last 2 weeks..

Madame Tussad wax museum NY...They look so so real...but made of wax..

All the above pictures are from Wax museum..unbelievably real...

finally spring is here..summer is almost around the corner...sunny skies finally..

Been to NY last weekend to see off my cousin sis who came from India...NY was an interesting trip..It was cold and raining but we did manage to see quite a bit..

museums, empire state building, times square, central park etc.,

ran through subways, NY traffic, train stations and saw racing NY people..

Thanks to MVs blog..ate at kati roll which was a pretty good place to eat..

my weeks are busy with lot of new drug screens to develop , lot of work...

weekends are busy volunteering or traveling , catching up with household chores or hanging out with friends..

books Iam reading right now
Hari Kunzru's - " My Revolutions" which is an interesting novel about a man who hides his past settles in married life and then runs away from family as his past resurfaces..interesting well written novel..

Alvin Tofflers - "Revolutionary wealth" book on todays world, what is real power and real wealth in todays fast paced racing world.

Obamas - "Audacity of hope" about his political journey and his opinions on various issues. very interesting book.

I listened to Jhumpa lahiris unaccustomed earth as a novel on tape read by saritha and it was just ok ok for me, same repetitive themes, same simple language, too much emotions and nostalgia..

Movies I saw..

Saw a cool chik flick "what happens in vegas" with two girlfriends in open air drive in theater, sleeping in the back of my friends car which had a nice back space for three of us to lie down and watch the movie in open air. memorable experience for this memorial day weekend..cameron diaz, aston kutchers movie..such fun..

I attended religious talk on bhakti this memorable day weekend saturday and it was memorable..The sadhuji/monk was good giving us practical examples..

he used a styrofoam cup to demonstrate what atman is and how it cannot be destroyed.

he used the analogy of trees and forest to tell us how they are all the same like aham brahmosmi..He talked about what love is too..knowledge of a person or thing helps us fall in love and true form of love is seva..very interesting talk.

I asked him about purpose of creation, higher dimensions, end of the universe etc.,

week was interesting politics with obama and hillary still racing, mccain trying to get an edge, bad economy, news of china and burma and American idol...

so you think u can dance season started on TV...great dancers this time again...

American idol and so u think u can dance my fav. reality TV shows..

memorial day weekend already started and time is running away.

saturday is gone with religious lectures at the temple, then dinner with girlfriends at thai spice, a good thai place and then this chik flick what happens in vegas..

sunday morning will be gone volunteering at the temple..

may be campaigning for obama sunday evening..

some bowling and biking monday..

and hopefully will manage to do 4 loads of laundry, cleaning, cooking and reading..

so much to do as always..

jazz of this week..

Earthquakes, floods, attacks in jaipur everywhere human suffering..mostly man made...environmental pollution, bad weathers, men attacking fellow men like jaipur attacks...what a week..

Interesting week politically too obama gains more superdelegates, john edwards nod..Hillary still fighting hard.. interesting times..

A lot of new interesting books released and waiting to be read..

I got audio cassette of Jhumpa lahiris novel "Unaccostumed earth" and was listening to it tonite, it was read by sarita who did a pretty good job..sentimental stories, unique first and second generation indian/bengali experience but not that great..I felt they are not that unique, same stories in the line of her first book Interpreter of maladies...ok to read but nothing great for me..melancholic over sentimental stories..

Iam reading Obamas "Audacity of hope"..so far an interesting read..not as interesting as his first book "Dreams from my father" but not bad either..It helps me understand american political system better..Obama is still an impressive powerful writer as well as an orator..

Iam reading Alvin Tofflers" Revolutionary wealth" which is another amazing novel in the lines of future shock about tomorrows world..very interesting and reading Toffler is always an education for me..very well researched book.

Iam also reading Hari Kunzru's " My revolutions"..very interesting book to read, unique story, well written..Hari Kunzrus is becoming one of my fav. writers..I enjoyed reading his two earlier novels..his stories are unique...

so many books to read as always..

This week was an interesting week..

I organised a meeting on outsourcing to India inviting a lot of americans interacting with indian companies in India..It was interesting to hear their pov ..and how work cultures are so different between two countries..so many places where I realised we can help being americanised indians..

I also participated in a walk raising money for India and south Africa and walked 2 miles today..it was fun...I was proud of myself , next time hopefully I will do a 5 mile walk to raise money for cancer patients..

