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When things go bad...

Arabian style biryani

So today, I decided to make some biryani but not your traditional, run-of-the-mill biryani (well, mainly because I can't lol). I had some cut up pieces of chicken breast from before so I marinated them in this arabic spice I had sitting in my cabinet for a while now. I opened it for the first time today and turned out, it is zatar. For those of you who don't know what zatar is, it is a wonderfully aromatic blend of spices using ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, salt, etc. I have had zatar bread plenty of times in Oman. They make this fluffy breads in clay ovens with the zatar spice copiously sprinkled on it and sometimes they even put cheese on it. It is absolutely delicious. However, the flavor of zatar is one that can be appreciated through acquired taste. So anyways, I dunked the chicken pieces in the zatar spice, besides garlic, lemon juice and other stuff. I then boiled some rice, folded everything in with generous knobs of butter here and there and heating the whole dish through in a heavy pot. It tasted better than it looked. I am watching the 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' right now on E! and as much as it is weird and strangely scary, I am still drawn to this movie. I just finished reading a thorough synopsis of the movie on Wikipedia because my puny little brain can't understand such a twisted movie. Kate Winslet did a fine job with the american accent I must say. Okay, enough blab for today...gonna go get some back rest, have this mother of a backache. Later gator.

College students...

Yes I used to be a college student not too long ago and this post is dedicated to those numerous individuals who are still in college. Um so yeah, when I was an undergrad, I was sort of self-absorbed and kind of always immersed in my own world. I would just go about my day and think about 'my' life and 'my' world. One day however, my darling sister Naima, told me that 'hey ungrateful piece of ****, you never say thank you to the bus drivers while getting off the bus'. At first I was like 'what is she on?' but then I realized that I kind of didn't do that. Well that was some 4 odd years ago. I have changed immensely ever since however the new college kids haven't. I don't really have to go to school anymore now but I do take the shuttle to go to the gym and I see all these completely self-absorbed people entering the bus, phone under their ears, talking louder than you could imagine. Yesterday this girl was talking so loud, thank god I didn't have a bat. They don't say hi or thank you to the drivers (gosh, y'all must be thinking I'm running some kind of custodial appreciation day here lol). Then there are those who cannot wait for people to get off the bus first and just jump on it (ipod or phone in ears). Okay besides the bus etiquette violating crew, there are the kids who block doorways and entrances and expect you to squeeze through this sliver of a space that's barely enough for a squirrel--and this is after you've said 'excuse me' at least 3 times. Those are just a few instances of how some of us (former and current college students) become too self-centered to notice anything else. Will it change? Probably not anytime soon. I am glad my sister taught me that it's not always about you.

EDIT: This might be a personality/cultural problem and not so a 'college student' problem.

Top 15 fall looks

So, I know I am a little useless at times and this is a useless post but I entered this contest for a fall (the season) look at yummiebitez's blog. The picture was actually taken after I came back from dinner (iftar) at my friends house so my makeup wasn't as crisp as when I had left the house and kind of wore off by 12 midnight! But hey, she chose me among her top 15! Yay! So all my lovely readers, please vote for me on that post !(all you have to do is comment on the post). If you like someone elses look, vote for that person :-D. I hope its me though :-D/ Here is the link to the post.

P.S. Please don't enlarge this pic...you can see the hideous skin condition I have. All I have been using ever since my nasty skin situation is mineral makeup which provides very bad coverage but is supposed to be better skin-wise than my MAC studio fix.

Handy dandy tips

1. Avoid tears while cutting onions, store them in the fridge.
2. Freshen up your dishwashing sponge by microwaving it wet for 30 seconds. (it has to be wet or it will explode :-O)
3. Dab undiluted tea tree oil on pimples or acne marks to lighten them.
4. Take four/six uncoated aspirin tablets, add a drop of water and some honey. Make a paste and apply to face. Best unorthodox peel ever (unless you are allergic to salicylic acid).
5. Soak cut up chicken pieces in a mixture of water, vinegar and salt to rid them of that 'bony and bloody' smell.
6. Mix visine or any eyedrops with loose eyeshadow/pigment to give them more vibrancy.
7. Add a slice of cucumber and a wedge of lime/lemon to add oomph to your drinking water.
8. A quick mani/pedi is soaking hands and feet in a solution of water and soda bicarbonate (baking soda).
9. Kandoo Baby wipes make great make-up removing clothes and are cheaper too.
10. Add a stick of cinnamon to your cup of tea to spice it up.

