Friendship

Friendship is something that always amazes me when I stop to think about it. It's one of the most beautiful things this world has to offer and I am seriously at a loss for words when I try to describe how much beauty it possesses (and yet I will type paragraphs, trying to show you how I perceive it).

Until recently, I always thought a real friendship is the only kind that is worthy. I always knew that there are different levels of friendships but what I didn't realize was that it's okay for there to be those different levels. I struggled with my 'fake' friendships, trying to validate them somehow.

But recently, I discovered that every level of friendship has it's place in my life and without every single one of them, I wouldn't be exactly who I am today. I have learned a great deal about life through my friendships and without these lessons shaping me along the way, I don't even know how far back I would be.

I think leaving Philly today made me realize exactly what I am leaving behind. I realized that I won't be within 5 minutes of my friends anymore, that keeping these friendships strong will require some effort. I know that my friends will never be too far from me, as long as I nurture the friendships. I don't usually have trouble with that sort of thing but it will definitely be a task with medical school next year. I was already having some trouble balancing it this year, I can only imagine how hard it will get in the future.

Friendship is something that just makes sense to me. I am not the type of person to be a 'fake' friend and at every stage of my life, I have added on a few deeply-rooted friendships that will probably sustain me for the entire journey. I am grateful to these friends and I am looking forward to the memories we will share.

Moving Day!

BUSY DAY! I squeezed a year of my life into 2 cars and drove it home..the cars were jam packed! I don't know how we did it...I still can't believe it. And to motivate myself to unpack everything before August, I put it all in my room. I don't know of a plan that has backfired with more drastic consequence--there is barely any space to walk right now! I did clean for at least an hour and half but there is just SO MUCH to sort through. Haha whatever..I did manage to bake some brownies in between so I'm happy (and so is my dad haha) Oh and I discovered that silken tofu is a great egg replacer--at least for brownies =)

So driving home from Philly was a little sad at first. Watching the skyline grow smaller and smaller and eventually disappear from the side view mirror was definitely an emotional experience. All I needed to top it off was a montage of my Philly memories with Good Riddance or Here's to the Nights playing in the background. That really would've triggered the waterworks!

Moving out was alright but after I got home we cut up some nice cold mangoes and mann they were SO sweet and juicy! It was a beautiful thing, really. Oh and I watered our vegetable garden as well as the new trees that my parents recently planted. We bought 5 more today and I think we're getting 3 more tomorrow...and then planting all 8 tomorrow afternoon! It's gonna be nice though cuz the weather has been cooperating lately..I think I'll watch some reruns during the day and maybe finish cleaning up the room before gardening..

I was looking forward to making up Colbert episodes but apparently he took Memorial week off..so much for that! I guess I'll just do a crossword and maybe get to bed early tonight. I am exhausted after all that moving out anyway. Good night!

Welcome, Summer! Won't you stay a while?

Ah I know it's been almost a week since I last posted...I got so busy trying to enjoy my last week in Philly while also not failing my neuro exam. It was a juggling act that went on all week and in some ways, I'm glad it's over..

I came home last night from Philly after my last exam (woohoo is an understatement) and ended up getting stuck in the train for 4 HOURS! Mind you I live an hour and half from Philly! It was such a long and tiring journey but I am SO glad I had a book with me. I really don't know what I would've done if I didn't have a book..


So since I mentioned it..the book I'm reading now was given to me as a parting gift from one of my close friends. It's called "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and it's really interesting. It's written by this really brilliant physicist who has definitely made his mark in the field of physics. It is anecdotal in style and there are definitely some funny blurbs in it! I have read a third of it already and I wouldn't be surprised if I finished it by the end of the week!


