Back in Boston

I am back in BOSTON. The workshop in New Hampshire was just GREAT. Hotel was GREAT!! we had the luxury of staying at the very beautiful Mount Wahsington hotel. There were students from 12 different nationalities. This really reminded me of my high school where we had students from 54 different nationalities. This is where I found out about a country called Djibouti :) The workshop was quite hectic. We had to get up at 6:00. After getting the habbit of waking up late, this was quite an adventure.

We also managed to take the COG railway and climbed to the summit of Mount WASHINGTON!!

I also had the GREAT pleasure of Moderating Anuradha koirala. She is a lady with a fire. She really should be everyone's role model. Her stories are so encouraging and filled with power. I am so happy that I got to meet with her.

My school officially strats from Sep 5th, however, we have little workshop from this week.
I have the Accounting review session in a bit and If I don't go in next 15 minutes I will miss my bus.

CIAO!!

Orientation

It's been while since I have come to this site.

This one is going to be a quick update.

Laptop is still fixed not fixed yet. This time I think it is gone for real. I am sad.

Anuradha koirala will be in town tonight. I am excited about the talk.

I had the International Student orientation today. I met one girl from Nepal.. well not literally but her parents are from Darjeeling. I was happy to meet with her.

I am off the New Hamphsire tomorrow for the Workshop for three days. It will be fun.

Teej is this saturday!! For everyone who is fasting for their husband or to find a good husband have a happyy Teej and GOOD LUCK!!

Laptop

My computer went Bizzare-- so no blog until it is fixed.

It was perfectly fine. All I did was a quick update and it a matter of second it went completely out!

I am very annoyed! The computer is not even 2 years old. Argggghh

What can I say-- Such are the vagaries of life. Pras must be smiling reading at this. :)

Weekend was good!

Pras is back from his hectic Travel. It was Shailendra dai's b'day on Saturday so we had the great honour of enjoying the B'day cake at the Yadav residence. Thanks to Shailendra dai our bike is all fixed now!!

Really looking forward to riding it again!!!

I am going to miss my laptop :(

Desert

Another torrid morning!

My neck is hot and my mouth parched. I have been drinking water, yet, I feel very dry.

Just as I thought the summer was almost over, everything comes back again.

I am walking endlessly. I look tired, rugged and ugly. I cannot go any further. There is not a sign of a single soul. I try to scream but I cannot utter a thing. I can feel someone gagging me. Desert is all I see everywhere. I yearn for water. Slowly, I can feel my legs becoming numb. I am certain that I will not be able to count on this for long. It hurts. I have blisters everywhere.

Where am I going? Why am I alone? Since I could not find anyone to come with me, I had decided to come alone. I regretted my mistake at once. Here, I was lonely in a complete isolation and not a single soul to fetch me water. The sky however looked very clear. I wished it would rain. I have a shawl around my head. Am I in Egypt? I don’t know where I am. I see no sign of a Pyramid or a camel.

I see someone. A shadow! The person beckoned me reluctantly. I try to follow him. He disappears.

Again, I am all alone.

Desert is what lies in front of me. Suddenly, I feel like Santiago, the boy in the book
“ Alchemist,” in search of my own true destiny. I hear a roar in the sky. It is a thunderstorm. I feel myself completely drenched. It feels like heaven.

I smile.

The Alarm rings.It is time for me to get up.

Crazy dream isn't it?

freind

I just took a walk outside, just to experience the intense heat. The sweat made me believe that my body is still alive.

I am having a good time with my friend Sujata (that explains why no blog for past two days)chatting and reminiscing our old highschool days. We were in St Marys for 9 years. Prep till 8th grade. University starts next week and I have loads of stuff to do prior to that. Yesterday, we took a stroll around the downtown and it was really nice. we had lot to catch up since it had been almost 10 years. Both of us had been in two different roads. It was really nice hearing her stories about her recent trip to South Africa, Sri lanka and Singapore. We Had a long walk enjoying the enchanting and beautiful evening. We even managed to go to the Krishna mandir and attended the arati. It was a very blissful night :)

Remember the book that was on my list—“The kite runner.” My friend is reading it. She says it is very nice. I am jealous. I really want to read it. She also suggested a book called “Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found” by Suketu Mehta. So many books that I want to read and so less time.. arghhhh…I wish I had more time. Even though I have not been to Bombay, I somehow feel that I can relate to the city. Really don’t know why though.

