection of the Malibu Canyon Rd and PCH…with sweeping views of the ocean and the coastline. How those kids get any work done is beyond me. I would love to sign up for some courses there though! Ha!
Highway to Heaven
Sunny new day in California. We were refreshed after getting some rest the previous night. Drove down the Pacific Coastal Highway to Santa Barbara. Memories came flooding back from my first trip on the PCH with Maddy Pai. I *LOVE* this highway cos it’s got cliffs on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Malibu is another beautiful “town” along this highway. Pepperdine University is located on the intersection of the Malibu Canyon Rd and PCH…with sweeping views of the ocean and the coastline. How those kids get any work done is beyond me. I would love to sign up for some courses there though! Ha!
Picturesque beaches, old fashioned pier with quaint shops, a façade lined by tall palms with a backdrop of misty mountains….that was Santa Barbara. 
After spending a very exciting evening at the pier, we explored downtown Santa Barbara. A really cool way to get around here was to use tricycles and golf carts, which were available for rent. Since we are of the ‘walk when you can’ philosophy, that’s exactly what we did. Ate at an Indian restaurant, grabbed some coffee, shopped a little…basically had a good time. Watched ‘My Wife’s Murder’ when we got back home and tucked in to the warmth of our beds.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Where did the sun go?
So I spent the night crossing over to the mid-west...yes yes...in Chicago now. From 70 to 30 degrees in 3.75 hrs. From a sunny LaLaLand morning yesterday...to a snowy Chi-town morning today.....it boggles the mind!
Got some awesomely amazing (??) news yesterday which made me believe again :D
But....USC lost yesterday.... :( Pasadena was buzzing when I went by before the Rose Bowl began....now it's probably gloomy. I saw a ton of dejected USC fans at the airport last night...it wasnt pretty.
On another note...a friend of mine is now a crazy U2 fan...and I'm so very happy about that... :)
Song of the day: "We want prenup!!" Go figure.
More vacation blogging to continue...
-Amrita
Got some awesomely amazing (??) news yesterday which made me believe again :D
But....USC lost yesterday.... :( Pasadena was buzzing when I went by before the Rose Bowl began....now it's probably gloomy. I saw a ton of dejected USC fans at the airport last night...it wasnt pretty.
On another note...a friend of mine is now a crazy U2 fan...and I'm so very happy about that... :)
Song of the day: "We want prenup!!" Go figure.
More vacation blogging to continue...
-Amrita
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Day 4: Choooo Choooo
December 26th, Monday
California Love
Another glorious California day…dum dum ta dum! You know life is good…and all you want to do is sing and dance…and run in the cold breeze till the feeling of freedom is bursting out of your skin….
All Aboard! The Rads Train….
So Radish (or Rads, or Radhika) is a big train/plane freak. Her trademark dialogue… “Ey…TRAIN!!” ….and this is EVERYtime she sees a train. The dialogue goes all screechy and ultrasonic when the said train has a steam engine. Don’t ask…I hang out with weirdos…but I love them :).
Well this particular day, we went to Griffith Park just to look around and scope out some hikes to do over the weekend. The whole ‘park’ had been wired with Christmas lights…so it was very pretty even in the day. The park is ginormous with golf courses, courts, camp grounds etc. And then out of nowhere, we saw the Travel Town Museum….showcasing….you guessed it…Trains. And of course Rads went all screechy cos she saw steam engines…lol! And the icing on the cake…was a tiny train ride around the park. This was super exciting even for the rest of us. So we of course went for it and I think the four of us combined were the noisiest and giggliest of all people on the train. The kids were queiet…and am not sure if that was cos of us..ha!
Then came time to say goodbye to Rads….and we headed back home to lounge away our exhaustion from the weekend. Saw Parineeta….good movie! Saif Ali Khan rocks!
California Love
Another glorious California day…dum dum ta dum! You know life is good…and all you want to do is sing and dance…and run in the cold breeze till the feeling of freedom is bursting out of your skin….
All Aboard! The Rads Train….
So Radish (or Rads, or Radhika) is a big train/plane freak. Her trademark dialogue… “Ey…TRAIN!!” ….and this is EVERYtime she sees a train. The dialogue goes all screechy and ultrasonic when the said train has a steam engine. Don’t ask…I hang out with weirdos…but I love them :).
Well this particular day, we went to Griffith Park just to look around and scope out some hikes to do over the weekend. The whole ‘park’ had been wired with Christmas lights…so it was very pretty even in the day. The park is ginormous with golf courses, courts, camp grounds etc. And then out of nowhere, we saw the Travel Town Museum….showcasing….you guessed it…Trains. And of course Rads went all screechy cos she saw steam engines…lol! And the icing on the cake…was a tiny train ride around the park. This was super exciting even for the rest of us. So we of course went for it and I think the four of us combined were the noisiest and giggliest of all people on the train. The kids were queiet…and am not sure if that was cos of us..ha!
Then came time to say goodbye to Rads….and we headed back home to lounge away our exhaustion from the weekend. Saw Parineeta….good movie! Saif Ali Khan rocks!