OH I tricked the library! Soo what happened was, I lost my library card freshman year of college and I never bothered getting a new one since I was in Philly the last 4 years. But now I'm home for the summer and I definitely need some books to keep my brain occupied while it's not studying so I need a card. There's this new online thing where you can request a card to be mailed to you. So I did that a few weeks ago. Then I had to go in to get the card activated. I figured this is where I would get caught and be forced to surrender a $3 fine for losing a card...NOPE!! They just activated my card and off I went! I am so excited about this! I saved $3! =D

Other than tricking the library, I spent my day playing tennis in the morning and then cleaning for the afternoon. I vacuumed the whole house and swept the floors and cleaned the counters and the cabinets. One of the things I realized this morning was that I really missed being home. A lot of the things I took for granted before, like sitting outside with my grandmother while eating breakfast, really mean a lot to me. This morning me, my mom, and my ba sat outside and ate our breakfast together. Last night before going to bed, me, my sister, and my mom sat and talked for a while. (I'm tempted to make a Venn diagram of the people involved in sitting around haha) But yeah...those moments where we're just relaxing with each other are so meaningful and I never realized before. I'm just glad I have this for a while.


I don't know if I mentioned it before but my house is going to become a zoo very soon. My mom's family from India is moving here, like permanently..that's a dozen people added on to the 6 that are currently in my house. It is going to be a mad house! I think the biggest lesson I am going to learn this summer is patience. Of the 12 people coming, 6 are kids...all younger than my brother (16). And all of which absolutely ADORE me. It's going to be interesting...I just want to enjoy these moments of peace with my immediate family before we are constantly surrounded by relatives.

Bittersweet Symphony

Today was a nice day. I slept in and when I woke up, I laid in bed reading The Namesake. This reminds me of when I was younger and I'd wake up early on the weekends and lay in bed reading. After I finally got out of bed, I made some blueberry pancakes, yummy yummy! I also cleaned the apartment and did a pilates workout. I got some studying done and I made stuffed shells for dinner. Pretty good day!

Just now I finished reading The Namesake. I really liked this book. The characters are so deep and so real. I was amazed at how beautifully the story was written. The story itself is good but I guess I overlooked that since I already know it and I mainly concentrated on the character development and the writing style. I really recommend this book to everyone, even after seeing the movie. What's interesting is how an immigrant's struggle in moving to America is documented. I think Lahiri dealt with the topic well (not that I know firsthand what it's like) but I mean, it didn't seem too unrealistic from what my parents have told me. Lahiri smoothly changed the focus of narration from Ashima's thoughts and internal conflicts in the initial stages of her marriage to Gogol's point of view. And again later in the book, from Gogol's perspective to Moushumi's. I think it takes real talent to change the narration that drastically and she definitely mastered it.

I can't believe how brave my parents were in coming to this country. They left everything they knew behind them and came to a foreign land that only held the promise of a better future. Whether that promise would be fulfilled was nothing they were confident about. Yet they took a HUGE risk that changed their lives. I can only imagine their feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when they look at our home and see what they have built, literally from the ground up. I don't think I will ever face such a huge, trying task. I don't know if I am strong enough or courageous enough but I definitely admire my parents for what they did.


Last night before going to bed I watched Anastasia. I like that movie a lot, not as much as the original Disney princess movies, but still, it's a nice movie! I'm thinking of watching a movie tonight but we'll see how that goes!

This is my last week in Philly. The days are slowly creeping by and I am definitely feeling the bitter lows and sweet highs of it all. I have my moments where I get sad and nostalgic, longing to stay put in a place I have grown very comfortable. But there's a part of me that is getting cramped, knowing that I have outgrown the struggles and challenges Philly posed for me. I guess I need to move on to greater challenges, advance to the next level. I need to start packing up my stuff soon but I guess the moment I start doing that, I will definitely feel like I am moving out. I am hoping to delay that moment for as long as I can manage, maybe another day or two? Ahh this is getting too sad..

Much Needed Alone Time

Last night was one of the most relaxing nights I can remember. I was alone in my apartment and so I thought I would get lonely or sad or something but surprisingly, I woke up this morning, unscathed! I was doing work last night and catching up on episodes of the Colbert Report. I am embarrassed by how infrequently I watch the show I love the most and I decided to rectify that. I got through almost 3 weeks of episodes and I will continue working backwards whenever I have time! It was such a nice, relaxing evening and I really felt like myself again.


