- We've just opened a new branch of our S* Salon. Its over by North Ave. Why don't you stop by sometime, we've got 50% off on all hair services.
- Sounds good S*, thanks!
- B, I need to get a haircut. You know, so I look sexy and all, in the Jamaica pictures.
- Won't it be better if you wait until the week before we leave?
- No, I feel like it today.. hey, why don't I also try to color my hair while we're at it?!
- Sure, whatever makes you happy :)
- I'd like some partial highlights please, with a haircut.
- Oooh, this 'Cinnamon/Burgundy' looks good..
- Nah, not so much. How about this 'Nutmeg'
- Oh yes, that will look good on you.. We'll take it down with a bleach, and then add the toner.
- You know what, I'm doing more than partial highlights so it looks better on you.
- Ah *gulp* (Post-bleach-wash)
- It'll look better with the toner, you just wait.
- Ah *gulp* *gulp* (Post-toner-wash)
- It'll look good with a haircut done.
- Thanks so much, LOVE it. (Out the salon, 80$ and three hours later)
- *Wail*. I hate it. I look like a tramp.
- You're just not used to it, it doesn't look bad
- But it doesn't look good either does it?
- Why are you always so dis-satisfied with such experiments you do? Let me be brutally honest. Its not great, but its not bad either. Lets look at it in the morning and see.
- Serves me right, 50% off, and off I go like an idiot.
- Holy Crap, I HATE it this morning, more than I did yday night.
- Yea, I hate it too. Don't worry, we can set it right.
- In fact, I look lilke Kovai Sarala, remember when she turned her hair an awful color?
- Hmm.. now that you mention it.. Yea!
- *Wail*
- I'm nervous now. I read all these articles online, and they paint the worst possible picture.
- Come on, I read some too, you'll be fine.
- Hi, I have a hair-color-disaster-emergency. DO you guys have an appointment for this evening?
- 6.45pm (Gordon)
- 7.00pm (Michael Anthony)
- 4.00pm (Sine Qua Non)
- 4.00pm sounds lovely.
- Please help me Bridgett.
- Oh, poor you. Its turned all Orange-y. Its easy to fix. We'll get an even black all over for you.
- I've never been happier to see my natural black hair! (Post-wash)
- Ooh, I look sexy! (Post-blowdry)
- Thank You SO much. (Out the salon, 100$ and one hour later)
- You look lovely.
- I've NEVER been happier.
- That turned out to be the single most expensive haircut you've had.
- I was just thinking that. *Sigh*
- Hey, atleast, now you know. Consider it an experiment gone wrong :)
- I could've conceivably fed some orphans instead. Shame.
1/30/09
1/26/09
Born Confused (Tanuja Desai Hidier)
This book had many things going against it when I picked it up.
- Teenage angst
- Desi tableau
- First person narrative
But, it blew me away. Dimple Lala is a shy, confused teenager. Confused about her looks, her parents, her friends, her nationality, and how she fits into the grand scheme of things. And then comes the summer when she turns 17, and its a long process of 'finding herself'.
My favorite characters in the story are her parents. Yes, you heard right. Quintessential depictions of first-generation Indian parents in the US, the on-and-off accents, the traditional clashes, the 'Hai Rabba' phases. For me, they made the story what it is. The situations where their reactions come from 'way out of left field', colorful stories of their heyday from their childhood friend Rhadha's perspective, and their worry about losing Dimple slowly are priceless parts of the storyline.
Dimple, Gwyn and Karsh weave in and out of the story fluidly. Her photography hobby, Karsh's DJ-ing, and Gwyn's 'wannabe-desi'ness allows the author to sneak in several metaphors that don't terribly detract from the storyline. I love how the author ties in Dimple's love for photography with her love for her grandfather.. the way they cannot speak a common language except through photographs.. so much so, that they end up communicating via pictures eventually!The phase where Gwyn and Dimple fall-out and need their own space to grow apart and come together again makes for a believable arc. Karsh, a sweet boy, for the most part is a fixture around whom the events unfold slowly.
There are, of course, some parts where you feel the story drags.. but they're mostly the above-mentioned metaphorical stuff. But, I always read a book and visualize it at the same time, which helped me almost 'watch' it like a beautiful montage in a musical-movie.
After a long time, a girl-meets-boy story (and desi, to boot!) has several layers to it, and makes for an interesting read. No stereotypes, no done-to-death cliches.
Oh, and the type-written letters for the so-called Secret Saturday Outings, simply priceless.
4 stars/5.
- Teenage angst
- Desi tableau
- First person narrative
But, it blew me away. Dimple Lala is a shy, confused teenager. Confused about her looks, her parents, her friends, her nationality, and how she fits into the grand scheme of things. And then comes the summer when she turns 17, and its a long process of 'finding herself'.
My favorite characters in the story are her parents. Yes, you heard right. Quintessential depictions of first-generation Indian parents in the US, the on-and-off accents, the traditional clashes, the 'Hai Rabba' phases. For me, they made the story what it is. The situations where their reactions come from 'way out of left field', colorful stories of their heyday from their childhood friend Rhadha's perspective, and their worry about losing Dimple slowly are priceless parts of the storyline.
Dimple, Gwyn and Karsh weave in and out of the story fluidly. Her photography hobby, Karsh's DJ-ing, and Gwyn's 'wannabe-desi'ness allows the author to sneak in several metaphors that don't terribly detract from the storyline. I love how the author ties in Dimple's love for photography with her love for her grandfather.. the way they cannot speak a common language except through photographs.. so much so, that they end up communicating via pictures eventually!The phase where Gwyn and Dimple fall-out and need their own space to grow apart and come together again makes for a believable arc. Karsh, a sweet boy, for the most part is a fixture around whom the events unfold slowly.
