tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41061284443766828932024-03-05T09:03:02.662-08:00Random RamblingsZanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-44910851020909404612015-10-24T21:07:00.000-07:002015-10-24T21:07:04.495-07:00Food BlogI have started a new food blog, called <a href="http://www.cultivateflavors.blogspot.com/">Cultivate Flavors</a>. So any of you are still out there, don't forget to check it out.Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-18634327550227804832015-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:002015-06-19T11:16:02.763-07:00My Toddler the Poet<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">My toddler the poet: </span><br style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"Mommy you are boti (chicken), I am chawal (rice). </span><br style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Mommy you are [the] rainbow. I am [the] sun.</span><br style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Mommy you are [the] sun. I am [the] moon."</span>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-23863437566726598642014-10-23T11:43:00.002-07:002014-10-23T11:49:43.308-07:00Raising a Moral ChildMy daughter just turned two, and she has already started showing signs of compassion and love. Yesterday, when I was bringing in the groceries she stopped, and offered me her hand for support. The other day when she was out playing in the backyard, and I was inside, she kept on coming back to kiss me.<br />
<br />
We have tried to be very positive around her, highlighting positive behavior, and ignoring tantrums, willing them to obsolesce. It takes an effort to raise a moral child. Here are some tips from an <a href="http://nyti.ms/1egeF4c">article</a> published in the NY Times.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>By age 2, children experience some moral emotions, enforced by right and wrong.</li>
<li>Praise is more effective than rewards. </li>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">"Rewards run the risk of leading children to be kind only when a carrot is offered, whereas praise communicates that sharing is intrinsically worthwhile for its own sake."</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">What kind of praise should be given?</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">Their character should be praised instead of their actions. This helps them in internalizing it as a part of their character.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">When our actions become a reflection of our character, we lean more heavily toward the moral and generous choices. Over time it can become part of us."</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;"><span style="color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">"</span><span style="color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px;">Tying generosity to character appears to matter most around age 8, when children may be starting to crystallize notions of identity."</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px; line-height: 23px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px; line-height: 23px;">When children cause harm, they typically feel one of two moral emotions: shame or guilt."</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px; line-height: 23px;">"Shame is the feeling that I am a bad person, whereas guilt is the feeling that I have done a bad thing."</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px; line-height: 23px;">"Shame is a negative judgment about the core self, which is devastating: Shame makes children feel small and worthless, and they respond either by lashing out at the target or escaping the situation altogether."</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16.363636016845703px; line-height: 23px;">"Guilt is a negative judgment about an action, which can be repaired by good behavior. When children feel guilt, they tend to experience remorse and regret, empathize with the person they have harmed, and aim to make it right."</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">"S</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">hame emerges when parents express anger, withdraw their love, or try to assert their power through threats of punishment: Children may begin to believe that they are bad people."</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">Parents should explain to their children:</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 23px;">Why the behavior was wrong</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 23px;">How it affect others</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; line-height: 23px;">How they can rectify the situation</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">The appropriate response should be: </span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">“You’re a good person, even if you did a bad thing, and I know you can do better.”</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">"T</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">he beauty of expressing disappointment is that it communicates disapproval of the bad behavior, coupled with high expectations and the potential for improvement."</span></li>
</ul>
Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-62172087598729171832014-05-16T23:33:00.000-07:002014-05-17T10:53:32.245-07:00La Meme Histoire - The Same Story<blockquote>
She had existed and now she did not. Not at all, as if not ever. And people hurried around, as if this outrageous fact could be overcome by making sensible arrangements. He, too, obeyed the custom, signing where he was told to sign, arranging — as they said — for the remains... </blockquote>
<blockquote>
And before long he found himself outside, pretending that he had as ordinary and good reason as anybody else to put one foot ahead of the other. </blockquote>
<blockquote>
What he carried with him, all he carried with him, was a lack, something like a lack of air, of proper behavior in his lungs, a difficulty he supposed would go on forever.</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Alice Munro, "Dear Life"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
The children of Pakistani diaspora are well aware of the dreaded middle of the night long distance calls that are usually bearers of bad news. I experienced one such call, which informed us of my aunt's passing. She was in her 30's, had three kids, and died of ovarian cancer. We were in Russia at that time, in the early parts of the blissful 90's. We couldn't make long distance calls from our landline, so my parents got up, got dressed, and took the metro to my father's work to call my mother's family in Pakistan.<br />
<br />
I was in elementary school when this happened. I believe, at this point in my life, the ramifications of death in my mind were limited to the following realities. I understood that her passing meant that her kids had lost their mother. We will never see her again. Her suffering is over. And, she has gone to heaven.<br />
<br />
Her death, didn't make me think of my parents' mortality. It didn't instigate the fear that just like my cousins, I might also lose my parents one day. Or, what if my mom, or any other female member of our family, might also get ovarian cancer.<br />
<br />
But, losing my grandparents, within the span of last three years, and losing an entire one generation of my family, has instigated a new found fear of losing my own parents. In 2012, I lost my Dadhie (father's mom), in 2013 my Dadha (father's dad). My Dadha was never the same after losing his wife, my Dadhi. He became reclusive, and passed away a couple of months after her death.<br />
<br />
Just a few days ago (Mother's Day to be exact) I lost my Nanni, mom's mom. My Nanni, who lost her husband, my Nanna, almost 25 years ago, missed him every day, and really loved him till her dying breath. Theirs was a legendary love story that my mom really enjoyed telling us. They used to go on morning strolls together. It was always refreshing and reassuring to witness my Nanni's devotion for my Nanna.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Yes. When we get married, I thought, Oh, we will have a long time together. I thought to myself, Thirty years at least, maybe forty. Fifty, if we are lucky. Why not? But time, it is like charm. You never have as much as you think.</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Khaled Hosseini, "And the Mountains Echoed" </div>
