Friday, September 2, 2011

Shoes Shoes SHOES!!!





So Yesterday I received my first package of my first EVER online order made. I bought two pairs of shoes from SheikhShoes.com and one was a boot and the other heels! I was so excited! While the heels are gorgeous the boots are too, but the quality of the boots isn't that amazing for the price! But I still love them and overall I'm excited to wear them! So I just wanted to share them with you!! 

An Unforgettable Read



Yesterday Evening Around 9 pm when all the boys went to bed at work I decided to pick up a book I had recently bought at Borders Bookstore during it's out of business sale. The little girl's gaze on the front cover of the book is what intrigued me when I first saw it on the shelf of the store and after perusing over the back flap of the book I had decided to buy it.  As I picked it up last night I had not expected that I would be reading this book for the rest of the night! I only put the book down to drive to the store and home. I EVEN SKIPPED DINNER to read the rest of the book!! Once the book had finished, I looked up at the clock and it was 3am the next day already!! Time had flown so quickly! Within these 7 hours of reading on and off I had laughed, cried and even sighed a sense of relief. What book had me like this all in one night you ask? Adeline Yen Mah's "Chinese Cinderella". The following book is an autobiography of Adeline's life as a abandoned and unwanted child within her rich family in the mid-1900's in China. Adeline's mother had died  upon giving her birth and therefore she was immediately shunned as a baby by her family as being "unlucky" and "cursed". As her father remarries the hardships of dealing with a step-mother who loathes her and discriminates against her biological children and step-children unwinds for Adeline and she speaks of the two strongest pillars of her life Aunt Baba and Ye Ye (Grandfather). Her overcoming her life of discrimination and rising above all was truly inspirational for me. Adeline reminded me that life may be tough at times, but there has got to be someone whose had it tougher than me and that even though I may feel like my family at times is crazy I'm truly blessed to be cherished by them! So.. If you have the time this is definitely an AMAZING READ!! Though for the adults I'd recommend the "Falling Leaves" version of Adeline's story since its geared toward a more mature audience and provides insight after where "Chinese Cinderella" leaves off. 
"Falling Leaves" is what I intend to read next and once I have read that I'll be sure to post about that novel also. 

Until we meet again.. I leave you with an excerpt from the book:

"For those who were neglected and unloved as children, I have a particular message. In spite of what your abusers would have had you believe, please be convinced that each of you has within you something precious and unique. "Chinese Cinderella" is dedicated to you with the fervent wish that you will persist in tryng to do your best in the face of hopelessness; to have faith in the end your spirit will prevail; to transcend your abuse and transform it into a source of courage, creativity, and compassion." 

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Oh My Beloved Blog! How I missed thee!

Dear Blog,
               I seemed to have lost touch with you in the last few months due to other commitments and my cousin reminded me that I had you and now I'm back!!! So.. recently I've been busy with my Summer Program for work and planning and executing of things but I always seem to find time for the better things in life such as traveling, music and.... KOREAN DRAMAS!!!  So I've decided to go raving about one of the recent dramas I started because it's such a light, fresh and meaningful drama that I can't seem to get enough of it!! Not only that but it casts two of my favorite actors and ONLY ACTORS not idols in one show and it is "Scent of A Woman"

At first I decided to be dead set on watching this because of Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong Wook because they both touched me with their performances in "My Name Is Kim Sam Soon" and "My Girl", but as I got into the plot and storyline I began to fall in love with this drama within two episodes. Kim Sun Ah plays the role of 30-year old Lee Yeon Jae who is ailing of a terminal illness and has been told she has 6 months to live. Lee Dong Wook plays Kang Ji Wook the inheritor of one of the top travel agencies in Korea and a grim, cold about life man. Both meet through a series of fateful events in Okinawa, Japan and hilarity and chaos ensues! I love Kim Sun Ah, she has the distinct ability to make me laugh one moment and cry the next. Lee Dong Wook is a good actor in this drama, but I feel Sun Ah overtakes him in shining on screen. The story-line is light, yet we are reminded of the grim future Sun Ah's character will take on in the future. I love how the director and screenwriter has equally balanced sadness and happiness in this drama and I hope they keep it like that in the future. I love how this drama teaches us soooooo much about life in just a few episodes and I can't wait for more from this drama.