I know that last statement is a little heavy but really, I have been feeling a little off lately. Nothing significant, just in the slightest way. You know when you are constantly in the company of others and you never have the chance to just appreciate some alone time? I think the past month has been so busy and active with other people that I haven't had enough time to just sit down and be by myself. Part of it may be because I don't like to be alone anymore. It's funny because I would've never said that before but I guess since college started I have always been surrounded by people so now I'm used to that. I used to enjoy my own company and now it's like I run from it at every opportunity. It will be nice to go home for the summer and reset my social clock. Especially considering at med school I will have my own room and the only company I will enjoy (?) is that of my books. I just realized that since my last few posts have been catch ups on the previous week or whatever I haven't really shared any thoughts. I am going to try to make some more alone time for myself to post on here and share some of my thoughts.

I have been reading the Namesake and I'm like three quarters of the way through. I am really liking it. The characters are better developed than in the movie (and even the movie was deep!) and I am really enjoying reading it. Lahiri has a way of making every feeling Gogol has completely accessible and I have felt that I can relate to Gogol countless times. The writing is beautiful but beyond that, it is human. And that is what makes it such a well-written book. It's also interesting to be reading a book that I already know the story of. It's not often that I read a book that I have already seen the movie for and I'm finding that it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's like there's a secret thrill in knowing what is going to happen next, before the characters do. I don't know how many more books I will read post-movie, but it's definitely not a bad thing!

Alright well now that I've enjoyed a great morning to myself, I think it's time to start studying. More later =)

Some Beautiful Days

Greetings! I have had some good times since I last posted. I'm gonna stick to the list format by days so here goes:

Wednesday: Went to the Franklin Institute for their Target Community night (aka FREE!) It was a lot of fun...I saw the new Star Trek exhibit and it's pretty cool. Definitely makes me wish I cultivated my nerdy side a little bit more. Afterwards, I continued to bask in the beautiful glow of freeness and went to a screening of The Hangover. It was hilarious! I really liked it. Some of the humor was kinda crude for my taste but there were enough 'innocent' jokes to make it worth the while! Definitely recommend it! Bradley Cooper is quite the hunk =) Oh and after the screening, I rewatched Ever After. Ahh what a cute movie! It's so corny and sweet and cute and ohh I love it =D

Thursday: SIX FLAGS! It was a GREAT time! The only bad thing was Nitro and Kingda Ka were closed and the new coaster Bizarro also ended up closing down, after we had already been in line for a good 40 minutes! But after running out of line for Bizarro, which was to be fixed "anywhere between 3 minutes and 3 hours" (what kinda estimate is that?!), we went to El Toro which singlehandedly made the whole trip worth it! Also, it was so hot out (somewhere in the 80's) and every water fountain was like a beautiful oasis. I think I saw a couple of mirages of swimming pools too and it took every bit of squinting I could manage to stop myself from jumping in. After coming back from a tiring but fulfilling day, I watched The International with (get ready to sigh) CLIVE OWEN! Ahh he's so masculine! But even apart from that, it was a great movie. I really liked the premise and the message it relayed. It was well-scripted and well-acted and of course beautiful to look at haha! Definitely see it!

Today was a pretty low-key day, probably necessary after some fun-filled ones! I did some work and did some reading and now I'll probably settle down with a movie, book, or work haha. But first a crossword! I'll leave you with something to gaze at...

I guess the crazy hair is in their genes?!

Ahh so many days have passed...I guess I have been too busy doing things to remember to post about them. I'll mention the major points of the last few days and ahh I'll try harder to post more regularly instead of in lists when I finally get around to it!

1. Thursday: nothing significant (more like too long ago to care haha)

2. Friday: Went to New Harmony with a group of friends...always a pleasure! I LOVE New Harmony! I had the general tso's chicken (fake of course) and orange chicken and moo shu pork and veg spring rolls. Everything was SO yummy!

