mmm, chocolate

my roommate is baking these ultimate dark chocolate brownies right now. the smell is soooo good!! let me just send out a little pointer to all the fellas out there - chocolate is a girl's best friend. seriously, it never lets you down, it's a total comfort, and it doesn't discriminate - ever!!

even though it's so bad for you, i love that the holidays mean that people start making these awesome desserts and fun food things. i'm cooking thanksgiving dinner for three friends on thursday, starting to get a little nervous. the menu isn't too large, but it'll be the first time i'm handling an entire meal, start to finish, on my own. but, luckily, since i'm a vegematarian, i won't have the hassle (or stress) of cooking a turkey to perfection. everything should be relatively simple, but let's see!! stay tuned for my personal report card!

movie mania!!

it's been a week of finally seeing movies that i've been waiting months for. i saw hp: the goblet of fire last night, 2 days before its release. it's absolutely wonderful. all the kids are great, growing up quickly and acting their parts very well. one of harry's scenes at the end is absolutely heartbreaking. and ralph fiennes as voldemort is unbelievable, he's absolutely stunning, totally terrifying and creepy. i loved the humor they injected into the movie as well, making you realize the weight of the wizarding world rests on kid shoulders. as huge as the book is, they definitely took leaps with the story, but i liked it overall. all i want to do is find a bootleg version somehow to watch over and over again!!

and then tonight, i went to see walk the line, the johnny cash biopic. i have to say, i admired mr. cash, even though i'm not completely familiar with his music. and i loved this movie. really. reese witherspoon is great, she plays this part with so much grace, humor, pizzazz, and honesty. and joaquin phoenix.... ahh, joaquin... he is so wonderful in everything he does, and this is no different. he is magnetic and charismatic as johnny cash, you really can't stop watching. he totally conveys the confusion of the man - someone with personal flaws and who was susceptible to damaging demons, yet who was supremely talented, loving, funny and strong. joaquin is amazing, i love him even more after this. they both sang well, bringing similarity without fully copying the original styles. several scenes were very good and very sweet. their love story is inspirational, made me want something similar (of course, without the wait, drugs, and divorces...) (thanks to l. for the screening!)

finally... movies that fulfill the expectations that i had and left me wanting more. it is films like these that made me love the silver screen. one bringing a magical book to life and the other giving us a peek into the life of a legendary man.

to the gilmore powers that be:

what's the deal with this luke having a kid story? it may end up being quite cute because luke can be so sweet when it comes to people he cares about. but, at least initially, i think it will bring so much pain and confusion to luke and consequently, lorelai. this couple and their romance have sustained me through many months of frustration over my own lack of love-life. i virtually live for the moments of their relationship, but i think there's gonna be some rough waters ahead, and i HATE it. so to those who rule the gilmore world, please don't let this story line ruin this relationship in the long run.

why the delay?

read an article in vanity fair about the president's vacation and his dealings with crawford, texas. the article talks about the split between local residents who love and hate bush's residence there. i started thinking about a sentence in the piece that referenced the delay in bush's response to katrina. the article talked about the time it took for him to realize and act upon the fact that people were dying in nola. it mentioned the numerous trips he took in the days following katrina's landfall, instead of taking steps to relieve the devastation in the gulf coast. i immediately flashed to the image of bush sitting in the classroom on 9/11 when he was told that the towers were attacked. it took, what, 7 minutes for him to leave the room to get more information on what happened? it just shows a pattern of massive misunderstanding, unbelievable arrogance and an inability to know how to handle crisis on his own. without someone whispering in his ear or leading him around on a leash, bush is completely incapacitated.

art and bush

first, new polls show bush has the lowest approval rating of his presidency. yea, at least americans are sensing that something is wrong with this man and his policy. i hope the dissatisfaction will lead to some changes in his outlook on how we approach the world and our responsibilities.

second, went to the MoMA and remembered how much i enjoy seeing certain artists and their work. i always love monet, rothko, gaudi, johns, and others. today, i discovered that i like seurat and works by elizabeth murray. i love seeing the texture on paintings and how the use of varying thicknesses of paint makes the piece fun.