<br />
The sad thing about relationships is that we usually get so busy with our daily quotidian that we forget to take a moment to appreciate the mundanity of day to day life. You see, relationships just like life also go through a cycle. In the beginning relationships are exciting, there is the whole element of mystery involved. The two people are practically unknown to each other, which gives them the opportunity to present the best versions of themselves, the version they wish they were all the time. But, as the time progresses we all fall into the pattern of our usual-old-less-alluring-selves. Someone ordinary.<br />
<br />
But those who want happiness, find beauty and love in the ordinary. Their shared priorities push them forward to achieve other greater milestones of marriage, such as building a home together, and most importantly starting a family. Once the kids come along, the life really starts to revolve around their bedtime, nap times, and meal times. At this stage in life, sometimes couples struggle to find time to see each other as husband and wife.<br />
<br />
But life moves on. The kids grow up. You worry about their school, their college, their well-being...And, the next thing you know you are the grandparents now. That's how I see my parents. I don't know when I became the "adult" with a husband and a kid, and when my parents became the "grandparents". Members of the oldest generation of our family.<br />
<br />
My own grandparents lived long, healthy, and fulfilling lives. They got to see their great grandchildren. Their lives have taught me the importance of building traditions. For instance, every year for Mother's Day, my sister and I would bake something for my mom, and our mom would make halva (a Pakistani dessert) for her mother. Then we would all get together at my Nanni's house for lunch. That tradition is not there anymore. And, now my grandparents have become a part of my folklore. But, it's our turn to make new traditions, so my kid can also have the same relationship that I had with my grandparents.<br />
<br />
Note: The title of this post is borrowed from a Feist <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofLUHwgOUGQ">song</a> featured in one of my favorite movies, <i>Paris, je t'aime</i>.</div>
Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-8896607227420938682014-03-23T15:14:00.000-07:002014-03-24T21:18:39.771-07:0020-20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511YB28J36L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511YB28J36L.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
'Life Before Man' is a novel by Margaret Atwood, which I tried reading in my early 20's and found that I was too young to understand the complexities of relationships Atwood eloquently points out here. But, now that I am at the end of my 20's, and after 4+ years of marriage experience under my belt, I felt that I could understand the struggles the three protoganists and narrators of this novel, Elizabeth, Nate, and Lesje experience.<br />
<br />
One of the key themes that struck out for me was that we are a product of our past upbringing. Our perception of marriage for better or worse is a reflection of our childhood. The relationship our parents had. The type of home we grew up in. The three characters it seemed couldn't escape the shadow of their childhood.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth to me seemed like an evolved version of a woman, who is aware of her emotional shortcomings as a mother, and tries to emulate the idea of what a mother is supposed to be. This reminds me of Albert Camus's 'The Stranger', where the protagonist faces dire consequences, because his reaction to a major loss in his life does not meet the society's approved response.<br />
<br />
This book was written in 1979, and it is interesting to note that human feelings regarding marriage and love, in spite of the changing cultural and moral expectations, have not changed much. The actions of Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina may not be as scorned as they were in the 19th century, but these tragic figures would sadly remain deprived of love and eternal bliss even in the 21st century.<br />
<br />
In this past decade I have realized that happiness is not a natural state of being, it is actually something that requires work, patience, and most of all dedication.Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-84180148735564738892013-10-24T15:35:00.000-07:002014-01-31T12:37:34.992-08:00Oh How They Talk..<div style="text-align: justify;">
My daughter is fourteen months old now. I wouldn't say that the last one year flew by, because it did NOT. As rewarding motherhood is, I believe it requires a lot of patience. Patience for all the sleepless nights. Patience for when your kid vomits on you. And, above all, patience for all the unsolicited parenting advice and criticism. It turns out everyone (but you) is an expert on your child's needs and development. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But, I digress. The purpose of this blogpost is to document all the words my little multilingual bundle of joy has already mastered. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Puthar (Kid in Punjabi)</li>
<li>Papa</li>
<li>Mama</li>
<li>Ma</li>
<li>Awesome</li>
<li>Popote (Drinking Straw in Spanish)</li>
<li>This?</li>
<li>What is this...this?</li>
<li>Roti (bread)</li>
<li>Khallah (Aunt in Urdu)</li>
</ol>
As of December 3rd:<br />
<br />
11. Ball<br />
12. Chacha (Uncle in Urdu)<br />
13. Nana (Mom's mom)<br />
14. Dada (Dad's mom)<br />
<br />
As of January 2nd:<br />
<br />
15. Identifying and saying the letter 'S'<br />
16. Cup<br />
17. Phuppo (Father's sister in Urdu)<br />
18. Socks<br />
19. Shoes<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
As of January 24th:<br />
<br />
20. Pants<br />
21. Bath<br />
22. Identifying and saying the letter 'E'<br />
23. Stop<br />
<br />
As of January 31st:<br />
<br />
24. Book<br />
25. Up<br />
26. Duck<br />
27. Head<br />
28. Stars</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-77357381134943347252013-01-05T16:02:00.001-08:002013-01-05T19:04:03.691-08:00Jan 6, 1920 - Jan 5, 2013<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>The dead they sleep a long, long sleep; </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i> The dead they rest, and their rest is deep; </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>The dead have peace, but the living weep.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"> By Samuel Hoffenstein</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"> RIP, Dada. Your memories will always remain with me.</span>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-20696714767672528382012-09-27T14:30:00.000-07:002012-09-27T14:32:54.012-07:00I Rest My Case<div style="text-align: justify;">
Remember this <a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/2011/09/resistance-is-futile.html">blogpost</a>?
<br />
Well, ring up the conservative alarm bells, people, the Muslims are at it again.
The Sharia Law has now made its way to secular France.
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/09/27/fashion/27PARIS/27PARIS-blog480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/09/27/fashion/27PARIS/27PARIS-blog480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The above sheltering dresses by Dries Van Noten and Marco Zanini of Rochas look a lot like the Muslim religious garb called the abaya. *Conspiracy Alert*
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<br />
Someone should pass Xanax to the not-at-all-ignorant folks at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/opinion/the-sin-of-sowing-hatred-of-islam.html?_r=1">The American Freedom Defense Initiative</a>, as fashion is the new Jihad, people. *Insert Dr. Evil's evil laugh*</div>
Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-34256142971193878532012-06-14T15:58:00.000-07:002014-10-23T11:45:08.822-07:00Letting Go vs. Getting Closer<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was going to email my husband <a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/becoming-a-new-father-slowly/">this</a> blogpost, but the following paragraph inspired me to post it here instead.