                       A little side note that I noticed while searching for this drama is that there is an American movie called "Scent of a Woman" starring Al Pacino. So my curiosity being piqued I wanted to know if the drama had any relevance to the movie. In the movie Al Pacino is a blind Army Lieutenant whom a university decided to watch over a holiday to earn enough money to go home for the holidays to come. I watched one of the scenes from the movie and found that it was similar to what Scent of A Woman the drama had coming for Episode 4; and it is the tango scene between Al Pacino and one of the actresses. The scene depicts Pacino dancing the tango and even though being blind he executes it to the T! In the drama Kim Sun Ah (based on observation of preview) yearns to learn the tango and I feel the correlation of the two Scent of Woman's is that no matter what your circumstances are.. no matter how or who you are... you can achieve what your heart desires and you should not hold yourself back! So... I hope to see the movie too IT SEEMS INTERESTING and once I'm finished hopefully I'll be able to put my finger on the similarities between the two and I leave my blog on this note, along with a trailer from the drama and scene from the movie!




Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!!

Hey Everyone, so it is almost 3am here and I was up most of the night doing touch ups on my video that I was going to post up on my blog for my significant other Meet as a Christmas present. I did this as a surprise and so even if u just stumble upon this video while looking for blogs PLZ PLZ PLZ! Leave a comment for Meet and let me know what you think of my gift to him. Again Merry Christmas everyone! To Meet, I'm sorry we didn't talk  much today, but I wanted to make this video for you and make sure it was done. So here you go.. though I may seem like I don't care much at times.. I really do! Luv ya!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Birthday Bashes and Thanksgiving Fun!

Hey Everyone! Since im on a blogging role why not keep going! Anyways, I'm back with a wonderful update of my beautiful and wonderful life! So, my birthday was on  Novemeber Sixteenth and I finally turned 25! It was a heartful and warming birthday and though small, was one of the best I have had so far.  I came home, opened presents, ate cake, and curled my hair for the first time, but the most touching part of all was that my cousins from Canada drove down for only one day and celebrated it with me. They also left me with this: 


One of my most treasured gifts recieved on my birthday.


Two of my fav ppl!

I was also soooo thankful and excited to see my two sisters Ritu and Nasib, without them, my birthday would be a bore. I love you two soooo much! Oh yeh and I can't forget my dog Nawaab! I am so grateful I got spend my birthday with the people I love the most! 

Ritu, Me and Nasib YEY!

Fun fun fun!

Ritu likes peacocks and peanuts (in her own words)







Now on to THANKSGIVING! Made of turkey food and warmth us Americans loooooovee Thanksgiving! Even though some people don't celebrate it and rightfully so! I just call it my day to be thankful for the people surrounding me! I made dinner for the first time for the kids at  work! I then went to Ritu's to go stuff myself with the best food in town! Her mashed potatoes and stuffing are to die for! 
The day after I went with Gurneet to Black friday shopping and founds some awesome deals on clothes and though others may think the experience is a bit too much for them I love mulling in the crowds at the mall. Especially with my sidekick Gurneet!  The day after, me and Gurneet proceeded to put up my FIRST EVER CHRISTMAS TREE! Since, I don't celebrate Christmas my mom never put up a tree and she threw out the one the other owners of our house left behind. I remember being in second grade and crying to her to put up a tree and her saying "It won't work, the dog will tip it over." What an excuse! Anyways I told this story to my significant other and he bought me a small one and so I asked Gurneet to come over and we did our first ever Christmas Tree! I was so excited and so was she! I made brownies to celebrate the occassion!  Overall, the holiday weekend was wonderful and I enjoyed every moment of it and I hope everyone else did too!

