Waiting

What is a better time to blog than when waiting infuckingendingly ( bad wrong word) for people to pick up phones. So yes, about Sunday and that leaving on Sunday plan- because of the hurricane flights are cancelled. Before I forget two people have already pissed me off with hurricane jokes.
1) "You guys I am having a hurricane party! Though here, its only mild cloudy skies"

2) - uhm faulty memory kicks in, what was it! It was really stupid though.

Anyway on the phone, me and boi, calling Orbitz and United, both of them making us hold and hold andddd hold. I have also caught a cold from the boi. I have a funny picture of him under a towel taking steam. Ok, not that funny, but still.
Maybe I can give you some random news while I wait. We saw Planet of the Apes yesterday despite my Franco aversion and Pinto dislike and I absolutely liked the movie. I guess they were fairly harmless and plus it was all about the ape, anyway.  Franco aversion if I havent explained before is all due to his bad writing, yes really- "The shadows were shadow coloured". WTH and his terrible need to soothe his ego with half finished degrees from all over the country, all those unfinished MFA's and Phd's and now, one more will be started apparently coming fall. So obviously I dont care what he runs about indulging in, but it hurts to think that each time he needs an ego boost, he is taking up a precious spot at some school and taking away health insurance and other benefits that could have gone to a more deserving student. So yes, that is my Franco rant for now. Plus I hear, he is a real dick..

My first and immediate reaction to most life problems used to be and maybe still kind of is, oh if it gets thaaat bad, I guess I will just die, end the misery. I was also obviously very aware what a fucked up way of thinking that was. But not how fucked up till the other day, this crazy pyscho character, drug addict, sex addict character says it out aloud to her sister. I had a dumbfounded moment where I re read those lines again and again. I am not sure what the difference was but just the very idea that someone so so pathetic thinks like that.. stops me in my tracks. Plus, I haven't thought about this strategy in a really long time. What with the general happiness, that is my life, currently. And even brighter life moment- I think to myself " It looks like you might be balding, yes.. by forty, you could be really bald, no, no wigs for me, even the nicest ones, I will just shave it off, keep it really simple. Oh!! maybe I should do it now, see how it looks. Or not. What if I get Cancer, I will have to do it then anyways"

I dont know if you see the bright side in this? No? Its how I will definitely be fighting Cancer hard if at all and will try and be positive in general about it. No, no one is seeing that? OK.

Please check this link out meanwhile. Probably might prompt you not to do those stupid Facebook crap when October rolls around, those what color is your bra, post the color or where do you like purse to-be-sexual-innuendos.( Really!!) statuses. This right here.

Boi is making his super awesome yummy shepherd's pie and I cant smell it with the stupid cold.

Books: John Irving-The World According to Garp
Movies: Birth of a nation, Planet of the apes.
Series: My so called life ( pretty good))

Someone picked up.

DIY

Life in this country is a big do it yourself project and as part of that project, we just moved houses all BY OURSELVES. In caps, because I have never done that before. In all my life we have moved houses exactly thrice and all times people from Achan's office would come and pack everything up while we played with bubble wrap and had a lot of outside food. Also: in these rented houses every time before I left, I would go up to the terrace and in some corner write my name and a few things about me for future kids who arrive in the house to read. I also searched for such things in new houses, its one of those things, that now manifests itself when I buy old second hand books, I search for some writing, some kind of clue who the last owner was. Some kind of a kick.

Anyhow, that was a painful process, but thankfully, the new house is just a 5min drive away, so we hauled the Uhaul and loaded everything up, lugging down bed and boxes and dining table and stands and god-knows-what-other crap.
By night about ten-ish when we were done, I had literally no energy left but I wanted to do the whole boil milk thing but I didnt let it overflow? all over. There was no way I was going to clean that up and then we had  KFC- because we deserve it!

The new house has the woods next to it, so in the evenings you hear the Cicada's song- I am just calling it that, I am not sure if its indeed them. But the sound is so calming and reminds me of my native place. I am going to miss staying here with him.

As for other activities, finished Last of her kind- Sigird Nunez, in less than three days, it was so interesting. Its about the 60's America- Class, flower power and all that craziness. I am so excited to meet her!
Movies: Capt America- Not bad at all
My Blueberry nights- Pretty decent.