3. Saturday: Went to my friend's sister's wedding (the one I had to do a dance at). It was a fun reception and I had a great time eating yummy food and dancing the whole time! We performed our dance and it went well so that was good...my friend's parents were reallly cute! They were the type that quietly hold hands as if nobody else was in the room. Her dad gave a great speech about how his daughter has always been there and he knows she will always be there and it was just really touching. It was a nice party and a welcomed study break!

4. Sunday: STUDIED. I had a neuro exam monday that I was less than adequately prepared for but the little preparation I did do was all concentrated on Sunday. I did go to Chili's for dinner though so that was another nice (undeserved) study break.

5. Monday: AHH NEURO EXAM! It was tough but I survived. Didn't do as badly as I expected (and should have) so that was a nice plus. Afterwards, went to Maggianos for post-exam Italian-food-induced-coma. It was great--I had eggplant parm which is a dish I haven't had there before. Except the waiter sucked and didn't bring out my side of fettucine alfredo until more than halfway through my meal. Ah whatever, it did make a nice mid-afternoon snack =)

Also went to Belgium Cafe with a group of friends on Monday. It's a pretty cool place with some interesting (and by interesting I mean naked) pictures. I had a vegetarian rueben sandwich that was a little on the greasy side but still good. One of my friends had vegetarian bbq wings that were awesome so I'll have to get that next time! Afterwards, went to one of my friend's place and watched Enemy of the State (not to be confused with Enemy at the Gates which I did haha) I like that movie a lot and it's been a while since I've seen it so it wasn't nearly as predictable as you would think..

6. Tuesday (today, finally!): Today was another nice day. I went to Palace at the Ben for the lunch buffet with a couple friends. It was a splendid time =D

Then I went bowling (hooray for $2 games plus a free game because of the delay) and then had an Oreo McFlurry from McDonalds (it was good but man it could've been so much better if there were more oreos!) And then I made stuffed shells (spinach, ricotta, jalapenos and onions) and garlic bread for dinner. It was YUMMY! And just now I did two lectures. So I've had a pretty packed day and it's been awesome...gonna go watch a movie now but I'll find something imagey to leave off with..

Goku as a baby:

Catchup

Greetings! It has been a few days so I have to catch you up with what I've been up to...I promise, I have excellent reasons for not having posted in the past 3 days:

1. I saw Star Trek in IMAX!!! It was SO good and definitely worth every penny. I never really watched the show but they made the movie accessible to all audiences. It was a great experience, definitely worth seeing!


2. I saw The Holiday with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Jude Law. (Which one of those doesn't belong haha) No but seriously, I was just squinting at the screen wondering if that is actually Jack Black! He seemed kind of out of place in terms of the story and even his character. Not to say he did badly, it just wasn't what you would expect from him. Beyond that, there is nothing remarkable about the movie. It's entertaining enough but definitely not a big deal if you don't see it. One thing I found strange was that anyone could just switch homes with someone on a whim like that. It's kind of crazy and intimidating I think. Ah well, I guess if I had to switch into anyone's home might as well be Kate Winslet's or Cameron Diaz's, right?

3. I went to Italian Bistro for lunch. It was a fun time. I've found that I am particular about fettucine alfredo. I like the dish but I don't think many restaurants make it the way I crave it. Maybe I prefer a more Americanized version of the pasta but whatever it is, Maggiano's does it right! (plus they add broccoli!)

4. I have been studying a good amount. I have an exam coming up on Monday and with a wedding to attend this weekend, I am in a crunch for time. Not to worry though, with proper planning I will be able to do well =) Ahh, I love neuro!


5. I am reading The namesake. I went to my library hoping to walk out with Interpreter of Maladies but unfortunately it wasn't there. So instead I got the namesake. It's interesting to read a book after already knowing the story. It has a thrill of it's own--reading how a certain memorable scene is written and replaying it in your head. Fun stuff =)

6. Reminiscing/Being Emotional. I am down to a little over 2 weeks in Philly. While the end of the school year is something that will never fail to bring excitement, it is definitely overwhelming to think about how this chapter is about to end. It really is bittersweet and I am just trying to make the most of the time that is left. It is hard to keep my mind off that countdown calendar in my head but I am trying really hard to not focus on that..

