Coffee break

Overheard.
Two little boys waiting for their mum/s at the salon lounge. Presumably getting a facial or something.
1st boy: (fidgeting and jumping up and down from his seat aimlessly a few times): I think that time goes by slower if you have nothing to do.
2nd boy: No response. After a long minute: No, I don't agree. I think time goes by the same whether you have something to do or not.

LOL. Cuteness! 

Moral of the story...

I am inherently confrontational and bad-tempered. But this has since been borne upon me and I have spent most of my adult life being diplomatic and, well, adult. I have had cause to practice this even more since I got married. Not with my husband, (sadly for him - he always hears more truth than he wants to, the poor dear) but with the extended family. Skirting topics is the polite (and accepted) way of dealing with issues. Today for a change, I decided to respond to some festering and unfair complaining with some of my own. While my popularity has nose-dived, it has definitely opened some eyes to a contrary point-of-view, something that the self-absorbed don't usually bargain for.

If you have any grievances, air them. Lest people think you have none.

Recap

I have been away for a really long while. In the good ol' days, I aimed (and succeeded) in getting at-least a post out every month. When that began to seem like too much of a commitment, I placated my blogger conscience by writing whenever inspiration struck! Then came a phase when morale really flagged owing to viewer stats (what's the point of blogging if no one is reading?!) Then there were phases when I was genuinely too busy and some more when I was just too lethargic. Meanwhile, life was happening. I recently dug up the blog and read the last few posts. I realized that so much of what I'd have liked to share was missing. I missed blogging about my 'big, Indian wedding'. I found no mention of the big move I had to make-first to the US of A, then to the Big A!. My travails and masti at Pratt, then finally Graduation, then the angst of the unemployed, fresh graduate...so much to say...

I don't lead a terribly exciting life but I have my moments of clarity, insights, growing up(!); moments of bliss and serenity and sometimes even anger, that are defining; the times when I feel most alive. I'd like to look  back a few years down the line and not see time in a blur. I'd like to be able to locate a moment in the past and remember exactly how I felt about something. For some reason, it seems important to me.

Hopefully, this blog revival will see more posts and less recaps! Amen!

Profile of a jerk

A disturbing update faced me as I logged onto Facebook for my hourly fix(!) last evening. A classmate from grad school who did his undergrad from Penn State and who is my grouse companion about the job scene here, posted this response to his follow-up mail on a job application: "Pedophile Penn State? I really don't think so." !!!

My first reaction (and most reactions, going from the comments on his wall) was 'WTF??!' Are you kidding me? What sort of a person can honestly think it a reason for rejecting a candidate? It's juvenile and pointlessly insulting. After mulling over it for a while, I noticed other disturbing aspects to this response. On the surface, it seems like a crass case of generalization; some jerk shooting off his mouth. But consider this: the guy leads a top NYC architecture firm and is a Harvard alumni - the cream of the crop, so to speak. He appears confident he'll get away with it too (airing views over an email where a simple 'forward' or 'tweet' can do much damage.) Confident that a low blow at a struggling grad will not hurt him. As long as he holds the promise of employment, he is untouchable by the wrath of the young architecture community. While I hope my friend does something more about it than just a nasty email back, I am more convinced in my belief that in many cases, education is a superficial condition. It is not always an enhancement of the mind, as one expects it to be. Prejudices run deeper.

I miss my grandparents. What wouldn't I give for just one conversation with them. Let them know what I am doing, who I married, where I lived, if I was happy...Just general stuff loved ones want to hear about. M's grandparents are visiting - the cause for this renewed sense of loss. At times like this I want to believe in the the concept of heaven and your loved ones watching over you.

Excerpts from my week in San Fran - 2

May 26th:

Just back from a really 'fresh' breakfast at La Boulange. (yes, they have branches in the downtown area too!) Although I was initially a little irritated that the hotel (Palace Hotel - we moved yesterday!) didn't have a coffee machine in the room (it's such a basic thing!), I was ultimately glad to get out and enjoy the morning sunshine.

Yesterday was slow compared to the previous days - M wasn't feeling too well and we also took some time shifting hotels. I found Palace Hotel to be a truly beautiful, historic building. It has a way of transporting you back in time - especially as you walk past lit chandeliers and gilded decor and listen to Mozart playing in the lobby at 8.00 in the morning! The attention to detail is amazing. (note to self: must have tea in the large ballroom under the glass dome. The guidebook wasn't overstating it when it described it as the 'most beautiful room in California'. After dragging the reluctant husband to lunch at Tulan for some Vietnamese, I ventured out to SF MoMa. Discovered an artist I hadn't heard of - Clifford Stills, who makes Rothko look like an amateur. The highlight of the place though, is Mario Botta's light shaft. While not very graceful from the exterior, it works really well for the atrium, bathing the interiors in a silver halo. A quick stop at the museum store for my usual picks of postcards and it was time to head out for the evening meal.

