Good/Bad

April 22 - 6:41 PM

I was feeling so guilty since this afternoon that may be I was wrong and my sis(Younger/Google or ancient Potter sis) was right, but no! I felt all guilt free in the evening when...

It's that day when you can't ignore the six O' clock alarm, monday morning's the meeting time..ting ting! You cannot be late. I spent few hours yesterday looking for tickets yesterday and I badly wanted to book them in a day or do before the prices go up, although a lot of you know what I am talking about I'd like to keep it a little secret and reveal it when it finally happens. I was sure I'll discuss the dates at home and book it today or tomorrow, after a one and a half mugs of espresso I was full awake to make a call home and unfortunately this added to one of those 90% of calls when no one answers the phone, this is why I stopped calling them, them includes even my elder sis. I left them few warning messages to call back. My potter sis came online and she started arguing you call, we wont call blah blah and there was a reason behind me telling them to call but no..someone had to argue argue and make the sh*t out of my mood and yell - 'Fine Bye' with extra exclamations and log out, which made me more mad because I was so excited about this thing and my sis argued on a silly thing and zeroed all my excitement. She doesn't like me using an ef word, no one does at home, I got nagged by my mom and a big lecture from my sis cos I used it and I used it again and my sis went -if you want to talk to me like this then don't talk..hmm..I thought ok now she'll delete me from whatsapp, cos last time I used it she deleted me from her facebook, this trends been going on everywhere I guess, delete people if you don't want to talk to them, but this from siblings?seriously? she needs to grow up! I know I shouldn't use an ef word on my younger sis but she did enough to spoil my day.

I didn't hear from mom or anyone from home, I messaged my elder sis so that I can share it with her and relieve myself of anger but she never replied back so..I was all frustrated with a heavy head trying to work.. end of the day when I was about to save my work I see a message 'Microsoft has stopped working.' This added to the misery and I was more arghh! I just shut my laptop and started for home.

Its spring officially but its still  cold, I had to scratch ice on my windshield this morning so I still didn't go back to my mechanic to put my Heat back to AC ..remember my temperature control knob in the car was broken? While returning home the car got so hot with temperature reaching mid 60s..I tried driving with a window little down on the freeway but it looked as if my car was moving from one side to other side of the lane, so I just shut the window and drove, it was so hot inside that I felt my brain would leak, I decided I have to fix this myself put it on AC. 

I searched on you tube and they were videos how to fix it, it looked like this problem was common, I went to the car and under the steering its kind of a lever and all I had to do was move it to the opposite direction and I could feel the cool, I fixed it. 

Now the bottom line is if it was my mistake in the mornings argument with my sister then like everything turned out to be a flop show since morning, the fixing of AC would flop too, which didn't happen. I believe you are made to suffer/punished for all the bad you do in the same life. I have extreme cases which holds good for the above philosophy, every time I made fun of someone who fell ill in the house or in the school or friends I would fall ill within next 2 days, no their virus didn't make me fall sick, may be it did, but every time?

Getting basics right.

This might be a short post, I don't know. Hmm..I've been going to malls to pick a shoe which I can wear in this season, when I say this season-its spring but its snowing flaking and still chilly, no I am not going to complain about the climate, I am just an expat so I don't even think I have the right. Before it started snowing I got suede boots not realizing the ice and snow would make sh*t of the boots and my legs too. I wore them couple of times when it didn't snow, they still look worn out the snow aftermath did its job. I managed wearing the leather boots my father got me when I was in ninth standard, I never got a chance to wear them in India. When I came here I wore them for job fairs and interviews and gave them a top shelf corner space - prayed them, now they're dead the snow ate them. :(  The things which my parents get me are very special, I feel so bad to even throw the plastic bags/boxes they send me sweets, namkeen, achar in from India. I remember when my sister got her first job she got my sister the Harry Potter series and brown sandals for me, I still remember them, they had bow in front. We kept our shoes in a shelf under the stair case, I guarded them in the same box they came in, once in a while I would wear them in house and walk around, one day when I opened the box I found the white mouldy fungus thing on the shoes and the leather was ruined, the rain water some how entered into the box and my shoes were gone, the first thing my sis gave with her first salary went in vain, I didn't even wear them once :( Now my younger sister tells she'll get boots for me, when I asked what did you get for me, you are earning now.

