Taj mahal

Winter Olympic finished today. I am watching the closing ceremony. Brilliant one I must say. It came and went just like the wind. I do not feel proud saying that I did not follow the game at all.

Saturday - It was snowing!!

Sunday- Sunny but it is 8 degree outside that is like negative 20 c Brrr!

I look outside.. Light glances off the glacial yard and drive in spots... never as a whole... and it still blind you. Fields that end up as expansive mirrors for the sun and the moon, glassed over by snow, ice, and frozen rain put through the deep freeze kiln at night.

I had a throbbing headache last night and the night before. I do not know what the real cause is.

Must be cold.

I feel bit better though. Both Prasanna and I, we had signed up for the free practice test at Harvard, sadly, I did not make it through. I just could not get up.

With my usual round of morning coffee, I flip through the pages of the Wall Street Journal. The picture of TAJ MAHAL beautifully stands in the Art section. It has been exactly one year since our visit to Taj Mahal last year. I still vividly remember how the guards had stopped us both when they found out our Nepalese passports. We had actually told them we were Indians and had humbly denied on having any sort of Identification with us.(while completly fogetting about the two passports in my hand bag). How scared I was when the entire situation got even worse, when they saw the Japanese visa in my passport.

" I knew they were not Indians"- screamed the lady guard.

I had already imagined us inside the Indian Jails. Now it seems all funny thinking how we were trying to pretend we were Indian from Darjeeling. Thankfully, this bahadur police dai came to our rescue and let us in side the Tajmahal in peace.

The sight was simple breathtaking! Every time we looked at Taj, it looked different. The colour of its white marble changed throughout the day, from the waxy yellow at dawn through to the pastel blue gray of a full moon.

I must admit I was little bit disappointed when I first saw “ Mona Lisa.” It was smaller than what I had imagined and looked bit lost in the midst of roaring crowds. However, this is not the case of Taj. It does not disappoint the first time, nor the third….. and I am assuming, not even in your 50th time.

Paresh dai, my inspirer of the blog world =) got here from Barcelona on Friday night for Pushpa, his sister's wedding. We had gone to pick him up at airport and were mesmerized by the energy he had and how excited he sounded about his MBA experience. He really succeeded in convincing both of us to visit Barcelona, which is definitely on our next visit list.

Weekend was a fun one. We went to Puspha’s wedding on Saturday. It was nice meeting with everyone after a long time. Both the bride and groom looked very beautiful. The ambience was great and the food was excellent. What a GREAT combination. Sunday was relaxing day. Along with Sanjay, we went to Sommerville to grab some fresh “Jeri.” However, "swari" was not as good as we had anticipated.. but I guess we have to be lucky, we actually got to eat them. After the quick nibble, we went for a long drive. Long drive around downtown. “Sade” was playing in the background and the drive was as smooth as her song.

My “flu” is in the remission for the time being. Won’t know till tomorrow. Thanks to the “tiger balm, Nyquil and the Vicks. I am having the second round of tea. Liquid is all I can think about. I also managed to finish the EXTRA large chicken soup at the “ Pho Pasteur.” My nose is mysteriously bruised. I suspect it is from the handkerchief… too much rubbing.

I think it is time to sleep. No time to give up,maybe it is a tool time. Hey, it is always a possibility =)

Have a great night!

Babi's visit to boston

Somber but content afternoon.

The road looks quite empty but I suspect it always is during this type of weather.

The aroma of the coffee beautifully captures the entire living room.

Once again. Back in my favourite sofa with a lukewarm cup of coffee and surrounded by my friendly, yet difficult accounting books.

Decided to take a quick break.. opened my laptop and thought about writing a blog.. the long over due one.

Hastily, I turn on the tv- soothing song pops on- the song makes me smile. The background is nice. Why would a song, which I have only heard for the first time brought smile in my face I wonder? Or perhaps, I am listening it all wrong and grasping a wrong interpretation.

However, feeling this music, my thoughts cleansed to the point where the mutinous one was very rare. As I listened to a particularly uplifting and yet subversively maddening song, I start to think…think and think. I have done lot of that lately. Nothing of any importance, mind you but nonetheless, my brain is doing its meager best to think! I would also like to acknowledge that I was not thinking about pretentious metaphors. Oh, the things, I could think. Or more aptly, things I could not think. I guess it depends on if you are a half full or a half empty type person.