So those are all the things I've been busy with and now I'll share some random thoughts I've had that I want to share. I'm gonna stick with a numbered list because well, why mess with what works?

1. I think it's amazing how far we've come in terms of technology. Just the other day I was noticing how one of my friends has downloaded the newest version of Windows. I think it's remarkable how some people still haven't gotten (used to) Windows Vista and now there's a new version for them to struggle with. We live in a society where we are constantly outdoing ourselves. Every step we take seems to carry us a mile away from the previous step. In such a vibrant and dynamic system, it is easy to forget the value of the previous step. Sometimes I just stop and think about how amazing it is that somebody invented something as commonplace as a pen. It's remarkable how rich our lives are and how little we realize that.


2. Oreo milkshakes are just about the best thing there ever was. (See, simple inventions can really bring magic to a hot, dry afternoon!) I LOVE oreo milkshakes. I had an Oreo Frosty from Wendy's today and it was just amazing. Absolutely amazing!

3. Coke Zero. Good stuff, right? The only thing that could make it better is---oh I don't know, how about getting 11 cans for free!! On my way to Wendy's I passed a coke zero truck that was giving away sample cans for free. Definitely made it a point to get one--11 times! I am stocked up for the rest of the month now =D

Alright well that's about all I can gather for now. I'm gonna start studying because I have practice later..

Weekend reflections

I've had a beautiful weekend at home! I came home Friday evening on the train. Spent the entire train ride home reading through Neuro notes but don't worry--I made up for it by not doing any work the rest of the weekend! Friday night my brother and sister and I played outside on the driveway because the weather was absolutely gorgeous. We played volleyball for a bit and then we played 'bowling' where we set up empty milk gallons and soda bottles as pins. It was a lot of fun! I was the best at it but my brother won cuz of a sneak spare attack at the end..

Yesterday I just sort of roamed around all day. I can't recall doing anything particularly noteworthy during the day but then we went out to Mother's Day dinner (since I have to go back to philly and everything would be crowded right now). We went to Bertucci's which is my FAVORITE pizza (yes, even better than Pietros). It was a great time. We had a pie with cherry peppers + onions and a second pie with spinach, ricotta, and roasted garlic. I was a huge fan of the latter pie because I love spinach! After dinner we came back and watched Heyy Baby, an Indian movie about 3 men that end up having to deal with a baby. It's a pretty funny/cute movie so I'm glad we watched it.

Just woke up and now I'm gonna figure out what to do with the morning hours. Maybe some studying? Ahh we'll see haha..Happy Mother's day =)

Jamie foxx is SO cool!

Oh man! I haven't posted in DAYS! It's been so long--I got caught up with school and with dance practices and of course with just having fun! Let's see if I can recap the major events that happened over the past few days: went to KOP and ate at Cheesecake Factory. Took along some work and the closest I got to working was having it open in my lap under the magazine I was reading. I'm just proud of how ambitious I was, taking it out in the first place! One of the days I made a taco pie with a recipe I found online. I was a little apprehensive about how the pie crust part would turn out because it was homemade. Taco pie is essentially a glorified version of nachos but it was definitely YUMMY!


Sadly it has been raining nearly all of the past 2 weeks. It's really getting quite depressing to wake up and sleep to almost the exact same color of sky! (so what if I sleep early!) Hopefully the weather will change soon. It's hard to make your own sunshine for weeks at a time!

This morning I had a practical exam for neuro and I did very well =). I'm so glad too because I definitely went to bed earlier than I should have last night. I guess I studied well in advance so it all worked out. Now I'm gonna start making up some of the lectures I've been neglecting...before I leave, in honor of the greatness that is Jamie Foxx...