I hope that my love for the books will only grow stronger in the days ahead, though everybody is writing a book these days. The famous people of every walk of life - including the politicians - hire the writers to tell their stories to the world, if they do not themselves have the skills, to write them.

Another interesting read would be “ Forget Kathmandu."

Tuesday

“Dolpa is remote. It is rugged. And it is a radiant beauty in its setting of Himalayan glory,” says one of the travel magazines about this beautiful place back home. I have traveled the world but I have to sadly admit that I have not traveled very much outside Kathmandu. I would like to go to Mustang, Illam, Dolpa etc. Beauties lie within our country itself and there we are wandering around in search of true beauties. What an ironic it is?

Weather wise - really pleasant outside. I am indeed very glad that the whole chaotic heat wave is gone. Pras left for LA today. He is coming back on Saturday. I just got back from the Gym. Since I have the car, I decided not to run. Being bit lazy I guess.

I am meeting my friend from St Mary’s tomorrow. I have not seen her for almost a decade now. She will be joining the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts. I am very much looking forward to meeting with her. I am happy she will be in Boston.

What else is new—Oh, I read in the newspaper that –“ The contemporary human life is said to be a healthier - if not necessarily a happier - one, than before.” Good news I suppose!

As I have nothing to say I guess I will end with an Adieu :)

Attitude

YOUR ATTITUDE CAN DO WONDERS.

Have the right attitude and you will go very FAR!!

Enjoy reading this with a cup of hottt cappachino :)

Father: I want you to marry a girl of my choice
Son: "I will choose my own bride!"
Father: "But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter."
Son: "Well, in that case...ok"

Next, Father approaches Bill Gates.
Father: "I have a husband for your daughter."
Bill Gates: "But my daughter is too young to marry!
"Father: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank."
Bill Gates: "Ah, in that case...ok"

Finally, Father goes to see the president of the World Bank.
Father: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president."
President: "But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!
"Father: "But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law."
President: "Ah, in that case...ok"

This is how business is done!!

Moral: Even If you have nothing, You can get Anything. But your attitudeshould be positive

Weekend

Today is going to be a rather short one. A brief summary of my Weekend. My stomach hurts.. Yup! it’s the most torturous monthly thingie. Life without monthly periods has always been one of the few things women look forward. For me, the first two days are unbearable. Lack of energy, sleep and appetite and above all the most delinquent PMS thingy. Oh! how I wish we did not have to go through this every month.

Anyways, weekend was short and sweet. Pras is all better now. We went to the SEBS BBQ on Saturday. It was fun, bit chilly then what we had expected. It was a nice re-union. Meeting old high school friends is always a fun. Later that night, we also went to see the jeetendra dai and Brenda’s new house in Fitzburg. It is soo beautiful. Really a dream house for anyone.

Oh! before I forget, a brief synopsis from the movie KANK- kabhi Alvida Na Kahena. I was very excited, however, it was not as Great as we had expected. To tell you the truth, it was bit disappointing and quite long. This movie combines to a sad, over-long tale of broken relationships which I was not very happy with. It started at 9:15 and we got home at 1:00 in the morning. You do the calculation! (It goes on and on and on….) This could have been a short and sweet movie, but I guess, Mr. Johar, decided to do the little of his twist and turn. Nevertheless, I was very impressed with the father and son’s acting. Both Amitabh and Abhishek bachan’s acting were superb. I was very much a fan of Abhishek’s character. His role has been portrayed very nicely- A very loving and patient husband.

Right now, I am watching the movie CAPOTE. Movie about Mr. Truman Capote and his book, "The Cold blood," the book that made him the most famous writer in America. Interesting movie I must say! It Requires lot of concentration though! For person like me with so little attention, it was quite a test!

Carpe Diem

What does Carpe Diem mean?

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase literally meaning "pluck the day" but usually translated as "seize the day". It is often adopted or at least quoted as a personal motto. My personal motto :) The term is also used in as an expression of goodwill. One interpretation of the phrase might be as an existential cautionary term, much like "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Every day opportunities await us and we must decide whether to take the chance or play it safe. Therefore, I encourage you to take the risks, for nothing is gained without them.