Today my friends at work were talking about the skirts and different clothes they wear in summer/fall and I was thinking about my boring clothes and my sisters dialogues in background, more or less I would  just buy a capri and not wear socks with shoes haha!

Coming back to the shoes, last week I got shoes from dsw, the same store whose website I browse at nights when I don't fall sleep. After spending an hour, I got gray suede heals, on a sunday morning I was their first customer, I trashed the requirements again, I wanted something to protect me from snow/cold.

In the evening I wore them and I see they're coming out of my feet when I walk fast. I cleaned them right away and put them back in the box and returned them the next day. It doesn't happen often that I return something which was on sale or clearance but this time I had to..

The plus point of being in India or any tropical place- you don't have to buy different shoes, clothes  for every season. You are not bound to that pain of packing unpacking from the suitcase when the season changes or blame my cupboard size -I don't have a big cupboard/storage. I don't have that many things to do cos I just put on a sweater on the top which I'd wear in spring, summer or fall, but the people who live hear they have a complete different set of clothes, they enjoy buying different clothes for different seasons I guess..at least summer clothes. Haha!I am remembering how mom use to take excuses to buy different sarees every season, before rainy season she'd go for rainy season saree shopping and in summer for cotton sarees and that pain of taking those sarees to dry clean and put on startch.  I think pain is everywhere from buying summer/woolen clothes to buying rainy/summer sarees..I didn't know I would pacify myself on this argument when I was starting my blog. That's what writing is for..at least for me, I can yell, talk, cry or calm myself.

By the way, I went to the mall today and got a leopard print sandals for summer, they were on sale in Payless. Hopefully I won't return them, they were cheap for that price, I am sure mom will like them if I don't ;)

Phir bhi dil hai hindustani/Food obsession.

3/16/2013 -10:55 AM

Giving more details, its a Saturday morning and I am sipping my morning tea along with toast and murkul my friends mom sent, how healthy!! You need calories, its morning, don't curse me for overeating.

People from different nations if reading any - I don't have anything against the way you eat or what you eat and I am not discriminating, its just extra love towards my own motherland which made me write this blog. So, no offense. (I am bad at writing those techincal/statutory warning/ disclaimer or no its just my opinion lines.

We've been taught not to make fun of food or insult it, I'll try not to do so.

I have been fasting on and off to make my rozas which I left in Ramadaan, I left 14 out of 30 this time because I was sick, I got into a new role/new job, too much of travel and laziness etc etc. I know Roza means Prayers, surrendering yourself to God but its been so different for me, I am thinking, browsing about food all day at my desk otherwise too I do that regularly but its just more these days. Yesterday I made pakode which me and my Potter sis(lets name her Google sis now  :D) loved to eat, it used to be on thela (something like kiosk here in malls) in front of the very famous St.Anns Girls College. The place had Paani poori, jalebi, Mirchi Bhajji and more bhajji stands..Yumm..that place had almost everything, so we used to go there often.. the clothes store,  beauty parlor, printing stations..in India printing/scanning is still such a big deal..  When I opened my fast and ate those, first thing I did was texted my sis with the picture of bhajiyas. The previous day I made Thai chicken coconut  curry and after eating the bhajiyas I went-' Why do I even try making something which's not our own' not that the curry wasn't good but why try something which takes more time more money more fuel-yes it took me two days to get all the ingredients for the curry.

When I was new here I remember me and a friend went to a Chinese restaurant close to school we just ordered one dish and couldn't finish it, the veggies chicken pieces swimming in the soy sauce were new to us and we were not able to digest it. I am ok with the chinese food and I love thai food, I started eating more of it when I was an intern in Auburn Hills where one more friend from school worked and we used to carpool and eat lunch outside in the Thai, chineese restaurants where we got aquainted to Pad Thai, Gan garee, Kung Pao and what not.

I never had a thing for Italian, Pasta wasta and everything has that same tomato taste, I do like lasagna but for me I cant digest things without spice, they don't ask you the spice level in Italian so...haha! On the other hand I love the french cuisine it doesnt have that spice element still it can be tangy, fondueeey so..you'd have clearly understood by now that I like all the things which add on weight.

