Dipali tagged me for this and it's long overdue but I am doing it anyway. Anyway, you ask? Yes, anyway, despite the fact that these days I am feeling as happy as....well a monkey's fart? A monkey's fart, you ask, really Jawahara? To which I say, yes, can you think of anything grosser. Well, maybe a monkey's fart if your nose were taped to its butt and it was eating trash all day. See!
So despite my taped nose and the aforementioned monkey's fart I am rumagging through my memories to bring out (not "up", see?) the things that make me happy (in no paricular order):
Memories of myself at 22: When I was young and strong and tromping around in the Himalayas for months, with a backpack, a couple of books and not much else. The world seemed mine for the taking when I looked down at it from above the clouds.
He who must not be named: Not *that* one, but someone else who doesn't want to be named online and without whom I am (sappiness alert!) if not incomplete, pretty darned close.
My nieces: They are so different from each other but amazing young women who've overcome so much already. And they make me tea :-)
My nephew(s): One who used to be bratty but is now becoming a rather interesting young man ;-) and another who's the cutest.
My dog: Especially when she's silly, even when she's being a brat but mostly because she teaches me how to live in the moment and that everyone is a potential pal. She is as extroverted as I am an introvert. And I think she loves me....especially when I am handing her a bone or picking up her blue poop bag before we head out for a long walk. Hey, she's no dummy.
Walks: Especially on clear days when Mont Blanc seems touchably close, it's not cold but the wind from the Alps just barely chills my nose and cheeks, and I can't believe I am walking in Switzerland.
Reading: I read 'em all even those that others would consider trash. I always have a book with me just in case I am stuck somewhere with nothing to read. The horror! But I also read newspapers, magazines, trash, the shampoo bottles in your bathroom and other random toiletries.
Writing: It's truly orgasmic when letters form words and those words fit together so perfectly that they shine and you know that nothing needs to be changed. There is no other feeling like that.
Clean face: You know that cool, clean, pore-tingling feeling after a facial when your skin is so smooth you can't imagine that it ever breaks out adn when you vow you will keep it like that forever? Yes, that feeling.
Massage: I like all kinds but I had a hot-stone massage in Banff once that was the best. Mmmmmmm.
Food: Yes, okay, so I love food. Good, fancy food and trashy tastes-so-good-but-is-gonna-kick -your butt-tomorrow-food.
Friends: I've never been the kind of person who had large groups of friends. I have few friends because it takes time to nurture a true friendship, to work past the niceties, smooth out the differences and learn to love each other no matter what.
Conversations: Not all conversations but sometimes it seems the time, the people, the setting, everything comes together to create a meandering, lazy conversation, unbound by time, almost organic in the way it grows. These are few and far between which is why they are precious.
Afternoons: Those quiet afternoons when the sun seems static in the sky and suddenly time seems to stand still and i look outside to the unmoving grass and trees and realize that just for an instant everything is as it should be.
Random little things that require no explanation: a good cup of chai wiht some pakoras, a well-fitting bra, the little boy who waved at me at a stop light and smiled widely when I smiled at him, lazing around, that clean feeling after a long shower, long drives....and taaaa daaaaaa....a bitter-sweet shout out to CALIFORNIA, because I am always dreamin' about it.
So there's my list.
I would like to tag Aliens, Christine, Sher, and Melissa.
As always tags are not compulsory (like if they were there was any way to enforce that) so do them only if you like. Just remember to come back on here and let me know you've done it.
If anyone else wants to do it, please do so and let me know.
Showing posts with label Tag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tag. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Five Pointed Tag
Dipali tagged me for this one.
Them are the rules:
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5key words given (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like). Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better. Now don’t forget to read the archived posts and leave comments.
Family: I don't write about my family much so this one was hard to find. Even then, it's really not about my mother or my relationship with her but more a riff about a fake knee.
Friend: Everyone needs that one friend. No matter how different we really are, how divergent our lives, the physical distances between us, we can talk and cry and bitch and be evil and know that we are forgiven. We reminisce and recapture our youth when one of us says, "remember when." I have not named her here but she knows who she is.