I will leave on Sunday. 

What the news is, is

I am back! and happy to be back, a rare and exciting feeling that was. I was leaving from Muscat so that made it little less painful, I think.

So what all happened:

I sat the Amma and Achan and had a frank discussion, frankly loud ie, where they spend the better part of the 4/5 hours yelling. We were in Tvm and I swore never to step into that hotel again since I am sure they would remember us as "that" family. :/ Anyway finally I bought up excellent points that they couldnt avoid and thus we managed to have a decent conclusion to the discussion. I emphasized the need that they dont
a) bring up past
b) do below the belt shots
c) actually try and be friends who talk things out first
d) Achan: STOP being a leader in the house and remember everyone has equal rights :/
e) stop making all of us look foolish in the whole family
f) Give away money as though we are the new world bank
g) take trips together, alone
h) LIVE in the same place for godsakes

etc,etc. The room had these curtains that hadn't been washed in years I think, so the dust allergy sprang up making my brilliant mature adult among you two kids, persona sneeze and sneeze some more till I had red watery eyes and fell sick promptly. They took care of me, together making decisions on what hospital to stop and get me one of those mask things- name I forget-so that I can breathe easy. Even with my uncomfortable-cant breathe stage it was a relief to see them behave normal after years.
And its been two months and they seem to be taking my advice well! That's a first I am sure, someone other than boi, taking me seriously!
They are even planning a trip to some place! So that was that.

The visa was painless procedure, though you know that place you first submit all your papers for someone to organize it? Where the Indians sit, yeah, there was this nasty nasty bitch there, who was like, give me the papers, I hand it over, she checks and says " where are your Masters certificate?"
I give her my transcripts and she is suddenly all rude: Naaat yuvar transcripts, your certificaaate?
Uhm, I dont have one!
What you didnt go for graduation ceremony?
No?
UGLY raised eyebrows stare back at me in that what are you good for useless coming here without it face.

SILENCE.

Do yu haave it or not.
No, but, but my transcript says passed!!
You either have it or you dont.
Fine.
You explain to the aaficer when he asks you
Ok

and then there was this crazy crazy long wait where I kept saying: daivame repeatedly till I thought that was the only word I knew in life.

The aaficer was a perfectly nice lady who asked for nothing- just my luck- who checked GRE TOEFL and I-20 and that was that.
So you are a writer, she said
I try, I said
End.

I bought myself 4 pretty saris and some kurtas and a school bag and that was my shopping.

My usual doctor visits yielded some nasty surprises, I had been so used to seeing everything normal that I didnt even see this coming. I do a lot of tests, things I dont even need to do at current age but I cant help it. I did a Pulmonary function tests, since I can barely run 2miles without dying and I have no aches anywhere and except for my breathing everything else seems fine, but the test showed healthy lungs with full capacity. Then I did a de reactive protein test, cos, I thought my cholesterol levels looked a teeny weeny high and then  that came out fine. Then I did a HIV test- non reactive it said, I wish they would use the word negative.
Then I checked my uric acid level- Fine.
Then I did a thyroid test and good I did! There was this unnatural rise in TSH and the doctor asked if I had been gaining any weight, I had been. He said to stay calm < :/ > and exercise regularly and check back in 6months, I will be needing that student insurance after all. But it scared me. He also said if it doesnt come down then he would put me on medication and these kinds- they are life long!

I have missed going to the gym, its been three months now and I am at 65! It will take some effort getting that down.  Then I went to the gyanec and she said I have mild cervical infection after my pap smear, she said not to worry, 90% of women have it at some point and gave me some tablets.

You see, a better of holidays are always spend like this.

Anyway I am going to try and lose all that weight.  Other than all this what else is happening. One of my closest friends got married! To this lovely lovely girl and I just saw the photos and everyone looked so happy and smiley faced with all that love! Super happy for him.
Ha Jin is letting me audit his class in addition to the workshops. I have been catching up on faculty works.
Yesterday Boi and I went to a recycled book store and decided we would spend 10$ each and ended up spending 30$. we leave SFO this weekend, driving down to vegas and from there back home.

That's all I got folks.

S