In 2010, we were invited to a church for thanksgiving dinner-there was this church going guy he used to invite us to church on Thanksgiving and Christmas and also give us ride, he's gone to India..I miss him..people use to call him Ravi Anna...nice guy. Because of him I know Turkey, Coleslaw and mashed potatoes- American food, which I'm not very fond of- Plain, Baked thrown into your plate with a dollop of butter. Kahan apna sambaar aur kahan Chilli(soup with beef in it with few chillies-cooked in a crockpot, hot according to...ahem ahem!)

The first restaurant I ate in was Qdoba, our super senior Bhaggu  took me and the other two friends there. A mexican restaurant where my friend broke his fork trying to cut a Burrito, haha. We were still in the Indian mode of eating where people eat Pizza huts pizza with so much care with a knife and fork. I have not seen a gora doing that..ever!

Initially we used to get all excited about eating outside in a restaurant, get ready and go slamming people who eat in Indian Buffet, but after a year all went phus! We are back to the desi khana and we love it and miss the Indian sweets and the bandi food.

I am planning to go low on rice and I'm worried about my achars lying in my cupboard- I have Mango which mom gave, Gongura(leafy vegetable) which a friend couriered, nimbu, small mangoes and amla which a friend got from India and mixed vegetable punjabi pickle which my lead got. I am over stocked and can't think of what to do with those :( They're lying in my cupboard I don't wanna give them away.

Anyone need some achar?

Sissy comes US.

Feb 24 -6:52 PM

So, I have been careless enough to see the two hours halt at the transit to Detroit.

 I remember the last time I regretted not giving importance  to the number of stops and giving more priority to the cost of the ticket was my trip to India last year, I realized in that trip that I don't like traveling, something which I fancied when my friend Jeet used to complaint about.  I like seeing places but I don't like that long hours of being seated in a place restricting ur muscles, bones to move..not that I am an athlete or a sporty person. I've been like this - I want every hour to be as entertaining and dramatic as kyun ki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi..haha just kidding. No, but seriously speaking I can't stand the same thing for more than 2 hrs, I start getting bored before those 120 mins of repeateddom or repeatedness, be it work or a movie. I remember I used to complain to pay 15$ for a 1.5 hrs movie coz I was used to pay less for a movie which offered entertainment for 2.5 hrs or 3 hrs sometimes.

I made my first trip all by myself in this alien country. I realized how dependent I was on my friends to drive me hear and there, all I do is drive work to home and drive back home to work, not counting those window shopping trips to malls around the place. This trip was to Indianapolis to see my sister, who I saw the last about an year ago. I couldn't see her the last time she came to California, being cal so far and I had my semester exams, also I was sure I would not buy that expensive air ticket, not to forget I was just an intern then. I wasn't sure if  I would be able to see her, I was planning to go by bus as the  guy friends who'd drive for me weren't in town and the buses were getting cancelled coz of the bad weather.  The friend who was dropping me checked if I had all my tickets and found I didn't have a part of my return ticket n he goes- you can't do anything without ur friends on ur own. I didn't collect it from the printer.


I didn't eat breakfast, I asked the lady sitting in the front of me if the bus would stop for lunch and she said no. The bus stopped  at a station and I quickly got down and bought few snacks from the wending machine. I reached to the hotel before she checked in, I saw few colleagues of hers working, I got an idea that she'd join them too once she arrives. She got down from the taxi and I ran and hugged her.  Hmm.. we didn't spend much time together as it was just a day trip, but we had dinner, breakfast and lunch together and had long chats.

Sis always has complains with the way I dress, this time I did not want to take risk and wore the sweater which she bought for me..and took a bright blue sweater for the second day, but how can she not have any problem the way I dress or look, she always does, she doesn't know but I cried watching Taare Zameen Par's Tujhe sab hai pata hai na maa song when she told me to to dress proper the day before I was starting, Mom is the only one who doesn't complain about me, I though I'll call Mom, but I didn't she'd be worried so much. I felt its all papas fault, he's the one who use to shop for her, buy all those solid colors-no more than 1 or 2 colors  in a dress and no too much pattern, design. Huh! I can't argue with their sense of dressing, I think I dress much mature or older to my age. But I like how she put make up on me n say -'do aa' for putting lipstick on, she's been doing that since I was small. Dress and Make up artist cum critique. 