</div>
<blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The chapter titles in some of the pregnancy books we read featured “Being a Mom” versus “Becoming a Father.” I joked about it then, and now I find that it’s true: you are instantly a mom, but you become a father. My wife was never more needed than she was that first day, and will never be again. Her journey requires a steady sequence of letting go (giving birth, going back to work, weaning from the breast). My journey is in reverse, it’s a steady sequence of getting closer.</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As we are getting closer to the due date, I am realizing how much I am going to miss having the baby as a part of me. When I first found out I was pregnant, I couldn't wait till the due date, and thought it was light years away. But, now that I am almost half way through my third trimester, I know I am going to miss feeling the baby's kicks, little movements, and seeing his or her little fingers through my epidermis. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the quoted paragraph, it says that motherhood is about letting go. I would never have this much control over the baby's diet and safety as I have now. When my husband and I were talking about setting up the baby's crib in our room for the first few months, I could already sense the feelings of separation anxiety taking over the better of me. The mother in me found the idea of having the baby a feet away from our bed heartbreaking. Pregnancy is a beautiful (albeit at times uncomfortable) experience and I am going to miss it. </div>
Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-19424964496174556472011-11-04T11:08:00.000-07:002011-11-04T11:10:40.446-07:00A Tale of Two Cities<div style="text-align: justify;">San Francisco is truly an anti-thesis of Los Angeles. Where Los Angeles's skyline is all concrete and covered with heavy smog, San Francisco's downtown core consists of an eclectic mix of old and new buildings, art museums, and beautiful gothic-styled churches. San Francisco is unique and it promotes uniqueness, but Los Angeles is all mass-produced. San Francisco also has very unique and creative cuisine to offer.<br />
<br />
So on our annual Anniversary/Oracle Conference trip to San Fran we got to try some of the most creatively delish food.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://greenchilekitchen.com/chilepies/">Chile Pies (& ice cream)</a></b> has both sweet and savory pies to offer. We had their Apple and Green Chile Pie. The crust was very light and flaky, and the pie tasted good but sadly it was nothing extra-ordinary. They served water in mason jars, which I thought was cool. We had heard about this place on Food Network, and now that we have tried their famous pie, I don't think we would be going back there again. <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.restaurantlulu.com/">Restaurant LuLu</a></b> is located in the SOMA district near Moscone Convention Centre. We had pizza there, which was cooked in the wood fired oven. The pizza was very tasty, the crust was very light, and the tomatoes were very fresh.<br />
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<a href="http://theamericansf.com/"><b>The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen</b></a> is also located in the SOMA district near South Park. We went there for lunch. I ordered the Mushroom Gruyere Grilled Cheese which had roasted wild mushrooms, potatoes, melted leeks and caramelized onions. The grilled cheese was very delicious. However, the tomato soup that my husband ordered tasted like can soup. The place was really busy, and it was difficult to find a place to sit.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.scomas.com/">Scoma's</a></b> located at the Fisherman's Wharf has the freshest seafood to offer. This was our second time to this restaurant. Unlike the previous time, I was disappointed with the service. The staff was extremely rude and we had to wait for almost an hour to be seated. The calamari and lobster bisque were the best I have ever had. The calamari was not chewey or rubbery. For entree I ordered Halibut, something I had tried here before. But, this time around I was not fully satisfied with the fish, and struggled to finish it.</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-60621034931572811742011-09-20T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-20T12:29:06.394-07:00Mark Twain: The Mysterious Stranger<div style="text-align: justify;">I am not quite well-versed in American literature. So when the <i>New York Times</i>' Nicholas Kristof published his <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/opinion/sunday/10kristof.html">summer reading list</a>, I figured it was as good of a time as any to read Mark Twain's <i>The Mysterious Stranger</i>. Mark Twain's short story <i>The Mysterious Stranger</i> is not as famous as his other full length novels. But, in spite of its short length the story deals with a very complicated dogmatic issue of Moral Sense. Moral sense is what separates us from other living beings, be it higher primates or angels. <br />
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This post-humously published Mark Twain's marvel has several versions. The one I read is set in Austria. The story is about three boys and their encounter with a devious angel called Satan, who is named after his uncle, the notorious Satan himself. This mysterious stranger appears in the village and shows the boys that how little control humans have over their own destiny. The Satan also shows that the Moral Sense does not make <i>Homo sapiens</i> better than the rest of the animals, it in fact makes us more barbaric and evil. <br />
<blockquote>It is like your paltry race--always lying, always claiming virtues which it hasn't got, always denying tot he higher animals, which alone possess them. No brute ever does a cruel that is the monopoly of those with the Moral Sense. When a brute inflicts pain he does it innocently; it is wrong; for him there is no such thing as wrong. And he does not inflict pain for the pleasure of inflicting it -- only man does that. Inspire by the mongrel Moral Sense of his! A sense whose function is to distinguish between right and wrong, with liberty to choose which of them he will do. Now what advantage can he get out of that? He is always choosing and in nine cases out of ten he prefers the wrong. There shouldn't be any wrong and without the Moral Sense there couldn't be any wrong. And yet he is such an unreasoning creature that he is not able to perceive that the Moral Sense degrades him to the bottom layer of animated beings and is a shameful possession."</blockquote>Satan points out that humans have the power of will and a conscious mind, and yet they knowingly commit barbaric crimes against other human beings. Their bad behavior, unlike that of a horse or any other animal, cannot be blamed on nature, but on their own devious mind. Satan also points out humans' cowardly nature. They listen and follow the beliefs of minorities, because the majority is too scared to stand up and speak their minds. For instance, majority of the world is in favor of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/sep/20/palestinain-state-israel-un-interactive?CMP=twt_gu">Palestine's UN membership</a>, and there are only a few countries like the US and Canada who in spite of being democratic countries are denying Palestine of this diplomatic opportunity of getting its voice heard. <br />
