Monthly Archives: April 2012

Day 30: Forbidden Fruit

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Day 30 — One question or subject matter if I were asked here on 30 Days of Blogging Honesty I know I would refuse to answer or definitely lie about is…

I would not talk about death. The way the question was posed in this month’s honesty challenge is fine, but I don’t think I would be able to talk about my feelings after a loved one’s death. That is just too personal.

I would not, along a similar vein, want to talk about the “dark stuff” of my childhood. Everybody has those wisps of darkness shrouding their past, no matter how trivial they may seem to others. For me, much of my dark stuff revolves around my relationship with my cousins. There are just some things too painful to come clear about. Too shameful even. I would avoid dredging up those nightmares and keep them in the closet. Door shut tight and forever locked, and that’s how it will stay. There are things about my past that nobody but myself will ever know.

I don’t know if I’d be able to talk brazenly about things I’ve done/lied about that people can later find out and hold against me. If I have done anything illegal in the past, it will not be mentioned. Except for the one time I walked out with a toy balloon (You know the small ones attached to a straw) when I was really young. My mom noticed once we were a block away and we turned back to pay for it. I hadn’t really stolen it intentionally. I was just holding it and then we left and it was still in my hands. I was too young to “steal” and I think I sort of just forgot I was holding it and grabbed my mommy’s hand and left when she said we were leaving.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, all other illegal matters stay off this blog.

That about sums it up. Sex (specifics), death, illegal doings, and dark stuff.

 

Note: It was truly a PLEASURE writing this Blogging Honesty challenge with everybody. I have saved all participants to my Bloglovin account and fully intend to keep updated with everybody’s blogs. Hopefully now that the intensity of posting daily is over, it will be much more manageable to peruse everybody’s blog as they post. I have scheduled this to be posted one minute before midnight. I look forward to completing the challenge, but I must admit that it was quite an ordeal. I had final exams crop up and the LSAT is an ever-looming presence. Still, I persevered and I’ve managed to complete the thirty questions in thirty days. I’m proud of myself! Now I’m going to sit back, breathe, (write two papers before Wednesday) and do a dare soon.

 That’s all, tis done. THE END.

 

xoxo,
Pryanka

List of rules and questions is here

Please take a moment to check out the other wonderful blogs participating in 30 days of Blogging Honesty with me!

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Day 29: TV from 1960

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Day 29 — My television is showing the same show on every channel. I really don’t mind watching ____ (from the 1960’s) and I really love this show because…

I am not a TV/Film/Production major. I don’t even have very many Tisch friends. Issela, your production minor doesn’t count so shush.

I don’t even know what TV shows are from the 90’s, let alone the 60’s. I was -30 years old then. I was too young to be coherent, the decade just flew by, you know?

Well I did a quick google of TV shows around in the 1960s and decided I would pick a show that sounded familiar. I lucked out and founddd….

It aired first in 1962 but re-aired on TV in the mid 80’s as well. There must have been a revamped version (Or maybe just reruns?) in the 90’s when I was growing up.

I loved the Jetsons! I wouldn’t mind if TV only had the Jetsons. I don’t watch much TV anyway and this was a lighthearted but amazing show to watch. I loved it more than The Flintstones and even The Brady Bunch. This was my favorite cartoon TV family ❤

xoxo,
Pryanka

List of rules and questions is here

Please take a moment to check out the other wonderful blogs participating in 30 days of Blogging Honesty with me!

Day 28: Erasing Social Boundaries

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Day 28 — If I could do one thing that is socially unacceptable and know I would not be judged, I would…

Oh this is difficult! There are some things I wish I could do without being judged, but I know I would still be punished for them. In that case, I would not do them with or without the judgment of others. In fact, I don’t often care about the judgment of others.

This is a tough one. I don’t know if I would do it, but I want a chance to express my innermost thoughts. That is what this challenge is about after all.

I think if I knew I wouldn’t be judged for it, I would take some time off between college and law school and do some “inner exploring.” I’m not going to be cliche and say I want to find myself, because I think I know who I am already, but I want some fun. With no stress. High school was all about advanced classes and AP Exams and SAT’s and getting into a good college.

Then college was mostly about studying and writing essays and staying up all night to finish homework assignments. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun, but there was overriding stress. Throughout college, I have worked, interned, studied, attended classes, participated in extracurricular activities, managed club leadership positions, and now, studied for my LSAT. It was a lot of work.

So if I could do so without judgment (and if I had the means to do so), I would most definitely take some time off to travel. I would explore, I would learn how to paint and mold clay. I would paint a mural on the walls of my apartment and build a giant DIY nail polish rack. I would backpack through Europe and couchsurf my way around all the different countries. I would go on a cruise, perhaps around the Mediterranean. Maybe with a boy?

I know this doesn’t sound that crazy, but given present social norms, I would be the center of all the Indian Aunty gossip. I can just see their faces now, so scandalized that I was traveling alone or worse yet, with a boy.

xoxo,
Pryanka

List of rules and questions is here

Please take a moment to check out the other wonderful blogs participating in 30 days of Blogging Honesty with me!