More in another post...
(like the house i drew in paint ? lol)

Low blow...

Yes this is a ranting post so if you're feeling too sunny or just plain don't like rants, you can leave. Ugh, you know in life you need at least one of the following things to keep you happy, healthy and glowing and (in no particular order) they are:
-A secure, well-paying job
-A secure, committed relationship
-A good relationship with ones family
If all of those are in tow, one must be completely pimple-free, radiant and just too happy for words. But we all know that all of those are sometimes too impossible to achieve or sometimes just too short-lived. For the past couple of months I have been losing a lot of my already thinning hair, I have been having a blast of pimples on my forehead, chin, etc. and I have been binge-eating everything in sight. Clearly, I am quite depressed. On top of some of the three things I just mentioned, being far away from home doesn't help either. I try to keep my chin up and go about my day everyday. I keep myself thoroughly distracted with a number of things from the latest makeup trends to the latest thai recipes. I am trying to go to the gym regularly as I have gained so much weight that another 5 pounds and I would qualify as borderline-obese, kid i not (I am NOT one of those girls whose a 120 pounds and complaining). Anyways, I don't think it would be too wise to explicitly state all the details of what exactly makes my life so ungreat here. Famously said, it takes one to know one. Prior to typing this, I glanced at the mirror at the hideous blue-black pimples that have taken over my otherwise semi-clear forehead. I think about all those people who are lawyers, doctors, etc. who have confirmed jobs awaiting them a year before their graduation and think that they probably wake up most days with this stride of confidence. The other day I met an old cohort in the women's locker room and she was just saying how abundant jobs are lined up for occupational therapists (her major) and they don't face 'such' problems of not finding jobs. I kind of froze for a second because that was just plain obnoxious and no I don't care whether she didn't realize what she was saying. I mean she said it after I explained about my not-being-able-to-find-a-job-due-to-f1-status thingamajig. I mean I feel good that some very good companies have contacted me and conducted phone interviews with me and that the only reason that stops them is (once again), me being a f1 visa. Anyways, moving on to the secure and committed relationship part--it's supposed to help you look beautiful and flood you with copious amounts of endorphins. Don't have that either. Lastly and probably the most important, a good understanding and relationship with your family. I would like to believe that I have a good relationship with my sister and parents. That's the only thing that is holding me together in this rough time. And yes, I do take the time out of everyday to thank god that I have a roof to sleep under, food to eat and hands and legs to function with. I am not for a second ungrateful...maybe just upset at the situations and circumstances of life. End of rant.

Pink book...

...a dear friend sent me this beautiful journaly/diary today. I will keep it as a personal diary to write things down. Thank you so much! It will be good handwriting practice too. Can't wait!
p.s. yes, thats my humungous thigh the book is sitting on. don't worry, i am going to melt it soon...grr!

I forgot to share this fun story...

Yup that is a Belkin Wireless-G Router. So my babe Gowri just got road-runner lite (high-speed internet) installed in her house. She wanted some help in setting up the router that she bought at Wal-Mart. So went over to her house and set everything up (hardware) and then proceeded to install the CD. The CD kept saying that the router is not detecting any internet connections. I checked everything over and over again to no avail. Finally, made a call to Time Warner (the isp) and then they said the internet is working fine. Then made the most interesting phone call of my life. Called tech support over at Belkin. A friendly, indian voice answered and started to help me out with the router. In between the helpdesking, I asked him where he was and he was like 'Bangalore- India'. Wow. I've only heard of the outsourcing phone-based customer service/tech support. He was really patient and then he asked me to reset the router and this is the funny part, he said 'take a hair clip or paper pin and press the hole on the back hardly'...I couldn't help but crack up, along with Gowri and her brother, Pratheep. In between, randomly he goes like 'whats your email address'. I was like 'um this isn't my internet or router, I'm just helping my friend'. He said 'no problem' and a brief moment of silence followed. Anyways, after pressing all holes and stuff, nothing changed. The IP address and default gateway were not the expected configurations (It had to be like -.-.2.1. and it was -.-.1.1..weird). Finally the guy was like 'someone from a higher level will call within 24 hours'. Thank God, I was going to have an ego-attack in case it was something totally dumb that I couldn't figure out by myself. I think today level 2 support called her house and they kind of got it working. Anyways, the guy was nice and everything...but it just felt so weird talking to someone almost half-way across the world from here.