<blockquote>I know your race. It is made up of sheep. It is governed by minorities, seldom or never by majorities. It suppresses its feelings and its beliefs and follows the handful that makes the most noise. Sometimes the noisy handful is right, sometimes wrong; but no matter, the crowd follows it. The vast majority of the race whether savage or civilized are secretly kind-hearted and shrink from inflicting pains, but in the presence of the aggressive and pitiless minority they don't dare to assert themselves.</blockquote>Humans also have their set views and preconceived notions which create divisions among them. Two humans can be presented with the same evidence and information and yet they will distort the facts to fit their own narrative and personal agenda. For instance, look at the Fox News and CNBC News. They are both American 24 hour cable news channels. They are presented with the same reality everyday but yet their narrative is completely different from each other. Fox promotes their Republican agenda, and NBC ignores real facts in their quest to promote the liberal ideology.<br />
<blockquote>"You can find in a text whatever you bring, if you will stand between it and the mirror of your imagination. You may not see your ears, but they will be there."</blockquote></div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-80283513017238677792011-09-19T11:05:00.000-07:002011-09-20T15:16:46.064-07:00Resistance is Futile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: centre;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsZnsSDA7K6tQ7Je-fAW5CsYjl172EwvD1Hy6wuwASDm89mipSK9eqeILxqvjW5jsmeoN5ttmOw6O8L2zfogh5i5S9Kf9o7ZckRYP0njBv0x51cWwWFe3M8qVZ9TiMXPZlInn5r5sa0o/s1600/pBCBG1-10799622dt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCsZnsSDA7K6tQ7Je-fAW5CsYjl172EwvD1Hy6wuwASDm89mipSK9eqeILxqvjW5jsmeoN5ttmOw6O8L2zfogh5i5S9Kf9o7ZckRYP0njBv0x51cWwWFe3M8qVZ9TiMXPZlInn5r5sa0o/s200/pBCBG1-10799622dt.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Someone should notify <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Geller">Pamela Geller</a>, the Sharia Law has now made its way into the fashion world.<br />
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The new fall lines of Gucci and BCBG are full of uber halallified dresses like the following:<br />
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Who knew the designers would be this accepting, eh?Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-71306046558871695352011-06-08T11:03:00.000-07:002011-06-09T22:32:25.786-07:00Peppy Poppy New MusicSomething about Spring makes me want to listen to <i>peppy poppy</i> songs.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR7-AUmiNcA">Sara Bareilles - King Of Anything</a></b>: I loved her previous album, and I am really enjoying her new songs. This song sort of reminds of me Katy Perry's Firework, as it's all about taking control and what not. Girls can be <i>so</i> cheesy.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kf_6BWcOOg">Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall</a></b>: Girls can be cheesy, but nobody can write more melodramatic lyrics than Christ Martin. Seriously, who says things like, "I rather be a comma, than a fullstop." As much as I don't appreciate the sappiness Coldplay comes up with, I still love their music, and shamefully I am liking this song.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45w">OneRepublic - Good Life</a></b>: This song caught my attention because it starts off with a mention of London and Piccadilly. And, we all know how much I love <a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/search?q=LDN">London</a>. *SIGH*.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlxB9zGH8GU">Sara Bareilles - Uncharted</a></b>: It's not as Girl-Power-Anthemish as the first Bareilles song on this list. It's a good song, with good beat and good lyrics.Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-43306706111262229772011-05-29T14:22:00.000-07:002011-05-29T14:22:01.508-07:00Liking Is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts.<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
The following excerpt is taken from Jonathan Franzen's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/opinion/29franzen.html?pagewanted=1&hp#">op-ed piece</a> for the <i>NY Times</i>, in which he discusses the difference between <i>liking</i> and <i>loving</i>. One is more narcissistic and impersonal, whereas the other is more vulnerable and sincere.<br />
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<i>There is no such thing as a person whose real self you like every particle of. This is why a world of liking is ultimately a lie. But there is such a thing as a person whose real self you love every particle of. And this is why love is such an existential threat to the techno-consumerist order: it exposes the lie.<br />
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This is not to say that love is only about fighting. Love is about bottomless empathy, born out of the heart’s revelation that another person is every bit as real as you are. And this is why love, as I understand it, is always specific. Trying to love all of humanity may be a worthy endeavor, but, in a funny way, it keeps the focus on the self, on the self’s own moral or spiritual well-being. Whereas, to love a specific person, and to identify with his or her struggles and joys as if they were your own, you have to surrender some of your self.</i><br />
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In addition to what Franzen mentioned in the article, I believe that our smartphones are altering our thought process. Our brains are constantly bombarded with so much information that now our conversations are determined by our cellphone's news feeds. Our phones are depriving us from observing the world around us. They are also depriving us from formulating our own original well-thought and processed opinion about what is going on. If we find a news article that we like, instead of using words to describe what we like about it, all we have to do is hit the oh-so-convenient "like" button, and "share" it with the rest of the world. <br />
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Are our smartphones making us dumb?</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-31292338310638045012011-03-04T11:49:00.000-08:002011-03-06T03:14:41.695-08:00My Loves<div style="text-align: justify;">In my South Asian culture children live at home until they are married. So after marriage when I moved to California my love for my family evolved into a deep feeling of appreciation. In the past one year I have become more appreciative of what my family means to me. <br />
