Nishi is an Indian American who works as a lawyer in New York City practicing personal injury and insurance defense litigation. She is also a writer and singer / songwriter who writes and performs her own music. Her greatest dream is to bring her songs to the world and move people with her music. Check out her music & videos at NishiMusic.com.
Nishi is passionate about foreign policy, international affairs and human rights and is the Founder & President of the Leading Light Foundation, a non-profit human rights organization and is the Chair of the Lawyers' Committee of ECPAT-USA, helping to end the trafficking and exploitation of children.
When she's not busy working, writing, pursuing music
and humanitarian efforts, you can find Nishi gazing up at the stars
or attending archaeological lectures (she's an astronomy and
archaeology buff) and when all else fails, she relaxes with
Japanese anime and manga. An avid shoujo animanga fan and web designer, she's designed many websites to her favorite series.
She also writes fantasy fiction & children's stories. This blog is part
of Nishi's personal web domain: A Dream I Dream . com.
Nishi's A Dream I Dream, Nishi's Pitas and all written content, personal images, html and layout ? Nishi Rajan 1998-2008. Reproduction in any form of content herein expressly prohibited without written & signed consent of Nishi Rajan.
This journal has existed since 2000 as a place for Nishi to share and catch up with friends. All readers are welcome; however, Nishi is not responsible for underage readers or those offended by opinions expressed herein.
Name: Nishi
Where: New York
Faith: Christian
Sign: Aquarius
CH-S: Fire Dragon
AIM: SelenityHime
ICQ: 21380169
MySpace: Nishi's MySpace
FaceBook: Nishi's Facebook
Email: be83398
The Story Thus Far . . .
In addition to working full-time as a lawyer and pursuing a career in music at the same time, Nishi is also a writer and working to publish several illustrated children's series as well as several other fiction and non-fiction projects. Join Nishi @ YahooGroups to be updated on these projects; to be updated on music join NishiMusic @ YahooGroups.
Jogging, Martial Arts Kickboxing, Dance - currently middle eastern dance & bellydance, Tennis, Singing (of course ;) and working on my songs, Reading & writing about all the things I am interested and passionate about, watching tv and movies, painting, drawing, astronomy, rollerblading (and trying to get better at it and ice skating!), obsessive anime and manga fan and professional web designing, ancient studies / ancient civilizations, history and archaeology, world mythology, politics and world affairs, international law, human rights, studying many languages (have studied and continue to study spanish, mandarin chinese, japanese and hindi).
Books / Stories
King Arthur and all things Arthurian, Merlin, light and dark; The Crystal Cave, The Dark is Rising series, most anything to do with magic, vampires, werewolves; anything fantasy and romance-like: EMMA, Jane Eyre, Phantom of the Opera, Count of Monte Cristo, The Cask of Amontillado; almost anything Shakespeare wrote; The Harry Potter series; my childhood stories - Sweet Valley High, Twins, Kids, Babysitters Club, Boxcar Children, Bobbsey Twins, RAMONA QUIMBY series; SHERLOCK HOLMES, NANCY DREW; all books dealing with things I love from art, mystery, religion, magic, mythical creatures such as "DA VINCI CODE" and "Interview with the Vampire"
Movies
Emma, Contact, Ever After, Farenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine, Legally Blonde 2, Princess Diaries, Sweet Home Alabama, Matrix: Reloaded, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Staw Wars: Episode II, TOMBRAIDER I & II
All-time TV Shows
Three's Company, The Nanny, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, FRIENDS, Relic Hunter, Buffy, Xena, Clarissa Explains it All, OUT OF THIS WORLD, Wings, Mad About You, Simpsons, Married with Children, Carol Burnette Show, Anamorphs, Punky Brewster, Smurfs, Rainbow Brite, and the list could go on forever ;)
Musicals
Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, WICKED
Favorite Drinks
In the summer: starbucks' iced caramel macchaito - decaf and nonfat; lychee, boba/bubble tea/pearl milk tea; thai iced tea; lipton lemon and raspberry iced tea
In the winter: hot chocolate and starbucks' white chocolate mocha non-fat
Fave Alcoholic Drinks
Margaritas, amaretto sours, singapore slings, rum & coke and white wine - pinot
Music to relax to:
The slow version of the sailormoon theme song, the theme for Phantom of the Opera, the theme by Mono from Great Expectations and theme from Romeo and Juliet....so many more.....I can't live w/o music.....
A Fan Of:
I'm more a Democrat so I'm a fan of Bill & Hillary Clinton, Madeline Albright, Margaret Thatcher, Lee Iaccoca
Movie Actresses
Drew Barrymore
Kirsten Dunst
Kate Hudson
Nicole Kidman
Demi Moore
Gwyneth Paltrow
Julia Roberts
Reese Witherspoon
Renee Zellweger
Movie Actors
George Clooney
Johnny Depp
Matthew Goode
Tom Hanks
Ashton Kutcher
Brad Pitt
Keanu Reeves
Adam Sandler
Robin Williams
Magazines etc.:
Vogue
Cosmopolitan
Shape
Glamour
Bazaar
Fitness
Allure
Elle
Marie Claire
Archaeology
Mysteries
Foreign Affairs Journals
The Economist
Discover
Astronomy
Sky & Telescope
National Geographic
New York Times
Commondreams.org
In Style
US Weekly
PEOPLE
Reminders:
Salons in NY to try:
Buff Spa at Bergdorf Goodman: 754 5th Ave $$$
Tiffany Nails: 903 Madison $$
Soho Sanctuary: 119 Mercer $$
Maximus Spa - Massage: 15 Mercer $$
Just Calm Down: 32 W. 22nd $$ - get grape gatsby with Essie Bordeaux polish
Ajune Spa: 1294 Third Ave $$
Frederic Fekkai: 15 E. 57th - Mandarin Supreme Pedicure $$
good god not again - I screwed up my computer once more on the eve of a brand new year. ya know how my computer got a virus? I spent this morning uploading some of my files that I absolutely needed and hoped to get an 8 or 16GB flash drive to save the rest of my files tonight - well I didn't get it and I foolishly loaded my computer up again using safe mode to check my email before bed....the keyboard wouldn't work and the screen froze and so, frustrated, I pressed the main power switch on the comp to re-boot it and SYSTEM32 corrupt error. God no. This is what screwed up my last harddrive. When I think about how much data and important stuff I had on that comp this is NOT NOT NOT FAIR. UGHHHHH. Now I *have* to go back to BestBuy and pay their ridiculous sum to see if they can back up the data and restore my comp. God this sucksssssssssssssss.
I'm going to see what I can do before I go to bed.
Tomorrow night, I am going with my friend Mona to see Liza Minelli at the palace! :) Can't wait to see her perform! Hopefully, it'll take my mind off my computer worries.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Merry Christmas :)
Thursday, December 25, 2008
10:00 p.m.
(Mekha, Nithi, me, mummy and papa - only Mili was missing because her train couldn't get to the city until 6:20)
My Christmas Gifts to my family this year went perfectly! It began with a fancy dinner at the Russian Tea Room on Tuesday night & it was simply wonderful :) The night before (Monday night) I had stayed up until 1:30 a.m. pouring through the menu and selecting the best items and how to order them by combining prix fixe and main-menu items so that we could order the best dishes at the most cost-effective basis and I worked it out beautifully! I made a gorgeous menu, printed it out, left it for the fam to find the next morning and during my lunch hour at work on Tuesday, went to 57th street and spoke with the manager of the Russian Tea Room and ensured that the items on my menu would be prepared beautifully - light on butter, oil, etc. because of papa and mummy's health concerns. I asked everything to be finished by 6:30, that the dishes be brought out together so we could all share - they did the most beautiful job!
Here was my menu I designed:
Appetizers:
Buckwheat Blini & Caviar Crepes (wild alaskan salmon caviar with chopped egg, red onion & sour cream)
Goat Cheese & Wild Mushroom Blinkchiki (chestnut crepes filled with mixed mushrooms, melted onions with a mulberry & pomegranate reduction - looks like folded ivory pancakes)
Red Borscht (soup of red short ribs broth with pickled red beets, vegetables, dill & beef pirozhki)
Pelmeni (a soup of oxtail dumplings in beef and foie gras with root vegetables & truffle essence)
Maine Lobster Salad (poached Maine lobster with mixed radishes, celery root, fennel & blood orange broth)
Entrees:
Market Fish - Daily seasonal preparation of a current market fish -- which was salmon
Chicken Tabaka (flattened mushrooms & truffle-oil marinated cornish hen with butternut squash & whip-creamed/egg-white-whipped kohlrabi & wild mushrooms)
Hot Plum Crumble sauteed plums, port reduction, spiced granola crumble, crystalized ginger icecream
Fall Citrus Tart - confit kumquats, blood orange & spiced pistachio
The Czar's Gold & Caviar Parfait was boring - but the Hot Plum Crumble was AMAZING :) We ordered Darjeeling Tea, St. Petersberg Tea, Prince Vldamir tea and the Lung Ching Green Tea - all of which came with trays of cookies (madelines and biscuits) with these beautiful cherry preserves the waiter told us went in the tea (a Russian tradition) - well I liked it better on top of the biscuit cookies actually - much tastier :)
After this delicious dinner - and honestly, everything was prepared exactly as I wished - light, healthy, clean, there was nothing creamy, buttery or unhealthy - simply perfect - we walked down the 10 blocks on Broadway to see WHITE CHRISTMAS! :) The seats I had gotten - Center Orchestra row S were PERFECT! And the musical was wonderful from start to finish - TONS of dancing, singing, the story was great (if you saw the movie starring Fred Astaire & Bing Crosby than you know what the musical is about) and it was updated for present-day NYC.
Mili wasn't in any of the pictures because she had come in from Long Island straight from work just to see the show (she absolutely LOVED it) and had to run back to Penn Station to catch her train. Incidentally, my beautiful sis passed the 3rd part of her CPA exam! She got a 91!! How amazing is she? :)
Anywayz, papa had parked at a parking garage on 56th Street and I navigated the way home on the West Side highway - the city was SO beautiful - we had so much fun walking down Broadway with all the city lights, flashing neon signs and the magic of Broadway in front of us - I held papa's hand for a couple blocks - was SUCH a cute father-daughter moment :) It was SUCH A COLD night too but my mom had on this beautiful coat I had gotten her few Christmas ago with a hood so she was good :) On the drive home, they told me that this was what was most important - the memories - all of us doing this together as a family :) I was so happy :) We didn't get home until 11/11:30 and the next morning went to work and on Wednesday night (Christmas Eve) we went to church - beautiful Christmas service - LONG night, didn't get home until again past 11 and WE OPENED PRESENTS!!!
It's a tradition in our family (most christmases) that we open up presents on Christmas Eve night right after church (but some times we have managed to wait until the next morning ;) hahaha) well - in addition to the dinner & show (which had cost me a fortune) I still wanted the girls and papa and mummy top open up something but because of the late nights, I hadn't gotten a chance to wrap their small gifts or make these special memory-keepsake presents I had also planned and designed.
That day (Christmas Eve) I had went to Duane Reade's photo center during lunch and designed these beautiful greeting cards, collage matte prints and bordered photos. And on Tuesday when I had gone with my instructions to the manager of the Russian Tea Room, I had picked up their beautiful cards, postcards, etc. My plan had been to design and create a beautiful frame-able or other keepsake that my family could keep around to remember our night together.
So after opening presents (I got a Borders Gift Card, 2 Visa Gift Cards, a necklace, JESSICA SIMPSON's FANCY perfume, a beautiful magenta sweater from Forever21, Victoria's Secret hand lotions, and money from mummy and papa), and making my family believe that I had nothing to give them except the dinner & the show (which was a LOT considering how I'm broke now from spending so much on it but convincing them, nonetheless that I had no little stocking stuffers even) I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. wrapping the small gifts I had bought them over the past couple weeks - I got Mekha TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD (to complete the Harry Potter collection) and the 2nd novel in the "FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB" which I loaned her to read and she loved it so when I saw the 2nd book came out, grabbed it for her, I got Mili got a gift card to H&M (one of our favorite stores), I got Nithi a Victoria's Secret lotion gift set in a pretty bag, Papa got the DEAL OR NO DEAL electronic game, and mummy got perfume I bought her.
This morning, I got up early and snuck downstairs and piled the presents on the formal living room's center table. It took me a long time to glue the cards and tape the photos - I put the tickets for the White Christmas show on the bottom so that the cards would stand up and inside, I placed the photos from the night. The greeying cards also contained matchbooks from Russian Tea Room on the back.
Mummy made putih and piarih for breakfast and after everyone had woken up and come down, I took them to the living room where they LOVED the cards and the keepsakes and the presents even more :) hahahahaah they were definitely completely surprised :)
After making some hot coffee and reading the paper, I went and helped mum with Christmas lunch - cut up, washed & made delicious healthy broccoli and helped her make curried tilapia cooked in olive oil and make pork and beef kebabs on these skewers Mil had bought over the summer. Mum had already put a turkey in the oven for dinner so that was set. We ate lunch together with papa's friend Mario's home-made Italian white wine. And I read poems at the table from this small book of Christmas poems - I read Come, Bring With a Noice by Robert Herrick and Minstrals by William Wordsworth.
Nith then made drinks - martinis for the girls and papa, mum enjoyed white wine, and I poured myself some cherry-flavored brandy and we all gathered in the living room to watch old home videos. We put in these VHS tapes from way back in the late 80's/early 90's...such a treat to see ourselves to young...vacations in India, riding bicycles in our old home in Carmel....celebrating birthdays...I got all teary-eyed at one point while one video showed us celebrating Mek and Mil's birthday and papa was making sure group photos were being taken with the automatic camera....
I appreciated and loved my family so much today...we have been through so much together.....despite how we get angry at each other some times, how annoyed we get, sometimes we can fight very badly - at the deep heart of it all is such a great, great love we have...we are family, no matter what - through thick and thin.
After the videos, papa and mummy watched their AsiaNet movies while the girls and I played PASSWORD, writing up words on pieces of papers, using my cake-shaped timer, and we had a blast.
Right now I am preparing for bed...it has been a wonderful Christmas and I have to work tomorrow - sadly, our company did not give us the day after Christmas off :( I wish they had - all the attorneys have to come in and work who didn't request the day off. Ah well. What to do.
One of the main "lessons" in the musical White Christmas comes to mind right now - it said that if you're having trouble sleeping, count your blessings instead of sheep, and you will fall asleep counting your blessinggggsssss.....my greatest blessing is my family.
This has been a HUGE long entry....I am off to bed. Hope your Christmas was beautiful. *HUGS* to all with special love to Sarah Beth, Azure Kaze, Caroline, Miyu-chan and Callie. God bless.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Christmas is almost here!! :)
Monday, December 22, 2008
10:00 p.m.
god I can't wait to fix my computer and have it back working in my bedroom again - it hasn't been that bad actually considering I can check email at work and on my dad's comp at night but it's the little things I miss - like being able to check 'weatherbug' in the morning to check the temperature and forecast, being able to sit in the early morning and write while I gaze at the geese and ducks on the lake outside my window...stupid viruses that infected my comp grrr . . .
Tomorrow after work I am taking my family out for Christmas! As my gift this year, I bought amazing Orchestra seats to an evening performance of Irving Berlin's Broadway Musical: WHITE CHRISTMAS! :D And before the show? I reserved us a table for dinner at the incomparable Russian Tea Room. Yes, I am very broke now from spending a lot on this but to see my parents and sisters with me in my beautiful NYC enjoying a fancy dinner and a broadway musical show at Christmas time - makes it all worth it. :) I'm wearing this super pretty silver dress and matching brocade dress I bought as a set from Victoria's Secret a year ago and super warm gray suede boots.