What's new today?

New Facebook: Zomgah! Disaster! Yikers! Someone ate crack, injected LSD into themselves, ate one too many twinkies and then came up with the worst interface ever! May you trip on a thousand banana peels!

Gym: Smelly socks-rotten eggs-rotten onions kind of smelly. It's called a deodorant and its cheaper than your ipod! Fun stuff? Seeing girls change in the locker room. Gotta love how they open everything right when you make an entry. I am liking--KIDDING!

Weather: Cool, breezy and beautiful. Hello Fall!

Sleep: Not getting any, hence ugly puffy eyes...bought me an eye cream today. Gotta love the aging process!

Beautiful thing in the mail...

...so today started very wonderfully as I received Mahrin and Tawheed's wedding invitation in the mail. Ah, absolutely beautiful cards--you can see from the picture. Can't wait for the event which leads me to next order of business. I have actually started going to the gym regularly after going on a 2-month hiatus and knowing that there's a snazzy wedding to attend in November, I have all the more reasons to. I hope I stick through because this whole not-having-a-job-yet thing doesn't exactly flood me with undying enthusiasm everyday. I must throw in a little fyi that I have been contacted by a few places over the last month but don't want to mention any names here until something is a sure thing. I did mention earlier that the thing that gets me off their list is me being a future-sponsorship-requiring individual. Anyways, so back to my starting over a new-leaf-in terms-of-health---I went to Wal-Mart with my one and only lovely Gowri today and we brought a lot of stuff (food-wise) to start off our 'healthy' schedule. That girl is in perfect shape and is gifted with a speedy metabolism (knock on wood) but I am not one of those girls who has angst against thin people adopting a healthy lifestyle. I think everyone, thin or fat, should try to maintain healthy ways. So anyways, we got a whole bunch of fruits from peaches (lurvee peaches) to apples to plums, etc. I also bought the Special K vanilla almond flavor..mmm. The last time I had a visible reduction of weight was back in the fall of 2003. I did some crazy stuff like running 10 laps everyday on the track plus cardio, eating cereal and cucumber salad, etc. The results were amazing though and I felt so good. Lately, I have been feeling so sluggish. So ya'll wondering where this new found enthusiasm suddenly came from? Besides the dreamy wedding that I have to attend in November..Ugh..I stepped on a scale. Really high numbers I tell you, really high. I am planning to plaster my walls with friendly reminders such as 'Forget about that quart of vanilla icecream sitting in the refrig.' Jimminy cricket! it is time to sleep

Unusual iftar...and some other tales

So back after a lot of tweaking around with my blog template, I decided to stick to the old one and also many thanks to those who voted on the poll regarding the template. Anyways, so today I had a very unusual iftar.All those of you who are unaware of what iftar is, it is the meal one takes at sunset after completing a day of fasting from sunrise to sunset. So I felt like having piaju (lentils paste fried up into small balls) or beguni (slices of eggplant dunked in a batter and deep-fried) for ifter. Since I don't have a blender and I didn't have eggplant, I decided to make deep-fried broccoli instead. I dunked them in a batter made of besan (chick-pea flour) and threw some random spices in there. Turned out quite okay. So I had a glass of orange-tangerine tropicana and the deep-fried broccoli. Yummy! So in other things, I have been really sad lately because of all the sad news that I have been hearing. Back to back, two deaths related to car-accidents. I don't know these people first-hand, but it breaks my heart thinking about the pain they must have withstood and now the pain that their loved ones have to endear. I just think it is so important that we take the time to express our love to our near and dear ones because you never know. In other news, anyone hear about that big bang shenanigan? God knows whats going on with that. I am a little scared to tell you the truth. My computer flickered for a moment today and I almost died. *Note to all: I am a scaredy-boo* So what else has been going on? It's been raining a lot here and has been really muggy and foggy lately. Nothing else popping this Saturday night...can't believe it that last year at this time, I was undertaking a full-blown semester with classes and part-time work under my belt. Ugh, no good movies showing on tv either.