There are, of course, some parts where you feel the story drags.. but they're mostly the above-mentioned metaphorical stuff. But, I always read a book and visualize it at the same time, which helped me almost 'watch' it like a beautiful montage in a musical-movie.
After a long time, a girl-meets-boy story (and desi, to boot!) has several layers to it, and makes for an interesting read. No stereotypes, no done-to-death cliches.
Oh, and the type-written letters for the so-called Secret Saturday Outings, simply priceless.
4 stars/5.
Bookworm
I've always loved reading books. So much, that I always end up finishing them at the rate of a-book-a-day. Ask Easwari Lending Library, good summer business they've had from the account E-633 (I think?).
And so, after the reading-lull in my Pilani days, I got back to it once I landed in Chicago. Come on, who can resist such a great public library? And, all for free?! I was over the moon :) And then came the second no-books phase. Finally, I'm back in business, and faster than ever. Even if I hate the book, I end up reading it all the way through, just because.
This past week, I was on an inspired Indian-milieu/author spree. And boy, was I overwhelmed or what! For some reason, I have never really done much of these type of books. I haven't been a fan of most Indian authors because more often than not, to me, it seems like they just try too hard. The vocab, the premise, the cultural exaggerations.. everything. On the one hand, English is, after all, their second language. Some words they end up using thus clash with my usual Archer/Sheldon/Ludlum/Grisham jargon which is much more mainstream. And several authors use broken sentences or use heavy first-person narratives. Like the way I type stuff on this blog at times. In all, its a mix that has always put me off, at the risk of sounding snobbish!
One book took me completely by surprise. The other two, not so much. Maybe I'll pop up a review of sorts sometime soon.
And so, after the reading-lull in my Pilani days, I got back to it once I landed in Chicago. Come on, who can resist such a great public library? And, all for free?! I was over the moon :) And then came the second no-books phase. Finally, I'm back in business, and faster than ever. Even if I hate the book, I end up reading it all the way through, just because.
This past week, I was on an inspired Indian-milieu/author spree. And boy, was I overwhelmed or what! For some reason, I have never really done much of these type of books. I haven't been a fan of most Indian authors because more often than not, to me, it seems like they just try too hard. The vocab, the premise, the cultural exaggerations.. everything. On the one hand, English is, after all, their second language. Some words they end up using thus clash with my usual Archer/Sheldon/Ludlum/Grisham jargon which is much more mainstream. And several authors use broken sentences or use heavy first-person narratives. Like the way I type stuff on this blog at times. In all, its a mix that has always put me off, at the risk of sounding snobbish!
One book took me completely by surprise. The other two, not so much. Maybe I'll pop up a review of sorts sometime soon.
1/19/09
2008/09.
My last post was a month ago?? Really! Time has certainly done a number on me. But here I am, in 2009, finally. Ah, 2009, I have grand plans for you.
2008 was such a mixed bag. I was at all possible mood-points that could be plotted on any kind of graph. That being said, I went around trying to filch a random 'mood graph' from Google Images, and pop it in here (of course, giving due courtesies, as required!). I thought I'd come across something like in those comic strips of the PhDHumor variety. Guess what were the first few links that came up:
www.psychsupport.com.au
www.mentalhealthclinic.org
www.gatewaypsychiatric.com
www.psycheducation.org
Umm, okaaaaaay (scratching my head). Thanks then! I don't want to further classify myself as requiring much help in that respect. I'm going to state unequivocally at this juncture that I, D.R.T, am extremely sane, and of a more-often-than-not-sunny disposition. Now that we have cleared the air on that issue..
New Years eve just came and went. We were so cold and tired that we just ordered in some Pizza and watched old runs of James Bond on cable!
Chi-city has been getting some real bad weather recently. So much so that last Friday was 9 degrees colder than the northernmost tip of Alaska, and just three degrees warmer than the South Pole. Three cheers to that! This drove us insane, and swoosh (creeeaaaakk, rather) went the credit card. Now we're booked on an all-inclusive at Negril, Jamaica for five days mid February. See, 2009 is already looking up!
Now, I'm sitting here, counting down to those 5 days of sun, sand and leisure.. its like I've been transported back in time to my school days, tiny me sitting on my desk, waiting for the bell to go before summer vacation starts! The wait seemed interminable then, and sure seems the same now :)
2008 was such a mixed bag. I was at all possible mood-points that could be plotted on any kind of graph. That being said, I went around trying to filch a random 'mood graph' from Google Images, and pop it in here (of course, giving due courtesies, as required!). I thought I'd come across something like in those comic strips of the PhDHumor variety. Guess what were the first few links that came up:
www.psychsupport.com.au
www.mentalhealthclinic.org
www.gatewaypsychiatric.com
www.psycheducation.org
Umm, okaaaaaay (scratching my head). Thanks then! I don't want to further classify myself as requiring much help in that respect. I'm going to state unequivocally at this juncture that I, D.R.T, am extremely sane, and of a more-often-than-not-sunny disposition. Now that we have cleared the air on that issue..
New Years eve just came and went. We were so cold and tired that we just ordered in some Pizza and watched old runs of James Bond on cable!
Chi-city has been getting some real bad weather recently. So much so that last Friday was 9 degrees colder than the northernmost tip of Alaska, and just three degrees warmer than the South Pole. Three cheers to that! This drove us insane, and swoosh (creeeaaaakk, rather) went the credit card. Now we're booked on an all-inclusive at Negril, Jamaica for five days mid February. See, 2009 is already looking up!
Now, I'm sitting here, counting down to those 5 days of sun, sand and leisure.. its like I've been transported back in time to my school days, tiny me sitting on my desk, waiting for the bell to go before summer vacation starts! The wait seemed interminable then, and sure seems the same now :)
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