Finishing from scratch.

Somewhere between not posting, attempting to keep up with grad school and work, and completely forgetting about the existence of this blog, I've gained 21 followers - how awesome.

Two months, two never-before taken whirlwind trips - to Calcutta and NYC - and way too many updates to summarize in one post. In an effort to blog smarter and not harder, here's a very brief recap of choice memories from 2010 thus far:

1) Favorite street side snapshots from abroad:

Missionaries in a foreign field

Trying to change the city's infrastructure is like Chasing Pirates.

2) Favorite places/eats in NYC:
- Westville, between Bleecker and West 4th. Try the veggie burger with bacon on a Portuguese muffin... the best contradiction you'll ever consume.

Red Velvet Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery

- Mamoun's falafel in Greenwich Village
- And, of course, no NYC trip would be complete without a visit to... the NY Public Library!

3) Noteworthy developments & accomplishments:

Finished with PhD apps... in pre-interview, post-interview, & post-acceptance stages for various schools now.

- Checked a couple things off the iconic "should've done this in college (or just earlier in life)" list: ice skating for the first time, brunch at Rise & Dine with an amazing group of Emory students (see above photo), and dinner at Mary Mac's in Atlanta (the closest I'll get to real Southern food until I visit home again in a few months)

- Last, but not least...

The adorable bridesmaid dress for Nick & Emily's wedding!

An island made of mud (and med students).

Better late than never: An Update from Fall Break

Memphis (a.k.a., my escape from the monotony that ATL has morphed into as of late) - was exactly what I needed: a chance to get away, relax, and recuperate with good food and an even better friend. Not to mention, I was unusually productive during the four days that I spent there.

UT Memphis Medical School

Aside from spending quality time on Mud Island with my friend on the week of her birthday, a few other highlights from my fall beak trip include visiting the UT Health Sciences Center and Medical School (and sitting in on a 2-hour anatomy GI lecture!), meeting some genuinely engaging UT med students, having an amazing meal at Papa Pia's downtown, and dining out at Pei Wei for my first time.

The "Cinderella" carriage

True, I didn't partake in the usual "tourist" activities, aside from my drive-by tour of St. Jude Children's Hospital, my brief encounters with the Memphis trolley line, and a couple glimpses of the Cinderella-like horse-drawn carriages downtown. But I'd trade the comfortable company of an old college friend for all that Memphis jazz any day.

(Techincally, Memphis is the birthplace of rock 'n roll and the "home of the Blues", but I was just using a euphemism to prove a slightly belabored point.)

Oh, and something cool to amaze your friends with your current political and pop knowledge: If you haven't heard, Kalpen Modi (a.k.a. the "Kal Penn" of Harold & Kumar, The Namesake, and the TV Show "House") recently started working at the White House as an associate director in the Office of Public Engagement, formerly known as the Office of Liaison.
And Penn Masala even performed at President Obama's Diwali celebration this week! If you've never heard them sing live or listened to a recording of them, prepare to be blown away by their unique synthesis of Eastern and Western musical elements.

America, India, and everything in between.

I was inspired to update my blog after reading a recent NY Times article, "Farewell to an India I Hardly Knew", by Anand Giridharadas.

Calcutta, India

About two years ago, as part of an application for a part-time college job, I had to write a short essay describing my experiences with issues of diversity and my perspective with respect to cultural differences. Giridharadas' article reminded me a lot of that essay, because I talked about how I had grown up "feeling as if I was in a sort of cultural limbo - a foreigner living in America but an American when I visited India" and how, "in a way, this constant sense of cultural indecision is simply a negative consequence of the territory; my parents once explained it best when they said that they knew they would have to sacrifice some of the richness of their own traditions and conservative culture in order to fully take advantage of the opportunities and independence that American life had to offer."

But the interesting thing about the NY Times article is that it left me questioning whether what I'd written was actually true. It gave me the notion that you can have both, that you can retain your cultural heritage and your nationalistic pride and still be progressive in redefining your sense of self.

Contrary to popular belief, then, you don't have to completely turn your back on all the people you came from to become the one person you've always wanted to be. It seems obvious in retrospect, but if you can find a way to help yourself, without leaving everyone else behind, then maybe your present individual successes will turn into a future collective benefit for others.

Here's to turning that notion into some kind of positive action, regardless of what I end up doing after graduate school.

First, Break In Spring

Here's a recap of the images, words, and sounds that made my Spring Break more enjoyable - as usual, interesting factoids and copious amounts of commentary are included, too. Officially-speaking, the break's not over yet; but, unofficially, it's pretty much ended since it's time to get back to work again.