Pras is not feeling well today. He woke up early in the morning .. around 5:00 I think and endured two rounds of coughing. Now the coughing is all gone. It is all about headache now. Been sleeping all day with Tylenols. I checked with him a while ago, he says he is feeling better. Nope, no fever- just headache. I really hope he feels better by tomorrow. Tonight, we are planning to go see the new movie “Kabhi Alvida na kahena.” Tomorrow is the BBQ for all the SEBS students.

news

So pretty clearly the biggest news of the day is that -a terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US has been uncovered. I was very puzzled when I watched the news this morning.

Thanks heaven, this was Foiled.

The most obvious effect to most people who are flying soon will be that there is now no hand luggage allowed on planes - you can take tickets, passports and wallets aboard in a transparent plastic bag. No laptops are allowed on the plane. No gaming devices. No iPods. With news about the foiled terror plot in Britain still unfolding, it’s still a little early to jump to conclusions. But apparently the people who have been arrested so far were young, British citizens of Asian decent—Pakistani to be exact.

American Airlines, Continental and the US Airways- were their core target. These are the airlines we frequently travel. It still gives me eerie feeling thinking about this incidence.

My sister is flying back to London next week and Prasanna is flying to CA on Tuesday. It will be quite chaotic at the airport. No labtops, no music, no handbags.... wow!

Scorpio

“The sun/moon aspect will fade into insignificance, thanks to the glowing influences of your ruling planet. Basically you’ll be completely magnetic and compelling today, so if there were any emotional hiccups yesterday then today you’ll have the presence of mind to put them right again”

I am a Scorpio and this is what my horoscope said for today. Do I believe in them? Not at all!!

There is always the counter-argument to horoscopes: They are way too vague, tell you nothing that will help predict your specific life circumstances.But, then there are those who believe that having a horoscope can actually make you think about what you are doing during the day. There are those who believe that 'knowing things' does not mean knowing what life will bring, but it means being given a clue, and therefore a hint of how you can react to future situations if they do come up.

Horoscopes are based on the alignment of stars, but even great astrologists admit that this is not a specific science. But then what is astrology good for? Obviously if you get caught up in it too much, you will eradicate your ability to exercise free will. If you do not believe in horoscopes, perhaps there is nothing wrong.

I guess this gives us a chance to seek out the events that are mentioned in the horoscope reading and to gauge our own reactions to them. If we are able to see our own reactions and behaviors more clearly, this introspection is the first step in detecting our faults and correcting them. Horoscopes cannot tell you the events of your future, but maybe they give you the confidence you need to face the day's events with an 'upper hand'.

This is how I see it… oh! well..

Today is “Janaya purnima” back home. We just had Kwati (the nine beans soup) for dinner. The bean came all the way from Kathamandu a year ago. It tasted great!

snippets

I am just sitting in front of the TV and flipping channels. I am not looking for anything in particular; I am simply fumbling with the remote and gazing whatever appears on the so- called television. I think I have found something interesting. It is on PBS--a guy is reading a poem out of a book. I am focusing hard.. but I have failed to understand the poem?

I guess Poetry could be anything. ABSOLUTELY anything!!

Poetry to me is no longer about finding words that rhyme. Poetry could be anything I wanted it to be. It could be fragmented, unbalanced, violent, romantic, ...it could be absolutely anything! By far, Robert Frost is my favourite poet. Some of my friends hate his poetry a lot.Very very surprising. But, I honestly don't really mind it. It isn't about rhyming words, or balanced meters anymore. The moon isn't always the face of a lover...it can just as easily be an eerie backdrop for a barren yew tree.

If a person can read my poetry, like it and not understand what it means, then it makes me happy for I have succeeded in doing what I set out to do- expressing something momentary or fleeting in as expressive and natural a styIe I can find for myself and in the bargain if others do not comprehend it, but like the way it sounds...then yes, I suppose I have been successful in 'finding my voice'...or something to that effect.

Today was a good day. I had a coffee with my friend Prerna at LA Burdick @ Harvard Square. Really nice and funky place to hang out. I’ve also discovered that under normal circumstances, caffeine gives me a pleasant buzz, makes me chatty. Yup! Both Coke and Coffee. Then I bumped into Atul and also got a chance to meet with his mum. What a co-incidence. I really wanted to get the tyre of my bike fixed today. However, only after walking in the scorching sun and dragging the bike breathlessly for almost 15 minutes, I came to realize that the place was closed. Bummer!

