தீபாவளி வாழ்த்துக்கள்

Apparently what I just cut and paste as my title means "Happy Deepavali" in Tamil. Right. Well I hope so anyway.

What's up with me? Well, a very exhausting Deepavali weekend just happened. Oh and a very Happy Deepavali/Diwali to all my Hindu brethren. Basically there was a massive Open House that was held at my house. We invited colleagues, extended relatives and some other ppl to our house to enjoy some catered food, some home cooked food, some cookies I bought from an ex colleague.

It was crazy. Let me list the food we had.

1. Mutton peratal (catered)
2. Chicken peratal (catered)
3. Spicy brinjal (catered)
4. Ghee rice (made by mum)
5. Prawn sambal (made by mum)
6. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian bihun (made by kakak)
7. Chick pea masala (made by mum)
8. Dalcha (made by mum)
9. Potato batata vadas with mint chutney (made by mum)
10. Payasam (made by mum)
11. Milo, rose and vanilla jelly (made by mum)
12. Punch - sunkist cordial, water and sprite (made by dad)
13. Cookies (bought from ex-colleague)
14. Murukku (gift from an ex-housecleaner)

So we had all this food and all these people came. First my current colleagues came and then my ex colleagues came later, and all our neighbors, old friends and family we haven't seen for years.

Now there are two things about this whole Open House experience.
1. It's hella tiring. Like I was on my feet the whole day till like 9:00pm, running around and sweating in a bad way. Because someone came to visit us after the Open House. They're real polite.
2. It's really nice to see everyone and re-connect. Really and truly. I felt warm and fuzzy inside.

And you know I didn't lose my temper even once. Which is crazy. Because I mean I thought I would. What with all the running around, everyone in my family being rude to each other due to the high intensity of the situation. But I was totally alright.

One thing though, when people kept asking me about my job I was like no, I'm not teaching but I want to but that doesn't mean I'm a secretary although sometimes I do menial tasks... so I guess that made me realize I like need to get a move on and start teaching soon-ish. I think I'm going to take CELTA, offered at the British Council so I can be a lovely, proficient ESL teacher. I just think I need some confidence in terms of of teaching skills. Because right now I think I would make a GREAT teacher. I just don't know exactly how.

Oh and back to my Deepavali, we got like all this chocolate and food and craziness. It was awesome. I had my first Cadbury Gold two days ago. It was good. Like Ferrero Rocher good.

What else? Oh I'm going to Singapore on Saturday and coming back on Sunday, to visit Tripti who was a friend at McGill. I'm super excited having never been to Singapore. I've planned all my outfits and I think I'm going to pack tonight to avoid the pre-departure day frenzy. I also just checked with my boss and she's ok with me taking Friday off next week because Meg, Katie's old apartment mate in Montreal, will be in town. I think maybe we'll go shopping or just eat and chill out. I'm pretty excited about that too.

That's about it y'all. Oh and I'm still pining over Alexander Skarsgard who may or may not be with Kate Bosworth. I'm not sure what I think about that.

Peace.

P.S. Dammit I just realized I said I was pining after Alexander Skarsgard and not Eric Northman. Sigh.

Tired

I'm feeling exhausted today. Like bone tired. I don't know why though. Maybe because I've only been sleeping 7 hours instead of 8 which sounds ridiculous, I know. The other thing is I guess its because this last weekend I didn't do any sort of resting. At all. I basically just like did stuff. I think I'm one of those people that needs a "lying on your ass" day. Because it's my day to recharge and watch TV and not have to talk to anyone. Which is so nice.

Instead here I am at work. Counting down the minutes. Because I'm so bloody tired. My lunch mate couldn't make it today and I could manage was a Subway sub of the day - which I took back to the office, locked myself in a pantry and ate, while hunched over a backdated issue of Glamour.

What's new and interesting in my life? Not much. Although apparently, from a pretty unreliable source, one of the students here finds me "hot". Nice, eh? I was all like, please, that's disturbing, don't tell me their name. Of course I'm totally psyched about it and secretly hope its that hot multiracial kid with a nice body. But don't tell them.

K I'm off... to count down the minutes till I can clock out. Ciao.

Oh an and early Happy Diwali in case this weekend gets psychotic with the Open House we're throwing.