I got a nice letter from one of the Indiana senators as a reply to letters I wrote on immigration green card issues..I had no faith on politicians before but after receiving responses from 2 senators and 1 Governor I have to say my faith is restored..God bless those 2 senators who are doing good job and trying to help people..Hopefully I can write more to them on other issues affecting american people and Indians and hope we can bring in change and can help unfortunate people..

so much to do..so many places where we can make a difference..

I didnot watch any movies this week..

songs I heard this week.. my life is so busy and so unromantic...nice shammi kapoor and mahesh babu songs totally make me romantic and happy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PuGjQtcFBA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqRu20HezCc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXpVxjpmqx0

weekend looks busy..traveling and all that...

week ahead looks busy too..

and miles to go before I sleep...

life this week...

obama rally in Indy...


Asian festival photos...
Last week I stood in line for 4hrs and finally attended obama rally, saw him and heard his speech..it was wonderful and exhausting too...his speech made sense..
campaigning for obama was also fun..It is wonderful to see young students come from california, chicago and all over US to campaign for obama staying in supporters houses..I campaigned with a friend of mine and we both enjoyed it. Glad it was a close finish..I admire Hillary too, she also worked so hard to be where she is, being a woman making this far in a mans world is commendable..
today I went for Asian festival..
Asian festival..it was fun to watch dances from different countries.. Iam glad they organized it, they had a booth selling lovely Indian clothes too and there was some good indian food too..
I went to volunteer after the asian festival today..
Volunteering activity organised by temple was also good today..though I have to admit my shoulders and body got exhausted , hopefully tomorrow morning I wont get up with body pains...
Finally after I got home today and checked my mail I had a sweet surprise.. today after 12 years in US and 8 years of waiting I got my green card..
It was such a long journey..
thanks to Indiana senators who helped me track my application which I thought was almost lost..
I waited for my green card for so so long..thought will celebrate big time when I get green card...
but Iam so exhausted after volunteering today that I dont even have energy to celebrate. anyway my family is not around, dad passed away..people I wanted to celebrate with are either far away and gone from this universe for good..may be if I had a soulmate I could have celebrated with him...having no one I really love around it doesnot make much sense to celebrate either...that is how my life goes...
books Iam reading right now
Obamas - Audacity of hope which is another good one from obama about his political life and political opinions.
Hari Kunzrus - My revolutions which Iam thoroughly enjoying reading...Hari kunzrus novels keep me interested always...
Alvin Tofflers - Revolutionary wealth..which is another great book on future from Alvin and Heidi Toffler , the power intellectual couple who write together..
Dont I wish I get a hubby who is a writer too...two people writing together is fun..
I didnot watch any movies except for a couple of songs here and there.
Life has been so busy working and if it is not work it is organizing volunteer activities and volunteering...
A friend of mine recently asked me if Iam looking for a hubby, I said I hardly have time or energy, friend adviced me to stop doing lok kalyan with my volunteering and think about myself and my life..
may be I should do that..
I barely manage to cook, clean, catch up with household chores these days..
when I get time I read or write..
hopefully next few weeks would be more relaxing..next weekend I am volunteering again..so there goes my life...

spring, obama campaigning, this and that..

lovely spring in indianapolis in suburbs of Indy..

Obama campaign office in Indy...

yes yes..I started campaigning for obama..I know I cannot vote..but I felt like doing it..so I went and did door to door canvasing this weekend and I have to say it was a memorable experience..me and one of my girlfriends went to obamas campaign office today, picked up fliers and campaigned..I have to say it was such a well organised campaign young men and women working so so hard, it was wonderful to watch and it was fun to campaign...so Iam finally becoming politically active..

what else..

life has been so so busy..so much work until my body is exhausted..

when I have time Iam either volunteering or busy planning volunteer activities for a group at work as Iam the team leader for that group to do community service...

rest of time I cook, I read, I am working on my novel...

and rest of the time Iam complaining after overworking with my sick body with such less stamina and energy..being a girl doesnot help either...born weak..

books Iam reading

Hari Kunzru's "My revolutions" which is very very interesting read so far..I enjoyed reading his two earlier novels Impressionist and transmission and I have to say my revolutions is equally interesting.

Alvin Tofflers " Revolutionary wealth" which is a must read. Another great book from Alvin And Heidi Toffler about future..great writer of this century..

I finished reading "Golden afternoon" MMkaye biography which was very boring and a autobiography..

what else..

movies I watched..

Darjeling limited - fun movie about 3 brothers trying to reconnect in India..I thought it was a cute sentimental movie..well made and touching and interesting.