Today was unbelievably cold in NYC - 14 degrees and the wind made it even more bitter! UGH BY JOVE I hate this weather.
This weekend, Mek and Mil and I drove up to Connecticut to join our sister Nithi for her Christmas party - was SUCH a good time and I had waaayyyyy too much of Three Olives Triple Shot Espresso Vodka oh my GOD WAS THAT GOOD!!! I am soooo buying that and stocking my cabinet with it :D hahahaha :) Anything chocolate or mocha flavored - gimme :D Plus the drink matched my chocolate dress I wore with killer high heel brown soft-faux leather boots :)
Connecticut was fun - driving there and back in heavy snow and icy, slippery road conditions? Not so much. The # of accidents we saw on our drive up and back was ridiculous.
Here in NYC, the big news is Bernard Madoff and his Ponzi scheme which has affected almost everyone who had money to invest. He was at the federal courthouse over by Centre Street last week to sign over his apartment on the upper east side on Lexington (he also has homes in Palm Beach and in Hamptons). In other news, the Yankees are asking the city to use more than 1/2 of the $370-MILLION in bonds it's given them to finish the new stadium to pay for "enhancements" that weren't part of the original deal including a "banquet hall" and costly audio/visual equipment. Now, I'm a Yankees fan but come on!! Governor Patterson's just proposed RIDICULOUS taxes where we - the citizens - are getting royally screwed - and here our baseball team is taking hundreds of millions of dollars for a fancy stadium that many of us won't even be able to afford to go to!
Don't get me started on Gov. Patterson's taxes - I am, like everyone else in the city, steamed about them. He wants to cut $698-million in school aid (I'm an advocate for education) and then hike our taxes on everything from soda and movie tickets (which already cost $12!!) to clothing less than $110 by eliminating the current tax exemption - I mean COME ON! We weren't the one who put a $15-billion deficit upon the city! NYC is already an expensive place to live and work - the # of taxes he's proposing will make it down-right insufferable! And this combined with the rate and fare increased on public transit? Seriously! And yet, somehow we'll get by - we'll complain and grouse but us New Yorkers are a rare breed - we pull together in good and bad times and truck on through. I love this city, heart and soul.
Anywayz, I'm off to bed *HUGS* to all and will report tomorrow night with news of the show & dinner at Russian Tea Room and hopefully with lots of pictures :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
11:16 p.m.
oh my lord has this been like the longest day EVER. My folks came back from their 10-day vacation at our Florida home and wouldn't you know that it snowed tonight and Mek and I drove the SUV Benz in the crazy weather to JFK to pick them up at 9 tonight - we skidded a little pulling out of our driveway and a bit on the Hutchinson South but despite how slick and bad the roads were, we made it there & back safe and sound.
I actually really LOVED driving in the snow - yeah it's a lil scary and dangerous but God was it beautiful - everyone was traveling 30-40 mph and no rushing, everyone being courteous and cautious for once on these busy highways.
I rushed home from work tonight because I promised my folks I'd cook dinner for them - prepared a delicious main entree of sauteed tilapia, mixed vegetables and rice - came out sooooo good :) We just finished eating and I'm finally going to get some rest after not sleeping last night and waking up at 3:30 a.m. no less! Driving back from JFK was much better because the weather improved by that time and was mostly rain. They say it'll be partly sunny tomorrow ;) hahaha so weird to have battled through the thick snow tonight and tomorrow it'll be back to sunshine ;) ok off to bed. Good night all.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
06:33 a.m.
good morning :) I have been up since 3:30 a.m. today - woke up and could not fall back asleep - may have been because I had a cup of hot milk with some cocoa in it before I went to sleep last night - perhaps the caffeine in the cocoa woke me? Ah well. I got up at 5 a.m. and went and made breakfast - house was so quiet - toasted multi-grain bread with fresh avocado spread upon it and a cup of light soy milk - delicious but I think too heavy and complex a meal for 1st thing in the morning - should've just had toast with herbal tea.
Spent the early dawn hour reading all the Space-related news I could - been a while since I caught up on the world of astronomy discoveries and there were some great articles related to the new movie The Day The Earth Stood Still starring Keanu Reeves which just came out in theaters over the weekend. It's on my must-watch list along with Four Christmases :)
Wrote to my friend Yumi in Japan who lives in Nagoya - I love hearing about her life there and the cool thing is - we love all the same TV shows - she's a fan of Ugly Betty and loves Gossip Girl - she watches tons of American television there and sends me awesome MP3s of great Japanese artists and anime soundtracks :) I promised if she ever visits NYC I will house her and show her everywhere and it will be nice if and when I visit Japan to have a friend there like her :) Yumi and I became friends a year ago through JapanForum.com - if you're into Japanese anime and culture like I am, it's a fantastic forum to share your love of Ramen and Sushi, Japanese festivals, language, religion and traditions & meet other similar people (and the members are from all over the world so you'd make friends with Irish people, Polish, Italian, American, in addition to Japanese). I plan on sending Yumi-chan a DVD box set of the 1st Season of Gossip Girl because she has to wait months for it to come there.
Anyway, I am going to take a shower and get ready for work now - I have this yummy Almond Mocha body wash gel I think I'll use this morning to put me in a more "awake/morning" mood :) hahahah :) Think I'll stop by Starbucks and get a Mocha coffee too ;) Have a great day all!
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Biggest Full Moon of the Year Tonight
Friday, December 12, 2008
10:47 p.m.
If you haven't already, go outside and take a look at the moon tonight - it's the biggest full moon of 2008 - known as a "perigee Moon" because it occurs at the side of the Moon's elliptical orbit closest to Earth. Check out these gorgeous images of the moon taken back on December 1, 2008 - the 1st was taken by John Gay at the Rocky Mountians and Lake Dillon just after sunset on Dec. 1, 2008 near Dillon, Colorado and the 2nd over the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India taken by Rajanish Kakade. You can see a whole slide-show of such images over at this Yahoo! Nehws link :)
After work tonight, I headed over to my favorite spa and treated myself to a manicure and pedicure and body massage. I am still sick and I felt so run-down and needed some TLC - my cough wasso much worse tonight - I was coughing periodocially on the massage table and was all gargly-voiced when speaking with the owner of the spa and with my manicurist - when I caught a look at myself in their mirrors my eyes were swollen and face puffy - ugh, I wish this cold would just go away! But I'm glad I went - my nails look beautiful (clear polish, double coat on top of a base) and my back felt so much better after my masseuse Kevin's great massage. The Spa I go to's prices are great and they've known me for years so I get special treatment. I then took my coughing sick self home on the train, Mek picked me up and after a light dinner, shopped on OldNavy.com picking up 6 very cute new sweaters including this very pretty "marshmallow" sherpa zip-jacket that is going to be wonderful to wear when I go outside on cold morning or afternoon runs, their cable-knit pullover hoodie sweaters in heather gray & dark sea blue (perfect to where anywhere and everywhere), this gorgeous winter-design shawl cardigan, a Rugby blue and wite striped cable knit sweater (perfect to wear with my white pants - it looks super comfy and cozy) and this gorgeous cable-knit white zip hooded cargidan - I own a lot of white sweaters but none like this :) It was worth it to shop at ON now because they're giving a 20% off with free shipping so I got everything at awesome prices! :D Plus OldNavy.com carries my size (XS-Petite) and had the colors of the items I loved best :)
It's 11pm almost and I am going to head to sleep. I need a good LONG rest.
Jane aww I am very glad you liked the article I wrote in the entry below :) I hope you went to BravuraArtist.com and checked out my previous pieces? :) I see you're from NYC too but I don't believe I've seen you comment on my entries before - either way it's a pleasure to meet you :)
Azure Kaze oh my gosh you hit the jackpot! What a find! :) thanks for the link!! I can't wait to go and print all of them out!! :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
07:22 p.m.
Down the dark & destructive path . . . a phoenix rises
by Nishi Rajan
To be published in Nishi's Niche at Bravura Artist
Sometimes, you have to go down the completely wrong and self-destructive path, and do the completely wrong and unhealthy things, in order to learn and find your way back onto the right path. Like the phoenix - whose self-destruction causes her to re-emerge even more beautiful and wiser.
For much of your life, you live according to a plan - whether your own or your parents' or some other societal entity. This plan is ultimately for your own good. You realize this, which is why you go about following it.
But there comes a time when, for various reasons, you're unable to follow the plan. Deep-rooted problems surface, questions unanswered, dissatisfaction, physical, hormonal or mental ills. Whatever the case, it pushes you to leave the planned path and dabble in something you know is destructive.
Part of living is to know the dark side - to know the wrong, the bad, the ugly, to learn and understand it and to accept it, even embrace it. Our understanding and acceptance of the darkness within ourselves is what enables us to better understand others and to ultimately become better people. Without understanding, we are narrow-minded, fearful people.
The universe itself is composed of opposites: good and beautiful things, and dark, ghastly, ugly things; but all serve a purpose and all are rightful parts of existence. Like the universe, to live and be human, we cannot deny the dark parts of our conscience and we cannot abhor it either.
No one is completely good, and no one is completely bad; we all have shades of each which show itself depending on the circumstance and the environment we are in. Some people and situations can bring out the best in us, others - the worst.
But to understand this dichotomy, to accept it, you have to be willing to lose yourself to it. No one can live forever in light alone - you must venture into the dark in order to find yourself, in order to understand your fellow man, and the confusing and often unfair life and universe we live in. Indeed, this world, filled with contradictions, is emblematic of humans and life itself - we are the yin and the yang, the light and the dark.
When you become lost, when you become confused, do not deny the dark - embrace it, learn within it, and re-emerge for the better. But keep in mind that last very important point: that you shallre-emerge for the better. Hold onto that last thought - for while it is good to embrace the dark, it is not good to lose yourself to it forever.
I do not condone losing yourself in drugs, alcohol, sex, or other addiction or losing yourself in any cults, religions and activities but I understand that, for some, the painful realities of life have made it impossible to live the "planned life" and require a detour, to explore and learn. Only when one has learned on this sometimes "destructive" detour, can one be the shining light they were meant to be.
Indeed, it is only when the tears have subsided, when you have utterly exhausted your mind, your body, your spirit, when you have engaged in those thoughts and actions which throw your life into turmoil, that you can look upon yourself, so much worse for the wear, and now choose to re-claim your life and be the man, the woman, you had always wished to be.
The light shall always exist to greet you when you return from the dark, and the dark shall always welcome you when the light fails. To live, you must venture between the two - each serves a purpose.
And when this you have learned, shall you rise, like the phoenix, from whose own charred ashes she lifts herself, to greet a new day, bright with new opportunities - a brand new chance to live and soar again.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Friday, December 5, 2008
7:02 p.m.
still coughing, still sneezing but the throat pain is finally subsiding. my computer caught a horrible virus too - yeah, running joke with mummy who thinks it's so hilarious ;) she went to the doctor today because both she and I and my sister Nithi have been suffering from this virus we caught last weekend. Mum's doctor put her on antibiotics because mum's cough has gotten way worse.
one of the worst feelings in the world is being sick and being unable to do anything you normally do - I haven't run since last Sunday and my God I miss my runner's high, couldn't go to work all week and I know my department must be steamed and my desk overloaded, and while home I've been stuffed with so much rice and beans and pumpkin pie that I'll be running every day for the next 3-4 weeks to undo this damage!
I actually would've given anything to go to work yesterday or today - I was going stir-crazy at home being sick - I would try to sleep and every time I was just falling under, I would wake up coughing. Still coughing and my eyes hurt and are tired. I feel worse for my mom who was hit harder than me. My sister Nithi who caught this bug a day earlier than mum and I finally said she felt better today so I'm hoping mum and I will both be better by the end of this weekend. In the meantime, it's Friday night and I am going to go make some more hot tea and curl up in bed and watch Jim Carrey's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Have a good Friday night everyone.
Mitu you are so awesome *HUGS* thank you for your prayers. I'm really happy you signed up to join Leading Light Foundation - I look forward to working with you on the articles. How have you been doing? What's new on your end? Callie Happy Birthday in advance and thank you for your kind words. Najin why thank you so much for your sweet message! I'm so glad you enjoyed my music! :) Hope you visit and write again. Azure Kaze no kidding! :) I hope you've been doing much better! How goes it in your world? Regale me please with your stories! :)
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Thursday, December 4, 2008
10:24 a.m.
just got back from the doctor's - didn't go to work today like I thought I could because I woke up this morning with what seems like an even worse throat pain and cough and the doctor did a strep throat culture which was negative but prescribed me some strong cough medicine and antihistamines and told me to go home and rest and to return to work only when my fever went away. She gave me a doctor's note to return to work on Monday or earlier if my fever went away so I'll see how I feel tomorrow and go in tomorrow if I'm better. I'm going to fax this to my department at work and get into bed and sleep.
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008
09:58 p.m.
this post goes to God. Dear God, please bless my mom and dad with everything good and wonderful, with health, wealth, love and happiness. Tonight, mummy cut up this beautiful sweet mango and kept calling up the stairs to make Mekha and I have some. I had already over-eaten like a glutton on dinner and had just finished a mug of hot chocolate and a big cupcake from BATCH, but I took the mango because my wonderful mummy had gone to the effort - after cooking all day and she is sick with Lyme Disease, mind you - and I ate it thinking how much I loved mummy for the efforts she made for us - her family. Papa too. She told me, as I hugged her, "now take a Tylenol and get a good night's sleep and take a Tylenol before you go to work tomorrow, too." So God, I ask, beg and pray that you take care of my mummy and papa, bless them with all the happiness and health and joy in the world because they are 2 of the best parents I could have ever asked for. I love them so much. Thank you. Amen.
and now I am still coughing but am feeling much better and am determined to go to work tomorrow and make it through the work week. Hope this cold goes away & my voice recovers by the weekend because I am supposed to return to the studio with Manoj this weekend to work on my music and lay down the beginning works for the dance tracks. Off to sleep. Good night all.
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008
4:32 a.m.
it's 4:30 in the morning and I have been up coughing all night, my throat is hoarse & painful and my nose is so stuffed and head congested. Ugh. I was going to go in to work today but there is no way I can go in like this. Just finished phoning and leaving messages for my department heads and our "sick hotline" - a voicemail number we're required to leave messages documenting when we are sick. My message on the sick hotline was so strange and when I hung up I was like 'whoever listens to that is going to think I'm so weird.' I said something like 'Hello this is Nishi Rajan, I work in Legal in the Motions Department and I am sick and unwell to come in to work and have spoken with/left voice mails for A, B and C" and then I was confused on how to end the hotline message so said "and uh I am calling this hotline number to leave this message." Ugh. I'm sick and it's 4:30 - I'm not exactly coherent at this hour and condition. Just left a note for my sister on the bathroom mirror so that when she wakes up she doesn't worry. Put in some hot herbal tea in the microwave, going to drink that and crawl back in to bed. Ugh.
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
3:08 p.m.
Well I didn't get to meet my friend Javier or view his art works because I came down with a horrible fever & throat pain Sunday night. I went in to work on Monday after only 3 hours of sleep (couldn't fall asleep until sometime around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday and woke up at 3:30 a.m.), somehow made it through the day by focusing on the motions I had to write, and came straight home to find that my mom had also gotten the same fever and throat pain. Nithi (one of my 3 younger sisters) had been complaining of a painful throat on Saturday and I bought her lozenges not knowing that I, too, would come down with it. We think we all got it from going to our family's upstate for Thanksgiving - how else to explain that 3 of us got all sick with the same thing at the same time?
