Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Bucket Bath


Picture 421
Originally uploaded by kms7z.
my first thoughts were "aah! refreshing bucket bath!"

my second thoughts: "child+water+bucket=drowning!"

it is good to know that the simple life is still allowed to be enjoyed in some parts of the world.

BB strikes again

i was in a bad mood yesterday-- and it was all started by my neighbor. and the effects of too much desperate housewives.

see, guddu sells used cars on the side. more specifically, these used cars are kept on the side of our house in an alley that leads to nowhere. our neighbor does not like this. i can tell demographically that she does not like this-- she is old, rich, and very prim. guddu calls her "budhiya bahinchod," or BB for short.

here's what happened yesterday. i had just entered the house after returning from the grocery store with organic dairy and fruits, feeling quite rightoeous. then the doorbell rang:
Moi: Hi...
BB: Hi Kate. I just wanted to let you know that the police were here yesterday and they were about to give a ticket to the car parked on the side of your house.
Moi: Oh really? (Thinking-- who must have tipped them off???)
BB: See, it doesn't have a license plate and is parked partially on City property and partially on mine. But I told them "That is my neighbor's car and they are out of town. Let me talk to them first before you give them a ticket."
Moi: (feigning graciousness) Oh thank you, but that is odd that the police were around--
BB: Yes you see many people have had their gardening tools stolen. Mine were stolen right out of the shed and I had been looking forward to using them.
Moi: (that's funny-- i only see hired help working in your yard. i hope you are not accusing me of stealing your tools as well. obviously, from the looks of our yard, we have not stolen gardening tools.) That's a shame, we keep a lock on our shed.
BB: You have the most beautiful eyes! They must be your mother's eyes-- she is so lovely.
Moi: (growing very suspicious-- is she trying to disarm me with flattery?!?) Thank you, that's what I have been told. And thank you for your help with the car-- we'll take care of it.

Oh this made me so angry-- especially how she tried to remove my suspicion of her with the "beautiful eyes" compliment! Desperate Housewives has taught me to spot these sure signs of manipulation. She either called the police herself or made the entire story up to scare us into moving the car.

Guddu called the polic today to see what the legal situation was. He found out that the city could tow or ticket us. So we'll move it, and he ironically might sell it to the police dispatcher who handled his inquiry.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

feng shui works in mysterious ways

yesterday i was VERY successful in feng shui-ing the entrance way to my house. soon after i finished vacuuming, dusting, and decluttering, the mail came. and what came in the mail? a rejection letter from a previous interview. how is this the positive chi that will help me navigate my job situation? i think the letter was a blessing in disguise because now i am not holding that position as an option in the back of my head.

today i am going to try to feng shui my workspace/dining room. once this is complete, 4 rooms will be decluttered!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Feng Shui as a Last Resort

I am still going through much job search drama. Before I was getting no response, and now I have to make a decision between two offers. I tried to find the patron saint for difficult life decisions, or for job seekers, or for total confusion, but I was unsuccessful there. I thought it would be self-defeating to pray to St. Jude of Hopeless Causes. I asked Guddu which Hindu god or goddess could help-- he said, sounding more like a Muslim or a Christian, "There is one God; it is all the same. But Durga gets the job done."

Then, I read in an organization book that a cluttered entrance to your house will block the chi from entering, which inhibits success. Our entrance is extremely cluttered, so this morning I am de-cluttering with the hope that clarity to make a decision or job success itself will enter.

Monday, May 15, 2006

sponginess and the power of positive thinking

while sitting in the college bookstore this weekend, passing time between a graduation brunch and photo shoot, I read an interesting article in O (O as in Oprah) Magazine. This article discussed a new psychological theory that some people a hyper-succeptive to what others are THINKING about them. No, i don't mean that these peoples' own emotions are easily influenced by other's negative comments or lots of happiness and excitement. The theory is that our own minds can pick up on the thoughts of others without any external clues. And some are more spongey and absorbant than others-- which explains why when you are around people, you might be more apt than others to take on whatever vibe your company is exuding.

The part I really found interesting was an experiment. Hold out your hands and get another person to think either really positive or negative thoughts about you while they push down your arm. You should try to resist, and many studies show that subjects are weaker when the pusher is thinking negative thoughts (without, of course, physically or verbally expressing those thoughts).

So this leads me to assume that some people make me feel good because they are actually thinking very positive thoughts and others make me feel drained or uncomfortable or zap my esteem because they are thinking negative thoughts. That's quite a leap to make, but it provides some interesting fodder for thoughts and advice. What I am taking away is that I should always try to think positive thoughts about others. Hopefully this will make them feel good, and, in turn they will think positive thoughts about me. And then we start creating all of these positive feelings and energy-- Mom was always right about positive thinking I suppose.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

exhaustion?

so exams are over. now what? this is my first week off and I have managed to sleep ALOT. so much i thought i had mono for a few days. my body feels weak and i don't have too much energy to move. i think the last two weeks have worn me out-- two big trips to DC and exams did me in. and i still have to go to DC tomorrow for another interview.

graduation is also this weekend. we are not going to the hippie wedding anymore because it is logistically not possible. well, it is possible, but i would basically have no sleep the entire weekend. i think it is also a good idea that i am not running in the Komen Race for the Cure Saturday morning either.

i think i have also been a little tense lately because I have NOTHING to do after this weekend. in my mind i have not thought past graduation. my plan is always to downsize our belongings and streamline our surroundings. If all goes well and I get a job, we may have to move to DC or Omaha ASAP. in that case I will be more than busy. but i think that is how i like it :)

after gradutation there are actually only TWO events planned-- arjun's baptism (which I am probably not going to, but Guddu is), and Henry's high school graduation.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

I'm glad I'm not in Delhi this May

The BBC has reported on the power crisis in Delhi. This is not a new crisis, but an ongoing problem. Every May (or summer at least) that I have spent in Delhi (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005) was marked by unbearably hot afternoons that got painfully hotter when you-- trying to nap becuase it is too hot to do anything else-- slowly watch the ceiling fan stop. it is too hot and dusty to open a window, and the water out of the tap is either too hot or too scarce to use as a cooling agent. at night the mosquitoes are so bad that you are forced to stay in bed inside the mosquito net, sweating and waiting for the fan to start up again.

but perhaps the Commonwealth Games in 2010 will force Delhi to fix this problem now. And a portion of this problem is due to stolen electricity-- a third of output is stolen! but with more money, would Delhi necessarily be able to produce more power? Perhaps they would then have more money to buy power from elsewhere.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

IRAC, not IRAQ

by thursday, i will have suffered through one of the scariest exams i have ever taken: international trade law. the best pieces of advice-- IRAC: Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion; and yoga breathing. the past few days I have spent in various Wi-Fi spots around Richmond trying to figure out how to best organize my notes and my mind to compete with haughty law students.

by next monday, i will have made a major life decision. i am going through some major job search and hiring drama. i have offer from A-- a job in Richmond which I am not sure I want, good faith that B will come through as long as the DoD picks B as the contracting firm, interview Friday with C, waiting to hear about interviews I had with D, E, F, and G, and hoping to get interviews with H and I... so I think next Monday I might have to turn down A. My gut, and a few professionals and trusted friends, concur.

but trust me, I am TRULY thankful for all the opportunities that are presenting themselves. And for the gorgeous weather and my good health, knock knock on wood.