Change

After a couple weeks of constant criticism, I have decided a few changes are in order. It isn’t easy, I suppose, to see yourself through another’s eyes and come up short.

Amid taunts about laziness and being a bum, I have taken on a rather massive workload: 6 courses, 20 credits, a research assistant position and 13 hours at my regular job. Factoring in study time and gym time is going to be a challenge, not to mention nights out and drinking. It also means that my much-needed nap time is now non-existent. Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, so if I disappear mid semester, it’s because I’ve died.

In keeping with my new year’s resolution and whatnot, I’ve made a few changes in the diet and exercise routine. I’m not someone that loses weight easily, nor do I keep at non-fulfilling things for a long time, so I’ve started slow, in the hopes that I’ll see steady improvement. 2 days in and already I’m a bit shaky on my legs, but I will trudge on, snacking on carrots as I go. I’m excited about my new protein shakes though; the combinations and possibilities are endless.

What else... I’ve decided to cut down my reading purchases, though I did just buy the Satanic Verses to see what all the fuss is about, and also want to read English, August, that Sach recommended. I fear I will not have time for leisure reading; the course books are ridiculously big and plentiful. Big enough to turn an avid reader into a bibliophobic, I feel.

Also, big reduction in FB time. Being away from my computer created a ‘oh I really don’t need FB to survive’ realization and I intend to keep it that way. An added benefit is that less time online means less time for drama, mine and others’. All communication henceforth will be strictly via email, so if you need me, email me, and we can have very many deep and meaningful discussions. Or not. Either way.

Finally, more music. If I can carve in the time, I will definitely be going for more concerts, live music when and wherever I can find it, and expanding my music library.

Here we go then!

The Return

And she’s back! Well-rested and boozed up quite a bit in California, and back in school for what promises to be an interesting albeit busy year. And I am excited about all the brand new music I have to listen to, thanks to A and Confab, the illegal viewing of brand new movies off recently acquired websites, a newly acquired fascination with tennis ( I love you Djokovic) and Peepshow, my new blender for protein shakes and pina coladas, my mini plant growing in a plastic cup and lots of sleep. And this song:

Off to see the Wizard

Well, not really. (I’m really bad at this post title crap). More like off to California. Two whole weeks of [hopefully] blissful peace and quiet. To sleep as long as I want and stay up as late as I want, and take a zillion pictures with my snazzy old-new camera. Two weeks of sunshine and 60 degree weather and maybe a sunset or two if I wake up in time. Two weeks of me time. Joy!

Newsy Stuff

At home with nothing to do, what better than to read the news eh?

A presidential tantrum?
So who will manage the airline then? The SL government, I suppose. Along with the country and Mervin and everything else. Why didn’t he just use his own luxurious airline?

Pot calling kettle black?
When I first read this, the first thought that crossed my mind was how is monkey a racist remark? But what to do I know. Personally, I think it’s a little rich of Ponting to even think of making such a complaint when Australia have turned a previously elegant, classy game into something akin to a street brawl. What then of the famous ‘black monkey’ comment aimed at Jayasuriya? Can Singh even come close to the likes of McGrath and Warne with his comment?

The ending of the CFA agreement.
I’ve been reading up on this and I’m not quite sure what to think. On the one hand, as most people seem to agree, this was just an official termination of an agreement that was, by and large, a farce. On the other hand, this means that any semblance of peace, however small, however superficial, is gone. Maybe peace isn’t the right word here; maybe non-war? What I’m getting at, I suppose, is that now the country is in a no holds barred, all is fair type war situation. Do the proponents of the termination of the CFA agree that this is a better situation than before or not? There are statistics everywhere, how much of it to believe is questionable. I read one article about how the CFA saved up to 10,000 lives. Another breaking it down to show that it really didn’t make much difference. Who and what to believe then?
And reading this just before my dad boarded his flight back home didn’t help. In all honesty, it scared me shitless.

Over on this side, the election primaries have begun, and even though I haven’t been following as closely as I should, I’m towards the Obama camp. It would really be a step up for this country if they elect a Black president. Not that his color should have anything to do with it, but unfortunately it does. However, the man speaks brilliantly, really inspires you towards change, and if people can look past his color and elect him for his policies, the most attractive of which, to me, is the phased withdrawal from Iraq, then I feel that change, positive change, is possible.