Me: I am cheating with this one because I am not linking to just one post but pointing you towards what I wrote in December 2006. For some reason that month captured different facets of me. From the overriding satisfaction of my book being published to a new haircut...with some ruminations thrown in. The end of a year always makes me write more for some reason.
My Love: In keeping with my rule for not openly blogging about my family, which includes B, there weren't many posts to choose from. But I did find this one...and even this is intertwined with thoughts about Indian independence since our anniversary is on August 15th (to match my birthday on Jan 26 :-)
Anything I like: I am actually missing Boston...or perhaps I am just missing the US, especially during these exciting elections. So, for some reason this strange post always make me smile and feel nostalgic for lost times.
So, that's it. Tag done. Yay!
The people I'd like to tag are: Bina, Soniah, Deepti, Temporal, and Amrita.
Them are the rules:
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5key words given (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like). Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better. Now don’t forget to read the archived posts and leave comments.
Family: I don't write about my family much so this one was hard to find. Even then, it's really not about my mother or my relationship with her but more a riff about a fake knee.
Friend: Everyone needs that one friend. No matter how different we really are, how divergent our lives, the physical distances between us, we can talk and cry and bitch and be evil and know that we are forgiven. We reminisce and recapture our youth when one of us says, "remember when." I have not named her here but she knows who she is.
Me: I am cheating with this one because I am not linking to just one post but pointing you towards what I wrote in December 2006. For some reason that month captured different facets of me. From the overriding satisfaction of my book being published to a new haircut...with some ruminations thrown in. The end of a year always makes me write more for some reason.
My Love: In keeping with my rule for not openly blogging about my family, which includes B, there weren't many posts to choose from. But I did find this one...and even this is intertwined with thoughts about Indian independence since our anniversary is on August 15th (to match my birthday on Jan 26 :-)
Anything I like: I am actually missing Boston...or perhaps I am just missing the US, especially during these exciting elections. So, for some reason this strange post always make me smile and feel nostalgic for lost times.
So, that's it. Tag done. Yay!
The people I'd like to tag are: Bina, Soniah, Deepti, Temporal, and Amrita.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Dipali's Tag
For the longest time I couldn't say the F word at all. Me? Jawahara? When did this happen to me. When did I turn 40? Omg, I am practically an aunty in India. Screw the practically. I am an aunty. There must be a mistake....my parents calculated wrong. This cannot be happening to me. I coasted through my 30's, feeling young and (not so) hip, and now this?
But hey, I'm alive...and healthy...and 40 is the new 30 or so I'm told. And if you've heard otherwise keep that to yourself, ok? Then I got Dipali's tag and that little bit of vanity stung again. Should I? Should I say out loud on my blog....I AM 40. There! It's not like people didn't know or couldn't guess...but saying it out takes something. So, here's looking 10 years into the future. Even though I've numbered the two lists, they are not in any order, just the order in which they came into my mind.
Ten things I hope to achieve by the time I'm fify
1. Hone my writing to be more complex, creatvive, and thought-provoking
2. To live in and work own an orchard (olives, avocados) in the Santa Ana Valley in California...and never move again.
3. Actually believe that age is just a number....instead of just saying it
4. Be a good mother
5. Be better organized. I want one of those catalog homes where everything is in its proper place and looks really neat and clean.
6. To let go of some my fears and just...let go.
7. To read Ulysses (and understand it), finish War and Peace, and read and or re-read all the classics.
8. To publish many more books.
9. To look at my husband and still see the twenty-five year old I fell in love with....even when he drives me crazy.
10. To look around my life and say, "I think I have all I want at this moment in my life."
Ten things that I miss having in my life now, in no particular order:
1. A fixed home, with deep roots.
2. Friends I've lost in touch with.
3. The ability to hike for hours and days and not feel like I'm half-dead
4. My spirit of adventure (I have the spirit, but haven't that many adventures lately)
5. My 20's (they were so wasted on me when I was in my 20's)
6. Not being jaded....I fear I am becoming jaded...the more I have, the more places I go to and experience, the more nothing impresses me that much any more. I want to recapture that "wow" feeling. :-(
7. The disappearing India of the 70's and 80's. It was static, stagnant, and backward (at least in Allahabad) but there was something charmingly steady and constant about it.