For Girls Only :)

So, ever since I learned to put liquid eyeliner on (which was when I was 13), I have been hooked onto the art of makeup and beautifying oneself. Don't kill me for saying this (because it's not me saying it), but ever since I was little, I was always referred to as the 'one with nice personality but not great looks'. No, I don't have any weird complexes or all that jazz. I am fine. But hey, when there are relatives saying things like that, it does take a toll on you. So I have always been a few pounds overweight and not so milky white in complexion (god bless america for having so much love for olive and tan skin) but that doesn't make me completely worthless does it? So, back to the eyeliner initiation phase...I slowly found a tweezer somewhere in the house and started playing with that and then discovered an eyebrow pencil to fill in my like-a-chicken-without-feathers kind of eyebrows to give them more definition and frame my face better. Slowly, I learned how using two different shades of eyeshadow helps giving depth and dimension to eyes. I didn't quite know how then (probably 16 by now). I mean now I know theres a crease brush, smudger brush, etc. Anyways, as time went by and the internet took over, I watched celebrities closely and tried to copy their looks but to no avail. What did help me learn a bunch of tricks of the trade was actually the internet. Makeup bloggers and youtube beauty channels have been flooding cyberspace for a while now and as a result I have learnt a majority of the tricks. I must warn though that I haven't applied all those tricks to myself yet...little to scared to deviate from the real me. But here's a few things that I wanted to write down here that can take you from boring to va-va-voom. I've placed WINNER next to the things that make big that-guy-finally-noticed-you kind of difference.

1) Eyebrows done (threaded, waxed, tweezed, etc.) and filling them in with a pencil in case they are scanty. (WINNER)
2) Layered hair-cut with side-swept bangs
3) Discreet yet visible honey or caramel highlights. (WINNER)
4) Smooth and volumized hair with loose curls but smooth not frizzy
5) Getting a pair of colored contact lenses (opens up your eyes) (WINNER)
6) Eyelash curler to curl lashes (opens up eyes)
7) A really heavy duty black mascara. (WINNER)
8) False lashes for extra shabam.

And thats it, those are the main things. I've never done all of that at once. I did have colored contacts at one point, highlights at another. Now, I am just trying to reach my zen place by not doing too much. I play enough with makeup already and I think thats deviating enough from my true self. But then again in this fixated-on-outside-looks world, all those things do make differences. I am not a guru on the subject but I have done enough research from online sources,beauticians and the like for a while. So all those girls who are tired of being too normal or too boring...try one of those things. I am pretty sure I could look much better if I did all those things and lost 50 pounds. Dang will that day ever come? :-D. Oh tidbit: Went to gym today after 3 months almost!

My favorite fictional romantic characters*

*not in any particular order

1. Matt Flamhaff, 13 going on 30: This character was played by Mark Ruffalo (one of my faves) and he is shown as a photographer who is this really sweet, down-to-earth, unpopular-in-school kind of guy who has an overgrown classic cut and is always sporting a smile no matter what. I guess you all saw the movie and know how the story goes, but the part I liked most was the pink house that he builds for Jenna for her 13th birthday.

2. Michael Scofield, Prison Break: This character is played by the scrumptious Wentworth Miller. His character is that of being sacrificing, altruistic and selfless with an extraordinary amount of intelligence (they refer to it as low-latent inhibition). He is shown as this really serious, quiet, guy with close-shaven haircut, but you know he is a true romantic just by seeing his love for Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies)

3. Noah Calhoun, The Notebook: This character was played by Ryan Gosling. I was so attracted to his character. At the beginning of the movie, he comes off as one of those street-smart, sleazy kind of guys but as the movie progresses, you see how beautiful a person he is and he cannot get over the girl he fell in love with one summer when he was merely in high school. The ending is rather sad, but if one were to have a character such as him in real life, no problem would seem too big.

4. Robbie Turner, Atonement: This character was played by James McAvoy. This tear-jerker made me twitch and turn after the night I'd watched it and a couple more. He is shown as a poor boy who has big dreams and goals and ultimately is put in a very difficult situation for which he wasn't responsible. Although, the romance between him and cecilia (Kiera Knightley) is not shown for most of the movie, you see the hardships he faces but keeps that love so strong in his heart. Beautiful.

