Dinner at 6? June 10, 2009

So, after cribbing for months about the lack of a social life, I finally decided to do something about it. So, I went out to dinner with two new friends (not desi, not from my program, not working in my department). We went to the local Indian place and had a very pleasant dinner. Of course, being the US means dinner’s at 6!

It always feels good to make new friends. But it feels even better to step out of the desi circle and the “India Replication Program”. It’s a good feeling when you can make friends with someone not based on where they’re from but rather who they are. And talk about little things and big things and realize the world is not all that huge and people are not all that different after all.

It was a great evening. And much needed.

As I drove back, I saw a homeless guy by the stop light. He held up a sign that said something like, “Homeless, Hungry, Will Look for Work”. And I waved at him, handed him my bag of food and said, “I hope you like Indian”. The smile on his face was priceless. And he said, “I’ll go look for work tomorrow”. And “God Bless You” over and over again. And I forgot for a moment that I don’t consider this country my own. Forgot that I think there are enough soup kitchens and shelters for the homeless. I forgot to judge for a moment. And reacted the same way I would if I were back in India.

Of course, this means, I get to eat a cold salad again at lunch tomorrow. But you know what? I won’t crib about the way my life is for a while.

Accepting Applications April 24, 2009

For the post of onsite best friend.

Requirements:

Must willingly spend time with me instead of succumbing to academic, social or personal pressure and spending time for the sake of future gain.

Must not complain when I call in the middle of the night with intellectual, emotional, philosophical, nonsensical or whimsical demands.

Must be able to appreciate the concept of a sense of space and gauge moods.

Must consume occasional doses of gyan with a teaspoon of salt (or preferred seasoning).

Must be capable of sustaining intelligent conversation not centered around “Academics” or “People Around Us” or constantly compare life with “The Way it Was”.

Must understand that a friend is not someone who fills up time when the significant other can’t be there.

Must live within walking distance of my apartment.

Perks:

Unwavering loyalty

A shoulder to cry on

An ear to crib to

A person who cares

Endless conversations

Amazing coffee!

Closing Comments:

Individuals holding this post in the past will be able to provide further inputs regarding the post and perks

New Widgets February 28, 2009

So, I’ve added a couple of new widgets on my sidebar. I have random song addictions that last a week or two. So I decided to add a video gadget to the sidebar. I also changed my category listing from a dropdown to a cloud. The cloud just about conclusively proves that this blog is highly random and all about me. I considered adding delicious links to interesting articles I read and Twitter updates too but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. I’m not too sure how long the other changes will last either. But I thought it might be a good thing to have a song play in the background as you read

My short lived love affair with Twitter has come to an end at last and my marriage has emerged unscathed. The affair last approximately as long as my collaborative technologies and social media class. Actually, less. I find that I don’t want the whole world to know what music I’m listening to, what news I’m reading and whether I had my lunch. As of now, that’s approximately what these gadgets are worth to me.

With time perhaps, I will be better networked, more popular and worth stalking. I have claimed my simblybored space on all these sites and when the time comes, I shall make it simple for you all to cyber stalk me. For now, I am content with the randomness that has dominated this space.

I toyed with the idea of applying some techniques of effective social media utilization to this blog. I wanted to make this an interactive and engaging space. Elevate it from being a mere blog to being a site you visit everyday. Then I realized that I am not in the portal design business. This blog always has and always been about chronicling things little and big in my life that I think are universal enough to share with you all. It’s not about getting more hits, generating ad revenue (WordPress doesn’t allow ads anyway) or about any of that stuff. It’s a blog that will always focus on text. Play on words, conjure images and recount scenes.

I think the only change I am capable of accepting is changes in template. But do leave a comment if you have any ideas for changes to this space!