out and about

spent the day walking around new york yesterday. had a friend in from chicago and the weather was gorgeous, what a great way to spend the day. we started out by going to see "the little prince" an opera at Lincoln Center. it was my first experience with opera, and since it was an English-language one, i think it was a good way to intro myself to the genre. though i think i'll have to give classic opera a try before completely denouncing them.

we then went to chinatown, which is fine if you go at an off-time, but otherwise, it is crawling with tourists who are a pain in the ass. seriously. we then made our way through little italy and the LES, to the east village. ate dinner at this cute mexican place, maryann's. food is good, ambience is nice, sangria a little too sweet.

on our way back, we stopped by bryant park to see the ice-skating rink they've set up. it's really quite cute with people falling and tripping along the way, just the thing to put you into the holiday spirit. christmas is on it's way to the city, i can't wait to walk around and see all the holiday decorations!

i hate it

i'm not cut out for the dating world. seriously. i don't have the patience or the skills to navigate the ins and outs of men and their lame excuses for existence. sorry, that was harsh, but it's just too frustrating to deal with all the crap. i know i'm completely new to the whole deal, so i'm still learning, but i've honestly come to realize i don't know how to handle all the bs that comes with the dating world.

further evidence...

that all tv associated with the name fox, SUCKS!! so, fox (not news) has reduced the number of new "arrested development" episodes to be produced and has also delayed the broadcast of new episodes until december. all this in favor of "prison break" - which isn't a bad show - but come on... better than AD? for the love of bluth...

election day '05

so, the media is touting yesterday's elections as a big win for the democrats and a set-back for bush. while, i'm not sure the results signify quite that, i do think they show a lack of momentum for the republican party. i think some good dems in governorships is a good sign for the party in the long-run. even though i've come to believe most politicians are corrupt and/or immoral, i think governors stand a chance on the presidential stage far better than senators. the national voting record just isn't there to throw in their face at every campaign opportunity. let's see how these elections foreshadow in the next several years, i think a lot more depends on the war and bush's handling of the government in the coming months.

jess-ilicious!

okay, so tonight was by far my most favorite gilmore girls of the season. i'm a die-hard fan of the show, but this season has been a little tough to watch. i love the lorelai-luke story, he keeps getting sweeter and better, though i'm just waiting for her to break his heart. but more importantly, the whole dynamic is off with the estrangement of rory and lorelai, which i understand plot-wise. however, the magic of the show is gone - the quick convos, the random pop culture references, and the general wackiness these two create. but tonight, our man was back... jess came back in a guest appearance, and it was awesome, though way too short. his character was settled and tried knocking some sense into rory... but more importantly, it was great to see the actor back and in fine form. he always bring a sense of sarcasm and intelligence that is SO attractive! thank you, milo, for visiting the gilmore universe once again - we missed you!

filmed out

i volunteered for a film festival this past week, it was great. the days were long, but i got to see some really amazing movies. my favorites - born into brothels, waterborne, highway courtesans, call center, continuous journey. though i have to say, at this moment, the idea of movies that are serious and real freaks me out a little. i need to see a popcorn fluff movie made with a big budget!

happy birthday!!

happy birthday to my man (i wish!), shahrukh khan!! he turns 40 today and is only getting better with age. hard to believe i fell for the scrawny little kid in "deewana" more than 13 years ago!! anyways, just wanted to send out an eternal birthday wish for him with hopes that this year brings him all the happiness and success he desires.

Diwali Mubarak!

Happy Diwali! Today is the largest festival for Hindus, it's called Diwali, a.k.a. the Festival of Lights. Diwali is the New Year for our lunar calendar. It signifies a time of new beginnings and the coronation of Ram after returning from a 14-year exile.

Anyways, for me, Diwali means family. My mom always hosts the community pooja, so it means cleaning the house, lighting dozens of diyas, cooking great food, wearing new clothes, and celebrating with close friends. I'm not at home this year, but my heart definitely is!