Cozy Rainy Day

Good morning! It's a dark, rainy day out but it's not the kind that makes me depressed. In fact, it's kind of cozy. It's a perfect day for some tomato soup and grilled cheese and snuggling in bed with a book! Maybe I'll do that--except instead of tomato soup & grilled cheese it'll be leftovers from last night and instead of a book it'll be my neuro lab manual. I'm just glad I like neuro!

Last night was one of the first nights in a long time that I had completely to myself. So what did I do with it? Visited a huge Greek family, of course! My big fat greek wedding was one of those movies that I never got around to. I decided to watch it last night and it was a nice time! It's a heartfelt movie and it's a lot of fun. I really loved the characters and I felt the actors really gave them a sense of reality.

I have had a pretty productive morning so far...vacuumed the apartment and looked up ideas for dinner tonight (taco pie and spinach quesadillas) and then did a quick pilates workout. I'm waiting for a friend to come over so we can have a lovely lunch (leftovers haha) and dance practice! Our dance is going pretty well--it's almost done! We're at the 4th song of 5 right now and once we finish this it will be smooooth sailing. The wedding that we're performing at is on May 16th so that gives us exactly 2 weeks to get this thing done. I'm not too worried though..it'll happen!


OHHH so something EXTREMELY exciting that I discovered last night! (I'm sure it's old news but whatever...I just found out!) THEY'RE MAKING A RAMONA QUIMBY MOVIE!!! I could not believe it when I read that! I am SOO excited! One teensy flaw--Selena Gomez is playing Beezus. Uhhh since when is Beezus Latina?!?? (if that's not the PC term, oops!) I cannot believe they casted her as Beezus! They don't need to rely on star power to promote this movie. Every girl in our generation knows Beverly Cleary's stories. There is no need to sell out like this and it makes me kinda mad! But whatever, I'll still watch it haha. It comes out in March 2010 I believe, so that's something to look forward to. Can I just say, 2010 is gonna be an amazing year because of all the movies I am looking forward to!

Oooh I think I hear some thunder. I love thunderstorms so this is very exciting to my ears! Okay well I'm gonna go get lunch ready so we can get the ball rolling on practice...more later =D

Rain rain go away

TGIF! Except not really, since I've been living all of my days as if it's the weekend. In the past week, my life has become a Weekenders marathon (minus Tish's mom). I have had a really light schedule in terms of classes. There's still work to be done but the hours I save from having only one class really helps me alleviate my workload. I still get this strange feeling from relaxing so much--like I'm not supposed to be doing this. But I guess all of that will change soon enough so I might as well enjoy!

The past few days have all sort of been a blur to me. I played tennis one of the mornings. It was great to play and the weather was so crisp, accounting for my endurance to play an hour and half. I also made baked ziti with broccoli one of the days. Turned out great! I actually had to use fresh ricotta, shredded from a block. I have never done that before so it was interesting. I also did a few crossword puzzles online. It's my new thing--I wanna get smart, like in terms of general knowledge. I feel like doing these crossword puzzles is a nice way to gain knowledge while also having fun. I may even do one after I finish posting!

I have been reading my new E.M. Forster book, Howard's End. I think I'm about 60 pages in. I definitely like it so far. It reminds me of Jane Austen, with the same busy body characters and dialogue throughout the story. There are some dry funny moments as well. I do miss Mr. Bennett though; there's no equivalent in here! But overall, I'm definitely liking this book.

Funny story--so remember how I was reading Unaccustomed Earth. Yeah, I quit that book with only 80 pages to go. I just couldn't finish it. The overall tone of the book is empty and sad and I was feeling depressed by it. I kept seeing myself in the characters and wondering if that's the course my life will take. I couldn't stand my thoughts after reading it so I just stopped. I returned it to the library two days ago. Yesterday, I had dance practice for one of my close friend's sister's wedding and she gave me a ride to practice. On the way there, I look down and I see Unaccustomed earth! It's like in those scary movies when the thing you try to throw away keeps appearing! I was like OMG did you get that from the library? When did you get that?! It was a pretty amusing coincidence!

Alright time to get to that crossword puzzle...nothing better to do on a rainy day =D