Which one do you pick?

I still quite vividly remember my TOK (Theory of Knowledge) class back in the high school days, 11th grade to be exact. A vase with a rose was put on the table in front of our classroom and everyone was told to make a drawing of it. Upon completing the task, to our surprises, none of our drawing matched. Even though there was only one rose, somehow our drawing looked completely different. Different perspective I suppose. We were then introduced to a word that was complete new to me. It was called “Aesthetic Art.” We all left the classroom feeling like an ARTIST. We all are artists are we not?

What is Art? Artist? Intellectuals?

Some people prefer the artist to the intellectual because the artist relies heavily on sensory satisfaction whereas the intellectual rests upon the cushion of reason and logic. There is therefore a clear –cut division between the two. But, if you ask me, keeping the two apart is really not as simple a division as it may seem.

Intellect equals detachment. Without detachment, it is impossible to comment on the most serious affairs, objectively. But, art cannot afford to be detached. In order to create one has to explore deep into the deepest recesses of the human heart and soul. Because to create is to unravel the mysterious, define the ephemeral and elevate it to the ethereal. And to achieve this, one cannot possibly afford to rely simply on the power of the intellect. It is the senses that seek the pleasure and it is from the senses and takes its many forms.

But, an artist, I believe, is not merely someone who dabbles with colours and sculptures.They are also the master of their own destiny. Any person, (yup!! that includes you too) who creates and generates creativity in others, is an artist. And while it is true that sensuality is, I think, the most important to an artist, as he/she has to be closely liked with the mundane world of rationale and reason. Because creation stems from the senses and our senses do not feel in a state of vacuum. So, there has to be a balance of both art and intellect in creativity. Afterall, without the intellect, art cannot find a footing and without creativity, how can the intellect thrive?

And so, today I can be not only an artist of ideas originating outside of myself, but indeed an artist of thoughts originating from a deeper consciousness. Feels oddly peaceful. :)

Well, I suppose I have not made as much sense as I intended, but you’re intelligent, aren’t you? You can understand what I mean, can’t you?

Weekend was great!!! The dinner at Thakali residence was great! Thank you Sagar dai and Jasmeen. Sunday, we managed to watch “ The taming of the Shrew” at the Boston Commons. It was simply AMAZING. We had managed to watch “ Much Ado about Nothing” two years back. The Acting was superb. For about 2 hours, we really felt like we were in Italy! I was bit bothered by the cool breeze. Had, I known, I would have been prepared with my jacket. Agghhh.. the Boston weather.. But nonetheless it was a GREAT night!

A Novel Protest for Nepal

Article published in Nepalnews.com (A novel protest for Nepal)

What do we want?
Human Right!

When do we want it?
Now!

Along with 1500 amnesty participants, mainly high school and college students from all over the Northeastern United States, I proudly marched along East 91st street in Manhattan, New York City chanting the slogans of Human Rights. I was participating in the Amnesty International’s “Get on the Bus” program. This was the 11th year that Amnesty International had hosted GOTB program. Previous demonstrations focused on Free Tibet, Justice for Bhopal, Disappearances in Chechnya, Help Nigeria etc. As before, the main goal of “Get on the Bus” program was to raise awareness and educate people on various human right violations in societies around the world.

Carrying the banner with the slogan “Justice and Peace”, we started our demonstration at the Sudanese mission protesting against genocide in Darfur. It has been 3 years since the conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan started. The Darfur conflict has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including systematic and wide-scale murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Despite international condemnation and the presence of African Union troops, the situation has gotten no better; instead, it has only gotten worse. Nevertheless, we screamed demanding that the Sudanese government provide protection for civilians in Darfur.

After this, we walked over to the Ethiopian Consulate to protest against political oppression and the jailing of prisoners of Conscience in that African nation. As international concerns on the human rights in Ethiopia have escalated, Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of opposition leaders, human rights defenders and journalists facing trail on charges of “violent conspiracy” and “high treason”. We were exuberated when we saw a group of Ethiopian diplomats gazing at us from their office window. We had successfully humiliated them. A gush of energy swept us and we screamed even more. Our voices were powerful. The scene was rejuvenating.