We couldn't shop or even take a picture together :( But I heard a lot of stories of my tiny niece who's growing so fast. I cant wait for one more small baby in the family, I haven't spent much time with my niece but still, seeing the little ones pictures and buying things for her is so much fun. 

We didn't cry while parting, we're grown ups now ;) I was so tensed that I will miss the bus..I missed the chance of looting things from her make up box when she asked in the end -'take something if u like, I had my eyes on the MAC Concealer. 

Eating the sweets sis got, feels like I forgot what real sweets are the desi stores here carry all the stale stuff and my interest in sweets all most went to a negative scale, this feels so heavenly and melts in mouth. Ah!..I love India for its food, no comparison ever!

Lights off! Owl.

I was going to get tea for myself my roommate said-'you won't sleep Nameera,' Lets see, I replied.

I started drinking tea when I was in standard seven, since then the day I skip it my head blasts, the hang of it has become less since the time I came here to the US, but then if I drink the same thing anytime after 5 in the evening, I am gone, I don't get sleep for hours in the night.

I don't know how many of you don't get sleep the night before you go to work after vacation or on Sundays, I don't. :( And its been like this always-in school, college every time.

There was a period when I started wat tching all real horror stories on Television and I wouldn't sleep for hours, even if I slept my sleep'd be very disturbing. Shows like Gumrah, its about teenage crimes, and there was one more show where a newly married psycho  guy killed his wife and stored her body in the refrigerator for 15 years, the shows name is 'SHAITAAN' means devil and the advertisements of this show use to just pop up in the middle of no where when i used to watch Bigg Boss.

Funny part is the weird searches I make when I don't fall sleep;

DSW Shoes

Does earthworms spoil the indoor plants

How to chose a right foundation 

What color eye shadow suits dark complexion 

I thought I am not falling sleep because there's very less activity for my body and started going to Gym in the evenings, I also tried drinking warm chocolate milk just before going to bed, its been kind of  legacy in our family in women specially to eat sweet before sleeping, my grand mom use to eat Paan and my mom always had sweet tooth.

Now! after a month I started editing this blog, I don't remember what I wanted to write more about sleeping late at night, before I just go and click that discard button on the top, I'll let u read this and may be I can ask you readers, not that I have many - How do you get a good sleep if something like this happens to you or how do you cut time other than trying to install new apps on your phone or do weird google searches or tilt your blinds of the window to see how many more lights around you in the apartment's turned ON. 

Emoshnal!

Every time a dear friend of mine visits India I have packages going out and coming in. I remember when I went to India last year I didn't take anything from anyone, I didn't have room in my bags for someone else's packages. 

The first time I sent something home from here was  in 2010 in December when papa used to send me dollars for my expenses, I used to be so thrifty then. Sri who left yesterday for India took my things and messed everything-I was so angry he gave my chocolates to someone else and gave someone else's snickers(I don't like them) to my family. I had such a worst expression when someone was getting snickers to send it to India and imagine the same chocolates went to my family. When my parents showed me what all he gave them I cried saying-'he gave snickers to you guys, who sends snickers to India? I didn't send them.' Papa tried explaining me that I should be glad that he took my things and not complaint.The guy messed up with things because he was carrying so many things for 5 people to India. 

Even last year when he went to India Mom sent so many things for me, Pickles, sweets and some traditional dresses. Anyone who'd go to India I tell them to get sweets and Pickle, I didn't even spare my team lead, I don't know if he got it or not, he came back just yesterday. I hope he gets it because the stock mom sent me last time's almost coming to an end. Oh! oh! wait day before yesterday one of my friend in Texas couriered  me a package it had Gongura(leafy vegetable) pickle, he told he remembered how much I liked it when I ate it when he was here, he moved to California otherwise I'd have no scarcity of pickles in my shelf. 