My mind is like a train. Or, at least, when it is working, it is. It plows, chugs, chortles, whistles, and veers....but always manages to somehow stay on track. thank god ! :)

Anyways! Babi was here for the weekend. Babi is Prasanna’s grandmother. It was a short but very memorable and blissful stay and most of all! The weather was very nice. She came to Boston from Louisiana on Saturday evening. Sunday, we went for the scenic, or I should say OCEAN drive. Even though, the weather was bit chilly and windy, the sun made it a very “good” day. Monday was a “shopping day,” and we managed to hit almost all the possible stores. IKEA, Prudential, Galleria, Filenes, Target..to name a few.That evening, we had Prasanna’s delicious IRANIAN pilaf- The one is a MUST to have from his great lists of food =)Tuesday was a relaxing day. After the quick lunch, Babi and I, took and bus and the T, and then went to the downtown. Babi thought Boston's T was more bigger than the Tube in London. Very very true I thought! The weather was nice. Mediocre day I suppose. The sun was shinning and it was not as windy as rest of the weekend. We went to Filenes and Macys’s and did whole lot of shopping. It was a shopping fiesta. Shopping and more shopping. After the 4 day short stay in Boston, she left for LA on Wednesday.

Seeing her affection towards her grandson made me realize how much I missed my own grandmother. Didi, my grandmum from my dad side, passed away three years back. I really did not get to spend as much time as I wanted to. When we moved to Japan, we visited Nepal once every two years for the brief time of 2 months and that was it. How I wished I had more time to spend with them. All I have is her memories, which I will always cherish. I got to spend lot of time with my maternal grandmother “Ama.” My grandparents were in Mississippi during my junior and senior year of college and I got to spend lot of time with them then. I am very grateful for those days. I considered myself lucky to have gotten chance to spend with my grandparents in Nepal past summer. Being away from the loved once really made me realize not to take anything for granted.

In other news, I met with the associate director of Suffolk the other day. They have something called the “Global” MBA with a core concentration focused on International Business and that is my very interest. I have not decided on anything yet, but have let all my options open.

Uhhh—what else -Prerna, my friend came to visit me yesterday for our little “group” study. But I have to confess; it was more of a catching up time. She is a great cook and also taught me to make 3 delicious dishes. 1. Falafel 2. Lasagne and 3. Frankie. I am going to try the Falafal tonight.. hopefully it will go all well!

I got an email from Rakhi, the group leader from the MIT 50k. She wants to meet next Friday. Maybe, I might actually be involved in gathering some experiences out of this entrepreneurial competition. Hey, I always have room for more experiences!

and one more thing--- We watched " kabhi kabhi"-- what a beautiful movie it is. So simple yet, so Romantic and the songs and the dialogue.. can anyone beat this?

I cannot bear typing anymore. I apologize for the long silence… there was too much going on. Will try to be more consistent from now on.

Procrastinator

I should have my blogging rights revoked. I've gotten really bad at keeping up with writing.I am not trying to be kind to myself, but NO I am not trying to be a Procrastinator either. I could make excuses and say that I've been really busy. WEll, the truth is I have been bit busy.

But on the bright side, hey! I am back! I will be doing this more often, more than you what have anticipated. Well, yes. I do surf the Internet with an almost alarming frequency (but it still does not give me enough time to write the blog). And despite the sometimes eclectic nature of the pages I surf, I can plow through high volumes of information at a rather snail rate so this kind of takes most of my time. Well....not really.... Bare with me please.

I opted to get involved in Amnesty international. Yesterday was my first meeting. There was a brief overview on the issues of trials, temptation and tribulation. Really very intriguing one. I got to meet people from various different places. Indonesia, Belarus, China. …to name a few. They have this GOTB, (get on the bus) program coming up. This is the Amnesty’s largest demonstration on Human Rights issues, which will be held at Manhattan. Looks very interesting.. who knows, you might just see me on tv=)

There are some ideas jogging in my mind below. I have realized this usually happens when I stop writing the blog consecutively. I have so much to write and I do not know where to start.