I was burning up all night and day and woke up this morning after another bad night's sleep and called in sick to work - I just couldn't do another day of trying to get through work feeling this terrible. I ate like a pig while here at home - downed 3 slices of my sister Mili's friend Darlene's pumpkin pie (it was so soft and yummy and I swear to God I am craving another slice *must resist*), Mekha's pancake breakfast she got from somewhere (probably IHop & probably loaded with calories ;)) which had blueberries and a side of eggs, in addition to my own breakfast of buttered whole wheat toast and Kefir goat milk and blackberries.
Agh. I'll run a gazillion miles when I feel better again. Coughing right now and am making a green-tea soy milk latte using real green tea leaves from Japan a friend gave me and boiling the soy milk and leaves on the stove. Eyes are so tired. Going to drink the soy milk and curl up with my mom and rest. Hope you, dear reader, are doing better!
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Christiane Amanpour Genocide Special on CNN, Eye on Balmain Fashion & my friend Javier's Art Exhibit
Sunday, November 30, 2008
5:00 p.m.
This Thursday, December 4th, my hero Christiane Amanpour's 2-hour documentary special on CNN PRESENTS "Scream Bloody Murder" - the inaction of world governments to stop genocide - will air at 9pm on CNN. It airs as the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations' Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide approaches. It will cover the ethnic slaughters from Armenia to the Holocaust to appalling violence in Cambodia, Rwanda, Iraq and Darfur. It is something you should not miss.
I have a new favorite fashion designer: Balmain. I recently viewed their collection in my Harper's Bazaar Fall Fashion Collection magazine and fell in LOVE with the fashion house's collections over the past year. Below are my favorite dresses.
Tomorrow I am meeting my new friend Javier Infantes for tea and sandwiches over at Kinokuniya. His art works will be exhibited at the Spanish American Institute over in Times Square at 215 West 43rd Street from tomorrow, December 1st through December 22nd. He's a very talented artist whose works I highly suggest you view now if you're in the city. I have a strong hunch that he will become one of the most acclaimed artists of our time. Here are links to his brochure:
It is Sunday evening on this end of thanksgiving holiday weekend and I just enjoyed a truly delicious late lunch: a whole grapefruit generously covered with cinnamon as my appetizer, followed by the main dish of wild alaskan salmon, broccoli rabe and asparagus, and a slice of my cranberry-raisin cinnamon pumpkin bread. A hot cup of Rooibos tea and a glass of lemon water completed the meal. My pumpkin bread was naturally sweet with the pumpkin, cranberry & raisins so I don't crave anything for dessert. However, my sister Mili baked chocolate fudge brownies and brought home her friend Darlene's home-made pumpkin pie - I think I'll go and run my 7 miles on the treadmill in an hour or so and tonight, as I relax with some tv (the Disney Channel is showing "Tinkerbell" and I still have my episodes of Gossip Girl, Privileged and 90210 to catch up on!), I think I'll treat myself to some milk and brownies and save a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert tomorrow night or Tuesday when I watch the World Music Awards. I love feasting over the holidays - but all in moderation.
I hope you all have been enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend if you celebrated it - *HUGS* and blessings.
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a very happy thanksgiving . . .
Thursday, November 27, 2008
3:19 p.m.
Updated at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. with new Photos - Friday, Nov. 28, 2008 (scroll down)
My cinnamon-pumpkin pancakes were a hit at the breakfast table :) papa and mummy and my sisters all loved them :) Took me less than an hour to roast and puree 3 small pumpkins - very easy when you use the microwave to cook them! After breakfast, I hit Stop & Shop where I picked up whole wheat flour, natural raw sugar, preservative-free raisins and dried cranberries and came back and baked 5 loaves of cranberry-raisin pumpkin bread spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. How gorgeous are these loaves? :D You can click on the images to see the full-large size images of the pumpkin bread :)
1/2 Cup of DOLE California Raisins
Directions:
In one bowl, combine thoroughly the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin puree, stirring well.
Pour 1/2 the flour-mixture into the egg-sugar-pumkin mixture and stir. When combined, pour in the rest of the 1/2 of the flour mixture. Stir until combined. You don't need to make it lump-free - combining well is enough.
Add in the cranberries and raisins and stir.
Grease a loaf pan with zero-calorie cooking spray - I recommend Nature's Promise Cooking Spray in Olive Oil. I also recommend using a glass baking loaf pan.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
Turn oven to 350 degrees and bake the pumpkin bread for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden brown or a knife/fork stuck in the center comes out clean.
And there you have it. My pumpkin bread recipe :)
I am taking 2 of the loaves to share this evening when we all drive upstate to join my mom's side of the family to celebrate Thanksgiving. My mom is 1 of 8 brothers and sisters and 6 of them reside here in New York so when we all get together for birthdays and holidays, it's a HUGE affair. Mum is downstairs cooking gravy and stuffing to bring. I just came back from a 5 mile run and am having a light lunch of a salmon nicoise wrap and 2 apples.
Am going to take a nice hot shower and get ready. We leave for our family's upstate at 4pm. *HUGS* to all and Happy Thanksgiving!
Updated Friday, November 28, 2008 at 10:30 a.m.
Oh lord, I just woke up - we got home sometime after midnight last night and we were all exhausted from over-eating. No kidding. Turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, cakes, pies, stuffing, corn and peas and gosh it was so so so good! It's the one time of the year you can eat everything like a pig :) I plan to run today, tomorrow and Sunday though ;) Something like 6-12 miles each day hahahaha ;)
Here are some pictures of me with my cousins on my mom's side: Megan, Melvin, Shani and Natasha. More pictures coming from their cameras soon hopefully! :)
Papa cutting the thanksgiving turkey :) My dad is so adorable :)
Group Pic - see how huge? and it's not even everybody!
It's almost 11 a.m. and I am going to have a light breakfast and get started on my day. *HUGS* to all!
Updated at 6 p.m.
Came back from a 10-mile run outside :) Felt wonderful and now I don't feel bad at all about eating so much last night :) T'was worth it! Papa, mummy and Nithi and I went to Sports Authority this afternoon to pick out exercise equipment as it is the girls' and my gift for Papa's Christmas present this year. Papa picked out an elliptical machine he loved and an exercise bike - both were I think either Healthy Rider series? Can't wait till they arrive - I was having fun in the store trying out all the ellipticals! ;)
Going to take a relaxing hot shower now, tidy up my room and relax with some dinner before either watching a movie with Nith or working on some writing. Mekha and Mili both went to Long Island to attend a wedding rehearsal - Mekha is a bridesmaid in a wedding tomorrow and Mil is accompanying her so Nith and I are on our own this weekend till our other 2 sisters come back on Sunday.
I am still following the Mumbai terrorist attacks on tv - it is so senseless and horrible (read my post below for links to the full news coverage if you haven't already watched it on tv).
So cold here now...time for that hot shower. *HUGS* to all!
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Be grateful this Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 27, 2008
06:10 a.m.
It is with a somber spirit that I wish you all a loving and happy Thanksgiving this year. I woke up at a quarter to 6 this morning to begin making cinnamon pumpkin pancakes for my family and read the news: 101 killed as gunmen rampage in India city and Mumbai Terror Attacks.
Teams of heavily armed gunmen have stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India's financial capital Wednesday night, killing at least 82 people and taking Westerners hostage, police said. "They just fired randomly at people and then ran away. In seconds, people fell to the ground," said Nasim Inam, a witness.
The tally now is 101 people killed and 314 injured. Mumbai, on the western coast of India overlooking the Arabian Sea, is home to splendid Victorian architecture built during the British Raj and is one of the most populated cities in the world with some 18 million crammed into shantytowns, high rises and crumbling mansions.
Every day, somewhere in this world, tragedy strikes - and it can (and has) happened here before. It is a constant reminder that you should always hold your loved ones close, and appreciate all that you have.
This thanksgiving I'm not going to simply wish you a Happy Turkey Day - no, look around your home, your table, your life - you have so much to be thankful for - say a prayer for the people in Mumbai who are suffering as the rest of the world wakes up this morning to start their day - say a prayer for the people in Congo who have been brutally suffering with militant raids, a prayer for the people of Georgia, many of whom who do not have homes. Say a prayer for your loved ones that they may spend every thanksgiving with you, to love and cherish and share memories with.
I am going to go make some loving cinnamon pumpkin pancakes for breakfast for my family and roast and puree pumpkins to make pumpkin bread. The least I can do to show my family how much I love and appreciate them.
Have a safe, loving and blessed Thanksgiving my friends. And remember to say a prayer and keep in your thoughts the people of Mumbai right now.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
11:39 p.m.
am about to slip into bed - my eyes are so exhausted. This Friday I will be back in Queens working with my producer on my dance album - hopefully he and I can get 2-3 songs done by Christmas - I'm excited about laying down new vocals and tracks. This weekend is important - I have to use it to catch up on a lot of things - I plan to spend Thursday immersed in writing the NYC coffee table book, my children's series as well as my epic fantasy kingdom story, and all before heading upstate to the fam's for Thanksgiving, Friday will be all about music, Saturday I plan to study Mandarin and work on research for ECPAT (we are attempting to get law similar to the SAFE HARBOR ACT, which passed here in New York state, enacted in all the other 49 states) and Sunday after Mandarin class will be all about the Leading Light Foundation - I need to assign the writers to countries and get a full roster of members and their positions. And tomorrow? Why, pumpkin cooking of course ;)
Busy weekend ahead. Get out of work early tomorrow at 3 :) Ok am off to bed now, ran 7 miles tonight and my body needs a good rest. Just polished off my mummy's delicious dinner of rice, fish curry, green beans and sambar, and peeled a pomegranate for dessert....heaven :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
preparing for thanksgiving
Monday, November 24, 2008
11:32 p.m.
well we wound up watching a movie Mili brought home for the weekend: Maid of Honor and, ya know what? It was good - a really cute, fun, feel-good movie :) Mekha and Nith though rolled their eyes a lot (hahahaha) but Mili and I are the cheese-loving girls so we adored the movie :) Patrick Dempsey is adorable and how he fell in love with his best friend and how they complement each other so perfectly - I loved the story.
I'm researching pumpkin bread recipes and found a delicious set of healthy, low-fat and low-calorie recipes I'm going to use this Wednesday night. I decided to make only pumpkin breads and am going to make a cinnamon-pumpkin loaf and one with raisins and cranberries :) Thanksgiving this year is going to be upstate at my uncle Babu's - I'll see if I can bring over a couple of the pumpkin loaves for dessert - they'll go great with some ice cream and will be perfect for breakfast in the morning with coffee! :D
Tis getting late - 11:30 already, I need to stop and head to bed. *HUGS* to all. Hope you're all getting ready for Thanksgiving as well - I love the holidays :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
10:53 a.m.
woke up this morning from sad dreams.... :( memories of Marmalade Cafe...of L.A., Ventura and Venice haunt me.... *sigh* I need to forget it all already. I wish I could forget.
Today I am roasting pumpkins to make pumpkin puree - it's for breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, for next week's thanksgiving pumpkin pie and the pumpkin breads I plan to make :D We've got to somehow use all the pumpkins we bought in October for Halloween ;)
Today I also need to clean and study Mandarin Chinese (I have an exam tomorrow after Chinese class) and my 3 younger sisters will all be home today and we plan to do a sister's night in part because Mili took the 3rd part of her CPA exam this past Wednesday and thinks she did horribly but, then again, she thought she did bad on the 1st & 2nd parts and she passed beautifully ;) Mili is so super-smart and studied and worked so hard so I doubt she did bad - I think she just worries too much ;) The girl works full-time as an accountant with a major corporate brand-name accounting firm in Long Island and she recently got promoted - between her work and studying for the CPA exam, I admire my little sis.
So anywayz, in honor of her hard work, we are either all going out for drinks or staying home in warm pajamas cause it is freakin COLD outside now - 23-freakin degrees! - make hot chocolate, talk & bond like only sisters can, watch the Sex & The City movie I've been saving for us, and eat these amazing cupcakes I bought from BATCH over on 11th Street in the West Village. I met an awesome Barista named Nicolette while I was in there enjoying Espresso and ordering the cupcakes and cookies - she used to live out in San Francisco and told me about this coffee place called RITUAL I have to try. Don't know when I'll go back there but it's on my to-do list :)
I hope papa didn't try to eat the cupcakes - he has such a sweet tooth!! I ordered 2 each of the Carrot-Salted Caramel (Carrot Cake, Lime Cream Cheese Filling,
Caramel Frosting, Maldon Sea Salt), Pumpkin Maple Rum Raisin, Chocolate Green Tea cupcake and the Bacon Caramel Pumpkin cupcake which is a dark chocolate cupcake with Bacon Caramel frosting and a pumpkin cream filling with bacon fat <--- 2 a piece gives us 4 girls a chance to sample all 4 without ruining our waistlines and DUDE will the BACON FAT one totally do us in! So worth it - you gotta splurge once in a while :)
Here's what the Bacon Caramel Pumpkin dark-chocolate cupcake looks like - cannot WAIT to dig into that tonight ;)
Anywayz, it is almost 11 a.m. and I haven't had breakfast yet and need to eat and get started on my day and I think Mek and Mil just got home! Time for the family fun to start ;) *HUGS* to all - more later tonight :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
12:17 p.m.
what an eventful week - so much to write. It is raining right now and I love it. Some people don't like rainy, dreary days, but when you're surrounded by grass, trees and lakes, it can be quite beautiful and peaceful. Gusts of wind are picking up the fallen leaves and circling them around my deck and kitchen windows, black squirrels are running all over the grass in the backyard, the rain is falling softly, and now and then, the wind really picks up and I can hear it beat against the walls of our house...
This is a perfect day for me to read, write, study - to find some measure of peace in my life and in this world which is constantly on the go, go, go.
A Spanish painter/artist I recently became friends with is displaying his paintings and works of art at the Port Authority. I plan on owning at least 1 of his stunning works. His name is Javier Infantes and he is from Madrid, Spain and his works have been exhibited throughout Spain, in Madrid's ABC Newspaper and in various magazines. I am most impressed by Javier's painted murals he designed for http://www.cristinaherrera.es/ - check out the gorgeous works.
I attended a fabulous Continuing Legal Education class yesterday downtown on Vesey Street (and area I LOVE because of its historic NYC factor) at the office of the New York County Lawyers' Association. I learned the art of successful negotiation taught by Marty Latz and, let me tell you, it was worth every minute - it was the most inspired and stimulated I was all week!! Plus, I met this awesome fellow female attorney named Sasha who I absolutely adored - she's originally from Russia and her life is so fascinating! I'm going to invite her out for drinks sometime next week or next weekend. Came home and ran 7 miles on the treadmill and did 350 crunches before having a light dinner and calling it a night. Woke up this morning super-late at 11 a.m. and just finished having a breakfast of mummy's delicious putih with banana, a cup of milk and a hard-boiled egg. Just put on some Mocha Coffee and washed some figs to have as "my post-breakfast and drink/eat while I read the paper and study Chinese" repast :)
I am off to begin my day. More later *HUGS* to all!
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Introducing The Leading Light Foundation - LeadingLight.Org
Sunday, November 9, 2008
11:07 p.m.
Today, I have begun the work to launch the Leading Light Foundation - a project dear to my heart that I have kept on the back burner for years, just waiting for the right time to bring it forward.
The Leading Light Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights through international law and policy. It will be comprised of attorneys, writers, activists and volunteers who wish to effect change in international human rights and foreign policy through advocacy and scholarly work. Preliminary design/info is at http://www.leadinglight.org - official launch will not be until January/February 2009.