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My mom made me the woman I am. If it were not for her I would not have the happy marriage I have. She taught me the value of a good marriage. She showed me how to balance the dichotomies that lie within me. If it were not for her I would still be struggling with the East vs. West conflict. I would still be struggling to keep a balance between my beautiful relationship with my husband and my own academic goals. She really created an environment for me and my sister where she showed us that we can achieve anything we want. But a successful life does not mean you have to compromise your family life. Because true sustainable happiness comes from your family life.<br />
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My father travelled a lot because of work. He was never an active parent, where he was involved in our day to day life. But, whenever he came back to visit us he brought us books. He took us to museums and encouraged us to think and reflect about the great people who have lived before us. These "nerdy" exercises which we were made to do, did not seem very significant when I was growing up. But, now that I am in the graduate program I have a new found appreciation for the academic foundation my father laid for me when I was just an ignorant kid.<br />
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My brother lived away from home because of school and then later for work. I am ever so grateful for all the childhood memories we made together. He has a son now. My nephew, who my sister and I helped in naming, coincidentally has the same name as the first Muslim superhero, Batman's new sidekick the Nightrunner. How cool is that! My nephew can dress up as "himself" on Halloween. <br />
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My sister is my life and soul. She is the most intelligent person I know. She is my intellectual compass. She is my other half. I had the hardest time getting used to my new life in California because my sister was not here with me. I do not ever have to explain myself to her. She gets me just the way I am. She is truly a beautiful gift that God blessed me with.<br />
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My husband is the most understanding man I know. We have been married for over a year now, and he has made me happy above and beyond my expectations. He has already fulfilled all of my dreams. He is extremely sensitive to my needs. All I have to do is ask for something and he will make it happen. I am so blessed to have a husband who understands me, loves me, appreciates me, and provides me security and confidence. I am so lucky and blessed to be with him each and every day for the rest of our lives.<br />
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I would also like to mention my best friend. Even with all the distance we still make time to talk to each other once a week. My undergrad years would have been a total waste if it weren't for her. She is an epitome of eternal understanding.<br />
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These are the people who define me. I hope I am able to show them how much I love and appreciate them.</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-31984501174572636402011-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-02T20:29:52.561-08:00SURVIVE A NEW YEAR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KH53z4AHHgKusklpRhVxOK5Hi7JjLqzS-nLZ4MGp8w8yHFOfERH_8o8oaUZGELx00GCeAhH-LbJ10y-v-AVWaD713aWg9c-sq4_Flpy0YuEMTz4pqaW6zigrjzGYuiXTczsNISOnJsY/s1600/newyears_2011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KH53z4AHHgKusklpRhVxOK5Hi7JjLqzS-nLZ4MGp8w8yHFOfERH_8o8oaUZGELx00GCeAhH-LbJ10y-v-AVWaD713aWg9c-sq4_Flpy0YuEMTz4pqaW6zigrjzGYuiXTczsNISOnJsY/s400/newyears_2011.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Found <a href="http://www.explosm.net/comics/2281/">here</a>.Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-67094443466196515222010-12-29T11:57:00.000-08:002010-12-30T16:10:45.408-08:00Movie Marathon: Buried<div style="text-align: justify;">Hollywood films come in plethora of genres, romantic comedy, teenage romantic comedy, comedy, romance, drama, thriller, horror, action and so on. But when it comes to movies, I only have two distinctions, cerebral vs. brainless-fun movies. I watch the latter type of movies like "<a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/2010/12/movie-marathon-easy.html">Easy A</a>", when I just want a good entertainer that does not require too much thinking or deep mental provocation. The former type, on the other hand, includes movies that have a visceral effect on me. In the recent past, movies like "<a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/2010/12/127-hours.html">127 Hours</a>", and "<a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/2010/08/toy-story-3.html">Toy Story 3</a>" really moved me both intellectually and emotionally.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bPQibRI7y7-4wjUXa5uUkTCqtUIC0INA5OgUNLwyHxdObu2U-hFeJBQ17FjQUkSsVNW1IxYkFjtXplyJg68MSTlOI1zaQQSjK61fVtk1_c1DU2FeEz9oXWhwLXTVTbt_bxppaeSq4tM/s1600/buried_movie_poster-300x219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bPQibRI7y7-4wjUXa5uUkTCqtUIC0INA5OgUNLwyHxdObu2U-hFeJBQ17FjQUkSsVNW1IxYkFjtXplyJg68MSTlOI1zaQQSjK61fVtk1_c1DU2FeEz9oXWhwLXTVTbt_bxppaeSq4tM/s400/buried_movie_poster-300x219.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
"<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462758/">Buried</a>" classified as a thriller is neither a cerebral nor a brainless-fun movie. It is a movie that never really makes a case for itself. The story-line holds a lot of promise, but the movie sadly never takes off. "Buried" is about an American truck driver who is buried alive inside a coffin in Iraq, with nothing but a blackberry. He is held for ransom by Iraqi insurgents, who ask him to make a plea video and call his supervisors back in Washington for five million dollars. He uses the phone to call his family, FBI, and the private trucking company he works for. But, he is either put on hold or gets the answering machine.<br />
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The movie is somewhat about the politics and immorality of the Iraq War. It is somewhat about the value of human life. It is somewhat about the bureaucracy of American corporations and how they do not give a rat's ass about the lives being lost in Iraq. "Buried" touches upon a lot of themes but does not fully grab onto one theme to make a connection with the audience. Ryan Reynolds plays the lead role. I don't know if it was his poor acting or the shallow script but I did not care about his fate in the movie. I did not care whether he would be able to arrange for five million dollars from the grave, or whether he would get to talk to his family. Even though, as an audience I was not able to bond with the character, I was also not utterly bored. I watched the movie waiting for something to happen.<br />
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This movie is based on a good idea, but fails in delivery because of the poor script. The most interesting point the movie makes is that even though the protagonist is able to get a good network connection from six feet under, he still struggles to get help.<br />