Right now.. My mind is like a sponge----Big bulky sponge.

I listened to my Buddhist chant today. It’s no longer a sinister addition to my mornings, in fact quite the opposite. You know. It's a soothing introduction to the new day. It also seems to help me to remember my dreams more accurately. Sometimes when you are having a rough or I should say boring day, reminiscing your dream will take you into this whole new world.

February is such a boring month anyway with that bleakly winter - we need something to celebrate. So voila—there is the Valentines Day. It was nice. Nothing especial since we just had our anniversary. We had a plan of eating a good home cooked meal, but somehow, Prasanna got locked out, so we ended up having a dinner at John Harvard. This place has good ambience and we always enjoy it. It was a good dinner.

We just got back from the MIT’s 50 k competition’s meeting. It was interesting one. On the last meeting I had send my profile, and I was actually contacted by one of the teams. They project involves developing application for hurricanes aftermaths. It sounds really very fascinating. Let’s see what the future holds.They had the "team" dinner. "Bertuccis's" pizza and italian deserts was on the list. not bad..

I have been quiet addicted to coffee these days. I guess the caffeine is slowly loosing its power because I can slowly feel myself becoming drowsy. It is only 10:30 now. Have you ever found yourself totally immersed in something totally bizarre? The ironic thing is. I'm so blank right now. It's awesome. I'm not feeling anything....my brain has shut off for now.yet! I am happy.

Ahhh-- It is a good night, or it may be an illusion but I am happy. I am tierd but happy. Prasanna is busy enjoying his favourite tv shows "Seinfield." The windows are still open. The night is pitch black and it is clearly accentuating the beautiful moon. Cool breeze slowly slides in.How I love this beautiful scene.

Well invigorated this morning, I decided to do little bit of weights and I seriously believe that every inch of my body is completely soared. It hurts like anything. I have yet to face the real consequences tomorrow morning.

So this means, it means time for me to say good night.

winter

So, not having too much to talk about today, but wanting to keep current, I thought I'd expound momentarily on my weekend.

Well, what a morning. I got woken up couple of times and then I finally got out of bed.

Today is Monday. A day hated by many. And, as it turns out, rightfully so. For it has pagan roots and seriously ought to be thrown out.

I went to gym today. I resumed my daily routine. My kneecap is getting better. Usually I would brisk walk home after my workout session, however, today, I decided to take the bus to avoid the cold weather. I also had the study session at BU for my Accounting class and I feel great, GREAT that I finished the supposedly “difficult” case study.

Weekend--- We had the blizzard =)

Winter is a song and a season and something different. The true color of winter has finally decided to reveal its true face. The long awaited snowstorm finally arrived along with the silent wind with a wild ambassador that presented more awful than the shriek of a maskaline. It was quite powerful and was successful in bringing us with 1 foot of snow.

Mr D, finally got his beloved “Waffle maker,” yeah!!! And The Bistas, Pradeep dai and kamana were here for brunch. It really was torturous of us to make them walk in that blizzard with wind coming 40 mph however, we managed to have a good brunch. The waffle was quite a success indeed. =) We had a good time.That night, since it was a very snowy day, we decided to actually walk in the snow to get the minced meat for “momo.”

Walking in snow was fun—very fluffy.. everywhere so white…. So beautiful.

Momo was great!

Sunday was very relaxing.

Saturday- We were invited at the Yadavs along with Sishir dai’s family.. Food was Excellent.. I mean it was Superb! We always have fun at the YADAV residence
Very fun loving people and we love them.

Friday – We went to “ Ryles,” the Jazz club after dinner and enjoyed the Music. We completely got diluted in the soothing ambience and quickly forget how cold it was outside.

(Again, bare with me here.. I am jumping from one point to another with no particular reason! ) Like a Hob Nob in tea, my head appears to be unable to absorb detail at the moment. I had just called the customer service of the united Airlines, simply requesting them to add my 1000 miles, which I had earned but was not able to add because of "their"computer problem. For this simple issue, I was transferred to 3 different people and had a 45 min annoying argument. What a waste of my energy!! Sometimes, these types of call really infuriates me.