My long-term goal with this group over the next 10-20 years is to have myself and our attorneys who wish to prosecute instances of human rights crimes, both within the U.S. and overseas, with the top-most goal of working with the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.
My short-term goal is to have this group produce a quarterly journal containing well-researched articles that analyze and discuss the violations and atrocities being committed world-wide, i.e. genocides, war crimes, torture, abuses, restrictions and limitations on human freedoms.
The difference between Leading Light Foundation, its journal, and other world policy organizations is that LLF will eventually take matters into our own hands and become an advocacy organization that will take on clients and issues and, whose attorneys that wish to, will bring cases to the highest international courts. An example of such clients/issues would be the the Guantanamo Bay detainees whose detentions under the Bush administration's "illegal combatants" were challenged by attorneys and scholars here in the U.S. As a result, the issue came before the Supreme Court and Justice Roberts' decision this past summer held the detainees could not be held indefinitely and had the same basic due process rights afforded to all prisoners.
I am seeking attorneys, writers, editors, managers/directors with expertise in running foundations and non-profits, accountants, bookkeepers, IT specialists and web programmers, and volunteers.
If you would like to be part of this organization from its developmental stages, or know of friends, colleagues, family who are interested in human rights, international affairs and foreign policy and have skills that will launch this organization to a successful start, refer them to the website and ask them to contact "leadinglightorg at gmail dot com" with their interest along with a copy of their resume.
Work on this organization will begin in January 2009. Serious applicants only apply. There is no pay until we get sponsorship and revenue through ad sales.
I plan to eventually hold music concerts, benefits & fundraisers to raise funds for this organization - nothing like combining my passion for singing & songwriting with my equal passion for effecting change in this world.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
11:46 p.m.
:) He won. I am thrilled! :) Our nation has a leader I feel will be among the greatest our nation has ever had. My favorite presidents have been Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Clinton.
Am staying up to see his acceptance speech.
Just watched McCain's beautiful farewell speech - that apparently is the John McCain that everyone knows and loves and not the McCain that was shown on the campaign these past few months. That McCain I saw just now was inspirational and beautiful - I loved that guy - not the negativity and anger and behavior he displayed during the debates and in interviews. But see, McCain, at his very best when he wants to be is something I wished to see every single time - Obama, however, displayed his best consistently - throughout - Obama is quickly becoming a man I greatly admire and respect.
There will be young children in the White House again :) I am watching history being made right now at Grant Park in Chicago as President-Elect Obama gives his acceptance speech.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Election Night 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
9:13 p.m.
I got up early this morning and was at the polling booth at 7 a.m. to vote. My sister Mekha joined me (it was her 1st time voting in a presidential election) and we both made our decision. It was crowded even in the morning that early. Papa and mummy voted later this morning I learned. I hope my 2 other sisters, Nithi and Mili, were able to vote as well before the polls closed.
On my way in to work, I collected a copy of the Times, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, as well as amNewYork and the Metro and read the entire election coverage. Work let us go early at 3:30 p.m. so that we could all have time to vote if we couldn't go in the morning. Lines have been crazy long all day - I'm grateful our company let our employees all go early - voting is so important. My family and I are gathered in front of the TV now watching the election coverage.
I voted for Barack Obama. I had initially been a Hillary supporter and still am, but when she lost the Democratic primary, I decided to research Obama and McCain more and the more I learned about Obama, the more I preferred him. Obama has all the qualities in a leader I deem best. Obama will be a strong leader who will restore America's good name, will restore pride in our nation world-wide. McCain, and the campaign he ran, on the other hand, displayed negative attitudes and behaviors, was known for his hot, volatile temper ("short-fuse" and "volcanic" is what has been written about his behavior while serving in Arizona) and propensity to stew and throw tantrums - I was disappointed by his campaign and his behavior. His Vice Presidential nominee, Palin, was a very poor choice. Biden, on the other hand, is a dream come true because of his foreign policy expertise - that man is so thoroughly knowledgeable - what I would give to be his aide and learn from him!
The moment Obama won me over is when he argued for meeting with Iran without preconditions. I believe in diplomacy, in resolution through open, tolerant communications - it's something I have stood for my whole life - and Obama believes in the same things. He is also for the protection of women's reproductive rights - something I believe very strongly in.
I voted for Obama and I did so very proudly, without any reservation and with complete conviction that he is the best candidate for the job. He will govern fairly, justly, and in the best interest of America, overall and for the long-run. I believe that he will go on to be among Lincoln and Washington as one of the greatest presidents our nation has had.
Here is to Election 2008 - one of the most historical, most exciting, most amazing elections in the history of our nation.
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Paula Radcliffe wins NYC Marathon, Jacque Piccard, underwater explorer dies
Sunday, November 2, 2008
11:11 p.m.
:) The amazing woman I was rooting for won: Paula Radcliffe claimed the 1st place, completing the 26.2 mile NYC marathon at 2 hours and 23 minutes! Watching her was so inspiring.
In other news, an inspirational man named Jacques Piccard died yesterday - his life, and the stories of his own father and son, are examples for the rest of us to live up to:
Jacques Piccard, 86, Underwater Explorer dies at Swiss home
By: Bradley S. Klapper, The Associated Press
GENEVA (AP) ? Jacques Piccard, a scientist and underwater explorer who plunged deeper beneath the ocean than any other man, died Saturday, his son's company said. He was 86. Exploration ran in the Piccard family. Jacques' physicist father, Auguste, was the first man to take a balloon into the stratosphere and his son, Bertrand, was the first man to fly a balloon nonstop around the world. Jacques Piccard helped his father invent the bathyscaphe, a vessel that allows humans to descend to great depths.
On Jan. 23, 1960, he and U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh took the vessel into the Pacific's Mariana Trench and dove to a depth of 35,800 feet ? nearly seven miles below sea level. It remains the deepest dive ever carried out. "By far the most interesting find was the fish that came floating by our porthole," Piccard said of the dive. "We were astounded to find higher marine life forms down there at all." Solar Impulse said the discovery of living organisms at such a depth played a key role in the prohibition of nuclear waste dumping in ocean trenches. After the dive, Piccard continued to research the deep seas and worked for NASA, built four mid-depth submarines, including the first tourist submarine and took took high school children into the Geneva Lake well into his 70s.
Born in Brussels in 1922, Piccard was nine years old when his father took his balloon into the stratosphere. He studied in Switzerland and worked as a university teacher of economics, but abandoned his teaching to help his father design the bathyscaphe, named the Trieste.
In April 1999, when Bertrand Piccard completed a round-the-world balloon trip with Briton Brian Jones, his team drew on Jacques' experiences of traveling in the waters of the Gulf Stream to work out how best to use the jet stream to speed the balloon around the world. They also made use of some of the ideas used by grandfather Auguste in his pioneering flights, including the notion of only partially inflating the balloon at takeoff to allow for the expansion of the gases at higher altitudes, and the use of an airtight capsule. Bertrand continues to work on pioneering projects. His Solar Impulse project aims to fly a solar-powered airplane around the world. Jacques "passed on to me a sense of curiosity, a desire to mistrust dogmas and common assumptions, a belief in free will, and confidence in the face of the unknown," Bertrand Piccard said in a statement Saturday.
And now to put a smile on your face, today's Sunday Comic of Mother Goose & Grimm featuring the star character of one of my all-time favorite books: Sherlock Holmes:
Heheheh :) Sherlock Holmes & Nancy Drew are my all-time faves in detective/mystery series. I also loved the Bobbsey Twins and the Boxcar Children. One day I hope to own the entire original Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins & Boxcar Children books - they take me to another time & place, and I can't tell you how many wonderful days and nights I spent happily lost in their worlds.
I'm off to bed. Had a lovely Sunday off and it's back to work Monday. Good night all.
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NYC Marathon
Sunday, November 2, 2008
09:48 a.m.
went to bed early last night after setting the clock back an hour (daylight savings time ended today, clocks go back 1 hour) and woke up early this morning at 7 a.m. (really 8 a.m. ;) and after saying hello to my parents - who had come back late last night after midnight from a fundraiser in Long Island at a Filipino church charity dinner that my dad's companies sponsored - and asking if they had incorrectly set their clocks, because I had woken up for a bit hearing their voices this morning, learned they had messed up the clocks - my dad had set the clock an hour forward so they woke up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to get ready for church - hahahahaha :) my mom gave him like 10 doses of lectures before I came in and chuckled at my dad's silliness :) Poor papa :)
After setting up my coffee maker with Gevalia's Mocha Coffee and saying bye to papa and mummy who were getting ready for church (finally), I headed out for my run and did just 3.3 miles because I wanted to come back and watch the NYC MARATHON which I am watching LIVE now on TV - you can also Watch the NYC MARATHON LIVE by clicking that link. I am rooting for Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain and Gete Wami of Ethiopia.
Taking place here in NYC, it is amazing to watch. The 26.2 mile race begins on the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn, then goes through the heart of Brooklyn before coming into NYC and ending at Central Park. Central Park, by the way, looks SO beautiful in its fall colors and decked out for the race. People assemble right before dawn and it becomes like a modern-day Woodstock - 39,000 people run in the race and TONS come out to NYC to WATCH the race.
I am going to head back out after the race is over (and it hopefully warms up a bit more) and run my final 3.3 miles (I usually do 6.6 miles straight when I run) - it was freezing outside this morning - just 39 degrees right now, must have been 35 when I went running - ugh - HATE the cold but I love running :)
Going to pour myself another cup of coffee now and read the Sunday paper and continue watching the NYC Marathon. *HUGS* to all!
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Halloween 2008 - Walked in the Parade & Photos
Saturday, November 1, 2008
05:29 p.m.
Crowned with a tiara my sisters got me, swirling in a gorgeous soft velvet silver cloak I had custom made for me & donning a sparkly white dress I bought in August from one of my fave tiny little boutiques in Chinatown & carrying a crowned rhinestone wand I express-ordered from a private seller on Ebay - I was a Winter/Snow Princess/Queen (after abandoning all attempts to try & pull of Glinda or Galadriel ;)) hahahaha :) I LOVED my costume this year! Every man on the street wanted me to grant their "wishes" and called me Princess and cleared the way for me! Hahahaha - I think I could sooooo get used to being treated like royalty ;)
Halloween 2008 was wonderful because - for the 1st time in my life - I walked in the Greenwich Village Annual Halloween Parade! Next to the marching bands, the Z100 float and somewhere behind all the puppets! I met up with friends down where it began on Spring/Canal/Broome Street where everyone lines up around 6:30 to walk and be part of the parade. Only one of my guy pals, Alok, was adventurous enough so he and I wound up walking in the parade all the way to the end! Say hi to Alok who dressed up as an alien:
Walking in the parade was so much fun! The costumes on people were AMAZING! Ahead of us, the Empire State Building was lit up in honour of halloween in orange and gold! It was *beautiful* - and the night wasn't cold at all! Thank goodness it had been near 60-all day!
Afterwards, I met up with my friends at Chinatown Brasserie for the Halloween party there - below are pictures of me with Chelsea, Jobby and Jossy (twin brothers who are old family friends of mine from upstate New York):
hahahah Jobby and Jossy are so tall but I think the tiara/crown made me look taller - right? :)
Got home very late and slept in until almost 12:30 today before getting up, having breakfast, reading a little of the paper and going for a 1-mile walk around the neighborhood with my mom. Just finished having a late lunch - mum made these delicious spicy baked chicken sandwiches with tomato, onion and garlic relishes we put between whole wheat rolls and had sauteed asparagus with. Dessert was something I bought from ZARO's BAKERY - a BROWNIE CASKET!! This gorgeous large brownie in the shape of a coffin/casket and decorated with gummie worms, black cats, pumpkins, skeletons etc., and the only thing better than how it looked was how it tasted - it was rich but not too rich, not too sweet at all, just right in fact, and super soft, creamy and...GOD my mouth is watering again just thinking of how good it was ;) LOL! :) Mummy loved it which I'm happy about!
It's now 5:30 p.m. and I'm wondering how to spend this Saturday night. The weather was so warm today - in the low to mid-60's and sunny - can't believe it's November 1st and that gorgeous! Am actually still kinda sleepy (sleep debt lingers) but I wanted to go see RACHEL GETTING MARRIED or rent a movie and stay home and watch - my sister Mili made brownies and I'm getting a craving for some warm milk and brownies now - hahahaha so bad! I didn't even run today ;) Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween! *BIG HUGS* to all!
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Happy Halloween!!
Friday, October 31, 2008
12:00-midnight.
Got home an hour ago from a night with family & friends at the Jekyll & Hyde Pub in the village for dinner - had the most delicious vegetarian burger & finished off Chelsea's steak & rice tortilla wraps! :) The pub was nice - great decorations - but I wasn't a fan of the "entertainment" at all - I hear the Jekyll & Hyde Club on 57th Street however is AWESOME with 3 levels and being a combined restaurant/club/lounge - that may be a great spot to hold my birthday next February. We all tried to go to see the Nightmare New York Haunted House but we got there too late and missed it - but it was ok because I was with wonderful friends and we had an awesome time! :)
Tomorrow I am dressing up as what will be considered a cross between Galadriel from Lord of the Rings and Glinda the Good Witch of the East from WICKED/Wizard of Oz - I have this beautiful short white sparkly dress I bought at this uber-cute boutique in Chinatown over the summer and am pairing it with silver stockings, white or gray boots, a silver/pale gray long velvet cloak with a hood I bought on Ebay for $49 and topping it off with a tiara and a gorgeous silver & rhinestone crown wand. I'll look like some sort of Princess is what people will eventually think but dangitall I am trying to pull of a theme! :)
So after work, I'll be meeting up with friends to go to the annual Greenwich Village Parade and then heading to 2 parties one of which will be my friend Chelsea's party at Brasserie and then to the East Village's Annual Halloween Costume Ball! :) It'll be a night at Manhattan's 2 most famous Villages for me and I wouldn't have it any other way - Halloween is MEANT to be filled with treats, friends, parties and FUN! :)
hahaha can't wait! Promises to be so much fun!! Have a safe and Happy Halloween everyone! Will write more on Saturday with (hopefully) LOTS of pictures!! :)
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A Very New York Morning
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
10:58 p.m.
It was a very New York morning. I had just come up from the dark dungeons of Penn Station, having picked up 3 new books from the small bookstore on the lower level. As I climbed up the subway stairs to the street level, the cloudy gray day greeted me and in the near distance, the Empire State building stood, its lights a comforting sight, reminding me - in a symbolic sense - of a warm maternal figure that would always be there. All around me people were walking, busy on their ways to work, carrying their coffees & newspapers, wearing their dark jackets & pants because today promised to be one stormy/torrential-downpour day. Forecasters said 45 m.p.h. gusts of wind & heavy rains throughout the day - enough reason for me to also don my cute little black jacket & pants; smart decision because when the city gets messy, so do your clothes. As I crossed 33rd Street at 8th Avenue, it was then that I was struck by what a New York City morning this was: slightly chilly (only perhaps 48-52 degrees), late October, just days from Halloween, overcast and gray with small droplets of rain here and there, men & women in dark clothing all bustling by, an Asian woman in a stylish-boho-chic outfit carrying her coffee & it was a little quiet on that corner. Despite the gray, despite the prediction of heavy rain, despite the slight chill - I relished it all - this feeling - this NYC feeling & way of life - I loved it. So with my own Starbucks Venti Soy Cappuccino in hand, my black messenger bag slung over my shoulder & my hair in a rainy-day ponytail, I walked to work buoyed by the city I loved, and carrying 3 new books in my bag: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs, Slam by Nick Hornby and Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan.