A Day of Reminiscence

So today was a wonderful day. Spent most of it with my dear Gowri. She picked me up in the afternoon and off we were to her place to just hang out low-key for the day. After numerous interesting stories, several licks by Mr. Ginobili (Gowri's cute pomeranian) and a while of lazing around, we decided to go to WalMart to get a few things. Soon after we were out of WalMart, we decided to go...brace yourselves...on-campus! You know, the reason I make it such a big deal is because it all comes with the terrotiry of being a graduate, alumnus, or ex-student of a certain school. You don't want to be seen or heard there in case someone sees you and wonders 'what is she still doing here?'. I know that this isn't the best attitude to move forward in life with but hey, somethings can't be changed. So anyways, the reason we went on-campus was mainly to go to CVS because we didn't find what we were looking for (skin-care stuff)in WalMart. As we entered the familiar zone with now many unfamiliar faces, memories, good and bad came gushing back to our minds. Those breaks we used to take at Sbarros over a slice of pizza (or ziti) between classes or those long hours we spent in the gray (sometimes musty smelling) computer labs where everyone is on facebook. So back to now, we entered CVS where they have rearranged everything totally. There's even a Tim Hortons in the student union. I live for Timmy's and it couldn't have come a little earlier? Anyways, we found our items at CVS and then we decided to grab a bite in Burger King (where the lady who has been working there before the wheel was invented kept dragging the chairs against the gritty tile floors while we tried to enjoy our generously oil-drenched fries). Soon we went to Starbucks (like we hadn't eaten enough already to use wifi). Gowri got some work done while I sipped on my organic chocolate milk (because that was the cheapest cold milky drink in starbucks lol). It was good. The sun had set completely by now and we were on our way now for an impromptu gathering with Julie and Delisa at Paneras for some chatting session. Soon that was done too and I came home, ate a peach and am now writing this.

( This entry has been written so in a style I used to follow 13 years ago when every entry had to be made sound like a bedtime story in my scented, pink colored, heart-shaped diary that had a lock and key lol.)

20 things I could live without...

1. People (possibly old) who turn off the air conditioner or fan while you're still sleeping.
2. Size 2 complaining to a size 6 about being fat and really fat.
3. Hot, humid days when hair is frizzy, face is oily and arm-pits sweaty.
4. Pimple(s) right before a big event.
5. Monthly fluctuations in the body's chemical composition.
6. Unwashed dishes (for a while) with hardened pasta, cheese and sauce.
7. Obnoxiously darkly-lined lips with a no-color lippstick filled in. Ew
8. Smell inside the airplane right when they heat up the food.
9. People who ask about your weight in front of 500 people.
10. Guys who do their eyebrows.
11. Chicken fat (raw)
12. An elevator that smells
13. Jeans that are too tight near the...ahem..
14. Wetness around the bathroom sink
15. Anything mint chocolate chip
16. Leftover laundry that you forgot to do the last time
17. Amy Winehouse
18. Lavender flavored stuff
19. Stores that have huge 75% sale signs and absolutely nothing inside.
20. Little girls who act suggestive.

Saturday night

With two handsome uns:
1) Bissell Vacuum Cleaner
2) Clorox Greenworks Natural Dilutable Cleaner in Pure Tangerine

Oh yeah, I went on a cleaning spree. Kitchen floors, kitchen counter tops, kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathroom potty....you get the gist and I am sure nobody wants me to elaborate lol.
Just inhaled the big, big bowl of pasta I made yesterday. Oh by the way, awesome news!!! It got cooler today...Much, much cooler. Right now it is about 58F(about 14C). Can't wait to duck under the covers and hopefully get a good nights sleep after a really long time.

Makeup Shennanigans :)

So me love makeup so me take pics everytime me paint my face. So here are piccies. Yes, I know I am just THAT bored lol.