Shamefully I have to confront of not having read the “DA Vinci Code.” The book still seats neatly on our living room table with the beautiful picture of Mona Lisa smiling right back at me. I have not had time….. been bit busy. Really I have. Homework’s and all.

I am still desperately waiting to read, “The world is flat.” Let see how long I have to suffer.

I just had the chance to see the maoist leader, Prachadra’s Interview. It was good but still it is quite frightful how he said that the “king has to either exile or get executed.” I hope something good happens soon.

The Olympic is going on I suppose. Not the slightest idea of what is happening. Heard that Michelle Kwan decided to pull out from the Olympic. I feel sympathetic towards her for this. she had a dream of getting a "gold" medal this year and I guess, she can no longer fulfill it.

Babi is coming this Saturday and Daddy will come after that! Very very excited =) All tright then--- HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! Have a good time with your loved ones :)

The Road not taken

It is Friday afternoon.. I walked towards to window and wonderfully gazed outside the heaven and saw nothing but lack of clouds so I stepped outside. The sun was shining but it was bitter cold outside. Must be around 20s. The weekend weather does not look that appealing.. Snow on Sunday.. Expect at least a foot of snow the weather reports says. It is cold.

I have not been to the gym for two days. My kneecap hurts. It is because of cold I presume. The pain was really throbbing yesterday but thanks to the “balm” I had, it helped a great deal. I will resume with my gym from tomorrow.

The IDEAS meeting at MIT was interesting. I found a group with my interest. Their project is concentrating on some rural development work in India. I think I will get involved.

Today is the Winter Olympic. It is taking place in Torrino. Italy. I was in Tokyo, 11th grade to be exact when the winder Olympic took place in Nagano. How thrilled we all were during our lunchtime to talk about Illa Kulik, the Russian Skater. I wonder if he is going to be there this time in Italy?

It is getting dark now. The figures of the trees silhouetted against the setting sun slowly disappear infront of my eyes. I can see the moon. It is cream ish colour at the moment. All is wonderful. The jazz music is soft and the late news is hidden somewhere behind my candle light and the mouths of the reporters utter no sounds to my tired ears and it is just tomorrow in her eyes, thats all.

People make too great of a variable in real life.There is no way to rationalize ..to predict or to gamble on people. Any minute event changes feelings, changes emotions.

Enjoy reading this poem. It is my favorite by Robert Frost.

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Oops, I forgot to divulge my innate character. I will unambiguously assert my ambivalence!

Surprised are you ? =)

Rambling

I don't know how I do it, but I seem to be missing every other day for this week; even though I just made a promise that I would write "every day."

My account is that it is not me; it is that days are gulped down in the vortex of time.I have been observing and redefining what I want out of this blog.

Not a whole lot has been happened recently.

I have started reading “ Da Vinci Code.”

As I am writing this, I suddenly find myself staring at the big bulky door in front of me. By the way, I am at the Library. Doors are horribly ironic. Really they seem unappreciated don't they? Most people don't even notice them, and if they do, it is because they pose an obstacle to their destination.

Anyways, back to the book. As I have mentioned earlier in my blogs, that I have already read the book but I am re-reading it because I was in Louvre this past Christmas and now I can actually empathize with the places.

I have noticed 3 things while reading the first few chapters.

1- Eiffel tower is actually referred as a “She.” Well it was in the book, so I am assuming that is a she to the fellow Parisians
2-The main entrance of “ the Louvre,” La Pyramid was actually designed by a Chinese born American architect I.M.Pei
3-Mitterrand was referred to as a “Sphinx” for filling Paris with Egyptians obelisks, art, and artifacts.

This story is an exhilaratingly brainy thriller. The author Dan Brown, delivers a crackling, intricate mystery, complete with breathtaking escapes and several stunning surprises. The book is thick, very thick and I really wonder when will I be able to open the “CODE.” I am really looking forward to watch the movie this summer. Hopefully, with Tom Hanks in it, it will be a thrill to watch.

On the side note, what is the deal with that cartoon of Mohammad?

“Protests over Danish cartoons continued today in several countries, and four protesters were killed in Afghanistan” - NY times.