I'm off to bed now. It's raining ferociously outside - can hear the wind - on the drive home tonight, the weatherman on 880AM radio couldn't stop talking about how it was snowing in certain parts of our county: "Not even Halloween and winter's already here," he said. :) I saw a few snow flurries while at work during the day but nothing major so far tonight - perhaps I missed it being inside. 11pm - time for bed. *HUGS* to all - have a warm & safe night.
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Fall Photos 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
10:35 p.m.
When I walked out of the house after writing this morning's journal entry below, the first thing that shocked me was how much the storm from last night had cast leaves and branches all over the driveway and roads. It was one heckuva storm to have caused our power to go out and the results were obvious. Check out the 1st two pictures below of my family's driveway and the grounds outside.
I then spent a wonderful hour and 15 minutes jogging my neighborhood's woods and lakes & taking photos this morning of the gorgeous halloween decorations my many neighbors had done and took pics of the beautiful fall foliage.
First up, one of my neighbor's homes decked out for Halloween:
Next, 2 colorful fall foliage shots I took which I thought were pretty:
Another of my neighbor's homes decorated for Halloween:
2 more shots I took of the fall foliage that I thought perfectly represented the season:
And this below, is the beautiful lake I always run by during my morning and evening runs and of which I have taken so many, many pictures of at various lights. I plan to one day paint this lake in all its seasons, shades and colors.
The pic below I took is one of my favorite Fall photos I've taken of this lake which has brought me so much peace - I've often paused during my runs to sit on the rocks and pray and think for a while.
As I came up the side of the lake, I came across a family - a father with his 2 kids - who were feeding the geese and ducks with small pieces of bread. These pictures I've taken of them are some of my absolute favorites from today:
The father gave me permission to take pics of them and this one below is my fave because one of the geese came straight up to one of the boys who'd been throwing the bread:
I said by to the dad & kids, and went on my way and took more pictures of the gorgeous Halloween-decorated houses. One of my neighbors totally got into the halloween spirit and even had a skeleton coming out of the ground
A close-up of the awesome scarecrows they did:
another of my neighbor's awesome scarecrow decorations for halloween:
the same neighbor with more on the other side of his lawn:
After taking pics, I came home, said hi to Nith who had woken up and was grading papers (she teaches high school in Connecticut), grabbed the car keys and drove to HOME GOODS - my plan had been to purchase these halloween-theme plates and cups I had bought a few years ago & complete my collection so that I could make pancakes for all my sisters and mummy and papa before they came home from church but turns out Home Goods had only 1 cup that completed my collection and instead, I splurged 2 sets of these gorgeous Bella Luxe Fine Linen Queen sheets in amethyst and soft olive (I just changed my bed sheets tonight and the amethyst one is so so gorgeous), purchased a gorgeous new wooden hamper, an Indian-designed jewlery box, and a few other lovely odds & ends - I *love* Home Goods! :)
Came home then and found my family all home as well, made pancakes and read the Sunday newspaper, and in the afternoon, after hot cups of tea (green for me and black for mum), mum and I went for a walk and did yoga together before I spent the rest of the evening cleaning and doing laundry. Just finished a lovely dinner and am having dessert of white bean cakes from my fave Japanese cafe I bought last week.
Was such a nice weekend. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are getting ready to celebrate Halloween!! :) I am off to take a hot relaxing shower before slipping inside my new amethyst sheets and getting some much needed rest. *HUGS* to all!!
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Pumpkin picking, stormy night, family :)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
09:33 a.m.
Nithi and I are home this morning while papa, mummy, mekha and mili have gone to church so Mek and Mil can take Qurbana in honor of their birthday (Qurbana is Indian Christian Holy Mass service). Nithi's still sleeping but I am up admiring the gorgeous maroon, red, orange and gold colors of the leaves on the trees in the woods surround my house. The lake reflects the colors - it looks like a glassy mirror with occasional ripples...so peaceful and beautiful. It's 52 degrees out. Think I'll go for my 6.5 mile run this morning and take my camera with me so I can take pictures of the fall foliage.
The power went out several times last night due to the heavy winds and powerful storm we had - it was a true late-October storm! I drove out around 6:30 p.m. in that crazy weather to go to CVS to pick up things they had on sale ending last night and I'm so glad I went because the weather, the wind, the leaves blowing around in circles was a sight to behold! It was magical and beautiful - the phrase "it was a dark and stormy night" came to mind :)
Yesterday, after everyone came home, the fam and I went to historic Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, New York in honor of Legends weekend during which they have halloween-related festivities. I had phoned on Friday asking specifically about the pumpkin carving and that our $14 admission fee would get us in and enable us to get a pumpkin to carve. When we got there - mind you, in rainy, damp & chilly weather, we found out that not only were they charging $5 pumpkin but they were only letting 1 pumpkin per family! I was so disappointed and wound up speaking to the manager and getting a refund on our tickets! :( I've been to that manor before and had a lovely time so I was disappointed that they failed so awfully to communicate with customers before hand.
Well, I was glad they refunded us and papa wound up taking us to a nearby diner where we had a happy lunch and warmed up :) I had this awesome grilled portobello and eggplant and zucchini sandwhich on a warm toasted roll with a side of spinach and salad greens and apple-cinnamon tea! :) YUM! And then Papa took us to a local nursery near our home where we picked up a bunch of pumpkins - I got 3 small ones and a medium-large one and Mek got 2 more and the girls and I will carve them today or I'll save them and make pumpkin pancakes and things :) Mek and I both wore orange shirts yesterday - we looked so autumny :) I think I'll wear another one of my orange shirts today - one of the crew neck shirts I bought from Victoria's Secret recently (one of my all-time absolute fave catalogues to purchase clothes that actually fit me from).
We went to J. J. Cassones Bakery in Portchester after to pick up a birthday cake for Mek and Mil - papa, when we first came to the U.S. in 1982, had his 1st job in accounting/shipping at J. J. Cassone's - he was only there a short while before become a hotel manager at Sheraton and Ramada hotels but we've often gone back to J J Cassone's bakery for cakes and rolls cause mummy and papa really love it! :) The guy working the counter seemed to take a liking to Mekha and Mili and wound up giving them free samples of eclairs to taste since it was their birthday and then wound up giving (in honour of Mili) us a box of biscotti for free! Papa, mummy and I joked that we should take Mili everywhere with us so she can flirt and get us free stuff ;) hahahaha :)
Mum made a delicious dinner last night of salmon curry, sauteed beans and squash curry and we had brownies and apples for dessert. Was yummy and a lovely Saturday :)
I am going to head out and run now. Must remember to take my camera so I can take pictures of the gorgeous fall colors. *HUGS* to all! Happy FALL SUNDAY!!
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Friday, October 24, 2008
09:26 p.m.
I wrote a new poem tonight titled "Ask Not Why The Heart Doth Love" - dedicated to RGV.
Had a wonderful time at the Don Rickles show on Wednesday night - turns out that Matthew Broderick, Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock were in the audience! At the end of the show, Don Rickles held a piece of paper and said he wanted to thank certain people who had come out tonight and when he started comically introducing who they were, my friend and I were flabbergasted at each name he dropped. I got a good look at Jerry and Chris Rock - wow :) Such a highlight of the night. Don, himself, was fantastic! Such an awesome & hilarious man - I am honored to have gotten the chance to see him while he is still with us :) Before he came on stage, Michael Martocci performed for us - and let me tell you - he was phenomenal - that man has an angel's voice - so gorgeous!!! He sang classic New York songs many of which had been sung by Frank Sinatra - songs I absolutely LOVED!!!! One of them - "One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)" is going to be the last song of the night at my wedding one day - just me and my baby dancing to 'ol Frank :)
Had dinner before the show at Spanky's BBQ and it was sooooooooooooooo good!!! I had been worried thinking that much would be deep-fried or too unhealthy but our waiter was this super-cool guy named Ed who gave me the BEST recommendations for drinks and food. I started with a drink called The Farmer's Daughter which is one of my new fave drinks now ;) It's finlandia wild berry vodka with apple and cinnamon schnapps with a little cherry in it - like a light martini :) It was light and sweet and perfect for me :) Then the appetizers came! These are what ANYONE who goes to Spanky's should order: the Southern Fried Dill Pickle Spears (honest to God you have to taste how amazing they are) and the Jalapeno Poppers which I want to buy by the bucket loads! And finally, the Mini Burgers which were these three small bite size burgers on soft potato rolls with chopped onion and pickles on the side and which you could order with cheese if you wanted. I then asked our waiter Ed what was a healthier choice - I was thinking of getting the catfish sandwich but he said that wasn't healthy because it was deep fried so I said that I had never had gumbo before and he said that was the healthiest and BEST choice on the menu and BY GOD HE WAS SO RIGHT - it was the most YUMMIEST GUMBO I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE - the Mighty Red Gumbo was this dish of a cup of white rice in the center surrounded by this light brothy stew of andouille sausage, shrimp and chicken which was cooked so tender and healthy - it was DELICIOUS. And to accompany it, I ordered a DELICIOUS beer that Ed recommended called: Bootleggers Dream which was root beer & jim beam (a type of bourbon). I finished everything - cleaned my plate and drank to the last drop. And dessert? Oh god I chose the most delicious thing: Pecan Pie a la mode was so sinfully delicious - best Pecan Pie I ever had!! Next time, I'll try the Warm Tollhouse Cookie Pie. :)
I am SOOOOOOOOO going back to Spanky's!! :) Was AWESOME!!
I just got out of the shower and am going to bed early tonight. This weekend, everyone will be home to celebrate Mekha and Mili's birthday and I planned all these Halloween events for us to do (weather permitting) over at Sleepy Hollow at the Phillipsburg Manor and Van Cortlandt Manor. They have the Ride of the Headless Horseman, all these humongous puppets like at the Village Parade I'll be taking my teenage cousins to next Friday, and bonfires and food and story telling - I can't wait :) I hope we can all go together.
Hope everyone is having an awesome start to their weekend. *HUGS* to all! Good night.
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Happy Birthday Mek!! :D
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
10:06 p.m.
I have 3 younger sisters, Nithi, Mekha and Mili, and the last 2 are twins whose birthday it happened to be today :D Mek lives at home with us now while Mil and Nith have their own apartments (both will be home this weekend so we can all celebrate the birthday for REAL in style ;)) but, for tonight, when Mek came home, we greeted her with a huge birthday celebration :) For dinner, I went all out and picked up a GIGANTIC DELUXE Sushi & Sashmi platter filled with various raw fish from salmon, to striped sea bass, to fluke & tuna & yellowtail not to mention all these rolls, that cost me $54 total but was worth every penny because it was DELICIOUS! I also splurged and bought all the ingredients for a ginormous salad of romaine lettuce, raddichio, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots and yellow, green & red bell peppers and then also picked up cantaloupe, melon & strawberries to make a fruit salad for dessert. The "cake" (for now i.e. just for tonight) I picked up was a lovely small chocolate covered vanilla cheesecake with butter cream frosting & a Dove chocolate on top which Mekha LOVED. I plan on going to Zaro's on Friday or Saturday & picking up a large Halloweeny birthday cake for the real birthday celebration with Mil and Nithi this weekend and we plan to go to this Peruvian restaurant for lunch or dinner.
Mek loved the card I got her and the gray suede bag I got as a present for her :) I plan to pick Mili up an H&M gift card because it is what she really wants :)
Tomorrow night, one of my friends and I are going to see the famous comedian Don Rickles at the Town Hall Theater! :)
Don Rickles is VERY funny and is known as an "insult comic" who is successful to this day because he apologizes at the end of his performances & and everyone knows & understands his comedy is meant in jest and not out of spite :) Read more about him here.. The following article from the New Yorker is really good. I am so looking fwd to seeing him tomorrow night :) Think we'll do dinner at Spanky's BBQ maybe which is right next door to the Town Hall - shall see.
On a more personal note, I had a very crazy past 2 days - my dad went in for an angiogram Monday morning which I only found out about on Sunday night and wound up being admitted overnight because they found 2 more blockages and had to put in 2 more stents. I've been getting up past 2 mornings at 5 a.m. to drive one or both parents into the city to Presbyterian Hospital where the procedure was done. My dad is doing great now and as anxiety-giving as the situation was, I'm glad my dad's ok and the experience was good - Presbyterian Hospital is wonderful. It was gorgeous seeing the sun rise over the East River in the mornings....I love the city so very much....I'd never driven in so early along the FDR drive and I drove back today (left work early) after picking up papa and mummy after he was discharged from the hospital and the drive back was so easy. I love 68th Street on the east side.
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Day of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk & Night of Colm Wilkinson
Sunday, October 19, 2008
11:34 p.m.
Colm was spectacular, the pate at Cafe Un Deux Trois not so much ;) and I froze at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Central Park this morning because it was so windy! But I had an awesome time at all 3 :)
Live performances by various artists and bands all morning long:
Me & people at the registration tents:
It was so crowded - there were a ton of people!
The day was absolutely gorgeous after the walk was over - the weather warmed up and it stopped being so windy but during the morning walk from 9-11 my GOD was it cold.
Central Park was absolutely BEAUTIFUL to walk through on this mid-autumn day in October - the leaves were still lush green in some places but in others the fall colors were stunning - the reds, oranges, golds & purples......breathtaking.
I was so exhausted though. I got in at 2 a.m. last night from the Colm Wilkinson show on Broadway at the Town Hall Theater - he was sensational - what a performer! He literally brought the house down with song after song - he opened with Music of the Night from Phantom and donned his familiar Jean Valjean clothes towards the end. He performed songs off his CD and I LOVED his Irish music - he had this one song I loved called 'Get Your Mojo Goin' :) I had booked great seats, Row L, Seats 7-11 and Chelsea, Daphne & I had the best time :)
Afterwards, we went to Cafe Un Deux Troix for a yummy French dinner with a special theater prix fix of only $29! Now, I ordered the pate as an appetizer but it wasn't very good :( It was dry and hard and flavorless :( And the Bordeaux wine I ordered was heady and not very good either. The roasted lamb, however, was mouth-wateringly good and I definitely recommend ordering that but what Chelsea and Daphne ordered was even better - Daphne ordered this Steak sandwich thing which I wound up finishing half of because she couldn't finish it and it was hands-down the best dish they offered us - made with some kind of spicy mustard sauce and served with pomme frites that were perfect (not oily or salty, just right!) and Chelsea ordered the almond encrusted trout which I also tasted and it was SOOOOOO good! Clean and healthy tasting. Dessert for us was raspberry sorbet followed by decaf tea. All in all a lovely night :)
The girls and I were so exhausted by night's end. We didn't leave Cafe Un Deux Trois until 12:30 a.m. and by the time I got my train and came home back to Westchester it was 2 and I was out like a light before waking up early and taking the train back into the city for the walk. Came home in the afternoon around 1:30 and had lunch with papa and mummy and Mekha, relaxed for a bit and then headed out for my 6.5 mile run with Mekha joining me for 2.5 miles of it. Weather was so beautiful and the woods by my home are completely covered in fall colors.
Spent the evening cleaning, tidying up, had dinner with the folks (chappati with cauliflower and spinach & asparagus thorans followed by dessert of brownies & a hot glass of milk) and now I finished my hot pomegranate tea and have to get up at 5am because I'm accompanying my dad and mom to NYC's Presbyterian Hospital in the morning so my dad can have an angiogram before I go in to work. I'm so tired and going straight to bed now. *HUGS* to all! Hope you all had a great weekend!
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Colm Wilkinson on Broadway tonight & The Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk tomorrow
Saturday, October 18, 2008
03:39 p.m.