Made of Honor- patrick demsay movie in the lines of my best friends wedding, totally cool chik flick

22 dresses- katherines movie as a perpetual brides maid, totally cool sentimental perfect chik flick, I cried watching this movie..those girl tears I get once in a while when I watch senti chik flicks..

songs I heard..cute songs..

reminds me of home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT3Ba9P5RAk&feature=related

cute hrithik roshan song ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C295VW7zmFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq6GbeMBwDQ&feature=related

week looks busy..

tomorrow Iam attending obamas rally..so much work and drug screens left to do..plus volunteer event I need to organise for 25 people for habitat for humanity coming up..so much to do as usual.. my body is so so exhausted..may be it is time for vacation or India trip..

some recipes, photos, this and that...

Photos of holi event with bhangra and indian dances...photos of ramanavami at the temple procession...

both were wonderful..

cant even believe it is almost end of april..

time is racing and Iam racing with time...

work and volunteering has kept me busy....

I come home exhausted from work...lots of drug screens to develop as usual...interesting but busy tiring days at work.

Other than work being team leader for community service for a big group at work, working on immigration related problems with another, then volunteer activities at temple or here and there keeps me tired and busy..

specially with this economy, we all need to do good and do as much as we can for our communities..

People often tell me I have so much energy that it is inspiring..they say I have honest passion, great organization skills and can influence anyone with just my straight talk.. but reality is most people dont realise my body is not that strong, reality is Iam weak and half the days I have some body complaint or the other, have very little energy, being a girl with girls troubles doesnot help but I think it is the enthu and desire to do something good to community and may be my dads genes that keeps pushing me..

It is in my family, my dad did so much good for the society that if I can achieve even 1/4th of what my dad did to community I will be happy...I hope I get a hubby too who feels the same way about doing good to the world..I hope I can adopt 5-6 orphan children and hope I will energy enough to keep doing this..

I realised this week it is so hard to inspire and get volunteer from Indian community, it made me think as to how many of us indians really spend time to volunteer, most of us live such self centred lives..I hope it changes and I can change people to spare time for something other than for themselves or their families.

finally today I got done with a big volunteer event I organised to cleanup a local park..it went really well today after lot of effort..thanks to all my indian volunteers...2 girls and 13 guys volunteered and did an amazing job.God bless them all who volunteered. specially people with families and small children who still spared time to volunteer..Being single helps, though I wonder sometimes if I had a hubby and children how much of volunteering I can do..

These days I barely have time to cook, clean and catch up at home. I gave up socialising otherwise totally, as I dont get that much time for friends or partying lately.. this year I have given up on a lot of friendships which are artificial, friends who just like to party , gossip and have fun and dont want to do anything else. And I am making time for
I cook at home and eat at home most of the days and hardly eat out, dont have energy or time to eat out..when I get time I read, write, catch up with chores at home and watch movies at home or listen to music at home..

my body is exhausted but I cannot take vacation though I have a lot of vacation...lots of other personal busines stuff to take care of too...barely have time for anything these days...

writing group activities are also keeping me busy..every week I have a collegues novel to critique..Iam also actively working on finishing my first novel and writing my second novel..

finally finished mailing letters to senators, Governor, first ladyand got responses back from some regarding problems with green card issues..so many causes to fight..thanks to the senators who responded , god bless them too..

books Iam reading right now..

Almost finished Golden afternoon by Kaye which was one boring biography.

Reading Obamas book Audacity of Hope which is another interesting obamas book to read..

Also reading Alvin Tofflers " The revolutionary wealth"

books I have to pick up from the library tomorrow and books I will be reading next week..

Hari kunzrus my revolutions.

Jhumpa lahiris new collection of short stories

book on how schools are run in US -

the last book about schools will hopefully help me to do my vicepresident of our educational organisation in India better, I almost forget about that job of mine often..there is so much to do..

when people ask me why Iam not looking for guys actively I tell them I just have no energy for that...If a guy is ready to walk with me in the path I choose to walk and joins me in all the activities I do it is ok, otherwise I have no energy or time to just walk on a unknown path or fall in love....

I realise now a days more often I can never be this prettily dressed barbie doll pleasing guys.. when some guys family asked me if my family can contact them , I had to tell them honestly that Iam not from a typical indian girls family...I look for matches for myself, I have to fix and make arrangements for my wedding all by myself, I have responsiblity of taking care of my family like a boy, Iam this girl who takes 5 minutes to dress up always fighting for one cause or another and that is me...

anyways...

movies I watched..

yuva- madhavan,surya,siddarth maniratnam movie..excellent.

u me and hum - watched first 30 minutes of the movie , got bored and walked out..