Bare with me today. This blog is basically going to be a rambling….rambling dictated by my inner monologue and unfortunately there are not any coherent patterns in my head.

I had a lunch with Prerna and her friends today. Prerna is a friend of mine from The Extension School and her dad is the CEO of this Lakhi Group Jewelry Company in India who has a branch in NY, Belgium and Africa. Being the daughter of the CEO is quite impressive. What do you say?

Along with my husband Prasanna, I have also decided to get involved in the MIT 50 K competition. It is the Entrepreneurship Competition. The whole point here is to meet or I should say network with the world-class entrepreneurs, investors’ business professionals and gain some experiences. I missed the first meeting yesterday, because I had my Accounting class. Today is going to be my first meeting. Hopefully, I will gain some insights.

Tragically, I should get going. I was enjoying writing down these rambling. But not to worry.. my rambling has a long way to go!

Time is on my side

The title of this post holds no significant meaning. Memories, yes. But nothing pertinent to what I am going to write. The picture- it is from kandinsky- one of my favourite artists.

I don’t know what to write today. I also seem to advertently have missed a day.

Oh. Well.

Any News? None really.

Weekend was good. My cousin was here. We went to see the movie “ Rang de Basanti.” Bad choice. The movie was getting really interesting and Aamir Khans’ acting was great however, the ending of the movie took a different twist and was bit disappointing.

Superbowl was fun— Steelers! Won—Even though I was do not understanding a whole lot. We had a great company.The Yadavs -Shailendra dai and Sanjay were here.

I would say it was a fairly overall balanced weekend.

And yes! I have finished “ The alchemist.”

The boy completes the last leg of his journey–dangerous and infused with discoveries of the most profound kind–to find that the treasure he was looking for was waiting for him in the place where he least expected

This story, timeless and entertaining, exotic yet simple, breaks down the journey we all take to find the most meaningful treasures in our lives into steps that are at once natural and magical. It depicts the faith, power and courage we all have within us to pursue the intricate path of a personal Legend, a path charted by the mysterious magnet of destiny but obscured by distractions. Lots and lots of Distractions!

With all these fears tucked neatly at the back of my mind I waded into my impending DREAM. Will I ever be able to fulfill I begin to wonder? Wonder again and AGAIN!Do I have the courage to go as far as the shepard did?

Life is frightening sometimes but theres no way around that. You cannot deny yourself the paralyzing and perplexing times that could ultimately define your life. Time will tell—I keep on telling myself. This is what has kept me going this far. It gives me hope to re-live. There has been numerous times where I just wanted to give up absolutely everything and then again, this dream comes back and gives me hope to keep on going.

Something interesting- Repeating criticisms and negative thought to oneself, even if it may seem like “making an improvement,” may actually result in a very focused fixation on your negative qualities.

" Da Vinci Code," is next on line. I have not the slightest idea when I will be starting. Soon I hope.

I think it is time for me to do some homework!

Weekend is here

Knowing the fact that I will not be writing for next two days (Did I mention tomorrow is the weekend and this week is the SUPERBOWL, so I am quite positive that I will not be writing), I decided to drop couple of lines today.

Rain, Rain and more Rain—that is the update of the weather outside. It is one of those bitter and gloomy days where you have absolute no mood to do anything at all. However, I did manage to do couple of things done. I went to the gym early morning and ran for about 45 min and I feel good and fresh! I am slowly recovering the out-of-shape phase.

Just made a round of FRESH coffee and about to write my quick blog for the day. Today is FRIDAY, it feels good knowing that weekend lies ahead of you. My cousin, Suravi is coming today and I am very excited. She is the same age as Priti, my sister actually 10 days younger to her. She is a freshman at Mount Holyoke and will be visiting us for the weekend. The last time I met her was at my other cousin’s wedding in Dallas.

Do not know Weekends hold. Always something exciting for sure. Carpe Diem! That is how I like to follow everyday! =) Carpe Diem? Confused? This line is from the movie,“ Dead Poet Society,” one of my favorite ones, the bottom line here is “ SEIZE THE DAY,” just take the day as it comes and make the best out of it. So that is how our weekend is going to be.