Secret Garden!!! (kdrama)


So I'm so sorry to all those that follow my blog (which is not many), but I've been quite busy preparing for grad school and the holiday season is in full play! But I'm back! and boy am I back with some fantasitic news! So to any kdrama addict I have to absolutely spread this fantastic news! I just started a drama two days back and it has totally captured my heart and it is none other than Secret Garden! For those of you who have not immersed yourself in Asian dramas and find this interesting keep going for those of you who don't SORRY THERE WILL BE MORE varying posts.

Anyways, back to Secret Garden... the drama revolves around two protaganists: Gil Ra Im ( Ha Ji-Won) and Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin aka Kim Sam Soon fame). The story unfolds into many other complicated characters such as Joo Won's cousin Oska and  Yoon Seul and Director Ajjushi, but its better to talk of only the main characters to those who haven't seen the drama. The story is of two characters of two opposite socioeconomic status that meet through a series of misunderstandings.


While Joo Won is  portrayed as a cold, rude and ruthless rich business man (chaebol), Gil Ra Im is a caring, cool, spirited, and poor stunt woman who takes her career seriously. While Joo Won suffers mental ailments such as claustrophobia and insomnia and only goes to work twice a week, Gil Ra Im is hard working and faces the trials of poverty, lack of self- respect and loneliness. As they both meet they both become fascinated with the others feelings and thoughts and begin to form an undefined relationship. Love? Hate?Friendship? Only time will tell in this drama. Throughout the drama though, one finds Joo Won intiating an interest in Ra Im and in return finds a violent and ill-mannered Ra Im. One later finds out that Ra Im is acting on caution and mid- way through the drama both Gil Ra Im and Joo Won end up switching bodies for a bit through magic. Once the bodies of these two protagonists switch, hilarity ensues! Both learn about the others life and both begin to reallly understand the others persepectives. What I absolutely fell in love with in this drama was the beautiful portrayal of both characters by the director and the slow unraveling of the background stories of the characters. You also get to rewind back to major events in the drama and look at the small details that led up to the major events of the  latter episodes.

The director lays out a wonderful script, equally wonderful actors and a awesome OST to go along with it. My favorite part of this drama is the Hyun Bin and Ji Won's portrayal of the opposite character once switching bodies.They both do a wonderful job of picking up the slightest mannerisms and characteristics of the opposite gender and individual! I haven't found a single episode I haven't laughed in and I love each character to death.! Though, in the beginning Joo Won is annoying  character who wears crazy track suits; he begins to grows on you slowly . Joo Won's portrayal of a not so typical male is a unique addition to the story and Gil Ra Im's lack of femininity does the same. Everything combined from the cinematography, direction, action, actors and screenplay gives an absolutely fabulous drama to end 2010 with and start 2011 with for any drama addict!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

A little bit of old... A little bit of new.. The Quarter Life Crisis

So recently I have been really thinking about how my 25th birthday is coming up in a week or so and I've been wondering what I value, what has changed, what needs to be changed, and what should stay the same and so I decided to rant on my findings.

Most Important Finding #1: No matter how much people tell you, Indian or Non-Indian people YOU ARE NOT FREAKIN' AS OLD AS DIRT! In many psychological and scientific aspects people call being 25 the quarter life crisis period. It is when one is too old to hang out with the college kids, but too young to hang out with the married, single, with kids, or without kids middle aged adults. It's also a period where you aren't studying, but aren't the rich old person that can drive the expensive car and go around the world to expand your horizons and really forget your criss. It's a period in ones life where you are BROKE, and are trying to find out WHAT IT IS YOU ARE EXACTLY MADE TO DO  in your life. It's also a time where an individual finds out that right after college your not going to be driving the nice car, living in the nice house , and wearing the expensive clothes right after graduation. Though this sad realization hits you later than you'd like, I dont' feel that it's a negative. Being 25 for me is quite a humbling experince. I've been shown at 24 that, yes, life doesn't go as I have expected it too, but there are a whole bunch of oppurtunities out there for me and all I need to do is jump on them; and with hard work and perserverance I'll be a successful individual not only materially, but as an human being. Yes I've lived a quarter of my life (assuming I live to one hundred), which in a realistic point of view is not going to happen, but I looking at it that way makes me want to live with more enthusiasm and live each day to the fullest. As for marriage and partners etc... I think YOUR NOT TO OLD, you have time and life runs its own course and  time is what will find you the right one, not age!
Time has found me mine, and I have to say I value him more and more each day and as I get older I learn what a integral part of my life he is and how he makes me want to live each day even better.
     