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Annoying News

Brownie news

(This happened two days ago) Mixed up duncan hines chewy fudge mix with tons of chopped walnuts. Didn't realize that the roomie had left the dial at 450 degrees and the numbers on the dial are kind of washed away so I read it as 350 but in 10 minutes I smelt it so I realized it and turned it down to 350 but it overcooked a bit anyways because I only made half the box. (
This happened today) So anyways, have been trying to revive it ever since and so today I warmed up some of it in the microwave, topped it with some vanilla ice-cream and let me just say, my tummy was very happy :)

A conversation

I boarded the North Campus shuttle today to go to Wegmans to get me all the things I need to make a turkey sandwich with cheese bread and sun-dried tomato pesto. Don't ask---I conjure up all kinds of recipes in my head. So anyhoo, I climbed up the shuttle and it was the lady (whose name I don't know) who I see all the time. She works horribly long shifts most of the time yet sports a dazzling smile all the time and maybe mumbles once in a while real low. So today, I was the only person on the shuttle. I asked her how she was doing and she told me how was tired because she works two jobs. That moment, seeing her eyes filled with tiredness and sadness, I couldn't help but ask her if she had any children and if they were old enough why weren't they taking care of her. This lady is 61 and I don't think anybody at that age should be working two jobs. She then smiled and was like ' American kids ain't like ya'll...they just grow up and leave'. I subtly tried not to agree because I believe a notion of that magnitude shouldn't be generalized or stereotyped. She continued, 'kids over here are too self-centered and individualistic and only think about themselves'. 'They want to heat up their lean cuisine dinners and eat stuff that can be made in a microwave.' 2 minutes and my stop had arrived. I got off the bus trying to make her feel better and she said 'its okay, I know all of them not like that, but most of them are.' I then walked to CVS to exchange some stuff. I then was getting ready to take the mall shuttle when julie called saying she was craving some gelato. We then went together to Wegmans. I am all happy now that I know I have my cheese bread, turkey and sun-dried tomatoes pesto sitting in the fridge. I also bought a block of parmesan cheese to add to my pasta dishes. I love real parmesan cheese. Its so much different from the instant kind. I need to stop talking about food. So anyways, going to take a shower now with eucalyptus oil and all. Yum.

Ramadan Kareem~

So a lot has happened. My monitor died on me yesterday and I was computer-access-less for about 27 hours. My mind was in shambles. What is happening on facebook, did I get any new emails, what is new on ebay, what is new in the world, etc. etc. Then I had to calm myself down and think about life before the internet. I am not going to bore you with that topic because I am sure thousands of people have written a lot about the pre-internet, pre-web 2.0 era. So, instead I decided to focus my energy on other things such as grocery shopping which my roommate enticed me into last evening. I kept in mind that I need to stock up on all kinds of food from frozen mixed vegetables, canned chick peas to pasta and eggs. All of them life saviors. After I came home I once again realized 'no computer'. I decided to focus my energy onto cooking. Made a dish with strips of chicken breast, chick peas and red potatoes. I also rolled out some whole wheat rotis. Yeah, I know you're probably thinking where I get that energy from and why would I know how to make them. Well, one of the most vivid memories I have of my childhood are those of the intoxicating fragrance of buttery hand-made paratas and beautifully scrambled eggs filling up the entire house, as disney cartoons (with arabic subtitles)are playing on the tv in a tiny living room filled with an obnoxious amount of sunlight, yet happy. I have loved hand-made bread since then and it took me a while to figure out how to get them right. I am still in the process of testing and trying. So anyways, I woke up at 5am last night and had some of the chicken dish and rotis while watching Law and Order. Come today and I was so impatient. I was on an empty stomach and didn't have a computer to browse on. I am sure most of you will agree that that is a deadly combination. I still kept my cool and did little things around the house. I looked on my roomies laptop for craigslist listings for monitors for sale and called a bunch of them. None of them picked up but one lady did and she goes 'its my daughters birthday and we have the yard set up so not today'. Finally, with the help of robdob, who was looking at craigslist listings for me in the buffalo area. He finally found one and gave me the number. So everything worked out and I got another monitor. Soon it was time for going over to kawsars for an impromptu iftar (fast-breaking) gathering. He did a lot of work and made a whole bunch of stuff along with the help of his friends. As unhealthy as it may seem, iftar is all about eating all kinds of fried-fritter like items. Usually we do it with lentils paste or brinjals or onions and the list goes on. It was a ton of fun and it was nice that all of us broke fast together. I miss it you know because I am here all alone and have to usually do it in my closet like room with a glass of tropicana and some kind of chicken and rice kind of deal. Okay, I have yakked a lot today. Ramadan Kareem everyone!