Day 3: The Ocean and Me
December 25th, Sunday
Merry Christmas :-)
“Misty mountain hop”
Sunday morning dawned misty and beautiful. We decided to spend the day in Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades. Ah joy! As I set eyes on the beautiful Pacific Ocean again…. it was rising to welcome me back…. pure bliss. Do I sound narcissistic? (That’s a tough word to spell btw). Just kidding…was just trying to express the joy of being reunited with the ocean. I just love the way the blue waters melt into the horizon. I couldn’t wait to soak my feet in the cool water. But first, we went to visit Lake Shrine (Self Realization Fellowship) and attended Christmas service there. Lake Shrine is one of my favorite places in USA. Not only is it beautiful and picturesque…but there is an overwhelming sense of peace when you step foot on the grounds or the lake. We spent some time on the lake and visiting the Gandhi samadhi. One of the couple of places in the world to actually house his ashes.
More friends…
Next stop: LAX International to pick up Rags. He was making a day’s stopover in LA on his way to India. So we welcomed him with some leftover black forest cake and banana chips which he happily devoured. Ha!
Santa Monica! Santa Monica!
We headed to Santa Monica pier…took in the sights and sounds, parked our car, and set out to search for food, which turned out to be a hard task as everything was closed for Christmas. Our savior was (surprise, surprise)…an Indian restaurant. Here, the waiter kept asking weird questions out of the blue like: “How many bottles of wine?”… duh! But the food was good and well needed. Then it was time for the beach!! Yay!! :-) We played around and had fun in the freezing water….but it just felt soooo gooood to be back in the Pacific waters! Ahhhhh!! We roamed around the pier a little more…ate Churros! I love those!
As the sun set, we walked over to the 3rd st promenade in search of some entertainment of the artsy kind. The Santa Monica promenade is usually abuzz with street performers and shoppers…so it’s always nice and festive. This time around there was even Christmas decoration to add to the festivities. We ran into a guitarist specializing in gypsy music…so you can imagine just how happy I was!! Gypsy music!! Awesome. His name was Estas and he was really really really good. (And did I mention…very cute? ;-) he he) We enjoyed his performance a lot…a very interesting note…he used Indian agarbattis around his ‘stage’. When I asked him about that he said he loved the fragrance. I thought he was doing some ritual ….heh!
“All I wanna do is have some fun…”
Just when you thought the day was over…we thought of more stuff to do. Ha! Cruised down Santa Monica Boulevard…and headed to the very posh Beverly Hills and Bell Air areas. After ogling at some of the mansions and gasping at the spectacle of Rodeo Drive…we headed back to LAX to drop off Rags. (Bye!)
Some more people …and some sleep....
This was probably the most packed day of the vacation…and we had an absolute BLAST! Also went over to Hollywood to meet up with Sumit who now works with Yahoo. It was good to see him again. Then homeward bound to some well deserved sleep. Tooodlooo! :-)
Merry Christmas :-)
“Misty mountain hop”
Sunday morning dawned misty and beautiful. We decided to spend the day in Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades. Ah joy! As I set eyes on the beautiful Pacific Ocean again…. it was rising to welcome me back…. pure bliss. Do I sound narcissistic? (That’s a tough word to spell btw). Just kidding…was just trying to express the joy of being reunited with the ocean. I just love the way the blue waters melt into the horizon. I couldn’t wait to soak my feet in the cool water. But first, we went to visit Lake Shrine (Self Realization Fellowship) and attended Christmas service there. Lake Shrine is one of my favorite places in USA. Not only is it beautiful and picturesque…but there is an overwhelming sense of peace when you step foot on the grounds or the lake. We spent some time on the lake and visiting the Gandhi samadhi. One of the couple of places in the world to actually house his ashes.
More friends…
Next stop: LAX International to pick up Rags. He was making a day’s stopover in LA on his way to India. So we welcomed him with some leftover black forest cake and banana chips which he happily devoured. Ha!
Santa Monica! Santa Monica!
We headed to Santa Monica pier…took in the sights and sounds, parked our car, and set out to search for food, which turned out to be a hard task as everything was closed for Christmas. Our savior was (surprise, surprise)…an Indian restaurant. Here, the waiter kept asking weird questions out of the blue like: “How many bottles of wine?”… duh! But the food was good and well needed. Then it was time for the beach!! Yay!! :-) We played around and had fun in the freezing water….but it just felt soooo gooood to be back in the Pacific waters! Ahhhhh!! We roamed around the pier a little more…ate Churros! I love those!
As the sun set, we walked over to the 3rd st promenade in search of some entertainment of the artsy kind. The Santa Monica promenade is usually abuzz with street performers and shoppers…so it’s always nice and festive. This time around there was even Christmas decoration to add to the festivities. We ran into a guitarist specializing in gypsy music…so you can imagine just how happy I was!! Gypsy music!! Awesome. His name was Estas and he was really really really good. (And did I mention…very cute? ;-) he he) We enjoyed his performance a lot…a very interesting note…he used Indian agarbattis around his ‘stage’. When I asked him about that he said he loved the fragrance. I thought he was doing some ritual ….heh!
“All I wanna do is have some fun…”
Just when you thought the day was over…we thought of more stuff to do. Ha! Cruised down Santa Monica Boulevard…and headed to the very posh Beverly Hills and Bell Air areas. After ogling at some of the mansions and gasping at the spectacle of Rodeo Drive…we headed back to LAX to drop off Rags. (Bye!)
Some more people …and some sleep....
This was probably the most packed day of the vacation…and we had an absolute BLAST! Also went over to Hollywood to meet up with Sumit who now works with Yahoo. It was good to see him again. Then homeward bound to some well deserved sleep. Tooodlooo! :-)
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