Dhamaal- Arsad warsi, sanjay dutt, rishikesh mukherjee fun movie, first indian movie I watched with no herione, no songs..fun and good despite that.

some good food I made at home last few days

1.Indian spicy pizza - recipe - pillsberry pizza dough- make it into a flat roti, heat oven to 400 and bake it for 10min, then add pizza sauce + priya tomato pickle+ priya mango pickle+ maggi hot and spice sauce+ taco spicy sauce. then add grated pinapple,bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, cilantro then add a layer of shredded cheese, bake for 15 minutes or so.

makes one tasty indian pizza, cilantro adds a unique flavor.

2. Mango daal - Take yellow daal+ cut fresh green mango+ hari mirchi. cook them in pressure cooker. take a vessel heat oil, add jeera, mustard seeds, hing a lot of hing, karipatta, tumeric, lal mirch powder . after they fry add pressure cooked daal with mashed green mango and mashed hari mirchi. cook for 5 minutes.

makes one spicy mango daal.

3. Tomato daal

4 Idli - Gits idli, and home made chutneys.

what else..

elections are keeping me interested. Indiana is gaining importance..lets see who wins..may the best unselfish candidate win this race..

Hardly listened to any good music online..Iam so so non-romantic and moody these days, life is dull and boring with too much work , volunteering and meetings or worries..so not much music for me...

Cant even believe may is almost here..

so much to do...so may be less blogging..

In memory of Grandma..

This evening my best friend A called me to tell me her grandma passed away..
I lost my own grandparents on both sides when I was very young..my dads father passed away when I was 2 yrs old..my moms mother passed away when I was 4yrs old..my moms father passed away when I was 7yrs old..
I lost my dads mom nani/mamma as we used to call her when I was 13 yrs old. .I missed her for a year a lot..I could not eat or sleep well..she was the only grandparent I knew..she was kind, would listen to my childish stories, I would sleep in her with her all the time and she was my best friend in my school days..my sister used to beat me up a lot and grandma always came up to protect me..she had a soft corner for me as I was thin, weak and soft spoken..wherever she went she took me with her..it was so much fun..when she passed away it took me a long time to forget her and get over her loss..
Iam glad I grew up with grandparents living with us in the same house..I hope my kids will also grow up grandparents living in the same house with us..I already lost my dad and my kids would never see their grandpa and it makes me very very sad..my dad would have been a super grandpa..he was a supergrandpa for my sisters kids..I like big families, kids growing up with grandparents, everyone living together..that way Iam old fashioned..I love big families..I miss that here living by myself in US..
In my adult life I had no one to call grandma..
so when A became my friend she knew that and she was kind enough to share her grandma with me..A is blond all american girl and her grandma was also an all american lady and was ninety years old..I was so amazed to see her the first time I met her..she was elegant, fashionable in a nice short skirt, blondish white hair well combed, elegant jewellary driving her own car, so independent, so smart, so soft spoken and so patient for her age..
She tried to understand my accent, hugged me and we became friends..I asked her if I can call her granny and she said she is very happy to have a indian grandchild..
Everytime I met her she was always dressed well like a lady in these old world movies of audrey hepburn, slim, tall elegant, well dressed, independent 90 year old granny who lived by herself until today..she will always inspire me to be independent even when I would grow old like her..
I used to call her granny and loved calling someone granny..it was so special for me to use that word granny again in my life..
A, her mom and her granny..three generation of women and me used to go for movies once in a while. A and me would think a lot and pick up the right movie for granny..she had a hard time watching new movies..she was all old world lady and reminded me of conservative polite grandmas and old aunts in India..so me and A would pick up really conservative old world movies for her or cartoon movies which were all PG and neat..she loved ratouville a lot..we took her to this will farrell movie Blades of glory and granny was shocked seeing the movie..I would meet for christmas and thanksgiving dinners at A 's parents place and last time I met granny was for her birthday...
I gave granny a small cake, flowers and a card..the cake had a smiley face on it with just one candle and granny said she loved the smiley face and kept on smiling the whole evening..it was wonderful to see her smile..
A and me were waiting for winter to get over as granny cannot take cold and were planning to take granny for a movie and dinner in summer...I wanted to invite granny home or take her to an Indian restaurant once but since granny never tried indian food I was scared and so was A.
I lit a candle for granny tonite..hope the candle lights her way to heaven..
I would miss calling her granny..now I dont have anyone to call granny and I will miss that and miss her a lot..
I cannot thank A enough for sharing her granny with me and giving me memories of an american grandma I would never would have had..
thanks to my american grandma for giving me sweet memories ...
god bless her soul..

ugadi...Movie "Happy Days'..Books: obama dreams from my father..