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p.s. I want to know who the network provider was!</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-55994561125690429082010-12-28T13:23:00.000-08:002010-12-29T11:27:55.975-08:00Movie Marathon: Easy A<div style="text-align: justify;">"Easy A" is a romantic comedy starring Emma Stone, which is loosely based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's <i>Scarlet Letter</i>. The novel is about an adulterous woman, Hester Prynne, whose actions are publicly condemned by her Puritan society, and the same man who is an equal partner in her sin. The movie is a smart comedy about a generation that is greatly linked through texting and other social networking websites.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAE0GKXqZLhar43NHaWxCYTNNJcYwlAlJd4XtMq__Glbc50zOlF8YRkc2blvPBzI2h119sfgIALJubbgL22t6AF2keRvGbXi1fLNDElIqr3vYzDWfPah3fJ-H3X1_EL_a0wC2al8h7rQ/s1600/Easy-A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAE0GKXqZLhar43NHaWxCYTNNJcYwlAlJd4XtMq__Glbc50zOlF8YRkc2blvPBzI2h119sfgIALJubbgL22t6AF2keRvGbXi1fLNDElIqr3vYzDWfPah3fJ-H3X1_EL_a0wC2al8h7rQ/s320/Easy-A.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
I recently read an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/technology/21email.html?_r=1&ref=technology">article</a> in the NY Times regarding the demise of emailing. Our generation prefers to communicate through texting or instant messaging. I remember when I was a teenager my friends and I preferred to communicate through MSN messaging, or emails. Then Facebook came along, and we started writing on each other's walls. We commented on oodles of pictures that our friends posted. However, things changed a couple of years ago, when people realized that information on social networking sites such as Facebook is not very private, and in fact very public. The shift happened, instead of sharing our pictures with everyone on our friends list we became more discreet. And, instead of writing on each other's walls, we started private messaging each other.<br />
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The way we communicate has changed a lot in the last 15 years. My husband and I prefer to either text or "talk" to each other on gtalk. We both have android phones which make keeping in touch and sharing quick updates on gtalk much easier. My major concern about texting is that kids are not using proper grammar and/or spellings. In the world of spell check, abbreviated syntax and 140 characters long sentences, the art of beautiful composition is at abysmal loss.<br />
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What "Easy A" shows that no matter what the preferred medium of communication is, gossip travels fast. And it is no picnic to be a teenager! The other interesting theme the movie touches upon is that high school kids do not read the books they are taught in English class. They either rent the film versions of the books, or rely upon SparkNotes. The books on the high school reading list seem dated to the students, but as the movie shows, they are far more relevant than they appear to be. In the past, myriad of classics have been turned into teenage romantic comedies. The list entails, <i>Emma</i> ("Clueless"), <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> ("Romeo + Juliet"), <i>Taming of the Shrew</i> ("10 Things I Hate About You"), <i>Othello</i> ("O"), <i>Twelfth Night</i> ("She's the Man"), and so on.<br />
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Emma Stone is wonderful in the movie. If you are looking for a fun and yet not a dumb movie, do check this one out. I will be posting more reviews throughout this week, as I have some time off until the next semester starts. My husband and I have a rather ambitious list of movies we want to finish watching during the holidays.<br />
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Disclaimer: For the sake of my husband's street-cred I should mention that I watched this movie without him. </div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-85810939951098234962010-10-11T13:06:00.000-07:002010-12-15T16:53:26.479-08:00Lessons Learned after 1 year of Marriage<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQOQm36OtzVfonLkglXVYS2yIPDUJgS5O3Y3kkia1H1DMSzk8pJCYoFjwqLC4kEEvo-O3RfCVB1i7PeE8aYcYCVgMO1ATRjBeqehbYoalraMkD_MTfFfOCX4FRC8cdInh9jnT54CG0Lg/s1600/IMG_20101010_191514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQOQm36OtzVfonLkglXVYS2yIPDUJgS5O3Y3kkia1H1DMSzk8pJCYoFjwqLC4kEEvo-O3RfCVB1i7PeE8aYcYCVgMO1ATRjBeqehbYoalraMkD_MTfFfOCX4FRC8cdInh9jnT54CG0Lg/s200/IMG_20101010_191514.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>1. Nagging has its merits.<br />
2. A little bit of patience goes a long way.<br />
3. Onions make you cry, so after peeling them put them in the freezer for a minute or two.<br />
4. Marriage makes you smarter. I am taking courses at Berkeley for Heaven's sake :). <br />
5. Never read a depressing, albeit engrossing, book like Jonathan Franzen's 'Freedom'. It is a social commentary of our modern day dysfunctional nuclear family. The book would make you utterly depressed about the current dismal state of marriage in our society.<br />
6. TV shows play a crucial role in the success of a marriage. Have specific shows that the both of you should watch exclusively with each other.<br />
7. Traveling with the spouse is fun.<br />
8. Don't act on emotions right away. Give them some time to settle and coherently discuss any conflicts you may have.<br />
9. Never go to bed angry. <br />
10. Never have the same argument twice. Move on. The important thing is you both love each other and nothing can separate you.<br />
11. Snoring should be taken as a sign of love and trust.<br />
12. The key to a man's heart is through his stomach.<br />
13. Ironing burns calories.<br />
14. Even small romantic gestures go a long way.<br />
15. Grow together. Learn from each other.</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-27955542098452250512010-09-26T19:43:00.000-07:002010-09-27T08:56:30.576-07:00Heads or Tails<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.</blockquote><br />
Thousands died on 9/11, and thousands of innocent people are dying in Afghanistan, and Iraq. America waged two wars in Asia after 9/11. And, like any other war, American soldiers are losing their lives, and taking lives of many innocent people who have nothing to do with the doctrine of Bin Laden or any other fundamentalist group out there.<br />
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For American Muslims, August was probably the worst month. Muslims were called a lot of names in the media, all because they wanted to build a community centre near Ground Zero. The issue of Islamic extremism was plastered over and discussed on every single news channel. But, what the media refused to acknowledge, explicitly, was that the elements of extremism also exist in their American society. Fanatics like Pastor Terry Jones, Pamela Geller and the Fox News clan, in my humble opinion, belong under the extremism umbrella. They are doing an awesome job in dividing the American society and deteriorating peace. If you objectively look at the narrative of Al-Qaeda (Bin Laden clan) and right-wing ignorant Americans (The Fox News clan) they are the same. Their narrative is antagonizing, offensive, manipulative, and simply hatefully ignorant.<br />