On a lighter note, I’m pretty fucking tired of seeing Britney Spears’ antics on every third TV channel. First she gets divorced, then she cuts her hair off, then she goes into rehab, then she flashes her vajayjay, then she throws a tantrum, then she goes back in to rehab, now she’s in hospital, now her sister's knocked up. Who gives a fuck? I was talking to a friend and she tells me, quite randomly and seriously, ‘sin no for Britney? I don’t think she’s over Kevin yet’ and I tell her that I quite honestly don’t care, and then she says ‘oh very nice, just be ignorant about world issues why don’t you’. Lol, I needed a moment. Then I said, well, Britney Spears’ life doesn’t quite fall under world issues in my book, and she says ‘well it should. Life would be much simpler if that’s all we had to worry about’. The girl has a point.

DG in the Making?

Maybe it was the Top Chef marathon I watched yesterday or maybe it’s cause I’m back home indulging in some delicious Sri Lankan fare, but I was inexplicably driven to cook today. That is, apart from the omelet I made for my dad, which turned into scrambled eggs for the lack of flipping skills. Hey, at least it tasted good. Anyhoo, my eye caught a package of mushrooms in the fridge, and, being the mushroom lover I am, I decided to try my hand at stuffed mushrooms. Honestly, how hard can it be? So I googled ‘stuffed mushroom recipe’ and found one that fit the ingredients I had at hand, which was next to nothing really, and set to work.

Now, one of the reasons I don’t cook, contrary to popular belief that I’m lazy, is that I just can’t be arsed following a recipe. That’s not the same as being lazy, really. It’s just that the whole measuring and timing thing just isn’t my style. Experimentation is what I do best. The ‘lil bit of this n a lil bit of that’ thing. Which isn’t really prudent when it comes to cooking, I have found out in the past. After a few woeful attempts at cookies, I was convinced that I didn’t have the goddess touch. In the kitchen, that is. Cough.

Anyway, armed with new found determination, I chopped up onions, shedding a few tears in the process, diced mushroom stems, sliced ham, sautéed the lot, sprinkled cheese and stuffed the mushroom caps. After a few minutes of confusion as to how to turn the oven on, I was directed by the exasperated sister whose attitude was not appreciated, and I popped the things in and let em bake. 8 minutes later, success! Said mushrooms caps were polished off by the sister and father, accompanied by pained expressions and negative criticism. Regardless, the mushrooms were gone in less time than it took to peel an onion, so one can’t help but deduce that they were scrumptious. I ate one so I can confirm that deduction. Not being confident of my abilities, I refrained from taking step by step Darwinesque pictures, but I will next time. Could this be the beginning of T, the next Domestic Goddess? Only time will tell…

A Kiss to Send Us Off

Or a bomb to welcome us in? The more traditional would say it’s an inauspicious start to the New Year. I’d be inclined to agree, except for that well, the start of a new year is nothing but a date after all and time is linear and it’s not so much a cycle as a line. (Ok so I was just reading Cerno’s post on Janus. It kinda went over my head so I stopped at the linear time bit. Sorry.)

Its hard, this war business, especially when you’re away from home, getting nothing but phone calls and news reports, not knowing what has happened to whom. And how awful to bring in the new year with death and injuries and ruined lives. Obviously this is an inappropriate moment for me to list the many complaints I have about being back with the family, or anything equally selfish and unfeeling. So then… The obligatory reflections on the past year and details of the unfortunate karaoke at the NYE party shall come later. I’ll just leave a note for myself about what I should do this year. They are NOT resolutions, mind you. I wouldn't dream of doing something so cliché. Ahem.

In no particular order:
Sleep more, eat less, study more, drink less. (I love how ‘sleep more’ is always the first thing that comes to mind)
Think with the head, at all times. Not the heart and other body parts.
At the first sign of shadiness, run.
Get back in shape.
Quit procrastinating.
For the love of god, figure out what I want to do with my life and get on track. Time is running out.
Just live the simple life.
Oh, and get off facebook.

Happy New Year all!