So, this time when Sri was going to India, I had some stuff to send to my family, my sister aka potter sis sent me a big list, excuse: she got hired in Google. Just kidding. The list had flat shoes, some blue color eye liner, body wash and all girly things, when I asked her- do you want an Ipod she said 'No, I listen songs on my phone..' Grr! who'd say no to an I product? Even last time when I asked my elder sis who's found of reading books, if she wanted nook or kindle, she said-'No, I am not a gadget person' Huh! Even I'm not a gadget person, I still don't have a smart phone. But when I see people buying all the electronics for their siblings even I feel like buying them, my brother asks me for a lot of electronic things but I just trash all his requests because I think he's still young to use them. How ever he managed to make me order a google tablet, even my mom encouraged him saying ' Yes, you can get that, my colleague got that and she was even able to take phone calls on that' 

Last time Sri was caught in the immigration check and had to pay a huge money for all the gadgets he was carrying, so this time when I asked if he can take a tablet he first agreed and later told no. I was still sure that I can send it with him. His flight was initially on 14th Jan but he prepone his ticket to 9th. My tablet was getting shipped within 5 business days and I was sure it wont reach before he leaves, I was sad the whole day when I heard this. I was so excited about sending it. :(

He left for India and another friend of mine who was also sending his gifts to India told me he didn't take the shoes I got for my sister, my mind was just blown off when I heard this, I started yelling at the guy who told me this. I also cried when I told my sis on chat that he couldn't take shoes either. Sometime later I called him and fought on why he didn't take it, he said he didn't have room, he was again taking 5 peoples gifts and he didn't want to take 'SHOES'. I kept arguing trying to prove how bad he is. I have my Gmail online most of the time, my father tried calming me down he again told me that I should be glad that he at least took somethings of mine. I calmed down and called him and bid Bye.

I decided that from now on I will not send anything to India from any friends of mine..but then next month one more friend is going to India, he'll also be going to Delhi where my little niece is whose birthday is in March..what do I do?

Go Car Go!

Sometimes its just  bad luck.. wear blue or not. This happened sometime back (almost a month now, this blog's celebrated its 1 month Birthday sitting in my drafts heheh) we were driving home, tired to welcome a fresh week next day. My friend who was driving trying to turn the heat ON broke my AC/Heat knob. Trying to be good, I didn't complaint unaware of what my car would be the next day morning when I'd head for work.

I went home and searched on ebay for the knob, seeing the discussion forums I found this was a very common problem for everyone with Lancers. To my disappointment  I found that just the knob isn't sold the whole unit of AC/Heat system has to be bought, a used one would come for 150$ and I didn't even want to look for something new.

Next morning: I went to my car, it was frozen..there was no way I could drive it like that..without any hesitation I exchanged cars with the guy who broke the knob, I missed my car..whole day I kept thinking about the accident I met with sometime in April. I remember how much I cried when we were taking it for repair after the accident, every part of the dashboard was literally dangling. Well..its an old story now..car's recovered from all the injuries I gave. 

I started early for home for I had to repair my car. I was driving and I noticed that the steering was hard to move, it wouldn't rotate for anything. I pulled over to the side in a garden/nursery. I had been here earlier. The guy working there opened the hood for me , we found that one of the belts near the engine was broke. I called one of my automotive buddies, we discuss all car issues..he told  me it was serpentine belt and if I try driving with it broken I'd break the alternator belt which'd inturn damage the engine by draining the battery, whatever it was I didn't want to take any risk. 

Sometimes if things like this happen, when I want someone to help, I take wear my bechaari look(poor look) on face, I remember my friends in high school saying 'if you say pleaseeee the professor will give you the grace points and pass you in the weekend exams.' and yes prof used to give me grace points at times..means my face really worked at times like that. I have tried this look and it worked more effectively on Americans than Desis...Americans are light hearted I feel when compared to Indians. So, I went to the owner of this place and told him what's wrong with the car, trust me I didn't really had to act very sad in front of this old guy, he was so friendly ..he started searching for tow trucks without me asking him to. In no time my car was repaired and I drove home.

I got some planters after few days from the same store..I'll  write about my indoor garden sometime, may be when I grow at least 10 plants..will write from where I got those and how I grew them.

You see I wasn't wearing Blue but still I got a double dhamaka Offer -khud ki gaadi tudwali aur doosre ki gaadi bhi todh dhi. 

My Temperature knob is still not fixed, I might have to get a complete unit, my mechanic turned the knob to Heat though, absolutely of free cost, thanks to my bechari look ;)