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I am typing this as I am watching 60 Minutes' cover story, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/24/60minutes/main6897034.shtml?tag=currentVideoInfo;segmentTitle">A Relentless Enemy</a>, about the war in Afghanistan. Lara Logan reports, American lives are in danger in Afghanistan. They are being attacked by unknown Afghans and Pakistanis, when all the Americans want in return is peace.<br />
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This is expected when the war Americans are fighting is <i>so</i> abstract. The "War on Terror" is a very abstract phrase. What is terror? Who are terrorists? These two terminologies have never been clearly defined. And, yet so many of our soldiers (both American and Canadian) have lost their lives in the past 9 years. My heart goes out to them as much as my heart goes out to the innocent civilians who lose their lives everyday. Sometimes because of the drone attacks. What I find so inhumane about the drone attacks is that in the eyes of Americans these civilians are so worthless that they can just die by a machine with the push of a button. The lives of these civilians are so worthless that they don't even deserve to die by someone who would be able to experience the direct repercussions of his or her actions. The lives of these civilians are so worthless that they don't even deserve to get killed by a human, but by a machine; just like how animals are slaughtered by a machine in an assembly line.<br />
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There are peace loving Americans. And, there are peace loving Muslims. The moderates, which I believe is the majority, want the same thing - peace. But sadly their message gets lost and never crosses over to the other side.<br />
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The problem we are faced with is that we never see both sides of story. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have two different narrations, "theirs" and "ours". Now that the war in Iraq is supposedly "over" we may term it a victory, but the country is still unstable. We may call the Karzai government in Afghanistan a democracy, in other words a success, but his government is extremely corrupt. Just like there are always two sides of the same story, there are extremists on both ends of the "West vs. Islam" spectrum. Until we don't recognize the similarities between the two extremist camps we would be stuck in the same abyss, which is the war on terror.</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-20401287166795406212010-08-03T10:28:00.000-07:002010-08-03T17:14:59.482-07:00Toy Story 3<div style="text-align: justify;">Moving on and/or growing up requires one to come in terms with their new role in life. And, this is the theme of Toy Story 3, a very emotional animated film by Pixar, which perfectly tells the story of what love and moving on is. Love is fluid and in many ways impermanent and immortal at the same time. It is an abstract feeling which is not fixed in time or place. The distance doesn't change our love it just reshapes, and redefines it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OcVYrLBlw135H8xVKWVXmfW1udXQCgzT6rjgm5OcMHGTZcBnHhMSBUcQpBLEm1Uw-pGdXwcTbqojBlql2j0-Ogz6xNcLoYPv5laNKHVepXEwgh5-gJsCPhWoebH2D1DVKnO3m3jUEuQ/s1600/toy-story-3-trailer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OcVYrLBlw135H8xVKWVXmfW1udXQCgzT6rjgm5OcMHGTZcBnHhMSBUcQpBLEm1Uw-pGdXwcTbqojBlql2j0-Ogz6xNcLoYPv5laNKHVepXEwgh5-gJsCPhWoebH2D1DVKnO3m3jUEuQ/s320/toy-story-3-trailer.png" /></a></div><br />
Our adolescence is dominated with the feeling that we are the absolute centre of the universe. We feel we are misunderstood by everyone because we are "oh so very unique". We want everything; and everything is possible. We live by the doctrine "All or nothing" as Shakespeare showed in "Romeo and Juliet". If the 15 year old Juliet couldn't live with her teenage <i>Romeo</i> she didn't want to live at all. But, as we grow up we become more aware of our own limitations. This self-awareness may lead to disappointment and dismay as Richard Yates depicted in "<a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/2009/02/picket-fence.html">Revolutionary Road</a>". <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRdeI1274UInXPTENVtHAMO2I1tcSY4LOp8eOqmpRj3hNJPf6YNGJ0QT5zYVr9AHxn8ESq-yvD5yA0ZYql564cKgSm3ZxEpRCpquqdLnwiVXjwhZWgWlvvcQ0X7Ju3JKWOv9OybzV0Ts/s1600/toy-story-3-movie-image-620x320.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRdeI1274UInXPTENVtHAMO2I1tcSY4LOp8eOqmpRj3hNJPf6YNGJ0QT5zYVr9AHxn8ESq-yvD5yA0ZYql564cKgSm3ZxEpRCpquqdLnwiVXjwhZWgWlvvcQ0X7Ju3JKWOv9OybzV0Ts/s320/toy-story-3-movie-image-620x320.png" /></a></div><br />
But growing up is also an evolution of our relationships. I feel I have learnt a lot in these past 9 months of marriage. Living away from home (Toronto), and the distance of almost an entire continent forced me to reevaluate my life, and my relationship with my family and friends. Recently I was back in Toronto for one whole month. I had anticipated that my time there would be the same as what my life was like before I got married and moved to California. But my month long stay made me realize that my life is in California now. Until my husband and I move back to Canada for good, I would always be a visitor...guest...there. <br />
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As humans we are very adaptable. Life is constantly changing around us, and like the toys in the movie, we are forced to adapt to these changes. Holding onto the past would only lead to unhappiness.<br />
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But then again it's good to hold onto some traditions. For instance, I waited a whole month to watch Toy Story, so I could honour the tradition of watching Pixar productions with my sister. And, it was worth the wait.</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-3743878397683033772010-06-07T23:31:00.000-07:002010-06-09T11:02:27.130-07:00Justin Halpern: Sh*t My Dad Says<div style="text-align: justify;">I like to eavesdrop on other people's conversations when I go out to eat. My sister shares this secret shame with me. Trust me this is not because we are snoopy, it's just usually we have nothing interesting to say to each other, so we rely on other people to entertain us. Recently, when I was out having dinner, there was a group of friends sitting at a table next to mine. Judging the way they were showing off their phones, it seemed that they had not seen each other for a while, and had recently reconnected thanks to the mighty Facebook. It is amusing that now when long lost friends have reunions they feel the need to whip out their cellphones, and marvel on the little wonders their gizmo can do.<br />
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Technology has changed our social behaviour at such an exponential rate that sometimes we need blunt people like Justin Halpern's father to provide an honest social commentary.<br />
<blockquote>Son, no one gives a sh*t about all the things your cell phone does. You didn't invent it, you just bought it. Anybody can do that.</blockquote><i>Sh*t My Dad Says</i> is a "LOL-funny" book (memoir) based on Halpern's Twitter account. Halpern started tweeting about the random stuff his father says, which not only got him this book deal, but he also has a sitcom with the same title premiering this fall. This book is another testament of the way technology now allows us to share our ideas with millions. Thanks to blogging and tweeting people have the possibility of getting their work published without having to worry about running after publishers and literary agents.<br />
