Porn?

I read somewhere that design magazines are like porn for Manhattan apartment dwellers. Sitting in our cramped 450 sq.feet apartments, we fantasize as we flip through pictures of spacious walk-in-closets and sun drenched patios.

Even as I complain frequently to my husband about how I am irritated with our ever shrinking apartment, I am aware of all the back-issues of my design magazines that could free up space for more 'practical' things.


My first ever design magazine was 'Inside-Outside'. Back in college when I could ill afford it, I just *HAD* to buy that 12 Rupee copy. I still have all the back issues from the 1990s stacked neatly in a cupboard in my parent's home.

Musical Diplomacy

Reading all the articles about NY Philharmonic's performance in Pyongyang made my hopes soar - maybe North Korea was finally opening its doors.

Watching a short video clip on NY Times brought it down with a thud.

Collecting cell phones from the international contingent to restrict 'open' communication, watching a traffic officer directing cars like a wound up toy soldier and a NY Philharmonic musician saying she saw darkness outside her hotel window. It painted an even starker image in my mind.

After the red carpet has been rolled back and the banquet hall cleared, the world will fast forget how its citizens struggle for food and freedom alike.

Adoholik

I got thinking of the Onida advertisement from the 80's and that brilliant tag line that has stayed with us - Neighbor's Envy, Owner's Pride.

I 'googled' it to check for the print ad and came across this advertising site Adoholik that compiles creatives that Indian agencies put out.

I really do miss watching/seeing Indian advertisements both in print and on TV.

Rain

It has been one of those rain-drenched New York days. Everything looks gloomy in a cozy kind of way...

Walking out of a meeting and into the slick rained covered street reminded me of two childhood memories.

Returning from school one day, I got caught in the rain and my notebooks got drenched to a pulp. I remember being upset and my mom trying to salvage everything she could. And then I have this vivid memory of her making little paper boats and floating them on puddles that had formed on our balcony.

And I was reminded of those little wiggly brown earthworms which you see in India when in rains.

The sweetest sound

Today Isaac and I turned 5 months. Or to be precise, this turbulent whirlwind relationship called 'Parenting' turned 5 months. I haven't had 6 continuous hours of sleep for 5 months. I haven't read a book for 5 months. It's been tiring to say the least.

Often as I have sat half-asleep in my rocking chair at 3am nursing my baby, I have thought of those picture perfect moments you see in a J&J baby soap commercial and wondered why the 'joy' of parenting eludes me?

But today it happened. Isaac laughed for the first time. Not just smile or gurgle... but LAUGH. And it was the sweetest sound that I have EVER heard.

Our nanny was pureeing his dinner and that's when we heard it. Just like that!

I managed to capture some of it on video after we figured it was the blender that amused him.



Isaac choosing to laugh today (of all days) was such a riot! It melted away all the exhaustion of the past 5 months.

My husband and I chose 'Isaac' because it's derived from 'Yitzchak', a Hebrew name meaning "he laughs". Isaac is going to live up to his name and I am so looking forward to it.

You Decide ?

My daily commute to work involves walking through a passageway that connects 2 subway stations. It's commonplace to see pan-handlers, bible thumping preachers, and musicians along the way.

This morning I noticed a well dressed Caucasian family standing beside a teenage boy reading music and playing the guitar. The older gentleman (who was most definitely the father of the boy) held a placard that read - "College or Music - You Decide?"
Interesting way to take a poll and put a family dispute to rest!

Give Beirut a chance

Tariq's dearest uncle works at the American University of Beirut (AUB). He has been in the eye of the storm ever since he got the opportunity to move there. He was on one of the first flights to land into Beirut after the Israelis bombed it last summer. From what I read and hear, most all the construction and preservation work done in Beirut was destroyed during the Israel-Lebanon war last year. It's such a pity considering how beautiful a city it has the potential to be, not to mention the constant fear that it's citizens live with.

And now Fatah al Islam, and it's starting all over again. Although the fighting seems to be in Tripoli, there is fear that the fighting is going to become more widespread in Beirut. Uncle Mike sent us this mail today -

On the news this morning there was a report that Fatah
al Islam has declared that if the Lebanese Army
doesn't "capitulate" they will bomb "the Crusader
colleges and universities of Lebanon," which would
most prominantly mean AUB but also LAU and St.
Joseph's. Everybody on campus seems expecially
nervous. Just after hearing that on TV there was a
stupendous noise from a very near low-flying plane and
I even walked into the stairwell of the apartment
building, worried they were going to pull a 9/11 plane
attack on AUB -- it sounded that low and that close --
but then the roaring plane passed. A few minutes later
I heard the approach again of another plane -- equally
loud and low -- and went out on the balcony. It was a
gigantic American transport cargo plane flying in very
low. There were several more. On Naharnet it says the
Americans are flying ammunition, tanks, Humvees, and
other such supplies in for the Lebanese Army in
response to an urgent appeal. Some of the transports
are coming in from Kuwait, some from Egypt. I suppose
that should make me feel safer, but frankly it makes
me feel more concerned. Things are feeling a lot more
bleak.

