You say it's your birthday

Well, actually, I didn't - I got outted on my very own blog my some supersweeties.

Work is all about warp speed right now. Coupled with my month-long birthday celebrations, I haven't been posting much. Motions, sushi, and the Arc Trainer take preference right now (and in that order.) I've been adventuring and a flurry of posts is building up. Watch this space ;)

55 Fiction Friday: Purple crush edition

Friday the 13th.

She stared at the telephone – her tormenter - practically willing it to talk. She looked at the number scrawled on a matchbook again, as if the digits weren't burned into her brain. Finally, hands thrumming with nerves, she dialed. One ring. Heart racing. Two rings. Palms sweating. Three rings. "Hi, I'm not in right now…

Admin

Recently, I've received shoutouts from some fabulous sources: badmash, curly mcdimple, and wt. Wowzahs. Thanks, y'all - I'm flattered. (And flattery will get you...well, pretty damn far if it at least sounds genuine - to be honest.)

Now I feel like I need to improve "the product", so I'm trying to clean up/revamp the blog a little bit. Did you notice the new Blogroll? Did you notice the Frappr map? Did you notice that I'm trying to remember to respond to comments posted?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Yellow is a mystical experience that we all embody

Ever since I wrote my blow-by-blow post of all of the bloggers I've met in the last year, I've wondered how much my blog reflects me. That may seem like a "who's buried in Grant's tomb" type question - what I mean is that some people develop a blog persona quite different from who they are in real life.

My friend Jeff once gave me a compliment that I really had to chew on: I am always exactly who I am. Because I am that way, and relentlessly so, I didn't really understand it at the time (particularly funny since I was in my mid-to-late twenties at the time.) Now I see it more sharply: people claim interests they don't actually have, dress to suit someone else's idea of fashion, espouse viewpoints they haven't considered, are silent when they'd really rather rail.

Honestly, I don't know how to be different. If you asked me to change one little thing about myself for a week, or even a day, I'd probably fail. I think there is something to be said for being able to dissemble, at least a little bit. (Sidenote: maybe this is why I enjoy Halloween - it's the only time I can get fully behind acting like someone else.) I can't play poker because I telegraph everything that I think on my face. Because I want to be a litigator, I've learned how to stoneface (a little), but still - you always know where you stand with me.

What I'd like to know from those who have met me or know me: am I like my blog? Is my blog like me?


P.S. - the post title comes from absolutely primo graffiti. My other options were "Angelama a.ka. Crackhoe #1 = Love" or "Lydia's 21, bitches."

Anarchy

I can't make this shit up.

the Star: So...I know she likes Sid Vicious
maisnon: Ah, the Sex Pistols.
the Star: Uh, no....he's the lead singer of Bon Jovi!
maisnon: WHAT?! Jon Bon Jovi is the lead singer of Bon Jovi
the Star: No!
maisnon: Uh, yes - Sex Pistols were a punk band, and...
the Star: NO! You're wrong. They're heavy metal!
maisnon: This from a guy who thought Sid Vicious was the lead singer of Bon Jovi?!?
the Star: Wait, name a Sex Pistols song.
maisnon: "God Save the Queen"
the Star: I don't know it
maisnon: It was in "Lost in Translation", when they are at the karoake place ^*
the Star: Are you sure he's not the guy with the tongue?
maisnon: While I'm sure Sid Vicious, in fact, had a tongue, the guy you're thinking of is Gene Simmons, of Kiss.


^* Seriously, is it possible for me to have a conversation with someone and not make a movie reference?!

55 Fiction Friday: Om edition

Friday FRIDAY Friday!

Breathing as a conscious activity: the energy and concentration required to draw air in, hold it briefly, and then carefully push it back out. It was loud and raspy; she was conscious of her chest and abdomen filling with air. She wondered how she'd ever breathed before without thinking.

"Namaste. See you next week."

Karoake

I have such a fear of singing. I'd say it approaches phobic levels. I'm not even entirely sure why it is this bad. In part, I'd like to thank my mother. (I program your buttons the better to push them later in life, my dear.) The fifth grade episode: we were doing a musical in school, and I was excited about trying out for a part. My ever-supportive mom told me, "It won't work, they don't like our type of voices." It took me a long, long time to figure out what she was talking about. Also, break me a fucking give! Like if you're desi, you come out warbling carnatically. To quote Tupac, I ain't mad at her...but, seriously - where is the logic?

She hasn't stopped either. Recently, I told her that I downloaded Lata Mangeshkar's Thoda Resham Lagta Hai. When I told her I would burn her a copy, she said she wasn't sure she was familiar with the song. I offered to sing it for her (both of us knew I was NOT serious), and she replied "NO NEED! NO NEED!" Oooh - dissed, by my own MOM! I really need to stop sharing this story with my friends because now "no need, no need" is the favored IM to me.