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I really enjoyed reading this hilarious book. So if you are looking for a light read do check it out.<br />
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Here is my favourite sh*t Justin Halpern's Dad said:<br />
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On Chivalry<br />
<blockquote>Give your mother the front seat...I don't give a sh*t if she said you could have it, that's what she's supposed to do, and you're supposed to say, 'No, I insist.' You think I'm gonna drive around with my wife in the backseat and a nine-year-old in the front? You're a crazy son of a b*tch.</blockquote></div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-50504554173288871922010-05-18T11:17:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:40:42.979-07:00Should You Judge This Book by Its Cover?<div style="text-align: justify;">"He who hesitates is lost" vs. "Everything comes to he who waits."<br />
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"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" vs. "Out of sight, out of mind."<br />
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"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" vs. "It's never too late to learn."<br />
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"The best things in life are free" vs. "There is no such thing as a free lunch."<br />
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"Seeing is believing" vs. "Appearances could be deceptive."<br />
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"Tomorrow is another day" vs. "Tomorrow never comes."<br />
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It's rather funny to notice how the above aphorisms contradict each other. No wonder proverbs are so confusing. In his new book <i>Should You Judge This Book by Its Cover?</i> the author Julian Baggini deconstructs 100 well-known proverbs and phrases we frequently misuse. <br />
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The book seems interesting. But, then, not everything that glitters is gold, eh? I am waiting for the Kindle version to be released, so I can read the book on my Kindle. Since I don't want to judge this book by its cover :).</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-1330505780413763112010-05-17T12:40:00.000-07:002010-05-18T11:34:34.473-07:00Machu Picchu<div style="text-align: justify;">When I met my husband for the first time, a year ago <a href="http://zanysrandomramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/now-show-me-something-pretty.html">today</a>, we didn't talk much. To me he was just one of the many guys my parents were <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;">forcing</span> encouraging me to meet. All I knew was that he worked and lived in California. Since I had no plans of leaving Toronto, I just sat there comfortably on my cynical high horse, while he tried to impress my folks. He was talking to my father about work, and I found him boring. But, when he was finally leaving he gave me the most sincere and sweet smile. <br />
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It was because of this smile I agreed to meet him again for our second date. My second first impression of him was completely different from my first. He was so not boring. I found him witty, intelligent, and humble. I saw respect in his eyes. We talked about a lot of things including my research and the swine flu. It was when we were talking about Peru, I realized that it would be a great loss, if I didn't get to spend the rest of my life with him. Since I got the feeling that he would always take care of me. While I was having this epiphany my brain completely froze, and I couldn't, for the life of me, remember the name of the Inca site, Machu Picchu, we were talking about. I literally blanked out for five minutes and then ended up apologizing for my ditziness. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLKd3fmP3ZR56ljZw-cWOUl21kU7SxJcmnsSuIOm9RoesX1LcImQNJm9fP0cOsDoVO-D0LVO4Zc0egpVfGDV4MYJbpS-8PQCLiOVyIzy9Sd30Qf_C9HLdqBAM0rDD7J4KXZkuByzXHLw/s1600/16632_204909466016_554336016_3512506_3525439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLKd3fmP3ZR56ljZw-cWOUl21kU7SxJcmnsSuIOm9RoesX1LcImQNJm9fP0cOsDoVO-D0LVO4Zc0egpVfGDV4MYJbpS-8PQCLiOVyIzy9Sd30Qf_C9HLdqBAM0rDD7J4KXZkuByzXHLw/s320/16632_204909466016_554336016_3512506_3525439_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Four months later we got married, and I have been living in the States for the past seven months now. It has taken me a year to actually blog about my love story. Cheesy, I know. Everything with us happened so fast that it got very overwhelming at times. In the first few months I couldn't make sense of it all. But the reason this relationship worked out for us because we knew exactly what we were looking for. So when we finally met each other we didn't waste anytime.<br />
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I have realized that what makes marriage work is the commitment the husband and wife have for each other. If it is <b>important</b> for them to have a <b>happy</b> married life, they would do whatever it takes to make it work. Superficial aspects, like oh we must like the same shows, or read the same books are not important in the long run. If the husband and wife both want to keep each other happy they would do whatever it takes to make that happen. <br />
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I know it sounds like a simple concept. Just be committed to being committed. But it seems so elusive in today's world. We care too much about the material things. <br />
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Life is wonderful and complete, if at the end of the day, you, your loved ones, and your family are healthy and happy. That's all that matters. I know we lose sight of that sometimes. Even I lose sight of that. Living away from family in the States has been a difficult challenge for me. It has made me a snobby patriotic Canadian. But, the fact that I have my husband with me makes everything okay. I can cry to him when I miss home. I can talk to him when I get frustrated. It's just at the end of the day I know he will do anything and everything to keep me happy. And, that is what has made this past one year so remarkably beautiful.</div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106128444376682893.post-24050576573120295492009-05-17T17:00:00.002-07:002010-04-28T13:46:07.087-07:00Now Show Me Something Pretty<div align="justify"><a href="http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/PB1m8zpjmFw/">Patrick Park - Something Pretty</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dkhwerFi44">Sia - Day Too Soon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7SMEfyAWfo">Blue October - 18th Floor Balcony</a></div>Zanyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786906632909587584noreply@blogger.com2