Tonight, my friends Chelsea, Daphne and I are going to see Broadway star Colm Wilkinson for his one-night-only performance at The Town Hall theater here in NYC. Colm Wilkinson is the original Jean Valjean in the famous and spectacular musical Les Miserables - one of my 3 fave musicals ever (the others are Wicked & Phantom of the Opera). A little known fact is that he performed to great acclaim as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera in Toronto.
Back in 2001 or 2002, I took my love Ricky for his birthday to see Les Miserables on Broadway and Colm Wilkinson is the one who had my eyes rivited to the stage - he had the most gorgeous voice & he is a fantastic singer. The story of Les Mis is something I gravitated towards because of its message of redemption. It is based on the novel by Victor Hugo and one of my all-time favorite passages from it is at the beginning:
"So long as there shall exist, by reason of law and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face of civilisation, artificially creates hells on earth, and complicates a destiny that is divine, with human fatality; so long as the three problems of the age ? the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of woman by starvation, and the dwarfing of childhood by physical and spiritual night ? are not solved; so long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be possible; in other words, and from a yet more extended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless." - LES MIS?RABLES by: Victor Hugo
After the show tonight, Chels, Daphne and I are going to have a French-style dinner at CAF? UN DEUX TROIS - they have an awesome prix fix dinner menu for only $29.95 with some delicious food! I plan on ordering the pate de campagne au cognac as my appetizer (country style pate served with cornichons which are pickled gherkin cucumbers), followed by a main meal of gigot d'agneau au jus (roasted lamb with flageolet beans which are the "caviar" of beans, used often in french cooking to accompany lamb, fish or chicken; they look like tiny green kidney beans). I think I will try a sorbet for dessert.
Tomorrow (Sunday) I get up early to head over to Central Park to walk in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5-mile walkathon!
I was able to fundraise for my walk through my law firm which is in-house counsel to an insurance company and one of the heads of the company agreed to match the funds I raised from company employees up to $1,000! My colleague Paula (who is a breast-cancer survivor) and I worked together to achieve the goal - she is walking in the Prospect Park division of the Making Strides walk - and together we were able to collect over $1,300 in donations from people at work! :) The company, as promised, matched $1000 which Paula is taking to the Prospect Park division while I take the $1300+ in checks and other donations I have received from friends and family personally.
My goal is to reach $2,000 and I am $624 away from that. If you, dear friends and readers, would like to donate to help find a cure against breast cancer, please do so in my name as I will be walking tomorrow in Central Park.
I just came home from Japanese class an hour and a half ago and finally had breakfast (upa mav with a boiled egg and a banana and a glass of milk). I have to catch the 6:30 p.m. train back to the city and want to do my 6.5 mile run and shower and paint my nails before I go (not to mention have some of the lunch mum made too ;)). Need to study Mandarin as well...I don't know if I'll be able to attend Chinese/Mandarin class tomorrow morning unless I finish the 5-mile walk before class begins in Chinatown at 10 am! I missed last Sunday and I don't want to miss 2 days in a row.
Tomorrow night, I may be heading back to Arctica Bar & Grill to perform a 3-song set for my producer's charity function. Don't know for sure if I will - depends on if I feel like I can sing without any rehearsal with my producer. I want to sing...I know I'll especially feel like it after seeing Colm Wilkinson tonight - performers/singers like him inspire me to perfect my own stage performance and singing ability.
I'm sleepy. Was out late last night with family upstate for my little cousin Kevin's 4th birthday :) I hung out with my awesome cousins who I love and adore - I plan to take 4 of them out for Halloween - it is my cousin Melvin's birthday on October 31st (Halloween itself) and in honour of it, I am taking him, Megan, Shani and Natasha all to the city for Trick or Treating in Greenwich Village followed by the famous Village Parade and then go for dinner somewhere & then to the Blood Manor Haunted House! :) Prolly take them to Times Square then for more candy at M&M & Hershey's and then go home :) Should be a fun night for them :)
Last night with the fam upstate was fun though :) My Aunts Maya and Jaya cooked up a delicious birthday feast for all of us with cuppa and fish curry, perota with chicken curry, rice, shrimp curry, beans and spinach and the birthday cake was this amazingly rich and delicious chocolate & chocolate cream cake from Sam's Club which was out of this world good and Indian dessert of paisam (my stomach blew up like a balloon but all that great food was worth it)! :)
I've been online writing and reading now for an hour and a half - almost 4 p.m. *HUGS* to all! Have a great Saturday! See ya'll perhaps tomorrow after my walk!
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
11:33 p.m.
Just finished watching the Obama vs. McCain debate on tv and am watching the post-debate "debate" ;) LOL! :) Good stuff.
I am relaxing now on Slooh getting lost in the stars. During cold winter nights I've often spent the hour before bed iwith the blinds open, my room lights off, and only Slooh's telescope on. Yes, I am that much of a nerd ;) hahahaha I just love astronomy and stargazing and learning as much as I can about space. Every Christmas I get determined to buy a new telescope or convince my family to buy me a new one - this is the year it will happen dangit! I have my eye on the Meade ETX-125PE Astro Telescope Premier Edition with UHTC Coatings (Blue Tube). It's only $899 and is fantastic for astrophotography which is what I most want to do. I am going to fwd that to my sisters and dad and tell them that is what I want for Christmas this year :)
I just snapped the picture below of Open Star Cluster M47 on Slooh. This cluster is 1600 light years away and spans a distance of about 12 light years and the cluster is estimated to be 78 million years old.
Gorgeous huh?
Am off to bed. Am so sleep-deprived. My sleep-debt is crazy and I need to realllllyyy catch up on it.
Had such a nice Columbus Day Weekend off.....looking fwd to the weekend. On Saturday I'm going with my friends Daphne and Chelsea to the Colm Wilkinson Broadway show at the Town Hall Theater here in the city - Colm Wilkinson is the outstanding singer/performer who was the star of LES MISERABLES - he originated the starring role of Jean Valjean and he was also the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera - I took my love Ricky to see Les Miserables for his birthday way back I think in 2001 or 2002 - it was my 1st Broadway musical and Colm Wilkinson was amazing in it.
On Sunday, I will be up super early to walk in the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walkathon in Central Park. I've managed to raise almost $500 within my law firm and the company we are in-house counsel for will match the funds raised! :) Looking fwd to walking.
It's 11:33 and I HAVE to get into bed now. *HUGS* to all!
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Tiffin Walla, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and New York City baby :)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
05:24 p.m.
The thing I most wish people who visit New York City would get is that if they think visiting a few parts of the city means they "saw" or "did" New York City, they're so wrong.
I've been living/working in the city now for almost 10 years and only recently have my eyes been opened to such diverse and amazing parts of the city that I never knew existed before.
Honest to God, I thought I saw or knew most of Manhattan, but I really never did. There are so many neighborhoods, so many avenues and streets that wind into the most amazing things....I found Ye Waverly Inn and wandered around Waverly Place, Stonewall Place, Leroy, 11th Street (discovered Grounded, an organic coffee shop that ROCKS) and so many other hidden gems and jewels.
Like many before me, I thought 'hey, I've seen Central Park, Times Square, the Financial District, the Village, etc., etc.; however, I was astonished that by simply trekking out of my comfort zones, I discovered numerous neighborhoods that I didn't bother really exploring before. Walk along 47th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues and you'll discover some amazing restaurants and playhouses with fantastic NYC plays, comedies and musicals, and after that you'll hit Hell's Kitchen - literally a gigantic neighborhood of the some of the BEST FOOD IN THE CITY!!!! Walk down Park Avenue down past 14th Street, and you'll find Park Avenue becomes the forgotten 4th Avenue and then becomes Bowery - I walked the almost 2 or 2.5 miles from Grand Central down the Bowery last Sunday on my way to Chinese Mandarin class in Chinatown and I "discovered" the Bowery Poetry Club, the headquarters of the Village Voice, ran into my old performance venue, Crash Mansion, and the once phenomenal CBGB's....walk up Madison Avenue and turn onto 57th Street and you discover the Watch building, Rue 57, Carnegie Hall, the Russian Tea Room....
That's just a tiny mentioning of some of the things I discovered that are noteable but there was so much more, soooo much more......
Last Monday, my hindi class was only a 1/2 hour long because the rest of it was a class excursion to an Indian restaurant called TIFFIN WALLA - an authentic-and-I'm-Indian-and-loving-it restaurant in the Little India neighborhood of Manhattan over by 28th & Lexington. I had for the first time in my life what they say is a South Asian dish (and I'm south asian): a DOSA. Here it is below. I never had anything like this before. The "thosha" mummy makes is white and round and soft and we eat it with chicken curry or other meat or vegetable dishes. This was HUMONGOUS, light and crispy and inside was this masala filling of whatever you want. I also had UTTAPAM which I never had before - soft, like an Indian-style pizza but not really....EVEN BETTER! :)
We had Masala Chai and I ordered HALWA with ice cream for dessert - it's this soft carrot mixture thing with cream and almonds - very high calorie and I didn't care! :) I came in thin and left looking pregnant because of how much I ate - NO JOKE - I did not hold back one bit and ate EVERYTHING to the point my stomach HURT ;) hahahahaha - I'm serious - I was so huge and I didn't care - I was one happy Nishi after eating all that heavy, fattening Indian food ;) But I made up for it - I ran almost 6.5 miles every day this week ;) Like I say, if you care about your weight/body but want to eat like a pig, run like a horse ;) Don't deprive yourself - eat in moderation or exercise. It's all about balance.
Tuesday, my friend Erdal and I hit the Angelika Theater (one of my absolute favorite theaters in the city next to the IFC), to see VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA and it was excellent! I am totally buying this movie when it comes out and going to BARCELONA to see GAUDI! Starring Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem (love him) and Scarlett Johanssen, it is a movie about love, life and questioning how things have to be.
After the movie, Erdal and I hit Fanelli's Cafe on Prince Street - a small low-key vibe place with red & white checkered tablecloth covered tables that serves American food. Back in the late 1800's it was a saloon which during prohibition was a covert speak-easy - open for over 100 years and still serving up great food with a low-key atmosphere - nothing fussy about it - I LOVED IT :) I had hot tomato soup followed by a delicious spinach salad with roasted red peppers, olives, mushrooms and a deviled egg and Erdal had the salmon which I tasted a small piece of and it was sensational. The waitress who served us had tattoos and was so cool and funny.
It's now Saturday and I'm home from a busy day of Japanese class, errands, shopping, tennis and whew, all I want to do is eat some Japanese An Pan (my fave is Green Tea Mini An Pan and Koshi An Pan) and watch my recorded episodes of Gossip Girl, 90210 and the Hills and Regis & Kelly! :) My thighs are sore from running Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and this morning (though I only did 3 miles this morning).
Hope you're all having a great start to Columbus Day Weekend! *HUGS* to all!
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Videos of 'Forevermore, Entwined, Wave & Under My Skin'
Saturday, October 4, 2008
10:56 p.m.
Performed last night at 169 Bar and it was awesome! Did a 5-song set accompanied by my friend, Tyler Walker Williams, on guitar who did a phenomenal job! The last song, "Release Me" could not be recorded as the camera ran out of memory but here are 4 of the 5 songs - my favorite performances are of Entwined, Under My Skin and of my new song Forevermore which sounds better on my computer straight from the camera then it does on YouTube but heck enjoy ;)
ALL SONGS ON THIS PAGE, LYRICS & MELODIES COPYRIGHT NISHI RAJAN
1st Song of the Night - Under My Skin by Nishi Rajan
Entwined by Nishi Rajan
Forevermore by Nishi Rajan
WAVE by Nishi Rajan
Got back a lil while ago from the Writers for Obama event - I met and spoke with wonderful Indian authors Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Jhumpa Lahiri & with the amazing Mira Nair - they were each inspirational.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Performing Friday @ 169 Bar, New Nishi's Niche & Host for Writers for Obama w Jhumpa Lahiri, Mira Nair, Kiran Desai
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
10:49 p.m.
Hey guys :) I'll be performing again this Friday night, October 3rd at 169 Bar here in New York City.
Show is at 8pm. Visit NishiMusic.com - Schedule for details. For those of you who missed the ARCTICA BAR show last month, you'll be able to hear a few of the songs I performed last month in addition to some others - my guitarist Tyler plays them a little differently so they will sound unique. :)
You may recognize parts of the article from a post I did on this blog a while back - it's different though, more succinct. I sat down and really tried to get the message out. Hope you enjoy it.
On Saturday, I will be attending a special event. I'm on the host committee for this Indian literary/writer's event taking place this Saturday in which the key writers/speakers will be Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kiran Desai, Suketu Mehta, Manil Suri and Akhil Sharma. The event is for 'Writers Speak Out For Obama.' I recently had the pleasure of seeing Kiran Desai & Salman Rushdie last Tuesday at the Reading for Burma fundraiser and both were inspirational.
Tickets are $100 for general admission and $250 for VIP Reception which begins at 5 and can be purchased here. (Prices are going to go up after October 1 for both tickets.) If you decide to attend and purchase a ticket, I would be grateful if you would indicate that I referred you on the Payment form, as I'm a host. It will ask you who encouraged you to make this contribution.
I just found out that Mira Nair, the internationally renowned filmmaker, will emcee this event. Mira Nair is the woman who directed Namesake, Monsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay! Apparently this event was recommended by Time Out NY over the weekend and the tickets are going fast now. If you want to attend, please get your tickets ASAP. The event promises to be wonderful - I'm looking forward to it :)
I have been such a busy bee - so busy I have barely had time to sit down here and write. Japanese, Mandarin and Hindi classes, working full-time as an attorney and rehearsing and working on my music as well as writing my fiction and non-fiction works and working on my pro bono duties on behalf of children's rights for ECPAT-USA....people ask me how I do it all and I tell them "I don't sleep." ;) But gosh darnit I sooo need sleep.
That said, oyasumi nasai - Japanese for 'good night.' In Mandarin it's wan an and in hindi it is shubha rathri. *HUGS* to all.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Last night, I attended a special fundraiser where I had the honor of seeing the great Kiran Desai and Salman Rushdie read the works of Burmese political victims unjustly imprisoned and tortured for ridiculous crimes, mostly centered around freedom of expression and speech.
Before I left work to attend the event, held at Cooper Union Square - a great hall/auditoreum down by 7th Street/St. Mark's Place - I printed out these interviews Kiran Desai had given and was stunned by how similar her views and style are to mine. She is 6 years older than me and everything I wish to be in 6 years. What an amazing woman - she and Arundhati Roy are 2 very inspirational Indian women for me because they are accomplished, dedicated and disciplined writers and, like me, also do work on behalf of humanitarian aid. I support them 100%
Here are some pics I took last night:
At the end of the program, all the Buddhist Monks got up on stage and blessed us with this gorgeous prayer - I felt so at peace - we were so amazingly LUCKY to take part in this event.
I go to work today somewhat changed, more motivated, more....at peace...
That is the power of seeing beyond yourself, beyond your own needs.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Koytofu, Spice Market, House Bunny with Chelsea & Hersehy's & M&M's in Times Square
Saturday, September 20, 2008
10:18 p.m.