Flavor of the Week: Eric Northman

So, as declared in my earlier post, I am completely obsessed with True Blood. Now, in the first season Eric Northman, the vampire sheriff of somewhere in hick-town South, was definitely not my favorite character. His hair was too long, he was cocky - but not in an attractive way and he was definitely just way too Scandinavian.

Fast forward to Season Two and I'm sold.

ERIC NORTHMAN

Now, I have to clarify he's really not my type. He's really tall, huge and just really Swedish. Wich is not my thing. But in Season Two a couple of things really changed things around for me.

1. He got his hair cut. Also his blond highlights are awesome.
2. He and Sookie have really good chemistry, unlike her OTT declarations of love she has going on with Bill.
3. He showed his sensitive side, with the whole sadness over Godric.
4. He is an ass - which I love, of course.

So now I must lust for him. Not Alexander Skarsgard, who I think is still a trifle too Viking and large. But Eric Northman from True Blood.

I leave you with Crazy Gaga's Papparazi video which Alexander Skarsgard features prominently in, for your viewing pleasure and also because he talks a lot of Swedish which is always super fun.

I am addicted to the Blood

For the past 7 days or so I've been locking myself in my room for hours at a time. To do WHAT?! To watch TRUE BLOOD that's what! To watch Season 2 of True Blood to be exact. I literally watched it in a feverish frenzy, watching one episode and then promising myself that I would watch the intro of the next episode, and then finding myself an hour later, completely catatonic - riveted in my chair watching the ending credits of that episode.

So anyway, I'm done now, like twelve episodes and a sleep deprived week at work later.

I don't know what it is about this show that is just so addictive. I love the characters, especially Jason Stackhouse and Eric the vampire - what is his full name? I love their accents, I love that they live in this hick town and all these crazy things keep happening, including a frickin' Mynaed coming to town and turning everybody into these crazy lust-filled, uncontrollable freaky eyed people.

It's like this show combines the best of everything; the occult, hot actors, southern accents, a pretty unpredictable plot and lots of sex and violence. I just love it. And I obviously can't wait for Season 3.

To everyone out there - watch it, love it.

I'm back. I swear.

So updates. The last time I wrote I was lonely at my new job and had no one to eat with. Now, a mere month later, I now boast a regular lunch mate. Who was as lonely as me. So we aren't exactly on the same wavelength, what with her being a whole 12 years older to me and having two kids but it's nice having someone to eat with. Even if she does ask me inane questions sometimes. All the time.

What else is new? Deepavali or Diwali as they say in North India, is coming up so it's all systems GO! in my house, especially in terms of cleaning. So far I've oiled our leather sofas and I'm waiting for more directives from my mother. I also cannot fit into any of my Indian clothes which bring me to the next thing I've been up to.

Recently, because I had to do a physical for my new job I found out I weighed like 58kg. I'm only 4'11". That is rather overweight. Still I'm one of those fortunate people who packs on the pounds everywhere as opposed to in my ass so I guess I should be grateful. I've decided to be proactive about the whole situation and join a gym. The gym of my choice? The hip-tastic Celebrity Fitness. I know, it's not exactly me and it's seriously flourescent, shiny and silver and everyone walks around in these ridonkulous purple outfits. But it's really close to home and the parking lot is relatively safe so whatever. The day I went there to sign up the marketing lady/girl/whatever was like, you're overweight, you should weigh like 46kg. I was like NO, I will not EVER weigh 46kg because the only time I did I was anorexic. And then she gave me this patronizing smile and was like No dear, you don't understand you'll be all toned up and you'll see. I was maybe about to smash her face. But I didn't so no worries. In any case the trainer during free personal training sessions was more realistic and said I should weigh about 50-52kg. I will report back soon or as and when I lose weight.

I'm making full use of my workplace's library. So far I've read Austen's Emma and Trisha Ashley's The Urge to Jump. Emma was actually really annoying because I think that Emma is an extremely annoying character, she's just really sure of herself and self-righteous when she's WRONG. And The Urge to Jump is alright, a little hard to relate to because I'm not an almost forty, 6 foot tall, fantasy author lady woman but it was cute. Lae also lent me The Lovely Bones, which was really good actually. I can't wait for Peter Jackson's adaptation and I definitely think that Saoirse Ronan's an amazingly good choice for who should play Susie. But my verdict is definitely out on Mark Wahlberg playing her dad. I guess we'll have to wait and see.