Comedians.

Defense Counsel

To Every.Male.Friend.I've.Ever.Had:

I understand the tendency towards playing the Devil's Advocate. However, be assured that the Devil is more than adequately represented - his counsel bench is veritably overflowing. Furthermore, I am entirely capable of fleshing out counterargument myself. In the interest of continued friendship, in the future, please consider dropping this line of reasoning.

Sincerely,

maisnon

Roundup

Where was I? Ah yes, continuing my adventures during my week back in D.C. I tried to stick to California time while I was at home (translation: getting up late, and staying up super late.) I could tell that my dad wanted to say something about my late mornings, but what can you really tell your vacationing 30 year-old daughter?

On Thursday, I headed into the city to Straits of Malaya, to have dinner with Sapna. I'm crazy about Malaysian food, I think it is the best in the world - and why wouldn't it be? It's a melange of Chinese, Indian, and Malay-style (i.e. kinda like Indonesian/Thai) cooking. So, so many Malaysian/Singaporean restaurants have the word "Straits" in their name. The food was authentic and made me happy. I would have been happier still if they served roti channai. Finally, we headed to Silver Diner near our (former) law school where I partook in - what else - bread pudding.

Friday, I headed to the Morgue (i.e. Adams Morgan) with Anna for 'our usual' - Tryst, Amsterdam Falafel. One of my favorite moments occured even before the frites: an SUV driver tried to get me to make his life easier by repeatedly insisting that I park on a giant bank of slippery leaves. Not so much, thanks - and I didn't need the hand gestures and angry words. Happy New Year to you too, buddy.

After dropping Anna home, I headed over to my old neck of the woods to see a friend and my goddog. Yes, that's right - when this friend adopted a dog, she called and asked me if I would be willing to be its godmother. This is the same friend who closed our phone conversation setting up this date with "oh yeah, um, I'll be sending out an email, but I wanted you to know - Mike and I are getting married." Yup, that gave me pause. After plenty of treats and petting, friend and I headed to an old haunt: Thai Shirlington. Even though I was in my old stomping grounds, I never went by my old place. I think that I am at peace with the fact that I sold it, and I don't live there anymore, etc. - but I don't really feel like testing to see what it would feel like to see someone else coming out the front door, or checking my old mailbox.

For New Year's Eve, I went to another friend's cozy new condo in Mt. Pleasant. Her parents flew in from St. Louis to check that 'ish out. So, it was a bunch of old friends and a set of very cool desi parents. (Would my dad ever talk about how when he first came to this country, they just passed the bottle of scotch around, no cups? I mean, what is there? Yeah, not bloody likely.)

My last day in town, I went to 4 Sisters with los parentals and LB #1. I'd say that is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the U.S. (I have a favorite in Canada.) The airport was hell, and the flight wasn't much better. There's no way to make this interesting, so I just won't get into it.

Let's just say - I'm glad to be back.

You say you want a revolution

So. I've flipped and flopped on the topic of posting resolutions. I definitely have ideas as to what I want to work on and do this year. In part, my reticence stems from a recent realization: I used to keep a journal, and my blog is not a good substitute for that. I thought that because I write a post every few days (on par with my journaling) that I was filling that niche. But, that's not really accurate - there are things - particularly, emotions and more personal matters - that I don't address on my blog. Sometimes they involve people that I know read the blog. Sometimes I'm just weirded out by the idea of hashing things out in front of the Internets.

Thus, some of my resolutions will be recorded here, and some will not. My first resolution is to start keeping an actual "KEEP OUT"-style journal again. Next, I'd like to get back to taking photos - I may buy a smaller camera so I am better about taking it around with me. If I get truly crazy with the Cheez Whiz, I'll take a digital photography class. (Although that's half the fun of digital - i.e. the learning curve that comes from instant feedback on "what happens when I do this?")

Number 3: Throughout my 3L year, I wanted to help organize a bone marrow drive targeted at signing up more minorities, and in particular South Asians. I've approached SJM about working on this with me, and I've found a couple of organizations that should be helpful. (SAMAR and AADP.)

I think those are the resolutions that I feel like writing about. I have some more ideas floating around - I haven't actually taken pen to paper to make a list, there's still kind of percolating. I've considered focusing on one resolution a month, or keeping a working list of 5 (and adding a new one if I feel I've completed one on the List 'O Five.) Me thinking too much about resolutions? Quel shocker! I'll probably, as always, just talk about them when they come up.