Next, we marched towards the Guatemalan consulate where our main agenda was “Femicide”. Over the past five years, more than 2000 Guatemalan women and girls have been brutally murdered. Victims have had their throats cut, have been beaten, shot or stabbed to death. Their bodies showed signs of rape, torture, mutilation or dismemberment. Here, our mission was to point out the failures of the Guatemalan authorities to adequately investigate the murders and demand that they bring the killers to justice.

GOTB educated us, the participants, as well as the passersbys in New York City on Human Rights. Some honked in approval while some peeked out of doorways squinting to read our banners. Feeling mildly exhausted with sore feet and throats, we ended our journey at the Chinese Consulate. We demonstrated against Internet censorship in China. Amnesty report of January 2004 shows that there was a dramatic rise in the number of people detained or sentenced for Internet-related offences. Our protest was against U.S. corporations, mainly, Yahoo, Cisco Systems and Microsoft for collaborating with the Chinese Government to track and persecute Chinese citizens for exercising their freedom of speech on the Internet.

Participating in the demonstration made me reflect on the current political turmoil in Nepal. Luckily, a label of either “Genocide” or “Femicide” has not been given to Nepal like in Sudan and Guatemala. But atrocious events and Human Rights violations have happened in Nepal. Innocent civilians have been brutally killed. Shocking pictures of Human Right violations in Nepal have loomed the front pages of newspapers around the globe transfixing the media. Sadly, the poor are ignored by the government and remain mired in illiteracy, ethic and caste discrimination while political parties and leaders bicker and maneuver for power. There is an urgent need to bring permanent peace and stability in Nepal. No one wants to see her become a helpless unstable state and a haven for terrorism and violence that has spread across other parts of South Asia.

In the face of such complexity, Amnesty International must help Nepal in a unique way. Let me state the matter precisely: Normally when something changes in the physical world we hope to see the new replace the old. However, in Nepal, the trend has been as the old saying- “Old wine in a new bottle.” The biggest scam in the country- but by no way means the only- is the “corruption.” The rules and the regulations of the country change but the corrupt leaders remain the same. Sadly, perpetrators of massacre walk freely and never get persecuted due to corrupt policies of the government. Nepal is bitterly engraved in the hand of the corrupted leaders. What is the point of imposing rules if they are blatantly flouted? A lot of complications need to be worked out in Nepal, however, unless and until the corrupt leaders are put behind bars, there will not be an end to the vicious cycle of violence and injustice. This is the crux of the problem. The longer this is delayed, the more lives will be lost. Needless to say, there is importance for an international pressure on Nepal. Amnesty should not only protest for Human rights, but also pressure the state to jail the perpetrators. More broadly, this maladroit intervention will not only gain international attention but also humiliate our corrupt leaders. Amnesty in Nepal and in the United States should hold a demonstration similar to GOTB to put pressure on the Nepali government. Ironically, this could be one of the creative solutions to hasten victory and punish the bad guys.

I hope for the end of the downward spiral in Nepal. As the current situation indicates, there remains plenty the country has to do in order to gain stability. Today we are in the midst of a great struggle between the forces of terror and the forces of freedom. Peace is the key to prosperity and stability, a future that our corrupt leaders have put in jeopardy. The obvious and not so obvious potential opportunities in Nepal are enormous. Still, we are a nation of skeptics. Amid the uncertainty, I have hope for a climate of unity for all Nepalese and a triumphant journey from darkness to light. Hope, after all, is what keeps us going.

Can one protest change the world?

When you are with amazingly vibrant group of people filled with skills and energy, you can't think of anything but hope. I realize that this is the beauty of democracy. These are the people who can make the world a better place.In retrospect, GOTB was a great way to meet people interested in changing the world, and I am proud to say I was one of them.

Golf

Is there a positive correlation between fabulous weather and good vibes? Take today for example, a beautiful sunny day accompanied by that occasional cool breeze...Well all day, I've been feeling like I have been elevated. Now that I run outside, it has been even more FUN!!

The sun is now setting into a cool evening and I look forward to that walk when the moon shines. If it is the weather, then maybe I am better off moving to a place where only spring and summer exist ? I should say where only SPRING exists. I am not too fond of HOT day like yesterday though!