Day 27: My Inner Voice

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Day 27 — I have an inner voice, and if a friend spoke to me the way my inner voice does at times, I would…

I would probably have avoided many, many sticky situations. Actually, I’ve got to be really honest here – I’ve already avoided many sticky situations because of the friends I do have.

Jessica is basically my inner voice. I am hers too, I hope. Although I’m more of a devilish influence on her.

My inner voice is a little more daring than I actually am. But sometimes it tells me when I should stop and helps me from getting hurt. It isn’t afraid of being brutal honesty.

I don’t think I am able to answer this question properly. I do have a friend who is like my inner voice. I am eternally grateful for her, and I know that I can talk to her about anything with no judgment, just advice. She’s there to simply listen, if that’s what I need, and she’s there to yell at me for being a moron when I so often am one.

So I don’t need to philosophize. I have a friend who is in accord with my inner voice, and I love it. I can always talk things through with her.

Does the honesty sometimes sting when I don’t want to hear the truth? Yes. Yes it does.

But it is so reassuring to know that she’s out there looking out for me the same way my inner voice is.

xoxo,
Pryanka

List of rules and questions is here

Please take a moment to check out the other wonderful blogs participating in 30 days of Blogging Honesty with me!

Day 26: Breaking the Law

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Day 26 — I would break the law to save a loved one if…

I’d like to say that I’m an extremely scrupulous and moral person. I’d like to, but I can’t because I’m not. I don’t abide by all the rules – that’s no fun. I think my childhood turned me into a rebellious person, or maybe my childhood was so difficult because I had always been one. Whatever the case may be, I usually have no issues breaking the law.

Senior ditch day? Check.

Lying to get myself out of trouble? Check.

Drinking before the age of 21? Check.

I know these are minor offenses, but my point is – if I’m not a model citizen on my own, I don’t think I’d become a model citizen when doing the “right” thing meant putting my loved ones in danger. I don’t know how far I would go though.

I think if I knew the person was guilty, no matter how much I loved him or her, I would try my best to stay out of it. That way I’m not ratting them out, but I’m also not their accomplice. If I don’t know anything, I’m not expected to do anything about it. A silent concession, I guess.

If it was something like…having to murder or commit a bank robbery…yeah I’m not that brave.

But the small things, like stealing a bottle of nail polish from a store. Hey, I’m not telling. It’s whatever, nobody else got hurt.

So breaking the law to save a loved one is fine as long as nobody is getting hurt…that’s my opinion. Obviously I’m hoping that nobody gets caught either way, but I’d rather get caught running a red light than pointing a gun at somebody else’s head. For obvious reasons.

xoxo,
Pryanka

List of rules and questions is here

Please take a moment to check out the other wonderful blogs participating in 30 days of Blogging Honesty with me!

A College Student’s Kitchen

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What are some of the ingredients I’ve tried to keep stocked up in my kitchen? Lo and behold, the below essentials have kept me from starving when I ran out of my mommy’s home-cooked food 😀

1. Ramen – I have the normal Ramen + also Maggi, which is the Indian version of Ramen. I love this stuff. When I’m too lazy/busy to cook, this is my go-to. I try not to have too much of it in a week because it’s not exactly healthy, but it’s good, simple eats when you’re working on a paper and don’t have time for extravagance.

2. Tofu – Stir-fry is the second easiest thing to make for me. Since chicken is pricy, I try to keep stocked up on Tofu instead. It’s still healthy, it absorbs the flavors of the sauces I use well enough, and it still tastes great in stir fry. I prefer firm tofu so it won’t break apart when I’m cooking with it. One of these packages lasts me at least 4 timse..I use 1 piece per meal I make for myself, and the whole package is under $2 usually. Sometimes, I buy some fried tofu as well. That stuff tastes good but it’s sooo oily.

3. Eggs – I seriously love these things. Make omelettes for breakfast, put them into Ramen to make it slightly healthier, and scramble some into stir-fry when I’m making dinner. I also make omelettes and put them into sandwiches with some cheese and lightly sauteed onions for a delicious lunch sandwich that would probably cost 5x more if I bought it outside. I don’t usually bother with organic or brown eggs, and try to get the Jumbo sized eggs when I can. More for mah money!

4. Large White Onion – I usually just buy these 1 at a time because I don’t cook much. They’re pretty cheap/lb and the onions I get are huge and usually under $1 anyway. Honestly grocery shopping for a whole week’s worth of eats usually costs me under $15. It’s great. That’s the equivalent of 1-3 outside meals, but lasts me through at least 5-7 days instead of just one. Cheap!!

5. Bread – Necessary. Whatever’s on sale usually. Super versatile – I can make those sandwiches with egg & onion or I can just make normal pb&j’s. Or nutella & peanut butter or whatever other yummy combination I can think of to put on bread.

6. Nutella, Peanut Butter, Jelly – I’m smushing them into one thing. They’re great, any combination of the 3, on bread. I prefer  the peanut butter creamy not chunky though. And strawberry jam over any other.