8. The pole candy maker: he would take the sweet, flexible candy (can't think of an equivalent) and make it into any shape you wanted. I think I used to get him to make watches a lot. I would wear it and then eat it. Don't think it was too hygienic, but oh well.
9. Green mangoes, stolen from a tree, eaten with salt and red chillie powder.
10. Days spent doing nothing...getting bored...and getting ideas that never seem to come to these days when I have TV, the Internet, and all these books.
There...that's it. I'd like to tag Bina, Sujatha, Deepti, and Amrita. You should do this for the next decade you will complete....not necessarily 50, like me. Ah...me creakin' bones!
And, if anyone else wants to take this on, go for it. It's kind of therapeutic....yeah, really.
But hey, I'm alive...and healthy...and 40 is the new 30 or so I'm told. And if you've heard otherwise keep that to yourself, ok? Then I got Dipali's tag and that little bit of vanity stung again. Should I? Should I say out loud on my blog....I AM 40. There! It's not like people didn't know or couldn't guess...but saying it out takes something. So, here's looking 10 years into the future. Even though I've numbered the two lists, they are not in any order, just the order in which they came into my mind.
Ten things I hope to achieve by the time I'm fify
1. Hone my writing to be more complex, creatvive, and thought-provoking
2. To live in and work own an orchard (olives, avocados) in the Santa Ana Valley in California...and never move again.
3. Actually believe that age is just a number....instead of just saying it
4. Be a good mother
5. Be better organized. I want one of those catalog homes where everything is in its proper place and looks really neat and clean.
6. To let go of some my fears and just...let go.
7. To read Ulysses (and understand it), finish War and Peace, and read and or re-read all the classics.
8. To publish many more books.
9. To look at my husband and still see the twenty-five year old I fell in love with....even when he drives me crazy.
10. To look around my life and say, "I think I have all I want at this moment in my life."
Ten things that I miss having in my life now, in no particular order:
1. A fixed home, with deep roots.
2. Friends I've lost in touch with.
3. The ability to hike for hours and days and not feel like I'm half-dead
4. My spirit of adventure (I have the spirit, but haven't that many adventures lately)
5. My 20's (they were so wasted on me when I was in my 20's)
6. Not being jaded....I fear I am becoming jaded...the more I have, the more places I go to and experience, the more nothing impresses me that much any more. I want to recapture that "wow" feeling. :-(
7. The disappearing India of the 70's and 80's. It was static, stagnant, and backward (at least in Allahabad) but there was something charmingly steady and constant about it.
8. The pole candy maker: he would take the sweet, flexible candy (can't think of an equivalent) and make it into any shape you wanted. I think I used to get him to make watches a lot. I would wear it and then eat it. Don't think it was too hygienic, but oh well.
9. Green mangoes, stolen from a tree, eaten with salt and red chillie powder.
10. Days spent doing nothing...getting bored...and getting ideas that never seem to come to these days when I have TV, the Internet, and all these books.
There...that's it. I'd like to tag Bina, Sujatha, Deepti, and Amrita. You should do this for the next decade you will complete....not necessarily 50, like me. Ah...me creakin' bones!
And, if anyone else wants to take this on, go for it. It's kind of therapeutic....yeah, really.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Middle name tag
Since no-one tagged me for this one (*sobs* why doesn't anyone like me? *sniff*) I decided I would follow it from Dipali's blog, and tag myself (how pathetic does that sound?)
I actually have a middle name though I rarely use. It's Khadija. So I guess now I have to parse it by each letter.
K: Keel, as in even-keeled. So many people consider me to be this way that I thought I'd embrace though I hate...hate...hate this. Makes me feel very sati-savitri type.
H: Hag. That's what I feel like as time marches on, right across my face, and hair and body. Ghhhhhhhhh!
A: Adamant....because it sounds so much better than stubborn, which I am. See, I accepted it...which could also be used here.
D: Dark. As in dark thoughts, dark dreams, dark writing. Dark clouds. I can't get away from it.
I: Individualistic. I know that we're supposed to work together and be all into consensus and community, but even as I nod along sometimes, I just want to fuck it all and just march away into the sunset...to the beat of my own cadre of maladjusted drummers.
