Friday Night-In = I'm Cool

I

finished my studying quota and am going to eat my midnight yoghurt and watch an episode of House, M.D. after this post! YAY!

had an epiphany the other day and am not afraid to finally admit to myself what I want to do with my life. Film writing/journalism/critique...folks, you're looking at the next Khalid Mohammed (note: the Hindustan Times writer/film critic/screenwriter/director NOT the evil Al-Qaeda leader)! Questions about where I want to study, what my focus will be, timeline for completion, etc. will be willfully and categorically ignored. I have finally articulated what I want to do...let me bask for a bit, dammit!

have been told (at least 20million times) that it's yom kippur. mmmmkay...stop trying to make me care about jewish holidays! i just really have no reason to/don't.

am ridiculously in love with avocado

would kill to watch Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi right now...where are those sketchy, dimly lit Rs.20-a-night pirated DVD rental stores when you need them?!

cannot wait to leave behind unregulated capitalism.

have a History midterm on Wednesday, which is making me very upset. I hate studying for exams! Ask me to write you a paper and I will do it without any complaining (I may whine just a little bit, and only because it's customary to do so) - but exams?! Can we please band together and petition for the obliteration of this outdated 'testing' mechanism. Gah, Exams! Die a painful death, why don't you?!

am missing a day-trip to Boston tomorrow (boo) to study for my aforementioned, godforsaken midterm. However

am going to Boston on Sunday for the closing night of the Boston Palestine Film Festival!!! Excited out of my mind to watch Salt of This Sea and meet and (potentially) invite Annemarie Jacir to come to Brown! Art--Power--Freedom!

love my new pink nailpolish! (almost as much as you love your red nailpolish, Tinu)

taught a class on Rang De Basanti on Thursday. The conversations were vibrant, challenging and, basically, glorious! Everyone said I was a great discussion leader, which made me very happy (people even took notes when I talked! eep!). Can I do this for a living, please?

Skype-d with Natasha this morning, which brought me unimaginable joy! I miss you so much, Natutu! Thank you for being the friend that everyone dreams of having.

don't want our children to live in a world where organized 'religion' has the unrestrained power to recruit and coerce them into joining "god's army". Please stop the proselytising!

am getting over my unbearable hatred for cinammon. Now it's at the "wow, that tastes vile" stage. Progress, indeed.

realized how insanely self-centred this post is. Apologies.

have a million thoughts on the November 4th Election. To keep it short, however: 1) Senator Biden: Those hairplugs are nasty but you, sir, are a master blaster debater (albeit, a rather arrogant one). 2) Senator John McCain: I am not your friend. Far from it. So stop calling me that. 3) Governor Sarah Palin: Thank you for being the woefully unaware/inarticulate "hockey mom" that you are. You betcha! 4) Senator BARACK OBAMA: Here's to you, Mr. President *tip of a hat*

love reading my friends' friends' blogs and knowing that my loved ones are surrounded by good, smart, interesting people.

had been just "surviving" for the past week or so...existing in a slump of sorts. And then on Thursday morning as I was walking back from the Post Office, my iPod started playing Roobaroo (the Rang De Basanti one, not the Maqbool one), and the leaves were flitting in the breeze and the sun was warming the pavement...and I started to feel again. Ah life (aka AR Rahman), you do amazing things to me.

am really missing the festivities of Durga Puja :( Suddenly the shlumpy bhog, ice-cold khichoodi, just-going-stale nimkee and rock-hard aloor-dum at our Lusaka Vedanta Centre make for a menu that I'd pick over a meal at the Ritz Paris.

watched a documentary called "Miss India-Georgia" today with the rest of SAWC (South Asian Women's Collective) - it tracks four finalists in the Miss India competition in the state of Georgia. Confused-about-my-identity Indian-Americans + American-beauty-pageant drama = uncontrollable giggles

have had In Aankhon Ki Masti (Umrao Jaan), Saiyaan (Kailash Kher/Kailasa), Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno), Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (Blackmail...hai, the magic of Kishore da!) and Suno Suno (Yuva) on repeat for most of the day!

am counting down the days till December 22nd (i think?!) and my homecoming. Kolkata, I miss You!

wish I could put up fluorescent heart-shaped post-it notes on the doors of all 10000 people I love and treasure in this world. This virtual heart shall have to do the trick: <3.>
have taken some really amazing classes this semester. Therefore/However

am finding out more and more about anti-woman violence, internalized/structural misogyny, hidden racism, the ultra-conservative Christian right, the ultra-powerful Jewish lobby, "white power", colonial occupation and war profiteering. It makes it very hard to believe in, above all else, universal love.

am trying.