phoola huva ajwain poori me cooking in my kitchen...every poori that I made this ugadi weekend poora phul gaya tha..I was ghee happy...never thought I will be smiling one day totally happy just looking at poori..probably its the career woman in me feeling totally content and happy having cooked a good meal..its funny but cooking totally relaxes me...after a long way at work, coming home and cooking my evening meal totally relaxes me dont even know why..playing with recipes, masalas probably...

recipe for a good ajwain poori

mix roti ata with milk, ajwain seeds and a lil bit of oil.

then fry them in oil..

with milk there I think poori are soft and poora phul jate hi..

eat poori with daal makani, alu besan sabji ( oil, jeera, mustard seeds, tumeric, fry onions, add boiled alu, then basan in liquid cook) and yogurt ( with salt and achar mixed with yogurt) or yogurt cucumber raita..

anyways..finally ugadi, telugu new year was here..here in US this time temple celebrated new year on sunday while in India it is monday...so confusing..

It was nice ugadi at the temple..

they did panchang sravan..it was interesting..they tell u what the year will be like.. based on ur birthstar and raasi u can know how good the year will be, if there will be profit or loss, which planet should u worship that year...interesting..

they had supergood food too at the temple..I met some people I knew from work..one of them said my speech the other day at work was excellent..so strange people seem to still remember only that about me..

it was a nice morning today on the whole..nothing beats a peaceful morning at the temple surrounded by prayers and god...

I finally finished reading obama book " Dreams of my father" some 450 pages book..it was a fantastic read..I never saw anyone have such a unique diverse life..white mother, white grandparents, african father who met him just once when he was 10 yrs old leaving him with lots of step brothers and sisters in africa, Indonesian step father, Indonesian step sister..that is obamas family..the whole book is about discovering his family, figuring out his own identity..confusing youth trying to decide between black and white heritage..trying out drugs to everything..living with grandparents most of his life away from parents with no proper mentors and inspiration , yet the man obama turns his life around..graduates from harvard, works for downtrodden in chicago..best part about the book is how he is open to races and tries to find a family for himself making his step sisters, step brothers, everyone come into his fold..it is amazing..

he finally learns about his mystery father through all his distant family relations in US and kenya and puts all of them together finally into one story..it was obamas journey to discover his father who left him when he was 2 yrs old..at the end u will see obama has no bitterness but tears for his father when he truly discovers his fathers hard journey..this is a book so full of experiences and life that is hard to believe that this is the story of just one man spreading through different continents and countries..what a amazing man obama is just by the nature of his birth..

The book is his discovery of his own roots..he goes to kenya and writes about those unique experiences..this man turns his life around..starts with nothing and makes and gets everything at the end..true inspiration..

Obama is also a loner most of his life like me trying to find himself and I kinda see his point and can relate to him..I can see some similarities in his life versus mine..since my dad passed away I started understanding how important it is to have a complete family..and Iam also trying to put pieces together always trying to make a family for myself...trying hard to still have something complete as a family though I know for myself too it is never the same without a father..that way obama inspires me..I like his definition of family..

obama writes in his book "what is family? is it a genetic chain, parents and offspring, people like me? or is it a social construct, an economic unit, optimal for child rearing and division of labor? or is it something lese entirely, a store of shared memories, say an ambit of love? a reach across void"

great book dont miss reading this book..If u are voting, u should read the book all the more..even otherwise it is an inspiring interesting book which will help u understand the racial system in america..a true education for me.

Movie I watched this weekend..

Happy Days a telugu movie by a young director sekhar kammula..watch it..it is bubbly teenage movie..so neat so real about engineering college students life..there is some strange honesty about this movie.. it feels real..good friends, their friendships, their college crushes ,combined studies..it was totally youthful supercute fun realistic movie etc., there is no moral or anything in this movie..light hearted really happy days kind of movie..makes me want to go back to college and be there...feel young, carefree, happy....I dont know when I was in college I always studied hard..too bad..

books Iam reading right now

Golden afternoon - mm kaye.. far pavilion author..that was a good novel to read..

surviving the slaughter - marie omatusu - still reading that..slowly..

Revolutionary wealth - Alvin Toffler

songs I listened to Iam still addicted to race song pehli nazar, I have to admit..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-yk-xXo6pY&feature=related

what else..

week looks busy at work..

body is tired, most weekend I kept sleeping dont even know why..may be I was just tired..so hopefully my body recovered with all that sleep..ear ache,sore throat it never seems to end.. I need vacation sometime soon..wishful thinking..

so much to do as usual...