J: Jewel, that's what Jawahara means...and also I like 'em. They're sooo shiny.
A: Abandonment. That's what I fear. Through death or other means. Because I suppose as I grow older, loneliness is the big bugaboo....the monster under my bed.
So, if someone wants to take this on, please do. Otherwise, don't! Simple! Cheers all.
I actually have a middle name though I rarely use. It's Khadija. So I guess now I have to parse it by each letter.
K: Keel, as in even-keeled. So many people consider me to be this way that I thought I'd embrace though I hate...hate...hate this. Makes me feel very sati-savitri type.
H: Hag. That's what I feel like as time marches on, right across my face, and hair and body. Ghhhhhhhhh!
A: Adamant....because it sounds so much better than stubborn, which I am. See, I accepted it...which could also be used here.
D: Dark. As in dark thoughts, dark dreams, dark writing. Dark clouds. I can't get away from it.
I: Individualistic. I know that we're supposed to work together and be all into consensus and community, but even as I nod along sometimes, I just want to fuck it all and just march away into the sunset...to the beat of my own cadre of maladjusted drummers.
J: Jewel, that's what Jawahara means...and also I like 'em. They're sooo shiny.
A: Abandonment. That's what I fear. Through death or other means. Because I suppose as I grow older, loneliness is the big bugaboo....the monster under my bed.
So, if someone wants to take this on, please do. Otherwise, don't! Simple! Cheers all.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Overdue tag
Amrita tagged me...and though I am not feeling quite so bushy-tailed these days I thought I'd take a crack at it. Here goes: 22 things guys always wanted to know about women, and my responses.
1. How do you feel after a one night stand?
Feelings are over-rated
2. Do you ever get used to wearing a thong?
I don't know but the next I'll ask the 80-year old guy at the pool. I especially like the white hair peeking out...ummm...was that too much information? *shudders*
3. Does it hurt?
What do you think?
4. Do you know when you are acting crazy?
Who the fuck are you calling crazy? Huh? Huh? Tell me. Tell me now.
5. Does size really matter?
Depends on the size.
6. When the bill comes are you still a feminist?
Depends on how much the bill is.
7. Why do you take so long to get ready?
You think this fierceness deserves anything else? Puh-lease!
8. Do you watch porn, too?
What do you mean too, you pervert?
9. Will something from Tiffany’s solve everything?
Yep, as long as it's not that sorry-assed keychain again.
10. Are guys as big of a mystery to you as you are to us?
*laughs hysterically*
11. Why do you sometimes think you look fat?
Because I read way too many trashy glossies. Damn! Where's the skinny mirror?
12. Why are you always late? (oh yeah, see question six!)
Maybe I'm not late...maybe you're early. Ever think about that smart guy?
13. Does it bother you when we scratch?
Depends on who you're scratching...or what?
14. Do you wish you could pee standing up?
You mean I shouldn't be standing up to pee? Damn!
15. Why do so many women cut their hair short as soon as they get married?
Mourning.
16. How often do you think about sex?
Ummm....what? I have a headache.
17. What do you think of women who sleep with guys on the first date?
Pretty much what I think of men who sleep with guys on the first date.
18. Would you?
Are you asking?
19. Do you realize every guy wants a girl just like his mom?
Sadly, yes, mainly because they have bad taste.
20. Why does every woman think she can change him?
Because we have better taste.
21. Does it matter what car I drive?
Sure, that way I can measure things that need to be measured.
22. Do you ever fart?
Silence is golden...and deadly.
I am not gonna tag anyone for this one, but if it looks interesting, go for it and do let me know if you take it up.
Cheers all!
1. How do you feel after a one night stand?
Feelings are over-rated
2. Do you ever get used to wearing a thong?
I don't know but the next I'll ask the 80-year old guy at the pool. I especially like the white hair peeking out...ummm...was that too much information? *shudders*
3. Does it hurt?
What do you think?
4. Do you know when you are acting crazy?
Who the fuck are you calling crazy? Huh? Huh? Tell me. Tell me now.
5. Does size really matter?
Depends on the size.
6. When the bill comes are you still a feminist?
Depends on how much the bill is.