I've been so busy lately I have difficulty getting 6 hours of sleep let alone writing! And I so very much want and NEED to write! ;) Tuesday night I took my friend Cynthia out to celebrate her birthday to KYOTOFU and we had the BEST meal - I am serious - BEST JAPANESE APPETIZERS & DESSERT - *not exaggerating even a little*!! I ordered her Ramune to drink, which is this fun fruit beverage with a special marble that clinks when you drink it and that you have to open carefully or it'll explode in your hand ;) We ordered the otsumami sampler which is this amazing selection of 8 appetizers each for $4 (and they only have 9 summer appetizers so we got everything except the seaweed salad which we can have anywhere). Our sampler contained the chicken & tofu sliders, smoked salmon onigiri, barbequed unagi (eel) wrapped in phyllo dough (which was hands down the BEST thing!!), spicy tsukune, shishito peppers, pork sausage, simmered lotus root (I LOVED THIS TOO), warm simmered tofu, and something else I forget - and our dessert sampler 5 desserts for a prix fix of $17 we split was PHENOMENAL: summer corn sweet tofu cheesecake, warn miso chocolate cake (my 2nd fave), signature sweet tofu with kiromitsu black sugar syrup (MY FAVE), blackberry anmitsu and frozen maple soy parfait - GOD EVERYTHING WAS SPECTACULAR - NOT EXAGGERATING! The next day, Wednesday, I ran 6.6 miles after work to burn off all those calories ;)
Thursday, met up with 5 of my friends and my sister Mekha and her friend Eugene and the 8 of us had another night of delicious dinner at SPICE MARKET - I kept calling several times regarding our reservation because e were such a large party of 9 people for whom seating would be difficult because so many of our party was arriving at separate times - well the women in charge of seating were fantastic and I have to send them a thank you note or flowers or SOMETHING because when I arrived, we got seated in this gorgeous curtained sofa & cushioned alcove downstairs and felt like *celebrities* - seriously and they gave it me for 3 hours from 5:30 - 8:30! SPICE MARKET IS GORGEOUS - it's like you walked into south-east Asia - the chairs in the lounge look like tablas (a drum-like Indian instrument) and the food is simply senation - from the wasabi-spicy nuts in the lounge area (which I loved but my friends Dien & Katrina didn't) to their large selection of appetizers and entrees and desserts. Service is IMPECCABLE with the waiters all dressed in traditional Indian long shirts & pants. The cuisine is a mix of Indian, Thai & Vietnamese - pretty much all Asian! I ordered the lobster rolls & the shaved tuna appetizers and my entree was the curried duck and my dessert was the sensational vietnamese coffee (my fave coffee now) and the chocolate and vietnamese coffee jelly parrfait in a shot glass for $3 and my GOD WAS IT GOOD!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, Friday I met up with my friend Chelsea to see the movie House Bunny at AMC in Times Square (really cute & funny movie, Anna Faris is awesome - I'm so glad Chelsea loved it because I was scared she'd think it was lame but it was FUN and she kept cracking up so I was relieved! :)), we had the chicken appetizers at Applebees before hand and afterwards we went to the humongous HERSHEY's & M&M's stores in Times Square because Chelsea had never been inside either and we ate waayyy too many chocolates and bought things like the tourists do (but it was so much fun!) - I got this adorable Hershey's Kisses white short-sleeve shirt & lounge pant set in super soft cotton which I wore to sleep last night and am wearing now - it's fitted and fits me like a glove and looks super cute! And Chels and I both got large black Kisses' portable coffee mugs :) We had even MORE fun at the M&M's store where we munched on many colors of M&M's and shopped. I didn't get home until 12:30 a.m. last night ;)
Went to my first FORMAL Japanese class this Saturday morning at 11 a.m. and it was wonderful! :) Learned a LOT in 1.5 hours and we're learning the Hirigana and Katakana - I think I should be fine with the Kanji since I've been learning Mandarin every Sunday - the books we have to read & study are so heavy though. Was going to go see the NYC ANNUAL BURLESQUE FESTIVAL tonight with my friend Dien but it is completely sold out and I couldn't get tickets - was so disappointed - you have no idea! I've always wanted to see nurlesque! But I came home and ran 6.6 miles and mum made delicious thosha with beans and tomato curry and fried fish and I ate and watched my recorded eps of Regis & Kelly, 90210 & Privileged <---- I LOVE THIS SHOW!!! :)
I've gotta head to bed now - got Mandarin class in the morning in Chinatown and Chels and I are going to try Joe's Shanghai for lunch after the class before I head uptown to meet Tyler to rehearse for our gig at 169 Bar on October 3rd & then I rush home to run & watch the EMMYS!!! Mek and I are going to make a fun Emmys-awards-show watching dessert (brownies with marshmallows) :D
Azure Kaze *big hugs* thank you!! :) How are you doing? what's new on your end?
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Asian Loop Times!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
12:24 a.m.
OMG! I'm on the front page of the Asian Loop Times Magazine!! You can read the full article either by clicking the link to the site or on the image links below.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
New performance: October 3rd @ 169 Bar
Sunday, September 14, 2008
11:07 p.m.
Confirmed the new gig yesterday - will be performing a 6-song acoustic set with my new guitarist.
Had an awesome day today - got up early to head to Mandarin classes in Chinatown and Wu-laoshi (Teacher Wu) is the instructor now - she's fantastic, very structured and thorough. Afterwards, met up with my friend Chelsea who's taking the intermediate class and we lunched on Pell Street - had delicious seafood soup (had tiny little squids in it that looked like mini purple-specked octopus) with butter-toast and soybean milk drink. We then went around to Bowery & East Broadway and after seeing Chels off at the subway, I stayed back and explored East Broadway & Bowery, stopping in to all the bakeries and restaurants and clothing shops (so many $10-shops that sell GORGEOUS dresses and outfits that actually FIT MY TINY FRAME!!) and I discovered this small little shop run by 2 women who make hot, fresh before your eyes chinese rice noodle rolls with either chicken or shrimp or fish balls for just $1.50!! :) Turns out they understood Mandarin as well and I practiced a little bit - telling them my name and when I said good bye (zi-jian), they were so impressed! Made me feel good :)
Came home and ran my 6 miles, spent a good half hour stretching before enjoying a huge healthy spinach and raddichio salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and red, orange and yellow bellpeppers all followed by the main dinner of mummy's amazing squash curry and pork curry which I had with this butter roll I picked up from Cafe Zaiya - watermelon for dessert. :) Read my latest issue of Vogue and spent time with my parents and Mekha and now am ready to turn in for bed. Tomorrow am taking my friend Cynthia out for dinner for her birthday to Kyotofu one of my fave Japanese dinner/appetizer/dessert places.
Last Thursday I found out one of my favorite boutiques by Bryant Park is closing its doors forever on September 26th! The owner, this wonderful European guy named John, says the rent is too much and he can't afford to keep the store open anymore - I got a ton of my most unique dresses from that store at awesome prices. So I went and picked out 2 new gorgeous pieces by NIKIBIKI - a label I never heard of before - and will head back again this week to see what other stuff they have.
On my way home past the New York Public Library steps on 5th Avenue I saw a choir of older men in blue uniforms singing Frank Sinatra's song New York, New York and it was one of those rare quintessential moments that make New York the amazing city it is - it was also September 11th last Thursday - it was a fitting tribute - so beautiful.
Tonight as I ate my dinner, I sat on the deck enjoying this late-summer heat we're having (last week it was so cold, in the 60's & low 70's, I was shivering and hating it) and today it hit 90!! Tomorrow also promises to be 85 - YAHOO! :) Anywayz, as I enjoyed this early autumn/last-week of summer evening, the moon rose - bright yellow on the horizon - I was in awe. Tonight was one of those magical evenings that makes you appreciate the gift of life you've been given - so much to appreciate and enjoy and live for. I went back inside and enjoyed that pork curry and squash curry with mummy and papa as they watched their malayalam programming on the Malayalam satellite station ASIANET. I am a greatful woman blessed with a loving family, a beautiful home and the ability to appreciate the wonder of the world around - so thankful and I said a prayer to God & the Universe, telling them so :)
I am off to bed now. *HUGS* to all! And I'll leave this entry with a few of the lyrics from Frank Sinatra's New York, New York song - NYC is, after all, one of the greatest loves of my life :)
New York, New York
I want to wake up in a city, that never sleeps
And find Im king of the hill - top of the heap
And find Im a number one top of the list, king of the hill
A number one
It up to you - New York, New York
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Do the DDF Dew
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
11:25 p.m.
I absolutely totally recommend purchasing DDF Ultra Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew SPF 15 - it's filled with anti-oxidant protection and is so light and non-greasy - it's the perfect moisturizer, especially for me who has combination skin.
At night, I use PREVAGE MD and DIOR's Totale Capture skin care line and alternate with Oil of Olay's Intensive Restorative Treatment (the black tube) because of it's retinol formula. Well worth it - my skin thanks me every day.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
New Videos of My Labor Day Performance @ Arctica Bar, NYC, NY
Monday, September 1, 2008
07:25 p.m.
Last night was phenomenal. I performed an acoustic set of 3 of my original songs from my upcoming album being produced by Manoj Advani of Brownskinz Music (that's him playing the guitar). Below is the video footage my sister Mili took with our camera - unfortunately she didn't know that she had to hold the camera straight and thought she could film lengthwise so you're going to have to tilt your head a lil ;) hahaha :) ITV recorded the show so hopefully I'll get a professional video copy of my performance that I can upload :)
Each of my songs got better in progression - the first song I performed was my original titled 'WAVE' and I included only a 2 minute clip of it, the second song I performed was 'ENTWINED' and I included the 2nd half of the song on to the end, and the last song I performed is the acoustic version of what will be a fast dance song I wrote called 'RELEASE ME' - you get to hear the slow version :) I included the whole thing from start to finish.
I hope you enjoy it :) If you want to hear the whole songs, you should come out to see me perform :)
Thank you to all my dear friends and the new fans I met last night who came out to my show. I appreciated all your support! *BIG HUGS*
Here I am below with my friends & my mom & sisters who ALL came out to see me!!! :) My dad was in Texas at his brother's (my uncle Babu's) house warming.
Hope you're all having a wonderful Labor Day weekend :) I spent Friday & Saturday rehearsing, then spent the rest of the time with my family before the performance Sunday night and today, we spent all day grilling and barbequing - papa came back from Texas on the 11am plane and we all bbq'd hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pork/shrimp/veggie kebabs and had watermelons for dessert with sweet iced tea. I had *two* hamburgers with the WORKS (mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, pickles and ketchup)! :) And nothing's as delicious as mum's shrimp kebabs!
I've been reading a new book - The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. This is the man who died recently of cancer whose last lecture was recorded and was so inspirational that it was shown all over the internet. I am half-way through the book and it is AMAZING - every other chapter chokes me up a little bit - it's one of the best books I've had the pleasure and good fortune to read in a very long, long time.
I am going to watch Gossip Girl tonight (season Premiere!) and the HILLS! :) Tomorrow I have hindi class and Wednesday will see Mama Mia with my friend Chelsea! :) and hopefully Thursday I can organize an after-work social thing with friends and this weekend? I want to get into the studio & record - next Sunday I go back to Mandarin classes in Chinatown. YAAAY :) Have a great week everyone!
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Performing @ Arctica Bar this Sunday, August 31st
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
10:35 p.m.
This Labor Day Sunday weekend, I will be performing new music off my upcoming album being produced by Manoj Advani of BrownSkinz Music as part of their Labor Day Charity Bash at Arctica Bar & Grill. Click on the flyer above for details regarding the venue and performance. All proceeds benefit Mission Humanity.
Finished watching Bill Clinton speak tonight at the Democratic Convention - he's still my favorite president :) Tomorrow may meet with my friend Chelsea for dinner and maybe a movie and Friday off to rehearse for Sunday's performance. Saturday will be spent with family grilling and barbequing. Looking fwd to this Labor Day weekend :)
Raman aww thank you!! :) Training regimen for the abs is 580 different crunches that target the abs from top to bottom and the obliques as well and do them 4x a week. Soul thank you very much - you're so right about Indian families sometimes getting bogged down by things and forgetting to live and enjoy in the moment :) Florida was so wonderful and I am so blessed to have wonderful parents and sisters. And you totally need to spend more time with your parents!! :) Azure Kaze I've been to Tampa and Clearwater before - both absolutely LOVELY :) Glad you had a great time too and glad you liked the pictures. I might make the cup/writing pad pic into a layout one day for one of my sites :) Callie thank you for the manga recommendation! :) The Girl Who Runs Through Time looks cute and I'll definitely check it out! :) Anjali hon I miss you at work! Let's get together soon and talk? I want to hear everything!! Ailinon oh my gosh I am so exciting to see you posting in English! Can't wait to read your blog! I have so many new friends now here in NYC who are from Poland - one is vacationing there right now and will be back next week.
Off to take a relaxing shower and head to bed. Good night all!
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a lovely Tuesday
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
11:43 p.m.
sipping some herbal tea and relaxing before turning in to bed. Just finished watching night #2 of the Democratic Convention and enjoyed watching Hillary Clinton speak. I still wish it was she who won the democratic candidacy because I truly do feel she would have made the best president. That said, I'm a democrat through and through and will heartily support Obama because when all is said and done, his principles are mine as well.
Had a lovely night - went shopping at Banana Republic after work and picked up some new jewelry (delicate earrings and a set of 5 rings), these gorgeous black kitten-heeled t-strap sandals with black stones across the t-strap and a stunning black shirt-dress that fit me so perfectly and which BananaRepublic.com only has in "eggplant" on its website - a shame because the dress in black is to-die-for-gorgeous!! :)
Afterwards, went to Hindi class where tonight's lesson focused on time (learning to read the clock and the various hours/times/morning/noon etc of the day). I am so happy with how well I'm learning hindi - must devote time to studying it thoroughly this week and weekend.
This coming Sunday (Labor Day Sunday) I will be performing a 3-song acoustic set with my producer at Arctica Bar & Grill here in the city - it's for a charity event hosted by Mission Humanity. I'll post up more details tomorrow night. For now, it is time for bed! :) *HUGS* to all and I will respond to messages tomorrow night. Good night :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
At the Mets vs. Astros Game Saturday Night
Sunday, August 24, 2008
10:43 p.m.
what an awesome time I had at my 1st METS baseball game last night! :) Last summer I saw my 1st ever baseball game and that was with the Yankees (loved every minute of it) and last night's Mets game was just as fun! :)
The firm I work for is an in-house law firm for an insurance company and once every summer the insurance company gives its employees Mets tickets, so I met up with friends from work and enjoyed hot dogs and ice cream while wearing our company-issued Mets gear - I chose a Mets hard-hat. Above are my friends Katrina and Dogmar.
Baseball is HUGE in New York City - and during the summer, there's nothing more NY than enjoying an evening Mets or Yankees game and having a ballpark hot dog :) mmmm there's just something about ballpark dogs! Check out some of the awesome photos I was able to capture of the field, my camera was able to get very close to the batters and we were seated way back in the picnic area of Shea Stadium but still the seating was great - not a bad house in the stadium! :) And I'm glad I got to go because this is the last time the Mets play in this Shea Stadium before they start playing in the new stadium.
I totally want a Mr. Mets plush doll or the Mets puppy plush!! Somebody buy me one!
I really love photography and love trying to capture beautiful natural shots of the sky and scenery.
Afterwards, met up with friends Mona and Urvi and went to ouor friend Shah's apartment down on Bowery in the Lower East Side where he was having a party because it was his last night in the city - he's going back to Toronto, Canada and won't come back til May 2009! So we stayed, met a lot of his friends and had fun :) Didn't get home until after 2:30 and lovely Mona drove me all the way back into Westchester since we missed my last train out of Grand Central. She's such an awesome friend.
Shah's apartment by the way is PHENOMENAL! He even has a rooftop that has sensational views of the city - the moon was out last night and I swear I coulda' stayed up there forever - I so, so, SOOO need to move into my own apartment in the city!
Anywayz, it's almost 11 pm and I have a significant amount of sleep to catch up on, so let me take a shower and relax and head to bed. *HUGS* to all! Good night!
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
11:55 p.m.