Most Important Finding #2  Value The ones you love and try and enjoy as much time possible you have with them!  As I've grown older I've seen many people sick in the last few years and a few I've seen pass away at such a young age. If I look at myself now from when I was in college. I remember I was busy busy busy and life was about studying studying studying. An education is important don't get me wrong, but find time for those you love. I don't regret putting school work aside at times to spend time with my girls and my parents. I may be behind a little, but I'll tell you, it was worth it. You can't get back moments spent with those you love. Cherish them.. enjoy them.. and for those whom you cared for and really didn't value you.. let them be.. and hope that maybe oneday... they'll think like you and if not.. don't waste your precious moments on a person who can't value the meaning of why you are living. I live for the ones I love and the ones I care for.. compassion is what human beings are made for and I really do believe that.



 



Most Important Finding #3: Your parents don't hate you or make your life hard on purpose. They just love you and want the best for you. As I become older I become more and more understanding to my parents. Don't get me  wrong. We fight, we yell, we argue, but I try to empathize with them. When your young your parents are wrong, when you an adolescent they are annoying, and when your an adult they are the ones that were your stepping stones and YES their weirdness and craziness makes sense. I love my mom and dad and as I grow older I realize their stubborness is a part of their love for me. They want me to be my best and want the best for me. It doesn't mean what they want from me is always right, but it is important to understand the middle ground and not just your point of view. Don't ever give up on the ones that never gave you up on you . It's hard and rigorous, but I think more to myself more and more, what if I had a daughter what if I were mom. What if I were dad and I find that I might have similar thoughts to them. Really.. try it.. its weird how you find you really do see their view! Time is short on earth, thats what I have really found out, and time with your parents even shorter. So learn to cherish them and spend time with them. I don't ever want to think oh I wish I had done this with mom or done that with dad. I want to say, yes I did this with mom and dad and it was etc..

Most Important Finding #4:  Dreaming is dangerous when action isn't taken. I dream of learning dance one day, I dream of becoming a counselor, I dream of having a home, husband, children and the white pickett fence. Look... you can say all you want, but you really need to take action.The children and husband can wait for me , but try what you think you might enjoy and accelerate in. Work hard in career aspiration because really, YOU CAN DO IT! I love sketching, but I really hadn't opened up my sketchbook or paint set in a while, but at work I realized painting soothes me so I also went out and bought and a paint by numbers and HAD A BLAST! (to which I'll post the painted painting once the piece is finished) and I opened up Gurneet's art supply box finally and found out many new things! TRY IT, don't just SAY IT! You'll be amazed at what you find out about yourself.

Most Important Finding #5: Educate yourself. Knowledge IS power. The more you know the more you find out about not only about things around you, but about yourself. You grow in not only in terms understanding about facts, but about finding out about yourself. I realize each and ever day that when I learn something new, it adds on to the I know about me list. I recently picked up Dalai Lama's book "The Meaning of Happiness" just to skim and ended up reading the whole thing! Not only that, I realized that spirtually I haven't grown as a person and decided to look into more spirtual aspects of my life and in return found that I can take a spiritual outlook into my career, education and personal life. It's amazing what knowledge can do. It can change others lives too. My wanting to be a counselor can provide those individuals/children with behavioral health issues such an impactful few months, I had never known that. If my one word can make a difference in ones life and my one act can change a child's life at times, my thousands of dollars of education and even free knowlege has been worth that one moment and one word I spoke. As I grow older I realize college helped me understand others and their problems, educating onself about others and issues can provide a step closer to helping one another.




So though, being 25 may be a quarter crisis for some, I think it's been an eventful 25 years for me. I've grown and am proud to say I'm 25! I thank god for the opportunity to let me live and see this age and really allow me to grow! Quarter Life Crisis, MY BUTT! I'm going to live this 25th year with all the enthusiasm I can!