7. Why do you take so long to get ready?
You think this fierceness deserves anything else? Puh-lease!
8. Do you watch porn, too?
What do you mean too, you pervert?
9. Will something from Tiffany’s solve everything?
Yep, as long as it's not that sorry-assed keychain again.
10. Are guys as big of a mystery to you as you are to us?
*laughs hysterically*
11. Why do you sometimes think you look fat?
Because I read way too many trashy glossies. Damn! Where's the skinny mirror?
12. Why are you always late? (oh yeah, see question six!)
Maybe I'm not late...maybe you're early. Ever think about that smart guy?
13. Does it bother you when we scratch?
Depends on who you're scratching...or what?
14. Do you wish you could pee standing up?
You mean I shouldn't be standing up to pee? Damn!
15. Why do so many women cut their hair short as soon as they get married?
Mourning.
16. How often do you think about sex?
Ummm....what? I have a headache.
17. What do you think of women who sleep with guys on the first date?
Pretty much what I think of men who sleep with guys on the first date.
18. Would you?
Are you asking?
19. Do you realize every guy wants a girl just like his mom?
Sadly, yes, mainly because they have bad taste.
20. Why does every woman think she can change him?
Because we have better taste.
21. Does it matter what car I drive?
Sure, that way I can measure things that need to be measured.
22. Do you ever fart?
Silence is golden...and deadly.
I am not gonna tag anyone for this one, but if it looks interesting, go for it and do let me know if you take it up.
Cheers all!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Books by Indian Authors: A Tag
I was tagged by Geets at auroragirl.blogspot.com about books by Indian authors. So, here goes. The ones in bold are those I haven't read but am dying to:
1. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (interesting, well-wrriten and oddly familar of young grandchild living with grandparent, until I rememberd no.2 on my list)...
2. Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai (a granddaughter comes to live with her aloof grandmother and of course, Anita is Kiran's mom). Interesting.
3. Spy Princess by Shrabani Basu (a compelling biography of the fascinating Noor Inayat Khan, an spy for the British during World War II, of Indian descent and a supporter of Indian independence, tortured and executed by the Nazis at 30).
4. By the River Pampa I Stood by Geeta Abraham Jose (now that I am all settled in Geneva, I can order it. Can't wait to read it)
5.Planet India: How the Fastest Growing Democraxy is Transforming America and the World by Mira Kamdar (saw it at Barnes and Noble when I was in Boston last week but will order it from Amazon I think)
6. The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese (a poignant and very real story of an unusual friendship between and Indian doctor and an American medical student. From the same doctor/writer who wrote My Own Country: A Doctor's Story)
7.The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (well, he's not Indian, he's Pakistani but I snuck him in here since I've heard good things about it. I have it and have just started reading it).
8. Blessings and Other Stories by Bina Shah (I've known Bina from chowk for years and have her novel The 786 Cyber Cafe. Hope I can get this one soon)
9. Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam (one of my favorite books in the past few years. Beautifully written. Slow in parts but a wonderful, slowly unfolding story).
10. The Tree Bride by Bharathi Mukherji (I know she's supposed to be great so I keep buying her books hoping to be wowed. Like her other books I find this one predictable, pretentious and forgettable)
11. Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi (A bit predictable but still a decent read. Reccomended beach reading)
12. Beyond the Courtyard: A Sequel to Unveiling India by Anees Jung (A long-awaited sequel to Unveiling India. I couldn't put this down. It's non-fiction but reads like a story of the soul of India. Plus she came to my book launch and bought my book and she was very, very cool :-)
13. Riot by Shashi Tharoor (Ummm...I really like him but this book screamed mid-life crisis. I wish I could forget I had read this).
14. My Story by Kamala Das (Interesting book)
15. Salaam Paris by Kavita Daswani (If you're going to write a book about a super-model from a conservative Muslim family, do your research. I kept throwing this one against the wall in frustration. Desi chicklit...Ugggh)
16. The Sari Shop by Rupa Bajwa (This is the book (author) that made all those who've been slogging away for years jealous. Have to read it soon.)
17. Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali (Though I figured out the twist, this was a very well-written and well developed book. Highly recommended)
18. Brick Lane by Monica Ali (ok, she's Bangladesi, sue me! An important novel when it came out. It was well crafted and well written but did not live up to the hype.
19. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh (just finished reading it. I am usually not a fan of his fiction but this one made me tear up and think. Good read)
20.The Red Carpet by Lavanya Shankaran (Been meaning to read this for a while).
21. Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai (I really liked this one)
22. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar (a very interesting concept, but the maid's voice in the novel did not ring true at still. Even then a decent read)
23. The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri (A very good read)
24. The Age of Shiva by Manil Suru (need to read it when it comes out in 2008)
25. The Blue Bedspread by Raj Kamal Jha (a little gem)
26.The Last Bungalow: Writings on Allahabad edited by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra (It was released the same time as my book and I bought it at Wheeler's in Allahabad. The author was there and even signed it for me. Pure nostalgia and important Allahabad history of a time and place that's all but disappeared).
27. Can Your Hear the Nightbird Call? by Anita Rau Badami (can't wait to read it. I like her)
And...I'm done. I left off the usual suspects (Rushdie: I love him, Arundhati Roy: loved God of Small Things) to make space for some lesser-known books.
Binafshe, indiequill, Deepti Lamba, and Sujatha Bagal...consider yourself tagged. Go!
1. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (interesting, well-wrriten and oddly familar of young grandchild living with grandparent, until I rememberd no.2 on my list)...
2. Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai (a granddaughter comes to live with her aloof grandmother and of course, Anita is Kiran's mom). Interesting.
3. Spy Princess by Shrabani Basu (a compelling biography of the fascinating Noor Inayat Khan, an spy for the British during World War II, of Indian descent and a supporter of Indian independence, tortured and executed by the Nazis at 30).
4. By the River Pampa I Stood by Geeta Abraham Jose (now that I am all settled in Geneva, I can order it. Can't wait to read it)
5.Planet India: How the Fastest Growing Democraxy is Transforming America and the World by Mira Kamdar (saw it at Barnes and Noble when I was in Boston last week but will order it from Amazon I think)
6. The Tennis Partner by Abraham Verghese (a poignant and very real story of an unusual friendship between and Indian doctor and an American medical student. From the same doctor/writer who wrote My Own Country: A Doctor's Story)
7.The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (well, he's not Indian, he's Pakistani but I snuck him in here since I've heard good things about it. I have it and have just started reading it).
8. Blessings and Other Stories by Bina Shah (I've known Bina from chowk for years and have her novel The 786 Cyber Cafe. Hope I can get this one soon)
9. Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam (one of my favorite books in the past few years. Beautifully written. Slow in parts but a wonderful, slowly unfolding story).
10. The Tree Bride by Bharathi Mukherji (I know she's supposed to be great so I keep buying her books hoping to be wowed. Like her other books I find this one predictable, pretentious and forgettable)
11. Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi (A bit predictable but still a decent read. Reccomended beach reading)
12. Beyond the Courtyard: A Sequel to Unveiling India by Anees Jung (A long-awaited sequel to Unveiling India. I couldn't put this down. It's non-fiction but reads like a story of the soul of India. Plus she came to my book launch and bought my book and she was very, very cool :-)
13. Riot by Shashi Tharoor (Ummm...I really like him but this book screamed mid-life crisis. I wish I could forget I had read this).
14. My Story by Kamala Das (Interesting book)
15. Salaam Paris by Kavita Daswani (If you're going to write a book about a super-model from a conservative Muslim family, do your research. I kept throwing this one against the wall in frustration. Desi chicklit...Ugggh)
16. The Sari Shop by Rupa Bajwa (This is the book (author) that made all those who've been slogging away for years jealous. Have to read it soon.)
17. Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali (Though I figured out the twist, this was a very well-written and well developed book. Highly recommended)
18. Brick Lane by Monica Ali (ok, she's Bangladesi, sue me! An important novel when it came out. It was well crafted and well written but did not live up to the hype.
19. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh (just finished reading it. I am usually not a fan of his fiction but this one made me tear up and think. Good read)
20.The Red Carpet by Lavanya Shankaran (Been meaning to read this for a while).
21. Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai (I really liked this one)
22. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar (a very interesting concept, but the maid's voice in the novel did not ring true at still. Even then a decent read)
23. The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri (A very good read)
24. The Age of Shiva by Manil Suru (need to read it when it comes out in 2008)
25. The Blue Bedspread by Raj Kamal Jha (a little gem)
26.The Last Bungalow: Writings on Allahabad edited by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra (It was released the same time as my book and I bought it at Wheeler's in Allahabad. The author was there and even signed it for me. Pure nostalgia and important Allahabad history of a time and place that's all but disappeared).
27. Can Your Hear the Nightbird Call? by Anita Rau Badami (can't wait to read it. I like her)
And...I'm done. I left off the usual suspects (Rushdie: I love him, Arundhati Roy: loved God of Small Things) to make space for some lesser-known books.
Binafshe, indiequill, Deepti Lamba, and Sujatha Bagal...consider yourself tagged. Go!
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
I've been tagged
So...here goes *clears throat*
5 years ago: I had moved to California and bought the house of my dreams. I could see the mountains from my bedroom and loved my life. This was the time before death, job troubles and family issues became prominent features in my life. Do I sound enough like Eeyore? :-)
1 Year ago: I had recently moved to Boston. Hated it. Still sort of don't like it. My niece moved in. I started feeling what it must be like to be a parent. Scary cool. I felt sort of grown up.
5 songs I know all the words to: No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers, Color of the Sky by Ten Thousand Maniacs, Not the Man by Ten Thousand Maniacs, Yeh Daulat bhi Le Lo, Jagjit Singh, Ironic by Alannis Morrisette.
5 Snacks I enjoy: Chocolates, Walnuts, watermelon, popcorn, bhel puri.
5 Things I'd do w/ $100 million dollars: Start a foundation for girls' education in UP (India), start a well-funded dog and cat rescue, move back to SoCal, pay off all debts, help some memers of my family get on their feet.
5 places I would run away to: Egypt, Morocco, Spain, India, Nepal
5 things I would never wear: belly shirts, diamonds, hot pants, 6-inch heels, burqa
5 favorite tv shows: Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Seinfeld, What Not to Wear, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
5 greatest joys: Waking up on Saturday morning, the love of my life, my insane dog, sitting in my backyward, writing
5 favorite toys: Slinky, Magic Robot (had it as kid, not sure it's still around), Barbie, toy cars, Scrabble (so, it's a board game)
5 people I'm tagging: Bina Shah, Temporal, Anne (from Anne's Utterances), Estel, Saurav Sarkar
5 years ago: I had moved to California and bought the house of my dreams. I could see the mountains from my bedroom and loved my life. This was the time before death, job troubles and family issues became prominent features in my life. Do I sound enough like Eeyore? :-)
1 Year ago: I had recently moved to Boston. Hated it. Still sort of don't like it. My niece moved in. I started feeling what it must be like to be a parent. Scary cool. I felt sort of grown up.
5 songs I know all the words to: No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers, Color of the Sky by Ten Thousand Maniacs, Not the Man by Ten Thousand Maniacs, Yeh Daulat bhi Le Lo, Jagjit Singh, Ironic by Alannis Morrisette.
5 Snacks I enjoy: Chocolates, Walnuts, watermelon, popcorn, bhel puri.
5 Things I'd do w/ $100 million dollars: Start a foundation for girls' education in UP (India), start a well-funded dog and cat rescue, move back to SoCal, pay off all debts, help some memers of my family get on their feet.
5 places I would run away to: Egypt, Morocco, Spain, India, Nepal
5 things I would never wear: belly shirts, diamonds, hot pants, 6-inch heels, burqa
5 favorite tv shows: Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Seinfeld, What Not to Wear, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
5 greatest joys: Waking up on Saturday morning, the love of my life, my insane dog, sitting in my backyward, writing
5 favorite toys: Slinky, Magic Robot (had it as kid, not sure it's still around), Barbie, toy cars, Scrabble (so, it's a board game)
5 people I'm tagging: Bina Shah, Temporal, Anne (from Anne's Utterances), Estel, Saurav Sarkar
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