M was feeling better after a nap and felt enthused about trying out a pizza place we had heard about nearby. While the pizza disappointed (I guess we just got too adventurous with the toppings), the drinks at a place next door didn't. 'Cucumbita' (self explanatory!) for me and crispy fried asparagus and corn on the cob on the side...yummilicious!

The beautiful 'antique' Palace Hotel.

Cheap but flavourful - Tulan.

Clifford Stills at the SF Museum of Modern Art. 

Walking under Mario Botta's light shaft, through a connecting bridge into the art galleries - SF MoMa

The Palace Hotel Ballroom where we did eventually have breakfast. Above - A closer look at the beautiful glass ceiling.

Excerpts from my week in San Fran - 1

May 22nd , either 12.00 p.m or 3.00 p.m!
Can't tell, totally disoriented. The phone clock is behaving erratically. It showed 12.00 an hour ago and it is only 10 past 12 now! Guess it is picking up the local time of wherever we are passing over. I always have this sense of a time wrap in planes...Anyway, this flight was made bearable by our Norwegian co-passenger of Guyanese descent visiting his family in San Fran (talk about melting pot!) He was quite knowledgeable about Norway and the ill-effects of microwave cooking(!) (The guy used to be a chef on cruise ships) Also, I am finally reading Delirious New York again. On a flight to SF :))

Still May 22nd, actually 3.00 a.m but having to pretend it's 12.00 a.m!
The Wyndham Resort is good! Warm and cosy - especially now as we are coming in from the 'fall' weather outside - at a time which is summer in most parts of the world.This is hilarious. I only packed a bikini and summer dresses. I will most probably freeze. The evening was so-so, me coming to terms with the weather. After walking around in circles for sometime, we made our way to the Udupi restaurant in the Mission neighbourhood. Amazing bisi bele bhaath! The cable car ride on the way back was fun too. SF seems less lively/populous after NY.

May 23rd:
A really good day - totally worth the aching feet at this point. It is incredible how much you can achieve if you put your mind to it! Chinatown, North Beach, The Wharf and Lombard Street - all in a day! It was a good decision to postpone the winery trip...gave us a chance to explore the city first. After a non-nondescript breakfast and some pointless walking, we wandered onto Union Square and got some good pictures together. It was quite cold despite the sun. M insisted on buying me warm clothes before I whine and spoil the trip. We legged it to H&M (God bless them!) and picked up a bomber jacket which goes perfectly with dresses. I also used their trial rooms to slip on a pair of slacks (they have turned out to be such a great addition to my wardrobe!) Things picked up thereafter.
Chinatown in SF is not as dense as the Chinatown in NY. While there is some argument to be made for the complexity and loveliness of the latter, I actually enjoyed being able to stop and watch instead of being swept along in a swarm or people. M's old classmate from Penn State joined us there. Lunch was at the most authentically Chinese restaurant of my life. Servers ran around thrusting food trays at diners. I watched bemusedly while they tried to tempt us with pork/shrimp/fish dishes, all the while shaking their heads to indicate that it contained no meat. M didn't eat much - he had discovered bits of sea food in his supposedly veggie noodles.

Cute orange/lime tree outside a random house in China Town.

The 3 of us then picked our way up steep lanes to Telegraph Hill. Loved seeing how people dealt with living on an incline! Incidentally, the street was also featured in the Hitchcock classic 'Vertigo'. Coit Tower, atop the hill, used to be a lighthouse of sorts. Naturally, it provides great views of the city and the famed San Fran bridges. The plaza at its base had great vistas too, which we explored, interrupting lovers amidst bushes. Coming back to (seemingly) level ground, we fortified ourselves with coffee at a gem which Lonely Planet had missed - La Boulange, if you want to visit. Split a plateful of tiny desserts which were surprisingly low on saccharine.

Noted this spot for potential lazing on our way back from Telegraph. Didn't happen though; we took another way down.

'Vertigo' style pic from the top of Telegraph Street.

Almost amazed at how much ground we had covered in a few hours, we continued walking across pretty and quaint houses and found ourselves at Fisherman's Wharf. The beach afforded glorious sunshine and gorgeous views of the mysterious Alcatraz. Seagulls skimmed past us along the touristy Pier 39. Apart from the mandatory souvenir shops, an artist/handicraft market lined the way. Nothing like some retail therapy to soothe tired feet! The sunlight was beautiful, fresh and clean, like a new sun; but also deceptive - the breeze was giving us the chills.

A closer look at submarines, delightfully bright cookies and Boudin's famous sourdough, decked up for the shop window - all along Pier 39.

We took the cable car for the homeward journey but hopped off at Lombard street - had to, it called for closer inspection. It is now officially , the prettiest street I have seen, along with being the crookedest. Anniversary dinner had to be a take-away after all the walking, but the day was so worth it.

Tricky deal for cars on Lombard, pretty shots along the street and Alcatraz seen in the distance from the top of Lombard.