Pretty enough to eat

In this month's issue of Domino Magazine, I came across a design feature of a Brooklyn based boutique owner's home. I was mesmerized with her living room - a white canvas that provides a grounding contrast for vibrant Indian fabrics - antique silks, embroidered cottons, kullu shawls.

She first visited India in 1989 and turned her passion for color and pattern into a successful business. I can't wait to visit her boutique - Layla in Brooklyn.

The picture of these glass bangles looked pretty enough to eat. Of course, it doesn't help that I just got back from a very relaxing trip to India and am homesick for the colors and aromas that I associate with home.

The Goechala Summit and beyond

A friend from NY recently took his first trip to India. Instead of Rajasthan and Agra that most other tourists flock to, he made his way to Calcutta and then Sikkim to climb the Goechala summit. He is an artist and I expected some breathtaking pictures from his trip. He didn't disappoint.

I loved this picture of prayer flags fluttering from Dzongri Hill. He wrote in to say "I had a good time and was very impressed with the feeling I got from my limited time in India. I am a huge fan forever."

Mask pronounced "Mosques"

My husband often jokes that he married me for my distinctive "Nigerian-English-Indian" accent and pronunciations. Ever so often he misunderstands both the context and subject of our conversation, which can be frustrating and entertaining all at once. So you can imagine the look on his face when I spoke about painting our entry-way wall so as to mount my "mask" collection, which he heard as "mosques". I could spend a lifetime in this country and I still will not be able to twist my A's to have it sound like how Americans/my husband say it.

Communication hurdles apart, the wall turned out perfect, and my "mask" collection has a new home.

Winter in Vermont

My husband and I along with a couple of friends took a house share up in Vermont all of December. It sucked driving 5-6 hours each way especially after work on Fridays. But that apart we had a cozy country home nestled on a hill with a front yard that had a blanket of soft powdery snow (perfect for snowball fights). I loved the small town charm of Proctorsville and buying groceries at the mom and pop stores that are hard to come by in Manhattan. I learned to ski and got rather good at it, except for a nasty fall on our last day on the slopes(which also happened to be my birthday),which left me with a sprain on my left shoulder - oh well!

Geneva

I had the "misfortune" of traveling to Geneva for a work related conference. Don't get me wrong, I love Geneva and I love traveling; but I abhor being stuck in a conference when I am itching to go out and drink in the sights of the city. I managed to get out one evening and walk to the 'old town' to get a glimpse of St. Pierre Cathedral, the center of Protestant Calvinism.


I snapped these pictures of some stores I walked into. One was a store that specialized in antique maps of the region. I spent some time with the store's owner who let me browse her extensive collection and loved the way in which her frames brought the maps to life.

Of course,no trip to Switzerland is complete without walking into a clock store, which reminded me of the 'Asterix in Switzerland' comic where their Helvetian hosts drive them nuts with their penchant for punctuality!!

I ran into a spot of trouble at the airport because my flight took off from the 'French sector' of Geneva International Airport. It's all very well documented on the airport's website , but nevertheless, I had no clue that I needed a French visa over and above my Schengen visa. I spent a harrowing time with the French immigration, and ended up being regurgitated into the "Swiss Sector" and buying another ticket that flew me out !

Towering Pancakes

My husband makes the yummiest chocolate chip pancakes and then likes to stack them to show-off his culinary skills...Humm!

Why Blog ?

I am finally taking the plunge to blog, after having flirted with the idea for months.

There have been countless times when I wish I could have captured random thoughts and images and framed them for posterity. Still, that begs the question, do I need to publish it ? The winning argument - there is something therapeutic that comes from sharing your life.

A few months back on my way downtown to a seminar in Wall Street, I jumped into a cab with an Indian driver. Soon he was telling me about his family back in Chandigarh, his immigration issues and how much he pays in rent for his Jackson Heights apartment. It was heartening that he could be so candid about his life - surely there must be a lightness of being that comes from carrying your heart on your sleeves.

It got me thinking ...there is an undeniable camaraderie that strangers share on a journey together even if it is merely a cab ride. Aren't blogs much the same in that respect ?