But then again, I LOVE winter as well. MR D always says that I really have not experienced the real winter like he has in the upstate NY. Regardless of what he says, I like winter and will always do. Mainly the SNOWFALL=) It is true that you cannot run outside and do lot of outdoor activities, but still it is Beautiful!

Snowfall is beautiful, especially when fresh, and the changing colors of leaves is absolutely inspiring and for me they are a direct reflection on life. The cycle of birth and death and rebirth...and how we change in course of all this. I'll try to remember to jot down my feelings the next time it gets cold, which believe me, in just a matter of months.

How was my day today? Another exciting chapter, I would say! We are very much relieved by the fact that we are not moving. We did make a point to look at couple of apartment but nothing appealing as the current one. For past couple of days, or I should say, week, I really was extremely busy with the Apartment hunting procedure. Now, it is all over!!

I just got back from the BBQ. It was organized by Prasanna’s office. It was a mixture of BBQ and GOLF.Pras had a chance to hit some GOLF!! They were playing nine holes. (Apparently, the game does not get done until the ball gets under the ninth hole. Interesting!! ) He sounded very THRILLED and excited!! ( I mean very very thrilled) Some times I wonder, what does not excite my husband. ( I hope he smiles when he reads this). He is filled with ENERGY and is excited all the time.... well most of the time. His excitement excites me. He showed me around the Golf course which was huggeeeeee. He made me walk for almost 1 mile :) After the short tour, I also got excited about the whole GOLF thing. Is the word excitement contagious?

Anyways, we had played Golf couple of years back at the Driving Range in Lexington. AND I think it is time for us to make a trip to that place once again =)

Developed nation

Saw this and loved it! A fantastic use of google maps, this site allows you to actually see the building. Isn’t the technology so amazing!! I was really thrilled to see my high school (Seisen)and my parents home in the map. The Kathmandu map was not as clear as the Japan one. I guess Japan must have the good sky navigator-- ?!

Every time I hear the term 'developed nation' the one thing I can't help thinking about is the criteria that defines development. Isn't it conceited and pompous to declare oneself as developed or progressed and the other as not? Is advancement in science the only way by which we can judge a country's 'progress'?

Does that mean that those close to nature are such uncouths that they have no rules, and no principles whatsoever? At least they live in harmony with their environment. What has technical advancement brought other than destruction and disruption in the ecological balance!—Good example—The ongoing battle in the middle east.

I do not want to write long today- THE HOT WEATHER IS unbearable. I have had the AC on all day and yet, I am still perspiring. The power went out at Prasanna’s office. I wonder how they are surviving with out the AC. Today is supposed to be the hottest day in summer.

I am enjoying reading Interpreter of Maladies. It is a collection of short stories. Somehow, this book reminded me of “ Arresting god in kathmandu” by Samrat upadhyaya.

My school will be opening in couple of weeks now. It is time for me to focus on my Finance book. In this hot weather, rather than sitting in a pool and soaking up the sun, I am buried with my book and the calculator calculating the NPV and IRR value of a BANK.

music gadget

I counted – There were about 15 people all together at the Harvard Square. I do not think I missed anyone. How could I? Those things are so obvious. White headphones clinging outside their t.shirts. Any guesses?? :) What can that be none other than the famous IPOD!!

These supposedly intelligent people cannot bear to strut around campus without some kind of electronic noise generator stuck in their ear. If they're not bellowing inane platitudes into a mobile phone, they're listening to inane music on an iPod. I have no idea what deep thoughts these people are trying to suppress from their heads, but judging by their vacant expressions I would be surprised if it was worth the effort.

iPod culture seems to have flooded everywhere in the United States and I don’t deny on this. Almost everybody seems to be holding different colors of iPods walking around on campus/bus/schools. This is the trend; this is the culture, which, apparently, are blind; being meaningless to comment on whether the group phenomenon be good or bad; being pointless to draw black or white definitions on an abstract cultural phenomenon.

I personally don't have an iPod and am not planning to get one. Simply because I don't like it, though it could allow me to, store huge files plus data, and listen to music, but that doesn't mean I have to discriminate people owning one. As I said, this is the trend; this is the culture for the time being, so who to blame; who to judge.

I shamelessy have to confess that I returned the book, The world is flat without even completing it. I just could not do it. I plan to go back and check out again. In the mean time, I have started my focus on the second one.. Lahiri's. Apartment hunting is making us go CRAZYY!!!!