This October I'll be walking to raise money for The American Cancer Society - Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Central Park! :) My goal is $1,000 and I am doing this on behalf of friends I know who have or are suffering with breast cancer. Please consider donating to my goal - my first and last name is Nishi Rajan.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Remember When
Monday, August 18, 2008
11:54 p.m.
wrote a new song tonight - cried a lot writing it - called 'Remember When', for RV. It's late. Watched the Hills tonight - loved every minute of it. Must sleep now.
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Back from Florida
Sunday, August 17, 2008
11:56 p.m.
I'm back from a lovely 4-day weekend getaway with my fam at our vacation home in Ft. Myers, Florida - had such a wonderful time and can't believe I'm back in New York....this was way too short and it feels surreal to be back - like it wasn't the right day to *be* back - Mekha and Mili and I all felt that way - cept for poor Nithi who is glad to be back ;) Last Wednesday she got stung by a sting ray while she, Mek and Mil and papa and mummy were at the beach. They wound up spending Wednesday night at the ER and Nith was on crutches for the duration of the family trip. We still all managed to have fun however - sting ray or no string ray! :)
I joined my family on Thursday morning - took the early 6:45 a.m. flight out of JFK and arrived at 9:45 in Ft. Myers - our home in Florida is part of this gorgeous complex of homes my dad invested in back in 2004 - the complex is surrounded by lakes, bridges, lush greenery - it has a Town Center with a pools, tennis courts, a fantastic gym I used every day - wound up being able to jog 7.0 miles per hour and did a mile in a little over 8 minutes! Spent every day running in the mornings, lounging by the pool in the afternoons, going on evening walks & runs
Below are a few pics of our home & the surrounding areas as well as the gorgeous bridges I jogged over - all pics I took on sunset runs through the complex
While on my Saturday evening jog, I captured the breathtaking shots of the sun's rays through the clouds just before sunset and the stunning cloud patterns in the sky:
Friday & Saturday were spent by the pool
Thursday the fam and I did the normal thing we always do on vacation in Ft. Myers - board the casino boat for a dinner cruise!! I ate SO MUCH FOOD that night and it was worth every bite! :) The moon was out (gorgeous), the water was beautiful, I lounged by the front of the boat (you can see a shot of the front below) and aside from the rocky waters which made us a bit nauseous, it was an awesome night!
Last night (Saturday night) we all went to dinner at the FirePit City Grill and it was the best! From the appetizers of Seafood Spring Rolls and Eastside Flatbread (without the cheese) to my entree of filet mignon salad to the desserts of molten chocolate cake and raspberry creme brulee (delicious!) and the teas (roobios, jasmine & cranberry) - all was perfection!!
What follows is something I wrote this morning while having tea on the front porch of the home and I've copied it word for word and included the pictures of what I speak of:
On my last day in Florida for the family vacation: August 17, 2008 - 7:40 a.m. I woke up at 5:45 a.m. to the sound of my cellphone beeping. I had set it the night before so that I'd have a good 6 mile run in the morning before having to get ready for the 10:30 flight back to New York. However, when I looked out, it was still pitch dark so I climbed back into bed and when I next opened my eyes, it was 6:30 a.m. and I could see the sky lightening up into a dark blue and knew it was the right time....early dawn runs are the best :) I was out the door at 6:45 and, within my 1st few foot steps, was immediately called to a halt by the moon outside - it was humongous and bright white - I dashed back inside, grabbed my camera and took the pics below - to my right was the moon and to my left the sunrise:
The size of the moon is an optical illusion to our human eyes - the camera captures the true size (which is tiny). God it was magnificent and huge - I felt so blessed to see it. I put the camera on the porch wall and proceeded on my run. Everything was quiet. All the families in the complex sound asleep. I jogged up to Orlandia Drive and turned in until I found one of the walk-through roads that leads/connects every drive/house-road to these bridges - the moon in all its white heavenly glory shined above - I took pic after pic:
I called out to God while standing atop one of those bridges somewhere past Puffin Drive....I hope He heard me.
I love early morning and late-evening jogs...the first for the sunrise, the second for the sunset...there is such a feeling/sensation of peace, of connectedness, of oneness with my surroundings....the world can be such a beautiful place.
I am sad it is my last day - I wish I could stay here but, as always, we must return to our present reality - but we return changed, inspired for the better - our new experiences will motivate us to make changes in ourselves so that the reality we are presented with is purely one we want - one of our own intentional making/design. I return now to sing, to create music, to perform, to write my books and stories.
I have finished my tea and it must be 8 a.m. now or past - mummy is making egg sandwiches on toasted bagels. I love my family. As much as we irritate and annoy each other, we're family - through thick and thing. I love them no matter what.
Upon finishing my diary entry above, I took a picture of my cup of tea, my writing pad, pen and the view out the front porch of the Florida home - I couldn't decide which pic I liked better:
And now finally it is almost 1:30 a.m. now into Monday morning and I have to wake up in 5 hours to get ready for work :) and I so wanted to get a good night's sleep ;) hahaah :) never happens :) I close with a picture of a flower I took and a sweet shot of my mom and I on our evening walk Saturday, August 16, 2008. Good night all :) Hope each of you had a good weekend as well.
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Off to Sunny Florida - Hello Bikini & Beach! :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
04:57 a.m.
hello guys and dolls :) I'm off to my folks' beautiful vacation home in south-west Florida, near Ft. Myers. I'm on about 2 hours of sleep but heck all my packing is done! :D See ya'll when I get back on Sunday :)
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
11:44 p.m.
In the morning, when I get in my car to drive to the train station, I listen to NPR; at night, it's 880AM radio and, if it's after 8pm, baseball is on - usually a Yankees game. I can't tell you how comforting it is - after a long, long day - to turn on 880 & drive home at night listening to the sportscasters talk about Johnny Damon out on center field. The sounds of baseball, of summer...I love it :) Meanwhile, NPR is my addiction (All Things Considered my absolute fave program) - keeps me grounded. And when all else fails, Z100 and KROQ are my perpetual favorites for all things music :)
Home doin' laundry and packing in advance to fly out to Florida on Thursday early morning to join the fam at our vacation home in Ft. Meyers - cannot WAIT! :) Tomorrow a friend and I are going to have dinner at a fantastic Japanese place I know over in Chelsea here in the city - looking fwd to that :) And now it is quarter to midnight and way past my bedtime and even though I have not finished packing at all I need sleep dammit! :)
Been listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers all night...Otherside is playing in my head now...
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Speaking out against injustice wherever you find it: China
Sunday, August 10, 2008
01:38 p.m.
As you all know from my many years of writing on this blog, I'm an outspoken critic of human rights violators. Like all of you, I watched the beautiful opening of the Beijing Olympics and was awed. I study Mandarin, practically "live" in NYC's Chinatown considering how often I eat there, and I love China, its people, its history and some of my dearest friends are Chinese. However, that said, its current government's human rights violations are atrocious and sickening.
One day after Amnesty International issued a comprehensive report on how the Chinese government was failing to live up to its promises on human rights, the Chinese government shut down access to AI's web site - even for foreign reporters in Beijing to cover the Olympics. "Internet censorship for the people of China," says AI, "is nothing new, but the Olympics were supposed to be different. When China bid for the Olympics in 2001, it declared that it would 'give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China' if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected Beijing to host the Games."
AI's report related as follows: "A number of other websites are also reported to have been blocked, including Taiwan newspaper Liberty Times and the Chinese versions of both Germany's Deutsche Welle and the BBC. This flies in the face of official promises to ensure ?complete media freedom? for the Games. Internet control and censorship is increasing as the Olympics approach. Many other sites, including several reporting on HIV/AIDS issues in Beijing, have been targeted."
"Despite new media regulations that were supposed to allow for freer reporting for foreign journalists, they continue to be prevented from covering ?sensitive issues?, including talking to those who suffer human rights violations. The Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) documented approximately 180 incidents of reporting disruptions in 2007. This has now increased to 260."
AI reports: "China's leadership ordered local governments to go 'all out" to prevent civilian protesters from tarnishing the Olympic Games in Beijing.'"
Chen Guangcheng is one of the courageous activists Amnesty International is working to free. The blind human rights defender and legal advisor was arrested in 2005 for filing a lawsuit on behalf of thousands of women in Shandong Province who endured forced abortions and sterilizations to meet local birth quotas. Chen's wife and lawyers were barred from appearing in court to defend him - and after a 1-day trial he received a 4-year prison sentence. Chen's situation remains grim, as he's reportedly been beaten in captivity. He won the Magsaysay award - described as Asia's Nobel Prize - in July 2007 for defending human rights. But Chinese authorities even prevented Chen's wife from traveling to the Philippines to accept the prize on his behalf.
China is a beautiful country, and its people wonderful, however, injustice occurs everywhere and it is our responsibility to speak out against it wherever we find it - whether here in the U.S. or elsewhere. Educate yourself more on this subject. Check out the following recent news articles:
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Pastis, Mumtaz & Pakistan's Perez Musharraf being impeached
Thursday, August 7, 2008
11:54 p.m.
went out with friends to Pastis tonight after work in the Meat Packing District (not far from where I work on the west side) and had an absolute blast! We got seated at an awesome table outside so we could people watch and ordered Cotes Du Rhone wine (a medium to full body red wine) and we all dined on steak tartare, chicken liver & foie gras mousse and an argula salad before dangerously ordering the tuna nicoise salad and realzing too late that it was a GIGANTIC meal which I took home :) We're going to try NERO & ONE and SPICE MARKET next time :) The night was warm and a bit windy but so beautiful....I laid my head back and just took in the sky and all of the city around me. Love summer in the city.
The Cotes du Rhone left me quite tipsy :) Had so much fun tonight :)
Last night went to MUMTAZ on the upper east side for dinner with one of my friends and had really delicious Indian food - we ordered 2 different assorted appetizers: the Chef's Special Appetizers which consisted of chicken marinated in spices, cooked with green peppers, onions and tomato sauce, served with vegetable patties and papadam and the Assorted Indian Hors D'Oeuvres samosa, pakora, sheek kebab, shami kebab & papadam - absolutely fantastic! Our main entrees were Fish Shagpiazi which is fish marinated in spices, cooked with mushroom, spinach and herbs and my friend got the Chicken Bhuna which is chicken cooked with green peppers and tomatoes - I also ordered us chappati and each entree came with rice. We finished everything by trying all 3 desserts MUMTAZ offered: Rasmalai (homemade cheese soaked with cream) which I didn't like and have had much better elsewhere and Gulab Jaman (fried pastry in honey sauce) which is my dad's and my fave regular Indian dessert, and my absolute favorite - Firni (light custard with rose water flavor <---- sooooooo good).
Hope you guys have been following the news about Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf being impeached - this is HUGE news. Musharraf seized power in a military coup back in 1999 and ruled Pakistan for eight years with the backing of the US, which counted him as an ally in the War on Terror but Musharraf's presidency has been marked by human rights and justice violations, most notable the recent arrests and jailings and of Pakistan's Chief Justice and how he imposed a State of Emergency last year to prevent anyone from thwarting his efforts to be re-elected. Read more at TIME's "Musharraf in the Crosshairs"
My producer invited me to attend a charity rock concert tomorrow night and it looks so awesome but my sis Mekha wants me to come home and do a movie and do a sister's night in and I think Mil and Nith will also come home which would REALLY make it a Friday night sisters' night in! :) I sooooo could use a night of running and rest and curling up to watch a movie :) Been out every night this week! :) Saturday I may do brunch with my publicist and/or meet with my producer in Queens to work on the music and again on Sunday - may go out late Saturday night to a friend's party....I really want to spend good solid time immersed in writing - the desire to write often consumes me and nothing relieves it until I've lost myself completely within it.
After midnight again now and I was supposed to slip into bed 2 hours ago! ;) Am off - good night all!
Have you 'Sloohed' yet? If you love astronomy like I do, then you have to try the *LIVE* telescope missions at Slooh.com! Sign up for a free trial and see nebulae & galaxies right on your computer *LIVE*! I'm there most evenings & weekends. Join the Chat!
Since 1998, I have been designing websites. The following are almost every main site I have ever made.
A Dream I Dream
My personal page with pictures of me and everything I love!
TooyaandAya.com
Devoted to Touya/Tooya and Aya of Ayashi no Ceres!
UsagiandMamoru.com My favorite and best couple ever! Sailor Moon's Usagi and Mamoru (Serena and Darien)
MiakaandTamahome.com My tribute to Fushigi Yuugi's main couple who always have my heart, Miaka and Tamahome!
Kare Kano Love
A Miyazwa and Arima ML - discuss everything Kare Kano here!
Favorite Manga and Anime most everything in Ribon and Nakayoshi!
Alice 19th
Anatolia Story a.k.a. Red River
Ayashi no Ceres/Ceres Celestial Legend
Basara
B.B. Explosion
Call Me Princess
Catcher in the Horoscope or ZODIAC P.I.
Crescent Moon
Cyber Idol MINK
Delicious! (Yui Ayumi)
Dream Saga
Fruits Basket
Fushigi Yuugi
Gals / Super Gals!
Hana Kimi
Hot Gimmick
IMADOKI
Instant Teen (Otona Ni Nuts or Just Add Nuts)
Juvenile Orion
Kaikan Phrase or SENSUAL PHRASE
Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne
Kanata Kara a.k.a. From Far Away
Kare Kano
Kodomo no Omocha
Magic Knights Rayearth
Maria (Naoko Takeuchi)
Marmalade Boy
Max Lovely
Mint No Bokura
Miracle Girls
MODEL
More Starlight to Your Heart
Mouryou Kiden
Neck and Neck
One
Ororon
Othello
Otona Ni Nuts 0r INSTANT TEEN - JUST ADD NUTS
(the) Queen's Knight
Psychic Academy
Random Walk
SailorMoon
Saint Tail / St. Tail
Saiyuki
Sweet & Sensitive
Tokyo Mew Mew
Ultra Maniac
Vampire Game
Wild Act
Words I live by:
Man is never so tall as when he kneels before God - never so great as when he humbles himself before God. And the man who kneels to God can stand up to anything. -Louis H. Evans
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt
"All human wisdom is contained in these two words: wait and hope." - The Count of Monte Cristo
"The winds of God are always blowing but it is up to you to set the sails." - UNKNOWN
"The only dream worth having, I told her, is to dream that you will live while you're alive and die only when you're dead. [Which means:] To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget." - Arundhati Roy
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." -
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Jogging, Martial Arts Kickboxing, Dance - currently middle eastern dance & bellydance, Tennis, Singing (of course ;) and working on my songs, Reading & writing about all the things I am interested and passionate about, watching tv and movies, painting, drawing, astronomy, rollerblading (and trying to get better at it and ice skating!), obsessive anime and manga fan and professional web designing, ancient studies / ancient civilizations, history and archaeology, world mythology, politics and world affairs, international law, human rights, studying many languages (have studied and continue to study spanish, mandarin chinese, japanese and hindi).
Today I am roasting pumpkins to make pumpkin puree - it's for breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, for next week's thanksgiving pumpkin pie and the pumpkin breads I plan to make :D We've got to somehow use all the pumpkins we bought in October for Halloween ;)
Tomorrow I am dressing up as what will be considered a cross between Galadriel from Lord of the Rings and Glinda the Good Witch of the East from WICKED/Wizard of Oz - I have this beautiful short white sparkly dress I bought at this uber-cute boutique in Chinatown over the summer and am pairing it with silver stockings, white or gray boots, a silver/pale gray long velvet cloak with a hood I bought on Ebay for $49 and topping it off with a tiara and a gorgeous silver & rhinestone crown wand. I'll look like some sort of Princess is what people will eventually think but dangitall I am trying to pull of a theme! :)