Flo & Tiny

"Our best built certainties are but sand-houses and subject to damage from any wind of doubt that blows." ~ Mark Twain

The photographs* below (click on them to view them at their full-size) probably speak for themselves, but the phenomenally-crafted sand sculptures of "Flo" and "Tiny" on Dauphin Island beach were one of the most memorable parts of my Spring Break. Whoever you are, and wherever you are, hundreds (if not thousands) of beach-goers were definitely amazed and entertained by your one-of-a-kind works.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Sometimes, religion (and religious phrases) , like art, show up in very predictable places - like the bumper stickers on the cars of conservative Alabama towns, the welcome signs outside of Protestant churches, or the Sunday morning broadcasts of church services on local television channels. Other times, though, they show up in the least-expected spots - like the bottom of your bright yellow, plastic Forever 21 shopping bag.

Don Chang and his wife, Jin, immigrants from Korea and the founders of the clothing chain, were apparently "deeply religious" devout Christians. But store managers, customers, and news reporters (like Deborah Kolben of the New York Sun) have their own ideas as to why the Bible passage is quoted on Forever 21's bag. Religion, even in small and seemingly inconspicuous doses, always seems to be up for interpretation and never ceases to stir up controversy and confusion.

"Jai Ho"

"May victory be yours."

Speaking of things that are "up for interpretation", the Pussycat Dolls have recently come out with a cover of A.R. Rahman's song, "Jai Ho" (from the award-winning Slumdog Millionaire film) - the original song won an Oscar for best song; but, the cover, in my opinion, is just an overly-Anglicized pop version of an already Anglicized Bollywood song. As talented and gorgeous as the Pussycat Dolls are, I feel that this cover is one that doesn't really do justice to the true meaning of the original lyrics. It's always difficult to find a perfect medium between staying true to the original traditions and social morays of more conservative Eastern culture when trying to gain popularity with incredibly liberal Western audiences. In this case, what's happened with "Jai Ho" almost exactly reminds me of what the teenage-pop star-character Cora Corman initially did to the song "Way Back Into Love" in the movie Music and Lyrics... except that this is real life, and not the movies.

Since musical preferences are a personal thing, though, I'll just let each listener and/or viewer independently and individually decide what he or she thinks about the song and music video. Maybe some things just take getting used to and you enjoy them more over time - I mean, it's not until you break-in a pair of shoes that they actually start feeling comfortable, right?


*Dauphin Island photographs captured by Dr. S Barik.

Maybe it's written.

Tonight, I watched Slumdog Millionaire.*

I won't give away the ending or release any spoilers, but if you read any generic review about the movie, you'll soon learn that many critics have pegged it as "the best movie of 2008," a story that "lives up to its premise even at its most far-fetched, creating a beautifully realized and edited film" (Roeper, Ransom, Rotten Tomatoes). It's been nominated for 10 Oscars and 29 other awards, and it's won almost 50 other awards (IMDB). To top it off, Dev Patel, the actor who plays the lead character in the film, is only 18 years old - and he was starring in his first-ever movie role. His stellar acting skills even earned him a (playful) slap from Sharon Stone.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, "Fame comes only when deserved, and then is as inevitable as destiny, for it is destiny." But if there's one thing that the writers and actors of Slumdog Millionaire have proved, it's that destiny isn't simply the result of inevitable, uncontrolled events. It's in your own hands, if you're willing to take the necessary risks and fight for it, against all odds.

I wonder if Dev Patel ever realized the caliber of recognition and fame that was in store for him, if he recognized that he'd already begun to build his destiny the moment he was cast in the role of Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire. M. Night Shyamalan has already picked him up for his next movie, Avatar: The Last Airbender, set to be released on July 2, 2010. Vikas Swarup, the author of Q&A (the novel that Slumdog Millionaire is loosely based upon), probably didn't expect his story to be adapted into a film and become an international sensation, either.

I'm not sure I would ever be able to survive in an area with a lifestyle as surreal and hardening as the ones that Indians have learned to endure and embrace, every day in the slums of cities like Kolkata and Mumbai. But, whatever I end up doing, I'd hope that my future work at least creates some semblance of an impact on a wider audience, however pale its scope may be in comparison to a Hollywood-Bollywood blockbuster. And, who knows, maybe my fame will come in the process, if deserved. Maybe it's written.


Or maybe I should just stop blogging and finish my readings for class.


*Kelli and Alec: So sorry for watching it without you; I promise I'll still see it again with both of you on Friday!