Quick Update on “ The Alchemist, ”- I have yet to finish the book. It will be done the next time I write her. That is a Promise!

As I was reading the book it made me question what is there about change, freedom and dreaming that gets quenched as we move through life? We both live in fear: fear of social isolation, or fear that an event will occur again. Being afraid to dream means giving up some of the juice of life. You gain security by losing vitality.

One thing that this book has taught me for sure is that it is worth to have a few falls along the way if you get to hike up to the tallest mountain in your dreams.

Oopss…I think it is time for me to pick Suravi up.

So long for today.

happy anniversary

And so, the voyage continues………….

I quickly take a peep outside. The day looks wonderful. Even though it's not a bright, sunny day yet, the first ray has popped over the side of the hill.

Today again, I am the master of my own destiny. I need not construct a scaffold of time scheduling to ensure that all of my major things get done. I am free like a bird and with a control of own destiny.

I leave the house at 8:30 and head to the gym. I run for 45 min and was impressed with my staggering result. I had burned 400 calories. Considering it was my second day, I was quite impressed with it. Cardio is my only focus this whole week. I feel happy and relaxed. However, my body hurts. It hurts like anything. I think I am still in a major Out-of-shape phase. Now, I am back in the apt is and reading “ The Alchemist,” which is now almost over. Yeah!!

"When you really want something, the universe always conspires in your favor."

This is one of my favorite quotes from the book and it is filled with encouragement.It really gives you vibe and self-confidence when you know the “ universe” conspires in your favor.It does not mean you do not have to fight for it, but just knowing that things can be done if you pursue it aggresively gives you a bit of a relief.I really have been glued to this book for the past couple of days. Here is the brief rundown. It is a story about a boy, a Shepard who yearns to travel. He has a dream about going to Egypt and finding the hidden treasures. He faces with numerous hindrances along the way, but he has the will and power to continue looking for his destiny. This book is basically about following your dream. "The Alchemist", is an exciting novel that bursts with optimism; it is the kind of novel that tells you that everything is possible as long as you really want it to happen. It tells us we should not avoid our destinies, and urges people to follow their dreams.

While reading that book, my eyes wander off to the two beautiful bouquets that lays beautifully on the top of the kitchen table. I had received these yesterday for our anniversary. It was a GREAT surprise for me. I was very estatic. One was from my parents and the other one from my husband, Mr. D.

The flowers are beautiful and its beautiful aroma has managed to capture the entire room. I looked at it and smiled back. It is one of those special moments that does that to you. Just brings a smile in your face for no particular reason. Here it goes again, another SMILE =) What a memorable day it was. We have blissfully completed the first years of our marriage and entered into the second year. We got to talk with our family members from Nepal and Japan and got sweet emails from all the loved once bringing smiles to our faces. Unfortunately, I had a class last night and after the class we went to “ Island Hopper,” the Asian restaurant for dinner. Luck favored us and we did not spend a whole lot looking for parking. Food was delicious and the ambiance was fabulous. =)

Can I ask for more? It had been a Very GOOD day for me.

A lovely day

Ah, what a difficult day to blog. Lot of things, GOOD things are happening today. Lot to write but so little time. I am afraid this one will have to be less elaborate, and much shorter than I had hoped. Well I can just cramp everything.. but NAH! It can wait one more day. No hurry. I want to jot down everything in my memory lane very descriptively because each of my events has it’s own significance.

Just the other day, I got a call from the library about “ The Alchemist.” I was very excited and got that book along with “ Da Vinci Code.” I have already read this book but wanted to re read it and connect to what I seen at the Louvre. I am almost done with the Alchemist….. will definitely will you up with the story.

I FINALLY joined the GYM and went for a short workout this morning. Since it was my first morning, I did not want to overdo it. I ran for 45 min and that felt good. I realized how much I had missed running.

Well some one just buzzed at the door and I just received a bouquet of flowers. WOW!!!! Who had sent me these flowers? Hey! Why not let this be a suspense. I will reveal it the next time. Promise.

Today is our Anniversary! Yup!! I have been with Mrs. Dhungel for a whole year now and look forward to spending “Golden Jubilee” with Mr. D.

I have a class today. So need to catch up a bit On the studying part.