7. Chicken Stock/Broth – This helps when making soup but also to make food I can have over rice without the whole thing being too dry. I usually buy just 1 can at a time, and use it over the course of the week making my stir fried veggies “wet” enough to have with rice.

8. Rice – Honestly, enough said. You should have some rice in your kitchen.

9. Frozen Peas – I prefer the rest of my veggies fresh but my peas – I always keep a bag of them in the freezer and defrost amounts as needed. They last pretty much forever 😀 And sometimes some peas thrown into ramen makes it a liiiitle bit less cheap feeling.

11. Coffee Singles – These are easier than going out and spending money on coffee.  My roommate keeps them around and I’ll make myself coffee if I’m staying in to study. You don’t need them if you’re not much of a coffee drink, but it’s an essential in our kitchen for sure.

12. Herbs & Spices – In our kitchen, this includes: sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper, oregano, basil, and whatever else you happen to find packets of in dining halls and cafes 😀

13. Milk – I forgot to mention this until now, but it’s super helpful. For coffee, with cookies, in cereal, or just by itself if you’re into that kind of thing. I buy a half pint at a time b/c I’m not much of a milk drinker. I get 1/2 gallon, 2%.

14. Cereal – I usually buy whatever is on sale, usually at least one that I like is reduced price. If it isn’t, I wait until it is.

15. EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Useful in cooking, removing eye makeup, baking, and everything. I love my oil, every kitchen’s gotta have some of this.

Everything else is extra and varies depending on sales, but here are some other things I frequently find in my kitchen

– Butter
– Cheese
– Vegetables – whatever I buy in Chinatown honestly. Bok Choy, Lettuce, Tomato, Mushroom, Green Pepper, Bean Sprouts, Green Beans, Broccoli, Snap Peas, etc.
– Pasta
– Pasta Sauce
– Lemon/Lime
– Ginger/Garlic
–  Canned Beans
– Tortilla
– Presliced/cooked Chicken & Turkey
– Uncooked Chicken breast
– Turkey Hot Dogs
– Chips
– Cookies/Muffins/English Muffins/Donuts/Croissants – some sort of breakfast-y thing

Yep. What do you usually have? Anything I forgot?

The Right time for Romance

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When is the right time for romance?

Is it high school? College? Later? Never?

Am I supposed to find the cute neighbor next door and get married to him, persevere through all the odds that keep us away from each other? Because I do have a neighbor next door. The boy-next-door romance, is that what I’m supposed to follow? Is that my path?

Or is it the high school sweetheart that’s supposed to sweep me off my feet? Because that didn’t happen, and I didn’t date anybody in high school. I just went through it all with my best friends and we were happy. Being single wasn’t a pain or annoying. I was content, but did I miss my path then? When I didn’t go to all the parties I was never invited to, did I mess up and miss out? No more soulmate?

Then we get to college. I failed the high school path, but what about college? I’m almost done now but is there anybody in my life so passionately in love with me that he wants to marry me? Will I ever hold that allure for another? I just don’t get it. There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m nice, caring, understanding, funny, witty, compassionate, and honest. Am I too easy? Is that why I didn’t meet my college sweetheart either?

Graduate school – that’s next on my life path. Law school. Am I supposed to fall in love with an up-and-coming lawyer? Together, we’d be the dynamic duo and win every court case and be besotted by one another in perpetuity. Is that what I’m supposed to do? Am I being led toward the white picket fence path? Where I have two kids, one male and one female, and get married sometime around 25. We have a house in the suburbs, work in the city, and see each other on the weekends. We probably have a small dog. A low maintenance one to make up for our busy schedules. Well then, is that what my future is? I guess I just have to wait.

What if I’m not meant to every find my soulmate? The path of the “crazy cat lady.” maybe that’s my loveless path? Will something happen that’ll debilitate my capacity to love another and I’ll grow up bitter and alone? I hope not, my Indian heritage should ensure a marriage at the very least, if not love. Will I be just another boring, forgotten Indian housewife then, if that’s what I end up doing? Marrying to reproduce and take care of the household and look the other way as my husband came home later and later smelling of some other woman’s perfume?

Wow, I’m working myself up to tears right now, but I need to get these doubts out of my system and on paper.

Maybe there’s a little hope in the arranged marriage path though. Maybe we’ll compromise and grow to love and cherish each other in a way that we never would have if it was a love marriage. That ability to understand one another and complete conversations with our eyes alone. The type of marriage that comes out of compromise and mutual understanding, not a whirlwind romance that would leave us high, dry, and probably pregnant when we realized we didn’t work. I don’t know, that path sounds a little better than the romances right?

Well then I see all these stories of girls who met their husbands when they were 14. That they just knew they would get married and dated all those years and then got married one they could and now they’re totally happy. I just don’t get it. Why are they able to meet their loves and I’m denied time and time again?

Maybe I’m overlooking the right one by pursuing my fantasies? But I don’t get it – some people marry the man who was their first kiss, their first date, their first friend, or their first love. Why don’t I get that? Why is my luck so rotten that I’m 21 now and have not a single clue what it means to be in love? I can’t be that heartless.

Why? When will it be the right time for my romance?